I’ve been getting many requests for tips on Paris, from where to stay, what arrondissements are best, where to shop, what to see, and more! So it only makes sense to start a SJL Travel guide segment specifically for Paris. It’s been a long overdue series!

Having spent a decent amount of time in the city, this will be a series based on all that I’ve learned and my personal experiences. I may not know everything about this special city, but what I do know will be very helpful to get the groundwork done so you know what to expect when visiting Paris!

Read more to hear my recommendations on where to stay and why!

Paris Guide: Where to Stay

I’ve stayed in a few different areas of Paris, and the city is huge, so you will have TONS of options. But it all depends on what kind of Paris YOU want to experience. The best way to get to know your way around Paris is by walking, so choosing a location close the the places you definitely want to see is important. If you brave the metro, that’s another thing to keep in mind, and look for places close to metro entrances. Overall, if you memorize what is where based on the river, and in which arrondissements, you’ll have a good feel for the lay of the land.

Where We Stayed

Montmartre: 18th Arrondissement

We lived for one month in Montmartre, about a 5 minute walk from the Moulin Rouge and 15 minute walk from Sacré Couer. We were there from mid-February into March, and I will admit I wasn’t much of a fan of that area pre-blooms. It’s a little too far away from all the things that I love in Paris, and the area is generally more residential and less exciting. Though you will definitely like to explore the area between La Maison Rose and Sacré Couer for the quaint cobblestone streets, cafes, and painter’s square. But I recommend this as a day trip and maybe skip on staying in that area. (It’s also about 20-30 minute drive from any Paris Fashion Week locations, if you happen to be going for that!)

While this exact listing is no longer available, we stayed with Perfectly Paris, in their Artist’s Corner flat around the corner from the Moulin Rouge. It was a quaint, and simply chic flat that’s very typical of Parisian flats. You’ll find it was the backdrop for a bit of my Paris content! Our Pomeranian also LOVED being there. The sound-proofing windows blocked out all the street noise.

Similar AirBnB Listings in Montmartre:

Bright, White & Chic Flat: $153 a night
Adorably Shabby Chic Flat: $113 a night
Stylish, Homey & New Flat: $152 a night
Classic Paris Flat: $114 a night
Quirky and Eclectic Flat: $157 a night

If you don’t have an AirBnB account yet, sign up here and get $40 off your next stay!

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Le Marais: 4th Arrondissement

 Marais is one of the go-to spots for influencers to visit because it’s clean, beautiful, close to most the sites, and central to Paris. When we stayed there early fall, it was magical! Our flat was Le Passage du Marais of Cobblestone Paris Rentals. I highly recommend any of their rentals, as they have such high standards for their flats that you are guaranteed the perfect experience! Their places are extremely clean, all new remodels or up to hotel standard, and sooooo quaint! This is something that’s hard to find in regular airBnB’s, and something you might want to look into if you don’t want to do hotels, and prefer a more homey stay.

Marais has plenty of shopping close by, like Les Halles mall which also has it’s own metro entrance. The restaurants and cafe’s (which get many questions when appearing in my photos) are the Parisian standard! It’s close to Notre Dame and Shakespeare & Co. Le Grand Nerf cafe was right around the corner from where we stayed, and has great Es Cargot and people watching.

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Porte Saint-Denis: 10th Arrondissement

So the exact spot we stayed was right on the border of the 2nd and 10th Arr., so it wasn’t as far away as the 10th Arr. sounds. We were practically in the 2nd, and just a few blocks away from the Bonne Nouvelle Metro Entrance. Though currently not available, we chose this Charming French Studio on Rue d’Hautville to use as a photo studio as it was decently big, had 4 huge windows with balconies, and plenty of natural light. Its furnishing was minimal at the time as we were the first people to stay there, but worth it for the use of a photo studio! It is quite noisy as it’s right on the corner above a bar/restaurant, so you wake up with the morning traffic around 10 am, and go to bed late with the Parisians out and about in the streets.

This spot is still close enough to hop in an Uber or on the metro and quickly get to our favorite Paris spots! There’s an AMAZING Boulangerie on the corner just steps away, a few blocks away from the Amour Hotel and Le Grand Rex Cinema Theater. And it’s directly north of Théâtre du Châtelet, and Pont Neuf, which is still very central of the city.

