Have you ever traveled to another country without planning an itinerary before arriving? No? Same here! I always make an itinerary or at least a rough outline of the places I want to visit when I go traveling. That way, when I arrive, I’m not left standing around clueless.
But this post is different because this was my first time traveling to a country without an itinerary! Here’s how it happened: My Europe trip started in London, continued to Belgium, then Amsterdam, and ended in Paris. I planned to meet up with two friends, Niar and Maria, who were also traveling around Europe.
Before the trip, I asked Niar to handle the Paris itinerary since I was busy preparing the plans for London, Belgium, and Amsterdam (making itineraries is time-consuming and exhausting!). So, for the three days in Paris, I had no idea what we’d do. I left it all to her.
ARRIVAL IN PARIS AND HEADING TO THE HOSTELI traveled to Paris by night bus with Ouibus, costing 22 Euros from Amsterdam. I also used this bus service when traveling from London to Brussels. The trip started at 11:00 PM from Amsterdam Sloterdijk station and arrived at Bercy station in Paris at 6:00 AM.
After a 7-hour bus ride, Bonjour Paris! But I didn’t feel the “Paris atmosphere” just yet—maybe because I was still groggy and disoriented. I immediately started searching for the metro line to reach the hostel. I wandered around looking confused because all the signs were in French, only to find out I was in an intercity train station. I was eventually directed to the metro station across the street.
I took the metro to Colonel Fabien station, and from there, it was just a 100-meter walk to Generator Hostel. Since I arrived early, I had to wait until 11:00 AM for my friends.
GALERIES LAFAYETTE
When we finally gathered and were ready to explore, it turned out Niar hadn’t actually made the itinerary yet. So, we looked at the map and picked places close by to save time. Maria, who had offline maps on her iPhone, led the way.
Of course, the first stop was a mall—Galeries Lafayette, Paris! I was curious to see what it was like compared to Pacific Place back home. Galeries Lafayette in Paris is like a bustling department store, especially with the summer sales. We also did some souvenir shopping and helped Niar buy a suitcase since she didn’t bring one from Jakarta.
JARDIN DES TUILERIES
Next, we walked to Jardin des Tuileries, a large and famous garden near the Louvre. According to Maria, it was only 2 kilometers away, but it felt much farther—especially with Niar dragging her new suitcase! Along the way, we admired Paris’s beautiful architecture.
Upon arriving, we relaxed in the garden, joining the locals enjoying the summer sun. Unlike them, though, we sought shade under a tree!
LOUVRE MUSEUM
After resting a bit, we headed to the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is an iconic museum and the largest in the world, famous for housing the Mona Lisa. We spent about two hours there, taking pictures and soaking in the atmosphere. Since it was late, the museum wasn’t too crowded, and we got some great shots.
EIFFEL TOWER
Finally, we saved the best for last—the Eiffel Tower! Maria convinced us to walk another 2 kilometers from the Louvre to the tower. But walking in Paris is enjoyable; you get to observe the locals and take in the city’s layout.
Arriving at the Eiffel Tower felt surreal, like seeing a scene from a movie come to life. The area was packed with tourists, and security was tight due to the Euro Cup. We learned that taking photos of the tower is better from a distance to capture its full beauty. As night fell, we watched the Eiffel sparkle with its twinkling lights, a mesmerizing sight.
Though we didn’t go up the tower due to budget constraints, it was magical just being there. We wrapped up the day by returning to our hostel, exhausted but content.
This experience taught me that sometimes traveling without an itinerary can be refreshing. No expectations, no disappointments—just pure enjoyment of the moment. And for anyone planning to visit the Eiffel, it’s worth booking a spot at one of the restaurants there for an unforgettable experience. Just make sure to reserve ahead!