A Magical Christmas in Paris: Our Unforgettable Family Adventure
Paris, you are truly remarkable, and a dream come true for us! As I was determining where I would take my daughter for our annual Christmas trip, the City of Lights immediately came to mind, and from there the planning was on. My daughter, Maven, had been asking to see the Eiffel Tower since she first learned about it in kindergarten, and I thought now she is the perfect age to appreciate it in all its glory. And as I glimpsed at her gazing up at the twinkling Eiffel Tower the first time, and saw the sparkle in her eye, it may have been just as magical for me to see it for the first time through her eyes. I detailed our itinerary in hopes that it helps you plan, it was truly a flawless and unforgettable trip, everything was a home run, we loved every accommodation and of course, the food, was out of this world delicious. My daughter ate better in Paris than she eats at home – that was a slam dunk!
Day 1
We started our trip at RDU and flew through Philly to Charles de Gaulle (CDG) in Paris. We left Philly around 7pm.
As we were boarding in Philly, we met an awesome couple heading to France for a 9-month stint. She is a French historian and asked where we were staying in Paris. I told her our hotel was near Place Vendome, she immediately confirmed for us that was a great area to reside while in Paris. That instantly made me feel better. I would not recommend staying near the Eiffel Tower or the Champs-Elysees. The 1st arrondissement is where we stayed, classic Paris, and home to many attractions, the Louvre, Tuileries Gardens, Opera Garnier, and all the shopping your heart desires on Rue Saint-Honore. Now, I can finally say for certain, it is my favorite area of Paris, we absolutely loved wandering around there and dropping in cafes and shops. We felt safe, morning, noon, and night.
Day 2
We landed in Charles de Gaulle (CDG) a little after 8am. I was worried after flying overnight and waking up at 2am EST to disembark that she would be groggy and exhausted and we would never find our way out of CDG, one of the busiest airports in the world. I read it would take 2 hours to make our way from AA gates to passport control and customs. I warned my daughter as we landed that it could be a nightmare and a lot of walking to get her mentally prepared. We disembarked, looked for the ‘sortie’ signs. Within a few steps we were met with passport control, the employees ushered the two of us into the ‘famille’ line and we were handing over our passports in a matter of minutes. First in line. Then we exited to “Airport Pickup Services” where there was a driver waiting for us. We exited the doors to CDG within 10 minutes of landing and that included a bathroom break. It was magnificent, compared to the nightmare stories I read about. We used BT Transfer, a private transfer service, they were great and, on the spot, when we needed them, throughout our trip. The drive into the center of Paris was about 1.5 hours because of traffic. Our flight was set to land at 8:20am, we landed about 20 minutes earlier, so we were smack in the middle of morning traffic. The A1 into Paris was a parking lot, so we napped.
The driver pulled up to our hotel, Kimpton St Honore, around 10:00 am and easily checked in. Our check-in time was 3pm but thankfully our room was ready; the receptionist walked us to our room and showed us around. As the door to our room opened, Maven ran for the window to see the Eiffel Tower and there she was in all her glory. Beautiful as ever. We loved our stay at Kimpton St Honore!
Now we were pumped and ready to go, there would be no resting until the sun goes down. We needed to get on Paris time, so we were going to get the most out of our first day. And it was cold. We geared up for the cold weather with hand and toe warmers, scarves, beanies, gloves and started trekking. Our first stop was Bon Bouquet, about 10 min walk from the hotel. The cutest French café with excellent food. Go there. And the pistachio latte was out of this world. Now I make my own (or I try to) at home, totally inspired by Bon Bouquet.
After filling up with some warm eats, we walked over to Rue de la Paix, very close to our hotel, for a bike tour of Paris (electric, of course!). We used XL Tour, and they were great. To our surprise, it ended up being a private tour, so we got to decide where we wanted to go and skipped a few locations. It was a 2-hour tour, and brutally cold by the time it was over.
After our electric bike tour, we walked over to the hotel to freshen up, and a vintage car pulled up to our hotel about 5:30pm for a nighttime Christmas light tour. This is Maven waiting on our driver.
