In the mood for a romantic weekend? Nowhere sets the heart beat pumping like Paris. Here’s how to get your holiday pulse racing.
Getting to Paris has never been easier (or cheaper). The Eurostar rail services from London and the South East are popular for weekend visitors as are scheduled flights which regularly offer cheap tickets for those who prefer to fly direct from UK regional airports.
What to see & do
Get amorous over a gooey gâteau in the Napoleon-era tearoom of the stunning Musée Jacquemart-André 158 Blvd Haussmann. Off the Champs-Elysées, it was the stately home of husband and wife Nélie Jacquemart and Edouard André, who combed Europe for fine art in the 19th century. The collections are lavish and the staircase is the loveliest in Paris: a riot of marble and ironwork.
With names like ‘Carnal Flower’ and ‘French Lover’, the perfumes peddled by Frédéric Malle 37 Rue de Grenelle, are prerequisites for a heady weekend. Stocked up? Stroll the chilly narrow streets of St-Germain-des-Prés to the oldest department store in Paris, Le Bon Marché (24 Rue de Sèvres, 7th; www.lebonmarche.com). On the first floor, the sensuous lingerie department is a must-stop prior to a night of Paris passion.
South of Boulevard St-Germain, kick up leaves on a wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg. Head on past the French Sénat to Spa 28 (inside the Résidence Le Prince Regent hotel, 28 Rue Monsieur Le Prince – duck in for a dip in the warm pool and hammam. You’ll need to split up for that massage with regenerating Damascus rose oil, but you can reunite later over a restorative tea in the relaxation area.
It’s a breezy thrill to hire a 2CV from 4 Roues sous 1 Parapluie www.4roues-sous-1parapluie.com and bowl through Paris like ‘60s movie stars (Bardot, Belmondo). Ultimate trip? Along Rue de Rivoli to Place de la Concorde. Pootle up the manic Champs-Elysées, down Avenue Foch and through the Bois de Boulogne, its wintry lanes lined with witches’-broom woods.
It’s OTT but unmissable: the Musée de l’Erotisme – 72 Blvd de Clichy – in the neon-pink heart of Pigalle – some of those erotic displays certainly stand to attention. On a more rarefied note, there’s The Kiss – that famous stony embrace – in the Musée Rodin (79 Rue de Varenne) In the gardens are picturesque nooks: pop in to re-enact the statue’s amorous pose.
Like the woozy feeling wine induces? Have a tasting session at Rouge Passion 14 Rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. When the lights are low the place feels like the set of a French New Wave film: cue intimate conversations. Up the hill at nearby Montmartre afterwards, watch the city sparkle at your feet.
Somewhere to stay
Set in an old photo studio near Montparnasse is the Atelier 103 (103 Rue de Vaugirard) This apartment is ideal for that ‘I’ve got a plush pad in Paris’ fantasy. Steely stripes and soft beiges enliven the living room. True romance: making your own meal for two in the open-plan kitchen.
