{"id":2365,"date":"2017-01-30T05:35:53","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T05:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedcdarlings.com\/?p=2365"},"modified":"2018-04-15T21:02:14","modified_gmt":"2018-04-15T21:02:14","slug":"mollys-paris-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedcdarlings.com\/mollys-paris-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The DC Darlings Travel Guide: Paris Walking Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a francophile who has been lucky enough to live in France several times throughout my life, the city of Paris holds a very special place in my heart. It is my absolute favorite place to be, and is truly la plus belle ville du monde<\/i>. Whenever my friends are headed to The City of Lights, they always contact me for recommendations, so I wanted to share with you all my official Paris Guide. The guide features my \u201cParis in One Day\u201d walking tour (which I highly recommend for travelers who don\u2019t have a lot of time in the city), and\u00a0also a list of some of my other favorite spots in Paris (restaurants, shops, etc.) Hope you all enjoy!<\/p>\n

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Before we get started with the walking tour, it is first important to understand the layout of the Paris. The city is divided into 20 arrondissements, with the Seine River flowing through, separating the city into two sides: the Right Bank (Rive Droite<\/i>) and the Left Bank (Rive Gauche<\/i>). In the middle of the two banks lies l\u2019Ile Saint Louis (where you\u2019ll find La Cath\u00e9drale de Notre Dame). Here\u2019s a helpful visual from @GirlsGuidetoParis<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Paris in One Day Walking Tour<\/h1>\n

The tour begins at the Arc de Triomphe, which is located at the west end of the Avenue des Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es at Place Charles de Gaulle. To arrive here, I recommend taking le metro<\/i> like a true Parisienne<\/i> (I recommend this Paris Metro App<\/a>, which works without wifi!) Take metro line 1 to Charles de Gaulle \u2014 \u00c9toile. Follow the signs for the Arc to Triomphe to exit. When you reach the top of the escalator, you will be in awe.<\/p>\n

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Head east, away from the Arc de Triomphe, down the Avenue des\u00a0Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, the most famous avenue in all of Paris. The Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es\u00a0runs 1.2 miles through the 8th arrondissement in northwestern Paris, from the Arc de Triomphe in the west to the Place de la Concorde in the east. It is lined with shops (both high-end shops as well as more modest) and restaurants (but I recommend avoiding most of these restaurants as they are overpriced and touristy). As you wander the\u00a0Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, Ladur\u00e9e\u00a0<\/a>will be on your right. You must stop inside because the interior is stunning, and while you\u2019re there you must treat yourself to a macaroon (or two!) Their tea room is also a nice place to stop and rest if you\u2019re feeling sluggish.<\/p>\n