48 Hours in Paris

British Airways OpenSkies is an airline that exclusively joins the culture and confidence of Paris and New York with an outstanding transatlantic service. OpenSkies combines the best in style and comfort between Orly and JFK or Newark, with the added benefits of British Airways' extensive rewards.

OpenSkies invited me to take a trip to Paris for three days this fall. With perfect tailor-made recommendations, they helped me discover the very best of the city. Even though my last trip to Paris was only this past June, it was anything, but repetitive. From the first step inside the plane, it was a smooth experience with unmatchable service, and I could not have asked for better. I took a red-eye flight to Paris, and loved that they provided a mattress of sorts and a comforter for the reclining seat that turned into a bed, so it was a comfortable sleeping session for the entire duration of the trip. I chose to be woken up shortly before landing to have breakfast on flight. On the trip back to New York, an iPad was provided with the latest movies, TV shows, and playlists to entertain myself. I think I watched about 4 new movies which made the flight seem incredibly short!

Accommodations were at the Hotel Lumen Paris Louvre. The location was really convenient – close to many of the restaurants, shops, and places I wanted to visit. It was a block and a half away from Colette, too, on Rue Saint-Honoré, which I completely adore and is always on my must-visit list whenever I visit this city. The Hotel itself is on the smaller scale with very modern decor. The rain shower as well as the Hermès toiletries were a nice touch.

As soon as I checked in, I had to go get my first cup of espresso at Télescope. A few blocks from the hotel, this café has some of the best coffee with great vibes on a quiet street in rue Villedo. Charles (my guide) and I grabbed some lunch and coffee at Holybelly, another new favorite. They have the best breakfast food - made of such simple ingredients, but all super fresh. There’s a room in the back of the restaurant with a huge skylight and green plants all over – love. 

We spent the majority of the day checking out the newly opened Louis Vuitton Foundation designed by Frank Gehry. It’s pretty incredible - from the architecture to the art work inside. It will also be the future venue for many fashion shows for the LVMH brands, which is not hard to see as the spaces are all gorgeous. Dinner was at Ciel de Paris, a restaurant on the top floor of Tour Montparnasse, with huge windows giving you a direct view of the Eiffel Tower while you dine.

As soon as I woke up the next day, I hopped on a cab to Merci. They have a lovely café there called the Used Book Café, with a wonderful breakfast/lunch menu and lets you browse some used books as you eat. It is the cutest place ever. Shopping at Merci is on another level – so many different rooms with so many different kinds of products. It is a concept store of the best kind. 

Charles and I then met up to walk around the iconic Place des Vosges, check out the diverse Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, explored the quaint neighborhood of Butte aux Cailles, and stopped by Le Temps des Cerises for a quick lunch. We then went to wander around the beautiful island of Île St. Louis by the Seine River. Of course, grabbing some ice cream at Berthillon without hesitance. Highly recommended. Dinner at The Fish Club that night was also so delicious – the freshest ceviche and crispiest tender cod croquettes complimented with a delectable Pisco Sour.

The next morning, I went to visit the Marché aux Fleurs, which was unfortunately closed. So then I was off to have tea time at Carette with a friend. It was absolutely the loveliest of mornings. COS was also right nearby, so I took a quick pit stop to shop before heading off to brunch at Hotel Costes. Hotel Costes is an uber trendy hotel which has an incredibly beautiful dining area in the middle, with an indoor outdoor garden space. I ordered the Spicy Lobster Pasta (pictured above) and it was scrumptious!

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but was an amazing experience and was perfect timing as I needed a little getaway. This little extra bit of outside inspiration was everything I needed and a great way to end off the year. Check out my article on British Airways for notes on each of the locations I visited later this week, and a complete listings below.

Much thanks to British Airways OpenSkies for hosting me on this trip.

Also to Travel-Wifi for providing me with a way to stay in touch with my viewers.

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Hotel Lumen Paris Louvre
15 rue des pyramides 75001 Paris France
Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre, 1er

Télescope
5 rue Villedo 75001 Paris France
Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre, 1er

Colette
213 rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris France
Place Vendôme, 1er

Holybelly
19 rue Lucien Sampaix 75010 Paris France
Canal St Martin/Gare de l'Est, 10ème

Louis Vuitton Foundation
8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris, France
16ème

Ciel de Paris
33 ave du Maine 75015 Paris France
Montparnasse, 15ème

Marché aux Fleurs
Place Louis Lépine 75004 Paris France
Île de la Cité/Île Saint Louis, 4ème

Carette
25 place des Vosges 75003 Paris France
Bastille, Marais, 4ème

COS
4 rue des Rosiers 75004 Paris France
Marais, 4ème

Hotel Costes
239 rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris France Place
Vendôme, 1er

Used Book Café
111 bd Beaumarchais 75003 Paris France
Marais Nord, Marais, 3ème

Merci
111 bd Beaumarchais 75003 Paris France
Marais Nord, Marais, 3ème

Place des Vosges
10 place Vosges 75004 Paris France
Bastille, Marais, 4ème

Le Marché des Enfants Rouges
39 rue de Bretagne 75003 Paris France
Marais Nord, Marais, 3ème

Butte aux Cailles
13ème

Le Temps des Cerises
31 rue de la Cerisaie 75004 Paris France
Bastille, Marais, 4ème

Berthillon
29-31 rue St Louis en l'Ile 75004 Paris France
Île de la Cité/Île Saint Louis, 4ème

Île St. Louis
44 Rue Saint-Louis en L'ile 75004 Paris France
Île de la Cité/Île Saint Louis, 4ème

The Fish Club
58 rue Jean Jacques Rousseau 75001 Paris France
Châtelet/Les Halles, 1er