Travel Tip: Pick one big activity — such as a tour with FAT TIRE TOURS — and one medium activity — like a small *keyword: small* museum — for each day. Then you can fill the rest of the day in with bopping into a fun shop or visiting a cute café, etc.

By the way, I offer customized itineraries that you can email me about at prepforparis@gmail.com.

These are a few of my favorite things… 

Day 1: “Live Like a Parisian”

Once you land in Paris, I highly suggest hiring Mr. George with Paris J Prestige to pick you up from the airport and take you to to your accommodation. Call or email in advance (parisjprestige@gmail.com | +33 6 99 49 10 19) to make your reservation. Then, when you arrive in Paris, send him a text or email to notify him of your arrival. Otherwise, you can take a taxi or the métro.

A perfect hotel option for a gals trip to Paris would be HOTEL DES GRANDES ECOLES which is a hidden hotel located in the loveliest courtyard.

Gather picnic supplies at LA GRAND EPICERIE DE PARIS. This is a fabulous and chic grocery store in town (connected to LE BON MARCHÉ). You can buy Bordier butter, Fleur de Sel de Camargue, truffle salt, Edmond Fallot moutarde dijon, and adorable heart sugars that make great souvenirs and gifts for friends and family back home.
38 rue de Sèvres, 75007

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Enjoy a breakfast/brunch/lunch at TREIZE BAKERY which is directly across the street from Luxembourg Garden. The bakery is co-founded by a Charleston gal famous for her biscuit recipe. Yep, biscuits in Paris along with signs that say “Bienvenue Y’all”. Needless to say, it’s a taste of home sweet home.
5 Rue de Médicis, 75006

Then enjoy your picnic goodies at LUXEMBOURG GARDENS.
Jardin du Luxembourg, 75006

You must enjoy afternoon tea at one of the Palace Hotels! I can confirm that afternoon tea time at LA RÉSERVE PARIS HOTEL & SPA is a lovely experience!
42 avenue Gabriel, 75008 [website]

Pre-dinner pop in to MUSÉE MARMOTTAN MONET. Located in the 16th arrondissement with over three hundred Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet.
2 Rue Louis Boilly, 75016 [website]

Dinner at CHEZ JANOU – a cozy neighborhood café with typical French fare. Don’t leave without ordering their chocolate soufflé. They will bring it out in a large bowl and let you scoop the soufflé onto your plate *until you’re full*.
2 rue Roger Verlomme, 75003

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Dinner at LES COCOTTES – another cozy spot that neighbors the Eiffel Tower making an Eiffel Tower sparkle possible directly after dinner. (ooh la la!) You can expect hearty food served in Staub casserole dishes. It’s very charming.
135 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007

Day 2: Wear your shopping shoes!

Shop at ASTIER DE VILLATTE. It’s filled top to bottom with beautiful crockery.
173 rue Saint Honoré, 75001

Shop at E. DEHILLERIN. This is Julia Child’s favorite cookware shop in Paris. Go to admire all the copper.
rue Coquillière, 75001

LA GINGUETTE D’ANGÈLE – the cutest stop to grab a quick lunch in Paris. Keep in mind this is a lunch option for takeaway so only pick this spot if the weather is right for enjoying your meal in the nearby park.
34 rue Coquillère, 75001

Walk down the cobbled pedestrian path of RUE MONTORGUEIL.

Check out the original CHANEL store.
31 rue Cambon, 75001

Pop into HERMES.
24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008

Shop at L’ APPARTEMENT SEZANE. Every French girl’s favorite and understandably so. I love how it’s set up as a beautiful French apartment. Pick up well-made, durable pieces the way the locals do!
1 rue Saint-Fiacre, 75002 [website]

Dinner at PINK MAMMA. This adorable Italian trattoria doesn’t take reservations so you should get in line by 6:45pm. It opens at 7pm. They will need your full party in order to seat you.
20bis rue de Douai, 75009

