The small bridge filled with little locks got broken down because it was to heavy. Now you can find those little locks all over Paris!

In general, I’m not a big fan of cities. The crowds, industry and atmosphere aren’t appealing to me. I must say though, Paris has converted me to a city lover. This city is built on a history you can feel in every stone you look at! Let me take you on a trip of a lifetime. Here’s a full itinerary of the ultimate weekend in Paris. FYI We arrived on a Friday midday and left Sunday late afternoon.

Day 1: Cultural escapades

The best way to get around in Paris is with the small rental city bikes called Vélib. They are scattered around the city are a great way to explore Paris. All you need to do is download the app! I thought Paris would be huge, but if you are staying around centre Pompidou, nothing is more than a 15 minute bike ride away.

More about Velib and how to rent them at the end of the blog!

Arc de Triomphe

Start off your first day at one of the more famous landmarks, this monument towers out above all others. There is an eternal flame which gets lit every day at 6:30. To get to the Arc itself, use one of the two underground tunnels located at the end of the Champs D’Elysee and the Avenue de la Grande Armee.

The Arc De Triomphe majesticly higher than all the other buildings around.

To get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe you will have to wait in line to buy a ticket (children under 17 will get in for free) and climb 40 stairs. You’ll get an amazing view over the Champs D’Elysee. If you are going to climb the Eiffel tower I would suggest waiting for the view from the Eiffel tower since it is a lot better! When you are on top of the Eiffel tower you will also be able to fully grasp the hugeness of the Arc De Triomphe.

Walking underneath it, makes you feel epic small.

Champs D’Elysee

After admiring this historical giant, make your way over this big shopping street in the direction of the city center. This landmark of Paris has high-end shopping malls and stores on both sides and for those who are interested. A lot of luxury car tours around Paris leave from this place. We saw some deals where you could drive a Lamborgini through Paris for 20 minutes for 89 euro.

Grand Palais and Pont Alexandre III

After crossing the Franklin Roosevelt place, you will find the Grand Palais on your right side in the middle of a little park. Next to it you also find the Petit Palais, its little brother and a statue dedicated to Winston Churchill which was made when he did the victory walk over the Champs D’Elyssee during WWII.

The most overly decorated bridge of Paris! Right next to where the photo was taken on the right hand side where the pop up bars and lunch boats.

Behind the park, lies the Pont Alexandre III that crosses the Seine. This bridge is definitely one of the most ornate bridges of Paris, with its golden coated statues and old street lights. In the Seine on the East side of the bridge, there are a couple of boats that are perfect for having lunch or some drinks by the river. In summer they also have a pop-up bar on the side of the Seine! We got lucky since the weekend in October that we went was still really warm!

Place de la Concorde

Make your way in the direction of the Louvre through the place de la Concorde. This big square has amazing features and in the middle there is an obelisk which is brought over from Egypt in 1830. It took the French two years to get it to France and another year to put it up.

Louvre

As you walk to the Louvre, you will cross the Jardin des Tuileries which is definitely worth a little stroll. Walking from this side is the best way to take in all the beauty and immenseness of the Louvre! You will pass beneath the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, a much smaller version of the real one and arrive at the place du Carrousel, the little roundabout in front of the Louvre. Here you will be engulfed with the beauty of the whole structure.

The main entrance to the Louvre itself! Due to the terror treath the smaller entrances were closed.

The best tip for the Louvre is: Take your time! I am not the biggest fan of museums in general but this one really impressed me! We strolled through it for 45 minutes and then realized we didn’t even see ten percent of the whole collection! That moment we decided to take an audio guide (which costs another five euro) and do the masterpiece tour. This tour guides you through the history of the museum and also the masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo. You also will receive some interesting information so it is definitely worth the extra money!

This shot is taken from the inside of the pyramide with the setting sun in the back.

Tavel Hack: The Louvre usually has huge waiting lines. On Wednesday and Friday evening the museum is open until 10 pm instead of 6 pm. Not a lot of people know about this so take advantage of it. We went on a Friday at 6 pm and literally walked in without any lines. This also showed in the fact that there were about ten people in front of the Mona Lisa instead of the usual hundred. Another bonus for European citizens: ’till the age of 26 you get in for free by showing your ID. Also there are multiple entrances to the Louvre. We walked passed the Louvre and there was a line of 2 hours to get in. We then went to the Le Carrousel de Louvre entrance, which is located next to the Arc de Carrousel and literally walked in without waiting till the ticket boot.

