Paris is always a good idea!

Eiffel Tower photo by @bax.paris.photographer

In November 2022 we took out first trip to Europe. A moment we had dreamt about for a lifetime. The journey with 3 kids (and my mom and brother!) seemed daunting not to mention expensive. I had two major fears, that the kids would get sick, and that because of the language barrier, we would get lost.

Both things happened. Here is how we navigated and my top travel tips if you are thinking of going to Paris!

1. Airfare – Keep your dates flexible and look at least 7 months ahead. We were able to snag a great airfare price in April for flights in November. We paid $420 per person on SAS airlines. The flight and the service was great. We flew economy which for a 10 hour flight might scare some people but it was what we could afford. I have a hack I’ll share for the long flight and making the kids comfy down below.
2. Europe accommodations are not very large. We are a big family and traveling with two extra people made it more difficult. Hotel rooms were going to be expensive had we booked the 3 rooms we needed. We found a spacious Air B&B in a wonderful city center location for a fraction of what 3 hotel rooms would have cost. We paid $250 per night in the 2^nd Were we were just steps away from the beautiful Monterguil Street. It did not have the Eiffel Tower views you see people instagramming, but it was spacious, (it slept 8!) had a full kitchen and two bathrooms. It was perfect for our party of 7. Besides, we wanted to be out exploring more than hanging in the room.
3. French Language / Culture – Not everyone speaks English and not all the signs make sense at first. Especially to those of us not used to public transportation! I had my rusty High School French to get me through plus we listened to French language lessons on audible in the months leading up to our trip. It really helps to know a few basic words. Once you start navigating and immersing yourself it all starts making more sense. Also, the French are not into being fake nice like we are obligated to be here in the U.S. They don’t notice you are lost, they are busy! Politely ask if you need help and they will help but don’t take it personally if they seem rude or short. Also your phone is your best tool! You can use your maps app to navigate with walking directions and even exactly what trains to take!
4. Take all the pictures, because this trip is epic! If you are reading this looking for tips on going to Paris, odds are you have thought about this and planned this trip for some time and you want it to go well. You should also not forget to document it! Take lots of photos! Take too many photos and videos. One thing that I did (and I am so grateful for!) is scheduling two professional photography sessions. I booked one at the Eiffel Tower at sunrise using a freelance photographer I found online and another session at sunset using Flytographer services. Both experiences were absolutely perfect and both photographers were wonderful. If you are hesitant to book a freelance photographer yourself, I definitely recommend going with a service like Flytographer where you pick where you want your photo session and they send a professional hand-picked photographer to your desired location or route. Prices vary but if you are booking with Flytographer use code LAMAMA50 for $50 off your photo session!

The Louvre photo by Olga for Flytographer

Photo by Olga for Flytographer

Here are some additional tips, should you need them!

• Flying Economy with Kids – Economy Is not comfy! Especially on a long haul flight you need all the help you can get. Snacks, tablets, order yourself a drink and definitely get ONE OF THESE this little seat sling helped out so much! It made the kids seats like little hammocks so they could stretch out their legs and sleep comfortably on our long haul economy flight.
• Medicine – My biggest fear was the kids getting sick and they all caught a cold on the second day we were there and were feeling miserable. I brought Tylenol in my bag because I always carry some but with both of them sick, I ran out as we were getting into the city. As luck would have it, I found a pharmacy right as we were getting off the train. The pharmacy there is a little different than in the U.S. all medication is controlled. You have to go to an actual pharmacy and you talk to the pharmacist first and they recommend what you might need. She offered me a liquid acetomenophen (like Tylenol) since there was a shortage on the chewable tablets and a cough suppressant, mucous reducer type liquid. Both bottles and a bag of ricola cough drops cost only about 6 Euros! The pharmacist was very nice and so helpful. The kids felt much better in 24 hours and just had lingering coughs. We just wore masks everywhere we went.
• The French like their steak a little more rare than we are used to ordering here in the U.S. beware when ordering your steak frites, your steak will be rare if you don’t ask for a different temperature.

If you are looking for suggestions on places to go and things to see, I have those too! I will share my own google map that I created and used for this trip! You can find it here!

Happy Travels!

©romainsol