Paris France: Attractions

I am 50 years old and have never been “over the pond” to Europe until now.  And I am being completely honest when I say, it was not something I ever “wanted” to do.  Until now.  At 50 years old my hubby and I have had a successful business for the past 20 years.  And 4 years ago I started dabbling in creating my own mark on the business world.  It took me a couple years to figure it out, but I found my passion in creating this blog.  When creating this blog, I wanted to provide people with quality information of all kinds!  But I also realized I worked (a lot) and never really enjoyed the “fun stuff”.  I knew I needed to create a life with a balance of work and fun!  So when my daughter’s graduation gift from college came up: a trip to Paris France.  I decided to start truly living a life that I love!  So sit back and enjoy the ride, because I have a ton of information to give you on all things Paris France and attractions!

Paris France, Our First Three Nights

When planning this trip with my fabulous travel agent, Josie, I felt we needed to stay in Paris for four nights then move to Versailles for the last two nights.  This actually did not work out as I discovered a few things about myself while we were there.

First of all, I discovered I am a hotel snob, and I am OK with that. When I had Josie looking for hotels I did not realize the huge difference in hotels in Europe as compared to what I am used to here in the states.  Josie tried to warn me, but I did not listen.  I will not make that mistake again! And if you need a great travel agent choose Josie with Cruise Planners!  She was fabulous!

Secondly, I am very much a country mouse rather than a city girl.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love to spend time in the city.  However, 4 nights would have been way to long!  So we changed our plans and left for Versailles after only three nights in Paris France.   And I am so glad we did!

Hotel de France Invalides, Paris

While staying in Paris there were a couple things that I wanted to be sure of, being close to the Eiffel Tower and in a relatively safe area of the city.  The Hotel de France Invalides was about a mile from the Eiffel Tower, located at 102 Boulevard de La Tour Maubourg. And definitely walking distance!  Across the street was the Invalides’ Golden Dome and gardens.

Decor, Rooms, Service

I have to be honest, when we were checking in, I was a little taken a back as the pictures on the website made this hotel out to be relatively nice.  But as with all things, photo shop does a fabulous job!  And that is not to say we did not have a good stay.  We did, the beds were super comfortable and the hotel staff was fabulous!  But the first room we had was awful.  A tiny room with a bathroom that was extremely outdated.  And the lobby needs a paint re-do.  The painting and the decor is extremely out dated and if it just had a fresh coat of paint in ecru it would brighten up the place and make a world of difference.  They also need to clean the front awning, purchase a new indoor/outdoor mat when you walk in and lastly change the carpet out in the elevator.  This could be a fabulously charming hotel with some minor inexpensive upgrades for first impressions.  But I digress.  This isn’t about the lobby decor, but about the rooms.

Changing Rooms…..

After the first night I decided to request a different room.  And it made a world of difference.  The hotel overall was EXTREMELY clean and the decor in the second room was still dated, but the lay out was much better, although still very small.  So I would suggest, if you stay here, definitely ask for a room on a higher floor.   They seem to have better layouts.  But again, the STAFF WAS AMAZING!  And that alone makes me give this hotel a 3.5 star rating!  But there is no luggage handler, no restaurant on site, and no air conditioner.  My daughter also commented on the fact that the hallways had poor lighting.  When you stepped off the elevator the lights took a minute to “come on” as they had motion detectors.  So it was a little nerve racking to get off the elevator and be in the dark for a couple seconds before the lights kicked in.  And if you have a courtyard view, there is a restaurant on the bottom floor.  So you will hear noises from the kitchen if you are a light sleeper!

But at the end of the day, I was so grateful to have the opportunity to be in Paris France, and nothing was going to ruin it!!

Location, Location, Location

The France de Hotel Invalides location was excellent!  We were within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower and the river boat cruises.  We never felt like we were not safe, it was in what I consider a nice area.  There were fabulous restaurants everywhere!!!  Shopping was close too!  We walked just about everywhere.  Including but not limited to CosmoParis (cutest shoes and purses ever!) Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Angelina’s Cafe (best hot chocolate ever!) and so much more!

Shopping!

The one thing we did not do was any museums. But they were close by! We love art but this trip was all about experiencing Paris!  We did a wine tasting, we went to the top of the Eiffel Tour (be sure to get your tickets beforehand!) we shopped the outdoor markets and admired the beautiful architecture of the city.

