A Week with the French

How many visitors to Paris actually meet French people or see how the French live? Not many! Most people would love to see inside a real Parisian apartment, taste real French home cooking, and meet real French people living their lives. 

 

With Paris Personally's "A Week with the French" trip, you'll do all those things and more. We've put together a spectacular week with a handful of our best French friends and partners to offer you a trip that is unique among small group offerings to Paris. You won't find this trip anywhere else. 

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Here's our planned itinerary* for this trip:

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Sunday - Arrival day. As people will be arriving at different times, you will take a taxi (your Uber application works here too) to our hotel in the chic 6th arrondissement, on the left bank.

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Once you’re settled in to your room, you'll probably want to check out the neighborhood. You’ll find that you're right next door to the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens, literally just around the corner from the hotel. In the other direction, there are charming cafés where you might decide to have a bite and do some people watching. And just a little further up, you can find Le Bon Marché, the most understatedly elegant of Paris’s large department stores. Although many stores and boutiques are closed on Sundays, Le Bon Marché will be open. 

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We will meet in the breakfast area of the hotel at 6:00pm for the apéro (cocktail hour) in order for everyone to meet and to discuss the next day’s activities. Afterward, Gina will give you some ideas for dinner close-by.

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Monday, 9:30am - We'll meet at the hotel then head to our first destination together. Our host for this morning is Camille, a talented French photographer who will give you a little lesson on photographing the City of Light. She'll also take some photos of you, so right away you'll have some beautiful souvenirs to take back home.

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This afternoon, you'll be free to explore on your own. Your museum pass will allow you entry (and will allow you to skip the line) for over 50 Paris museums, and your Navigo pass will give you passage on all métro and bus lines for easy movement around the city. Both the Louvre and l'Orangerie, the museum where you'll find Monet's water lilies, are open today.

 

The apéro, where we will share a glass of wine and discuss the next day’s activities before separating for dinner, will begin at 6:30 this evening.

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Tuesday, 9:30am - Roll up your sleeves, because this morning you'll find yourself in a French kitchen with a French chef helping prepare an authentic French lunch. Véronique will welcome you into her beautiful Paris apartment for a convivial morning of cooking together. Not much of a cook? Don't worry, there are always plenty of easy tasks that'll let you participate. Afterward, you'll sit down in Véronique's lovely dining room and enjoy the fruits of your labor, wine included. 

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Afterward, you may want to walk around the enchanting 7th arrondissement as the Eiffel Tower watches over you. A chic area, the 7th is full of jewels including rue Cler, a street well-loved by "foodies," and rue Saint-Dominique which is filled with charming boutiques and delicious treats and which leads right to the Eiffel Tower. Or you may want to visit Les Invalides where you'll find Napoléon's resting place and an impressive museum of military history or the Rodin Museum where you'll see Rodin's Kiss - a sculpture that has been known to move some of us to tears. 

 

Finally, we’ll meet at 6:30pm for the apéro and to discuss the next day’s activities.

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Wednesday, 9:30am - Yesterday was all about delicious flavors, and today is all about heavenly scents. Today we’ll spend a couple of hours creating our own personal perfumes. Our atelier takes place in the historic Marais district where we’ll learn everything from why that scent that you loved so much in the boutique no longer holds the same allure to what perfume and wine have in common. You’ll leave with a bottle of your own creation – your custom-made, made-in-Paris perfume!

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Afterward, wander around the stylish Marais district where you might visit Victor Hugo's former home, the Picasso Museum, the Place des Vosges, and any number of other points of interest in this beautiful quartier. 

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6:30pm – meet at 6:30pm for the apéro and to discuss the next day's activities.

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Thursday, 9:30am – Another French treasure? Art, and today we'll visit the charming art gallery of Nathalie who will tell us about the paintings on display as well as the artists who created them and give us the scoop on the current situation of art and artists in Paris. Afterward, we'll have a short wander along the Ile-Saint-Louis, an elegant island right in the center of Paris. Visit charming boutiques, see beautiful homes, and try what some say is the best ice cream around, all on this little island. 

 

After lunch, you may want to make your way to the Latin Quarter, famous left bank neighborhood where Latin was once the language of students and professors. Both Shakespeare and Company and The Abbey Bookshop offer up loads of charm and have books in English. Visit the Panthéon, or wander down to rue Mouffetard, a beautiful market street that will lead you to Hemingway's old stomping grounds at Place de la Contrescarpe and the apartment where he lived with first wife, Hadley, on rue du Cardinal Lemoine. And don't miss the Arènes de Lutèce, ruins of a 1st century Roman arena. 

 

6:30pm – apéro and discussion of tomorrow’s activities.

 

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Friday,  3:30 – Today we'll switch things up by giving you the morning free and assembling this afternoon for a Champagne tasting with Benoît. We'll meet at the hotel at 3:30 and make our way to the foot of Sacré Coeur where we'll find this gem of a Champagne bar and its charming owner, an expert in the most elegant of French wines. Here we'll taste three different Champagnes, paired with some lovely cheeses and bread, not to mention the best butter you've ever tasted. Benoît will teach us a bit about where and how Champagne is made, and you'll let your tastebuds tell you which of the grape varieties you prefer. If you're interested in taking some Champagne home, this is a great place to pick up a bottle or two. 

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We'll have our usual apéro discussion here, and afterward you may want to have dinner in the area as there are many great restaurants to choose from. 

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Saturday - This morning we'll head to the largest flea market in the world, and we'll be accompanied by Mimi, flea market expert extraordinaire. Here you'll find just what you'd expect from a flea market with everything from art, tableware, linens, and decorations to Hermès scarves, Chanel necklaces, and designer handbags. You'll also find gorgeous antiques including furniture of all kinds. If you find something too large to carry back with you, our shipping partner will be happy to deliver your purchase to you (you must pay shipping, of course). Afterward, we'll have lunch in one of the quirky flea market restaurants, and you'll be free to wander on your own or head back to Paris.

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6:30 - meet in the hotel breakfast area for our final apéro together.

 

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Sunday - For those who are leaving, check-out is at 11:00.

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*We'll do our best to stick to this itinerary, but strikes and other unforeseen circumstances can happen. Don't worry though. There's always an equally enticing plan B if we need it. 

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For what's included, see the box just to the right of the itinerary above. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information, and if you don't find what you're looking for there, send an email to gina@paris-personally.com. And please be sure to read our Terms and Conditions.

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