A Day in Paris: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Montmartre
when we embarked on the Eurostar from London, which is a high-speed train to Paris. From the Paris station we took a subway train to the Eiffel towers.
The Eurostar can be pricey when booked last minute, but it’s very affordable if reserved in advance.
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Exiting the station, we were greeted by a platform offering a breathtaking view of the iconic tower—Paris’ most picturesque landmark!
There were numerous photographers, mostly immigrants, offering professional-quality photos for just €5. The pictures were amazing, with some photographers even providing balloon props for added flair!
The Eiffel Tower Experience
At the Eiffel Tower, we were glad to have booked our tickets in advance, skipping the long lines. We climbed a lot of stairs, I mean a lot…and the view was worth it. We took a jammed elevator down and left the tower.
Afterward, we stopped for a quick bite, but the restaurant we tried left us underwhelmed.
Note: Many restaurants close between 2-7 PM, so plan meals accordingly!
Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées
From the Eiffel Tower, we walked about 20 minutes to the Arc de Triomphe. This iconic monument is a national symbol and a “must-see,” even if a visit can be as quick as five minutes.
After taking in its grand architecture, we strolled down the Champs-Élysées, famous for its luxury stores and the iconic Louis Vuitton building.
Unfortunately, it was Labor Day in France, so the shops were closed, but the walk was still beautiful.
Exploring Montmartre
Our next stop was Montmartre, a charming, artsy district filled with quaint cobbled streets, souvenir shops, and artists offering sketches and paintings.
You’ll find cute works of art and beautiful selections to choose from.
As we left Montmartre, we went down many, many, stairs leading down to the streets, leading down to the Main Streets. From there, we caught an Uber to the Jewish Quarter.
The Jewish Quarter
The Jewish Quarter in Paris, is known as Le Marais. it is an historic area filled with Jewish heritage and infrastructure. in this neighborhood there is a variety of kosher restaurants, bakeries, and shops.
Perhaps the most famous, is L’As du Fallafel. This spot is incredibly popular with locals and tourists, and while the wait for takeout was long, the line for dine-in was much shorter. The falafel and shwarma was delicious and well worth the hype! Walking through the narrow streets, you’ll walk by stores, and old walls that tell the story of Paris’s Jewish community through the ages.
As we were leaving L’As du Fallafel, we saw some ‘action’. It turned out that Labor Day protests, which often escalate into riots, were taking place, and sadly, the Jewish Quarter can sometimes be targeted during these events. Why not go to the Jews! Police arrived to close shops and stand guard. This is in addition to the pretty large ‘in-house’ security teams that many businesses in the Jewish Quarter already have in place.
With only one day in Paris, we couldn’t sample all the food spots we wanted, but we highly recommend L’As du Fallafel for anyone looking to enjoy great food and a warm, bustling atmosphere.
Paris was a whirlwind, filled with iconic sights, stunning views, and beautiful streets. Next time, we’ll definitely plan for more than just a day!
Safety:
To be blunt, Paris isn’t Jew-friendly, and locals strongly recommend wearing caps… Certain areas are unsafe, so we avoided the subway, except when heading to the Eiffel Tower after we arrived. In fact, if you pause to look at signs in the subway for more than a moment, ‘bad actors’ may start slowly approaching. For these reasons, we opted to take Ubers everywhere.
We Got Scammed in Paris! Here’s How It Happened
We fell for one of the oldest street scams in the book: the three cups and ball game. Somehow, we had never heard of it before and became easy targets! Here’s how it went down:
As we wandered through Paris, we spotted a lively crowd surrounding a street performer. People were cheering, some winning money, others losing, and the excitement was epic! The game looked simple: the performer shuffled a small ball under three cups, moving them around quickly, and invited the audience to guess where the ball was. If you guessed right, you’d double your money. If not, you’d lose it. With each miss, the excitement grew, and so did the bets, as the odds felt more greater with one less cup left.
After watching a few rounds, we thought we’d figured it out, convinced we’d seen the ball’s location every time. Confidently, we put down $100, focused on the ball like hawks, and chose a cup. To our shock, we were wrong! Determined to win it back, we watched the next round closely. The crowd joined in, all pointing to the cup where the ball seemed to be, one audience member picked the wrong cup – leaving us with 2 cups. We were certain where the ball was and the audience was screaming its under this cup… It was unanimous. The craziest part was an older woman lifted one cup with her shoe and whispered to us, “I see the ball.” Feeling 100% sure, we put down $200, certain we’d found the right cup.
Once again, we were wrong.
Confused and suspicious, we watched as the performer quickly wrapped up, saying, “Back here in 5 minutes,” and the entire “audience” suddenly dispersed in different directions. At that moment, it hit us—the crowd wasn’t just random people; they were part of his team, all in on the scam. Through sleight of hand, the performer was holding the ball so no real player could ever win!
We’d fallen for the classic setup, with “winners” luring us in, making it seem like easy money. Lesson learned: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
We confronted the scammer and, after an ‘exchange of words’, managed to get our $300 back—a story in itself! But lesson learned!
We just wrapped up a short & fun 15-hour trip to Paris and we’d love to hear your thoughts on our recap! Comment below! What city should we explore next? Whether it’s a favorite destination or a hidden gem, your suggestions are invaluable to us! Please comment below! To reach our travel team, click HERE
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