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Just Back From
“I have always been so intrigued by France, and I thought, if not now, when?!” says Ali Malecka, an Indagare Journeys manager who is just back from spending two months living and working remotely in Paris. Here, she shares favorite memories, places and finds from her springtime adventures.
I have been working for Indagare for almost five years and had somehow never found my way to Paris but always dreamed of going. When my lease was up for my apartment in New York, I decided to finally make the trip—and I moved into my new pied-à-terre in an apartment owned by my beloved Indagare colleague, Iva, who is herself based in Paris.
When you tell your friends and family that you are going to live in Paris for two months, they will come visit you! My mom was the first to join me, in early February. Despite the fact that it rained (it poured!) every day for that week, we didn’t let the grey weather ruin her belated 60th birthday celebration. Having my mom, my sister, a few of my friends and my boyfriend all come at different points during my time in Paris was such a treat, because I got to explore the city and experience all it had to offer with people I love.
The best part about taking an extended trip, especially to a city like Paris, is not having to squeeze everything you want to see in over the course of just a few days. In the end, my favorite thing to do in Paris was just wander. I would wake up in the morning, pick a coffee shop, park, store or museum to visit—and then walk all around that arrondissement. I learned to love the different offerings on both the Right and the Left banks. I found my preferred benches to sit on along the Seine or in the gardens of the Palais Royal. I would people-watch for hours. I began to be recognized in my favorite bakeries, where I would be greeted with a more enthusiastic Bonjour! or be given an extra pastry or two (in the Parisian bakeries, it seems, loyalty is prized). It was incredible to be able to observe and admire the French ways of life, and watch as spring arrived.
From all my wanderings and observations, I've gathered a shortlist of places I now love to recommend—and can't wait to return to! Discover them below.
Explore the Indagare Guide to Paris, France, recently updated for spring—with expert advice on where to stay, eat, shop and more.
During my time in Paris, I scouted a few of Indagare’s favorite hotels. There's no shortage of special properties in this city, but the Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel stole my heart. I got to sit in on an interview that our founder Melissa Biggs Bradley had with the general manager (keep an eye on the Indagare newsletter for more!), and it was captivating to hear how passionate he was about the hotel. And who doesn’t love the Butterfly Pâtisserie (which celebrates its first anniversary this week), the gilded pool in the spa and the Officine Universelle Buly products? (Also—If you look up at the painted ceiling of the Bar Les Ambassadeurs, you can see that they've added some gray clouds over the blue, to show a more realistic Parisian sky!) I thought every single detail in that hotel was exquisite.
Other hotels I visited and loved included:
You could live in Paris and never have the time to try all the amazing restaurants, old and new, but I sure did try. Reservations are encouraged. These were some of my favorites:
LEFT BANK
RIGHT BANK
Contact your Indagare Trip Designer or Indagare, if you are not yet a member, to start planning a trip to Paris, France. Our team can provide expert travel advice and assist with custom itinerary planning, hotel, restaurant and guide recommendations and more.
Published onApril 3, 2024
We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. At many of them, Indagare members receive special amenities.
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