Our dog Archie is a very talented little boy who has just turned 2 years old yesterday. As a birthday celebration and as a way of introducing him to the Paris Journey community we thought it would be fun to start a series of videos with Archie performing his old and new tricks at monuments in Paris.
This is the first video in the series with Archie at the Moulin Rouge, so please let us know if you want us to continue with this video series by either commenting on this page or following us on Twitter or Facebook.
Previously we took a day trip from Paris to Deauville, located in the west of France on the Normandy coast. Our travel duration was approximately two hours from Saint Lazar train station with trains leaving the station every one to two hours. The earliest train departing Paris is usually 7am and the latest train leaving Deauville is 8pm, this leaves you with about 10 or 11 hours of activity time.Our day trip to Deauville was a very refreshing break from the everyday life style of a big city. When we live in Australia it takes us 2 minutes to walk to the beach so our main goal in mind was sun, sea and sand. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from the Trouville-Deauville train station to the beach or there are taxi’s waiting right outside the station and the journey is only about 5 minutes.
Our choice was to walk to the town centre which took about 15 minutes and grab something to eat before venturing on to the sea side. The town has some amazing boutique shopping and even more amazing restaurants scattered between two or three main streets. One of my Parisian friends recently returned from a Paris to Deauville day trip and he told me he only went there to have dinner and a few drinks as the seafood is that good. He informed me that the best time to have sea food in Deauville is in the colder months as it is always very fresh.
After a nice meal at a restaurant in the centre of town we slowly worked our way towards the ocean while stopping at many small boutique shops. We were mainly window shopping as the prices were on the higher end of the scale.
We finally arrived to the beach at about 2PM and to our surprise the beach was fairly empty especially since we visited during the summer time in July. The temperature was about 22 degrees Celsius and the sun was coming and going amongst the clouds. For us it was still warm enough to lie on the sand for a few hours and I even went swimming a few times.
The beaches were very different than the Gold Coast, Australian beaches which we are used to. There was an absence of waves and people, the water was extremely cold due to arctic currents coming from the North, There were no strong ocean currents that swimmers had to be concerned about and the sand was also quite different. When we initially walked onto the beach the sand was fine and powdery with a tinge of black to it and then when I walked to water the sand was sharp with lots of shells which almost required footwear to walk on. I also noticed that the salt content in the water was a lot higher when compared to Australian oceans.
After a few hours of sun-baking and swimmer we walked along the boulevard, which ran alongside the beach and stumbled upon the Deauville Casino. We thought it might be cool to put a small amount down on a black jack table. When we tried to get in the casino with our Australian drivers licenses they refused us entry and said we need our passports to gain entry.
By this time it was starting to get late so we grabbed a quick bite to eat in the centre of town on the way back to the train station while taking photos along the way.
Other Things To Do In Deauville
Prior to our Paris to Deauville day trip, Megan took a day tip of her own with a girlfriend who also worked at the Moulin Rouge just to visit a day spa. From what she has told me they had a great time and the spa was really enjoyable.
On our next trip to Deauville we also plan to visit Trouville which is a neighboring suburb and is apparently much like the town of Deauville. We would also like to shoot a round for golf and maybe go to the horse races for something different. We are also thinking about visiting the Festival du Cinéma Americain in early September which is held in Deauville as a cool little day trip.
As you can see there are a number of things you can do for an 11 hour one day trip from Paris, so here is a revised list of things to do in Deauville.
Things To Do In Deauville
Spend time at the beach
Hit a round of golf at one of two amazing courses
Gambling at the Casino
Have a Punt at the Horse Races
Visit one of many nice restaurants in Deauville
Relax at a day spa
Walk the Town shopping
Take Photos of the unique building in the city centre
American Film Festival in early September
For more information when you arrive, you can walk to the centre of town and visit the Office Du Tourisme located on Place de la Mairie. Alternatively check out the Deauville Tourisme official website http://www.deauville.org/en/
So you have come to Paris on holiday or perhaps you live in Paris and are looking for something different to do in the area without having to travel too far. My wife works 6 days a week, so the only places we could travel most of the time are places that involved a day trip from home. I have kicked off a Paris day trip list which will show showcase some of the places we have been to, but will also show some of the places we intend going.
