Paris & London

Hello friends! I am FINALLY getting around to writing about the vacation portion of my study abroad experience. I think it's just been so long since I had absolutely no responsibility that I've just wanted to sit around and do nothing the past few weeks! But, in case you missed it on Instagram, my mom and brother came over to Europe after I finished the school part of my stay. We spent six days in Paris and another four in London, and it was an absolute blast. Full of bumps in the road that inevitably accompany traveling, but a memorable trip nonetheless. As much as I was ready to be home in the USA, I've really been missing European life recently. Be sure to stay tuned for the best parts of my study abroad experience!

My mom and I planned for this trip. SO MUCH PLANNING. I'm talking Google Docs, bullet journals, Pinterest boards, and hundreds of text messages. This was mine and my brother's first times in both cities, so we basically saw every tourist site you could possibly see. And, we went in the height of tourist season. I would recommend to try to visit Europe in early May or wait until September, if all possible. June and July (and August-that's when Europeans get vacation from work) are soooo busy. We didn't really have another option, and we still got to see everything, we just had to wait in longer lines. Also, if you're a big foodie, I would try to plan your days around dinner reservations. There were definitely a few restaurants we did get to visit, but several nights we spent desperately searching for somewhere to eat because, surprisingly, there are not as many restaurants around the larger tourist sites as you would think. Often the best places are in the side streets or further away from the mass crowds.

Without further ado, here is a compilation of our ten day European adventure! I won't write too much, so as to keep this at a reasonable length, but I will include some tips we wish we would've known.

Here are a few general tips:
-Bring tons of coins of whatever currency you're using. Often, you have to pay to use public restrooms, and usually they'll only take coins.
-International data is crazy expensive, but try to make at least one person in your group has access, especially for navigating.
-Use public transportation, especially in Paris! The trains come so frequently (not so much in London) and day passes are super cheap. Traffic (during tourist season especially) is insane.
-Definitely look into things like the Paris Museum Pass. We didn't end up getting it, but I kind of wish we had--the price was basically the same after all the museums we visited, and usually you get to go to the front of every line.

Day 1.

-Visited Notre Dame

-Snack at Shakespeare & Co. Cafe + visited the bookstore

-L'arc de Triomphe-we went up to the top of the Arc! One recommendation I had heard was to go to the top of the arc, rather than the Eiffel Tower, because you can actually see the tower from the top of the arc. And, the wait was hardly five minutes to go to the top.

-Dinner at L' Entrecôte de Paris on the Champs-Élysées (you pay a set price, and you get a massive portion of steak, fries, and salad!)

-Dessert at Ladurée

Day 2.

-Visited the Bastille

-Walked around Tuileries Gardens
-Saint Chappelle

-Picnic on lawn of Eiffel Tower-probably the most cliché thing we did the entire trip, but it was so enjoyable.  **important note about Eiffel Tower! If you're wanting to take photos from the higher-up view (I'll insert a pic), take the metro to the Trocadero stop. The metro lets out right at the scenic point. Any other navigating to the tower will lead you to the "lower" area of the tower, i.e. where you can actually enter. Heads up--there is a ton of security and construction, and lots of walking from the nearest metro stop! 

-Boat tour on Seine River-must do! There are tons of boat companies along the Seine, and most of them have a tour once every hour. This is a great way to see all the major monuments and learn about all the bridges along the Seine.

For this photo, I got off at the Trocadero stop. 

Here, we got off at the "Ecole Militaire" stop. 

Day 3.

-Day Trip to Normandy-I'll link the tour we used! It was half day--so we took a train out to Normandy, arrived around noon, had lunch, went on the tour, ate dinner, and then took the train back to Paris. The tour itself was incredible and our guide was so knowledgeable. The only downside to this trip was that we went on a Sunday, and the already-tiny-town was basically dead, so our restaurant options were limited.

Normandy Tour: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductReview-g187181-d11470202-Half_Day_Small_Group_Tour_to_American_D_Day_Beaches_from_Bayeux-Bayeux_Calvados_Ba.html

Day 4.

-Visited the Louvre-buy your tickets in advance! Otherwise you will be waitinggggg. 

