Our Trip to Paris | Part 2

The Itinerary 

We arrived in Paris on the Monday night and flew back on Saturday morning meaning that we had 4 full days and 5 nights away. While we could've probably covered the city in 3 days we wanted a relaxing break and that extra day made sure we didn't have to rush.

On our first day we planned to go to Disneyland Paris, and while it may not be at the top of everyone's Paris to do list, it was something we really wanted to do. To save time on the day we pre booked our tickets on the official Disneyland Paris website, as it was off peak we could book the 'mini' tickets meaning it was £38 each for the main park, which isn't bad considering tickets at peak times are £61 each (adult). To get to the park we took the RER train from Charles de Gaulle – Étoile (the metro station at the top of the Champs-Élysées by the Arc De Triomphe) to Marne-La-Vallée (the station near the park) and it was surprisingly easy. A single ticket on the RER is just over €7 but make sure you have plenty of change unless you want pay by card or queue up at the ticket office. So after grabbing some cheap pastries from a boulangerie (we did this for breakfast most mornings) we hoped on the train and ate our breakfast during the 45 minute journey, arriving just in time for when the park opens at 10am.

The rest of the day was honestly just magical. We went on the all the bigger rides (yes, Disneyland does have big rides for adults) including Hyperspace Mountain and Thunder Mountain while Karl was kept entertained with all the new Star Wars attractions and I relived my childhood watching the end of day parade. 

It’s hard to describe but the atmosphere of Disneyland is just incredible, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many happy people in one place. I can happily say that I was living my best life. So while Disneyland may not be for everyone, I’m slightly ashamed to say that it was both our favorite day of the holiday.

On our second day, we walked to the Eiffel Tower in the morning and then took the metro to Notre Dame in the afternoon. You can go up the Eiffel Tower and the tower in Notre Dame but we decided to just do one and go right to the top of the Eiffel Tower and then just walk round Notre Dame. The views from the Eiffel Tower were incredible and it is definitely worth paying extra to go right to the top even if the lifts are a bit rickety. As for Notre Dame, while it was nice to say we’d been, it wasn’t my favorite attraction. That being said, it’s free, beautiful inside and doesn’t take long to look around, so if you have the time you might as well squeeze in a visit.

The next day we visited The Louvre and the surrounding area including Le Palais Royal. Having done GCSE art, this was quite high on my to do list so we gave ourselves plenty of time to enjoy The Louvre and all it has to offer. As we’re both within the 18-25 age bracket and are residents of the EU (well for now) we both got into the Louvre for free by just showing our passports in place of tickets, so make sure to check out the Louvre’s official website as you may be valid for free admission. 

The Louvre itself is massive and took us quite a while to walk around all of the different areas, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes and allow yourself plenty of time if you want to look around it all. My favorite part of the museum is the Paintings, Prints and Drawings section where you will find the world famous Mona Lisa, but the museum does also have a lot of beautiful sculptures if paintings aren’t your thing. After the Louvre we then walked around the gardens nearby and then also over to Le Palais Royal for those all-important tourists snaps.

While we had reserved our last day for shopping by the Arc De Triomphe and Champs Elysée we made a quick trip in the morning to the PSG ground so that Karl could visit the stadium and have a look round the club shop. For those of you who have football obsessed partners, the club shop is lovely. It's also worth visiting if they want a shirt as the PSG store on the Champs Elysée charged quite a bit more and there were restrictions on buying more than one shirt. In return he patiently waited for me while I browsed Sephora. My top tip for shopping would be to think about the exchange rate, as while we were there the rate was so poor that it was actually cheaper to buy the majority of things at home. 

We honestly had such a lovely time in Paris, and for a last minute holiday we ended up being quite organised (apart from nearly missing our airport transfer back - oops!). I would love to go back again but not for quite a few years as there are so many other places I haven't visited and I feel like I have seen the majority of what Paris has to offer.

To read about our hotel and my money saving tips check out part 1.

Have you been to Paris or are you planning a trip? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

Eleanor xx

Our Trip to Paris | Part 1

Back in October myself and my boyfriend Karl, went on our first holiday together. Destination: Paris. I have been to Paris before, but only as a child and therefore my memories consist of repeated trips on the Dumbo ride at Disneyland and being refused entry to Notre Dame as my sister (also only a child at the time) was wearing shorts. As for Karl, he has been to Germany and The Netherlands but that's about it in terms of holidays abroad.

Why Paris?

Originally we had planned to visit Barcelona due to the warmer weather but after several factors including terrorist attacks and political unrest in Catalonia, it just didn't feel like the right time. With our week booked off work fast approaching and still nothing booked, we began to ask our families and friends for suggestions, this lead us to Paris.

