Planning for Paris

My mom always wanted to go to Paris. I’ve heard her say this numerous times over the years. But it never seemed to happen.

She did make it to Europe once, when chaperoning my Junior High trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the late 80’s. It was an amazing trip, and she greatly appreciated the opportunity. But it wasn’t Paris.

I’m not exactly sure why she never made it a priority to get to Paris.  Maybe she was too busy. Maybe my parents had other U.S. travel they enjoyed instead. Maybe it was too expensive. Maybe it was her dream…but she didn’t know how to make it her reality.

I got to visit Paris in 2016, and I’ll admit I felt a little guilty that I was there and my mom had never made it. I posted lots of pictures on Facebook and even called her from the Eiffel Tour so she could at least live vicariously through me. But I knew that just wasn’t enough.

I decided my mom must get to Paris, and I was going to make it happen.

On her 70th birthday, while celebrating at Olive Garden, we gave her a decorative Paris-themed box. Inside was a sample itinerary to Paris for 4. It took her a few minutes to realize exactly what it was and then several more minutes to gain her composure.

I was starting to think Olive Garden hadn’t been the right place to present this gift! And I was a bit concerned that maybe she didn’t really want to go. But eventually she was able to express her surprise and excitement.

She was finally going to Paris!

We would travel during my daughters’ spring break, so we had almost 9 months to plan. Three generations (my mom, my 2 daughters and I) would take an epic trip to the City of Light.

Because I had been to Paris two years earlier, I felt confident taking the reigns on this trip. These are the steps I took to plan our trip and some travel resources I found extremely valuable.

Gathering Input

We would have 5 days in Paris and wanted to make the most of our time. Yet with teens and a senior citizen, I didn’t want our days to be too full to ensure everyone had fun and could also keep up. We each came up with our Paris Bucket List, noting the attractions we wanted to see, food we wanted to eat, and activities we wanted to do.

Some of our Paris Bucket List items included:

• Going up in the Eiffel Tour
• Seeing the Notre Dame Cathedral
• Visiting the Louvre
• Strolling through Painter’s Square in Montemarte
• Eating at Sidewalk Cafes
• Trying Macarons and French Crepes
• Going to the Opera Garnier
• Checking out the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
• Seeing the Arc De Triomphe
• Walking along the Champs-Elysees

The four of us got together a couple times to compare our bucket lists, learn some key french phrases, and study the map of Paris. These sessions helped us all get excited about our trip and informed about our destination.

Scheduling Flights and Lodging

My favorite resource to use when booking European travel is EuropeanDestinations.com. We have used this service for three European trips so far and have found it easy to use and very affordable. Check out my post on Resources that Put Europe Within Reach for details on how to use this website to create your very own European trip.

By creating the sample itinerary we presented to my mom on her birthday, we already had an idea of our travel dates and the costs.  After confirming that my mom did in fact want to take this epic trip and discussing our travel needs, we were ready to book our trip.

We utilized EuropeanDestinations.com to schedule our flights to and from Paris and our hotel accommodations, and later for some excursions.  I was easily able to adjust the flight times to meet our needs and confirmed that the hotel selected was in an optimal location.

We would stay in the Hotel Opera Cadet in the 9th arrondissement. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, or districts, each with its own distinct style and appeal.

Our flight to Paris would require a short layover in Atlanta. The return trip would include layovers in both Amsterdam and Detroit. While the two layovers were not ideal, we found that the price for our travel date was significantly less with two layovers. A few months after our trip, Indianapolis started offering nonstop flights to Paris! Looking forward to taking advantage of that next time!

After checking the website on a regular basis, I took note of price fluctuations. When I felt comfortable that we were getting the best deal possible, I booked the trip.

At booking, we were required to pay a portion of the total cost, which covered the airfare. The remaining costs were split into two equal payments, with the final payment to be made 30 days before our trip.

Planning our agenda

I ultimately had the task of creating our daily schedule while in Paris. With my mom’s desires taking top priority, I was able to get all the key activities from everyone’s Paris Bucket List in and still created some room for flexibility.

The Rome2Rio app was extremely beneficial in mapping out our trip. Read more about how the app works in my post on Resources that Put Europe Within Reach.

Using the app, I had a plan (and a backup plan) for getting from the airport to the hotel. I also used the app to determine the area of Paris we would explore each day on our trip and the specific attractions from our list in that area.

Rome2Rio helped me understand the transportation options for getting to and from each attraction so I could plot out the ideal agenda for each day. This would help us save time and money!

I also spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with all things Parisian. Both my mom and I watched countless Rick Steves’ videos on Paris, and I listened to every Paris podcast he has on the Audio Europe App.

I absolutely loved immersing myself in the details of this famous city. From the food to the customs to the history to the fashion to the art. It was all so interesting to me, and I couldn’t get enough!

While you don’t need to go to this extreme to enjoy your trip, it will make your trip smoother if you learn some basics about the city and what to expect before you go. And Rick Steves covers just about anything you want to know.

I did schedule a few activities ahead of time, including our visit to the Louvre, a boat ride on the Seine River, and a behind the scenes tour of a boulangerie (bakery).

By the time I was ready to schedule our time to go up the Eiffel Tour, all the pre-sale time slots were full.  If you want to schedule this in advance, I recommend doing so at least 3 months ahead of time. You can always buy tickets the day of, just be prepared to wait in line.

All of these excursions and so many more can be purchased in advance through EuropeanDestinations.com. I like to use the site to explore the excursion options, but I also go directly to the attractions’ websites. This will ensure you make an informed decision about what to purchase ahead of time and where you can get the best deal.

Embrace and Enjoy the Planning Process

If you have several months to plan your trip, I recommend a similar approach for anyone traveling to Europe with a group.

1. Designate one person to take the lead on planning.
2. Gather input from your travel companions and teach them some basic information about their travel destination.
3. Use the resources I’ve mentioned to plot out your ideal itinerary.
4. And enjoy the anticipation of your upcoming trip!

Next, we head off to the City of Light! Be sure to read Part Two: Passport to Paris! And for more ideas on how to experience this iconic city, check out this roundup from several bloggers who also have a love affair with Paris.

What tips do you have for planning the ultimate European adventure? Comment below to share your favorite tips and travel resources.

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

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