After 2 years of missing international travel, my husband decided to surprise us and have us venture back to Europe! My sweet husband felt PARIS would be great trip for us to celebrate my birthday and ring in the New Year. I was nervous, scared and excited ALL at the same time but happily said, “YES, LET’S DO IT!”
After tickets were purchased and we were fully vaccinated, we started to hear that a surge of COVID cases was rapidly increasing in Europe. A total bummer but we were pushing forward and having positive thoughts! As the day grew closer for us to fly out, rules and regulations for entering France were changing quickly so I had to keep up with the news and government websites to make sure we had everything needed for a successful trip.
Keep reading for an idea of what you can expect if traveling to France this year. I will say we were successful with making it into France and then coming back home to the US!
Day before flying out, COVID testing
As the day grew closer to fly out, I was thankfully receiving daily communication from American Airlines on new restrictions of how to get into France. About two weeks before we had to fly out, we were informed that we had to take a COVID test 24 to 48 hours in advance before boarding our flight to Paris. I immediately got on this and began researching at home COVID self-tests that American Airlines approved to allow us to get into Paris. I opted for a test called “QuickVue At-Home” through QURED, which allowed us to take the test at home under the supervision of a professional. When you order this particular test, you must activate upon arrival and then immediately schedule a time slot to ensure you get your test results on time.
Please note, that although you enter a time slot for your specific timezone, ALL time slots are on the Greenwich Time Zone (London Time). I learned that the hard way but we were still successful on receiving the results on time!
The day before we flew out, I had all 3 of us test at different times. You get to schedule appointments in 10 minute increments. Within 10 minutes of taking the test, you will know if you are COVID negative or positive and within 2 hours you will receive an official certificate showing your COVID status to present to airline and officials. Be sure to save this document onto your phone or upload it onto your VeriFly app that American Airlines utilizes for a quicker and easier process at the airport.
Day 1, Flying to Paris!
The time has finally come, we are COVID free ready and for our Parisian getaway! Our flight would take approximately 10 hours with 1 short layover from Austin to Dallas and then straight to Paris. Upon arrival at ATX, we checked in our luggage and all credentials were checked (passports, COVID vaccine cards and COVID negative results). Be sure to have original COVID cards at all costs!
Please know that in December 2021, children under the age of 12 do not need to test or show proof of COVID vaccine card. Rules are changing constantly so be sure to double check the French diplomacy website for the most up to date rules and regulations.
After presenting the proper documentation we were given the seal of approval and well on our way! Please know that even on these long international flights you must wear your face mask at all times. The ONLY time you do not have to wear a mask is when you are in the process of eating and drinking. You must also keep your mask on during sleepy time or the flight attendants will wake you up to put back on. Fortunately for us, everyone followed the rules and it was a very nice flight. The airline food was horrible! I honestly forgot how bad the food is on these long flights. Be sure to take snacks!
Day 2, Hello Paris!
After 10 hours of flying, we made it to Paris! We exited the plane, went through security and it is here that they asked to see all of our credentials (passports, COVID vaccine cards and COVID negative results). After presenting all the required documents we were off to pick up our luggage at baggage claim and then called for an UBER. By this time it was about 10am and we were so excited to get to the hotel in central Paris!
We stayed at Hotel Melia Vendome Paris. This hidden gem is honestly located in the perfect location in Paris. You are located in the heart of the fashion district near Saint Honore with all the most prestigious store brands Paris has to offer! You are also only minutes away from the Place de la Concorde, near the Opera Garnier, the Tuileries Garden, the Louvre and Champs Elysee. Talk about a fantastic location!
When we arrived, our room was not ready so we checked in our luggage and decided it was time to grab some lunch but most importantly our EU Vaccine Certificates! As the omicron variant began to run rampant in France and to not shut down the borders, the EU decided to continue to allow tourism BUT every tourist, including locals over the age of 12, must purchase an EU COVID Certificate. This important certificate proves that an individual is fully vaccinated and has had a recent negative COVID test. These certificates are not cheap and will cost each person above the age of 12 about $40ish US dollar. You can obtain these certificates at most local pharmacies. BE SURE to take your passport, original COVID vaccine card and negative COVID results! These COVID certificates are very important because they are your ticket into shows, restaurants, museums, stores and most visited sites.