Let’s start with what we think are the top ten day trips, and this will lead to completing the others on the list as we experience them. The day trips that we will cover do not necessarily involve culture or history, although both are almost impossible to avoid in France, but are more based around entertainment and/or adrenalin, and could be a good shake up for something different to the normal everyday experience.
These are not rated in order however the anticipated top 10 have been listed first.
Parc Xtrem Adventures and Base De Loisirs De Cergy
The adventure starts with on this list of day trips from Paris France with a combined family and extreme sports-orientated activity park just outside of Paris which you have probably not heard about until now.
Parks Parc Xtrem Adventures and Base De Loisirs De Cergy are side by side and are accessed from the same entry gate. There are so many things to do at these parks that I could easily spend two days here, but you might not be interested in all the activities that interest me. Still, activities range from cable wake-boarding, to flow rider surfing, to sky bungie and swimming at the beach.
Axe Majeur: While you are in Cergy you could check out the amazing architecture and really nice walk of Axe Majeur during a break. This attraction was created specifically to provide energy and bring life to the town and to give the locals a nice place to relax, hold festivals or simply to take a stroll.
You may notice that the first few Paris day trips are located just outside of Paris in the town of Cergy. To get to Cergy you can take a number of different RER trains and it will take you about 40 minutes from Gare Du Nord. Once you arrive it is then a 5 – 10 minute bus ride from the train station to both parks.
Parc de Thoiry Zoo
When you plan a day trip from Paris to Parc de Thoiry Zoo you will notice that there are some really unique experiences at this zoo. For starters you can take your own car and do a drive tour of the 60 hectare reserve. You will be surrounded by herds of wild animals and are free to explore at your own pace.
You can visit the zoological and historic gardens where it is possible to get up close to animals such as a snow leopard, lynx or cheetah. Pass under glass tunnels and over bridges to get a risk-free up-close encounter.
Don’t overlook the amazing maze, beautiful gardens and historical castles at Parc de Thoiry either. Our personal favourite is the maze but that’s probably just the inner child as we love to check out a maze whenever we get a chance.
Provins
The town of Provins, France is located South East of Paris and is a little over an hour by train. Provins is as close as one can come to medieval times. You can still find large fortified walls around the city and medieval stone towers such as Caesar’s Tower. The town features a piece of history normally only reserved for Hollywood movies or museums.
When you arrive you will find the tourist information centre on Rue Saint-Jean where there is loads of information including a map which shows some good walking routes.
While you are there why not check out a medieval show or Les Aigles Des Remparts? It features trained eagles, owls, camels and more.
Some other popular things to do in Provins are a guided tour of the underground tunnels, the Saint-Jean’s Gate and the Provins Museum. It would be quite easy to plan a day trip to Provins from Paris without having to look for accommodation in the town. See our Day Trip Form Paris To Provins…
Deauville is located on the west coast of Paris and is approximately a two hour train ride. Once you arrive you can either walk, taxi or catch a bus into town. Walking is doable however it does take a bit of time.
When you arrive at the train station you can either choose to visit Deauville or Trouville. These two are neighbouring towns and are very close to each other. They are also very similar in style, activities and all around feel.
Megan and I took a trip to Deauville in July and had an amazing time. As a couple who has spent most of our lives on the beach it was great to be able to escape from Paris city living for a day tip to the beach.
In both towns there are number of amazing restaurants, great boutique shopping, a golf course, bowling, a casino and of course you can just lay on the beach and sunbake. Unfortunately when we tried to go into the casino they informed us that our driver’s licenses were not acceptable as proof of age and only our passports would grant us access. See our Day Trip From Paris to Deauville…
Giverny is located North West of Paris and is approximately forty five minutes by train. The main reason to travel to Giverny would be to visit Monet’s House and Gardens. It took Monet more than a decade to create the gardens which he would later immortalize in his paintings.
The other main activities that people like to do when in Giverny is walk, eat and take photos. Within the town you can find some great spots for amateur and professional photographers as well as grab some great food at Fondation Claude Monet or Restaurant Baudy.
To get to Fontainebleau from Paris it is only a 40 minute train ride and is located just a little south of Paris.
