Summer in Paris: Plan the Perfect Weekend Break

As Audrey Hepburn famously enthused, ‘Paris is always a good idea.’ This may be true, but Paris in the summer? Well, that’s something even more magical. Café tables creep onto the pathways, cherry blossoms bloom and the city’s inhabitants wake and get ready for the sun to appear. Here are five perfect ways to spend a summer weekend in The City of Light.

Get on Your Bike

Forget the metro! Public bikes or ‘Vélib’ are dotted around the city and are a great way to explore. You can get a one-day ticket for the bargain price of €1.70. Pick yours up opposite the Louvre then cycle down the banks of the Seine. You’ll whizz past Jardin de Tuileries and the Musee d'Osay, before arriving at the Eiffel Tower where you can take a lift to the top for stunning views of the city.

Catch Some Culture at Musée Rodin

A short hop from the Eiffel Tower, you’ll find one of the city’s most beautiful museums - the Musée Rodin. You may not know the name, but you’ve most certainly seen the sculptures. Rodin’s iconic statue The Thinker has been captivating audiences for over a hundred years. And indeed, this museum is the perfect place to ponder the mysteries of life as you stroll around the rose-filled gardens set in the grounds of the stunning 1730 Hotel Biron – the artist’s former workshop and showroom. You might even glimpse the gold-topped Les Invalides peeking out from behind the trees.

Islands and Ice-Cream

The river islands ofÎle de la Cité andÎle Saint-Louis are where this famous city was born. Both islands are connected to the shore via a variety of beautiful bridges and are packed with historic charm. Île Saint-Louis is also home to Paris’s most famous ice-cream shop, Berthillon. This family-run parlour has been serving up exceptional ices since 1954. Grab a cone and then head for the banks of the Seine to enjoy your dessert and unrivalled views of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Park Life

Paris is famous for its parks, from the charmingly petite to the impressively grand. On the larger side, the Jardin du Luxembourg with its orchards and perfectly manicured gardens is particularly special in the spring. Be sure to stop by a boulangerie en route to pick up some lunch. Then relax and enjoy it on one of the chairs dotted around the park, while you watch families playing with rented toy sailboats in the Grand Bassin pond.

Grab a Bite to Eat

Paris is of course renowned for its food, boasting over 70 Michelin-starred restaurants. If you’ve always wanted to experience a once in a lifetime dining experience, then this is the place to treat yourself. But if you’re in search of something a little more low-key, you’ll also find plenty of excellent street food options - and you’ll never be more than ten minutes from a crêpe stall. For something a little different, head to the achingly cool Le Marais district to taste the best falafel in the city. Or if you fancy sampling the ‘Best Baguette in Paris’, make your way to La Parisiennein Saint-Germain - this bakery won the coveted title in 2016.

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