onefinestay In Paris

Following a few hectic weeks, I finally had a chance to sit down and write about our little girls’ trip to Paris in a few years ago. This marked Siella and Gemma’s second time traveling to the city of love this year, having been there for my birthday a few years ago. That was with the entire family, so I was excited to see what kind of trouble I could get into with my little ladies.  Sure, we repeated some of the must see destinations, but Paris is endless, so we had so many new experiences for the second round.

Since we had logged most of the touristy staple attractions during our first trip, I was adamant about not feeling rushed. I wanted to hit all the shopping, and new sights in order to make this ultimate girly trip a success! First off, let me fill you in on where we stayed. I discovered onefinestay which offer short term stays in the high end homes. Their 24/7 concierge service can assist with your day-to-day needs including airport transfers, grocery deliveries and restaurant reservations to babysitting, entertainment tickets and bespoke city experiences. Amenities like this are priceless to me, especially when traveling overseas. We’ve rented many many apartments and houses all over the world, and none of them offered us a concierge like this one!

Our lovely abode was a three bedroom, one bathroom home in Saint-Germain on Rue Sainte-Beuve (my absolute favorite location in all of Paris). There was a cool glass wall that separated the home’s sitting room from the sleek black-and-white kitchen with its table for eight. The bedrooms, decorated in blue and white were elegantly done. We had so much space that I felt guilty not bringing the boys.

Upon our arrival a staff member from onefinestay rendezvoused with us to hand off keys, and give us the run of the property. The groceries that we requested prior to arrival had already been dropped, which was ideal, because the last thing I wanted to do was stop at the market after a redeye. It was absolutely lovely to walk into fresh croissants and baguettes waiting for us, along with a fridge stocked with waters, yogurts, fruits, and even a bottle of wine for mama!

We made a quick snack, took showers and hurried out for our first big day! Our apartment was a short walk from the Jardin du Luxembourg, and super close to plenty of the boutiques and brasseries, as well as some of Paris’ best museums and galleries. I just love walking around Paris with no agenda and the girls certainly didn’t mind one bit! We hit up some shops in Saint Germain, and that evening dined at a Parisian must – Café de Flore. Dinner was delish, and we wanted to keep going, but Gemma ran out of steam from our overnight flight, so we called it an early night.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early, with plans to head over to Champs-Élysées for some more Parisian shopping. We walking up and down the streets, browsing the boutiques, stopping at the famous Ladurée for some macarons, taking photos near the Arch du Triump, and even cruising around on some fun rental scooters. That evening we dined at Refuge des Fondus, which was a blast! It’s a fondue joint that’s been around forever, where all the drinks, even cocktails, are served out of baby bottles. The girls got such a kick out their mom drinking from a bottle! Hilarious! This place is super tiny, and reservations are a must. I can’t stress enough how this place total must. The menu is all fondue, and steak that you cook yourself. What else do you need!

Day three we were off to the Eiffel tower, because what’s a trip to Paris without seeing the tower. Regardless of how many times I’ve been to the Tower, it’s no less magical and enchanting than my first visit! Having taken the elevator to the top during our February getaway, the girls were content with riding the little carousels across from the tower, over and over again. Afterwards, we walked to the Musee d’Orsay, my favorite museum in Paris. The line for tickets can often be quite long, so I asked our concierge from onefinestay for some help, and they booked tickets in a flash. I feel so fortunate that I can expose my girls to such amazing art and culture, at their young ages. I swear that Siella may become an artist, if she ever gives up dancing.  All the walking around left us with a good appetite, so we grabbed a quick dinner near our pad. As we strolled back after eating, we felt like true Parisians with our own apartment, in the heart of it all.

Our trip in February was overloaded with sightseeing and food indulgence, but one thing I regret not trying was macaroon making. With so many classes to choose from, I wasn’t sure which to book. Again, our onefinestay concierge helped navigate the process, securing tickets at Galeries Lafayette for our macaron class! I have a feeling that this was the highlight of the entire trip for the girls! They made their favorite flavors pistachio and chocolate. When we finished, the girls packed up their macaroons in pretty boxes, to take them home. And I left with the recipes on how to make them at home. Guess I have something new to make for the holidays this year.

Afterwards, we stopped at the Louvre and the Palais-Royal. A holiday carnival was in the process of being setup with a huge ferris wheel, and cute little shops. I was bummed we missed all the holiday lights and events, but now I have a reason to travel back to Paris in December!

For our last night in Paris, we ate at the popular Le Relais de l’Entrecôte, a reprisal from our previous last trip, because the girls really wanted to end the trip the same way we did last time. With steak frites!

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The following day, our flight home left around 5pm, so we had all morning and afternoon for a few more romps in Paris, before back to the Big Apple. I’d heard so many rave reviews about the Atelier Des Lumiéres exhibit. This is a unique experience where the art of Van Gogh is displayed across the walls and floors of a former warehouse space accompanied by an excellent music. Afterwards, we headed to Le Marais for more exploring. And just like that, overloaded with shopping bags, full bellies and plenty of photos, we were off to the airport.

Four and half days in Paris, yet there’s still so much more to see and do! Until next time, Paris. And there will most certainly be a next time!

Big thank you to onefinestay for making our trip extra special! Their City Collection features a a wide range of carefully curated homes in world-class cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Florence, and more! These private homes are personally vetted and professionally managed by their local teams and are just perfect for families who travel all over the world!

Discount Code! 

I’m excited to share with you guys a discount code: onefinestay10brianne for when you book any of their new City Collections made before 2021! Happy travels ?

Thank you to Lauren Kara for all of our fab photos! 

*This post was originally published December 10th, 2019*

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