Similar AirBnB Listings in the Porte Saint-Denis Area:

Extra Large Chic/Minimal Flat: $241 a night
Minimal/Modern/Chic Flat: $198 a night
Warm & Sunny Flat with Character: $114 a night
Clean, Modern, Bright Flat: $119 a night
Small, Stylish & Ultra Affordable Flat: $49 a night

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Bonne Nouvelle: 2nd Arrondissement

Though some people don’t appreciate the area of Bonne Nouvelle, I think it’s rather underrated and it’s sort of up-and-coming! It is more of a business district, so the boulangeries, cafes, and restaurants are usually closed on Sundays and aren’t open too late at night. We stayed in the most cozy Hôtel Bonne Nouvelle on a quiet street with a perfect scene of the rooftops and Eiffel Tower off in the distance! Just a 10 minute walk from Rue de Petits Carreaux, one of the most quaint areas we stumbled on, which also had cafes/boulangeries/restaurants open on a Sunday.

L’Appartement Sézane is about a 10-15 minute walk away. It’s still directly north of Les Halles and Pont Neuf, and central of the city. What was great to me, was how close it was to Palais Royal, one of my absolute must-visit places whenever in Paris! A 6 minute drive and 15 minute walk. There’s you’ll find Café Kitsuné and other shops, among one of the most cozy gardens to spend a sunny afternoon.

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Where I Recommend Staying:

Because Paris is overwhelming to first timers, I highly recommend putting together a partial plan for the places you want to see before picking where you stay. Like I mentioned earlier, it can take time to catch a ride during traffic, so you’ll not want to waste any precious time. Maybe your Hit List, and try to book your stay somewhere close to those. Central of the city is your best bet. But here are some of the top areas I recommend!

1st-2nd Arrondissements

If you want my general favorite Arr. to stay in, that would be the 1st because it is the most central and closest to my personal favorite sites.
Closest To: Les Halles, Musée de Louvre & Tuileries, Palais-Royal, Pont Neuf, Place Vendôme, Musée D’Orsay, Palais Garnier

Le Marais / 4th Arrondissement

As previously mentioned, Marais is one of the nicer areas most bloggers stay when in Paris. It’s clean, beautiful, photogenic, and central to shopping and the sites.
Closest to: Notre Dame, Post Neuf, Jardin des Plantes, Shakespeare & Co, Place Dauphine, Carousel & Hotel de Ville.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés / 6th Arrondissement

If you want to be where it’s all happening, Saint-Germain is that place! All the iconic shops and cafes are on this street. And a lot of the tourist sites are nearby. I think it’s one of the most fun areas to experience all Paris has to offer!
Closest to: Cafe de Flore, Palais du Luxembourg

Champs-Élysées / 8th Arrondissement

The historic street that leads you from the Arc du Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, it has all the big end shopping and is iconic to the Paris story.
Closest to: Ladurée, Chanel Boutique, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Tuileries, Place Vendôme, Le Palais Royal, Palais de Tokyo

7th Arrondissement

The neighborhood literally next door to the Eiffel Tower, you’ll always have the site of the tower in your peripheral vision. It’s one of the cleanest areas I walked around in Paris, and very chill vibes in Gros-Caillou with beautiful nouveau architecture details.
Closest to: Eiffel Tower, Seine River, Esplanade des Invalides, Jardins de Trocadero, Musée Rodin

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Our last days in Paris brought us to the coziest little hotel in Bonne Nouvelle. It wasn’t planned, we ended up here on a whim. The hotel was tucked away on a quiet street. It was Sunday morning, and it had just rained. The church bells were ringing through the empty streets, and I couldn’t have been more in love or more at home, there in that moment.

We checked in at Hôtel Bonne Nouvelle and rode the lift to the 4th floor, where we had to climb the spiraling stairway with whimsical, dizzying striped carpet to our room on the 5th floor.  I asked for a top floor room so we would be away from street noise and have a view of the rooftops (a must!)

It was so quaint, quiet, and warm. Not like the somewhat old and drafty, street-noise-ridden places one might equate with this city that never sleeps. It felt like we had the whole hotel… no, the whole neighborhood to ourselves! The only person we saw in the hotel was the lovely lady concierge, who was so helpful to us.

