Travel Guide: Paris

Grace and I are complete opposites when it comes to working out while traveling. Grace always wakes up early and takes a group fitness class nearby or does Kayla Itsines’ BBG workout in her hotel/AirBnb. Me on the other hand, I wake up early and get breakfast. Usually when I’m traveling, it’s to a city that has great public transportation and walking is normal (if you’re from LA, you know it’s rare to see people walking around unless it’s in Downtown or near the beach). I always end up walking over 20,000 steps a day so I consider that my workout. I definitely don’t stress about getting in a workout and it’s low on my priority list.

Being a fitness/health influencer, you probably thought this would be a workout or healthy guide to Paris. NOPE! You know we’re all about balance so when I’m in vacation mode, I’m all about enjoying good food with great company.

For the sake of this blog post, I did look into group fitness classes in Paris, but was limited on time and the language barrier was also an issue. My friend, Kayla and I also rented a small studio apartment on AirBnb and I don’t think she would have appreciated being woken up to me doing burpees at 7 am.

Activities

These activities might not really be considered a workout in most people’s eyes, but it did require a lot of walking so I’m counting it as a semi-workout. And the majority of these activities were done in heeled boots and wedge booties so bonus points to me for getting in an extra calf workout!

1. Eiffel Tower

I always travel with non-bloggers and I hate dragging my friends around for the perfect Instagram photo. I decided the best solution would be shooting with a photographer and getting all my photos out of the way. The best spot for photos of the Eiffel Tower in the background is Tocadéro. This is where all the fashion bloggers take photos of themselves sitting on the stairs.

2. Louvre and Palais-Royal

I didn’t visit the inside of the Louvre this trip because of time restrictions, but shot around the pyramids. There’s so many cute, hidden corners to take photos at. Palais-Royal is also a couple of minutes away and definitely worth taking photos at.

3. Montmartre, Top of the Hill

After a really filling lunch, we walked up to Montmartre, to the top of the hill, in front of Sacré-Cœur Basilica. It was a bit of a climb, but we needed the fresh air after too much food and wine. This is one of the best spots to view Paris from above and definitely worth the climb.

4. Musée d’Orsay

Musée d’Orsay is one of the must visit museums when you’re in Paris. The Louvre is of course the most popular, but it’s HUGE and extremely easy to get lost in. If you’re limited on time, I definitely recommend Musée d’Orsay. You can check out a few exhibits and get a photo in front of this iconic clock.

5. Shopping

Yes, shopping counts as cardio.

Designer shopping is a must when you’re in Paris since the prices are lower than the U.S. and you also get a VAT refund. Also, take your time and really enjoy the shopping process. Browse, enjoy a glass or two… or bottle of champagne and make a day out of it. I always make the mistake of leaving my shopping to the last day so I’m rushing and sprinting to the next store.

Restaurants

This is not a food blog so I won’t go into elaborate details about restaurants or dishes I ate. Besides the 4 am drunchies (drunk munchies), every meal I had in Paris this trip was amazing.

1. L’Avant Comptoir du Marche

There are multiple locations of L’Avant Comptoir du Marche. We went to the new, bigger location, but it’s still really small. It’s standing only and you’ll be really squished, but it’s definitely worth it. The most memorable part about this meal was the FRENCH BUTTER. There’s a huge, communal slab of butter and trust me, YOU HAVE TO EAT IT. The butter is life changing and so worth the cheat!

2. Le Sot L’y Laisse

This is a restaurant mostly locals know about. It’s classic French cuisine by a Japanese chef. We went for lunch and loved how fresh and light all the dishes were. It was a nice change from some of the heavier meals we had on the trip.

3. David Toutain

There’s something nice about having a decadent meal for lunch. I prefer nice, long lunches over fancy dinners. David Toutain was the most expensive meal we had on the trip, but enjoying at least one Michelin rated restaurant is a must while in Paris.

4. Comptoir de la Gastronomie

If you love foie gras, this restaurant is a must! It was my first meal in Paris during this trip and last trip in 2015. Everything is rich and on the heavier side so don’t over order. We also ordered a profiterole for dessert without realizing it would be the size of our heads.

5. Holybelly

While my friend had a meeting, I went and got myself croissants and madeleines at Blé Sucré (so good and definitely worth the trip!) and took myself to brunch at Holybelly. It’s a typical American brunch spot and the food is delicious and service is super friendly. There’s something nice about enjoying a solo meal when traveling with friends. It’s nice to unwind and have a quiet hour or two to myself.

Have you guys been to Paris before? If so, tell me your favorite spots!

– Joanna