When facing the Arc de Carrousel with the Louvre in your back, the entrance will be on the right and left hand side of the Arc.

Eiffel Tower

La moment supreme you all have been waiting for: The Eiffel Tower! If you are using the subway, go to Trocadero station. If you’re using the Vélib bikes, there is a hub around there as well. Walk from here in the direction of the Jardin de Trocadero to get an amazing view of the Eiffel tower in between the two buildings.

This is the view you will get if you walk through the two buidlings.

At the Eiffel tower, you have the choice to get a ticket to the second floor or to the top of the tower. Definitely opt to go all the way to the top as the view from there is amazing! Check out the Arc de Triomphe and you will grasp how gargantuan it really is!

If you love statues, you’ll find them all over Paris!

Travel Hack: The Eiffel tower always has a waiting line. Get there half an hour before opening and it won’t be too long. We got there at opening time and it took us about an hour to get to the top (because you have to wait to get a ticket, wait to get in the second elevator and so on). If you are short on time, buy your ticket online. You have to do this some time ahead though as they sell out about two weeks in advance. Or just get a “skip the line”ticket. More about these tickets later.

Centre Pompidou

After seeing the Eiffel tower, go over to centre Pompidou for a nice brunch. This cosy area of Paris is perfect to get a chill drink in the sun and have some lunch. Also, check out the building that lends its name to the place. After seeing all these historical buildings it is a nice change to see a modern built one.

Travel Hack: Check out the new sculpture “Domestikator” Centre Pompidou just bought. The Louvre classed it as too vulgar so be warned. More about it here.

Notre Dame

Of course, you can’t go to Paris without seeing the Notre Dame. This famous cathedral from the Disney movie is pretty impressive. Explore the whole island, it has other beautiful lesser known buildings. If you want to get a drink next to the Cathedral, be aware that it’s expensive. We paid about €6 for a coke here!

On my left hand side is the line, waiting to enter the Notre Damn. It was at least 70 meters long!

Travel Hack: Since the entrance to the Cathedral is free, so the ‘waiting line’ is not an official one. It is mostly because people tend to linger in the entrance hall instead of directly entering the Cathedral. We didn’t feel the need to go in there but someone gave us the tip that if you are alone or with two, to just sneak in front and enter without waiting. Don’t know if it works but you are certainly not doing anything wrong.

The building is amazingly decorated with many different figures. Whereever you look you can spot dozens of them.

Musea D’Orsay

This Impressionistic museum is rated one of the top museums in Paris. It is definitely worth the visit! Located in the old train building of Paris, just on the side of the Seine.

Travel Hack: It is opened on Thursday till 9:45 instead of 6 pm so, again, if you go around six that day, there are less waiting lines! Another tip is to combine it with the Museum Rodin, which is a museum dedicated to statues. If you buy a combined ticket at museum Rodin, where the waiting lines are a lot shorter, you can just enter Museum D’Orsay without waiting. To cut the lines at Museum Rodin, just tell the guard you want to buy a ticket from the machine and he will let you pass. Not a lot of people know about it so there’s no line.

Palais de Luxembourg

This beautiful palace with accompanying ground is ideal for an afternoon stroll. This building built in 1615 has been wel kept and used through the time making it a stunning hystorical sight! It has a 25 hectare green garden filled with statues and large bassins of water to cool down during the summer months.

The catacombs of Paris

One of the must-see places in Paris. There are catacombs under the whole of Paris that stretch for kilometers. Located in the 14th arrondissement is the entrance to the part of the catacombs you can see.

Travel Hack: The line here can get pretty long and you can wait up to two hours. So if you arrive on the late side, there is a chance you won’t get in. I would suggest getting the “skip the line” tickets here. You can get them for most touristic places in Paris and they will shorten your waiting time. The “Skip the line” tickets do cost a bit more as the normal tickets for the catacombs are twice as expensive. This means 35 euro instead of 17.

Butte-aux-Cailles

After seeing the catacombs head over to this suburb of Paris close to the Catacombs where all locals go to get a drink at night and a bite to eat.

Sacre Coeur

For the last day start off in the area of the Sacre Coeur. This stunning Basilique is a must see place in Paris. Walk up the 222 steps to the top of the hill the Montmartre or take the cable cart Funiculaire de Montmartre.

