Dordogne, Normandy, Paris, and the Tour - July 2025

July 11: We landed very early in Dublin and breezed through non-security. Seriously – no one looked at our passports or tickets. It kind of freaked me out! So we were at our gate with loads of time to sit. But, hey, better than the alternative! The flight to Bordeaux was uneventful; I tried to doze but the boys were too excited. We landed around 10am and waited in a long line for Passport Control – although when I look back over my texts, it looks like we were only in line for just over 20 minutes. Everything feels longer when you’re jetlagged!

We took a taxi to the Novotel Bordeaux Centre Gare Saint Jean; it’s a 5-10 minute walk to the train station and was fine for sleeping. We also paid for it entirely though Chase Points (a theme you’ll see throughout), so it was even better! My parents had been in Bordeaux for a few days already, so they were there to meet us. Our room wasn’t ready, so we stashed our luggage in their room and headed to the train station to find some lunch – aka McDonald’s. More on our Golden Arches lunches later. Back to their room to eat and watch the Tour. By now our room was ready and I was fading fast, so I took nap for about an hour and a half. Then, off to explore Bordeaux!

My parents navigated us through the streets. There was a church nearby that was undergoing an archaeological dig, so we saw what looked like grave outlines. We had ice cream at Le Castan but by now the boys were starting to tire, from the jet lag and the heat, so they didn’t eat much. They cooled off at the Water Mirror, which didn’t have quite the reflective powers I had seen online but was pretty cool nonetheless. We walked down Rue Saint Catherine and Ben ordered a blue Icee in point-and-nod French. Around 6:30pm (and after three hours of walking), we ended up at Tripletta Saint Michel, in the shadow of a tower covered in scaffolding. Here’s where the boys totally wilted. I think they were half asleep at the table! We only ordered two pizzas for the five of us, thinking they wouldn’t eat much – but boy did they perk up when they came! I think they split one between themselves. It was pretty good pizza and in a nice square with several other restaurants. Finally, we went back to the hotel, where we all quickly fell asleep.

July 12: Roadtrip! After “sleeping in” until 8:30am I was able to drag the boys out of bed. We rented a car at the train station (Ben ordered his first – and second! – pain au chocolat in “French”) and headed towards the Dordogne. It was a little confusing navigating the roundabouts to get out of Bordeaux (as navigator, I blame my dad, who was driving), but we were finally on our way. The boys fell asleep in the car as we passed by some beautiful scenery. I now know why Van Gogh painted so many sunflowers!

We arrived in Sarlat la Caneda just before 2pm and checked into the Hotel de Compostelle (bought with Chase Points!). I loved this hotel and would highly recommend it. The man at the front desk (who must have drawn the short straw to have to work the entire holiday weekend) was very helpful and spoke wonderful English. Our room (the boys and I) was really two rooms, with a full or queen bed in each and a small balcony in each one overlooking the street. We arrived too late for lunch (the restaurant nearby politely turned us away), so we ended up at the nearby McDonald’s. By now it was the hottest part of the day, so the boys swam for a bit while I read in the shade. This was my first experience this trip in slooooooowing dooooooown. Usually I schedule every second and want to go go go. But in Sarlat, there was nothing to schedule. The boys wanted to swim, so they swam. It was a nice change of pace.

Some afternoon rains cooled everything down and we headed down the main street into town. Sarlat truly is amazing; I hope to return someday and spend more time both in the town and exploring the Dordogne. Because it was Bastille Weekend, there were fake flowers and colorful streamers hanging over the street. It was crowded, but not with Americans. We ate at L’entrée 2. It was mediocre. I tried foie gras but I think my slice was too cold; it was pretty bland and tasteless. My mom ordered streak and it was quite tough. In my notes, I have written, “mediocre meal in a beautiful setting.” That pretty much sums it up!

After dinner we continued exploring and stumbled across a Bastille Day Fair! The boys were ecstatic. They did bumper cars and failed to win a prize at the claw machine.

And then – disaster struck.

Jack fell on the spinning hamster wheel at the start of the Fun House. He went down hard and came out holding his shoulder. We got his hoodie off and gasped. His shoulder was a mess.

I ran into a nearby bar and asked for help. The waitress was a lifesaver. She called the ambulance and translated for us. No ambulance was available, she told us, but the ER was just five minutes away and they would be expecting us.