After obtaining our EU COVID certificates, we went across the street to grab some lunch at the cutest bistro. French onion soup was on my mind especially on this super cold day and it definitely hit the spot! After lunch we went back to our hotel and the room was ready. I needed a hot shower, my daughter was ready to relax and my husband was ready for a nap! As I finished up my shower, I heard my husband speaking to someone and then said bye. I curiously exited the restroom to find champagne and macarons had been delivered to our room! I jokingly asked, did you order this for me? And my husband said “absolutely NOT” LOL, that the hotel had noticed it was my birthday and they wanted to make it extra special for me!!! Y’all, it was the beginning to a beautiful and much needed holiday!
After champagne and a delicious mousse cake with macarons, it was time for a nap! We woke up after nightfall, it was like 5pm but totally dark outside, and decided to take a walk towards the Place de la Concorde in search of the Seine and a glimpse of the sparkling Eiffel Tower! It was cold but we were bundled up ready to not waste any time in the city of lights. The little one began to complain but after seeing the sparkling Eiffel Tower in the distance her mood quickly changed…she is just like her mommy! After an evening stroll around town we stopped into a fabulous restaurant for a fancy dinner and even had our first French delicacy, escargot. Dinner was excellent and it was time to get some shut eye for our next day adventures.
Day 3, Shopping and the Louvre
After much needed rest we were up and ready to visit some sites but first some breakfast and then a birthday gift to myself. We decided to try a local breakfast spot versus the hotel and it was great! I never realized how fresh and amazing the orange juice in Paris is, give it a try. I could’ve had at least 10 cups but resorted to only 2 followed by the world’s strongest cappuccino I’ve ever had in my life. Needless to say, after 4 sips I could not subject myself to this concoction of what seemed to be 6 shots of espresso, LOL! Note to self, only order Café Au Lait, coffee with milk. We also ordered omelettes, eggs, bacon and fresh croissants. Yum!!
Now it was time for a little shopping for this mama. Before heading to Paris, I had researched several items and decided it was time to invest in a gorgeous Celine handbag. I wanted something timeless, classic and chic and this checked off all the right boxes for me. I absolutely love, love my new handbag and think of it as a fabulous investment that I can one day pass down to my precious daughter for her handbag collection.
The Louvre was next on the agenda! It was time to learn about history and the beautiful art collection the world’s largest museum in the world had to offer. On this tour, I decided to schedule a private tour guide for us to learn about the main highlights of the Louvre so we wouldn’t feel too overwhelmed with so much to see. We started at the Medieval Louvre where an empty moat hides at the bottom of the Louvre. Here we learned most large stones had a special marking indicating who gets paid. As the tour continued, we got to visit the Venus de Milo which is a Greek masterpiece created around 100 B.C. and said to be one of the best preserved Greek statues in existence. The Sleeping Hermaphroditus was another impressive sculpture depicting both a man and woman as one, it just depends on which side you are looking at. The Winged Victory of Samothrace definitely gave the WOW factor! As you approach the “Stairway to Victory” you find this enormous perfected winged statue displaying all of her might. To this day, no historian knows who created this beautiful sculpture but it is truly a breathtaking sight to see. Next we visited an extravagant hallway featuring royalty, kings, queens and fabulous jewels where I also found out that the French did not enjoy baths and actually thought it was bad for them. Because bathing was frowned upon, most nobles and royalty reeked of a horrendous smell so came the invention of Parfum!! I was quite shocked at this unknown piece of history and now giggle just a little when I think about it. We came across numerous large important paintings like: The Coronation of Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People, The Raft of Medusa, The Wedding of Cana and of course the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Di Vinci. I love to schedule private tours because you get a more intimate experience and so many fun facts you never would’ve known about!