Our next trip will include trips to museums, but this one was all about seeing as much as we could of the architecture and how the rhythm of the city worked!  And it was fabulous!  But three nights was more than enough for us!  So on Sunday, Paris Shuttle moved us to the Waldorf Astoria Versailles.  And it was over the top amazing!

The Second Leg of Our Trip: Versailles!

This part of our trip was probably the best!   Not only did we stay at the Waldorf Astoria Versailles, but the town truly had the feel of being in a different country.  In Paris France, most everyone spoke English.  In Versailles, that was not necessarily the case.

Waldorf Astoria Versailles

All I can say, is 5 stars all the way!  It was amazing!  Located at 1 boulevard de la Reine, Versailles, from the grounds to the staff, it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed.  And I have stayed at some very nice hotels!  Our room was spacious with a king bed.  We came a day earlier than expected so we took what they had!  They provide converters for you too, if needed.  Or you can purchase.  And some of the other amenities are as follows!  There were so many!

Amenities

• Bellmen, yes that is a thing for me now that I was at a hotel in Paris France that did not have one.  Plus, I was in a knee brace and on crutches while I was there.  The torn meniscus came at a really bad time!
• On site restaurants.  Breakfast was included with our room and it was fabulous!
• A full service spa.  The relaxation massage was at the best time ever!  After traveling on a plane for 9 hours and then “hoofing it” all over Paris, we needed some guilty pleasures!
• Complimentary bottled water everyday.
• Indoor pool!  It was beautiful, but we didn’t bring swim suits, next time!
• Tea time in the afternoon.
• Bar for drinks and snacks.
• Conveniently located next to the palace and gardens of Versailles.  But note that the palace is closed on Monday.  So many of the boutiques in town are too!
• Easy walking distance to the town and open market!
• Room service! 24/7.  Yes, we had a girl’s picnic while watching Netflix one night because we could not sleep!  And it was fabulous!
• Robes and slippers!
• Hair dryer
• In room safe
• Mini bar with coffee machine and a variety of Nespresso cups and also an electric tea pot with tea!

It was by far one the the loveliest hotels I have ever been to.  I can;t wait to bring my hubby back and spend time there with him.  Because I know he will love it!

Additional Tips

Here are some additional tips to consider when flying overseas:

• Be sure your passport is current and ready to go!  If it is less than 6 months from expiring at the time of your trip, you may have to have it renewed prior to leaving!  So be sure to check!
• We flew Norwegian Airlines.  And they were outstanding!  I purchased the “low fare” tickets to start which allowed one checked bag, 2 meals and assigned seats.  Prior to our flights, we were offered to upgrade to premium, which allowed larger seats, additional leg room, premium boarding and more!  So we did that for the flight home and we saved a bundle!!!
• Under pack versus over pack!  I struggle with this every trip!  Although, I am getting better, I should have packed less or more conservatively!  That way when you are going from hotel to hotel, there isn’t a ton of luggage that needs to follow you!
• When booking your trip, do not have a tour for the night you arrive!  We did and it was fantastic!  However, our plane was delayed and we almost missed it!  And tours are usually not refundable!
• Check with your bank a week prior to departure to make sure they can exchange currency for you!  We have business and personal accounts in two different banks!  One needed a week to get the foreign currency in, the other had it on hand, but only $500 in Euros.
• If you have never been somewhere before, especially in a foreign country, use a travel agent!  Josie made our trip easy, affordable and fun!  Contact her HERE!

Conclusion

This was an AMAZING first trip for me to Europe!  And I say first trip because I am going back next year.  To London and maybe Ireland or Scotland!  The planning is in the works!  But I learned a lot about myself and going outside my comfort zones.  I freaked out the first day there.  God only knows why other than the fact that I am a workaholic and have a hard time relaxing.  And I decided that 6 nights was too long, for me personally, to be away.  I love travelling, but I also love being at home.  So the next trip will only be 4 or 5 nights.  It is all about compromising!

Check out my post on 8 things to do in Paris!  I go into more detail about about everything we did! From wine tastings to the Eiffel Tower!  I give my best tips and what I would do again, or not!!

 

 

 

Looking just for a hotel? Hotels.com is the only website I use to save money.  And for every 10 nights you get one night free!

 

More importantly, thank you for spending your time here at Colorado Kelly!  I love having you here and appreciate everyone that comes to visit and look forward to having you come back soon!

*This post may contain affiliate links! That means; I may get a commission at no additional cost to you!  I do not recommend any products/services that I don’t use and love myself!

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