We’re home from our trip across the pond and had the best time celebrating our anniversary in France + Italy. This was both mine and John’s first-ever trip to Europe and I tried to fit in as much sight seeing as I could while still letting it feel like a vacation. We hit Paris and Nice in France, and then bopped over to the Amalfi Coast and stayed in Praiano. I will be breaking down our europe trip itinerary of all three locations in this blog, answering all the questions I received about this trip, and sharing all the images we took on our digital camera. If there are still things you have questions about, please DM me on Instagram or comment on this post!
Coming soon is my full Europe outfit guide with everything I brought with me.
Stop one: Paris, France
Q: Where did you stay?
A: We stayed at Hotel Duquesne Eiffel and really liked it- especially for a first timer in Paris. It was mostly central to a lot of places- if not a quick train or uber ride. I wanted to have a view of the Eiffel Tower at whatever place we stayed, and they were so accommodating to give us one of the rooms with a stunning view. Be aware that the rooms are small! As a note, always ask for a bottle of champagne and macarons upon arrival in Paris, wherever you stay! Hate to admit it, but it was sooo Emily in Paris of me and I was here for it 😉
Q: How were the people?
A: They were some of the sweetest! Truly! As long as we are respectful of their culture and try to learn a few French phrases to make an effort, the French are so lovely. I think we can learn a lot from their culture.
Q: What is a must-see?
A: The Eiffel tower sparkle at night, Musee d’Orsay, and Versailles were my top 3 favorite things to do.
Day One: Arrive in Paris!
I recommend taking a red-eye flight and getting to Paris around lunch time to get going. We had all the plans to go to High Tea during this trip but it just didn’t work out due to arriving later than we planned. Next time!
Afternoon Activity – High Tea at Laduree Champs Elysees or Ritz Carlton (wait in line – no reservations available)
Dinner- Sunset Picnic by Eiffel Tower. I found this beautiful view off of TikTok! here are the coordinates: V75R + W78. Grab some meats, cheeses, wine and chocolates at Epicerie Fine Rive Gauche, or any other local grocery. Another option (which is what we ended up doing because we ran out of time) was we went to dinner at Tour Eiffel and had charcuterie and wine. Be flexible that first day 😉
Drinks – Skybar
Day Two
Breakfast – Les Deux Magots. One of the many iconic cafes! Best cappuccino I had was at this restaurant.
Activity 1 – Food tour in Montmartre. The highlight of the trip! Eat a small breakfast because you’ll be snacking for 4 hours- haha!
Activity 2 – L’Orangerie Museum (buy tickets in advance)
Dinner – Girafe if you can get reservations! We didn’t, so we ate at Monsieur Bleu and it was just as beautiful.
Drinks – Girafe, Monsieur Bleu, or Peninsula Bar
Day Three
Breakfast – Cafe du Flore
Activity 1 – Musee d’Orsay with guided tour (buy tickets in advance)
Lunch at Musee d’Orsay – No reservations needed, but line is long so get there early if possible!
Activity 2 – Notre Dame Chapel, Sainte Chapelle and surrounding flower market and Cafe. You have to go to Au Vieux! It’s an adorable Cafe. Go before they close at 4pm (you can stay longer, they just don’t serve anymore)
Activity 3 – Luxembourg Garden (if time permits)
Dinner – Beefbar
Drinks – Find a speakeasy you want to try! Paris has tons.
Day Four
Breakfast – La Palette or La Terrassee
Activity – Versailles! Book in advance and plan to spend most of the day here as it takes a while to get to. Save time with ubering here instead of using the train, and wear comfy shoes!
Lunch – La Flotille (In Versailles Gardens), no reservation needed
Activity 2 – Shopping at Bon Marche
Dinner – Chez Francis
Drinks – Shangri La rooftop bar or inside their lobby. This hotel is stunning.
Stop Two: Nice, France
Q: What is a must-do in Nice, France?
A: I would say a tour of some sort! Nice and Paris were the more artsy locations as major artists lived there, so I wanted to learn as much as I could while being in the places they were.
Q: Where did you stay?
A: We stayed at this absolutely gorgeous chateau and would go back in a heartbeat. It was a 30 minute drive from the French Riviera, which was perfect for us to have some quieter time after running around Paris for 4 days. We were TIRED! Nice is smaller than Paris, and is also much more drivable, so I recommend getting an Airbnb instead of a Hotel so you can really spread out, cook some meals, and relax.
Day Five: Travel from Paris to Nice!