There are two main attractions in Fontainebleau which will take up most of your day trip and possibly you will only be able to accomplish one of them in a day. These attractions are the Chateau de Fontainebleau and the Fontainebleau Forest.
I personally think if you have been to Versailles and liked the Palace of Versailles then you will like the Chateau de Fontainebleau. You may also think that if you have seen one large grand historical palace then you have seen them all. The two are very similar however I would say that the Palace of Versailles would probably be the preferred destination for most people WHY?.
The Fontainebleau Forest however is great for those looking the escape the hustle and bustle of Paris. The Fontainebleau Forest is one of the biggest in France and stretches more than 49,000 Acres. Some great ways to explore this forest is by horseback, bike, hiking or rock-climbing.
You may also be interested to know that during the summer months it is possible to try your hand at water skiing or just sunbake and swim along the sandy beach at Base de Loisir, Fontainebleau.
A Mont Saint Michel day trip from Paris will take you approximately two and a half to three hours get there. It is located on the far east of Paris along the French coastline. In order to get there you will need to catch a train to Caen, Granville, Rennes or Dol de Bretagne, then a coach or shuttle which takes about twenty to thirty minutes. This may seem a bit long, however it is actually faster than driving by car.
Mont Saint Michel is a true French historical marvel. The small island community displays history dating back to the Roman era in the early 400’s. Used by the Romans as a stronghold, you will hear stories of Archangels and a French revolutionary prison. It will not disappoint anyone with even just a slight interest in history.
While you are there, some of the most popular areas to visit are La Grande Rue, Tour du Nord, Terrasse de L’Ouest and Tour Gabriel.
Versailles
About an hour’s train ride south east of Paris you will find the Town of Versailles. This is one of the most popular day tips from Paris in which travellers partake.
Usually the sole focus for travellers when visiting the town of Versailles is to see the Palace of Versailles and the grounds surrounding it. When entering the palace you will be given an audio guide which you can listen to. This is an important part of the experience but a number of times I found myself saying “who cares” and moving on.
There is also a little café in the grounds where you can grab a bite to eat. Our favourite part of the trip is Queen’s Hamlet which was built for Marie Antoinette as an escape from Palace life. I think that it may be a good idea for some to see Giverney and Versailles in the one day trip, or maybe grab a tour which includes the two towns.
Lille
Lille is located close to the Belgium and France boarder to the north of Paris. A high speed train from Paris will get you there in approximately an hour.
When arriving in Lille you will want to head over to the two very popular and stunning squares in the centre of town le grand place and Le Place du Théâtre. If you are fond of finding great old French souvenirs then you should head over to La Vielle Bourse, here you can find a number of vintage products such as maps, prints, coins, books and postcards.
Vieux Lille is the older section of the city and is what would picture a small village in France looking like, scattered with narrow cobblestone streets and quaint little shops. The area also features a number of quality Belgian beers which may interest some travellers.
Of course there is no shortage of cathedrals, monuments and old buildings featuring grand French architecture, if you like this type of thing.
Rouen
Rouen is located to the North West of Paris and it takes approximately one and a half hours by train.
Known for its charm and small cobble stone streets lined with colourful little apartments it also feature the Rouen Cathedral of which Monet famously painted more than 30 canvases. You can get some great picture and views of the city from the “gros horloge” clock tower.
The best time to visit Rouen would be during the third week of October during its annual two day Rouen Food Festival located at Place du Vieux Marché and the rue Rollon. The festival features local producers and popular chefs wearing traditional Normandy clothing while serving up some of the region’s most popular foods.
So That Was Our Top Ten Day Tips From Paris
I think if you had a car you might even be able to see more than one in a day if you plan it right. I always recommend finding a local tour guide to show you the best parts in a few hours, then revisit the places you wanted to see more of. Keep an eye on this post for more day trips added as we complete them.
Amiens
Amiens is directly North of Paris, and it will take anywhere from two to three hours to travel there by train.
The city of Amiens hosts a few popular attractions such as the tallest cathedral in France. The Amiens cathedral is 113 meters high and very much resembles the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris due to its French Gothic Architecture.
