As the famed expression goes: Paris is always a good idea! Especially given it's less than three hours away from London via the Eurostar. Seriously, with fares starting at £39 (each way) there’s no excuse not to visit the French capital for a long weekend. The stress of airport security and waiting around is certainly alleviated when you head by train (plus it's kinder to the planet too).
If you are looking to tick off the iconic sights, devour classic croissants, and soak up the quintessential magic of the city, here are our tried-and-tested recommendations for the ultimate first-timer's weekend in Paris...
Where to stay in Paris for your first trip
La Clef Louvre, Palais-Royal
Where? 1st arrondissement, the historic, unmissable, and iconic heart of the city
If you want to be immersed in Paris’ most unmissable sights — think: the Palais Royal, Musée de l’Orangerie, and, most famously, the Louvre — then the 1st arrondissement is the place to stay.
Nestled on a quiet side street just a five-minute walk from the Louvre is La Clef Louvre, a luxury haven that offers stylish suites, with fully-equipped kitchens, and even a balcony overlooking beautiful Parisian streets.
Our room was spacious, bright and the mattress was sooo comfy. If you want to get a pre-Louvre workout in, there’s also a fitness room you can pump some iron in before you hit the hotel’s continental breakfast.
Rooms at La Clef start at approximately £270 per night, find out more here
Hotel Mercedes, Wagram
Where? 17th arrondissement, exclusive, crowd-free, and authentically Parisian
One of the biggest arrondissements in Paris is the 17th; it’s a whopping three times the size of the city centre. But why should you stay here? Well, there are few tourist crowds – instead, you’ll find neighbourhoods filled with shops, markets, hotels, museums, parks and more. Essentially, here, you can enjoy an authentic 'la vie Parisienne', while still being close to must-see attractions like the Champs-Elysées.
And if you’re after a hotel to stay at when in the Wagram area, look no further than the Hotel Mercedes. The 1930s Art-Deco building is super exclusive, home to only 37 rooms (and one dreamy duplex suite) and is conveniently located on the leafy Avenue de Wagram, which is just a a 20-minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe.
Rooms at Hotel Mercedes start from £125 per night, find out more here
Kimpton St Honoré, Opéra
Where? 2nd arrondissement, think grand boulevards, classic luxury, and high-end shopping
FYI, when you daydream about your fantasy trip to Paris, it’s likely the Kimpton St Honoré that you’re imagining. This five-star hotel, located in Opéra, is a short walk from everything you’d ever want to see in Paris and is the epitome of French luxury.
We loved our room so much we took pictures from every angle to add to our dream bedroom Pinterest board, and found the team working at the Kimpton St Honoré to be some of the nicest people we met in the city – five-star service indeed.
There’s also a sleek gym and spa area, complete with pool and sauna, that guests are welcome to use, along with bikes you can borrow to explore the city on wheels.
P.S. As a hot tip, we’d advise not going for the breakfast/brunch buffet option as some items on the menu weren’t included. Instead, just order directly from the menu — it’ll likely work out cheaper.
Rooms at Kimpton St Honoré Paris start from £377 per night, find out more here
Le Grand Hôtel Cayré, Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Where? 7th arrondissement, full of chic cafes, literary history and Eiffel Tower views
If we had the money, we’d probably just move into Le Grand Hôtel Cayré permanently! It offers Le Labo toiletries, staff that go above and beyond, and interiors we only wish we could transplant into every room of our own homes.
The hotel is a real win on the geographical convenience front, situated in the hip neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the 7th arrondissement, with a metro stop just a stone’s throw from the front door. This means it’s ideal if you’re a newbie in Paris and still gathering your bearings.
Pro hack: if you’re able to book a Premium Room, it’s well worth it for the nighttime views of the Eiffel Tower, which you can watch sparkle from the comfort of your freshly-pressed sheets. Or, take a 40-minute stroll to the landmark in the daytime, as it’s well within walking distance.
Rooms at Le Grand Hôtel Cayré start from £312 per night, find out more here
La Fantaisie, Faubourg-Montmartre
Where? 9th arrondissement, a trendy, vibrant, and highly Instagrammable hub
It may be cliché to say, but stepping into La Fantaisie, just off the 9th arrondissement’s vibrant Rue Cadet, is, well, a fantasy come true. The five-star hotel is a dreamland of colour, dizzying mix-and-match patterns and lots and lots of light. In short: it’s an Instagrammable delight.
But there’s more to La Fantaisie than its maximalist decor — it’s a properly lavish stay. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the bright conservatory restaurant and/or the plant-filled garden, while cocktails and pre-dinner snacks are the domain of the eccentric rooftop bar. On the terrace out front, the café scratches that iconic Parisian café culture itch.
The neighbourhood is cool, too, boasting antique shops and cafes, and it’s a short walk from trendy Pigalle and Gare du Nord, making it a super easy choice for a fleeting visit.
Rooms at La Fantaisie start at approximately £300 per night, find out more here
La Maison Favart, Opéra-Comique
Where? 2nd arrondissement, tucked-away, theatrical, and ultra-romantic
Calling all romantics: looking for a charming, quintessentially Parisian hotel? Enter: La Maison Favart. Situated on the edge of the quiet, picturesque Place Boieldieu, and overlooking the Opéra Comique, the four-star boutique hotel honours its artistic heritage with classical 18th century style — dramatic chandeliers, opulent bedding, bewitchingly detailed wallpaper and antique-style furnishings.
