We love traveling, but we realized recently that we hadn't been on a trip, just the two of us, since our honeymoon and a weekend getaway to Vermont before the twins were born. We have been on a lot of trips with family and friends but nothing just the two of us. That leads us to this trip...FRANCE! Landon and I both love traveling in Europe and I have always had a desire to go to France. So, we bought a plane ticket and went. I was asked so many times about leaving my kids. Honestly, I needed it, we both did. And I think that is okay. It is okay and even healthy to take time for yourself. Renew, remember the things you like, especially when the kids are so little and you are in the thick of it every day.
WHAT WE DID & WHERE WE STAYED
We flew in and out of Paris so we knew our trip would start and end there. We stayed at a local French hotel we found on airbnb in Montmartre. This was definitely our favorite area of Paris. The picture of the Eiffel Tower from a distance is from Sacré-Cœur, a French Basilica, which I highly recommend adding to your list of things to see in Paris. The best part was that is was just a short walk from our hotel.
The birds eye view of Pairs is worth the almost 300 steps up to the top dome of Sacré-Cœur. You can also go into the Basilica and see it in all its magnificence. If you time it right you can be there to take part or witness a mass or light a candle for a loved one. Montmartre is known for its artistic history. Many artists lived, worked and painted in this area, including Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet & Renoir. The cobblestone streets are simply idyllic to walk down and there is no shortages of cafes and markets to stop in and enjoy a glass of wine or cafe crema. Book ahead to make sure you can get in to the iconic La Maison Rose.
Top of our list of things to see was of course the Eiffel Tower. We saw it from a distance at Sacré-Cœur but wanted to see it up close, so we hopped on the metro and headed that way. If you have never been to Paris, expect a lot of walking...and I mean a lot. Most things we wanted to see where not close together. I recommend planning carefully the things you want to see and do so you don't walk around the whole city multiple times.
We would have loved to go into Notre Dame, but it is still undergoing renovations after the fire in 2019. We loved seeing it along with the Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens, Champs-Élysées and the Louvre. I have always had a love for art so the Louvre was definitely something I wanted to see. For the sake of time we had planned to walk around outside but not go in, but when we saw it we were so amazed at its beauty and architecture that we knew we wanted our last day in Paris to be spent here. It was truly amazing. Because we went in the off season there were not many lines, including to see the Mona Lisa. Be bought our tickets online ahead of time and went right in. It is worth your time for sure. We chose not to see the Palace of Versailles, just for the sake of time, but will definitely do it next time around. You can take a day trip from Paris by hoping on the RER. I read that the train ride is around an hour long.
EIFFEL TOWER
The Eiffel Tower was prettier and bigger than I could have ever imagined. We first saw it from a distance at Sacré-Cœur but walking up on it up close was such a cool experience. When we got off the metro we stumbled upon one of the prettiest spots to see the Eiffel Tower, Rue de Buenos Aires. We also saw it from Pont d'Iéna and Champ de Mars, the park around the Eiffel Tower. But no matter what road you view it from, you will be impressed. We went during the day as well as at night to watch it light up and sparkle, definitely something you don't want to miss. Make sure to take a picnic and bottle of wine to enjoy while you are there. We had talked with Brooks about the Eiffel Tower before going on our trip. He had so many questions about it and could not wait to see it, so it was really fun being able to FaceTime him while we were there and show him.
Most things require a ticket so plan ahead, however we only had to pick a time slot for two of the things we did. As I said, we went in the off season which was great for crowds and less lines. On the other hand, some of the activities we did weren't to the fullest potential but it did not take away from our experience at all. For all things travel tips, tricks and things we learned click here.
LOIRE VALLEY
When planning our trip we knew we wanted to see more of France than just Paris. Don't get me wrong, we really liked Paris, but I had my heart set on seeing a castle or two. Because it was still chilly and the off season we decided not to go to the south of France and stay within driving distance from Paris. We rented a car for this portion of our trip and got an Airbnb in a quaint little village right outside the town of Amboise. If you want to see a bunch of chateaus in a short period of time this is a great area to be. We did day trips to each chateau and winery we wanted to see and spent a lot of time in the town of Amboise.
