Our second full day in Paris started with one of the highlights of our trip, a family photo session with Flytographer at the Eiffel Tower! I’m sharing one of my favorite photos from the session here, but I shared lots more from our shoot in a separate post that you can check out HERE.
After our photo session, we were ready to explore more of Paris! We enjoyed an early lunch at Carette, visited the Arc de Triomphe and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and spent the afternoon tasting our way through Paris on a chocolate and pastry tour. It was another full day, with plenty of beautiful sights and, of course, lots of delicious French treats! So, let’s get started!
If you’re just joining my Europe travel series, I recommend starting with my first London recap and following along from the beginning! You can catch up on all of our London adventures before continuing on with us to Paris.
➡️ Start here: London Itinerary: Day 1 | Direct St. Louis Flight, The Montague Hotel, Borough Market & Hawksmoor
We stayed at the beautiful Le Cinq Codet Hotel, and breakfast was included with our room rate. We could either enjoy breakfast downstairs or, for a small additional charge, have it delivered right to our room. Since we had an early morning photo session by the Eiffel Tower, I knew we needed to eat something before heading out. Having breakfast delivered to our room was such a huge convenience and made getting ready that morning so much easier!
After our professional family photos with Flytographer, we walked over to Carette for brunch. Carette is known for its HUGE bowls of whipped cream, fresh strawberries and incredible hot chocolate. We couldn’t wait to try it for ourselves!
Brian and I ordered the Nutella crêpe with ice cream and added fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It was SO good! Nathan had some macarons (and something else that I can’t remember!), while Autumn went with the cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. Everything was delicious. Yum!
After brunch, we had a little free time before our next activity, so we spent some time wandering around Paris and taking in the sights. Of course, we had to stop at the Arc de Triomphe, where Brian snapped this photo of me and the kids!
We also walked underneath the Arc de Triomphe, which gave us an entirely different view of this incredible monument. Beneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring an unidentified French soldier who died during World War I. An eternal flame burns at the tomb in remembrance of those who lost their lives fighting for France.
We also stopped at the same McDonald’s that Brian and I ate at when we visited Paris over 14 years ago! One thing I noticed in Paris was how much effort they put into reducing single-use waste. Even at McDonald’s, our food was served in reusable cups and fry containers, along with paper straws. I loved seeing these little eco-friendly touches throughout the city!
Later that afternoon, we had a small-group Chocolate and Pastry Tour booked in Montmartre. We met our group near the famous Moulin Rouge, so of course I had to snap a photo of its iconic red windmill! Brian and I have never seen a show there, but I would love to someday. The shows are pretty late, and I wasn’t sure it was something the teens would enjoy, so we decided to save that experience for a future trip to Paris, perhaps when it’s just the two of us!
We also spotted Le Petit Train de Montmartre making its way through the neighborhood. We didn’t ride it, but I thought it was SO cute! Montmartre is very hilly, so this little tourist train would be a fun option if you want to see the area while giving your legs a break from all of those hills!
Our first stop on the Chocolate and Pastry Tour was Chocolat Illèné, a charming little chocolate shop in Montmartre. The shop was filled with the most incredible chocolate creations, including all sorts of animals made entirely out of chocolate! I especially loved this adorable chocolate capybara sitting in a little chair. The amount of detail was amazing! You can see even more of their amazing chocolate animal creations over on their Instagram HERE.
We also had the chance to sample two different chocolates during our visit. Each one was unique and absolutely delicious, making this the perfect first stop on our afternoon of sweet treats!
Another stop on our tour was La Crêperie mon ami, the cutest little hole-in-the-wall crêpe stand in Montmartre. It was seriously TINY, which just added to its charm!
I ordered a Nutella crêpe and a Coke. The crêpe was warm, filled with lots of Nutella and SO good! You really can’t go to Paris without having a crêpe (or two!).
Our next stop was Gilles Marchal, a beautiful pâtisserie in Montmartre that is especially known for its madeleines. Gilles Marchal grew up in the Lorraine region of France, where the madeleine originated, so these little cakes are one of the specialties of his shop.
Our tour guide had us each choose a madeleine to try, and there were several different flavors to pick from. They were so soft and buttery and such a fun classic French treat to try while in Paris!