I cannot describe how proud I am of Jack. He was in so much pain, but he was able to walk the 20 or so minutes back to our hotel. The hospital was indeed five minutes away and they were expecting us. The Sarlat ER has a few rooms/beds and a small staff, but the main doctor spoke excellent English and everyone was so nice and supportive of Jack. An x-ray revealed a broken collar bone, which sounds horrible but is the best break to have because literally all you do is wear a sling and the bone rebuilds itself. They gave us a prescription for pain meds (the European version of Tylenol and Advil/Motrin) and a child’s sling (the one they gave him in the ER was too big) and sent us on our way. “What about payment?” “We will bill you. Don’t worry; it will be much less than other places.” (The bill came in September: 146 Euros!)

This was, obviously, very traumatic at the time. We were in a foreign country, didn’t speak the language and my son was in the ER. But, as far as ER visits go, this one was fantastic. Jack fell at 9:26pm; it’s timestamped on my phone. We called my husband from the hotel room right before midnight. The whole thing, from break to being back ‘home’, took less than three hours. At our home ER, we would have been there all night. After propping Jack up and surrounding his with pillows, we finally went to bed.

July 13: Today we were supposed to take canoes down the Dordogne – but obviously we had to cancel that (the company was very nice and gave us a full refund, minus 10 Euros for commission). We all slept in and then started the Great Pharmacy Search. This proved impossible, as it was a Sunday. Still, the drive was nice and we stopped at some castle – ruins? It was unclear; there seemed to be construction going on. Jack was in quite a bit of pain for most of the day, but by evening we’d gotten him through it with the Tylenol and Advil we’d packed and he was okay. The boys ate McDonald’s for lunch (Ben got a McDoo fan) while the adults got provisions at Carrefour. A baguette, some brie and strawberry jam – that hit the spot! We made reservations for dinner at Romane for my dad’s birthday, which was excellent on all fronts (the carbonara was delicious!). Ice cream on the walk home, then to bed.

July 14: Bonne Fete National! One pharmacy in Sarlat was open on this Bastille Day; they had the medications but not the sling. Jack wasn’t 100 percent but was feeling better, so we kept to our pre-broken-clavicle plans – the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies and the caves at Lascaux.

We got to Les Eyzies shortly before noon on Market Day. After looking around at the various items and foods, we headed up the hill to the National Museum of Prehistory. The location is stunning; it seems like the museum was carved out of the stony hillside and the views from the terrace/balcony area are amazing. Jack loves all things prehistoric, so this finally put a smile on his face. I’m glad we visited here first, as it gave us better context for viewing the caves.

We had lunch at 1000 Sandwiches on the main road; I had a brie, tomato and lettuce sandwich on what I think might be the best bread I’ve ever eaten. I spent the rest of the trip looking for a sandwich this good. Then off to Lascaux. On the way we passed fields of sunflowers, signs for many, many caves – and then, out of nowhere – a huge open pharmacy specializing in orthopedics!! A Bastille Day Miracle!! The pharmacist found the perfect sling for Jack (two long pieces that Velcro-ed together to make a sling) and put it on him. He was so much more comfortable after that! (Time and getting the right pain meds also helped.)
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the caves; it felt weird that we were seeing a reproduction, not the actual paintings. But it truly was an awesome experience. Our guide was fantastic and while I’m sure our group was full, it never felt crowded or rushed. The famous image is the running bulls, but my favorite image was the stag, especially how delicate the antlers were painted; I ended up getting a magnet of this image at the gift shop. Less awe-inspiring is the museum/exhibit after the caves. None of us could get the computers to work and it seemed more flash than substance.

On the way back to Sarlat we passed La Roque St. Christophe; we considered stopping but all were tired and we didn’t want to push Jack. We had dinner at La Rapiere, right across from the Cathedral. The duck confit was amazing – crispy skin, delicious (mushroom?) sauce, thinly cut roasted potatoes – YUM! One of the best meals of the trip. We then strolled around, got the requisite ice cream, and headed back to our hotel. Fireworks started at 11pm, but we were too tired to stay in town for them. We heard, but couldn’t see, the fireworks from our room, but honestly, that was fine.

July 15: We couldn’t leave the Dordogne without visiting a castle! We visited Castelnaud-la-Chapelle on our way out of town. It is a windy road up and then a walk from the parking lot down a steep incline (and back up it when we were done!). But I’m so glad we made the time to visit. The castle was really cool, with amazing views of the river and countryside, but also easy to tour quickly. The boys especially liked the various weapons and trebuchets on display. It is a little tight going through the castle exhibits from the “front,” but Mom and Jack came around the back and were able to see most of it. And we saw the tiniest hummingbird on our way out! In all, we spent about an hour and a half there and that was plenty of time for us.

