There is something fun about visiting a city you already know with someone who has never been there before. I had been to Paris several times, but this was my sister’s first visit, so we really only had one goal for our two days: give her a good taste of Paris without trying to cram everything into such a short trip. We walked a lot, saw the iconic sights, ate crepes, and—when Paris gave us a full day of rain—changed our plans completely.

 

Staying at Hyatt Paris Madeleine

We stayed at the Hyatt Paris Madeleine, which turned out to be a great location for a short stay in Paris. It’s in the 8th arrondissement near Place de la Madeleine, with plenty of shops, cafés, and restaurants nearby. We could walk to many of the places we wanted to see, which was especially helpful when we only had two days.

The hotel makes a great first impression. The lobby is definitely the hotel’s statement piece and feels much grander than you might expect from the outside. Our room, however, was disappointingly small. I know small hotel rooms are common in Paris, but this one still felt tight. It was perfectly fine for a short stay, but the room itself wasn’t the hotel’s highlight for me. I was really excited to stay at this hotel but couldn’t secure a suite or an upgrade and, honestly, I expected more from the room. The pictures were deceiving on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast was another story. The breakfast at Hyatt Paris Madeleine was excellent, with a really nice buffet plus à la carte items you could order. I always appreciate a hotel breakfast where I can sit down and have a good meal before heading out for a full day of sightseeing, and this one did not disappoint. And French butter? Don’t get me started!

 

 

The hotel is a Hyatt Category 7 property, and we paid 35K Hyatt points per night. Great location, but I would pick it again only if I had a confirmed upgrade so I could enjoy a larger room.

 

Day One: We Walked Paris

We were lucky that we had great weather on our first day in Paris because we walked and walked and walked. By the end of the day, we had logged about 16,000 steps.

We walked to the Louvre, one of those places you have to see on your first trip to Paris even if you don’t actually go inside. We spent our limited time enjoying Paris from the outside rather than standing in museum lines. From there, we continued exploring the city on foot and eventually made our way to the Eiffel Tower. There is nothing quite like seeing it for the first time, and it was fun for me to experience that moment again through my sister.

 

 

One of the things I love about Paris is that walking between the major sights is part of the experience. You see the architecture, little cafés, beautiful buildings, and everyday Parisian life along the way. We covered a lot of ground that first day, and our feet definitely knew it by the time we got back to the hotel. We celebrated with a delicious filet ordered via room service.

 

 

 

Day Two: When the Rain Changes Your Plans

Our second day was rainy, and not just a few sprinkles. It was the kind of weather that could easily ruin a sightseeing day if you let it. Instead of spending the entire day walking around under umbrellas, we bought tickets for a hop-on hop-off bus, and it honestly saved the day.

 

 

I don’t always think of the hop-on hop-off bus as something I need when I visit a city, but for a first-time visitor to Paris on a rainy day, it was perfect. We stayed dry, covered a lot of the city, and my sister was still able to see many of the major sights. It turned what could have been a disappointing second day into a really enjoyable one.

 

 

Later we braved the rain, which had lightened up some, and set off to walk through Luxembourg Gardens. Even on a gray Paris day, the gardens were worth seeing. And because you can’t have a first trip to Paris without a crepe, we stopped for crepes along the way. Nutella and bananas on a crepe? That’s my love language!

 

 

Two Days Was A Short Trip, But Worth It

Would I recommend only two days in Paris for a first visit? Ideally, I’d give Paris more time. But sometimes two days is all you have, and we fit a surprising amount in without feeling like we were running from one attraction to another. And in this case, Switzerland was the main attraction and would be a longer stay.

We saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and Luxembourg Gardens, walked 16,000 steps in one day, ate crepes, and watched Paris go by from the top of a bus while it rained outside. Most importantly, my sister got her first taste of Paris.

 

 

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