The whiteness of the structure is incredible. It must be well maintained by Paris.

Travel Hack: Since it is a touristy area there are a lot of scams going on. Watch out for people playing “find the ball” on the street going to the Sacre Coeur. Everyone who is gathered around and playing is in on the scam and you will see them wearing earpieces while there is a guy with a phone close. While you are engaged in the game, they will try and pickpocket you. Secondly while walking the stairs of there will be groups of men trying, sometimes with force, to put a bracelet on your arm. After they put it on, they will ask a high price for it. If you refuse they are known to even get aggressive. Just push through while saying “non merci” and keep your arms close to your body.

Place du Tertre

This little artist square is filled with local artists showing and selling their paintings. You’ll find so many different styles there. If you are looking for a good souvenir, get your portrait made here or just stop for a nice lunch and coffee.

You can see the work in progress as dozen of artists are working while having their stall open.

Love wall

This little wall made out of 612 tiles of enameled lava, on which the phrase ‘I love you’ is written 311 times in 250 languages. Perfect for a great Instagram shot!

Can you find “I love you” in your language?

Moulin Rouge

While you are in the neighbourhood it would be a shame not to visit this iconic building and get a few shots!

Some practicalities

Getting there

By train: The easiest way getting there is taking the Thalys or the TGV. Try buying your tickets as far ahead as possible since last minute doesn’t exist with these tickets.

By car: Driving there is easy to but it takes longer then the train. Also parking spaces are rare in Paris and getting around with car is not that easy since there are a lot of one way streets.

Getting around

By bike: Check out Velib. These city bikes are available everywhere in the city. The cost is 1,7 Euro per day and you can book them in advance or just book them at one of the Velib stations. Download the app to see which stations have bikes and available spots to drop your bike off. You do need a credit card to use the bikes.

By Foot: Paris is not as big as you would think. If you have the time it is possible to walk through Paris. From the furthest point of interest, the catacombs, to Sacre Coeur it is an hour and a half.

By metro: The metro services are solid too. We did notice that the bike often would be faster than the metro since you sometimes have to get 2 different lines.

If you love seeing statues, you will be satisfied in Paris!

Where to stay

Hotels and Hotels can get quite expensive in Paris. Be sure to check out Airbnb since there are a lot of place in the center that are not as expensive.`Check out Joachim’s Airbnb profile to see where we stayed!

If you use Airbnb for the first time. Be sure to make an account following this link. This will give you a €35 discount and us €15 Euro travel credit to!

I hope you weekend in Paris will be as magical as mine was! The city is amazing so just soak it all in! If you have any questions or remarks please post them in the comments and be sure to follow us at Instagram and Facebook for more travel hacks and shots!

The post City Guide: Spending a Weekend in Paris appeared first on BackPack Beliefs.

Where to go and get around?

Porto is divided in two by the Douro river. The city center on the Northern side has a lot of the typical buildings and blue tiled churches. South of the river you will find all the different Port houses and caves.

Since Porto is not that big, walking is a good option. Otherwise you also have the metro and bus system that can get you anywhere. For trips to the beach we would recommend taking the tram. Biking is not a good idea. Some people do but it’s SUPER hilly! I don’t think we would be able to bike around town.

What to do?

Taste Port in the caves

Of course you can’t visit Porto without visiting one of the Port caves and tasting the delicious Port wine. Port is a DOC meaning the grapes have to come from the Douro valley, With Porto located at the base of the Douro river, it is the biggest exportation point for Port so you will find heaps and heaps of Port caves here. For some tips on which ones to visit, read this post we wrote about Porto!

Have a drink with a view

Go to the Porto Cruz Rooftop and enjoy a Port (or any other drink you like) with a spectacular view! Extra insta-points for going in the evening around sunset!

Go sightseeing on a river cruise

Next to the river you will find all the boats that offer the “5 bridges” river cruises. It is a nice way to see a little bit of the surroundings of Porto. In the busy season and on weekends they’ll be very full though, so unless you want to be cramped in with a lot of eager photo taking tourists, timing your cruise is essential. Try to score a seat on the side of the boat for a calmer experience. We took the Porto Cruz boat, which also includes a taste of Port for 11 euro.

Admire the little Port boats

Next to the south side of the river, all the authentic boats that carried Port down the Douro river are still there. Every major Port house has one. Some of these boats date back to the 1850’s.