Also on the tourist hotspot list when visiting Amiens, is the Jules Verne Mansion and the Floating Gardens. The French novelest, Poet and playwright and his wife spent much of their lives in this mansion. The Floating Gardens are best visited during the spring and summer months. They are a manmade set of canals which feature different types of gardens and can be a great place to take a stroll.
UPDATE: Between the 1st and 8th of June 2015, the Pont des Arts Bridge will officially be closed while the love locks are removed. During this time they will be installing temporary artwork on the panels of local artist and eventually they will be permanently be replaced with glass panels.
This will not stop the people from padlocking bridges in Paris. Once the Pont des Arts Bridge became too full, people simply found another one. At the moment there are probably 4 or 5 bridges on the Seine which are covered in padlocks.
Four years ago I was forced to be apart from my soon to be wife Megan for a little over ten months due to visa restraints. It was then I learned about the love lock bridge in Paris and thought it might be a nice sentiment of our love to attach a padlock with our names engraved on it to the Pont des Arts Bridge.
At the time I thought it was a romantic thing to do and that our lock would be in place for many years to come. Don’t get me wrong it was a really nice thing to do with Megan however little did I know just how short a period our lock would last.
For those who have not heard of the love lock bridge in Paris, it became a trend for lovers to write their names on a padlock, attach it to the Pont des Arts Bridge in Paris and throw the key into the Seine River while making a wish.
The phenomenon caught on all round the world and locks started appearing from New York to Tokyo. I have even seen it start appearing in my home town of the Gold Coast when we walk around the cliff top of Snapper Rocks and Rainbow Bay.
A few days ago Megan and I thought it would be a great idea to visit the love lock bridge again and take a picture of what our pad lock looks like three years later. To our disappointment our lock was nowhere to be found due to either the entire panel where it was located had collapsed or it was simply covered by sheets of ply wood assembled to prevent more locks being place on the bridge.
Authorities are attempting to stop the Phenomenon from occurring however are struggling to find a solution. As the board up the Pont des Arts bridge couples are finding new bridges, fences and anything they can attach a padlock to. I guess you could say that love will find a way along with a number of other cheesy one liner’s.
There is two ways to look at removal of the locks from the love lock bridge. Many French citizens and government departments are desperately trying to find a solution to save the historical bridge which Pont des Arts Bride. However lovers from all over the globe are arriving to the attraction disappointed that they can no longer be a part of the symbolic love lock bridge.
Megan and I can take comfort in the fact that we were able enjoy the moment while the bridge phenomenon was in its early stages. Paris is full of romantic opportunities and two alternatives to the lock bridge may be a nice Paris picnic spot or the I Love You wall in Montmartre.
Have you ever noticed something out of the corner of your eye day after day but never really took note of what was right under your nose?
I’m not trying to be cliché, although it would be quite easy following the previous question. I am actually talking about the wall of love in Montmartre, Paris near the Abbesses Metro station.
For 3 years we lived in Montmartre and almost every day we walked past a little park called Square Jehan Rictus and didn’t really see what was right in front of us. Without noticing it’s fame or importance we had actually once sat at the far end of the park and ate a baguette.
After talking to a few people and a little bit of research we finally decided to show it the appreciation it deserved. With such a rough month settling back in to Paris life and with the feeling of pain and fear still in the air after the recent Paris tragedy (Je Suis Charlie). It’s is great to take comfort in a symbol of Paris which portraits the cities true essence of love, romance and peace.
The Words “I Love You” are written in 311 different dialects and scattered across a forty square metre wall of 612 embossed tiles. In the warmer months the park is a great place to read a book, have a bite to eat or let you children play in the small playground also located in Square Jehan Rictus. In the colder months the park is mainly used as a quick 10minute stop for tourists to grab a few photographs and selfies before moving on to one of the other many attractions in Montmartre.
The creator of the Le mur des je t’aime (I love you : the wall) is Fredric Baron. In 1992 he started collecting over 1000 different ways to write the magic worlds “I love you”. He filled three large notebooks from many different people whom lived in Paris with over 300 different languages. From this he went on to create the “The Book of I Love Yous”( ) and distributed over 50,000 copies within France.