Then it was off to Toulouse! We avoided the highways and spent hours driving through beautiful sunflower fields. We dropped off the rental car at the train station and then headed to the Ibis Styles Toulouse Centre Capitole – which, as the name suggests, is right on the main Plac du Capitole (paid for with Chase Points!). More important than the location, the hotel had strong air conditioning, which was welcome as the temps hit into the 90s while we were there. We met my aunt and cousin for dinner; they had found a great deal on last-minute airfare and came to join us for the Tour. We ate at La Bellini, right on the Plac (the carbonara was excellent), and finished with our ritual ice cream during Golden Hour.

July 16: Vive le Tour! We came to Toulouse specifically because the Tour de France started and finished in the city. And as fate would have it, family-fave Ben Healy was in Yellow to start the day!

After a pretty good breakfast at the hotel (the only one on the whole trip that included breakfast), we walked across town to the staging area/unofficial start of the stage. It was pure mayhem! Cars/trucks/floats kept coming by and people would throw out hats and buffs and keychains to the crowd that was clamoring for whatever freebies they could get. Somehow we all ended up with big FDJ sunhats, which came in handy the rest of this hot day. Then we lined up to watch the Caravan (all the sponsors) go by and got more crap – I mean, wonderful souvenirs. Ben ended up with a Cofidis buff and I caught some kind of gummy candy. We then found a shady spot along the route and waited for the riders. This was still in the neutral start part of the stage, but they still came in so fast! The video on my phone is 38 seconds. They are a blur, but we found Healy in Yellow and Julian Alaphillipe, another favorite, was kind enough to start off the back, so we saw him come through solo.

It’s really amazing how the organizers have this race down to a science. Almost immediately after the last rider came through, a van stopped and unfastened one of the big neon arrow signs pointing the way of the route. They must reuse them because this one has several holes. Ben ran up and asked if he could keep it. The guy didn’t respond, got in the van – and tossed the sign out the passenger window! Ben was able to scoop it up and now it lives perched on top of his bookcase. A much better Tour souvenir than a real estate key chain!

After a bit of rest in the a/c, we went back out to catch the Caravan again just before the 1KM mark. More freebies were thrown with abandon (Okay, I know I’m being snarky about this, but really this was a fun experience. The riders go by so fast they are basically a blur, so don’t go to see them. Go for the atmosphere and the experience of being AT the Tour. We also got a few really cool magnets in this go-around that now adorn our fridge.). There was some time between the Caravan and the riders, so my aunt and I went to a couple churches while everyone else got drinks and watched the Tour on TV at a nearby restaurant. We were only able to enter the front of the Chapelle des Carmelites but toured the entire Basilica of Saint-Sernin, a Romanesque marvel.

We returned just in time to watch the riders race towards the finish – another blur of bikes. Again, the organizers are incredible – they started dismantling the 1KM arch almost immediately; you can see them taking it down in the picture I got of my dad and boys in front of it after the race. By this point, it had been a long, hot day and we all wanted to escape to the a/c – all except Ben, who insisted that we walk down to the finish line to see if we could see any riders up close. We indulged him – and I’m so glad we did! We got to the media vans just as Bob Roll and Phil Liggett were coming out! Bob said hi but hurried off, but Phil could not have been nicer. He asked Jack about his broken collar bone and assured him it would heal properly (“Here’s where I broke mine.”). He posed for pictures and didn’t seem in a rush at all. Really, this was one of the highlights of the trip for all of us. Dinner at La Compagnie Francaise (more pasta!) and then to bed.

July 17: Today was hot – I think the hottest of the trip. We all took a day trip to Carcassonne – all except my aunt, who had been years ago. I didn’t understand why she chose to pass it up, but having visited Carcassonne, I now do. This is not to say I didn’t enjoy the visit – I’m very glad we went. But having been, I don’t need to go back. We followed the Rick Steves tour between the inner and outer walls to the entrance behind the Basilica. The Basilica was beautiful and the stores were fun to explore – to a point. But it was so hot, and getting progressively more crowded, and the stores all sold to same kinds of things. We only stayed a couple of hours, which for us was long enough. Am I glad we went? Absolutely; it’s a marvel. Would I go back? Maybe? Not in the summer, that’s for sure. If you go, make sure to take note of the bus times back to the main town near the train station. There were only three buses posted, and they came over an hour apart.

Back to Toulouse, where we spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel’s air conditioning watching the Tour before venturing out in the evening for dinner. We ate on the Plac at L’Illustres (too hot for pasta, so I had the Caesar salad, which was huge). Mandatory ice cream then bed.

July 18: Back to Bordeaux! This time we were not jet-lagged and it was a good 10-15 degrees cooler, which made a world of difference. We stayed at the Novotel Bordeaux Centre Gare Saint Jean again (paid with Points!) and walked up Rue Sainte-Catherine before catching the tram to the Cite du Vin – aka the Wine Museum!

