Paris
Paris: The city of lights. Sitting along the Seine River, it is home to landmarks such as the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, and Arc de Triomphe. Its 19th-century cityscape is filled with cafes, fondue restaurants and designer boutiques. This euro trip consisted of Paris and Brussels, 6 days and 2 days respectively. If I had to do the trip over, I would do 5 days in Paris and 3 days in Brussels. My 6 days in France also included day trips to Disneyland, Rouen, and the beaches of Normandy.
Like my other trips, this took place in December. I prefer this month for several reasons: I enjoy European Christmas markets, it is off-season so flights and hotels are usually cheaper, and the weather is crisp and cool.
Shopping
Shopping in Paris: Luxury products are cheaper in a domestic market. This is partly due to the import and duty taxes that are added on when the item in brought into the US or UK. Another factor is tourists do not pay sales tax on goods in France, even on luxury brands (12% VAT). This means that Louis Vuitton products are approximately 30 – 40 percent cheaper in France than in the US. You will pay sales tax at the time of the sale but you will get it back if you go through the tax refund process at the airport.
Food
Fondue is a must-have while in Paris. I ate at Le Marivaux multiple times and it did not disappoint. It is not a cheap meal but it is worth it at least once. To give you an idea on cost, Wendy and I split a pot of fondue, had two drinks and one dessert each and the bill was $97. https://www.lemarivaux.com
Another French dish commonly found in cafes is a Croque Monsieur. It is a hot sandwich, typically ham and Gruyere cheese with melted cheese on the outside. There are several variations including a vegetarian version. The food in both Paris and Brussels is so good and the hot sandwiches are a nice touch to the cool weather.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is named after its engineer, Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. It was completed in 1889 and consists of three floors. The highest floor is 906 feet. The tower itself is 1083 feet. The ticket to the top is $30. https://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Champs Elysees
The Champs Elysees is one of the main thoroughfares of the city. It is home to luxury designers and 5-star restaurants. On this street is also where you will find the Louis Vuitton flagship store and the Arc du Triomphe.
Palais Garnier Opera House
While in Paris, see a show at the Palais Garnier opera house. This elegant building consists of marble stucco and gold structures, all which support the 8-ton bronze and crystal chandelier and its 340 lights. Take in the architecture as you go up the double staircase and into the horseshoe shaped auditorium with the colorful ceiling.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum is a day in itself. There will be a line to see the Mona Lisa, which measures at a whole 2’ 6” x 1’ 9”. The wait in December is about 30 minutes. In the same room is the painting Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese. This painting, in contrast to the Mona Lisa, measures 724 feet.
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris. If I had to sum this up in three words, I would say do not bother. It is about an hour by train from Paris and is nothing like it’s California or Florida counterpart. For example, they have an Indiana Jones Ride. It is not the same one where you enter a transport and dodge obstacles. The Paris version consists of an outside wooden ride similar to Big Thunder Mountain with a few Indiana Jones props. The rides were disappointing and overall, not what I expected from a Disneyland Park. It is like they wanted the money from calling it Disneyland but did not want to invest the time or effort to make it what it should be. It did not help that 25 percent of the rides were closed and a ticket was your typical Disneyland ticket cost.
Brussels
The highlight of Brussels was the chocolate shops and the light show at the Royal Palace. I only spent two days there and I wish I had stayed longer.
Top notch chocolate at reasonable prices is a staple. The variety to choose from at any given shop is out of this world. I would say 1 out of every 4 shops is chocolate. This is a must visit for chocolate lovers. In conclusion, my trip to Paris and Brussels was full of great food, history, and cozy Christmas Markets.
Connecting through London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport: If you are connecting through LHR, make sure you have at least a 2 hour layover. You will most likely take a tram to a different terminal upon arrival(20 minutes). They require you to go through security again even if you are connecting. Once you clear security, unless you are lucky enough to have an A gate, you will have to take another tram to your gate(B or C). The last step to gate b or c is also 20 minutes.