Where We Stayed

After a bit of research we decided that while Paris would't be the budget holiday we'd first planned, it was somewhere we both really wanted to go and were therefore willing to spend a bit extra so that everything was perfect. The hotel we stayed in was Hotel Pastel Paris and as the name suggests the rooms are beautifully decorated in pastel colours. Our room had pastel blue walls with millennial pink accents while the double bed was adorned in mix and match scatter cushions.

As with most Parisian hotels, the room was small but the space was utilised with an open wardrobe and small dressing table/desk, making it the perfect space for a couple staying for anything just under a week. To save money on the flight we just took hand luggage, and while we had to pack cleverly the suitcases were much easier to store in the room than one or two large suitcases.

I believe that the hotel may have not long changed hands and undergone a massive refurbishment throughout, as it does not have many reviews on trip advisor. As you can see though when looking at the reviews they are largely positive and personally we had a lovely stay at the hotel. The staff at the hotel were all very friendly, with the receptionist even providing a recommendation for a restaurant nearby on our first night and offering to arrange our transfer back to the airport on our last day. The hotel also operates a policy where they look after your key when you leave the hotel which was quite handy and stopped us worrying about loosing the key while we were out and about.

Hotel Pastel is just a mere 10 minutes from the Arc De Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées and just a 15/20 minute walk to the Eiffel Tower, making it perfect for sightseeing or if you are anxious about using the metro. On the downside we did find this area quite expensive for eating out compared to other areas of Paris, with most restaurants charging €25+ for your main evening meal. That being said, there are some more affordable gems including Italian restaurant Sgabetti that was just over 5 minutes away from the hotel.

What if I’m on a budget?

Paris can be expensive but if you do your research you can save yourself money here and there. Including transfers to the airport and back, our flights and hotel cost us about £450 each (though we did end up getting some cash back on that by using TopCashBack). We then gave ourselves just under €100 spending money per each full day (including any treats we wanted to buy ourselves) but I’d say I spent about €50 a day on food, drink and transport. We saved money by buying pastries for breakfast from boulangeries, looking around for cheaper places to eat in the evening and then buying extra drinks from supermarkets (a can of diet coke in a café costs about €5 compared to €1 from a supermarket).

Stay tuned for part 2 of my trip to Paris to find out about what sights are worth visiting, plus more ways to save money.

Eleanor xx

5 Tips To Avoid Overpacking

Going on holiday can be a stressful experience especially when it comes to packing. Knowing what to take, remembering to take it and then trying to pack it all into a tiny case like a complex game of Tetris, just to get to the airport for your suitcase to be over the weight limit. Nightmare. To help you avoid having to choose between paying extra for your suitcase or throwing away your precious belongings I've compiled a list of my top 5 easy tips to avoid overpacking. 

Take Only As Much As You Need 

When going away we tend to panic about running out of things leading to over packing, but in reality if you are going away from one week you won't use up a whole bottle of shampoo, even if you washed your hair every day. So instead of taking full size products, either buy miniatures or decant your favourite products into the plastic travel bottles. This will save so much space in your suitcase and is ideal if you are only taking hand luggage. When it comes to handbags, swap a large purse for a card holder or a coin purse.

Plan

Planning is key when it comes to packing lightly. Think about what you are doing each day you are away and what clothes, shoes and accessories you will need for each day. Also check the weather forecast for the place you are going, if you know it's going to be hot then there is no need to take 5 jumpers, a hat, gloves and coat. If you know it's not going to rain that day why bother weighing down your bag with an umbrella. 

Do You Really Need It?

With every item you pack ask yourself "Do I really need this?" unless the answer is a confident yes, don't take it. For example "Do I really need a snorkel on my skiing holiday?" or perhaps more likely "Do I really need five lipsticks in my bag?" It's tough but be honest and realistic with yourself, you will thank me later.

Investigate What There Is Where You're Going

Many places provide towels and hairdryers so check on the website of where you're staying for what they provide you with for your stay. Staying at a friends? Ask them if you can borrow some of their things while you stay. Or perhaps coordinate with those you're traveling with. When I'm traveling with my friends one of use will bring a hair dryer, another straighteners and another a curling wand, we then all swap and share for the duration of our trip.

Pack Versatile Items

This applies to almost everything but especially clothes, cosmetics and tech. Pack products that can used in multiple ways for example a check and lip tint instead of a blusher and lipstick, or a pair of trousers that goes with multiple tops, use your phone as an ipod, book and camera. Thinking about your products cleverly and using them to their full extent can cut down significantly on the items you take.

The best thing is that these tips don't just apply to going on holiday but can also be used to avoid general over packing including heavy or small handbags. You now know how to avoid overpacking but if you're still unsure of what to take traveling with you check out my post on my Top Travel Essentials for some ideas. I'd also love to hear any packing tips you guys may have, so let me know in the comments below!

Eleanor xx