Hi there – I’m leaving on vacation this afternoon to visit friends in Europe! I’m headed to Paris and Switzerland (Geneva & Lucerne) and would love any recommendations for things to do/places to eat while I’m there. I’ve been to Paris before and have seen the main touristy spots, so I’m interested in off the beaten path sort of recommendations. In Switzerland the main focus will be hiking, if you have any tips. I’m SO excited for this adventure!
I’ve decided to take a true vacation and won’t be posting here on the blog until I’m back in a couple weeks. I’m even leaving my laptop at home (!!) – something I haven’t done in 5 years! It will be good to get a much-needed technology detox. That said, I will be posting photos occasionally on Instagram if you want to follow me over there. ;)
I should be back in action on or around Wednesday, August 13. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with me! In the meantime, here are some of my favorite posts to keep you busy while I’m gone:
- Quick & Healthy Dinner Recipes
- Healthy Snack Ideas for Busy People
- Simple & Healthy Weekday Lunch Ideas
- How to Make a Quick & Healthy Weeknight Dinner
- 10 Healthy On the Go Snack Recipes
- 4 Healthy, Quick, and Portable Breakfast Ideas
- How to make time for health when you’re busy
- One Small Change I Made to Improve My Health
- How to pack lunch in 5 minutes flat
See you in a couple weeks, my friends! I’ll miss you guys!
Sounds like the trip of a lifetime – have a blast!
See you soon! I bet the digital detox will be PERFECT!
Can’t wait!! :)
If you have time you should definitely take a train to the Interlaken area and spend some time there. The train ride is gorgeous and there is a ton of hiking. My husband and I were there in May on our honeymoon. We stayed in Murren and went hang gliding in Interlaken and went hiking in Lauterbrunnen.
Amazing, sounds like the trip of a lifetime! We live in the Rockies and my advice for someone going from sea level to hiking the Alps would be to take it slow. Start with easy hikes and build your way up as you acclimate to the higher altitudes. Drink TONS of water. If you get headaches during hiking it may be mild altitude sickness and water + rest should do the trick. Have fun, can’t wait to see pictures.
Have a fabulous trip! We all could use a technology/social media detox from time to time :)
Oh my goodness, I am so excited for you! Hope you have an amazing time! My cousin was just visiting me from Switzerland recently and that is definitely a country that I would love to visit one day!
I studied abroad in Paris, it is my favorite! I recommend the Rodin Museum (a little touristy but my favorite museum with outdoor gardens). Also, go get falafels in Le Marais district and check out Chez Julien for a really good meal. Have so much fun!
Have a great trip! Sounds like a blast!
Have a great time! I’ve heard Switzerland is absolutely gorgeous in the summertime!
I would agree, Interlaken is an amazing place for hiking and all outdoor activities! My friends and I went “Canyoning” while we were there and it was an absolute blast! Enjoy your vacation :)
https://www.outdoor-interlaken.ch/en/activity/49/canyoning-interlaken
I’ve been to Lucerne – go on a nighttime cruise on the lake, take the cable car up to Mt. Pilatus, eat lots of chocolate, and if you’re in the market for a new watch, Switzerland is the place to get one. You’ll also probably want to see the Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument, eat some fondue, etc. It’s an absolutely beautiful city. Have fun!
Le Petit Pascal in Paris is amazing! It has the best creme brûlée I’ve ever had. It’s a little off the main tourist path in the 13th arrondissement but has great trip advisor reviews as well. Have fun and eat lots of bread and cheese for me :)
Oh my goodness… this sounds incredible! Have a blast overseas and enjoy every minutes of your technology detox. Can’t wait for the pics and stories! :)
Hi!
First time posting here but I’ve been reading for a long time. I live in Paris so here are my recommandations (mostly for visiting). That’s where I take my visitors who have already been to Paris.
– Parc de Belleville, where you have a really nice view of the city and its main attractions
– Parc des Buttes Chaumont, perfect for a picnic
– Canal St-Martin and Bassin de la Villette (be sure to have a lunch or a drink on hand, it’s perfect to take a break from all the walking you’ll do!)
– Marais (someone already talked about the falafels: try some on Rosiers street, near Place des Voges. Also, while you’re in the area, you should stop to Éclair de génie on Pavée street, a bakery specialized in eclairs. They are a little pricey but they are perfect!)
– Butte-aux-cailles (in the 13th) and La Mouzaïa (in the 19th – near Parc des Buttes Chaumont in you want to combine both) are two super charming neighborhoods that are really different than the rest of Paris. Both used to be little villages outside the city but now they are part of it. They keep a really cosy and “village-y” (!) atmosphere
– If you want to have a nice rooftop view of Paris without paying (and waiting in line for a few hours in Notre-Dame), go to Le Printemps, a chic department store just beside Les Galeries Lafayette. You can go to the roof for free and enjoy the scenary (there is also a café there but you don’t have to go)
Hope you’ll have a wonderful trip, enjoy!
What great tips, thank you! And thank you for reading! :)
Oh I forgot! If you want real (and delicious and inexpensive) Indian food, go near Gare du Nord (Faubourg St-Denis street-Cail street). There are tons of them!
Yeah! Have fun Anne!!! Excited for you – Europe in the summer is awesome. Okay, Europe any season is awesome. :)
Ann,
Is this with or without Matt? Hope he is going too! Have a great trip!
Jane
It’s a girls trip, so I’m going solo! Sleeping on friend’s futons and such. I’ll miss Matt but I’m glad he’ll be keeping Zara company! :)
Have a great trip! I’ve never been to either but live in Dublin Ireland so if you end up stopping by be sure to let me know! :)
Enjoy your trip, Anne!
