Back to Wonderland with a side of French Fries-New 3/15Mix up culture w/fun

[brookelizabeth]

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

I can't believe this TR is still open. Yeah! No you'll have two going on at once. You go girl!

I KNOW... I couldn't believe it was still open... I was shocked... In a good way though...

So happy you will finish this trip report.
Awaiting the next installment!

Thanks Anita...

Hey Brook...

I promise I'm going to get at least one update up on this this week... I have to grab my stuff from that trip and go through it to shake up the memory a bit...

I have a feeling the rest of this TR will be a bit more like an "Impressionist Painting" than a photograph though... But I hope it will be fun...

Be back very soon... & thanks for reading...

 

[Flossbolna]

Ok, I have finally started to catch up with your current TR and there I find your post about that you want to finish this!! I am so much looking forward to that!

I actually was in Paris twice this year, once in the spring with friends and then again in August for a solo trip (I did a little picture update on my TR about the August trip in case you are interested). I think I need to go back and reread what you had posted about Paris so far.

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Ok, I have finally started to catch up with your current TR and there I find your post about that you want to finish this!! I am so much looking forward to that!

I actually was in Paris twice this year, once in the spring with friends and then again in August for a solo trip (I did a little picture update on my TR about the August trip in case you are interested). I think I need to go back and reread what you had posted about Paris so far.

I'm really glad that you posted this... I know I was supposed to be working on finishing this... and I actually fished out...my box of ephemera from this trip... brochures, ticket stubs, maps and whatnot...

I hope to get moving on it in the next day or two; since it was over 2 years now... It's definitely going to be a different kind of tr... but I do have vivid impressions of things we saw and places we ate...


I want to finish this up during the month... since I'm also trying to plan our Spring Break week in Rome... (we were going to go to Florence too... but Eric and I have been there and we decided for a family of four with one 10 year old... staying in one place will be a little more relaxing (we can go on a couple of day trips)... even though I don't think Rome will be relaxing exactly... more awe inspiring... I've always wanted to see the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum and and the Pantheon...)


So I have definite motivation to finish this soon (ish)...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Ahhh Paris... I love you... and I miss you too...

I last saw you close to three years ago... leaving Philadelphia on Tuesday the 23rd of March (2010) till Wednesday 31st ...

I know David- It's taken Mom this long to finish this... (I guess your off the hook for any procrastination today...

& Finishing this should help me with our Rome itinerary... remembering what worked well for our family and what didn't...

TIP 1.... if you are traveling to Paris or another European City... especially with your family... Definitely consider renting an apartment... most hotels in Europe are smaller and many do not fit a family of 4+...

and yes parts of Paris actually do look like that... minus my hat... lol

(to be continued tonight...)​

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Considering it's been close to three years since our trip to Paris, I can't remember enough daily detail to write the traditional TR or technically PTR in this case...
So I'm going to do this differently and write about our favorite experiences during our vist, our favorite food and places...

A great many people have the travel bug & many Disers actually have that desire fueled when they go to Disney and especially when they see the wonderful pavilions in Epcot... wishing to go to London or Paris or Rome...

Well, a week in any of those places doesn't have to cost anymore than a week in Disney (with the expectation of the one major fixed cost we'll get to)

& I have to believe that Walt was nothing but pro world exploration...so if you have the desire to go to Paris... don't just dream it... find a way to make it happen ... It's simply a stunningly gorgeous place full of so much history, culture and absolutely amazing food...and you'll have life long memories...

In that light I have 6 tips to make things easier, more economical and just more fun... (I'm prettty sure these tips aren't all that original and I've picked them up from years of travel reading and research...

But here are my 7 Tips on Making Your Trip More Affordable and more Enjoyable...
(Whether Traveling With or Without Your Children...)

-rent an apartment
-fly off season
-eat your main meal at lunch when possible
-learn a little bit of the language/read a little bit about the culture
-if you go to art museums with the kids... take them into museum gift store... so they can do a post card hunt... (not always a bad idea for grown ups either...)
-mix the cultural experience up with the simple fun
-home basing from the city and taking several day trips outside



1. Rent an apartment

Hotels in Europe are not the same as hotels in the United States. Americans are used to having pretty large rooms and usually rooms that have two queen size beds in them. This can't be assumed in Paris. Many of the hotels have much smaller rooms and often have a single double bed. (What they lack in size - many make up in scores of charm... I happen to think that many three star French hotels are incredibly atmospheric...)