It’s elegance personified, topped off with arguably the hotel’s pièce de résistance: its luxurious wellness area. Once you’ve spent the day stomping the streets of Paris, you can take a dip in the hotel’s relaxation bath, sweat out the day’s dirt in the sauna, and follow it all up with a self-programmable massage bed. Heaven.
Rooms at La Maison Favart start at approximately £200 per night, find out more here
Where to eat on a first trip to Paris
Du Pain et Des Idées
Head to Du Pain et Des Idées for the dreamiest bread and pastries ever. The bakery is a fave among locals and tourists, and if you have one of their melt-in-the-mouth croissants (or 'pistachio snails') you’ll see why.
Buvette
A cozy brunch spot delivering all the carby French classics – our Croque Monsieur was possibly the creamiest, cheesiest thing we've ever eaten. Buvette is a must-visit if you’re in Paris.
Miznon
Serving Israeli food with a French twist, Miznon is the perfect spot to refuel in between sightseeing and shopping. You'll often find a long queue of people outside, but it’s worth the wait for the whole-roasted cauliflower, minty lamb kebab pitas and beef bourguignon. There’s plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, and you can choose to take your pitas away for a stroll along the Seine.
Annette
Annette is all about celebrating traditional French fare and the dining room interiors are everything our Parisian dreams demanded and more: tiny fringed lamps, mismatched paintings (which somehow go together perfectly) and marble tabletops. This is the place to live out your best ‘I’m a French girl now!’ fantasy, be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Manko
Manko is dark, underground and atmospheric. Your welcomed into an open kitchen. You watch chefs cook away underneath sea themed tile mosaics. Lot's of the dishes are fish based, with fresh meat on display. The menu is inspired from global palettes such as Japanese and Peruvian. The freshest sushi, fried rice, and cachanga sorbet.
Best bars in Paris for your first visit
Moonshiner
Love a tucked-away gem? This cocktail bar — well, speakeasy — is hidden around the back of a pizza restaurant. You have to walk through a ‘freezer’ to reach it. The staff love to chat through the menu, so ask for a recommendation before ordering your usual.
Bar Les Ambassadeurs
For a special occasion, you’d struggle to find anywhere else in Paris as luxe as Bar Les Ambassadeurs, tucked inside the impressive Hôtel de Crillon. It’s not cheap, but you’re paying in part for the surroundings — and oh my, what surroundings they are.
Think high ceilings adorned with painted murals and chandeliers, mirrored and marbled walls, and gold trimmings. If you time it right, there’s great live music on offer too. It’s the perfect place to visit as a treat and to feel like you’ve stepped back into the glamour-soaked Paris of the roaring twenties.
L’Officine Bac
Offering privacy and personalisation, this nook of a cocktail bar (a former pharmacy) in Le Grand Hôtel Cayré is small but perfectly formed – with a secret weapon up its sleeve. The mixologists will cheerfully make you any drink you want, on or off the menu. Simply tell them your poison of choice and they’ll get to work on something bespoke, whether it’s a fun twist on a spicy margarita or an extra, extra dirty martini with a surprise new ingredient. The ideal nightcap spot.
What to do in Paris as a first-timer
Paris can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to rinse your bank account. There are plenty of ways to be savvy with your spending and free up some budget for what matters most — like wine and cheese.
Do the big museums - smartly
Museums are free on the first Sunday of every month, so schedule your trip with that in mind if you’re trying to get cultured on a budget. Most attractions also offer student discount, while a Paris Museum Pass can save you money if you’re planning to visit multiple spots.
Strapped for money and time? Pick your must-see attractions and visit them first. We’d recommend sightseeing on a weekday so the crowds are smaller, or going first thing in the morning when places open — particularly for hugely popular attractions like the Louvre. It’s worth pre-booking as queues can go on for hours.
Can’t get into the Louvre? The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is right around the corner and offers a fascinating look at fashion and furniture over the years.
Walk the city properly
The secret is to walk everywhere. If you’re lucky with the weather, Paris is perfect to explore by foot. We walked around the city for hours, slowly taking in the architecture and shopping at Forum Des Halles in between.
Keen for a walking route? It’s worth dropping by The Louvre before walking through Tuileries Garden and venturing to the two islands in the centre of the Seine: Île de la Cité, and Île Saint-Louis to take in the beauty of the Notre Dame cathedral. From there you can walk to the Pantheon, before heading to the grassy Champ de Mars for a picnic, with the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower.
Don’t forget to head up the steps to the Sacré-Coeur for the most wonderful views of Paris. If you fancy an evening wander, take in the iconic Champs-Élysées at sunset and walk down the grand avenue to the Arc de Triomphe. Paris? Completed it mate.
Book Le Crazy Horse
Think catching a burlesque show in Paris means a visit to the Moulin Rouge? Having done both, we’d suggest opting for the just-as-legendary Crazy Horse instead. In our humble opinion, the show felt chicer, more intelligent and was a real highlight of our trip.
Expect cheekiness, lots of laughs, and to urgently want to invest in a colourful cropped bob wig. The venue is known to host legendary guest performers too, ranging from K-pop stars to Dita Von Teese.
Tickets for Crazy Horse start from €75
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
