A College Girl's Ultimate Guide To Visiting Paris In Less Than 24 Hours
Some sights are worth seeing, while others you can 100 percent skip.
Paris is a city of love, filth, and architecture, but smaller things make this city worthy of its reputation.
The tour of Paris begins in the back, industrial side of the city, where not many people populate the area. It takes about half an hour to walk from the bus station to the only attraction that matters, the Eiffel Tower.
On the way, you know you've entered the city when little cafes and selling tables appear on the sidewalk.
The green carts along the walk are full of tourist trap items, some books, movies, magazines, art, etc.
When you hear a police whistle, you also hear the scattering of feet away from the stands because selling items on the street is technically solicitation in Paris.
Just a little further, you'll encounter a bridge that crosses Paris' famous river.
On the corner, signs are arrows and point in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Catacombs and more.
The closest one is the Cathederal de Notre Dame, so you cross the bridge and see the greenery oozing over the riverside walls.
Before the fire, Notre Dame could be seen from a mile away, and the beauty was astonishing.
You pass the side of the cathedral once you crossed the bridge, then you make your way to the courtyard where too many people to count are lined up at the front doors.
If you ignore the line, you can spot some innocence in the crowd. While everyone is taking posed photos in front of the two towers, or admiring the courtyard statues, the majority of people are ignoring the little children playing with flocks of crows, having the time of their lives as they throw bread behind them and laugh hysterically as the crows chase them around.
Don't stand in the line or you'll miss your day in the famous city, so continue walking, find a bakery and enjoy the tour.
Signs keep pointing to the Eiffel Tower, but no directions are needed as you can see it throughout the city and follow in its direction.
On the way, wander into the Luxembourg Gardens where palace, art, and culture fill your mind.
The yellow palace centers the property with a large fountain in its front where hundreds of people surround to watch the many boats float along, rooting for the boat that has their country.
Innocent children enjoy the views, but then some are enjoying their pony rides throughout the property as an instructor attempts to teach a group of children under 10 how to ride a horse.
When you remember what your main goal is, find the tower in your sights and keep marching.
When you get to where the apartment buildings take over the sky, you know you are lost because the tower is out of sight.
Squirm through the brick streets until you see it again, then follow it past the solid gold palace, past the bakeries that bring you in with their smells and past the statues and churches that bring so much knowledge to the city.
The green lawn is there, the open-air surrounds you as you turn your head and see the bronze-colored metal soaring high to its point. You've made it. You can now enjoy the close-up view in the soft grass, or you can find the entrance to ascend the tower to the top and overlook the city, for five euros.
On the other side of the tower is the theater and museums where bullhead statues fountain out water that provides a movie-like sight for everyone behind.
Grab a pastry, a coffee, sit back and watch the fireworks explode around the tower into the night.