Visit the bookstore/coffeehouse that inspired Harry Potter

When J.K. Rowling lived in Porto and was writing Harry Potter, she often came to Livraria Lello. The interior of the place will definitely bring back childhood memories. The coffee house is now changed into a tourist attraction and book store. It is still an amazing place to walk around. If there is a line, come back a little later. The first time we checked it out there was a line of at least 100 people, the second time we literally walked in. Admission is 4 euro but is deducted if you buy a book.

 Enjoy the Portuguese architecture

Porto is a city of colour. A lot of buildings are covered in azulejo’s, beautiful blue tiles. Check out buildings like the church of Saint Ildefonso. If you walk around in the city you’ll see plenty of the tiles as well as impressive and pretty buildings.

Have a beach day

A lot of people forget that Porto also has a beach. There is a tram line with an old authentic tram that runs to the beach. A single run will cost you 2,5 euro. Hold tight because it is a kind of a bumpy ride! The beach itself is stunning. We went on a day that there was a lot of wind but on a sunny day you can definitely go for a swim.

Listen to a Fado Concert

If you are in Porto, you should take the effort of listening to a real Fado concert. There are a couple of restaurant that play authentic Fado. Here’s a list of places! If you want to do something extra special, check out what Calem offers for the exclusive combination of a Port tour, tasting and a Fado concerto.

Where to eat?

We were impressed with the hospitality skills of Portugese people. We always were welcomed with a lot of enthusiasm and they make you feel at home. Being in hospitality for so long ourselves has made us more aware of how restaurant staff works. The Portuguese made quite the impression!

Restaurante Beira Rio – Typical francesinha restaurant

This typical Portuguese dish is a calorieBOMB. But it is amazing! You can compare it with a ham and cheese toastie but then stuffed with three kinds of extra meat, extra cheese on top and this all drenched in a kind of tomato and beer sauce.

Saboriccia – Where we went often

This little family-owned tapas bar had some of the most amazing local produce. First of all, the family itself is amazing and SO friendly! It feels more like eating at a friend’s house than a restaurant. They serves all local produce as well. The owner travels around the area a lot to find good fresh meats and cheeses that can’t be found anywhere else. Even the Port he serves you can only taste in his restaurant. We highly recommend this place as we had two very lovely nights here. They also sell a lot of the local produce and have the cutest little store!

What are your must see’s in Porto?! Let us know in the comments!

The post City Guide: Discovering the Best of Porto appeared first on BackPack Beliefs.

Reims by night!

If you’re a lover of champagne, architecture, good food and art, then Reims is a city for you. It’s a city where you should get lost in the streets and just take in the atmosphere (something we think is a crucial part of every city trip, but that’s just our opinion). Sounds good?

Here’s a list with the must see’s and do’s for the perfect weekend in Reims

Taste Champagne

Number one on the list, since Champagne is the main reason people visit this city. Let’s be honest here, it was our reason too. We recommend you visit at least a few champagne houses because they’re all very different! Most of them are pretty close to the city centre so you could take public transport of even walk there. If you’re interested in tasting some Champagne, we wrote a post about the different Champagneries we visited and how we liked it. So we’re not going to elaborate too much in this post.
So for more elaborate reviews about Champagne in Reims click here.

Very happy at the Lanson tasting.

The houses we liked best are Lanson, Taittinger and Vranken-Pommery, all for different reasons. Even if you don’t drink Champagne, it’s still really interesting to see the different caves and learn about how it’s made.

Front of the cellars of Champagne Jacquart. The top 5 Mosaic depicts the stages from vineyard to packaging.

Admire the architecture

Even though we originally came to Reims solely to taste some champers, we were really impressed by the city. It has some lovely buildings to check out if you’re interested in architecture! Here are some we think you shouldn’t skip:

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims

We’ve been to Paris, and the Notre Dame there was pretty impressive. To our surprise, the one in Reims was even more stunning with so much detail on the facade. Make sure to take a look inside (it’s free) because the stained glass windows are spectacular. Also walk around the building. The gardens at the back are equally beautiful as the front.

Sunny days really light up the cathedral! Really nice details on the front of the cathedral. Check out the succes kid on the right!

Halles du boulingrin

If you’re a fan of Art Deco these halls are for you! They used to house the city’s main food market in 1929, and now still have daily food markets there. So even if you’re not that into the building’s architecture and history, it’s still a great place to go to around lunchtime!