If visiting a museum in Paris and more specifically the Louvre, please know that you must show proof of the EU COVID Vaccine Certificate and keep your face mask on at ALL times (minus when you are drinking or eating in allowed areas). They are very strict so please be sure to follow the rules.
Random observation, do you know what is so lovely about the construction of buildings in Paris is? Instead of having an open construction site full of ladders, material and chaos the French actually cover it up with an outer box that looks just like the building they are working on! I’m telling you it is an absolutely brilliant idea that never ruins the beauty Paris has to offer.
By this time, dinner was now on everyones minds, french burgers and pasta were in the works for this little family. After a scrumptious dinner it was time to head back to the hotel for some shut eye. The jet lag was slowly starting to get to all of us!
Day 4, Eiffel Tower Bliss
On this beautiful and sunny day, we decided it was time to get up close and personal with the Eiffel Tower and remind ourselves what the fuss is all about! Ha, I can’t believe I forgot how gorgeous it is in person.
Today, we tried the hotels breakfast and it was very tasty with an assortment of dishes to choose from. Mimosas were flowing freely, omelettes were made to your preference and an assortment of cheese and breads for my daughter. After a nice breakfast we headed out with a short Uber ride to Champs de Mars!
As we approached the Eiffel Tower, my little one exclaimed she really wanted to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower which was not on my agenda because of COVID. After some convincing from my husband, we decided to give it a go. There are a few things to be aware of before being allowed to gain access below the Eiffel Tower and that’s getting through the security line first. At the security check line COVID credentials and bags are checked thoroughly. Once you have passed security and you want to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower you have two options: reservations or no reservations. The first line is ONLY for reservations but the second line is for non-reservations. We went through the line for no reservations which moved along rather quickly! We opted to take the elevator to the second floor and see all the beauty Paris has to offer! It was a bit windy but with the sun out it was gorgeous. From the second floor of the Eiffel Tower you can see some of Paris’s historic landmarks such as: Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Trocadero Invalides and many more!
After roaming around the entire floor it was time for a quick bite to eat and fortunately enough there was a small cafe with a decent selection for us to choose from. Paninis, sandwiches, macarons and sweets were on the menu. We found an empty bench with a great view for a nice lunch break! Checkmark to the gorgeous views and beauty of one of the most iconic spots in Paris.
The Eiffel Tower is currently under construction but if you want to take a few fabulous pictures be sure to stop at Rue de l’Universite which is located about 1 block from the Eiffel Tower. It’s a wonderful spot and most Uber and Taxi drivers know about it!
Our next stop, Notre Dame. Notre Dame is still under construction, due to the fire back in 2019, but it is still a site to see even from a distance. As we walked pass Notre Dame, we decided to visit an iconic bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. My husband wanted a book for the house and my daughter wanted to buy anything she could get her hands on. After much browsing we bought 2 classic books: Les Miserables and Alice in Wonderland. Dinner was slowly creeping up so we stopped into a wonderful bistro and had an early dinner.
After dinner we were heading back towards the hotel but decided to first stop inside this beautiful old church we passed by called Sainte Chapelle. As we waited in line to get in, we noticed musicians walking into the church as well. Unbeknownst to us, a show was about to begin and we could still purchase tickets! The musicians would be performing, Vivaldi Les Quatre Saisons. After passing security and showing COVID free certificates we were on our way to the show. As we waited for the show to begin, we sat in this beautiful room full of hundreds of stars above our heads with the most impressive stained glass windows I have ever seen! The show was spectacular and such a wonderful treat to end our evening.
Paris is so incredibly magical especially when you fall into unexpected hidden gems like this!
Day 5, New Year’s Eve!
Today is New Year’s Eve and for the special occasion, I booked a family photo shoot for the early morning hours to take a few pics of our NYE attire! I love scheduling family photo shoots during our vacation because without them we would honestly only have selfies of the 3 of us. My family and I have been taking family photo shoots around the world since our daughter was 1 year old and has now become a little pro. I am so incredibly grateful and thankful that we are able to create these special moments together to cherish forever!