It was one of the moments we got to slow down during the craziness of Fashion Week. I spent a while leaning out the window, staring out across the rooftops, watching the Eiffel Tower disappear and reappear again from the low clouds. Parisians came and went from their windows. Because window life is an actual thing in this city. Below, a young man smoked a cigarette out the window across from us. And when he left, his lover appeared to cut fruit and cheese on the table. Pigeons cooed on windowsills, and voices echoed softly down the cobblestone streets, but the somber sleepiness of Paris on Sunday filled the rainy air.

We had to run for baguettes and cheese, of course, but on Sundays almost everywhere is closed in Paris. So we had to forgo the iPhone GPS and follow our instinct. Or, well, stalk people who were walking the streets with baguettes under their arm, until we found our way to the nearest Boulangerie that was still open. We were pretty stoked, considering we didn’t bring any food with us to our hotel, and had to head to a fashion show in the evening.

The baguette expedition led us to Rue de Petits Carreaux- one of the prettiest streets one thinks of as the iconic Paris. Well, Paris if full of so many types of areas and cliches. But I suppose this is the vibe that sings the same frequency as my soul, because I was so utterly happy. The area really took hold of my heart with it’s timeless vibes, and I’m so glad we got to experience it. Our baguette adventure and a walk through the streets of Bonne Nouvelle will be coming up next to the blog, so stay tuned!

Read More to see the photos from our Parisian window, and get the outfit details at the bottom of the post!

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My stay with Cobblestone Paris during my recent trip was probably the best experience! It’s very easy to talk about because it was literally perfect. So I’ll just share a bit about our days while staying at their Le Passage Du Marais apartment.

We met up with David, the charming Cobblestone Greeter who took us through the passageway to our building. It was hidden away in a private, quiet passageway that was like out of The Secret Garden! Climbing the spiral stairway led us to our apartment on the second floor. We were immediately in love with the absolute coziness of the place! It felt like a welcoming hug after all the Airport madness.

If you’ve traveled to Paris before, you’ll know the all the buildings are very old. So even some of the best places to stay have that aged feel and can be just a bit grungy. Well it was literally the best surprise to find that Passage Du Marais was like brand new inside, except for the beautifully exposed, original wood beams. The bathroom was a dream, and the kitchen spotless. Everything was so quaint. I thank Cobblestone Paris for having the most impeccable standards for their rentals, creating for literally the most comfortable and effortless stay that is what you dream of in Paris!

I was also so excited about the area our apartment was located in. It is central to all the important Paris sights, and the area is one of the nicer neighborhoods. The vibes there in Marais are probably my favorite! Right down the street were the Franprix market, lots of cafes and restaurants, and the hustle of Parisians going about their day. But the absolute quiet of the apartment made you feel completely safe and tucked away like on a retreat. And trust me, that is rare, because there is a LOT of city noise in Paris!

Right around the corner was the Cafe we ate dinner, called Le Grand Cerf. Naturally I was drawn to it, sitting on the corner with it’s striped awning catching the golden hour sunlight. Everything was smiling and enjoying their meal, so we sat down in the corner and ordered our meal. Josh was determined to be bold this trip and try lots of new things, so Escargot it was! I never in my life thought I’d eat snails, but I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted warm and buttery with herbs, with texture similar to a cooked mushroom. I ate maybe a total of 6 snails while in Paris… baby steps! I ordered a mushroom flatbread, and we celebrated our arrival in Paris with some champagne and people watching.

Read more to see the photos from our stay at Cobblestone Paris – Le Passage Du Marais

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Paris, the city for lovers, offered a romantic backdrop that inspired my work in ways I’d never gotten to experience before. The architecture is what sets this city apart, being so old and full of boundless detail and beauty. I’m not lying when I say there are more streets than even a full time Parisian could explore, and each building has those picturesque elements. Our second story flat in Montmartre became our little hideaway in the middle of the busy city, where vespas buzz up and down the streets day and night. I spent a lot of time people watching from our balcony, soaking in the sound of the birds in the morning or at dusk.