The driver whisked us all around Paris, but first pulled up to the Eiffel Tower as soon as the sparkle turned on and he drove a circle around it until the sparkle turned off, exactly 5 minutes.
It was a 2-hour tour, and the driver was an informative tour guide, giving us a lot of detailed information about all the major Paris sights. We stopped for a photo.
He dropped us off outside of the Louvre palace, we walked into the arches and directly into the courtyard where the glass pyramid sits. We had reservations at the famous Café Marly to dine by the Louvre pyramid. It lived up to the hype and was delicious. We enjoyed it so much, if I did not feel like I was going to fall over face first into my plate from exhaustion, I could have stayed forever.
The arches of this palace are beautiful.
The drinks and food were to die for.
Because our legs were mush by this point, we got an Uber back to the hotel.
We fell asleep, quick.
Day 3
We woke up today excited about our macaron class. After having breakfast at cute café, Le Petit Bleu, around the corner from our hotel, we walked 3 minutes to Galleries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, the flagship store.
A crowd was standing outside waiting for the magnificent doors to Galleries Lafayette to open at 10am. We wanted in, it was freezing, and everyone was dying to see the famous tree and rooftop. The staff applauded, cheered, and high-fived as we finally entered the store, and everyone mad dashed straight for the escalators either to the third floor to get a perfect view of the tree or to the rooftop for a view of the Eiffel Tower.
Go to the 3rd floor to the glass walk to get the best view of this beautiful tree and the gorgeous glass dome, and immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit under the majestic dome of Galleries Lafayette Paris Haussmann!
Then we headed to the rooftop, with Eiffel Tower view in the background.
It was starting time for the macaron class at 10:30am.
We made chocolate and pistachio macarons. We booked this macaron class through Get Your Guide.
Then we shopped. Galleries Lafayette is huge with many floors of shopping.
Outside of Galleries Lafayette is Sephora.
We hopped in an Uber and went to Sacré-Cœur. When you add the address to Uber, make sure you put in the chapel so the uber takes you to the top of Montmartre. Our driver dropped us off at these stairs.
We walked around on the cobblestone streets, grabbed a raclette at Grenouilles for lunch, munched on macarons from Pierre Herme, who treat their macarons if they were made of glass, handled with the utmost care, which made them even more delectable.
We walked through the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, it is gorgeous inside and sits atop the highest point of the city.
Then we admired the views of Paris.
We continued walking through Montmartre’s beautiful streets. It is simply gorgeous up there.
Then came across this beauty – La Maison Rose.
If you want to go in to eat, then wait at this door on the side and someone will come to the door. It is tiny, teeny tiny inside. So cute!
Angelina’s for their famous hot chocolate and whipped cream. The line was very long, and it took no time at all to get through it.
We sat on the second floor and had a perfect view of the restaurant. It was warm and cozy and perfect time for a hot chocolate.
We walked around the beautiful Place Vendome and dropped in the Louis Vuitton store.
Maven went straight for the perfume and this Louis employee was too sweet, showing Maven all the different fragrances and trying to find the perfect one for her. She saw Maven turn her face upside down when she smelled one, but she was determined to find a fragrance that she loved. And of course, she did. Now, she has got to have Attrape-Reves!
And we had to ride the famous Louis Vuitton carousel.
The blue doors in Place Vendome, gorgeous.
And a stop with surfing Santa.
We walked back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner and we got a few gorgeous shots of the Eiffel Tower with the sunset. The Eiffel Tower starts sparkling at nightfall on the hour for 5 minutes until 11pm every night.
We walked to dinner at Perruche. About 9 minutes from hotel. We walked past Galleries Lafayette all lit up at night. During autumn and winter, you will see street vendors roasting chestnuts in large open charcoal pans at almost every corner. We walked past many roasting chestnuts as we walked through Paris, especially at night.
Perruche has amazing views of all of Paris.
I wanted to stop by Le Louchebem for dessert for a profiteroles au chocolat, a puff pastry filled with ice cream topped with hot chocolate and the best whipped cream you’ve ever put in your mouth, but we never made it. We were too full after dinner, so we walked and walked on this night. We stopped by Place Vendome again, because you know by now, we cannot get enough of this stunning square at night.
