Girls’ Trip to a Parisian Paradise—Shopping!!!

by Teri E. Popp & Laura Chin, Tastemaker in Residence

We decided to celebrate a substantial birthday for one of our favorite birthday ladies by indulging in her favorite daytime activity—Shopping!! And what better place to shop than her favorite city—Paris, the City of Lights!!

We had an ambitious travel schedule to accommodate our birthday girl’s shopping appetite, but to also take some time to enjoy and appreciate the culture and beauty of Paris and surrounding environs. Our detailed itinerary, which we kept to as much as possible, included:

Day One-Sept. 4 (Tuesday): Travel day = *Depart Minneapolis 4:23 pm on DL 140

Day Two-Sept. 5 (Wednesday): Birthday Celebration!
*Arrive 7:30 am at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
*Ca. 9:30 am Taxi to apartment drop off luggage at apartment
*Lunch ca. Noon-1:30 pm either at Musée Jacquemart or in vicinity
*Tour Musée Jacquemart from 1:30-2:30 (open 10:30 am to 6 pm)
*Shop Printemps, 64 Haussmann AND Place de Madeleine from 2:30-4:00 pm
*Return to apartment to freshen ca. 4:00 pm
*Walk the Champs Élysée ca. 5:00 to 7:15 pm
*Dinner in or near Champs Élysée 7:30 pm (**Marius et Jeanette at Georg V-confirmed reservations for 4)

Day Three-Sept. 6 (Thursday):
*Breakfast 9:00 am near apartment
*Taxi to Musée de l’Orangerie
*Tour Musée de l’Orangerie 10:00-11:00
*Lunch near pick up for tour 11:30-12:30 pm
*Walk to 2 Rue de Le Pyramides, Paris City Vision near Louvre for pick up for Giverny tour
*Pick up 12:45 pm for Private Giverny Tour—
*Tour 1:15-6:00 pm
*Dinner 7:30 pm near Louvre (**Le Fumoir 6 Rue de La’admiral de Coligny 40E Prix Fixe w/o drink—reservation confirmed for 4)
*Walk to cocktails at Ritz Bar Hemingway, 15 Place Vendome—turned out to be too busy to get into the bar!
*Taxi to apartment whenever!!

Day Four-Sept. 7 (Friday):
*Breakfast 9:00 am near apartment
*Hop On/Hop Off (HOHO) Bus 10:00 am at Stop 9 Champs Élysée
*Exit HOHO ca 11:00 am at Stop 5 Louvre-Pont des Arts
*Walk to Les Halles arriving ca. 11:15 am
*Shop and lunch Les Halles 11:15 am-3:00 pm
*Walk to Marais neighborhood 3:00-3:20 pm
*Shop and dinner Marais area 3:00-7:15 pm (Bethillon Ice Cream stop during time in Marais)
* Dinner at 7:30 pm at Les Chouettes 32 Rue de Picardie, confirmed reservation for 4
*Taxi to apartment whenever!!!

Day Five-Sept. 8 (Saturday):
*Breakfast 8:00 am near apartment
*HOHO Bus Red Line 9:30 am start at Stop 8 at Arc de Triomphe
*Transfer HOHO at Stop 3 Galleries Lafayette Blue Line ca. 10:15 am
*Exit HOHO Stop 11 Gare du Nord and walk to Sacre Coeur arriving 10:45 am
*Tour Sacre Coeur 10:45 to noon
*Take taxi to Marche aux Puces at noon/taxi to Ma Coquette
*Lunch at noon-1:30 pm at Ma Coquette, 106 Rue de Rosiers
*Shop 1:30-5:00 pm at Marche aux Puces (including Serpette for jewelry)
*Take taxi to Galleries Lafayette ca. 5:00 pm
*Shop Galleries Lafayette 5:00-8:00 pm
*Dinner 8:00 pm in or near Galleries Lafayette
*Taxi to apartment where ever!!

Day Six-Sept. 9: Travel day
*Taxi to airport 6:30 am
*Arrive airport 7:15 am
*Depart CDG 10:15 am 

We loved our Parisian getaway, and our birthday girl enjoyed the time of her life!!!