Itinerary: Paris (Link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bys9H9hPgFspMVZaNGZPdUYxbE0)
From Brussels, I took a Thalys train to Paris. This time I tried first class to experience it. I heard the Thalys first class is better than ICE first class which I think that is true based on my experience. Due to the incident in Paris two weeks before my arrivals, the security at Brussels Midi was very strict. The same with the one in Paris, Gare du Nord. They checked passport or ID of all passengers. The way Thalys work is the sameas ICE train. For information on how to take Thalys train, check this link.
One month before my arrival while I was in United States, I ordered a 2-day Paris Pass which included the Museum Pass, Metro Pass (Zone 1-3), and Paris Pass Chip Card. There are lots of attractions included with the Paris Pass. That is the reason I bought it in the first place. From my experiences, I do not recommend to buy it. It is too expensive and not worth your money because you can only use the pass two-day straight once you use it.
These are couple reasons why it is not worth to buy the Paris Pass:
1. Some museum or attractions do not open at specific day
2. Some attractions like Palais Garnier Paris Opera House tour only available at specific day
3. From one museum or attraction to another museum or attraction is too far
4. Too many people in the most popular museums in Paris like Musee du Louvre
5. To visit museum that is not in Zone 1 - 3 like Chateau du Versailles, you have to buy separate metro pass.
6. The pass do not include the Eiffel Tower
If you want to visit museums, you can just buy Museum Pass by itself which is cheaper and worth more. I only used the Paris Museum pass at three locations and the Paris pass at one location. I did not use much of the metro as I mostly walked. I did not have to take the cruise tour or hop-on hop-off bus tour.
Basilique du Sacre-Couer
I took a metro using my metro pass to go to Basilique Sacre-Couer. As it is located near the Gare du Nord. As I arrived there, I can either take a tram called as Funicilaire de Montmarte with the metro pass to go up to the church and walked down via the stairs. If you walk behind the church, there is a road where restaurants, souvenir stores, and painting artists located at. This place is called as Place du Tertre.
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| Basilique du Sacre-Coeur Maps (Copyright @ Google Maps) |
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| Funicilaire de Montmarte (Bottom) |
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| Stairs to go up to the Church |
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| Funicilaire de Montmarte (Top) |
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| Eiffel Tower from Basilique Sacre-Couer |
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| Basilique Sacre-Couer from Bottom |
Jardin du Luxembourg
From Basilique Sacre-Couer, I took a metro and went to Jardin du Luxembourg. It is a huge park with lots of statues around the area.
Pantheon
From Jardin du Luxembourg, I walked to Pantheon.
Grande Arche de La Defense
As I would like to cover the attractions further away, I directly went to Grande Arche de La Defense from Pantheon. During the winter, there is a winter festival at the square in front of the Grande Arche de La Defense. This area is more modern and you can see lots of tall building around the area. There are shopping center, cinema, restaurants, and hotels near the Grande Arche de La Defense.
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| Arc de Triomphe from Grande Arche de La Defense |
L'Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile
From Grande Arche de La Defense, I took RER A train to Charles de Gaulle - Etoile to take a night picture of L'Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile. One of the most famous monument in Paris. It was crazy because there were so many people took a picture of it in the middle of the road along Champs Elysees.
Champs Elysees
From L'Arc de Triomphe, I walked pass the Champs Elysee toward the ferris wheel in Paris. Champs Elysees is the most famous avenue in the world. Along the side of the road are the stores from middle to high class brand like Zara, Louis Vuitton, etc.
Place de La Concorde
Along the Champs Elysees road pass the Franklin D Roosevelt metro station, there were a winter festival going on. It was the best and huge winter festival I had ever gone to. There were lots of concessions along the road all the way to where the Ferris wheel located in Place de La Concorde.
I was lucky that I saw the Eiffel Tower in the golden color and take a picture of it because the rest of my stay in Paris, the color was different due to the COP21 Climate Change Conference.
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| Eiffel Tower from Place de La Concorde |
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| Palais Bourbon from Place de La Concorde |
Musee D'Orsay via Tuileries
From Place de La Concorde, I walked toward the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. I walked next to the river. There was a spot next to Tuileries park that I could see the Musee D'Orday museum. The view of the museum was amazing from the other side of the river.
Place du Caroussel
Pass the Tuileries, there is a building with an entrance to the Place du Caroussel called as Porte Des Lions. Pass the Porte des Lions building, I can see another Arc de Triomphe monument called as Arc de Triomphe du Caroussel.
Musee du Louvre
Walked across from where the Arc de Triomphe du Caroussel was the famous museum in Paris, Musee du Louvre. The pyramid of Louvre is where lots of tourists take pictures at.
Cour Carree
Next to the Musee du Louvre, there is a large opening square courtyard with a fountain in the middle and surrounded by building with 4 main entrances in the middle of each building on each side. This place is the Cour Carree.
Pont des Arts
Exit to the right of one of the main entrance of Cour Carree towards the river, there is a walking bridge called Pont des Arts. This bridge also called a love bridge where people put a lock in the bridge. However, during my visit, the locks had been removed and no longer had any locks at the bridge.
Saint-Jacques Tower
Pass the Pont des Arts towards the Notre-dame Cathedral, you can see Saint-Jacques Tower from far away.
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris
The last stop of Day 1 is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Across the street in front of the cathedral, there was a prefecture de police building with a France flag light to commemorate the victims of Paris attack two weeks before my arrival.
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