I had heard good things about this, both from strangers on the internet and a friend, and it more than exceeded my expectations. I only wish we could have spent more time here! Jack loved the History of Wine section; he and I spent most of our time here, listening to every audio guide entry and reading everything. So much of the museum is interactive. We “stomped” grapes, matched wine to different courses of a meal and smelled a lot of interesting things. To finish it off, we got a complimentary glass of wine – or grape juice – upstairs, with amazing views of the city. I chose the Bulgarian red because, well, where else would I get the chance to try that? We had pizza dinner at Tripletta Saint Michel again then back to the hotel.

July 19: Today’s original plan was to rent a car at the Bordeaux Airport just as James was arriving on the same flight we had taken a week ago before driving to Mont St. Michel. However, James’ flight was so delayed leaving Hartford that it was clear he wouldn’t make the connection to Bordeaux. After some late-night searching, we were able to get him on the afternoon flight from Dublin to Nantes, only a slight detour from our planned route.

So off we went north! But no more sunflowers. I know we covered a lot of physical ground on this trip – maybe more than some would recommend – but it was such a great experience to see these vastly different areas of France. Normandy looked and felt so different from the Dordogne and the south – cooler, flatter, cloudier. Amazingly, picking up James at Nantes worked seamlessly, and after driving all day, we were treated to our first views of Mont St. Michel just after 6:30pm.

I don’t know if I can adequately describe the awe of rounding the road and seeing Mont St. Michel just appear, as if magically out of thin air. My car pictures don’t begin to do it justice.

We stayed at Hotel Gabriel (Chase Points again!), which is inside the gated entrance with all the other Mont hotels and restaurants. We didn’t quite realize that once inside, we were basically in until we left the next morning, which meant we couldn’t venture out to find outside food. Instead, when we checked into our hotel, the front desk made it sound like we might be entirely out of luck for dinner, as we didn’t have a reservation. “Would you like me to make one for you?” Yes, please! After the fact, I think we were a bit taken for ride, as the restaurant (Restaurant La Salicorne) was nowhere near full when we arrived for our “reservation.” It was probably the worst meal of the trip – mediocre food at its most edible.

But, hey – you don’t come to Mont St. Michel for the food! You come for the abbey! And we had bought tickets to tour the abbey at night; the theme this year was something about the moon. I’m pretty sure we toured the abbey in the opposite path that Rick Steves lays out in the guidebook, so I was a little confused at first, but honestly, it didn’t matter. The abbey was absolutely stunning with the lights and illuminations, even more so because it wasn’t crowded at all. There were other people, obviously, but there were also several times when the six of us were the only people in a room.

I would absolutely recommend coming to Mont St. Michel at night. It was truly a magical experience. The lighting was stunning – colorful, stain glass-type illuminations on walls, stars on the ceiling, a huge moon suspended in the main altar. We got to the top terrace just before 10pm, aka sunset. It was cloudy and drizzling at times, but it was still stunning. The tides were out, so we didn’t get the true “island” view, but it did mean the boys got to write their names in the sand and we were able to walk a bit on the mudflat.

July 20: Happy Birthday to Ben! He insisted on seeing the sunrise, so he and I got up at 6am and walked on the road behind the hotel towards the Mont. It was too cloudy for a real sunrise, but still a wonderful moment to share with him. And we got to see some sheep having an early breakfast!

After a little more sleep, we headed towards Bayeux, stopping first at the German War Cemetery at Huisnes-sur-Mer. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were treated to great views of the countryside and Mont St. Michel from the elevated viewing area, which seemed so incongruous with what the Cemetery represents. I was especially moved by the many plaques reading simply, “Ein Deutscher Soldat.”

From there, we headed to Bayeux. The weather was now a bit rainy and chilly, a stark contrast to the heat we’d experienced in the south. We ate a late pizza lunch at le Saint Jean and then viewed the Bayeux Tapestry (just months before it moved to London!). Amazingly, the boys knew the story of 1066 well, thanks to the Youtube channel OverSimplified and their episode on it, so they got a big kick out of seeing the tapestry in person. The adults enjoyed it, too.

From there, we made the short drive to Arromanches-les-Bains and the Hotel Les Villas d’Arromanches (Chase Points one last time!). This is a truly stunning hotel with a pool (Ben went for a quick swim, even though it was cloudy and cool). We then walked down the path into “town” and walked along the promenade. Unfortunately, it was high tide so we didn’t get to see artificial harbor, but it was still a nice walk. We had dinner at La Creperie de la Plage, which was pleasant but nothing to really write home about (I had a chicken Caesar salad).

