While we were based in London, we considered a day trip on the Eurorail, the high speed train that travels under the English Channel, which would allow us to visit Paris for the day. Since neither the kids, nor my mother had ever been to Paris, we decided it was well worth the investment. We booked a trip with a tour company, which met at the London Train Station, and boarded the train for the 2 hour 15 minute ride from London to Paris.
Most of the train ride was above ground, so only about 30 minutes of it was actually underground in the Tunnel, which didn’t seem much different than riding through a subway.
We arrived in Paris with our group and proceeded to the tour bus. The Paris tour guide boarded the bus, and pointed out major attractions along the way. We passed the Arc de Triumph, Tiffany’s, and Moulin Rouge, to name a few noteworthy places along the route.
The tour bus let us off along the Seine River, and we boarded the river cruise with its glass ceiling, which wound through the gorgeous city. This was my favorite part of the tour, such a peaceful way to take in Paris. It was a nice day, so we sat on the top deck and took in the sights of the Musée d’Orsay and Notre Dame, as we floated under many unique bridges, culminating at the Eiffel Tower.
The lines for the Eiffel Tower were unbelievably long, and we were a little disappointed to spend our allotted free time in line. But we couldn’t leave Paris without going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, so we waited.
When our turn came, we rode the elevators up the side of the tower, and were rewarded with lovely views of Paris. Watching my mom and kids reaction at the top was well worth it. It is quite breathtaking to step out onto the viewing deck and see the lovely white buildings of Paris below.
Our tour made its way to the Louvre, and we had a bite to eat at McDonald’s (because my kids made it their personal goal to eat at one McDonald’s in every country, after all)!
We chose not to tour the Louvre (my husband and I had been there 10 years prior) and instead did some people watching out in front of the Museum. Sometimes when traveling with kids, you just have to make choices of what to see and what to save for another time. We were content to just have a little downtime in Paris.
We met up with the group and made our way back to the bus, which struggled to get us through rush hour on the crowded roads, and back to the Eurorail to catch our train back to London. Although I enjoyed Paris, I must admit I was happy to travel back to England!