When spending a day in Montmartre walking the cobble stone streets, having a portrait painted at Place du Tertre, or marveling in the magnificence of the Sacré-Cœur it is easy to miss the I Love You Wall amongst the many other attractions. As soon as you reach the top of the stairs and exit the metro station Abbesses simply complete a 180 degree turn and you can’t miss it.
Be aware the location of the park where the love wall is located does have opening and closing hours so if you wish to see them READ HERE…
So we had our Christmas day in Paris all planned out but unfortunately two thieves altered it dramatically.
We arrived at the Champs Elysees for some Christmas morning brunch and realized that we had no cash so decided to use a cash distributor (or ATM as we call it in Australia). Thinking that it would be safer to use the internal cash machine we walked inside the bank however it turns out to be just as hazardous.
As I found out from the police officer after the incident, the Roma/Romani gypsy scammers are not afraid of security cameras or police. I am told that even If the robbers were caught by the police, the French Government would give the perpetrator 200Euros and a plane ticket back to their home country Romania or Bulgaria because most of them are illegal living in France. With this money they can come back to France or a neighboring European country and start again. Of course this means that they get away with the crime with little to zero police investigation, which also means that visitors to Paris must be extra vigilant about their possessions and also the potential to be scammed.
The Paris Scam we encountered was typically simple. I was standing in a “secure location” at the distributor (ATM) and had just put my debit card in the machine. Megan was standing behind me and I noticed a young male of about 16 or 17 years old approach the cash machine next to me. He was at the machine however was not entering his card or performing a transaction. At this point I froze and realized that something was not right. I stopped performing my transaction and tried to cancel it.
While I was pushing the buttons another young male came up from the other side and started waving a piece of paper in front of me and the screen. I knew exactly what was happening and grabbed his hand then pushed him backwards a little. I was sure I hit the ‘Cancel’ button then went to leave but realized my card was still in the machine.
In that moment my main priority was that Megan was ok because she was out of my vision and directly behind me. It’s fair to say I was very distracted, which is the scam, and how they are able to steal money from the everyday person.
I came back to the machine to get my card but as I never entered an amount into the machine the only thing which could possibly have happened was when he was flashing the paper in front of the screen the thief was actually pressing buttons with the knuckles on the back of his hand.
After much pushing and shoving, being spat at several times and thinking to myself “Am I allowed to hit a 16 year old who is spitting at me and trying to steal our hard earned cash?” We grabbed the card and began to leave the bank.
As we were leaving, one teenager was humping the cash machine that we had been using (which we later found out was to disguise what he was actually doing to the machine) and the other was following us to the door and spitting at us. I raised my fist to punch him and he cowered back inside saying “No, No”.
We actually had no idea that any money had been stolen so we went about our day and found a good place to have our Christmas brunch on the Champs Elysees. We were still in a good mood thinking that we had escaped from the incident unscathed and enjoyed our food.
It was only when we got home where I started to think the scammers’ reactions were quite strange as we were leaving the bank earlier that morning. It felt to me that the scam was still going on and that something was not quite right about the whole situation.
I checked my online banking and to my disgust and surprise there had been a withdrawal of 300Euro at a Cash distributor (ATM) that day which was not made by us. If I was to convert the money which was withdrawn to Australian Dollars it equalled AUD$451 at the time.
From here I felt absolutely sick to my stomach and could not fathom how exactly they were able to pull off the scam. The one thing I do know is that it’s all about distraction. There were three things going through my mind at the time and my fight or flight instincts were forcing me to decide which was more important. The first was safety of Megan, the second was attending to the cash machine and the third was fighting them off and how much force I was actually allowed to use in a foreign country.
After the incident we spent three and half hours in the police station waiting for them to get around to us and by the time we exited the station it was dark. The officer who eventually attended to us was extremely nice and helpful.
I also asked him how much force I was allowed to use in a situation such as this. He said to me that the law states if he does not throw a punch or try to harm you then you can’t retaliate. However I was told unofficially that because they are “Roma” and most likely illegal immigrants, nothing would happen to me if I was to get into a fist fight with them, because they will not make an assault complaint because they are “illegal”. He also told me that if a gypsy did complain then there is no way the police officer would waste the time on them in an incident such as this due to the fact that they were committing a crime in the first place.