July 21: Today was all about the D-Day Beaches. We did the Rick Steves drive in reverse, starting at the point farthest away (the Musee du Debarquement at Utah Beach) and then hitting spots on the way back to Arromanches. I was especially excited about this day because I’m a history professor and was going to be teaching a course on WWII in the fall. I came away from this day with a much deeper understanding and appreciation for D-Day.

The Museum at Utah Beach was, if I’m being honest, a bit of a mixed bag for me. The introductory film was excellent, but the museum itself was crowded and mainly featured tanks and planes, which isn’t really why I study history (I tell students I study war, not the military). We also had a long day ahead of us and couldn’t spend as much time as is needed to read everything. We cut out of the museum after only an hour or so, got a cute picture of the boys in the Higgins Boat out front, and then hit the beach behind the museum.

THIS was what I really took away from Utah Beach, and really the day in general. We were at the beach at low tide, so we got to see exactly how far the American troops had to travel to get to the bluffs and cliffs. It was so far – and I didn’t even go out all the way! I tried to imagine what that day would have been like, but – thankfully? – that was nearly impossible because the sun was out, the boys were playing in the sand, my mom was picking up shells, and people were riding by on horseback. I had the same feeling later in the day, when we went to Omaha Beach and I nearly stepped on a sandcastle and a German couple was walking their dog. Standing in a place where so many bled and fought and died was quite meaningful for me. I’ve been to several concentration camps; while the D-Day Beaches weren’t quite as impactful, it was still a very poignant moment.

From Utah Beach we drove east, gathering picnic provisions at Carrefour and then stopping at Pont du Hoc (I can’t believe Rangers climbed those cliffs!) and the American Cemetery. We got there in time to hear Taps, but didn’t actually see the flag ceremony; we did wander briefly by the white crosses before the Cemetery closed. Finally, I insisted we stop at Omaha Beach to see the Les Braves sculpture, even though by this point we were all pretty worn out. I knew I would regret not seeing it, and I’m very glad I made us stop.

Back to Arromanches for a drizzly dinner at 6 Juin (I think I had fish and chips?) and ice cream down the street for our last night in Normandy.

July 22: Bienvenue a Paris! We drove to Caen to return the rental car and then took a very crowded train into Paris. The first thing we did upon arrival at St. Lazare was purchase a week-long transit pass loaded onto the Navigo Decouverte card. It took some time to get six cards, but was well worth it; we were able to use the passes not only in Paris, but also to Versailles and the airport. The only thing to remember is that this isn’t a week from the day you buy it; it runs from Monday to Sunday. We bought it on a Tuesday, so I guess we really only got six days of use out of it. Still, an excellent deal and very convenient.

We put our Navigo passes to use immediately as we took the Metro to our hotel in the 7th, near Rue Cler. The Hotel le Tourville is beautiful; the family room is on the top floor with views of the Eiffel Tower from the bathroom windows (if you strain your neck – but still cool!). We had lunch at La Terrasse du 7, right around the corner. I chose poorly with a soggy chicken club, but Ben greatly enjoyed his first Croque Monsieur and Jack had what he still says his is favorite lemonade (several places served it like this – a third of a tall glass of straight lemon juice alongside a small carafe of water and some sugar; Jack, who eats lemons as dessert, just added water, no sugar, and was in citrus heaven).

We’d last seen my aunt and cousin in Bordeaux; they had gone straight to Paris when we left for Normandy. They were flying out the next day, but we were able to meet up with them to tour the Hotel de Invalides. Ben became a big Napoleon fan on this trip, so he was thrilled to see a place basically dedicated to the man. We saw Napoleon’s tomb and then toured the WWI and WWII exhibits of the Army Museum. Ben listened intently to a video on the Enigma machine for several minutes. When I asked for a summary, he said, “I don’t know – it was all in French!” I wish we had had time to explore more of the exhibits, but we were up against closing time. We had dinner at Café des Officiers (Ben had a Croque Madame this time). I don’t remember what I had but I remember it being a nice meal.

After dinner, we said a final goodbye to my aunt and cousin and took the 6 Metro – with the iconic, elevated view of the Eiffel Tower – to the Arc de Triomphe, continuing our Napoleon Tour. We were at the top by 8:30pm and stayed about 45 minutes. This might be my favorite view of Paris, in large part because you can see the Eiffel Tour. It’s cool to see all the streets fan out around you; you can see down the Champs all the way to the Louvre. Even though we were up there past 9pm, we were still too early to see the Eiffel Tower light up (something to remember if you come in the summer – sunset is later than you think! I was constantly surprised at how long it stayed light out. No wonder they eat dinner so late!). But it meant I got a really cool photo of the sunset through the Arc (at 9:31pm) and by the time we were walking past the Eiffel Tower en route to the hotel, it was after 10pm so we got to see it lit up (but missed the sparkling lights by seconds).

