Sunday, June 11 & Monday, June 12
Visiting France has always been a family dream (75% of us ARE French after all!). So when Doug and I realized that in 2023 we would celebrate our 30th anniversary, Jacquelyn’s 30th birthday, AND my 50th birthday, we decided this was the year!!!
I opted not to blog during the trip, which has its disadvantages (like will I remember anything correctly?), but also has its advantages: first and foremost, I was able to be more present in the moments because I wasn’t constantly in my head writing.
TRIP OVERVIEW
We spent 4 nights in Paris, 3 nights in Disneyland Paris, and 11 nights on a road trip around France. This series is a combination of personal record, information, photos, musings, and meditations. If you’re just here for info about traveling or eating gluten-free in France, look for section titles, bold type, and links, or do a word search to find what you’re looking for.
GETTING THERE
We flew Aer Lingus from Boston to Paris with a layover in Dublin. This was my first time on Aer Lingus and I would definitely fly them again. Overall very good service. I love that they name every plane after a saint!
The first leg of our trip was a six hour flight to Dublin. We left around 6:00 p.m. but because of the time change, it was nearly 5:00 a.m. when we arrived in Ireland. This meant they fed us dinner on the plane, shut the lights off for a few hours, then fed us breakfast just before we landed.
FYI if you’re flying Aer Lingus gluten-free or with food allergies, you have to request a special meal 48 hours in advance. Sadly, we did not know prior to the outgoing flight. If you’re desperate, like I was, you can beg for a piece of cheese or fruit or anything else that they may have tucked in a cabinet somewhere and they will do their best to help you. As always, bring snacks!
The amount of walking we had to do around the Dublin airport, including stairs with luggage in tow, was more than I would have preferred after thus far a sleepless night. When we finally made it to the gate for our next flight, we grabbed some snacks at the cafe nearby. It may have been early morning in Dublin, but it was 12:30 a.m. Connecticut time, which was justification enough for Doug to get a Guinness on tap. We were in Ireland after all!
After our layover, a brief delay on the tarmac, and a 1.5 hour flight, we arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on Monday morning at about 10:00 a.m. Unfortunately, the border control section of the airport was very busy, not air conditioned, and half the passport scanning machines were broken. There were a few moments when I truly thought I might pass out. The good news is that by the time we were officially granted access to the country (about two hours after landing), our bags were ready and waiting for us in baggage claim!
THE PARIS METRO
Ever since her middle school French teacher made everyone memorize the Paris Metro system, Christina has dreamt of someday putting that knowledge to use. And boy did she! She not only found us a great deal on passes – the NaviGo weekly pass – but she navigated us around Paris flawlessly all week. The Navigo weekly pass runs from Monday – Sunday (the exact days we were to be in Paris) and is only €30 per person for unlimited use of all trains.
We were able to obtain our NaviGo passes at the train station located in CDG airport. Our first step was to print the ID photos required for the NaviGo Pass, which we did at the photo booth on site. This cost an additional $8.00 per person, and we had to wait in line for about 10 minutes. They do offer the option of bringing your own photo but we were glad to pay the €8.00 if it meant having one less thing to do before leaving home!
The next stop was the ticket window where we paid for and obtained the actual pass. The line and processing took about 10-15 minutes. So, all in all, thanks to Christina’s thorough research, securing our NaviGo passes was quick and easy. In about 30 minutes, for €38 per person, we were able to ride the entire Paris metro system anywhere with one swipe!
The train ride from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris’s 16th Arrondissement, where our Airbnb was located, took about 60 minutes and we only had to change trains once. The worst part was that after transferring from the B train to the metro proper, there were very few lifts. After dragging our bags down and then back up several flights of stairs, we decided right then and there that, come Friday, we would be taking a Uber to our hotel in Disneyland!
OUR AIRBNB
It was about a 15 minute walk from the metro to our Airbnb. Even though I was beyond exhausted at this point, I was present enough to feel the wonder and relief, the awe and joy, of knowing that after months of preparation and two days of travel, I was somehow walking along the streets of Paris. At one point we took a wrong turn but it was a lovely mistake because we ended up catching our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in all her glory!
A few minutes later, we arrived at our Airbnb, which did not disappoint. Getting in was an adventure that included secret codes, a scavenger hunt for the office where the key was stashed, and a trip up Alice’s elevator. But FINALLY, at 1:40pm, we were in our flat. Again, Christina’s hours of internet searches really paid off! Look at the views from our balcony:
And that’s just a handful of the stunning variations we saw throughout our four night stay. I spent most of those days saying to myself again and again, “Pinch me, I’m dreaming!”
OK, but now, for Alice’s elevator. Look how small this thing is!
To get an idea of the size, look at the floor. We had to make two separate trips with the luggage. For the entire stay, every time I stepped inside, my mind flooded with horrific visions of being stuck in that pillbox. We were on the 11th floor, or believe me I would have taken the stairs!!! (I have video of this but I currently don’t have the ability to share videos on this page so if you want to see it check out my Facebook posts.)
After soaking in the views, I showered and took a much-needed nap. And apparently so did everyone else!
I realize napping is a “no-no” when trying to overcome jet lag but I had only slept for about five hours in 2.5 days so it was basically necessary for my survival.
CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES, L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE & DINNER
At about 6:00 p.m. we headed to the first stops on our itinerary: Champs-Élysées and l’Arc de Triomphe. We planned this for our day of arrival knowing that we wouldn’t have the time or energy to do much more than walk around and take in the sights. We took photos at the Arch and admired the architecture along Champs-Élysées but had no real interest in any high-end shopping. Given our brief time here, I don’t have any advice to offer except that early evening is a beautiful time to view the Arc.
After grabbing some fries at McDonald’s (in my defense, I had barely eaten in two days and I wasn’t sure when I might find both gluten-free AND corn-free food!), we started walking to a gluten-free pizza shop. On our way, we stumbled upon Cafe Lateral and after perusing their menu, we decided to eat there instead. It was a beautiful night, so we took advantage of their ample outdoor seating.
Given all the horror stories about how the French hate Americans, we weren’t sure how we’d be treated, not only as Americans but as Americans with food allergies. The servers were definitely frustrated with all of our questions about food ingredients, made all the more challenging by the language barrier; even our English/French allergy cards weren’t much help. This wasn’t unexpected; and we couldn’t really fault the servers for our inability to speak French! Eventually a manager with stronger English and more knowledge of their dishes’ ingredients, took over our table. We ended up having an absolutely delicious meal. My favorite part was, of course, the chocolate mousse.
By the time we finished dinner it was 9:45 p.m. and the sun hadn’t even set yet! We walked to a nearby grocery store for a few items, and then Ubered back to the Airbnb in time to catch the Eiffel Tower all lit up! This is tricky in the summer because it doesn’t get dark until about 10:30 p.m. and they shut the lights off at 11:45 p.m.
What a day!
(Next up: Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur, Siene River Cruise)
Lightning Bug 
Makes us want to go back!! ❤️❤️
SAME! And it’s only been a few weeks for me hahaha