Paris in May: What I Loved & What Surprised Me

We spent five nights in Paris, staying at the Paris Marriott Opera Ambassador on Boulevard Haussmann. I arrived expecting spring weather, beautiful architecture, good food, and the usual Paris landmarks. I got all of that—but some of my favorite memories came from the things I didn’t expect at all.

The tiny coffees. The even tinier hotel elevator. A surprisingly rare duck by the Seine. A Louvre visit I thought I wouldn’t care much about. A blue Longchamp travel bag covered in macarons that I’m still glad I bought.

And a lot of rain.

Let’s start with the weather,

because this genuinely surprised me.

Late May sounded like it should mean comfortable spring weather. During our visit, however, short spells of rain kept coming and going. It wasn’t necessarily an all-day downpour; Paris would give us a break and then the rain would return.

It was also cold enough that I wore a puffer jacket and a cashmere scarf.

Naturally, the weather finally started looking better around the time we were leaving.

The Eiffel Tower — And Going Back After Dark

Of course we went to the Eiffel Tower. Some landmarks are famous enough that you wonder whether the real thing can possibly live up to the image you’ve seen thousands of times.

For me, it was still worth seeing—and we went back at night.

There was immediately a very Paris feeling: standing there while it started to rain.

On a practical note, I appreciated how easy it was to get around using Uber in Paris. It made getting back after a long day of walking much easier.

Then came the part I really wanted to see: the Eiffel Tower at night.

Once the lights came on, it felt completely different. We went back after dark, and seeing the tower glowing against the night sky was absolutely worth the second trip.

The Louvre Was My Biggest Surprise

I’m not really a museum person, so I honestly didn’t expect the Louvre to be one of my favorite parts of Paris.

We booked a private guide separately, and that completely changed the experience. Instead of wandering through an enormous museum trying to figure out what we were looking at, we had someone explain the stories behind the art and guide us through the highlights.

Of course, the Mona Lisa was incredibly crowded. But the Louvre itself surprised me far more than I expected.

If you’re visiting Paris and museums normally aren’t your thing, I’d still make time for the Louvre—and for me, having a guide was absolutely worth it.

A Rainy Sunday Market—and One of Our Best Meals

One Sunday, with a light rain falling, we wandered through a traditional neighborhood market that stretched for a few blocks.

It wasn’t especially crowded that day. Local families were doing their weekend shopping, stopping for fruit and meat, while bakeries displayed breads and pastries outside. It felt less like a tourist attraction and more like catching a glimpse of everyday Paris.

We ended up at a small Italian restaurant right along the market street. The restaurant itself was small, but the service and dining room felt surprisingly formal. Around us were local families having lunch with their children—which is usually a good sign.

We ordered pasta and a simple Margherita pizza, and both were excellent.

It wasn’t a famous Paris landmark or something we had carefully planned. It was just a rainy Sunday, a neighborhood market, and a really good lunch.

Those unplanned moments ended up being some of my favorites in Paris.

Duck by the Seine—Much Rarer Than I Expected

One evening near the Eiffel Tower, we stopped for dinner by the Seine and I ordered duck.

When it arrived, I had a moment of surprise—it was much rarer than I expected. I know duck is often served pink in France, but this was definitely beyond what I was used to.

Still, sitting near the river with the Eiffel Tower nearby made the whole dinner memorable. Sometimes a meal stays with you not because everything was exactly what you expected, but because of where you were when you ate it.

Paris gave me quite a few of those moments.

The Sandwich Everyone Was Lining Up For

We came across this tiny sandwich spot with a line stretching outside, so naturally, we had to see what everyone was waiting for.

The place was small and busy, with people ordering sandwiches and eating them right outside. We waited quite a while for ours—but this was one of those times when the line made the whole experience part of the fun.

The sandwich was simple, hearty, and very Paris: good bread, plenty of filling, and no unnecessary fuss.

Would I stand in a long line for it every day? Probably not. But on a trip to Paris, standing on the sidewalk with a freshly made sandwich in hand felt exactly right.

Sometimes the best meals come without a reservation.

Galeries Lafayette, Markets & a Little Paris Shopping

Paris has a way of turning a simple day of wandering into eating, browsing, and somehow… shopping.

We stopped by Galeries Lafayette, where the building itself is worth a visit. The beautiful glass dome, the food halls, the pastries, bread, cheese and charcuterie — there was plenty to look at even without buying anything.

Then came Longchamp. I had been seeing the bags everywhere in Paris, so of course I had to take a look. I ended up buying three, including this large blue Paris bag with macarons on it. Definitely not something I had planned to bring home, but it became one of my favorite souvenirs from the trip.

Between the department stores and the neighborhood markets, I loved seeing how food and everyday life are such a natural part of Paris.

I didn’t come to Paris with much of a shopping list. Paris apparently had other plans. 😄

Arc de Triomphe & the Champs-Élysées

The Arc de Triomphe was one of those Paris landmarks I had seen countless times in photos, but standing in front of it was completely different.

We walked along the Champs-Élysées and took our time exploring the area. The traffic circling the monument was almost as memorable as the monument itself — very Paris, and definitely not somewhere I’d want to drive!

It was busy, grand, and unmistakably Paris. Sometimes you don’t need a complicated plan. Just walking, looking around, and taking it all in is enough.

Montmartre: The Paris I Wanted to Wander

Montmartre felt completely different from the grand boulevards and famous monuments we had seen elsewhere in Paris.

We walked up toward Sacré-Cœur, wandered through the small streets, watched artists at work, and stopped at the Wall of Love — “I love you” written in hundreds of languages.

It was crowded in places, a little chaotic, and full of life. But that was part of what made it fun.

And then there was the view. From up here, Paris seemed to stretch forever.

This was one of those places where the best thing to do was simply walk without rushing and see where the streets took us.

A Quick Stop at Merci

Merci was one of those places I had saved before the trip, so I wanted to stop by while we were in the neighborhood.

The little red car outside is hard to miss, and inside felt like a mix of fashion, home goods, books, and Parisian design all in one place. We also took a short break in the book-lined café — a nice escape from another rainy Paris afternoon.

It wasn’t about buying a lot. I just enjoyed looking around, having a coffee, and experiencing a slightly different side of Paris.

Sometimes the small stops between the major sights are the ones that make a trip feel more personal.

Paris After 50: What I’d Do Differently Next Time

Paris reminded me that the best trips don’t always go according to plan.

We had rain, colder weather than I expected for late May, long lines, crowded attractions, and a few meals that didn’t quite live up to the hype. But we also had wonderful food, beautiful walks, unexpected discoveries, and moments I’ll remember far longer than the inconveniences.

If I went back, I’d pack for changing weather, wear comfortable shoes every single day, and leave even more room in the schedule for simply wandering. Uber made getting around surprisingly easy when we were tired, and booking a private guide for the Louvre turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip.

I’d also worry less about checking everything off a list. Some of my favorite memories came from places I hadn’t planned at all — a neighborhood market on a rainy Sunday, a little restaurant filled with local families, a coffee break, or simply watching Paris go by.

Paris wasn’t perfect.

That may be exactly why I loved it.

And yes, I’d go back.

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