We took the train, and would probably not do this again. For times’ sake and for the money, it’s not much more to fly from Paris to Nice and takes a fraction of the time. Plus, I can’t tell you how many people DM’d me about train theft since you can’t keep your luggage at your seats! Our train was also delayed 3 hours, and is already a 6+ hour ride. So, skipping the train and flying instead is my best advice.
Day Six
Breakfast + Lunch at home
Activity – Pool Day!
Dinner – Le Mas Des Geranium (make a reservation)
Day Seven
Activity 1 – Walking Tour of Old Nice + Castle Hill (book online!)
Lunch – Get a recommendation from your tour guide and eat like a local
Activity 2 – Hotel Negresco for afternoon drinks
Activity 3 – Villa Massena Musee (close to Hotel Negresco) OR scratch all that and go to the beach!
Spot Three: The Amalfi Coast
I’m obsessed with Italian culture. Their kindness, hospitality, and love of community touched my heart. Not to mention, the food is my favorite!
Q: Where did you stay?
A: We stayed at Hotel Villa Maria Pia and I cannot say enough good things about it. The staff is lovely and beyond accommodating, the location is so beautiful and central, and the food at the hotel is just as yummy as surrounding restaurants. It’s a lot quieter in Praiano than it is in Positano, so if that’s the vibe you want, I recommend staying there! The hotel is a quick 20 minute taxi to Positano.
Q: Did you have a favorite drink?
A: The Limoncello Spritz and the Hugo Spritz is now my go-to because of this trip! Learning more about wine was so much fun. Chianti is a favorite!
Day Eight: Travel to Amalfi Coast!
Fly from Nice to Naples – an quick and easy flight!
Private Car ride from Naples to Praiano (about 1.5 hour ride). Bring a dramamine for this car trip…
Dinner – La Moressa (make reservations)
Day Nine
Breakfast at hotel
Activity – Beach club at Il Pirata (make reservation)
Lunch – Il Pirata restaurant (make reservation)
Dinner – Franchino (make reservation)
Day Ten
Breakfast at hotel
Activity – Food + Wine Class! We booked ours through our concierge, and had the class with the owner of Il Pino, a restaurant up the road from our hotel. Can’t recommend il Pino enough for the class! I learned so much and the food was delicious.
Activity 2 – Shopping around town + beach
Dinner – at Villa Maria Pia
Day Eleven
Head to Positano early and get there before breakfast time. We had a photoshoot, so we were here extra early but it was worth getting there before the crowds to see this beautiful town!
Breakfast – Pick a cafe by the water
Activity Option – Pool reservation at Le Sirenuse
Activity Option – Book at beach club day
Dinner – Da Vincenzo (make reservation)
Drinks – Franco’s Bar for THE best views at sunset and night time!
Day Twelve
Boat Tour to Capri! Book in advance through your hotel
Activities – There are so many things to do in Capri, but it’s helpful to get there early to avoid the crowd. The Monte Solaro chairlift is a beautiful activity, along with another boat tour to the blue grotto. Just be aware that the crowds are insane.
Day thirteen
Beach day in Praiano
Dinner at Kasai – make reservation
Day Fourteen – Head home
We had the most wonderful trip and met truly some of the kindest people that I hope to meet again. SO grateful to see other parts of the world.
A Few More FAQ’s:
Q: Which location was your favorite?
A: Paris was my number one, for obvious reasons. The art, interiors, culture, food, people, and views are unmatched, and I felt so inspired just being there. I also really loved Nice and Praiano, and would love to go back! But Paris won for me.
Q: Do you think the time you spent in each location was enough over the course of your trip?
A: I could’ve done one or two more days in Paris, and one less day in Amalfi if I had to rearrange! But that’s really it, and it’s not like we felt that we didn’t see enough in Paris. Living in Florida, we are at the pool + beach a lot so that’s the only reason I felt that I could’ve had one less day in Praiano! But the coast of Nice and Italy is absolutely stunning, so if you want your vacation to be a bit more laid back then you should be good with this amount of time!
Q: Best restaurant over your trip?
A: La Moressa in Praiano for pizza and the best view!
Q: What did you pack?
A: Lots of dresses for both day and night! Another post is coming soon about what all I wore with all the links, so stay tuned on this.
Q: What was John’s favorite spot?
A: He LOVED Nice. He liked that it was less busy but still a driveable town!
HAPPY TRAVELS!
Looking for something? Here’s my Amazon storefront with all my finds.
Read about more of my June Favorites.
For more style inspiration and home decor ideas, be sure to follow me on Instagram and LiketoKnow.it for regular updates and tips.
Head back to the blog!