After a wonderful photo shoot, we headed back to the hotel to change and grab some much needed lunch. We opted for Italian food with a French flair and it was wonderful. Sitting out in the open, under warm heaters, with a great view and people watching felt like such a Parisian thing to do!! After lunch my daughter wanted to ride the ferris wheel, I am terrified of heights, so I let daddy take over this one. Thankfully, daddy took video of the breathtaking views and so I feel I kinda got to experience it too. Now, it was time for us to relax back at the hotel for a long night ahead of us.
My husband purchased tickets for us to enjoy a beautiful evening dinner cruise down the Seine with the Bateaux-Mouches to ring in the New Year! We arrived at 7pm but did not get to board until closer to 9pm. Once on board we enjoyed a 5 course meal, endless supply of champagne, live music and wonderful views of the most iconic Paris landmarks. The sparkling blue Eiffel Tower was absolutely stunning! We sailed down the Seine for about 3 hours and really took in the sites, this once in a lifetime experience and each other. We truly feel blessed!
A few things to know if you ever decide to celebrate NYE in Paris. If you want to celebrate the New Year at the Eiffel Tower just know that no fireworks happen on that glorious night, you might see a few illegal ones, but the city of Paris does not use them instead they have a light show! Unfortunately for ringing in 2022 they did not have the light show either…because of omicron and the concern of large crowds forming. If you want to see fireworks, the fireworks show typically happens at Champs Elysee by the Arc de Triomphe! For 2022 the show was also cancelled.
All in all, we had a superb time and got to experience a lovely New Years Eve full of happy, excited and wonderful people ready to kiss 2021 good-bye and say hello 2022!!
Day 6, Disneyland Paris
Today is our daughter’s special day and we are headed to Disneyland Paris! We got to bed around 1am the night before and were up by 6am to spend as much time as possible in Disney. When I had originally planned for us to go to Disneyland I was looking into taking an early train but after the New Year’s Eve festivities, I did not want to deal with New Years Day delays so I opted for an Uber. I scheduled an Uber to pick us up from our hotel at 7am. From the vicinity of the Louvre it would take us about 1 hour to get to Disney and cost about 70 Euro.
Disneyland Paris is such a touristy destination that we had absolutely no problem finding an Uber to take us to Disney that early morning even on a major holiday, New Years Day. An Uber is super easy to schedule and makes our lives as parents so much easier especially with the kids!
I thought it was a great deal since we didn’t have to worry about walking and trying to figure out where to go and how to get there. We arrived at Disney at about 8am just as the doors were opening. As in every location in Paris we had visited, we went through security where they checked our COVID credentials, minus our daughter…remember any child under the age of 12 does not need to show proof of vaccine status as long as the parent or parents show proof. After COVID credentials, they checked our bags for obvious security reasons. As we approached the entrance to get into Disneyland Paris, there were signs galore stating that ALL visitors must have purchased their tickets in advance! They are NOT selling tickets at the front door like in the past due to COVID.
When you reserve your day for Disneyland Paris make sure to read the instructions thoroughly. It is here that you need to decide if you want to visit Disneyland Park or Walt Disney Studios Park or BOTH! Once you decide which park or parks you and your family want to visit, make that purchase and then follow the printing instructions carefully. DO NOT attempt to change the size of the tickets. If you do, you might accidentally invalidate your tickets and they will not be accepted.
As you walk into the park you can hear the Disney music playing which is right about the time when my daughter becomes very excited. That smile and laughter will melt any parents heart! Once inside the park, Mickey and Minnie Mouse as well as Pluto were outside to greet all their guests from a distance. I wish we could have gotten up close and personal but with COIVD it was totally understandable. We walked down Main Street and quickly stopped into a store to buy our Minnie ears to feel and look Disney ready! Next, a quick family picture in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and then on to our most favorite ride in ALL of the Disney parks, Peter Pan. I have to say, our most favorite Peter Pan ride is in Disneyland Tokyo! After Peter Pan we decided to ride Pinocchio since it was right across and the line wasn’t too dreadful. While waiting for this ride, we decided to purchase a fast pass for Ratatouille since that rides wait time could be as long as 2 hours.
