Sounds kind of crazy! But yes, I am that person. The hubs granted me a bucket wish list for my 40th birthday this year- and I chose Paris & London. Originally we were going to travel alone, but with the in-laws leaving for their own vacation- we had to take them with.
We flew Norwegian Air for the first time roundtrip. Scored killer tickets at a little over $500/person! Booked our hotels and planned for two weeks before our trip. I scoured Pinterest, read blog posts- you name it! I had to make sure our 7 days was jam packed with must-do's!
We arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris. Very easy to navigate the airport and getting into the city. Our biggest mistake- take the metro when you have 2 luggages, 2 hand-carry's, a 6 year old sleepy child and a 3 year old in a stroller. I read taking an Uber or a Taxi from the airport into the city was massively expensive and I didn't want my first use of my travel funds to be transportation! So, we did like the locals do- we took the metro and it was a bi-atch! One hour metro train ride, 3 different stops, numerous stairs- in the rain mind you- we finally got to our hotel! We stayed at the Hotel Mercure Paris Gare Montparnasse which is located in the 14th arrondissement. Thankfully the rainy walk from outside the Metro to the hotel only took literally less than 5 minutes. After dropping our bags in the room, using the bathrooms, we headed right out. I didn't want to miss a moment we were in Paris!
First stop- Eiffel Tower. Although it was freezing cold (even more so if you are coming from California!) and the rain was off/on, we finally made it to the famous Eiffel Tower. Muddy walkways and a now sleeping Madison (our 3 year old), it was definitely one of the most breath taking sites I've ever seen in my life (except for my girls of course)! We walked by the Seine River towards Avenue des Champs d'Elysees. If you are using Google Maps, make sure you have really good coverage! Ours was so spotty that was go redirected so many times. What turned out to be a 20 minute walk, ended up being almost 45 minutes! My hopes was to make it to the Arc De Triomphe, but that didn't happen. We were so hungry and not a lot of Paris shops are open on a Sunday night! We found this quaint Pizza place right on the avenue and then we headed home (Metro Ride from here about 10 minutes). The bed called my name- but I had 2 jet-lagged girls. I guess when in Paris- who needs sleep, right?
-What did we miss on our agenda for the day: Arc de Triomphe
First full day (day 2)- I purchased the Hop On/Hop Off tour before leaving for our trip via TripAdvisor. This allowed us to not only get into the majority of the museums and attractions in Paris, but FREE Metro rides within Paris Central, a hop on/hop off bus tour AND a FREE Bateaux Parisian boat ride! We went to the Louvre- which was beautiful and HUGE and definitely not stroller friendly. I allotted 2-3 hours here. Barely got to see one section. We decided to see what Keira (our 6 year old) really wanted to see and aim for that. I didn't even get to see the Mona Lisa. Maybe a loss? Nah. Getting really hungry from all the walking, I planned on grabbing lunch at the fantastic little restaurant called Bistrot Victoires I had found when researching. They served Duck Confit (which the hubs said was magnificent) and I shared a roasted chicken dish with the girls (super good!) Both dishes were excellent, amount was good and the pricing was excellent! Definitely visit again if I ever go back! After lunch, we got back onto the bus tour and made our way to Notre Dame Cathedral. I envisioned Quasi hanging on the rooftops as we waited to make our way inside. Across the street from the cathedral are cute little souvenir shops, restaurants and a cute little bookstore called Shakespeare and Company. Obviously I had to go in as this is one of the places I also researched. I imagined leather bound, first edition books. Yeah- no. It's a regular bookstore. Great selection but honestly, I could have found it cheaper on Amazon. Last stop on our first official day in Paris? Arc De Triomphe. The goal was to make it to the top since we didn't at the Eiffel. That meant climbing 284 steps! For someone that has not worked out in a very long time and endurance levels at almost zero? LIFT BABY! Thankfully the hubs was wearing Madison and she had asked if we needed the lift- I quickly agreed! The view was magnificent! The city lights and the view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower to your right was spectacular. Got some great videos and photos of us 3 (Madison became nocturnal!) We finally walked down the Avenue and I was able to do some shopping (found my Eiffel Tower destination bag at Longchamp!) and grab our first box of Pierre Herme macarons! Took the Metro back to the hotel with a quick stop to the Monoprix (a hundred euros later) for some random items. Successful day!
-What we missed on our agenda for the day: Sacre Coure, Saint Chapelle, Ponts de Arts
Last full day in Paris (day 3)- One thing I love about the hubs, he knows me so well! He found one of THE BEST outlets in Paris, La Vallee Village Outlet. 1 hour train ride from our hotel, right near Disneyland. Although we were going to be at the Park on Friday, the outlets close at 7pm and I didn't want to chance not being able to make it in time! I would say one of the best outlets hands down. I could have a sign on my forehead that said TAKE MY MONEY NOW! Prada, Burberry, Longchamp did not disappoint. After a quick detour from taking the wrong train, it was fairly easy to get to. Right when you get out of the Metro, you walk through this HUGE mall and at the very end is the outside outlet mall. Of course, Keira had to stop into Claire's to get something for herself. Madison, again, was nocturnal. We spent half the morning here and made our way back to the hotel to drop off the goods. The rest of the time we spent walking along the Eiffel Tower and because Madison was awake (YAY!), girls got to ride on the carousel that overlooked the Eiffel Tower. It was pretty magical. We walked along the Seine River to our one hour boat tour. The city is beautiful in the evening with all the lights. Girls got to sit on top outside for a few minutes but it was so windy and cold, we stayed at the bottom most of the time. After the boat tour, it was getting so late, rain was coming down, so we grabbed dinner and headed back to the hotel to get ready for our train ride into London.
NOTE- When shopping, take your passport or at least have a picture of it ready. The shops need this to issue you a VAT TAX refund form.
Part II- Euro Star and London - Read it here!
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