January 2012 - Let's Go to Paris, Part 1: Planning the Trip
Prologue: Do Not Keep Postponing the Dream
A conversation with friends about a European honeymoon brought an old article back to mind. Its point was that people often trade their health for money, then spend that money trying to recover their health; while worrying about the future, they forget to live in the present.
As a child, I dreamed of travelling around the world. After growing up, however, it was easy to keep postponing that dream until retirement .'"
I did not want to wait until I was too old to walk before finally trying. No one can predict the future, so once we were financially independent, we started completing the dream little by little, within our means.
My wife felt the same way. We lowered our appetite for material things and made room for one overseas trip each year, seeing different landscapes, cultures, and histories ^.^
From Memories of Italy to a Paris Family Trip
When I was younger, I worked in Italy. On weekends, my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, and I drove to nearby countries. Switzerland was about an hour north of Milan, Austria about two hours east, and France about three hours west. Even Venice, roughly 300 kilometres away, was possible for a weekend.
After Lisa and Belle were born, we focused on closer destinations. Japan had been a practical choice, but the previous year's earthquake and nuclear disaster still made us uneasy.
Our tenth wedding anniversary gave us an excellent reason. We decided that in 2012, we would take both children on an independent family trip to Paris ^.^
Narrowing Down the Itinerary
I had visited Paris once before, mainly for Disneyland, with only one afternoon to walk from the Arc de Triomphe along the Champs-Elysees to the Louvre. This time I studied the options carefully. Sacre-Coeur involved too many stairs and my wife would probably hit me, so it was out. We probably would not understand the modern art at the Pompidou Centre, so that was out too. A flea market in the 19th arrondissement did not feel right with young children, so that also came off the list.
The result was a five-day plan.
Day One: Arrival and the Seine
After arriving, we would rest at the hotel and then take a Seine cruise, easing the whole family into Paris.
Day Two: Versailles
The second day was reserved for the Palace of Versailles, with enough time for both the palace and gardens.
Day Three: Disneyland Paris
The third day belonged to the place the children had been waiting for.
Day Four: Market, Cathedral, Museum, and Department Store
The fourth day began at Rue Mouffetard, followed by Notre-Dame, the Musee d'Orsay, and Galeries Lafayette.
Day Five: Fontainebleau, the Champs-Elysees, and the Arc
On the final day, we would visit the Palace of Fontainebleau, then return to Paris for the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
The Louvre had been in the original plan, but after the Musee d'Orsay we figured we had pretended to be cultured for long enough. The Champs-Elysees was closer to our real life anyway... ha..XD
The original planning notes linked to information about Paris attractions, transport, airports, Disneyland, and Seine cruises. Those links belong to a 2012 planning record and should be checked again before anyone relies on them today.
Later entries cover departure and arrival, the Seine, Versailles and its gardens, Disneyland Paris, Rue Mouffetard and central Paris, Fontainebleau, the Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe, and French food.
Paris journey photo gallery
Previewing up to 8 album photos. Open the gallery to browse all photos.
Originally published: 2012-01-21
Revised: 2026-06-19
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