It’s been a while since we had a city break and a few years since we visited Paris. With Eurostar offering special tickets on a regular basis, we thought it’d be a good opportunity to combine the both and have a city break in Paris for the October half-term. The main purpose, to eat.
Date Visited: Tuesday – Wednesday, 18th – 19th October 2022
Location: Paris
Getting There: Eurostar from St. Pancras International London to Gare du Nord.
Cost: Train tickets were on special at c.£79 return per person. A night’s stay at Hotel Moris was c.£125. Food, drinks, transits and souvenirs on top.
Getting there…
To maximise our two days there, we opted to take a 7am train out from St. Pancras. This meant waking up at 4am to get ready. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too tiring as we all had an early night and knew we could snooze on the train. At that time, going through security and customs was painless. This left time to have some breakfast at Pret, which probably wasn’t that sensible since we would be having proper croissants in a couple of hours.
Food!
On arrival at Gare du Nord, we were informed that our train the next day had been cancelled due to industrial action in France. Luckily we were still at the terminal and could amend our tickets for a slightly, annoying earlier train back. Nevertheless, we took it in stride and made our way to a French patissier to grab a pre-lunch goody. For lunch, we booked Loco in district 9, lovely little restaurant upstairs serving mouth-watering, Argentine steaks. Definitely recommend the rib-eye.
After lunch, we walked to Hotel Moris where we’d be staying overnight. After an hour of relaxing, we slowly made a scenic walk down to district 13 for that evening’s dinner, taking in some sites such as Notre Dame. Knowing Cara’s not a long-distance walker, we brought her Micro scooter along this trip and it came in handy. If you’re after a Vietnamese pho in Paris, Pho 14 is our go-to place in Paris. Great flavour in the broth and refreshing iced coffee to match! We tend to visit the one near Tolbiac, although they now have a few more locations.
Photo credit: Emma
Tourists
It wouldn’t be a trip to Paris without a quick visit to the Eiffel Tower, especially in the evening. A relatively short Metro ride from Place d’Italie to Bir Hakeim takes you outside the Tower. After side-stepping all the souvenir sellers during the 5-minute walk from the station, the Tower appears in all its glory. I personally find it looks better at night with all the lights on. A few quick photos and we Ubered it back to the hotel for dessert and a nightcap at one of the many cafes in the area.
Last chance pastries
Before making our way to our rescheduled departure, there was time for a fresh almond croissant for breakfast from another local bakery. Add a few baguettes and other sweets, and we were set for the train ride home.
Overall, it was a productive and filling city break to Paris. It’s nice to be able to travel freely again to experience the food and culture. Hopefully, we’ll have more city breaks planned in 2023!
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