After discussing our situation with other Parisians I found it a little off-putting about the overall gypsy/Roma mentality, I could feel and hear a very open hatred towards the Roma Communities which i can understand after seeing it first hand.
I also found that a slight lack of education can lead people to believe they are only from Romania. It is true that the majority of Roma/Romani people in France are from Romania and Bulgaria. However the term Roma/Romani refers more to a group of traveling migrants. In fact a Roma persons home country could be Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Hungary or Slovakia. (Here are two great resources to read more about Roma People – Romani Definition – Roma Wiki)
So how can you prevent something like this happening to you if you come to France?
You are no more safe with the internal bank machines to the external bank machines when withdrawing money.
The most common time of year to have this happen is Christmas and New Year’s.
The most common places for this to happen is in touristy areas such as Champs Elysees, The Eiffel Tower, Montmartre etc..
Be proactive and before approaching a cash register look around for scammers and maybe even pretend to withdraw beforehand.
Personally focus on what is happening to the machine, read every word and make sure the operation is completed successfully.
After it is all said and done it cuts deep that they were able to get one over on us however it would have cut a lot deeper if one of us was hurt during the incident. So afterwards we decided to focus on the fact that it’s only money and we were grateful to be able to spend the rest of Christmas day/night together.
If you’re interested in seeing how the rest of our Christmas day unfolded, CLICK HERE>>>
Our traditional Christmas would be spending breakfast, lunch and dinner surrounded by loads of family and friends. Due to the lack of family around us, we had a very good plan to have a great Christmas. Wow, that plan went out the window!
So, the plan was to wake up and open present from each other, rent a scooter and pick it up at 10am Christmas morning. Keep in mind Megan finished work at 2am and we got to sleep about 3am. From here we would head to the Champs Elysees, have a nice warm breakfast/brunch and then head home to Skype with family.
Afterwards we would go to a Christmas party we were invited to by a couple from the Moulin Rouge friends, go ice skating on the Eiffel tower, drive the scooter around and see the Paris Christmas lights, walk through the Champs Elysees Christmas markets, then head home after a huge day.
What Really Happened!
We woke up and gave Christmas present, watched our dog Archie tear them open and listened to Christmas carols. We headed over to the scooter hire company in the 6th arrondissement and picked up our scooter. We were making good time and enjoying our day however starting to get very hungry.
This is where it all started going pear shaped. We arrived at the Champs Elysees at about 1045am and needed to get some cash out from the BNP bank. We walked inside and attended the cash machine where we were robbed or scammed by two Roma teenagers on Christmas day. To cut a long story short they got away with 300Euro which equals approximately $450aud. To read more about the events that unfolded, Click Here…
At this point we thought we actually got away unscathed and received a close call so we continued to enjoy a nice warm breakfast on the Champs Elysees.
It was not until we got home that I realized that something was strange about their reactions when I was trying to fight them off. I checked my online banking and to my disgust there was a deduction of $450 which we did not withdraw. We then spend the next three and a half hours at the police stations making a report.
Now that it was all finally over it was time to salvage what was left of Christmas and join the party we were invited to. Unfortunately we were only able be there for 45minutes before everyone headed off to work at the Moulin Rouge. However for that 45minutes it felt very much like Christmas and I had one of the best tasting beers of the year symbolizing the fact that we can relax and enjoy the day at last.
After the party we drove around looking at some amazing Christmas lights and attending the Christmas markets. I’m fairly certain that everyone else in Paris had the same idea as the markets were buzzing with people.
While at the markets we took some great photos, ate some not so health food, purchased a bunch of junk food to take home and then decided to give the ice skating a miss due to the time and Megan could hardly walk with all the blisters on her feet. Her first week back at work in new shoes have not been kind to her feet so we really thought ice skating would make it much worst.
We scooted back to our apartment and enjoyed some Rum, a gingerbread man and some lollies before passing out in a sugar and alcohol induced stupor. This was another point of our Christmas day where it really felt like Christmas.
Our Thoughts
So our Christmas day did not go as planned nor will it go down in the books as our best Christmas ever. There are so many people in the world suffering at this time of year and all we lost was a little bit of money and time. We are very grateful to be where we are at this point in our life and to be sharing our Paris Journey together.
