Paris with Scott

Hold Up – $490 Roundtrip to Paris – Same Day Departure and Arrival?

by PwS | Apr 13, 2018 | Airfare, Travel, Trip Planning

I was just looking online at tickets for roundtrip to Paris. When I searched, the results popped up, and under “lowest fare,” it shows a price of $490 roundtrip to Paris!!! And, it leaves New York’s JFK airport and arrives in Paris at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle on the same day. I have checked and re-checked. YES, it is correct!

At first I thought I had lucked into one of those rare times we all read about in the newspaper. “Mistake by Airline Results in $49 Roundtrip Fares for Lucky European Vacationers.” Or, something like that. But, no. I opened a new browser and went straight to the airline’s site (wowair.com) and got the same result.

However, here are the catches:

Yes, the flight leaves on the same day it arrives in Paris. But, it departs at 12:40 a.m. – the very beginning of the day. To look on the bright side, that means you could get to JFK from nearly anywhere in the country in time to get on that flight. Budget travelers – are you ready for this?

Another catch, you have a 3 hour and 25 minute layover in Reykjavik, Iceland at the Keflavik International Airport. I have been to that airport and it is pretty cool. And, they have interesting souvenirs. But, the airport is a little far out to be able to go into town and see anything. Still, from the airport you can look outside at the crazy moonscape of Iceland. Who knows, it may get your traveling yen going for a trip to Iceland next.

On the return, the departure time from Paris is great – 6:30 p.m. (Go ahead and climb those towers at Notre-Dame de Paris, have lunch, then take your time getting to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport for your return journey). Again there is a layover in Rekjavik for another 3 hours and 30 minutes of chill time. While it is not so bad for the savings, the plane does not arrive until 11:25 p.m. at JFK. What are you going to do if you don’t live next door to JFK? Sleep in the terminal?

Then, more catches:

You have to pay for a carryon, and for a checked bag, and this is for each direction. So double those bag charges! Remember, even with the least expensive ticket, personal items are free – hurrah!

No food is included in the ticket price unless you buy the WOW biz ticket. So if you were going to try the suggestion to avoid eating in flight, the decision is made for you!

Yet, the airline offers a lot of options to go with the basic ticket. Everything is à la carte (to use some French), so you buy what suits you. Need cancellation protection, check it off and an amount is added to your total charge. Want priority boarding? Check it on the screen and your total is increasing. What about extra leg-room or extra, extra leg-room? You can buy it. Decide you want to forego the recommendation about avoiding jet lag? On the WOW air website, you can purchase food for your meal on board at the time you purchase your ticket. Choose what you want and pay for each part as you choose your options.

Want your bags included in your ticket, take a look at WOW plus. That fare is about $100 more and you get a seat, one checked bag and one carryon bag – worth it! Then you only have the catches written about earlier to worry about.

Leaving and arriving on the same day is incredible. You arrive in Paris, go eat dinner, go to bed, and wake up the next day on schedule. Or at least that is how it is supposed to work. This flight could work to your advantage to avoid jet lag. You will be so exhausted, you will sleep well into the next morning after you finally hit the hay.

This is budget travel and it doesn’t seem half bad.

It will just take a bit of planning to cover the issues created by cost savings.

Color Change for the Eiffel Tower?

by PwS | Mar 23, 2018 | Travel

The architects of historic monuments of the City of Paris and the Ministry of Culture are contemplating a color change for the Eiffel Tower. The color has been “Eiffel Tower Brown”, since 1988. It doesn’t seem brown when you see it in person. But, whatever name is used for the color, it changes with the light and the clouds. It always just looks incredible.

How much paint does it take?

Back to the paint. The monument’s 20th paint job will begin in October 2018, and will require 60 tons of paint and 3 years of work! In its 129 year history, the Eiffel Tower has been a variety of colors. Gustave Eiffel chose red for its debut. Then in 1892 it was a mustard or ochre color. Next came yellow in 1899 and yellow brown from 1907 until 1954. A reddish brown was used between 1954 and 1968. And, most of us know it as the brown color it has been since then. Can you imagine a yellow Eiffel Tower?

Rediscovering the Classic Eiffel Tower Colors

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Culture told Le Parisien, “We will rediscover and revive these old colors, like we do when we restore an old painting. This will give some food for thought as to whether or not to add nuances to the current hue.”

The cost – 40 million euros. The paint must be kept up to avoid having the Eiffel Tower rust. After all, it is made of iron and referred to as la Dame de fer (the iron lady). Whatever color is chosen, the painters paint a darker shade at the bottom and gradually change to a lighter shade at the top.

In the next 15 years, the Eiffel Tower will also receive upgrades to security, including a bullet-proof glass wall around the perimeter.

Do any of you remember the Eiffel Tower before it was the brown it is today? Tell us about it in the comments section that follows.

Your Paris Library

by PwS | Mar 3, 2018 | Paris, Travel, Trip Planning

Paris is one of the most visited and beloved places in the world, and because of that, there are MANY books about Paris. Lots of people have written about Paris and continue to write about it. They make movies with Paris in a starring role that have luscious scenery and breathtaking views. Lucky for us! That means we get to read old favorites and brand new titles coming out each year, plus watch the newest films shot on location in Paris. Fun For All Of Us!

Together with histories and nonfiction accounts, publishers keep turning out historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, picture books, children’s books, guide books, cookbooks, best of books, garden books and even shopping books and guides. Books have always been, and still are, a sure way to transport you to another world and they do the same for Paris. They are the perfect way to explore Paris before going so you can learn more about what you like and what you do not like. Remember, it is important to narrow your focus to what you love and what really interests you. That is important so that you can create your Paris List and have the best trip to Paris possible.