There’s a different way of life in Paris, as compared to LA, that I can’t quite put my finger on. One might think that it’s like a movie, but I learned differently my first visit. Paris is much more tangible than you glimpse from dreamy movie scenes. Some even find it shocking when they arrive- because it’s actually a real life city. Lots of people, traffic, noises, smells, and… well, trash. You’d be surprised at the amount of graffiti that marks the beautiful buildings, and the fact that there is actually a scary ghetto area that, when I stumbled upon, reminded me of Chicago or NY.

I won’t lie, I was a bit overwhelmed when I first experienced all of this. And the March weather, plus my acute bronchitis I had for 2 weeks, made me more of a homebody than I’d have preferred. But it gave me a cozy appreciation for this adorable flat we were lucky to book so last minute (thanks to Perfectly Paris on AirBnB)- and it became our home away from home for the month.

Here’s a little roundup of our lazy days spent inside, being sleepy lovers.

Flat:
Artist’s Corner – Paris Perfect Rentals

P.S!
If you don’t have an AirBnB account yet, sign up here and get $40 off your next stay!

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We arrived at Korakia in Palm Springs right after the sun dipped behind the rocky mountain backdrop. The earth still radiated with a heat I’d never experienced before. I’ve been in Death Valley on the salt flats in the direct sun, and I’ve been in Tucson during August. But this was different. It was like standing in a clay oven heated by the sun, and radiating with the solar energy. It was quite the experience, but I sort of got used to it by the end of our stay.

We shot for Spell Designs for 2 days, and before leaving I was determined to take location photos of every pretty thing I saw and fell in love with while there. So we walked around, camera in hand, snapping away. It was nearly impossible to stand in the sun longer than 15 seconds. Even for the above photo I had to keep running to the shade in-between shots to keep from frying. You could have fried your bacon on the sidewalk! And speaking of breakfast, we had the most delicious avocado toast with tomatoes, early in the morning, under a canopy of umbrellas and tree branches strung with moroccan lanterns.

Every little corner of Korakia holds something beautiful and inspiring. Like I’ve said, it’s photogenic from every angle. I could have shot there for days had I had the time and the temps were lower. It was quite the survival process making it through the 2 days we were there!

Palm trees swayed above, casting long shadows on daybeds. The pops of color from the bougainvillea bushes scattered throughout the hotel brought the desert to life. Little nooks created with billowing white curtains provided escapes from the sun, while the 2 different pools became the watering hole for us and the other guests to de-stress and mingle. There wasn’t much to do out there besides let go of any of your cares and just be in the moment.

Moroccan music plaid from hidden speakers around the hotel, so I felt transported to another world. I was sweating profusely just to traverse the winding paths through the pensione in order to capture these photos, utterly grateful for my favorite straw hat to keep me protected from the sun, but I knew it was all worth it to have these amazing photos to share and keep forever!

I hope you enjoy them, and be sure to share to Pinterest! Comment below if you love these types of photos and would want to see more resort and wanderlust photos on the blog here!

And if you missed here, check out Korakia Part 1 for more photos!

XOXO

Romper: Spell Designs
Hat: 66 the Label
Sandals: Faryl Robyn / Free People

The post Korakia | part 2 appeared first on Jetset Lust.

Korakia, which I’ve dubbed my desert oasis, has been on my travel hit list since I found a photo of one of the daybeds and went on a mad hunt to find out where it was from. I was mystified by the beauty of this moroccan gem, and ecstatic to find it hidden right under my nose in Palm Springs. I had plans of visiting, and when we were brought on to shoot the film for Spell Design’s “Oracle” collection, I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect place to create the magic for their collection.

I’m so excited I can finally share these photos with you now that the collection has launched, and give you a broader picture of the little moroccan world that was a part of the lookbook. There were so many gorgeous nooks and crannies, I wanted to share it all with you! I took so many photos, and could barely narrow it down to less than 100, and so had to split it into 2 part blog posts! I’m sure you’ll find more than enough inspiration and “Pinterest worthy” pins in both posts, as even I get major wanderlust after looking at the photos again! It took me a while to edit them all, but here they finally are!

Be sure to read Korakia Part 2 for even more gorgeousness you can hardly imagine! I’ll be telling you more about our stay and the details of the beautiful hotel in that post!

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