Through the good and the bad parts the thing we loved the most about the day was that we face the challenge together and at no point did we give up and throw in the towel. It will be a Christmas day we won’t forget and maybe even tell the story to our grand-kids one day.
Previously I compared a number of reputable shuttle companies in Paris to find the best Paris shuttle service and when push came to shove Super Star Travel Shuttles seemed to be a few hairs above the competition when it came to private shuttle services.
The most notable difference between these guys and the other services that I contacted was the email response time. Provided that it was within French business hours super star travel shuttle would respond within a few minutes of me sending them a question.
This service saved my butt and really went above and beyond what they had to do. Amongst all of the rude customer service that you get used to when living in Paris, these guys were a breath of fresh air.
I used them on my most recent trip back to Paris from Australia. When I booked the shuttle they didn’t even ask for cash upfront or a credit card. The driver was waiting outside of the baggage claim area holding a sign with our names on it.
The Driver was quietly spoken and did not say much but none the less he was very polite. He put our bags in the trunk and dropped us off in Montmartre for only 55Euro. Speaking from experience, taxies will cost you around 60Euro to Paris but maybe more depending on where you are going or if you get a dodgy taxi driver.
Megan and I had 5 large bags and in the beginning were looking for a shared shuttle service. I was told it would be 80Euro from a few other unnamed companies. This was because we had so many bags so it was a no brainer to use SuperStar Travel Shuttles private service.
The driver got us where we needed to go in good time. Unloaded the bags and went on his way. Little did I know I would have to call him again in order to help me pick up my dog from the importation area at CDG Airport.
This was yet another example where the service was great. The driver went out of his way to help me with some translation and documentation from the French Importation staff which he did not need to do. We then loaded up the dog and headed back to Montmartre.
The van was new and clean, the phone operators and email contacts were great, and the service from point A to B was everything that’s needed. You can’t go wrong with Super Star Travel Shuttles if you need this type of private transportation.
We had a free pass to the airport lounge in Guangzhou from a promotion linked to our credit card. In total our Paris stopover was 6 hours and we were allowed to spend 3 hours in the Guangzhou premium lounge.
The Guangzhou airport is small with not much to do or eat there. The airport only has WIFI if you have access to the access to the premium lounge or if you have a Chinese telephone number. So right off the bat we were really happy to have access to the lounge.
In the lounge you will have access to a hot shower with towels, hot food and drinks, deserts, a snack bar, WIFI, a recliner area for sleeping, many power outlets to charge devises and a common lounge area when you will probably spend most of your time.
After 3 hours exactly we had the hosts at the lounge come and tell us that our time is up. I am not sure how they knew it was us that had to leave but they were very anal about the schedule.
It was a nice lounge with good service and everything you need in one place. If traveling through that way again I will definitely use them again.
After what seemed like a very short stint back in Australia we are now back in Paris!
So now we are back and as per usually we had our hiccups along the way. It is quite a strange feeling being back. Before we left people were constantly asking us if we felt excited to be coming back. We both seemed to have a calm feeling of content however I wouldn’t really call it excitement. It was more a feeling of going back to familiarity and knowing exactly what lies ahead but still looking forward to the new adventures.
While home in Australia we were able to accomplish a lot in such a short time.
1. Megan completed a number of great dance contracts
2. I played for another semi-professional basketball team
3. We purchased our first house on the sunny shores of Sydney’s northern beaches
4. We become the owner of our little dog Archie who now lives in Paris with us
5. Enjoyed many great moments spending time with family and friends
Leaving Australia
Megan and I were making good time when we arrived at the airport and decide to have our bags cling wrapped. We then headed to the check in desk where we were told that we could only have 10Kg of carry-on luggage each even though we were told 12kg from our travel agent.
From here we had a frantic race to see what we could get rid of or swap to even out the bags. At this point we were starting to be pushed for time and stress started to set in pretty hard core. It was our plan to have a relaxing breakfast after check in with the family that came to say good bye at the airport. Unfortunately we only had a 5 minute cup of tea and then we were off to the customs line.
