Birthday celebrations in Paris

I love Paris – I love it so much that I left home at 18, took a flight (no Eurostar in those days!) and lived there for a year with a family I’d never met before! I returned in my twenties and spent another three years working and living there. In my opinion it’s just the perfect destination for a long weekend celebration so if you’re planning to do something special for a ‘big’ birthday, consider Paris!

Why do I love it so much? Well, it’s not just the architecture (although it is beautiful), it’s the unique way of life. France is our nearest continental neighbour geographically but we are just poles apart when it comes to culture and lifestyle.

One of the best things is that the city feels much smaller than most capital cities in terms of seeing the sights and there are so many things to enjoy while you make your way round: concierges sweeping their doorsteps in the morning with bleachy water, men standing at the zinc bars of cafés and brasseries either with an espresso or a beer in hand depending on the mood, the lively street markets with the smell of all that delicious cheese! Then, look up and see the Eiffel Tower towering over you!

I like to do a mixture of things when I'm away, mixing in a bit of luxury and a bit of the every day, so my perfect itinerary would start at Pigalle where you board the No.30 bus and head in the direction of Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou. Jump off at Trocadero and buy a macaron at the café Carette (my French boss used to say they were the best macarons in Paris), to get a view of the Eiffel Tower from the opposite side of the Seine or get off at the Tour Eiffel stop itself. On the way you get to tackle the crazy roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe safe in the knowledge that you’ll survive the traffic!

At the Eiffel Tower stop and lunch at the decadent Jules Verne restaurant on the second floor (it has its own lift with concierge!) then jump (or roll!) onto one of the sightseeing boats which are moored on the jetty next to the Pont d’Iéna to see the city from the water. It’s such a great perspective. Then, in the evening take a cab to the edgy Oberkampf District and visit Cafe Charbon (109 Rue Oberkampf) established in 1863 and with decor to match. The cafe is straight out of the Edith Piaf epoch and packed with young locals. They serve great food and cocktails at reasonable prices from 8am to 2am every day of the week (happy hour 4.30-8pm).

As I said that would be my perfect itinerary for a day in Paris, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea! If you need help planning a trip to suit your preferences I’d love to put my first-hand experience to use so you get the perfect celebration! We travelled to Paris on Eurostar and stayed at the enigmatic, luxury Saint James Paris hotel – the city’s very only château!