My wife and I celebrated our 35th Anniversary a bit earlier by taking a trip to the City of Lights and the Eternal City. We had a wonderful time. We spent five days in Paris and three in Rome. It was 36 years since I was at these cities as a young serviceman, this time with my wife and as a tourist. Paris is everything you have heard about, the food, the charm. We were non stop since arriving from our eleven hour flight from LAX. My wife was so intrigued and can't wait to return, so a trip in the future is in the planning stages. Five days wasn't enough for Paris, we had to rush through Pantheon, Museum de Invalides, Notre Dame, a disappointing visit to Peres Lachaise, it was closed due to windy conditions. We also visited Normandy and Omaha Beach and Pont Du Hoc. As a retired Marine we visited the hallowed ground of Ainse-Marne Cemetery and Belleau Wood, we drank from the Devil Dog fountain. The people in France were very friend and hospitable. Our stay in Rome was short and we hit the usual attractions, such as the Coliseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, at the steps we basked in the sun and it was surprisingly clean and patrolled by the police, the street vendors quickly ran off as the police arrived. In Rome, the street vendors were very annoying and it was something we didn't have to deal with in Paris. My take away from this trip was have some Euros on you when you arrive, some of the fees for card use there were outrageous. I would also have a SIM card for Europe, although our plan said we were covered in Paris but not Rome we had no service in both cities. Air France was fabulous and Alitalia will keep you fed, both very good airlines. We rented a car for a day to get to Chateau Thierry, driving on the highway (A4) was smooth with exceptions of the tolls. Driving in Paris was nerve racking and I was ready to return the care as soon as possible when we got back to Paris.
Posted by
11130 posts
The fees charged for ATM use in Europe are from your US bank. Our bank then refunds the fee to us.
Get a credit card that doesn’t charge you a fee to use it in other countries. We had not had problems with getting Euros at fair prices.
Posted by
Southeastern USA
996 posts
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip, especially if you're already thinking about returning!
I always stop by the local bank and have about $200 worth of the currency of the country in which I'll be traveling, if it's possible to get it ahead of time. To me, it's worth having cash for an immediate cab, coffee, etc., especially if I've just arrived on the overnight flight from the States and want to simply reach my hotel.
Post your plans when you're ready to start planning your next trip. Everyone here will surely chime in with suggestions. :-)
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13905 posts
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Laughing because 5 days wasn't enough for Paris....there is NEVER enough time to see everything you want to see there. Ouch on Pere Lachaise being closed due to wind - I can imagine some of those trees coming down - yikes.
Thanks for posting!
Posted by
Last Frontier aka Alaska 🏔️
3212 posts
What a great idea for your anniversary. Hope my husband reads this!😉
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9420 posts
So glad you enjoyed Paris! Yay that you’re going back. Normandy is wonderful, glad you got to go there too.
My dad landed at Omaha Beach, so it’s a very special place for me.
A SIM card is a good idea. Or, better yet, switch carriers, TMobile is the best for International travel. Inexpensive and works very well.
Posted by
Tennessee
41 posts
Your trip sound wonderful!
I will be in Paris soon and plan on renting a car to drive around north of the city for a day visiting chateaux. I am nervous about driving in Paris. Where did you rent your car? Would you recommend going outside Paris to rent?
Posted by
Vacaville, Ca
1368 posts
Enjoyed the report. I did Rome & Paris back in 2014 and I am heading back to Paris this May/June for my third time. Never enough time in the Paris.
Posted by
Berkeley CA
1307 posts
I try to tack Paris onto almost every European trip I make.
In October I'll be back for maybe the 11th or 12th time, this time for a month and only Paris.
As several have said, there are never enough days for Paris!
Enjoy planning for your next time.
Posted by
681 posts
Glad you enjoyed your trip and will not be waiting another 35 years to explore Paris again.