Traveling is such a fun idea, right? Traveling the world gives you the opportunity to experience new cultures and try new foods. But traveling also costs a lot of money, right? Wrong! With lots of planning, research, and budgeting you too can travel the world and experience other cultures.
Recently Chris and I went to Paris! I've been talking about traveling to Europe for a long time. It wasn't easy convincing my hubby to literally get on board with my Paris dreams. He had several concerns like, "we don't speak French" and "what if we get kidnapped like those girls in Taken" but the biggest one was "we have no moolah." Solid arguments, right? Actually, no. After doing some googling I found cheap flights to Paris over spring break that were just a bit more than what a trip to Utah usually costs. I bullied Chris for a solid month until one night after he was extra worn out from a work I made my move. Finally, he gave in and I booked our tickets.
I'm going to be doing a series of blog posts about how we made this trip happen for well under 2K including flights, accomidations, activities, and of course the most important... food. I will also include tips on how to get the best bang for your buck.
Prepping for Paris
Before we left for Paris we did our research. I had never been to Europe and wasn't sure what to expect. Chris and I reached out to several friends who had been to Paris before for advice. One of our friends even hosted a crepe night with our French neighbors from church who we found out just happen to live in our building. They were super helpful and gave us all the ins and outs of Paris. We also used the web to research places we wanted to visit, what to eat and how to get around which included, of course, how much everything would cost. We created a budget for everything. I predetermined which meals we would save on and which ones we could splurge somewhere fancy. Because, if you're a foodie like me, the only way to really experience Paris is to eat it. To save on accommodations we got an Air bnb in the cutest area of the second arr. It was 60$ a night for five nights. It's location was perfect, though the seven flights of stairs proved challenging, the mini tub flooded every time we drained it, and the doorless bathroom became less charming the longer we stayed there lol. But despite it's little quirks and compact size we loved it, it's price, and that it was on the cutest bricked street in the heart of Paris.
Tip 1 Research is key, if you don't do the HW you will run into unexpected costs
Tip 2 Book everything way in advanced (like 4-6 months) to get better prices for flights and better locations for air bnb.
Paris
The day came and we were so excited to jet off to belle Paris. When we arrived at the airport we were hit with our first bump in the road. We flew Norwegian and they have a weight limit of 22 pounds! Who knew? So we were unfortunately hit with a 65$ unexpected checked bag expense. We didn't let that affect our spirits though. Besides that, Norwegian was a fantastic airline. The flight was easy and the plane was so nice and spacious with an awesome touch screen monitor with movies and tv shows that surprisingly didn't cost extra. We saw "Wonder"(super good BTW). We left from NYC at 11:30 pm landed in Paris at 11:30 am. Didn't sleep a wink but felt great the next day. The flight was about seven hours with a five hour time difference. Once on the ground it was easy to purchase our train tickets from the kiosk(it "spoke" English) and navigated our way to our Air bnb in about an hour. My T-mobile phone worked like a dream in Paris. I used the internet to google map our way through the city. Tickets from the airport to downtown cost 10 euros a person and the train will take you straight there. Getting around was such a dream. I don't speak a lick of French but everything was clearly marked and easy to navigate. The train connects seamlessly with the subway, I felt NYC has some catching up to do when it comes to public transportation. We popped up out of the Halles station(which is actually a pretty cool underground mall) and rolled our luggage a few blocks to our Air BnB. Those first moments as we went I was in awe of the beauty of the city. The architecture was stunning, literally everything was so charming. Everywhere you turned there were bakery's and restaurants and picturesque flower shops with giant canopies. There were the cutest cafes with large outdoor seating areas. It was like walking onto a giant movie set.
We figured the best way to see all the sights we wanted to see in the most economical way was to buy a Museum Pass. We got the two day pass that cost 49 euros a person and it gets you into most major sights. The only sight it doesn't work for is the Eiffel Tower. Museum pass was the best idea ever, we got to skip long lines at the Louver(which was awesome because it was raining/snowing on the people in the long outdoor line) and go straight into the museum. You can buy the pass online or at any tourism center near any major sight in Paris. We bought ours at a tourism building near Versailles. It was supper easy to find.
We also decided to visit Disneyland Paris as well on this trip. During the off peak season tickets are very cheap. We got the two park hopper tickets for 72$ each. Pro tip: Buy the tickets online before you get there. It's cheaper than buying them at the park. I have a separate post coming soon all about Disneyland Paris and the do's and don'ts.
The best part of Paris was the food. Shocking right? Have you ever heard of the French paradox? It's a real thing! We ate, amongst other things, the best French bread and butter I've ever had. The French have really mastered the art of baking and eating really good/rich, yet wholesome foods... often outside... for hours at night as they chat quietly with friends. One French guy asked us if, in America, we really eat dinner at 6 pm. We said "yeah of course" and he replied sincerely, "What do you do with the rest of your night?" That is Paris. The restaurants are all empty with tables set and candles lit at 7 pm, but no people. But by nine, every seat is taken and everyone is there simply enjoying each other and the food, every night. Simple things. Then they go home to sleep and the next morning wake up to air that literally smells of sweet croissants and pastries(even seven flights up). This is the place to go for a foodie. I also have a seperate post all about the food and the places we ate and how to save money.
Must Do's In Paris
If you want to have the best view of Paris its at the top of Socra-cour cathedral. After you climb about a million stairs to get to the top you have a stunning 360 view of Paris. It's beautiful to see the historic city at such a spectacular vantage point. Thats why this is the top thing on my list to-do's in Paris. The town behind Socra-cour is also adorable, so many cute shops and restaurants.
Another must do on the list is the gardens at the palace of Versailles. They are huge! So many different places to explore. If you go out by Marie Antoinette's house there is an adorable pasture of sheep. Its the perfect picture of French country side.
My next blog post is dedicated to food!!! Where to go and how to save money.
If you have any question or want to know things in more detail reach out to me through social media.
Avec Amour
Another must do on the list is the gardens at the palace of Versailles. They are huge! So many different places to explore. If you go out by Marie Antoinette's house there is an adorable pasture of sheep. Its the perfect picture of French country side.
My next blog post is dedicated to food!!! Where to go and how to save money.
If you have any question or want to know things in more detail reach out to me through social media.
Avec Amour
XO-Meg