Basilique Saint-Remi

Not as impressive as the Notre-Dame, but still well worth talking a look at this church. It’s very close to most of the Champagneries, so perfect to stop by on your way to a tasting. Again with the gardens, there’s a very nice park at the back so walk through there as well while you’re at it!

Saint Remi is pretty impressive too! The park at the back of St. Remi was fun too!

Porte Mars

We’re cheating a bit with this one, because we weren’t able to visit it ourselves. Actually, we did visit it, we just didn’t see it. It’s still all covered while they’re doing some restorations. It’s been like this for a while now and we’re not sure when it will be open to visit again. That being said, if it happens to be open again, it should be worth your while to admire it! It’s apparently a very interesting monument.

Enjoy some art

In the streets 

If you open your eyes and look around, you’ll see there’s plenty of street-art! From graffiti to statues in the middle of the sidewalk. So just keep your eyes peeled while out and about.

The street art is more subtle in Reims but nonetheless beautiful.

Musea

We didn’t have the time to visit any museums, but there are a couple that looked really interesting and had great reviews! There’s the Saint-Remi history museum, the museum of fine arts in the city centre, Palais du Tau and even a planetarium!

Champagnerie Vranken-Pommery

This Champagne house represents art in a couple different ways. First, buildings on site itself are incredible. They seem to come straight out of a fairy tale. Then they also have a lot of art hanging in their cellars. Mixing more modern pieces with the historic atmosphere of the Champagne cellars isn’t for everyone, so let us know what you thing! Finally, they also give tours in Villa Demoiselle, the former house of Mr. Vranken where Art Nouveau meets Art Deco.

The building of Chapagnerie Pommery-Vranken is a work of art on it’s own. 

Walk around in Reims

As mentioned before in this post, we really liked Reims. Take your time to roam around in the streets and breathe in your surroundings. You discover so many fun things when you wander around without a destination. Just enjoy! Everything’s possible and you don’t HAVE to anything.

The parks in Reims have so pretty insta-worthy spots!

If you like parks, on the way from town to Champagnerie Lanson you pass Parc Léo Lagrange. A green haven of peace, quiet and cute dogs. We really enjoyed walking through there after our tasting at Lanson!

Where to eat

Breakfast: France doesn’t have the biggest breakfast culture. Quite a shock when you come from Melbourne Australia, where almost every place has all-day breakfast goodies. Either way, you’re best off staying in the city center around Place Drouet d’Erlon, where all the restaurants and bars are. Or do like most french do and have a croissant and espresso from the local bakery.

The incredible display of Waida et Fils.

Lunch: Around noon, go to Lou Creative Food. Trust us, they have amazing wraps, soups and salads! For something a bit more traditional try Café Du Palais, an iconic place in Reims. 

Dinner: For a really nice but still not too expensive dinner, Café de la Paix is the perfect place. We had the three course meal with wine and loved absolutely everything. Alternatively we heard amazing things about Cru Chanzy. We didn’t have the chance to try it ourselves since it was closed when we where there, but our Airbnb hosts where raving about it! So if you went there, let us know how it was!

Dessert: Even though it was supercold, we still went for ice cream. Because: ice cream. So what better way to end the day with a beautiful cone of gelato in the shape of a flower?! Oh and did we mention you can add a MACARON in the middle?! This was GOOD! You can get them at Amorino.

Look how pretty!!

Coffee: Go to Columbus Café & Co. We didn’t until the last moment because we thought it was just a chain, but oh my where we wrong. They might be a  franchise but they make GREAT coffee! And keep in mind this is coming from two coffee snobs! All the yummy pastries in there made us love the place even more.

Pastries: You have to try at least ONE pastry while you’re there. Savory or sweet, the traditional bakeries have it all and they are good! When we saw this shop Waïda et Fils, Laura was sold. She always has a hard time choosing so this was heaven and hell all at once. And you can even sit inside if you want!

Laura is VERY happy with her pastry!

PRACTICAL

Getting there: The train station is really close to the city center, so we suggest taking a train!

Staying: We stayed a night at an Airbnb, something we recommend and prefer over a hotel room. If you like a hotelroom better, Latino Cafe Hotel is also a really good budget option!

What are your favourite spots in Reims? Leave them in the comments to give other travellers some more inspiration!

The post City Guide to Reims: Exploring the Heart of France appeared first on BackPack Beliefs.