However while you can undoubtedly find accommodations in a hotel... seriously considering renting an apartment for the week. It is lovely to have a kitchen... You can make your morning coffee and prepare a light breakfast. It's very easy to find yogurt, fruit, milk, juice etc. at a local market. Additionally there are bakeries all over Paris and you're sure to find one close enough to you (with several blocks) to purchase bread & croissants. It also is likely to give you more room to spread out. You can do wash. There are just a myriad of reasons while this is a great option for a family (and even possibly a couple...) Most apartments require a 3-4 night minimum and most give you a discount when you stay a full 7 night...

These are some of the photos of the apartment that we rented for a week in Paris...

It wasn't huge but it was charming and it had plenty of room for our needs... there was a master bedroom for Eric and I and the kids shared a pull out...


Next time: A little bit about airfare... & FOOD

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm so looking forward to your other tips as we are planning a European trip next year to see Germany and DLP!

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

I'm so looking forward to your other tips as we are planning a European trip next year to see Germany and DLP!

Owww... where are you going in Germany??? I was eyeing the ABD itinerary... in Barvaria... DLP was wonderful... we only did a day trip there but it was enough of a taste to know I'd like to go back and stay at least 2-3 days...

We stayed in Paris and took the train to DLP which was really easy to do... We were in Paris for 7 nights... and we went to Versailles for a day and DLP for a day... I haven't been to Germany so I'm not sure about basing out of the cities since a lot that I'd want to see there is in the countryside... but London & Paris are great cities to stay in and be able to take great day trips from... (Eric and I've been to Florence and Venice and we were able to work that out there as well... and well we'll see with Rome later this month...)

I guess it's a bit like going to Disneyland in California and splitting the week up between the 2 parks and then either LA or San Diego...

I'm going to write about food... (specifically in Paris... this after... Unfortunately I have less on saving on airfare... other than flying off season... since fare to Europe is the one thing that really changes the cost of a trip to Europe from the cost of traveling within the US...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Tips 2 & 3

I'm not a travel agent but I do like to do travel research. I think that it is a pretty fair and logical statement to assume that:


2. It is much less expensive to fly to Europe (at least England, France and Italy) off season. The height of the season is the summer... June-August... then you pull back into early fall and /early spring still being more expensive then say late October/November through March. We've found March to work well on the trips we've taken the kids to Europe (London, Paris)... during their Spring breaks... usually falling sometime during the last two weeks of March. It's one of the best times for airfare. Although airfare to Europe is still expensive.

Five years ago, bargain flights could be found for $600 RT to London or Paris... but it looks like those days are no more. If you follow closely British Air, Virgin, Air France & Alitalia all offer discounts but it is pretty unlikely to find anything lower than $800RT....(The US Carriers are pretty similar in price and it can be fun to fly the national airline...the food is usually better and it sets the mood This is by far the greatest expense/ difference in traveling to Europe than vacationing in the US... Food, Lodging, Entertainment can all be found at the same varying price points as in the US...(ie like Disney there will be Value, Moderate and Deluxe Dining and Accommodations.) So if you really have a longing to go to London or Paris or Venice the primary difference you'll be paying for is the difference in flying within the US as opposed to crossing the Atlantic.

3. Think about eating your main meal (especially if you're traveling with kids) at lunch. The French go out to dinner late. The restaurants open for dinner at about 7 with 7:30 more likely. Many people eat at 8 or even 9. Many Americans aren't used to this, especially our children. So you might want to think about eating most of your main meals at Lunch. There are some really good reasons for doing this. Restaurants are a better deal at lunch (12-2:30/3)... you get to try the same restaurant's cuisine, often at half the price. There is generally more mixed, less "romantic" crowd at lunch. My kids have both always been pretty good eaters and I will take them to 85% of the places out there. Still, I find lunch often to be a more comfortable time to take younger children out. Many Places offer a Prix Fixe Menu at lunch...sometimes at dinner too but almost always at lunch. It's usually 3 courses and a very good value. It isn't as much food in France as it might be here because their portions are generally smaller so the whole three courses compliments well. The tap water in France is perfectly safe and palatable as is the house wine... which is usually offered by the glass, half carafe, carafe. Just about all places do offer a wine list that may have glasses and half bottles offered as well as full bottles.