Day 3: Latin Quarter Neighborhood

Kick off your morning with the breakfast at MARCELLO. You can pick a juice, coffee, and pastry of choice.
8 Rue Mabillon, 75006

What should you bring back in your suitcase? French pharmacy items, of course! Exceptional drugstore shopping at CITY-PHARMA. This pharmacy is dedicated to all things beauty and medicinal at incredible low prices. I suggest you go on a weekday and bring a list of what you plan on purchasing. If you are visiting Paris, then bring your passport because if you spend over €175, you can claim a tax refund at the airport. My favorite French pharmacy products are the NUXE baume lèvres au miel, NUXE Huile Prodigieuse, URIAGE sunscreen, KLORANE lotion florale,  CONDENSÉ creme jeunesse, and the list goes on…
26 rue du Four, 75006

Pop in and enjoy something sweet at LA CHOCOLATERIE.
34 rue du Dragon, 75006

As well as LADURÉE for a rose flavored macaron.
21 rue Bonaparte, 75006

DIPTYQUE is another fun shop to pop into since this location is the original.
4 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris [website]

Admire the stained-glass windows at SAINTE-CHAPELLE. Open daily, 9:30am – 6pm, €10 per person.
8 boulevard du Palais, 75001 [website]

Dinner at BREIZH CAFE. Some of the best and most innovative crepes in the world can be found at Breizh Café.
1 rue de l’Odéon, 75006 [website]

Looking for a lovely spot to end the night? I suggest the beautifully ornate CAFÉ LAURENT for a glass of wine cozied up next to the grand fireplace.
33 Rue Dauphine, 75006 

Day 4: French Cooking 

Enjoy a French cooking class with LA CUISINE.

Walk around my favorite neighborhood, the Marais. Shop for vintage clothing at KILO. Pop into MERCI and the grocery store at LA MAISON PLISSON across the street. Lunch at MARCHE DES ENFANTS ROUGES followed by PIERRE HERME across the street.

Dinner at BISTROT PAUL BERT. This beloved fast-paced classic bistro on the rue Paul Bert is a legend for its fantastic French comfort food, and is wildly popular.
18 rue Paul Bert, 75011

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JOSEPHINE CHEZ DUMONET for the very best beef bourguignon in town! Must call and make reservations in advance.
117 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006

Day 5: Versailles by day and Eiffel Tower by night

Join the VERSAILLES BIKE TOUR with Fat Tire Tours. You will meet at the Fat Tire Tours Office located at 24 rue Edgar Faure, 75015. I suggest booking a spot a couple months in advance. My tip: book for a Tuesday, Friday or Sunday so you can experience the full Versailles market. [website]

Dinner at MONSIEUR BLEU. This fancy dinner spot has a view of the Eiffel Tower ooh la la!
20 avenue de New York, 75116 [website]

Day 6: Flea Market

Enjoy the first half of the day at MARCHÉ AUX PUCES DE SAINT OUEN. This flea market opens up a beautiful world of antiques and tiny shops filled with treasures. Go on Saturday morning. Bring cash. I suggest you begin your flea market adventure on rue de Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen. It can be confusing navigating to the market so it’s really helpful to begin on the main road, rue de Rosiers.

Visit the MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE – my favorite museum in Paris. Enjoy the serenity of Monet’s water lilies and then go downstairs for some other masterpieces.
Jardin Tuileries, 75001 [website]

Directly outside the museum is the TUILERIES GARDEN. The flowers are amazing. I suggest you walk all the way through to the Louvre.

Dinner at GRAZIE – a hip fun spot for delicious pizza and cocktails.
91 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 [website]

World-famous BERTHILLON ice cream.
29-31 rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 75004 [website]

Don’t forget to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night!
Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007

Should you forego any of these plans, you can replace with a glass of Champagne at the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GEORGE V. I’ve heard the most amazing reviews about a visit here.
31 Avenue George V, 75008 [website]

You can download this map offline so that you can access it when you are in Paris and out of wifi.

RESOURCES:

• The 11 Best Travel Shoes (And Which To Bring on Your Next Trip)