How to surprise your partner in Paris

Are you in love and looking for a way to surprise your partner? Then head to Paris by train!  Let us share a few tips on how to impress your other half. Here are some ideas of ways to have fun while spending time together that are very romantic: a hot-air balloon ride, a night at the movies, a stroll among the flowers, driving through Paris, dancing and eating — as a twosome!

• Heads in the clouds
• Cinema for two
• Sweet nothings
• Drive through Paris in a 2CV
• Eat unusual and exotic food!
• Go dancing together
• A trip on the Seine
• French cancan classes

You can climb into the clouds in a hot air balloon at Parc André-Citroën, or if you have more money and want to go even higher up, you can always take to the air in a helicopter! You’ll have a prime view of the rooftops of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, La Défense, the Longchamp Racecourse, Boulogne and even the Château of Versailles. 

>> Discover 10 places where to declare your love in Paris

Ever since the birth of cinema, couples have loved meeting in dark theatres to sit close to one another while enjoying a film. 

Parisian cinemas take things a step further: at the Salle des Romantiques in the MK2 Bibliothèque, the chair arms can be raised so you can cuddle up together in love seats designed by M. Szekely. The same style can be found in the last two rows of the two large theatres at the Pathé Beaugrenelle.

MK2 bibliothèque (128/162 Avenue de France, 75013)
Pathé Beaugrenelle (7 Rue Linois, 75015)

Take your other half to the charming flower market on the Île de la Cité and offer them a bouquet to show your love: anemones heal sorrow, cornflowers are for the shy, wild roses are for poets, camellias show admiration, irises are for happiness, dahlias are for generosity, jasmine are for dreamers, etc.

Whether you know Paris well or are discovering it for the first time, a ride in a “deudeuch” is an experience in and of itself! Drive along the Parisian cobblestones from the Champs-Élysées to the narrow streets of Montmartre in retro style. 

Open up the roof of the car to take in the view and indulge your fancy by asking the driver to take a few little detours along the way.

Forget the traditional chandeliers and take a trip for two all without leaving Paris! 

Enjoy Thai food at the Blue Elephant, where servers wear traditional clothing amidst a forest of bamboo. Or perhaps you prefer the beach? The Coco de Mer, a restaurant whose tables sit on a fine layer of sand, serves dishes from the Seychelles.

The Blue Elephant: 43 Rue de la Roquette, 75011 Paris
Le Coco de Mer: 34 Boulevards Saint Marcel, 75005 Paris

>>Discover our top 10 of the most gourmet restaurants in Paris!

What could be better than dancing cheek to cheek? Head out to dance the rumba, paso doble, tango, waltz, zouk or rock ’n’ roll! 

A word of advice: start by taking some lessons to be better prepared to enjoy your wild nights in Paris: Samba on Wednesday, salsa on Friday at the Viaduc Café, Latin dancing at the Pachanga, the historic Balajo and more await you.

• Viaduc Café, 43 Av. Daumesnil, 75012 Paris
• La Pachanga, 8 Rue Vandamme, 75014 Paris
• Le Balajo, 9 Rue de Lappe, 75011 Paris

Take your better half on a bateau-mouche for dinner or just for a cruise. It might be a bit cliché, but there’s a reason it’s so popular! For the final touch, you can present your partner with a rose as you cruise down the Seine and take in the illuminated facades of the most beautiful city in the world!

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, you can board an all-glass boat. You will enjoy pleasant background music, attentive service and spectacular views during your delicious meal prepared entirely on board by a chef specialised in French cuisine.

As the dessert course is served, you will pass by the impressive silhouettes of the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Musée d’Orsay.

Several different cruises are available on the Bateaux-Mouches (phone number: +33 (0)1 42 25 96 10) and the Bateaux Parisiens (phone number: +33 (0)1 76 64 14 45).

Ladies, prepare yourselves for something special: walk through the doors of the Paradis Latin where you can learn to dance the French cancan for your partner. Once a month, the cabaret’s cancan dancers teach a class that’s open to the public. So slip into those ruffled skirts and walk onto the famous stage to dance along to the spirited, energetic music we all know so well! 

You will become a queen of the night with your ruffled skirts, carefully timed yells, high kicks and pirouettes. And as your teachers hand over your cancan dancer’s diploma, you will enjoy a Fresh-Cancan cocktail to reward your efforts.