The customs line was huge and we were starting to freak out as our plane was about to board in 10 minutes and we knew it would be 25 minutes to half hour before we would get to the end of the line. Once we made it through customs we were able to speed walk to our gate while waving good bye to our family. We just made it to the gate as they were boarding.
With all the hustle and bustle we missed a sign that Megan’s family had submitted via SMS for a departure gesture as seen below.
The Plane Trip
The first leg was 9.5hours with china southern airways and we thought this was quite a good airline and flight. The food was good which is strange for airline food, the flight was comfortable and the airline staff was quick to respond when needed. However they didn’t have any spirits just Chinese beer and wine.
The airport layover in Guangzhou went really fast with a 6 hour wait time as we spent 3 hours in the premium airport lounge. We did find out that the only WIFI available was in the Premium lounge and china does not allow access to a number of sight such as Google and Facebook. See More Here…
The second leg of the tip was 12.5 hours and felt like the longest trip of our lives. We were so tired but so uncomfortable and only managed to sleep 30 minutes at a time. We had the middle of 4 seats and were squashed between two medium sized men which loved to hog the arm rests. Asides from that Air France has really uncomfortable seats, poor service, bad food and we have really never had a good trip with them.
Arriving in Paris
When arriving back into Paris we had a great start to the morning. We had a smooth transition through customs with no questions asked, our bags were all there and we had a private shuttle waiting to help us with everything. When I say everything I mean everything, this was honestly the best shuttle service I have ever used and can only justify how good they were by writing a separate article. See Here For Details…
We waited at Starbucks eating pastries and tea while the agent to brought us the apartment key, transported our bags upstairs, got some groceries, a French sim card and by this time Megan had to go to dance rehearsals. This is when the day really started to go downhill for me.
It was my mission to try and retrieve our dog Archie from French immigration. I thought I would catch a bus back to the airport and then get a taxi to the address where Archie is being held. Boy did I underestimate how hard it was going to be.
To cut a long story short. All the taxi drivers said no to me as the trip was to short and was only 10minutes drive. I tried catching the bus to the import area but all the bus drivers said no they don’t go there even though the information desk said they did. Then my phone battery was running low however luckily I had taken the phone charger with me and sat for a few minutes to charge when I was desperate.
At this point I had no idea what to do and thought I would try the shuttle service again as I was scared it was getting late and Archie might have to stay overnight. They picked me up from the airport, took me to the immigration area and they even came in to help me with all the red tape I had to jump through. By the time I got home I could not thank this shuttle driver enough and when it felt like the entire city of Paris would not help me, this driver from superstar shuttles was the one person kind enough and willing enough to help.
What Now?
At this point we are all settled in and very jet lagged. We have been sleeping a lot to try and get our body clocks in order with Megan’s dancing schedule. It’s time for us to plan ahead now and figure out a few things such as what scooter to buy, what suburb we want to live in and what adventures we can complete next.
Download Your FREE eBook & Join Our Monthly Newsletter
Get a copy of our recently released eBook only available to newsletter subscribers. Once subscribed you will gain instant access to the "Ultimate Guide of Free Things To Do In Paris eBook".
On top of this you will also see many other benefits through our Newsletter.
Download Your Free eBook Gift
Keep up with our latest adventures
Read great content by other world famous bloggers
Download Your FREE eBook & Join Our Monthly Newsletter
Get a copy of our recently released eBook only available to newsletter subscribers. Once subscribed you will gain instant access to the "Ultimate Guide of Free Things To Do In Paris eBook".
On top of this you will also see many other benefits through our Newsletter.
er talking to a few people and a little bit of research we finally decided to show it the appreciation it deserved. With such a rough month settling back in to Paris life and with the feeling of pain and fear still in the air after the recent Paris tragedy (Je Suis Charlie). It’s is great to take comfort in a symbol of Paris which portraits the cities true essence of love, romance and peace.
The Words “I Love You” are written in 311 different dialects and scattered across a forty square metre wall of 612 embossed tiles. In the warmer months the park is a great place to read a book, have a bite to eat or let you children play in the small playground also located in Square Jehan Rictus. In the colder months the park is mainly used as a quick 10minute stop for tourists to grab a few photographs and selfies before moving on to one of the other many attractions in Montmartre.