Have a great trip! Here are some Paris tips:
I definitely recommend printing out these two Paris walking tours…each take a couple of hours and take you by so many great sights.
· Montmarte Area – artsy, goes by Sacre Coeur : http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/0062020033.html
· Marais/Bastille Area, this one covers a ton of great sights. Do this on a Sunday if you can as the market near the Bastille is the largest in Paris and so fun to stroll through: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/0062020035.html
An amazing spot is Angelina. It’s a famous old café/tea room (226 Rue de Rivoli – which is the main street along the Toulierres Gardens). Their hot chocolate is to die for. Great cute place for moms/grandmoms to do tea or just snack on some macaroons. Worth the wait.
Hotel Costes is a fabulous hot spot for a cocktail. Kim Kardashian had her bachlorette party dinner there!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!! :D
See you soon!!!!!!! :)
So excited for you, enjoy your trip! Can’t wait to hear about it in August!
I just got back from Paris and Switzerland! We stayed in Le Marais in Paris, and then did Geneva, Leysin and Montreux in Switzerland. It was all amazing — you will have a GREAT TIME!!
Have fun, and enjoy your digital detox! I left both my laptop AND smartphone at home for 3 weeks to go to India last year and it was definitely a smart move. You are so much more focused on where you are and really, it’s surprising how little you are missing back home.
Looking forward to a Switzerland recap, we are thinking of visiting soon!
A friend of mine recently put together “The Ultimate Paris To-Do List, containing recommendations from lots of different people and places (it even has running/jogging routes in the city!). Here’s the link if you want to check it out: http://delistraty.com/2014/06/02/the-ultimate-paris-to-do-list/#more-1980. Have a great time!
Have a GREAT trip!
You’re going to have so much fun! I’ll miss your updates, but I’m glad you’re not posting. A vacation with a tech tether is no vacation at all. ;) Have fun and be safe!
Enjoy…you deserve a good break :)
Enjoy being back in Europe! And being off the grid for a bit….
Hey there Anne!
So I went to Switzerland/Paris/Germany/Austria/Holland bla bla bla 3 years ago (alone, backbackping. Stupid girl.).
I met up w a friend from Austria and we focused on HIKING!
He hiked some amazing mountains in the alps–the problem is I can’t remember the names (she’s on a mission so I can’t just call her). One hike was a 2 day-er and we slept in a big cabin/hostel. Amazing. I’ll try to get back to you about that though! Her sister may know.
Try to hit Austria though!! It was my favorite. You’ll be close;)
Have fun! We will miss you here in the blogger world!!
Make sure to go to a farmers market and try the cheeses and bread! Unforgettable.
Have a great trip! Enjoy some much needed time away and relaxation! :)
My best memory of Switzerland was a day of hiking just outside Interlaken, through the mountain town of Grindelwald, past grazing cows and happy children, as if walking through a painting, up to an ice cave destination. It was early-Sept., skies were clear and we could see for miles out across that gorgeous valley from the top. There was even a small snack shop up there with a place to sit and enjoy hot chocolate. One of the best days of my life!
Go to the top of Mt Pilatus! The views over the Swiss Alps are unbelievable. And then on your way down you can stop and do a toboggan ride down through the Alps. HAVE A BLAST!
I am so very envious! Have a phenomenal time……….. I wish you could pack me in your suitcase!
Have the BEST time!!! See you when you get back!
Hey anne! Have a nice trip to Europe! I am reading your blog since a long time now and decided to stop by to give you some advice on what to do in Paris ( I live there and all thinks I will see have been accepted and approved.
To do :
– Bicycle around the canal St- Martin ( you can start near the station republique and go all the way to the villette Bassin), lots of nice things too see, little parks, little shops and tons of restaurant. Having a picnic near the canal is nice too
– Go to Paris Plage : Near the hotel de ville and on the canal de L’ourcq (metro Jaures) the are sand beaches for a month with lots of activities. You can go kayaking, the lend books to read, and you can take a boat on the canal too
– The catacombs ( place denfert rochereau) a funny place to visit in Paris
– A nice park : Les buttes chaumont
– And you can do a picnic on the docks of the seine , there are spot with openair bars : quai des invalides, quai de javel and near the bibliotheque françois mitterand. All are nice.
Last but not least three places to eat:
– Le mesturet : a french restaurant with really classical food but one of the best I know in Paris
– Hugo : a restaurant on the “rue papillon” cheap and very good and fresh food
– OZo : rue quaincampoix next to the “centre georges pompidou” very good cocktail and a nice concept where you make yourself mixed platters (you choose a fish or a meat and then mix with 3 or 4 little original side dishes) . And the cocktails are really really good!
Sorry it is a little late but I hope you get my comment and have a nice trip!
Good for you! Enjoy your trip!
Have a great time! My favorite restaurant in Geneva is Patara. http://www.patara-geneve.ch/site/en/ I go for business and I MUST eat here every time.
In Paris, you must have the macaroons at La Duree. Best macaroons ever!
You do right. Have a wonderful time :)
Good job at taking a true technology detox!! Brian and I just moved to Denver, CO from Indy and I didn’t plan on it but ended up taking a break from the blog for a week…didn’t even open my computer and it was honestly pretty refreshing! Enjoy the break :)
Paris, it’s been a year for me and I must go back! I trust you are having the time of your life. I tech-detoxed there too, for 6 weeks infact!