You probably already went to Paris, you might have seen the Eiffel Tower, the beautiful cobblestones streets, the Seine and you might have experienced the French cuisine. But what is a day in the life of a Parisian really like? How does it feel to live in Paris?
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world (if not the one). But living in Paris can be a stressful and hectic life for its more than two million inhabitants. And as a tourist, you probably don’t know some of the details of day to day life in Paris 🙂
I recently moved back to Paris after living in London for 3 years. And even if I’m not originally from Paris, I’m used to the Parisian life. I’m living now on the Île Saint-Louis which is one of two islands in the Seine River. I love this neighborhood! The Île Saint-Louis is ideally located within the 4th arrondissement of Paris, between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Le Marais.
What Is A Typical Day In The Life Of A Parisian Like?
I’m so happy to be back in Paris! Now I can go back to my old habits and live my Parisian life again. And today, I want to share with you more of my “Parisian everyday life”. I’m going to talk about everything from Parisian transportation, my favorites shops, and my Parisian habits, to give you an idea of how daily life goes in Paris. So here is a brief description of the day in the life of a Parisian!
Morning
7:00 am: Even if I’m not a morning person, I prefer to wake up earlier to enjoy time by myself before going to work. I usually wake up to this view every morning (lucky me). From the window, I can see the Seine River, the Pont de la Tournelle, and the one Michelin star restaurant La Tour d’Argent. What a nice way to start a day!
07:30 am: It’s coffee time! Like many of the French people, I cannot live without coffee. My favorite coffee is made with an Italian Moka pot and is usually black, no milk, and no sugar. During weekdays, breakfast is simple and fast: it’s either bread with butter or oatmeal, fruits, and soy yogurt. During the weekend I love to cook blueberries pancakes or banana bread for breakfast. If I’m too lazy, I love to go to the boulangerie Le Boulanger de la Tour to get croissants and pains au chocolat.
08:15 am: It’s time to go to work! Every day, I’m walking by the Seine River, on the Pont Marie to go to the nearest tube station located in the Marais. I usually take the line 1 up to the Champs-Élysées. Even if the tube in Paris is always very busy (especially during peak hours), it’s the fastest and the most efficient way of transportation.
Afternoon
12:30 pm: It’s lunchtime! I usually prefer to eat lunch at my desk, or just to take 30 minutes of lunch break with my colleagues. I do not like to eat too much, that’s why I usually get a salad at Mongoo, or at Label Ferme. Sometimes I like to have a plat du jour to take away at Albert, or at Cuisine de Rue. On Fridays, with my colleagues, we prefer to go to the restaurant altogether.
6:15 pm: It’s usually the end of my day. In Paris (and maybe in France), we usually work quite late and I’m often the first one to leave the office. Even if I’m very busy and I have a lot of work to do, I always force myself to leave the office before 6:30 pm. It’s super important for me to have time after work to do something I enjoy like going to the cinema, restaurant, or having a drink with friends. The importance of having a good work-life balance is something that I learned in London, where I used to finish work at 5:30 pm.
Evening
7:00 pm: I’m back on the Ile Saint Louis. Because I live on an island, I always have to cross at least one bridge to get anywhere in Paris. When I get back home, I love to cross the bridge Pont Marie and to admire the beautiful view. Before going home, I usually go to the boulangerie to get a baguette (still warm from the oven). And sometimes, I go to the local butcher, to the supermarket or to the organic greengrocer to get fresh foods.
8:00 pm: Every night, I love to cook dinner with the food that I just bought earlier. I usually cook mixed salads, fried vegetables or soups with bread and cheese. During spring-summer seasons, I love to have a drink with friends on a café terrace and to have a picnic for dinner along the Seine on the Quai d’Orléans or Quai de la Tournelle.
11:00 pm: My ritual before going to bed is to light a Diptyque candle while reading a book, or watching some Youtube videos or writing a new blog post. I usually fall asleep very fast every night 🙂
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