(If you've rented an apartment You can fill your refrigerator with fruit and yogurt (the French have more yogurt than you'll ever see... it's crazy) and milk and purchase coffee. In the morning you can have the fun of purchasing bread and/or croissants and making a great breakfast in your apartment. If not many hotels offer a continental breakfast included in the room rate or for a fee. Often for dinner... we would get crepes (David could live on these) there are street crepe dealers, go to a cafe-which are open more flexible hours than restaurants (kind of what our dinners/ coffee shops are to us) and get some soup or a salad. Another option is to bring in some lovely prepared foods from the gorgeous open markets (farmer's markets) you see in lots of places around the city.


So to mix things up a bit and since I don't remember this trip chronologically, I thought I'd throw in some photos, describe what's happening and overall impressions of the experience...

I remember on our first day, after our flight... we took a Bateau Mouche ... a boat that goes up and down the Seine back and forth... The one we took had a commentary in both French and English... and made about 6 different Stops including Notre Dame & the Musee Orsay... It is a great relaxing thing when you're jet lagged or anytime and as the Seine literally splits the city ... you'd be surprised how many sights you can see from the boats...

We have some serious jet lag here... LOL...

This is basically they kind of things we'd get from the bakery in the morning...

This is a photo of one of the brasseries we ate at... (I have a list of about 8-10 restaurants that we ate in and were all great and worked out well for us... please PM if you'd like)

& a couple of photos of us outside it... it is on the end of the Ile St. Louis... one of the two little islands in the middle of the Seine between the Right and Left Banks...

Here's David looking like a little French urchin...lol...

Me and Ems...

Ems and Eric...

My three Musketeers...

Up next: a little on language and culture...

 

[PracPerfPatricia]

Moving Forward...


4. I'm going to flit over prepping for the culture and language this time and go to tips 5 & 6 ...(I'll come back to 4)

5.If you go to art museums with the kids... take them into museum gift store... so they can do a post card hunt... (not always a bad idea for grown ups either...)
I know somewhere in the past ... I read this somewhere... and I thought it was a great idea ... and it really works! Especially when kids are younger (& even some adults with short attention spans... it's a really fun (& smart idea to go in to the gift shop and select & purchase some post cards of works in the museum that you'd like the children "to find"... this gives them a focus... most kids love "scavenger hunts" and it buys you time to actually look around while you're moving to the next painting or sculpture... as they get older and more into art... there are variations on this... (David has actually come to like modern art and because of his interest in Mythology and Greece and Rome... the classical stuff... we still "play the scavenger" game with some of the other genres but I've upped the amount of things we're looking for... Give it a try... it really helps... and makes museums seem like fun...

6. Mix up the cultural with the simple fun... No one can spend days going from historic, architectural site to site without burning out. As tempting as it may be to have an itinerary where you squeeze in every site of importance... It is recipe for disaster... not to mention some of the things... that are just simply "fun" may be the things were you really get to watch native residents and see what the culture is like... So if you do a museum make sure you go to a park... or if you go to a church... make sure you make time for a candy store or some kind of treat...


(and I've learned a lesson about taking better trip notes as I'm piecing together my memories by photographs...


Some art in the Louvre...

Metro Sign

We went over to the Tuileries which is the huge park on the Right Bank which used to be a part of the Palace of the Louvre... prior to it's days as a museum... we found a trampoline park... that I'm pretty sure would be shut down in the US because of our safety regs... but he loved it...

We also went over to the Palais Royal... these gardens are surrounded by another palace... there are also some offices/shops/restaurants on the bottom floor under the arcades... one side is very modern ... with black and white striped columns while the other side is more traditional...

Can't pick David up like this anymore...

Outside the Centre Pompidou... (the originally controversial modern art museum)

The lovely Place des Vosges...

Next... Covering Day Trips... including Versailles and Disneyland Paris




​

 

[MEK]

I am so happy to see this TR pop up today because I honestly forgot I was subbed to it. I just read your last three updates and they were so interesting. I really learned a lot.

Love the apartment you rented. It really is adorable.

Good tips on airfare and travel planning.

The kids look like they were having a wonderful time on this trip, especially David. He is just too cute!