I was really excited that we got to see the famous “I Love You” Wall during our dessert tour in Montmartre! Unfortunately, about half of the wall was covered up due to construction while we were there, but we could still see quite a bit of it. It was so neat seeing “I love you” written in so many different languages, and I even spotted it in sign language!
Another stop on our dessert tour was Au Levain d’Antan, a little boulangerie (a French bakery that makes its own bread on site) in Montmartre. The bakery’s Pascal Barillon won the award for the Best Baguette in Paris in 2011!
We tried a cream-filled chouquette, a French choux pastry topped with crunchy pearl sugar and filled with cream. It was light, sweet and SO good!
Our next stop was Pain Pain, a popular bakery in Montmartre. One of the things they are known for is their éclairs, and they offer eight different flavors, including coffee, pistachio, vanilla, dark chocolate, spéculoos, black currant, mango-passion fruit and caramel.
We got to sample some of the éclairs during our tour, and they were SO good! I loved seeing all of the different flavors and, of course, getting to try another classic French pastry while we were in Paris.
Our next stop was Christophe Roussel, a pâtisserie and chocolate shop near Sacré-Cœur. They had such a fun selection of macarons, with several unique and creative flavors to choose from!
We sampled a few different macarons while we were there.
Our tour guide snapped this photo of our group at the end of our Chocolate and Pastry Tour, with the Ferris wheel and beautiful Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the distance. This was such a fun way to explore more of Montmartre while also getting to try so many delicious French treats along the way. We definitely ended the tour VERY full and happy!
After our dessert tour, we headed back to the hotel for a much-needed nap! Later that evening, we browsed a few souvenir shops near our hotel before heading out for a late dinner at Romantica Caffè, which was also within walking distance.
I ordered a Limoncello Prosecco, and since limoncello is one of my favorites, I knew I had to try it. It was SO good! We were also treated to a complimentary amuse-bouche, which is a small bite served before your meal, compliments of the chef.
We started our meal with a Caprese appetizer with fresh mozzarella and tomato slices. It was simple, fresh and delicious!
One of the things I thought was really neat at Romantica Caffè was that they had a pasta dish that they actually prepared in a HUGE wheel of Grana Padano cheese right at the table! We didn’t order it, but the table next to us did, so of course I had to get a photo!
I ordered the lasagna for my dinner and it was SO good! I especially loved the red sauce. Yum!
For dessert, I ordered a cappuccino, and we also tried their lemon basil sorbet topped with limoncello. Since limoncello is one of my favorites, I couldn’t pass this one up! It was light and refreshing and such a delicious way to end our dinner and our second day in Paris!
That’s a wrap on our second day in Paris! From starting our morning with family photos by the Eiffel Tower and brunch at Carette to visiting the Arc de Triomphe and eating our way through Montmartre on a Chocolate and Pastry Tour, we packed so much into this day! I loved getting to explore more of the city while also trying so many delicious French treats along the way. Paris definitely continued to steal our hearts, and we still had another full day of adventures ahead of us!
Missed Days 1–4?
If you’re just joining my London travel series, be sure to check out my first London recap! I shared our new direct flight from St. Louis to London, our stay at The Montague on the Gardens, Borough Market, Tate Modern, and our first dinner at Hawksmoor.
➡️ Read London Itinerary: Day 1 | Direct St. Louis Flight, The Montague Hotel, Borough Market & Hawksmoor
If you’re just joining my London travel series, be sure to check out Day 2! I shared our visit to the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, a beautiful afternoon tea at The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason, some London shopping, and a delicious pub dinner to finish out the day.
➡️ Read London Itinerary: Day 2 | Tower of London, Crown Jewels & Afternoon Tea at The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
If you’re just joining my London travel series, be sure to check out Day 3! We packed so much into our final day in London, including Westminster Abbey, the Changing of the Guard, Big Ben, a stroll through St. James’s Park and Covent Garden, and an incredible dinner overlooking the city at Sky Garden.
➡️ Read London Itinerary: Day 3 | Westminster Abbey, Changing of the Guard & Sky Garden
If you’re just joining my Paris travel series, be sure to check out Day 1! We took the Eurostar from London to Paris, settled into our hotel, did a little shopping at Louise Carmen, enjoyed an amazing dinner at Sacrée Fleur and spent the evening exploring beautiful Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur.
➡️ Read Paris Itinerary: Day 1 | London to Paris by Eurostar, Montmartre & Sacrée Fleur
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