If you decide to purchase a fast pass in Disneyland Paris just know it can cost a pretty penny. I had to purchase 3 fast pass tickets to Ratatouille at 17 Euro per ticket. It is time stamped so make sure you arrive within the 1 hour time slot you select. They are pretty strict about arriving on time so be on time.
**Depending on which ride you want to purchase a fast pass for the cost will change. The less in demand the ride is you might just pay 10 Euro but the more in demand it is you’ll pay about 17 Euro. Supply and demand.
After our Pinocchio ride and our daughter trying to remove “the Sword in the Stone” we exited Disneyland Park and walked on over to Walt Disney Studios Park. It’s about a 10 minute walk so plan accordingly. When you get to Walt Disney Studios Park you will have to show your park tickets again to get inside. Once inside it strangely reminded me a little bit of Universal Studios! We knew exactly where we had to go so went over to Remy’s Ratatouille ride! Unfortunately, the ride was closed down for repairs!! I was incredibly upset because I had spent this extra money for the ride. As we waited to see if this ride would reopen we grabbed some snacks. I had a crepe, my daughter a pretzel, my husband an assortment of sausages. As we continued to wait we decided to not waste anymore time and rode, Cars Four Wheel Rally. On this fun ride you take a drive around Radiator Springs with some unexpected commotion! After the Cars ride we went back to Ratatouille and they were OPEN!! Although we missed our window for the fast pass they allowed us to walk straight in. The ride was so fantastic, 3D and 4D! You could even smell the delicious food through your face mask. I highly recommend!
After an exciting ride, we had reservations at the one and only Bistrot Chez Remy, Ratatouille’s restaurant. Inside the restaurant you will experience lunch/dinner from the eyes of Remy. The entire restaurant is extra large with bottle caps as chairs, plates as dividers, large forks to hold coats and even Christmas lights ginormous sized! The menu is set but you do get a few options. I thought the food was good! My husband and I opted for Remy’s menu that included the grilled steak, french fries and ratatouille. My daughter decided on the linguine pasta. If you do get a chance to visit Disneyland Paris be sure to make a reservation at Bistrot Chez Remy, there is no other restaurant like it!
Tummies were full and we were off to our next ride, Flying Carpet over Agrabah. This ride is very similar to the iconic Dumbo ride but with a much better wait time. After our Carpet ride we headed back to Disneyland Park for some more fun! One of my daughters favorite rides is, It’s a Small World, but it was closed due to construction. She was very disappointed so we rode the amazing Mad Tea Party teacups, Snow White and Pirates of the Caribbean. By this time it was already 7pm, geez time flies by so quickly! There were no fireworks at the end of the night so we went to the Disney Village for some dinner before heading back to our hotel in Paris.
This is VERY IMPORTANT. If you choose to ride an Uber be sure to have a plan on how to get back to Paris. We tried to leave before Disney closed but did not make it. By the time we were finished with dinner it was closer to 8:30pm and there were no more Ubers available to take us back to Paris. Fortunately for us, we did find 1 lonesome taxi willing to take us back into Paris. They charged us more than they should have, 90 euros, but we didn’t want to lose our only ride back.
Day 7 in Paris
It is finally time to head back to the airport and back home. We took our COVID tests at the hotel and relieved that all 3 tests came back negative for COVID. With COVID negative tests in hand, EU COVID certificate and COVID vaccine cards we were all set to get back to Texas!
In Conclusion…
It was a wonderful trip to get us back into our new normal. I wish we had stayed an additional 2 days but with COVID and all the red tape we had to cross it was still great!! A question I’ve been getting asked a lot is “Why Paris again?” Because I absolutely love PARIS! But in all honesty, my husband chose Paris because he felt we should revisit a city that we were familiar and comfortable with due to the pandemic. It had been over 2 years since we last went to Europe and this time wanted the experience to be more leisure and relaxing versus being on the go from sun up to sun down like in the good old days. Paris had the comfort level we wanted and the beauty I missed so much. Au revoir!