We picked out three different château’s to visit and two wineries. Château de Chambord, Château de Chenonceau, Château de Villandry and for the wineries, Château de Miniere & Château Soucherie. Apparently everything is a château in France! Here is what we loved about each one.
CHAMBORD
Château de Chambord, one of the most well known for its distinctive size and architectural features. Not to mention, it’s the château that inspired Disney’s beauty and the Beast castle! It was built as a hunting lodge and was only stayed at a few times a year. The grounds are still used for hunting today and while we were there we saw deer, pheasant, rabbits and wild bore on the grounds. In the spring you can enjoy many festivities and an authentic horse show. Buy tickets in advance for easy entry or upon arrival. No time slot was required for us.
CHENONCEAU
Château de Chenonceau was my favorite. It was so beautiful and has so much history including Catherine de' Medici ruling France from that very château. I don’t know a ton about french history but everything I do know connected right back to this château. It was transformed into a war hospital during WWI and during WWII was used as a means of escaping the Nazi occupied zone. One side of the river was a free zone, the other, German occupied. Just being here and thinking of the people who have been here, walked, thought, ruled, and escaped for their life was just truly something. You could spend a whole day here, especially during peak season by walking the grounds, gardens, winery, dungeons, kayaking the river, a labyrinth and more. While here we also enjoyed lunch at the little cafe on site. We bought tickets ahead of time because this one required a time slot.
VILLANDRY
Château de Villandry is most well known for its gardens. The château itself was much smaller than the other two we visited but still spectacular. It is now owned by a wealthy French family and open to the public. You could spend hours in the gardens, especially during full bloom. And don’t forget to eat at La Doulce Terrasse while you are there. A charming cafe right by Villandry. We sadly did not get to eat there because it is only open during peek season but came highly recommended. We bought tickets upon arrival but you can purchase them in advance as well.
MINIERE, THE WINERY
Château de Miniere was the first, and sadly only, stop on our winery tour. Because most things are closed on Sundays we never made it to our second choice, Château Soucherie. We did stop by Bouvet Ladubay, which came highly recommended for its sparkling wines. If sparking wines are your thing then maybe check it out. We went because it was close to Château de Miniere but after just experiencing the service and vineyards of Miniere, it was kind of a let down. We enjoyed walking around the grounds at Château de Miniere. It was so beautiful and I can only imagine what it looks like in full bloom. Because it was off season we didn’t do anything extra but we did enjoy the free wine tasting and walking around the grounds. The guy who did our wine tasting did a fabulous job teaching and telling us about each wine and spoke great English, definite plus! If you know me at all, you know that dry red wine is my absolute favorite so it’s crazy to me that the wine we ended up buying was a sparkling white. The wine was all so tasty and pure, I wish we could have bought one of everything. During the peak season you can enjoy tours of the vineyard, bike rides & picnics while you are there. You can even book your stay at the château for a very authentic French experience.
The little town of Amboise is where we hung out and ate most of our meals. It has the cutest dining and shopping area and we even stumbled upon a fun local market. We stopped at many cafes and shops here and our favorite meal during the whole trip was in Amboise. If you stop by or stay here you must eat at Restaurant Anne de Bretagne. Landon got the steak and I got the duck, the food was just amazing! We finished the night with cognac and creme brulee. The staff was so fun and tried their best to speak English to us. It was not always perfect, but definitely humorous and made for such a delightful evening. For tips on how we conquered the language barrier, click here. Our other favorite spot in Amboise was a bakery called Paul. It is a chain, (I just found out there is one in DC) but it was definitely not short of flavor. Things I wish we did or did more of in Amboise: Chateau de Amboise, it is right there in the middle of town, you can't miss it and yet we did not make it in. Also, Chateau du Clos Luce, Leonardo di Vinci's home. It is now a historical landmark and you can tour the house and gardens.
I write all this to encourage you just to go. If it is Paris, I hope this helps you plan your trip, if it is somewhere else, get out there and remember who you are and what you love doing alongside being a mom.