We headed back to the hotel and while I am lying in bed, I took one last photo of the Eiffel Tower sparkling before I closed my eyes.
Day 4
We began this fun-filled day with breakfast at Montecito, the house restaurant at Kimpton St. Honore.
I booked a photo session with Lisa Williamson in advance, and we could not wait to meet her in person. We had sent so many messages through Instagram to each other in anticipation of this day. I already knew she was the absolute sweetest human being, but once I saw her and hugged her neck, I knew we were going to have a lot of fun. We hugged as if we had known each other for years – old friends. We scheduled a three-hour session, which I was worried would be too long for Maven, but boy, oh boy, was I wrong. The three hours flew by. Not sure what I was concerned about, Maven loved every bit of it and did not want it to end. The day was better than we could have ever imagined it to be. Lisa was pure fun, she drove us around Paris to the different photo locations (after the Louvre, we went to the Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III).
On the Pont Alexandre III, everyone was having their photographer shoot from this spot, engagement photos, you name it. We ran into a lot of photographers. And this guy came out of nowhere with his camera and starting shooting.
We had a lunch reservation at Pinky Bloom for 11:30. After walking in a few minutes late, they quickly sat us at our table and Lisa continued to take photos of Maven in this beautiful pink place. Be sure to book a reservation in advance, people were being turned away because they had no availability. The food and drinks were fantastic.
We walked across the Siene to the Eiffel Tower. Lisa still capturing photos as we walked. She never stopped. She and Maven were feeding off each other and they could have gone all day.
But Disneyland was waiting . . .
Lisa drove us back to the Kimpton St Honore; we quickly grabbed our bags from the front lobby, threw our bags in and jumped back in her car. We had only a few minutes to grab our belongings because she was waiting for us on the curb and almost completely out of gas. We were laughing so hard because we are stuck in Paris traffic, trying to get to Disneyland, with her small car packed full of luggage, nearly out of gas. Maven was in the backseat surrounded by our luggage, fast asleep. Thankfully, we found a random gas tank (on the side of the road in the city center), pulled up, put a little gas in the car and we were finally off. . . Disney, here we come.
Lisa dropped us off at the front door to the Disneyland Hotel. It was hard to say goodbye. Message her here – she truly is amazing!
They ushered us in to the VIP concierge desk on the 2nd floor. We checked into the Castle Club, and showed us to our lovely room, with touches of magic in the artwork above our beds. The Disney employee told us to hit a button to see the magic.
Teatime had just started so we walked to the Castle Club lounge around the corner from our room, it sits above the entrance to Disneyland, so we sat at the window with a stunning view of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. The Disney Princesses join for breakfast every morning in the Castle Club Lounge, so it is a great way to easily see all the princesses. We enjoyed unlimited treats with coffee and juice.
The Disney princesses walk around throughout the day in the hotel on the Castle Club floor and stand on a balcony overlooking the lower floors and wave to the crowds walking through the hotel to get a glimpse of its beauty. You can see Ariel in this picture.
After teatime, we bundled up and hit Disneyland. There is a private lift from the Castle Club rooms that drops you directly into the park. This was by far the best perk of the Castle Club; it was convenient to go in and out of Disneyland many, many times per day.
For dinner, we walked to the Rainforest Café in the Disney Village.
We watched the fireworks from the Castle Club Lounge, which is a perfect view inside from the cold.
Then we were off to bed.
Day 5
The sun rising over Disneyland.
We walked to the Castle Club Lounge for breakfast. They have a huge spread with everything you could ask for, including a french chef making omelets to order. Every day, I had a truffle omelet, and it was delish with all the fresh croissants and homemade jams.
After breakfast, straight to our private lift. Look at the happiness beaming from her.
And in a matter of seconds, we were on Main Street during Extra Magic Hour. EMH was to begin at 8:30am but we got in about 8:15am. We could see the guests from other Disney hotels waiting to get in behind the main entrance.
