A Travel Guide: Paris, Luxembourg, and Ireland
- Sydney Emerman
- Nov 12, 2022
- 8 min read
I know it's been a bit since I posted a blog, but what better way to dive back in than to share all about my recent trip to Europe! I want to start by saying that this trip was AMAZING, and I highly recommend visiting all of these places. I went with my two friends from college (Danielle and Lior), and then met up with another friend from home in Luxembourg (Marisa). So, in case you ever do find yourself with the itch to plan a trip, I'll be sharing where I stayed, what I did, and where I ate! My next post will be how I packed for 10 days in a carry on and what I packed!
Paris, France
Where We Stayed
Finding somewhere to stay in Paris is confusing. My friends and I randomly found the hotel we stayed in and I thought it was great. We stayed at Hotel Chambellan Morgane. The people who work there are very nice and speak decent english, the hotel was nice, and the location was perfect. The Eiffel Tower was about a 20 minute walk, and the Arc De Triomphe was about a 10 minute walk. We were close to shopping, sightseeing, and public transportation which was perfect!
What We Did
My friends and I were in Paris for 3 days before we continued on to Luxembourg. There is SO much to do in Paris, but I feel like for the most part we got to see and do everything we wanted. I will say, I would HIGHLY recommend getting tickets far in advance if there is anything really important to you to see. We got tickets for a few things and then played the rest by ear and it was really fun.
Day 1 Itinerary
Eiffel Tower- We just walked to see it and the area around it but didn't go up because the lines were too long. Be super careful walking around here- lots of pickpockets because of all the tourists!
La Galleria Lafayette- This is a fun area to walk around. Tons of shopping, cute little cafes, and very good people watching! We took the metro to get there- a super easy way to get around the city.
Day 2 Itinerary
Arc De Triomphe- I highly recommend going to the top. It's a ton of stairs but absolutely worth it. A view of the entire city, including the Eiffel Tower.
The Catacombs- We hopped on the metro right near the arc to go to the catacombs. The tickets were sold out by the time we got there, but it's one thing people enjoy in Paris if you have the time.
The Gardens of Luxembourg- Instead of the catacombs, we ended up walking through the gardens. So pretty, and a great place to sit and enjoy the people and scenery of Paris.
Montmartre- Another place we had to metro to, but is another fun place to walk around and take in Paris. We came just for dinner, and this is where most of the Moulin Rouge shows are!
Moulin Rouge- If you are in Paris, seeing a Moulin Rouge show is a MUST! You get bottles of champagne with your ticket, and it was SO MUCH FUN. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.
Day 3 Itinerary
Louvre- Another thing we didn't buy tickets for which I recommend doing if you want to walk around the museum. We went and took pictures outside which was still fun.
Tuileries Garden- Right next to the Louvre, I highly recommend walking around and sitting in the garden. It's pretty and relaxing.
River Cruise- A super fun way to see all the sights that you otherwise wouldn't see. Plus, you hop on it right near the Eiffel Tower so it's easy! The river cruise was also an hour so very easy to squeeze into your schedule.
Where We Ate
And of course, I have to share where we ate! A lot were just random cafes we found while walking around, but everything we ate was good!
Cafe Fleur: right by the Eiffel Tower
Cafe M: in La Galleria Lafayette area
Patrol: near Gardens of Luxembourg
Mamma Primi: amazing Italian place, close to Moulin Rouge shows!
Laduree: famous macron place near Louvre
And a couple other random cafes near where we were at the time!
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Where We Stayed
Since the stop in Lux was to see my friend, Marisa, she recommended an Air Bnb right around the corner from her apartment. This Air Bnb was great- 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. Very spacious, good location, and right around the corner from a fabulous cafe! Here is the link for where we stayed.
What We Did
Luxembourg was the perfect stop on the trip to relax and slow down after sightseeing all day everyday in Paris. I was in Lux for 2 days, but you can honestly see everything in 1 day. The second day was just hanging out and taking in the pretty views of the city. If you are there more than one day, I recommend venturing out to see old castles.
Day 1 Itinerary
Walk in the Woods- there is a really pretty forest that we found paths to walk on. Not sure what the area is called, but it's underneath the main bridge.
Shopping- There is a cute little area to walk around and shop right near the bridge.
Notre Dame Cathedral- Theres one in Paris that we got to see on the boat ride, but we got to go into the one in Luxembourg. It was so pretty and peaceful.
Walk around the Old City- It's fun to walk around Luxembourg and see the mix of old and new. The old city is where most of the sightseeing things are.
Bock Casements- In the old city, this is a place that overlooks the entire city.
Grand Ducal Palace- We just walked past, by accident, but got to see the changing of the guard which was fun.
Walls of Corniche- Another pretty balcony that overlooks the city.
Where We Ate
Bloom: The cutest cafe with THE BEST breakfast! We feasted! I recommend the banana bread- yum!
