A long weekend trip from Amsterdam to Paris
ft. exquisite experiences and splurge-worthy souvenirs
Paris is often painted as the city to fall in love with, whether you’re swooning over someone special or some melt-in-your-mouth macarons.
But during our recent visit to Paris, my good friend Ali and I skipped over the usual love story with its landmarks. No Louvre. No Arc de Triomphe. Instead, we leaned into a different kind of Paris—a version filled with hidden gems, incredible food, and experiences that felt refreshingly off the tourist trail.
This guide isn’t about the Paris you’ll find in glossy postcards or Instagram reels. It’s about the Paris you stumble upon, and the Paris that first-time visitors often miss while they’re busy ticking boxes.
Whether you’re plotting your first trip or a repeat visit to the City of Light, here’s everything that made this girls’ trip unforgettable, from where we stayed to what we ate to the treasures we brought home and more.
How I got there
Funny enough, now that we live in Haarlem, we’re (somehow) able to get to Amsterdam Centraal Station more quickly than we could when we lived in Amsterdam proper. From where we used to live in Oud Zuid, it would’ve taken about 30 minutes on the tram to get to Centraal. Now, it’s a two-minute walk to Haarlem Station and a 10-minute train ride, and boom, we’re at Centraal.
One of the joys of living so close to Amsterdam Centraal Station now is how easily it connects to other amazing cities by train. All I had to do was hop on the Eurostar and just over three hours later, I was stepping off the train at Gare du Nord. Honestly, it felt way easier than most commutes back home. No airport chaos, no long security lines, just a comfortable seat, a good book, and before I knew it, I was in Paris.
Our hotel couldn’t have been more convenient to get to from the station. A quick cab ride (or even a manageable stroll, if you pack light) and I arrived at the front desk, ready to check in and kick off our trip. It’s always a relief when the logistics are this seamless—it sets the perfect tone for a stress-free getaway.
Where we stayed
Stepping into La Fantaisie1 felt like walking into a dream Paris had been saving just for us. The hotel’s signature scent greeted us the moment we walked through the door—a warm, enveloping, spa-like fragrance that instantly whispered, you’re on vacation now. And from that first moment, everything about our stay was layered with thoughtful, luxurious touches designed to delight.
Our room was a treasure trove of small joys: an emerald silk sleep mask emblazoned with Bonne Nuit in the hotel’s consistent color scheme, linen slippers cheerfully instructing us to “Kick back and relax” in gold embroidery, and CBD sleep gummies waiting for us with turndown service every evening. The mini bar was temptingly well-stocked, and the beautiful booklet of curated recommendations for eating, drinking, seeing, and doing in Paris they provided felt like having a stylish local as our personal guide.
Food and drink options at La Fantaisie were dreamy, too The lobby bar was perfect for an afternoon coffee or late-night cocktail, while the rooftop restaurant delivered stunning views alongside its menu and wine list. And let’s talk about breakfast—the buffet was a feast for the senses, served in a greenhouse-inspired space so lush and beautiful it made each morning feel magical.
But the absolute highlight of this hotel? The spa. Unlimited access for all guests meant we soaked up every minute of it—literally. Four different baths, two saunas, and a steam room became our daily ritual, a blissful retreat after a day of exploring. Whether it was unwinding in the warm glow of the baths or melting into the steam, it ended up being the ultimate holiday indulgence we didn’t know we needed.
La Fantaisie didn’t just meet our expectations, it redefined them. It wasn’t just a place to stay—it was a place that elevated our entire experience of Paris, wrapping us in comfort, care, and just the right amount of whimsy from start to finish. If you're looking for a hotel that makes you feel like you’ve truly arrived, this is the one.
What we ate
If there’s one thing Paris does effortlessly, it’s food. From croissants to cocktails, every bite feels like a love letter to our taste buds. Ali and I made it our mission to savor the city, one meal at a time, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
Our first big dinner was at Aux Crus de Bourgogne, a quintessential Parisian bistro where we indulged in escargot (a must!) and I had a boeuf bourguignon that was so rich and tender it practically hugged me from the inside. Reservations were key here, and honestly, I was glad Ali planned ahead, because this is the kind of spot that feels like Paris on a plate.
Lunches in Paris were all about simplicity done perfectly. At Union Boulangerie, we grabbed classic French sandwiches—ham and butter on baguettes that were crispy on the outside, soft and light on the inside. The one I ordered also had cornichons, mustard, and cheese, and it felt like the kind of lunch only the French could make extraordinary. Another day, we found ourselves at Parcelles, nibbling on seasoned olives, slurping fresh local oysters, and savoring hearty handmade gnocchi in a delicate butter and sage sauce.
Dinner one night took us to Abri Soba, a tiny gem serving soul-warming soba noodle soup. The line was long (this place is tiny), but the food was well worth the wait.