July 23: When we visited London in 2022, we got earliest times available for several sites, so we were up early each day. Not so with Paris – and with my parents, who didn’t want to rush in the morning. I am torn on this. On the one hand, it was the last week of an already long trip, and we were tired. On the other, I felt like we were wasting time. I think there must be a happy medium that I haven’t found yet.

This morning, we took the bus to Notre Dame, arriving just before 11am. I hoped we could see it before our noon tickets to Sainte Chapelle, but the Cathedral was closed to a private funeral. We wandered around (Ben got a beret) and then got in line for Sainte Chapelle. This was one of the main things I had missed seeing when I visited Paris in high school, so I was so happy to get to see it this time. And it did not disappoint! The chapel is a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but oh! That stained glass! The colors – the red, the purples! Absolutely stunning! One of the highlights of Paris for me.

After lunch somewhere in the maze of streets across the river from Notre Dame, we wandered around before getting caught in the rain and metroing to Place de la Concorde. It was now after 2:30pm, we were damp and had no other timed plans – so my mom declared we should head back to the 7th for ice creams and downtime. Again, this is not how we traveled in London – we were go go go. But she might be on to something. Isn’t it part of the Parisian experience to linger in a café? Ben got an Oreo milkshake and Jack got a sundae at Le Tourville, both crowned with whipped cream so smooth it looked like satin.

After some downtime (during which at least one of us napped), we went back out into the drizzly streets to walk down Rue Cler. The boys snacked on berries and Ben got a free cheese sample (not his last of the trip). This really is a quaint little street; the produce especially is impressive. Dinner at Les Telephones, which hit the spot – nothing fancy, but good, tasty food.

July 24: We were up early and arrived at the Palace of Versailles just before 9am for our 9:30am entry. Aside from the room holding the Mona Lisa, this was probably the most crowded site of the trip – but still completely worth it! Jack loved all the Greek and Roman mythology paintings and statues. The highlight for me was the Hall of Mirrors. I’m a European historian, specializing in Central Europe, so to stand again in this room with so much history – declaration of a unified Germany, the Versailles Treaty – made me a bit verklempt. We explored the gardens (music, but none of the fountains were on) about 45 minutes and then had to make a decision – keep going to Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s farm, or head back and find lunch. We decided on the latter, which was the right choice but means I’ll have to return to Versailles to see these last two elements (oh, darn!). We ate at Helio’s Pub and honestly – I would have preferred the Golden Arches. Very slow service and mediocre food.

Upon returning to Paris, we chanced the wait at Notre Dame. The line stretched all the way across the square in front of the cathedral. The boys balked at the wait, so I told them we would leave if we were still in line after 20 minutes. And 19 minutes later – we were inside! I have no idea if this is still an issue now, a full year later, but I will say don’t be afraid if there’s a huge line – it really does move fast.

Unfortunately, the line moves fast because you are basically herded through Notre Dame in a sea of people. I last visited in late December, and my memory of Notre Dame is dark, grey and empty. The restoration is amazing; it looks like they power washed the stones! Visiting last July meant the interior was bright, white and crowded. There was no time to ponder and wonder at the stained glass or chapels. You are just kind of pushed around the perimeter; the center is reserved for worshippers.

My parents took the boys to dinner and James and I celebrated our anniversary at La Fontaine de Mars, which some on this forum had recommended. Thank you for that! The duck confit was delicious and we ate outside by the fountain. A tasty way to end the day!

July 25: My parents opted to sleep in and have breakfast on Rue Cler, while we were up early for our trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. My trials and tribulations of ordering tickets are somewhere on this website, but suffice to say only elevator tickets were available when I bought them. And honestly, that was fine with me! I will agree with others that the best view of the city is from the second level; the very top is too high and too small. Still, I don’t regret going all the way to the top. We did end up walking down, so we got to see the tower’s “guts.” This is how I would recommend touring the Eiffel – elevator up and stairs down. We also stopped on the first level for a drink break in souvenir cups.

We had evening tickets for the Louvre, so we took the long way there, walking the entire length of the Champs Elysees. First stop was the Tour de France store near the Arc de Triomphe for souvenirs, then McDonald’s for lunch for the boys (the adults later got sandwiches at Paul). We stopped into the Petit Palais for the free bathrooms but stayed for the ancient art; we basically had to drag Jack out. We then relaxed in the Tuileries Garden while the boys played with sailboats in the Bassin Octogonal. I think this might have been one of their favorite parts of Paris. We took some photos with the Olympic Cauldron/balloon, shared some Cokes in the shade, and then entered the Louvre.

