My Big Fat Stupid Travel Announcement
April 24, 2011
This is as close as I got to the Eiffel Tower
I’m going back to Paris. That’s right, you read that correctly. I’m going back to Paris. Next year. In April/May. By myself. To Paris.
For those of you who have been reading this blog since last summer, this may come as a shock. Hell–it came as a shock to every single person I know. I didn’t like Paris at all. Yet I’m returning, for reasons that I will eventually divulge.
But the point of this post is this–given my last summer experience, what should I change? What things did I do wrong when planning my Paris trip, and how can I fix them? I’m very, very, very open to suggestions!
Wow – verrrry surprised to hear that. Call me tomorrow!
Hmmmmmmmm……maybe relax and allow yourself to have regular, “tourist-like” fun? For example, take your picture caption regarding your proximity to the Eiffel Tower. I’m guessing you didn’t want to “look like a tourist”? But, who cares? Noone there knows you. Be a friggin’ tourist.
Just sayin let yourself have fun…….
Get an idea what you would like to see and do…but and this is a big BUT do
not make a schedule. When you get up each morning you then decide what you feel like seeing and doing…take time to sit at an outdoor cafe on the Champs Elysees, relax and enjoy!!! Go to the top of the Arc De Triomphe and enjoy seeing Paris from there. One evening pick up some cheese and crackers, wine then go to Sacre-Coeur sit on the steps and watch the lights of the city come on…very beautiful. Go to Montmartre and walk around. But the biggest thing…relax and enjoy the beauty. Walk thru the flower market. I can’t remember if you went to Sainte-Chapelle, even if you did it is worth another visit.
Okay – here’s my advice. Bite the bullet on airfare and go when your husband can go with you or take him to Amsterdam (his dream) and train to Paris for a couple of days. Remember Spring Break is in April. You never know how much time you have with the person you love, don’t waste it. Europe is a long ways away to be by yourself. Trust me, I’ve done both (alone and with family or friends) and I would never go alone again.
i absolutely agree on the point of not wasting time. i hate being away from my husband, and i cry every time he drops me off at the airport–even if i’m going to disney world. but he can’t come with me to paris. our spring break is a 3 day weekend, and he only has three weeks off in the summer–all in august. it’s a bad time to travel to europe–or anywhere, really, which is why we’ve still not booked our trip for this summer.
Sorry don’t buy that summer stuff. I have been to Europe during July and August for the last seven years and have had all kinds of weather and can’t think of one bad day – well maybe one in Madrid but it was 110. I always have to laugh when people talk about how crowded places are – Ever been to the Public Market in Seattle anytime of the year – it is always wall to wall people. I think it is great that you are doing your trips around the US by yourself – just can’t imagine that you will like Europe alone. I know that a lot of people sing the praises of solo travel but after a few days it gets really lonely. Oh well, you need to do what you think is best.
i’ve not been to seattle (or the public market there, obviously) but i’d love to go some day. actually, i need to add that to my destinations list. thanks!
as for crowded in the summer–in paris at least, we watched it get crowded when we were there last year. we arrived mid-july and left early august, and i have photos of the walkway along the seine crowded shoulder to shoulder. it was insane. it wasn’t like that when we arrived, even two weeks earlier. i have no explanation for this, or anything else to compare it to–but it was pretty nuts!
the other issue is money. i can fly to london for $400 in the spring–its three times that in the summer. Multiply that by two if I’m taking my husband–so $400 for airfare or $2400. with not working at all next year, that’s a pretty significant difference.
if i can find a fare that is reasonable, we are still considering germany for this summer, as that’s my husband’s dream trip. should we end up there, perhaps i will just do a few days in paris (with him) while we’re on that side of the globe. but as of now, summer fares are not going down…not even a little. frown.
Don’t do it!!! Took me a couple of days but I finished re-reading last summer’s blogs.
Don’t do it!!!