-Dessert at Angelina

-Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe-not even lying, this was the most expensive meal of our entire trip because I was so tired of European food and hadn't anything but for five weeks. I had the most average nachos and a Cobb salad, but it was so, so good.

Day 5.

-Day Trip to Versailles
-If you take away anything from this post, remember this: DO NOT GO TO VERSAILLES ON A TUESDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TOURIST SEASON. The Louvre is closed on Tuesday, so everyone (and I mean everyone!) ventures out to the palace. We left Paris around 9, took a 40 minute train out to Versailles (the RER train), and then waited in line for 2. hours. It was so hot that vendors were selling hats, and there was no food anywhere. It sounds dramatic, but this was probably the most miserable part of the entire trip. Once we got inside, though, it was completely worth it! My recommendation is to tour the palace itself, then rent a golf cart so you can explore the entire property on your own time. Even if you don't rent a golf cart, take their tram to the farthest possible stop--there are many more restaurants + bathrooms with no wait. 

Day 6.

-Visited Musée de l'Orangerie-see Monet's Water Lilies and other Impressionist paintings! This is a good museum if you don't want to spend a ton of time looking at paintings still want to see some popular artists. 

-Ice Cream at Berthillon

-Dinner Cruise on Seine River-this ties for the most extra thing I have ever done (read about the tie-breaker in London), but I 100% recommend. If you want to splurge, this is the way to go. My brother turned 18 on this trip, and this was what he wanted to do to celebrate! There are also so many companies that sell dinner cruises. We had a three-course meal on a boat, rode around during dinner for about 2 hours, and then we passed in front of the Eiffel Tower right as it was sparkling (it sparkles for about 5 minutes every hour). This was probably my very favorite moment in Paris. I really can't explain it, you just have to go and see it for yourself! :)

Day 7.

-Took Eurostar to London-the Eurostar is actually super convenient! MUCH easier than flying--and cheaper! I would allot about two hours at the train station before your actual train leaves. There are several border control checkpoints, and we only had about ten minutes to spare once we made it through. Also, make sure you are able to lift/handle all your luggage on your own; there are no attendants, and the boarding time is pretty quick! 

-Walked around Notting Hill

-Watched England in the World Cup

Day 8.

-Watched Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace-Insanely crowded, but a cool experience! Happens every day at 11 a.m. (at least in the summer). We got to the palace around 10:15, and even then it was already packed. 

-Toured Westminster Abbey--such a cool place! No photos are allowed inside, which I think allows people to actually appreciate the history. Also, we bought our tickets online as we were standing outside the abbey, and we got to completely bypass the ticket line.
-Big Bus Tour-we had purchased tour bus tickets beforehand and were planning on riding it to see other parts of the city. Unfortunately, there was an event the entire weekend we were there, so most of the bus routes were closed/were incredibly limited.

I took many, many selfies on this trip. 

Day 9.

-Toured Tower of London & saw the crown jewels. This ended up being the only attraction we saw this day! We bought the tickets from a tourist vendor (actually ended up being cheaper than at the actual tower). When we arrived, we did the one hour guided tour about the general history of the tower and then stood in line to see a few of the dungeons. The main attraction here is viewing the Crown Jewels; however, the line was about two hours long, and the lunch selection was pretty sparse. So, we asked if we could have reentry tickets, which they gave us! We got lunch and came back to see the jewels, and only stood in line about fifteen minutes. It was definitely something I'm glad we did, but there is no way I would have stood in line for two hours--just personal preference!

Day 10.

-Tea at Sketch Gallery-ties for most extra thing I've ever done. If I could name an experience that embodied "bliss", this is it. Be sure to make a reservation! Expensive, but so worth it. If you go around 1 or 2, it could definitely serve as your only meal of the day.

-Shopped at Liberty of London-this was the one thing I absolutely wanted to do in London!! Make sure to go up to the sewing/goods floor (not sure of the exact name), but they sell smaller pieces of their older fabrics and neck scarves! 

-Visited the National Gallery-FREE

-Walked around by the London Eye

-Boat tour on River Thames-included with our Tower of London tickets

The bathrooms at Sketch....like what?!

So, there you have it! Sorry this is insanely long, but several people had requested it. If you have any questions, please comment or email me!