We followed the Rick Steves tour route. In 2023, we went to the National Gallery in London and lasted exactly one hour, so I was hoping to do at least that here. Well, it took us almost an hour to get out of the first room, because Jack wanted to stop and examine and read EVERYTHING – and then he would find one of us and share what he’d just learned about this ancient artifact. Eventually we got to the rest of the art. I got to see my all-time favorite painting (de Vinci’s The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne) and we squeezed in to see the Mona Lisa (both boys were surprised at how small she is). As we left a bit after 7pm, Jack saw a sign and said, “Hey – why aren’t we going to see the Egyptian art?” So add the Louvre to the list of things we’ll need to return to. We got dinner at La Commanderie, right around the corner from our hotel. Another delicious meal and one last carbonara in France.

July 26: We were definitely starting to feel the length of the trip by this point. We had evening tickets of the Catacombs, but that was all we had scheduled, so we slept in and had a late breakfast on Rue Cler at L’éclair (excellent fresh-squeezed orange juice). Then we just – wandered. We went to the Galerie Lafayette to see the beautiful ceiling and views from the roof. We then went to the Carnavalet Museum (more Napoleon for Ben). This is a very pleasant museum; I especially enjoyed the all the exhibits on the French Revolution. On the way to the Metro, we stumbled across the St. Paul and St. Louis church and ducked inside for a quick peak. Then we hit the Catacombs. It really isn’t that spooky; the people there really stress that this is an ossuary and entrants should be respectful of the lives these bones represent. I’m glad we went but don’t feel the need to see it again (especially after tickets were such a pain to get). For our last dinner in Paris, we ate at Le Roussillon (the sign says Café Roussillon) at the corner of Rue Cler and Rue de Grenelle. Finally, finally – I had beef bourguignon. And it was amazing! What a meal to end on. We finished dinner just in time to dash down the street to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle at 10pm.

July 27: After storing our luggage in my parents’ room (they were staying an extra day), we went out for one last day of wandering under grey skies. We walked around the Latin Quarter, where a man at a Greek restaurant spoke Spanish to the boys and gave them a free sample of gyro meat. Smart man – we ended up buying a gyro! After lunch we walked along the Seine to the Pont de la Concorde to stake out a spot to watch the Tour go by – enduring a brief rain shower for our troubles. But it was worth it to watch the riders fly by once again. After that, it was Metro ride back to our hotel for our luggage, and then back out to catch the bus to the airport. We stayed the night at the Hotel Mercure (Chase Points one last time!), which is convenient but be warned – the restaurant is limited and expensive. I wondered why we passed so many people heading back towards the airport when we got there. Turns out they were looking for food! By the time we figured all this out, the only thing open in the airport was – McDonald’s. So our last real meal in France was Golder Arches.

July 28: We flew out of CDG and connected in Dublin. I include this here only to let you know that you go through Customs and Immigration in Dublin (yay!) – but the terminal you’re in after that is a food desert. There’s a store selling chips/candy/snacky things and a suspect “café” with limp sandwiches. So come prepared!

All in all, this was a really successful trip! Some last thoughts:

Travel with grandparents. I would like to amend Rick’s advice about traveling with kids. He says, take them to Grandma and Grandpa’s house on the way to the airport. I say, stop by their house and take them with you to the airport. It was so much easier – and so much more fun! – to travel with my parents. And I mean that beyond the extra support I needed after Jack broke his collarbone. Just having another pair of adults around – even though the boys are getting older and more self-sufficient – made everything easier. And it meant James and I got to have a date night! Mainly, it was an awesome way to make memories; my kids won’t just remember France, but specifically remember traveling there with my parents. I love that those two things will be linked for them.

I’m so proud and impressed by how the boys handled this trip – especially Jack! He was such a trooper and never complained. Ben loved asking people where the bathroom was or announcing we were six to restaurant hosts in French. Two years made a big difference in their appreciation and understanding of the history of the places we saw.

The food was amazing. I think there were only a few places that were mediocre; everywhere else was fabulous – even the McDonald’s! And no, I don’t regret that we ate there. It was easy and everyone liked it and let me tell you – every McDonald’s we went to was busy, and in each (besides the one on the Champs) we were the only Americans in there. It definitely helped that we were in France and the boys were older, but overall the food situation was much easier to deal with here than in London.

Scheduling timed tickets was a lot harder than I thought it would be. We ended up not going to the Orangerie because I wasn’t sure where to fit it in, and then it was too late to get tickets. Same with the Musee d’Orsay. These were the two big things I wish we had seen – especially the Waterlilies, since I missed those last time, too. This meant the last two days really had nothing scheduled, so we just wandered. Which maybe is the point sometimes? Just exploring a city and seeing what you find? Maybe I just need to change my point of view on traveling. Take time to relax with an ice cream at a Parisian café instead of constantly being on the move.

