Travel anxiety is a reality for our little family. I have experienced it for years and I have found that both ids experience it to some degree. Managing this is important. One thing I do is work to keep things reasonable and calm for traveling. We plan ahead, and typically pack in advance. We make lists. I also plan for stops however I can make work for us. For this particular trip, I booked a hotel room with the "Park and Go" option at the Doubletree near the San Francisco airport. This allowed us to travel over the day before our flight, have a relaxing evening and use a shuttle to get to the airport the following morning. (I also booked a room for our return so we did not have to drive directly home late in the evening after 22 hours of travel.)
We spent the week before the trip gathering what we needed and packing. The day we would depart home, I picked up the kids early from school and we returned home to double-check everything and load the car. We then headed off to the hotel near the airport. My Chico and family joined us later that night. We had adjoining rooms and we were able to leave both cars at the hotel. This alleviated airport parking fees.
Saturday morning, we got up and going early so we could dress, gather, and catch the airport shuttle. We also checked in for the flight electronically in advance. All we needed to do was check bags and get through security. With six of us traveling, keeping things streamlined and easy to manage was important. We were traveling with a 1:1 ratio of adult to child which helped as well. CD will turn 13 later this year, so he was an added help at times, but also needed some scooting along at times.
Our first flight took us from San Francisco to Dallas. We grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Dallas airport, right next to our departure gate. We then were right there and ready to go when boarding started for our second flight. This flight took us from Dallas to Charles de Gaulle. This flight proved interesting. The estimated flight time was slightly over nine hours. As it turned out, Storm Ciara helped move us right along and we landed in Paris about an hour early. You may have seen the news around that same time. A British Airways flight from New York to London broke a record because of the same tailwinds. We arrived in Paris shortly after 8 a.m. (Paris time). We got through customs, got our passports stamped, picked up our luggage, and started the long journey across the airport. The three kids were troopers. We had a five-year-old, a nine-year-old, and a 12-year-old. Everyone had bags to carry and suitcases to roll along as we made the trek from our arrival terminal to the CDG Metro station.
It was here that our journey into and through Paris began. We needed to get our day passes for the Metro and we planned to get Navigo cards then purchase a week pass for each. For the Navigo, you need a photo of yourself that is roughly the size of a passport photo. Duplicates of passport photos and copies of passport photos can be cut down to fit. They also have an option available if you need a photo. The Photomaton booth is convenient and relatively easy to use. However, as My Chico suggested, you may not want to take a photo after a very long day of traveling. Still, having the option is convenient. It costs about 5€.Everyone in the Metro station is friendly and helpful. Many speak excellent English, but you can tell they appreciate at least being greeted in French.
Travel tip: When traveling internationally, try to learn at least a few basic phrases. Having the ability to greet someone in their native language can go a long way. I did audio French lessons with the kids so they would become familiar with the language generally, but also so they could learn basic phrases and numbers. This helped them immensely as we traveled through Paris. Day 1 CD could walk into a boulangerie and order a baguette. By the end of the week, he placed a full order for himself and Miss Hollywood in a sit-down cafe.
Once we had our Metro passes squared away, our trek across Paris to our flat began. Be prepared for stairs. With kids and suitcases, this may feel like a challenge. Let's be real. It is a challenge. But, we did it. As the week went on, we found our navigation of the Metro system became more efficient. Still, every Metro station has stairs. Be ready for lots of stairs everywhere you go.
We arrived at our flat and received a warm greeting from the person who met us to show us around and let us know what we needed to know about staying there. As rest for the kids began, My Chico and I headed out to check out our neighborhood. So many fresh options everywhere we went. We were in Heaven. I wish I could live in a similar neighborhood. I loved having the ability to walk everywhere. And so began a week without driving. A welcome break.
For dinner that evening, we enjoyed a poulet roti (rotisserie chicken) and pommes de terre (potatoes) from a nearby boucherie (butcher). We had settled in and were ready to begin our week living in Paris. Our littlest travel buddy and Miss Hollywood seemed especially ready. They would rise around 2 a.m. the next morning and we would all start our day by about 5 a.m. Thank goodness for Nespresso!In the next blog: We begin seeing the sights of the City of Lights.
No comments:
Post a Comment