Pablitos: A Spanish place. The margaritas were fantastic, and everything else was delish!!
Ireland
Where We Stayed
We flew from Luxembourg into Dublin (all 3 of us!) and then traveled around Ireland. So we started and ended Ireland in Dublin. We rented a car (thank you Danielle and Lior for driving) and then traveled around to different places. We stayed in a different place every night where we were. We found an itinerary from someone online, and basically followed that for this part of the trip. 3 days was perfect and we got to see everything we wanted to!
Dublin- The night we flew in, we stayed at Cassidy's Hotel. Then the last hotel was Clayton Hotel. Both super nice, and Clayton Hotel had the best shower of the entire trip!
Cork- Air Bnb. We stopped here for the night and it had 4 single beds in the room. So funny!
Kilrush- We stayed at a little bnb called Crotty's Pub. The nice part was it had a pub right downstairs so we didn't have to venture far for food.
What We Did
The night we flew in it was like 2am, so we didn't do any exploring in Dublin. It wasn't until the last day of the trip when we came back to Dublin that we actually experienced Dublin. Then we traveled around to see all the gorgeous sights and views that Ireland has to offer! I highly recommend renting a car and driving around so you can experience the beauty of the country on your own schedule!
Day 1 Itinerary
Rock of Cashel- about an hour and a half from Dublin, this was an old castle. Very cool and surrounded by amazing views!
Blarney Castle- an hour from the Rock of Cashel, the Blarney Castle was so much fun! Another old castle, but this has the Blarney Stone. You climb the stairs to the top to kiss the blarney stone upside down to bring you luck and eloquence! And the ground of the castle are stunning to walk around.
Cork- The Blarney Castle is right near Cork, so this is where we stayed for the night. The bnb was right near the city center, and we went to a pub to get the whole Irish experience!
Day 2 Itinerary
Killarney- The cutest little town with colorful storefronts. A fun place to just walk and shop around in all the boutiques.
Killarney National Park- A gorgeous national park that is a must see. There are tons of things to do in the national park!
Ross Castle- Another cute little castle that sits right on the lake. We were there between rainstorms so we got to see a rainbow right over the castle.
Muckross House- Right near the castle was a house surrounded by mountains and gardens. Kind of felt like stepping on the set of Bridgerton. We didn't actually go inside the house, just wandered around the gardens. So pretty.
Torc Waterfall- Down the street from Muckross House is the Torc Waterfall. PLEASE follow the signs to the waterfall. We didn't and accidentally ended up on a very hard 2 hour hike through the mountains in the rain. An experience we will never forget, but if we followed the signs we would have been directed right to the waterfall!
Tarbert Ferry- Following our fun rain filled hike, we drove 2 hours to catch a ferry to Kilrush where we were staying for the night.
Kilrush- Another cute little town that you can wander around. We got there late at night after barely making the last ferry so we didn't walk around but it looked very cute and whimsical.
Day 3 Itinerary
Cliffs of Moher- If there is only one thing you do while in Ireland, let it be this. There's something utterly magnificent about seeing these gorgeous cliffs in person. The cliffs are only an hour drive from Kilrush, and the drive is gorgeous with sheep and cow everywhere. I would recommend dressing warm for the cliffs- its super misty and cold. You will most likely leave with your clothes soaked through!
Dublin- We drove from the cliffs back to Dublin which was about 3 hours. Dublin is the most city like place that we went to.
Guinness Factory Tour- The Guinness Factory is in Dublin, so they do tours there. You get to learn all about how they make the beer, and you get a free drink with your ticket! At the end of the tour, you go all the way up to the top of the building which has a 360 view of the city. So pretty right at sunset. Plus the gift shop is fun if you want any souvenirs.
Bar Area- I don't know what the area is called, but there is a ton of bars and pubs in one area that people go out to. The name of a bar in that area is called The Temple Bar. In that area, there's tons of live music, great energy, and the perfect place to end the trip in my opinion!
Where We Ate
I just want to say that in Ireland our meals were a little all over the place. Since it's so much driving, you sort of have to plan your meals ahead of time. Most days we didn't really have 3 meals a day, or just stopped in random little cafes when we found them for a meal or snack.
Oliver Plunkett- in Cork. Such a fun little pub with live music, beer, and good food!
Lab 82- a good breakfast place in Cork. A big bakery in the front where I got a huge Oreo brownie for the car- YUM!
Good Boy- in Killarney. A perfect place to stop for a quick breakfast or snack. Homemade bagels!
Crotty's Pub- Underneath our Bnb in Kilrush, was a little tiny pub. More bar kind of food, but good fish & chips!
A couple bars- live music and great places to go out and experience the night life in Dublin!
Overall, this was an AMAZING trip. If you have the time, I would recommend visiting all these places. My next post will be more about the fashion and what I wore and packed, but I hope you enjoy this guide to my adventure!!
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