Our our final evening, we dined at Le Bon Georges, where we tried eggs with mayonnaise (a local delicacy and surprisingly delightful), steak au poivre with frites that were crisp perfection, and by-the-glass vintages from a wine list so massive it could double as a dumbbell. Luckily, the staff guided me expertly to the perfect pairings for each course.
We splurged on afternoon tea at Salon Proust in the Ritz Paris, where champagne flowed and pastries stole the show. It was pure decadence—think French tea service, not English, meaning all sweet treats and nothing savory. Every bite was more indulgent than the last, and the setting felt like stepping into a turn-of-the-century French novel.
Back at our hotel, we also embraced the art of the cozy night in. Twice, we stayed in our robes and ordered dinner straight to our room—smash burgers and fries from Dumbo one night, and sushi from HANDO Parisian Handroll another. Paired with Paris-inspired films on the hotel’s luxe TV (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Ratatouille, respectively), these dinners were just as memorable as anything we ate out.
And let’s not forget breakfast! The daily buffet at La Fantaisie was a delightful daily ritual. My go-to was an Americano, fresh orange juice, and scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, followed by a pastry if I had room (spoiler: I usually did). Ali leaned toward English breakfast tea, fresh orange juice, yogurt with granola and fruit, and an occasional pastry. It was the perfect start to each day, fueling us for all our Parisian adventures.
Where we went
We started our Saturday morning at the Marché Saxe-Breteuil, a gorgeous open-air market with the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to move to Paris just so you can buy fresh flowers, cheese, and bread every weekend. We browsed stalls brimming with local produce, artisanal goods, and irresistible pastries, soaking up the lively atmosphere alongside the locals doing their weekly grocery shopping, carts in tow.
Book lovers that we are, we visited the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, where the architecture alone is worth the trip—it’s a breathtaking mix of history and modernity that makes you feel like you’re wandering through a love letter to literature. Of course, we couldn’t resist the charm of Les Bouquinistes, the iconic booksellers along the Seine. Flipping through vintage books and prints while the river sparkled nearby was like stepping into a dream. We also popped into Taschen, the famed art and design bookstore, where I had to resist the urge to buy a new stack of books to add to my TBR.
Art and design continued to call our names at Landline, a beautifully curated gallery-meets-shop where every European-produced piece felt like it belonged in a museum. And at Merci, a concept store that’s part fashion, part home goods, and entirely chic, we found ourselves lingering over everything from high-end jewelry to quirky knickknacks. It’s the kind of place where you leave inspired—even if you don’t leave with a shopping bag.
Bonus: A non-touristy Google Map of Paris!
In case you’d like to follow in our footsteps, here’s an easy-to-use Google Map with all of restaurants, cafes, shops, and sites that this guide mentions.
What we brought home
As I’ve said, his indulgent holiday was planned almost entirely by my friend Ali, who has perhaps the best taste of anyone I know. She deserves full credit for suggesting that we stop at each place where I acquired the following (mostly) non-touristy Parisian souvenirs:
Love, Don’t Be Shy perfume by Kilian Paris
I told Ali I wanted to find a new signature scent, so we made our way to concept store and niche perfumery Nose Paris for an olfactive diagnosis.
I was paired with one of the in-house perfumers, who asked me questions about perfumes I’ve worn in the past, as well as scents I love and those I can’t stand. I told her I love the scent of vanilla but that I don’t like to lean too gourmand—I prefer it to be paired with something floral and citrus-y to balance it out, like orange blossom (which reminds me of my time living in Sevilla) and honeysuckle (which makes me think of childhood summers in my hometown).
She all but sprinted to the Kilian Paris display to spray a sample of Love, Don’t Be Shy for me. I breathed it in as she explained that one of the perfumiers behind this fragrance was making a heavenly French dessert called guimauves à la fleur d'oranger, or orange blossom marshmallows, with her grandma’s recipe when she was inspired to create this perfume. The scent featured three important notes:
Sticky-sweet marshmallow and vanilla
Citrus-y florals from orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli
Leather-y, amber-y labdanum in the drydown
Basically, she nailed it. This was just the complex, sweet-but-sophisticated-with-a-hint-of-sultry scent I was looking for. But when she added that it was also the same perfume Rihanna wore—and pop culture enthusiast that she is, Ali shook me by the arm and told me that celebrities famously talk about how amazing Rihanna smells in interviews—that sealed the deal. I brought home my first bottle of big girl perfume and my new signature scent for the foreseeable future.
Gifts from Shakespeare & Company
Yes, I waited in line to get inside of this iconic English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame—and I’d do it again, too! It’s a small independent shop, but the staff runs a tight ship, so it didn’t feel crowded once I got inside to browse.
