Fantastical Adventures

If you've been dreaming of Paris or London then now is a great time to start planning that getaway. We recently returned from an amazing adventure to Europe where we spent a few days in each of these cities. It was an easy flight into Paris from the US, and we returned home from London. The Eurostar train swept us between the cities without issue.

Passport Control & Customs

I was nervous about passport control when arriving in Paris, as well as going through customs upon returning to the U.S. I didn't need to worry! Both experiences were smooth and simple. 

When arriving in Paris, we were ushered with the crowds toward passport control. Crowds were randomly split into two groups. One was directed toward electronic passport control. This meant those people had to scan their passports and stand in front of a camera for a visual match. The other group (we were in this group) was directed toward live border agents who physically checked our passports and asked us what we were doing in the country. The process was quick and easy, and we were soon in the main part of the airport.

Upon returning to the United States, we were ushered through customs where a live agent scanned our passports, asked us what we'd been doing out of the country, and asked what we brought back with us that had been purchased overseas. It, too, was easy and smooth.

In Paris, we visited the Eiffel Tower, Hotel de la Marine, the Galeries Lafayette, Montmarte, Luxumbourg Gardens, and the Paris Catacombs. Of course, we also enjoyed a Big Bus city tour, and we stopped off to see the Notre Dame Cathedral as well as Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral. These amazing monuments and attractions were truly a sight to see as well as an experience worth having. Our favorites included the Eiffel Tower, Hotel de la Marine, and the Luxumbourg Gardens.

The Hotel de la Marine

The Hotel de la Marine is an historic palace immediately off the Place de la Concorde. It has only recently been opened to the public, and we were able to explore it as part of our Paris Museum Pass. It is an excellently put together exhibit with a prerecorded audio headset guide. It's a "smart" guide, meaning it senses your location and gives you information based on that.

In London, we saw the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the Tower of London, along with Westminster Abbey. We enjoyed a Thames River Cruise, and we even stopped by Buckingham Palace. We also spent a day exploring the Engilsh countryside as we visited Stonehenge, Bath, and Lacock. The history and majesty in this area is impressive. The day we visited Stonehenge was our absolute favorite of the trip. We took an inner circle sunrise tour through Premium Tours, and it was definitely worth it!

You might be wondering how you'd get around these enormous cities in another country. Luckily, we found it simple using the underground transport in both countries. The Metro in Paris and the Underground in London were both clean, quick, and efficient. 

There is so much more to see and do than we could possibly fit into one trip, so I'm already making plans for that next "someday" trip! If you'd like to start planning your "someday" trip feel free to reach out. We can talk about the hotels where we stayed (both fantastic) as well as other recommendations for your trip. And if your dream trip is somewhere else, I'd love to help you plan those dreams, too. Until next time, au revoir!

Contact me today @ boardwalktravelwithkatie@gmail.com

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