Yes, this is my first international travel; and yes, I am higgledy-piggledy about my travel plans.

You are not confused if you have ample time and money for travel. I am a budget traveller with constrained time. So I have lots of viable choices to make and lots of lucrative plans to forego :(

When we started planning, we had Paris, Nice and Switzerland on the list. The itinerary was prepared accordingly. When we worked out the financials, we had to slash off Switzerland from the list. Approx 2.5 lakhs for a week did not make any fiscal sense to us.

Alas! I had already pictured myself on the Rotating Gondola on the Swiss Alps. Slashing off Switzerland from the plan did hurt. Now we had Just France on the list (Paris and Nice).

The prospect of going to Nice did not thrill me enough. I wanted to go to Alps very badly. Swiss Alps was not on the list anymore, so I thought of going to French side of Alps as a consolation. But we are extremely constrained with time as well. My husband Rupam will be with me for 1 ½ days only. Going to Alps would have taken 12 hours flat travelling. This plan again was not workable.

With a super confused state of mind, I made a wise decision. I decided to spend my holidays in Paris only. Running around with such less time would unnecessarily complicate the plans and make it hectic for us.

So, Paris it is; and as Dadi said to Rani (in Queen movie), “Suna hai dunia ka sabse khoobsurat shahar hai….” I am sure one can’t get enough of Paris in just a week.

My Paris Plan

Like any traveller, I too Googled like crazy to chalk out the best possible Paris plan. Since I will be travelling alone most of the times and I am completely unaware of the commuting system in Paris, I tried and kept the itinerary as simple as possible.

I must not forget crediting these two very helpful travel sites that assisted me preparing itinerary, giving me an understanding of the distance between two spots and also worked out best deals for me.

https://www.parisianist.com/

http://www.isango.com/

So here goes my final travel plan

May 26

1. The Palace of Versailles- It is a magnanimous palace with fascinating gardens that deserves an investment of at least half a day.

Skip the Line entry ticket pre booked through- http://www.isango.com/

2. Arc de triumph- This definitely resemble our India Gate.

3. Champs Elysees- If you are a fashion lover and Brand coscious too, this is the place for you. Get set shop!

May 27

4. Catacomb- It was rather intresting to know that the city of Paris has a secret underneath (indeed a no secret) . Catacombs of Paris has bones of 70 millions Parisians arranged to make it a museum. You may find the place creepy. But I am keen to visit :D

Skip the Line entry ticket pre booked through- http://www.isango.com/

5. Lourve- A museum lover?? Paris is the place and what better place to start with other than the Lourve??

Skip the Line entry ticket pre booked through- http://www.isango.com/

6. Notre Dame Cathedral- I am a Church going Hindu :)

May 28

7. Disneyland Paris- Do this require a caption? I am going to live my Childhood again.

Skip the Line entry tickets for both Disneyland Park and Disneyland studios pre booked through- http://www.isango.com/

May 29

8. Eiffel Tower- Can't wait!

Skip the Line entry ticket pre booked through- https://www.parisianist.com/en

9. Siene River Cruise

Skip the Line entry ticket pre booked through- http://www.isango.com/

10. Picnic in champ de mars park- Mall culture might have taken over Picnic outings here in India, but not in Paris. Champ De mars is the closest to Eiffel.

11. Famous market street Rue Cler- No trip is complete without shopping. I have chocolates, handmade perfumes, white wine and cute souvenirs on the list. Rue cler is best for street shopping and has good bistros and patisseries to satisfy the foodies in us.

Stay

Beside the travel plan, I had to work out best alternatives to stay and commute. Remember, I said I am a budget traveller?? I screened through www.expedia.co.in to get the best deal for stay. I am visiting Paris at the peak season as two major international events are rolling on; Cannes film festival and French open tennis. So getting an ideal place to stay is a challenge in itself, leave alone a good deal. But, I am lucky to come across this wonderful place with its Old France charm, precisely Napoleon III era, almost at the heart of Paris (Just 2 Kms from Arc De Triump).

Villa Eugine- http://www.villa-eugenie.com/fr/page/hotel-paris-batignolles-accueil.2.html

Commuting

As far as commuting is concerned, Paris has one of the best subway systems in world. There is a metro station every few miles. Travel pass options are available and one can choose as per the travel requirements.

I chose to get a 5 day 5 zone pass as I will be travelling not just within Paris (mostly covered within Zone 1-3) but also Versailles place and Disneyland which are located in the suburbs (Zone 4 and 5).

Things to eat

A self-confessed foodie, how can I miss on ‘Things to eat list’ in Paris??

Crepes, Macarons, Falafel sandwiches, croissants, Can’t miss on Pastries and éclairs in French Patisseries, Quiche, steak fries, Cheese cheese and lots of cheese and not to forget wine.

A visual treat for you :))

Some Handy Tips

• Get the PARIS PASS if you plan to travel extensively in Paris and keen on visiting museums.
• Your backpack must have a metro map , an umbrella (it can rain sporadically) and not to forget, a camera.
• Get a super comfortable foot wear. Paris/France means a lot and a lot of walking.
• Parisians dresses conservatively with mostly subtle colors. Anything flashy will make you look like an evident traveller.
• English is understood and spoken in Paris. But just to be on safe site I mugged up few common words and downloaded this wonderful English to French translation app from Google play.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vertaler.fren&hl=en
• Download the Paris metro App and Paris Map. These will be your best friend and true guide.
• You may like to take up a Paris walking tour. Its free two hour guided walking tour. Tipping the tour guide would be nice as that's the only earning for them in a Free walking tour. I couldn't take up one due to time constraint. Click the link for one such walking tour- http://www.newparistours.com
• You may consider prebooking tickets for major attractions if you do not wish to spend queing up for tickets for hours. These tickets entitles you to 'Skip the Line'at entry gates.
• Moulin Rouge is not be missed for dance/ cabaret lovers.

PS:- Love #Larry Page, #Sergey Brin for being so awesome and finding Google for us.

Life would not have been easy without it. XoXo