My Amazing Weekend Trip to Paris

Today, I’d love to share my amazing trip to Paris and some of my favourite memories from my journey. I had been to Paris before, but I only went to Disneyland, which I loved. I never had the chance to explore the city itself. This time, I went with my work colleagues, who have become my friends. There were four of us, and we wanted to go away for the weekend. I was really excited because I had only ever been on holiday with my family before, so this was my first time travelling without them.

We planned to leave on Thursday night and come back on Sunday morning. Normally, I spend Sundays with my Grandad, so I went to visit him on Wednesday before my trip. On Thursday morning, while I was checking my suitcase to make sure I had everything packed, I noticed that it was broken. I quickly went into town and visited a shopping centre because I needed a new one. I went to Primark and bought a small grey suitcase, which cost me £25. I also bought some travel essentials, including body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and a new travel pillow that I could use on the journey. Although I didn't end up using the pillow, it was still nice to have. I picked up a few other items as well. After I got home, I repacked my suitcase, charged my phone, and waited until it was time to leave. I met up with my friends at the train station, and we bought some snacks for the journey. On the train to Paris, we spent our time chatting, laughing, and eating our food. I had the best cup of tea ever!

When we arrived in Paris, we took a taxi to our apartment on Rue Frédérick Lemaître. It was a lovely, clean apartment with large rooms, a small kitchen, and windows that opened easily. When we opened the windows, we could see people outside, and we waved to them. They asked us where we were from, and we had a lovely little conversation. It was such a nice welcome to Paris.The apartment was near the train station, and the staff were very friendly and supportive, which made us feel welcome straight away. If I ever go back to Paris, I would definitely stay there again because we had such a lovely experience.

My friends and I went out for a little while to explore the local area. There was a shop nearby, which was very helpful because we could buy water and other essentials for our room. Before heading back, we ordered some food. While we were waiting, we went for a short walk, and by the time we returned, our food was ready. It didn't take long at all. Paris was beautiful at night. The stars were bright and shining, making everything feel magical. After a long day of travelling and we were all very tired and went to sleep.

The next morning, we got ready for the day. One of my friends took forever to get ready it felt like she took about 30 minutes! Once she was finally ready, we took the train and visited Notre-Dame. It was lovely, and the sun was shining brightly as we walked around. We saw the beautiful river and enjoyed the atmosphere around us.

We came across a lovely place decorated with flowers called Wonderland Brunchy. The outside looked beautiful, so we decided to go inside for lunch. We looked at the menu and ordered our food, which was amazing. Afterwards, we went shopping and enjoyed another walk before deciding to visit the Louvre Pyramid. It was incredible to see all of the different paintings and statues.

Later that evening, we had booked a boat trip for 9:30 pm. Before we went, we had dinner at Maison Berliner. We ordered some food and shared them so we could all try something different, which was really nice. After taking some pictures around the city, we went back to the apartment to get changed before getting a taxi to the boat.

We thought we were going to be late because one of my friends had read the time incorrectly! We started running towards the boat, but when we arrived, we realised it actually started at 10:00 pm and not 9:30 pm. We couldn't stop laughing. It has become one of my favourite memories from the trip. The boat ride was beautiful. We sailed along the river and saw lots of amazing buildings lit up at night. We took so many photographs before returning to the apartment.

The next day, we took the train again and went for a long walk around the city. We visited a few shops and came across a sweet shop where we stopped for tea and coffee it was called Laouz For breakfast, I had a cheese filled pastry, which they warmed up for me. It was delicious! I also bought some shortbread biscuits to take home, which my Grandad and I enjoyed together when I visited him.

We sat down for a while, chatting and planning our day before heading back to Notre-Dame de Paris. At the time, restoration work was still being carried out, but it was lovely to see the cathedral and learn about its history. Notre-Dame de Paris is a famous Gothic cathedral in Paris, France. Built over 800 years ago, it is known for its beautiful architecture, stunning stained-glass windows, and rich history. It was damaged by a devastating fire in 2019 and reopened after restoration in 2024.

Afterwards, we took a tour bus around the city. It explained the history of many famous landmarks, which was really interesting. It was also nice to sit down because our feet were hurting by then! While enjoying our cold drinks, the tour bus took us to the Arc de Triomphe. I think it cost around £18 for the three of us to go to the top, although I can't remember exactly.

One of my friends wasn't feeling well and went back to the apartment to rest. The remaining three of us asked the staff if we could use the lift because she wasn't able to use the stairs. Thankfully, they said yes. To be honest, I was quite relieved because I wasn't sure I could manage all of the stairs myself! When we reached the top, the view was absolutely amazing. I could see the Eiffel Tower and couldn't believe how beautiful Paris looked from above. After coming back down, we headed to the bus stop. We started running because we could see the bus coming, but unfortunately, we missed it. After waiting for quite a while, we realised the bus stop was closed! We couldn't stop laughing when the bus driver pointed towards the sign. We had no idea it was there.

We looked online to see what else we could do and found a shopping centre called “Westfield Forum des Halles”. We took a taxi there and enjoyed looking around the shops. We even found a McDonald's, which was perfect because we were ready for some chips and a cold drink. While we were there, we decided to visit the Eiffel Tower. I had never been before, so I was really excited. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, it was too late to go all the way to the top because it had already closed. However, we were able to go up to the middle level. I was a little scared and didn't want to look down!

We took lots of pictures, and each of us put a penny into one of the souvenir machines, which flattened the coin and stamped it with a picture of the Eiffel Tower. It was so cute! I keep mine in my wallet, so every time I go out, I can see it and remember our wonderful trip. We also bought one for our friend who had gone back to the apartment because we didn't want her to feel left out. When we got back, we ordered some food. I was very hungry by then and probably a little grumpy because all I wanted was dinner! Afterwards, I was exhausted and went straight to sleep.

We had the best time in Paris, and I would definitely go again. If you're looking for a weekend getaway, I would highly recommend visiting Paris and exploring everything it has to offer. The food was amazing, and I tried lots of new things. The shops had lovely staff, and our apartment was clean and comfortable. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better stay. I would love to return one day and explore even more of Paris. Unfortunately, we were only there for the weekend, and before we knew it, it was time to head home.

The journey back was lovely because we spent our time looking through all of the photos and videos we had taken. I don't usually like having my picture taken, but I'm so glad my friends encouraged me because I now have so many wonderful memories to look back on.

Although I wished we could have stayed longer, we had to return to work on Monday morning. We all went our separate ways, and I went home, unpacked my bags, washed my clothes, and hung them outside to dry in the sunshine. I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip to Paris. Thank you for coming along on my journey!