Euro Trip: part - 1: France
Our Europe trip covered France, Iceland, Switzerland, and Italy — a journey that felt dense in a very different way from Bali or the Maldives. Out travel dates are from October 1st to October 14th, 2024.
The Schengen visa process itself isn’t straightforward and deserves a separate post altogether, so I won’t go into details here.
We booked Etihad Airways well in advance, in December 2023, with a stopover at Abu Dhabi, flying from Hyderabad to Paris. Our travel dates in France were October 1 to October 5, 2024.
We landed in France the next morning October 2nd, around 8:00 a.m. Immigration, however, was our first lesson in European scale — the queues were massive. It took close to 1.5 hours to clear immigration.
We had pre-booked a taxi through Klook, which helped avoid further waiting, and reached our stay — an Airbnb apartment near Disneyland. (I’ll share accommodation links and logistics separately.)
France, for us, had very specific reasons.
- The Eiffel Tower — for my wife
- Disneyland — for the kids
- The Mona Lisa — for me
Three motivations, one city — already a small example of how Europe compresses very different expectations into a single place.
Day One: Paris, compressed into an evening
We reached our stay around 12:00 p.m. After lunch — instant noodles we had carried in sufficient quantity — we rested briefly and headed out for the evening.
Our first planned activity was the Eiffel Tower, with summit access, booked in advance through Klook. We took an Uber to the meeting point, where our guide met us and handed over the physical tickets.
Security checks were similar to an airport — structured and thorough.
My first surprise came quickly. I had always imagined the Eiffel Tower as something overwhelmingly tall, visible from everywhere in the city. In reality, it blends into Paris more subtly than expected. It’s prominent, but not dominating.
We moved through the tower floor by floor, using mechanical lifts, with short queues at each level — both while going up and coming down. The guide explained the history and structure of the tower clearly, making the ascent feel more contextual than ceremonial.
At the summit, the view of Paris was calm and expansive rather than dramatic — the city unfolding evenly in all directions.
After descending, we spent some time beneath the tower, standing inside its rectangular base, looking up at the structure from close range. That perspective felt more powerful than the view from the top.
From there, we walked to the Seine River dinner cruise — the distance was comfortably walkable. We checked in around 7:00 p.m., just as the Eiffel Tower lighting came alive. Seeing it illuminated from the river felt deliberate and well-timed.
Dinner was served on board, photographs were taken, and we were given the option to purchase them later. I bought the photos for around 40 euros, after a bit of bargaining.
After the cruise, we booked an Uber and reached our stay by 10:30 p.m.
It had been a long day, but Paris had already made its first impression .
Day Two: Disneyland, entirely for the kids
Day two was reserved exclusively for Disneyland Paris.
We booked an Uber and reached the park in about five minutes from our stay. Entry was smooth — tickets were scanned using QR codes, and there were no passport checks at the gate (though it’s still better to carry identification).
Disneyland, unsurprisingly, is built for children.
My kids had already shortlisted the rides in advance. I don’t remember most of their names, but a few were intense enough to feel genuinely scary — at least for me. The park is immersive, colourful, and constantly in motion.
One practical lesson became clear early: queues matter.
For one of the adventure rides, we waited close to an hour. In hindsight, opting for express access would have been worth it, especially when visiting with kids and limited time.
We had snacks and lunch inside the park itself and spent most of the day moving from one attraction to another. The experience is less about individual rides and more about sustained engagement — something Disneyland does extremely well.
By 4:30 p.m., we were back at our stay.
The rest of the day was intentionally kept free. After a full day of stimulation, rest felt like the right choice.
Day Three: The Louvre
Day three was about the Louvre Museum.
We had booked a Reserved Entrance Ticket with Host to the Mona Lisa, which turned out to be the right choice. We reached the museum by Uber and met the host at a specific meeting point. After passing security checks, the host escorted us directly to the Mona Lisa.
Once we reached the painting, the host’s role ended — exactly as defined in the ticket.
We were allowed to stand facing the Mona Lisa for about 5–10 minutes, at a distance of a few feet. It’s close enough to observe details, but not close enough to linger freely. The experience is controlled, timed, and carefully managed — understandable, given the crowd.
Seeing the Mona Lisa in person was satisfying, but not dramatic. It’s less about awe and more about closure — knowing you’ve seen something that exists more as an idea than an object.
After that, we were free to explore the museum. We walked through a few sections, including Napoleonic-era paintings and galleries. At this point, interest diverged — I was more drawn to the historical context, while the rest of the family had already had their highlight.
So we left earlier than planned.
We headed to Le Marais, where the pace changed completely. Shopping, ice cream, croissants, and unstructured walking through narrow streets felt lighter after the density of the museum. It was a good contrast — history in compression, followed by everyday Paris.
We returned to our stay by around 7:00 p.m., packed lightly, and prepared for the next leg of the journey — Iceland, with an early morning flight.
Paris was done.
Practical tips
A few things stood out clearly during the Europe leg of our trip:
- Uber works well in major cities and is generally reliable.
It’s best to link Uber to a credit card rather than paying per ride. Before travelling, make sure international transactions are enabled on the card. If you’re using a nationalised bank credit card, be alert — banks often call via IVRS for verification. If you miss or ignore those calls, the card may get blocked mid-trip. - Mobile connectivity matters more than expected.
I again used an Airtel international roaming plan, which worked smoothly. Having consistent data helps not just with navigation, but also with payments, bookings, and last-minute changes. - Be cautious with off-app taxi offers.
Occasionally, drivers booked through apps may ask you to cancel the ride and pay in cash instead. It’s better to avoid this. If it becomes unavoidable, fix the fare clearly in advance, even if it’s a few euros more than what the app shows. Ambiguity always costs more later. - Queues are everywhere.
Not just for attractions — even restrooms can have long lines. Europe runs on order and patience. Factoring this mentally into your day makes things far less frustrating.
Expenses
Here’s a breakdown of our expenses for the Paris portion of the Europe trip (family of four, my younger one was less than 12 years that time, coming under child definition):
- Flights (Hyderabad → Paris): ~₹1.1 lakh
- Accommodation: ~₹40,000
- Tours & attractions: ~₹1.05 lakh
(Eiffel Tower summit, Seine cruise, Disneyland, Louvre host access, etc.) - Local transport & other expenses: ~₹35,000
(Uber, food, shopping, small incidentals)
Total (approx.): ₹2.9 lakh INR
