Paris Trip 2025

Upon arrival in Paris on Tuesday 18th February, tickets to travel on the RATP network were purchased for the week and the discovery of Parisian life started immediately.

Finding one’s way through the metro and RER network, we headed for the youth hostel and set off on foot to see iconic sites such as: Marie Curie’s Laboratory converted into a museum, Le Panthéon, Les Jardins du Luxembourg and the Palais du Luxembourg where one of the Chambers of the French Parliament “Le Sénat” is held. We walked past the first coffee house in Paris and had a drink at the Café de Flore: known for having been where world-famous French philosophers from the middle of the 20th century met.

We visited as part of our travels: Le Sacré Cœur in Montmartre, the famous Place du Tertre where so many illustrious painters used to live. We went up the Arc de Triomphe and saw the unknown soldier’s memorial before ending our 2nd day on a river boat trip by night.

The 3rd day was spent in Versailles to visit the Chateau, and we had a picnic in the gardens, only to finish the day with a visit to the Musée d’Orsay.

On Friday, we arrived early enough in front of Notre Dame to be able to visit it without queueing and this was followed by a visit of Sainte Chapelle, and The Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before her trial. We had lunch on the Place des Vosges, close to Victor Hugo’s apartments, which we also visited before seeing Place de la Bastille. We watched the film adaptation of “Les Misérables” that evening to make a further link with the visit of Notre Dame Cathedral and his works. On the way back, we stopped on the Ile Saint Louis to have an ice cream from the renowned house “Chez Bertillon”.

Our 5th day started by travelling to Boulevard Haussmann to enjoy the glamorous inside of the Galeries Lafayette and cast a last glance over Paris from the terrace, overlooking the Opera Garnier. We had lunch in one of the most iconic brasseries Bouillon Chartier followed by a walk in the Cimetière du Père Lachaise and finally a visit of La Madeleine.

It would have been challenging to visit more in 5 days but fortunately participants acted as guides to these historical places by presenting one each in target language.

The following presentation gives a flavour of this fantastic trip: