The city of love! I’m not here to share the obvious must see’s of Paris- I think they are very easy to find with a quick google search (The Louvre, Palace of Versailles, Eiffel Tower etc). I want to share with you some other not so obvious or easy to find things of Paris that we discovered on our recent trip here!

We were lucky enough to be offered a house sit for a gorgeous kitty named Nala (the name of my first cat!) so we were thrilled to be in Paris over Christmas and New Year (if you want to be a trusted house sitter too, I share more information on how to sign up in this post). It certainly did not disappoint.

The Statue(s) of Liberty

That’s right, Paris has not one but two Statues of Liberty! You will find one that was placed in 1906 in the Luxembourg Gardens made of bronze by Bartholdi, although now a replica stands in it’s place since 2012 for conservation reasons. The original is now at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, to keep it preserved for many years to come (so technically there are 3 Statues of liberty in Paris!). The other statue is much larger and on a little island in the canals next to Pont de Grenelle bridge. This statue was given to the city of Paris in 1889 by the American Community to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution.

Organise an unlimited metro card to save cash

If you’re a tourist, you will most likely be sold the expensive unlimited metro card, which comes at a cost of about €72 for 5 days! But if you bring a printed passport photo, you can organise a local card at the train station for a small fee of €5, which you can then load every Monday for about €22 Euros for unlimited transport for 7 days around Paris. An amazing deal! Very cost effective way to get around Paris as it can be used on the RER train, the city metro train and even buses.

The Flame of the Statue of Liberty

This one we were lucky enough to stumble upon! It is a perfect replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty erected on the Avenue De New York in 1987. It is the symbol of the Franco American Amity with the support of the International Herald Tribune. It is also placed on top of the tunnel where the late Princess Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in 1997. A beautiful monument and touching tributes for Princess Diana.

Avoid lines by getting to tourist attractions early

This one may be obvious, but Paris seems to be busy no matter what time of year you go and this really changes the experience you have! We went during Christmas (so it was probably even busier) but we had to wait in line for an hour and a half to get into the Palace of Versailles and then 5 HOURS in line to see the Catacombs (which we arrived only shortly after they opened!). Josh’s mum on the other hand visited Paris around September and got to the Palace of Versailles 30 minutes before they opened and had no line to wait in and got in to have the place to herself to experience. Talk about a completely different experience! So our top tip- plan ahead and get up early!

Get lost in the Atelier Des Lumières light projection mapping experience

This experience was certainly a highlight of our Paris trip! The Atelier Des Lumèires is an immersive light projection mapping experience. You come in to be surrounded by 360° of projected beautiful artistic imagery. If you explore, there’s also some hidden rooms to see! I won’t give too much away, but certainly check it out if you’re going to Paris!

Bonus tip- brush up on your french for a better experience

It’s not too hard to at least learn hello (bonjour) thank you (merci) and do you speak english (parlez vous anglais?). This will go along way with earning respect from the French and assistance in any questions you may have!

I hope the tips we have shared help you have an amazing time in Paris! It certainly is a beautiful city full of interesting history and places to explore. Happy travels! ????