We rode all the rides until our legs felt like they were going to fall off from Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland to Discoveryland.
Everyone told us to make sure that we stopped by to see the Dragon under the Castle.
Lunch was at Captain Jacks. The line starts to form at 11:30a but we had a reservation and got a table as soon as we walked in. Maven loves being inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride – watching and waving to the riders as they floated by.
We wandered around Disneyland after lunch and strolled up and down Main Street. The snow was Maven’s favorite part.
Later, we headed to Fleur de Lys Bar in the Disneyland Hotel. The hot chocolate was mouthwatering good, and the whipped cream sensational. I do not typically put whipped cream on anything, but this, I could eat on all sweets. Wow.
We rode more rides.
Had some Mickey pizza and a salad.
It was about time for fireworks, aka Disney Illuminations Nighttime Spectacular.
We had a priority pass for the fireworks, which was a special viewing area.
After making it back to our room, we checked the balcony, and the crowd leaving was insane. This was a week that Paris schools were still in, so I was hoping it would be a less busy week before Paris kids were out of school. It did not matter, like all Disney parks, it is crowded all the time.
Day 6
This was our last full day of Disneyland, so we wanted to make the most of Extra Magic Hour.
After breakfast at the lounge, we walked over to Walt Disney Studios. As soon as they started allowing people in, everyone took off to Crush’s Coaster. By the time we got there, it was a 20-minute wait and by the time we got off the ride, the wait time was 50 minutes. We hit all the other rides in Walt Studios. It is a small park, so it does not take long. Maven’s favorite ride was Ratatouille.
We had a reservation at Bistrot Chez Remy. As we waited to get inside, Maven took a nap over to the side. She was whipped by this point.
Chez Remy may have been one of the best meals in all of France. It was incredible. Difficult to get reservations here, so make it early on.
Inside Chez Remy, with the baking tree.
The décor in this restaurant was fabulous. See the Christmas tree lights hanging from the trees. The design blew me away.
Maven finally got a kombucha. The drink menu was huge at Chez Remy. They’ve got it all.
We walked back over to Disneyland Park
We had to grab a Stitch Plush Magnetic Shoulder from one of the stores on Main Street.
We rode more rides in Disneyland, it was a repeat of our favorites.
Back to Fleur de Lys for more hot chocolate to thaw out some.
And that’s a wrap for Disneyland Paris. One more trip down Main Street with the snow.
We had an unforgettable time.
We absolutely loved our hotel room in the Castle Club. You can see Maven standing on one of our balconies in this picture.
Day 7
Our fight was out of Charles de Gaulle at 11:40am. BT Transfer picked us up from the Disneyland Hotel and drove us about an hour to the airport with traffic.
Again, I heard horror stories of it taking people 2-3 hours to get through security at CDG, but thankfully it was not too bad for us. My boarding pass was stamped with “fast track”, so we skipped the entire security line and went directly to scanning our bags. Once we gathered our bags from scanner belt, we headed to the lounge and snacked on croissants and macarons for the next hour while we waited to board. I am assuming Executive Platinum status with American Airlines is how my ticket was fast tracked, but I never figured that out.
Tip: If you’re traveling to Paris for the first time and have anxiety over a foreign language, there’s no need to worry. Over 60% of the Parisian population can speak basic English, but you should pick up a few essential French words to use around the city – and you’ll feel like a Parisian in no time at all!
Every café, restaurant, store we walked into, I greeted the hostess with Bonjour or Bonsoir and always received a smile in return. It could have been that they were trying not to laugh at this southern accent, but they were always warm and willing to help. A few words that you will use, Bonjour, Bonsoir, Merci, Au Revoir, Exusez moi, Parlez vous anglaise?, S’il vous plait, Oui and No. This is all you need in Paris. Always pay in Euros with a credit card, you’ll get a better exchange rate, but first make sure your credit card does not charge a foreign transaction fee. Tip is always included in the bill. You do not need to add unless you would like to, but it is not expected.
This is a trip we will not forget. Loved it all.
Kim
Next up, Tulum Mexico. All the guac and margaritas – we cannot wait!