I am glad I went back to Paris, and there are a few things I still want to see there that would make me want to return – but I largely still feel the same about it as when I visited in high school – it’s not my favorite. Blasphemy, I know! What’s funny is my mom, who has been to Paris several times, remarked that this was the first trip during which she really enjoyed Paris. Again, I think this is in large part because she slowed down. We also hit Paris at the end of a long trip; I wonder what our experience would have been like if we started there fresh.

That being said, I absolutely loved the Dordogne and places south. The landscape was just amazing; I will always remember those endless sunflower fields. When we were driving to Lascaux, we kept seeing signs for other caves and attractions. I would love to go back and just spend a week – or more! – in Sarlat or another nearby town. This time, we could truly relax, see the caves and markets, take a canoe trip – and no one would break their clavicle! I enjoyed Normandy, too, but the Dordogne is the place that truly captivated me on this trip.

Finally, we scheduled this trip around the Tour de France. I highly recommend going to see the Tour, especially if you are a fan. But, I would say – don’t go expecting to see the riders. We saw them three times (twice in Toulouse and once in Paris), and I think the combined time for all three sighting was less than two minutes. Go for the atmosphere, for the Caravan, to explore a part of France you might have never thought to visit. Toulouse wasn’t high on my list, but it was a convenient spot because the Tour had both a rest day there and both started and ended in the city. That’s why we went there – and I’m so glad I got to see the Pink City. Then we just built the trip around that location. A day trip to Carcassonne. The Dordogne before. Flying into Bordeaux and seeing that city. Use the Tour as a jumping off point to see other places.

And yes, we saw a lot. I called this our own Tour de France. This was probably too much movement for a lot of people. But it worked for us. We traded samplings for a deep dive, but I’m happy with that trade. How different Normandy is from Toulouse from Sarlat from Paris – and we got to taste them all!

Well – this got out of hand! If you made it to the end, kudos! Now to plan our next adventure….

That was an adventure, indeed!

I'm sorry about Jack's broken clavicle but glad he was able to still have a good trip and you had some good service from the healthcare workers (I work in healthcare).
And another Napoleon fan! My daughter is quite enthusiastic.

I was confused about the Mona Lisa room being the most crowded in Versailles.

Yes visit Marie Antoinette's hamlet next time.

Glad you could explore quite a variety of France! I've only seen some of Normandy and Paris region across 3 trips.

That's really special grandparents could come along, too.

Do you know where to next? In a year?

What a great read -- a truly spectacular trip report!

No shame in McDonald's. It's cool to experience it in other countries. Kids like it. It's one of my "go to"s when I need a toilet in Europe 🙂.

I love that you scheduled the tour around an event that is important to your family. It's such a great way to structure a trip. How cool that you got to meet a couple of commentators for the Tour de France?

I'm glad you got to do a multi-generation trip, too. I suspect some of your mother's good feelings about Paris might have been driven a bit by having the grandsons there and being able to see an old place through the enthusiastic eyes of a 10 & 12 year old.

Normandy is one of my favorite places I have visited. I'm not a historian, but I read about 20 books about Operation Overlord prior to going there. It is a special place. I agree that seeing the distance on the beaches makes D-Day so much more real. Pointe du Hoc also makes you realize what amazing feats the American troops (in this case, rangers) accomplished. I took a 19-year-old there; it was neat to see how he responded to what we saw.

Not blasphemy at all to say Paris is not a favorite city. It's not for me, either. There are definitely nifty things to see, but there are many cities I like better.

Sorry to hear about Jack's clavicle, but if you have to break a bone in a foreign country, that's the one to pick. An old medical goes something like this: "As long as the two ends of a broken clavicle are in the same room, the clavicle will heal just fine."

I'm flying into New Haven in September, picking up a rental car, and taking a little drive through New England (ending in Maine) to knock out visiting my last 4 states in the contiguous US.

A week in the Dordogne a couple of years ago was my favourite trip to France so far. Someday I'll be back as well. We stayed in Beynac and loved it. I'm surprised with two boys that you only visited one castle. I'm like a 10 year old boy when a castle is nearby and if I had a bumper sticker on my car it would say "I brake for castles."

Wow, amazing amazing trip report! Loved it. Amazing how much you saw and weren’t exhausted. I’m in agreement that Paris isn’t a favorite, some cool great things to see but just don’t enjoy it like many people on the forum. Can’t wait to see the Dordogne someday. Thank you for sharing your trip!