No photos or videos were allowed inside the store, so I wandered around trying to memorize every detail of the cozy interior before finally making my way to find the book, bag, and pin I knew I wanted to bring home with me:
If you don’t have plans to visit Paris anytime soon, you can buy those things from their online shop (they even offer worldwide shipping). But for me, there was something so special about watching the clerk thwack the special in-store-only stamp on the inside cover of a poetic anthology written about the very city in which I stood making this purchase.
Now every time I open up that book, I’ll remember how I felt the first time I flipped through its pages while drinking cafe au lait and eating a croissant in the Shakespeare & Company cafe, catching snippets of French conversation all around me as an autumn rain fell.
A customized lip balm compact from Officine Universelle Buly
Officine Universelle Buly is a storied apothecary that has been renowned for its artisanal beauty products since 1803. At the Buly location in the Marais, creating a custom Baume des Muses lip balm is just the kind of fancy-yet-fun indulgence Paris does best.
For my compact, I picked an ivory case, adding my initials (AV, naturally) in gold gilt on the sage green leather-like paper exterior. Along with the lip balm inside—packed with shea butter, castor oil, rice bran, sesame oil, and plum kernel oil and rich in vitamin E and antioxidants for soft, moisturized, protected lips—there was also a tiny mirror that’s perfect for checking if I have anything in my teeth after a meal.
When we returned to pick up the final product, it was sheathed in a little pink velvet pouch, a practical addition that made it easy to toss it into my bag without worrying about damaging it the case.
Once the lip balm is gone, I’ll repurpose the monogrammed case as a pill box or container for mints, because nothing this pretty should ever go to waste!
Other souvenirs I brought back from Paris:
A custom book stamp from Ex-Libris Paris ft. my name on a book (!)
A bag of Zeste Blanc tea from feminist, lesbian, and LGBTQ+ bookshop and cafe Violette and Co
Bras from Paris-born brand Chantelle following a fitting at Le Bon Marché
A classic black one-piece from Poolday Paris
A tin of L’Hiver au Ritz tea following afternoon tea in Salon Proust at the Ritz Paris
Notebooks and pens from Papier Tigre
A box of Les sablés pur beurre de la mère Poulard—pure butter shortbread biscuits from Mother Poulard—from La Grande Épicerie de Paris
Paris: It’s not you, it’s me
Paris has a way of conjuring strong opinions, doesn’t it? For some, it’s the pinnacle of romance and culture, a city to visit again and again, losing oneself in its winding streets and iconic landmarks. For others—myself included—it’s a wonderful place to visit, but not necessarily one I’m in a rush to keep revisiting.
This was my first trip to Paris since my university days, and I was curious to see if my perspective on the city had shifted over the years. The last time I visited was in 2012 during my first-ever trip to Europe, and I was on the tightest of budgets. Paris back then felt like this wild, expensive whirlwind—all noise, bright lights, fancy food, and a general sense that I was slightly out of place. It was exciting but, I thought, maybe not quite my vibe.
Fast forward to 2024, and with a bit more flexibility in how I spend (and a bit more travel experience under my belt), I figured maybe I’d “get” Paris this time around. But spoiler alert: I still feel the same way.
It sort of reminds me of how I feel about New York when I’m back in the States: it’s a place that’s incredibly romanticized by films and literature, best enjoyed if you’re ready and able to spend a small fortune. It’s somewhere everyone should visit at least once in their life—I mean, much like New York, Paris is magical! But for me, it’s not the kind of magic that calls you back again and again.
This long weekend was everything a trip should be: refreshing, inspiring, and a little indulgent. And yet, as much as I enjoyed the experience, I left feeling that Paris, while undoubtedly cool, doesn’t quite make my personal list of endlessly revisitable cities.
Even so, you shouldn’t let that dissuade you from keeping it on your to visit list! Whether you’re planning your own getaway to the City of Light or just want to vicariously soak up the vibes, I hope you’ll find some inspiration here—and maybe a bit of permission to love Paris on your own terms.
Where to next?
Taking a peek at my calendar, upcoming trips from Amsterdam on the docket will include:
A long weekend in Prague with a couple of good friends visiting from the States
Holiday happenings here in Haarlem with neighborhood pals come mid-December
An underground Christmas Market in Valkenburg toward the end of December
Come 2025, I’ll begin prepping for book launch events in the UK and US to start—those dates and locations will be shared soon, so stay tuned.
Where are you traveling next? Any destinations you’ve visited recently that you’d recommend for a queer, neurodivergent travel writer like me? Let me know in the comments. À bientôt!
Hotel interior photos by La Fantasie (but this isn’t sponsored content and we weren’t compensated in any way by the hotel for our review—we paid full price for our stay and let me tell you, it was worth every penny!)
omg this hotel is incredible!!