10 tips for a trip to Paris

Two weeks from now, I will be in Paris. YAY! YAY! YAY! The 10-day trip is a special gift to my daughter Gabi. Kind of a mother-daughter rite of passage.

Joining us will be her Aunt Judy, who is my best friend from childhood; we’ve known each other since we were 7th graders growing up in Chinatown.

Since we’ve never vacationed together as a threesome, this will be a special girlie vacation. The adventure began with making travel arrangements, which I loathe doing. But guess who was elected to handle things.

By going online, I managed to: book a gorgeous-looking rental apartment in the historic district of Le Marais; make dinner reservations in the Eiffel Tower, followed by a Seine River boat tour and order tickets for visiting The Palace of Versailles.

I have no idea if any of these plans will pan out. Oh well, it’s too late to worry about that now…

As for the rest of our trip, that’s wide open. To be honest, I just can’t drag myself to research or book another thing. Yeah, you’re right — I would make a lousy travel agent. But there’s a solution. To save us, I’m turning to you.

Please help crowd source!

Definition of “crowd source,” from macmillandictionary.com:

Trying to find a way of completing a task, a solution to a problem, etc. by asking a wide range of people or organisations if they can help, typically by using the Internet.

So far, my friends have been marvelous. Helen found the website that led me to the rental apartment. Diane, who told me about dining inside the Eiffel Tower, also handed me a list of restaurants that never appear in guide books.

Any tips for visiting Musee du Louvre and Musee D’Orsay? And what about shopping? How about some packing advice? We’re only taking carry-on luggage.  I was thinking of bringing an iPad and possibly a Kindle but leaving the laptop at  home. I wonder if we should pack a hair dryer…

Anyways, hoping to hear from you in the comments below. It would be great to get your 10 tips for a trip to Paris. xo

P.S. — The last time we had a family vacation was when my daughter and I visited India. That was two years ago. We were mostly in south India, with an incredible 36 hours in Mumbai. I can’t wait to travel with Gabi again. And if you’d like to read about Judy and me growing up in Chinatown and going to City College together, click HERE. 

To read the rest of my Paris posts, here are the links:

• 3 ways I’m becoming a smart traveller
• How to eat in Paris for $38 a day
• Come with me to Paris!