Narrow Your Focus in Advance

In order to figure out what you want to see, one website, guidebook or history is not enough. Paris is so diverse that you should consult multiple sources in order to get a feel for the monument, museum or neighborhood that may spark your interest. Each author has a different perspective and each offers a different insight. And, you may learn something from one book that you would never find out from another book.

My “Paris Library” contains some of all types of books. It contains a range, from little mini books on bistros to oversize coffee table books. Each one has a particular appeal. Some are so specific that they would be unhelpful to the casual Paris visitor. But, since I write about Paris, I need some pretty specific books to help with some of the articles that I write.

To help you begin your initial armchair journey to Paris, I have reviewed my library and propose some books for your pleasure. You probably only need a few to really make a difference in your life. And by making a difference, I mean providing information and photos to get you really excited about going there, providing information to make informed decisions on what will meet your expectations, and providing a way to have a great traveling experience even at your home through photos, writing and recipes.

I find these books are especially helpful, with plenty of information. They are books that I find myself returning to time and again for the great resources and reference. But also, because they conjure the feelings of Paris.

Guidebooks

It would not be impossible to visit Paris without a guidebook, but…. You may have a few questions before, during and after your trip and a guidebook could provide the answer. Plus, they are fun to read and pretty much essential for preparing your Paris List.

More info here: Guidebooks for Paris

Fiction

To be able to write like Balzac! Or Victor Hugo??? What about Ernest Hemingway??? Each novel takes us deep into Paris. And, who doesn’t like to sit on the edge of the seat waiting for what comes next in mysteries and thrillers? A car wreck, Soviet spies, snipers – and set in PARIS!

Nonfiction

Like most nonfiction, we can learn more than we really want to know about the real goings on in the past. From the bedraggled pauvres that are the subject of one of the longest running Broadway plays, to the daily rituals of Louis XIV, these books illustrate the reality of the past and present.

Photo Books

Nothing is quite like sitting with a photo book and getting a bird’s eye view or seeing oversize full-page photos of Paris. One image can make your heart leap! So many try to publish books that capture the City of Light, but some seem to do it better than others.

Garden Books

Well, if you want to admire beauty up close and personal, garden books can set you straight. The grand gardens, the little pocket parks, the areas surrounding monuments that would not necessarily be called gardens. Each one is elegant and thought out beyond what we can imagine. Formal, wild, vegetable, preserve – you name the garden type and you can find it in Paris.

Cookbooks

Cookbooks are a great way to learn about the food that you may see on a restaurant menu. Not that you have to learn the name of every French dish in French, but being familiar with some of the names can help ease you into your culinary experiences in Paris.

Children’s Books

What joy to read a children’s book and see characters come to life with caricature drawings – and then – see them in real life. Children’s books are just as fun for adults and really dig deep into the French mindset preparing and exciting the whole family.

Movies

Dancing like Gene Kelly across the screen is about as wonderful and magical as you can get!!!! Audrey Hepburn takes on Paris in her own way and everyone knows The da Vinci Code! Images of Paris, style, culture, glamor – all rolled up in these movies. Movies are pure entertainment.

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man….

by PwS | Feb 5, 2018 | Travel

Paris at any age is a moveable feast. Hemingway is absolutely correct when he writes that it will stay with you for the rest of your life. But, I don’t think it only happens to young men. It also happens to any visitor who wants to see the beauty of Paris and allows that beauty to reach deep inside them.

Let it soak in

Hemingway illustrates how he let it get into him. He lived there, went to the cafés, walked the boulevards, hung out with painters and writers and let it all soak in. He was fortunate enough to live in Paris in the 1920s, when it seems most enchanting.

Then, he wrote about it so we could all experience that life vicariously. Everyone can absorb the Paris of that time, through his books. Even if you do not have months to go live in Paris, his great writing and story-telling can let you get a feel for the city. You can learn what his landmarks were and make a list of places you want to go. And, you know what, many of them look the same today!

That feast of life (whether in person or through literature and books) stays with you, as his quote says. This is true, no matter where you are: in Paris, back at home, reading his writing, looking at photo books, reading garden books. The whole experience can be life-changing. If only to have an appreciation of a different culture, it is worth exploring Paris, by being there, or through books and movies.

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

– Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Hemingway’s quote really resonates for this site. His books were my favorites while living in Paris. And, because Paris seems to paint itself on your soul, that is the reason I want to encourage people to visit Paris. This site is to help you experience the Paris of your dreams. That is what this site is all about. Like the first time I was there in high school and Paris became a part of me. I want it to become part of you!

Find more books about Paris here.

Transatlantic Crossing

by PwS | Jan 8, 2018 | Travel

How many times are you going to Paris? It doesn’t matter really. If this time is going to be special, or if you want it to be special, after visiting Paris take the train through the Chunnel and into London. Then, spend a few days, see a few sites and take a transatlantic crossing back to New York.

When I gave them tickets for the transatlantic crossing on the way back, my parents were completely against the idea. But, I told them that was the only way they could get back. C’est la vie.

My Parents Loved It

After resigning themselves to do it, I began working out the details. The transatlantic crossing included upgraded airfare on the way over, plus two night hotel stay in London before leaving on the Queen Mary 2 back to New York from Southampton. So, when planning the London, my parents said they wanted to see the Victoria & Albert Museum. My friend Sharon insisted on, and sprang for, a car tour of London with Susie Worthy. My parents called to tell me their guide was a driving encyclopedia with easy to understand, yet over-the-top, history, little known facts and access to anywhere. Without Susie Worthy, they could not have had such a memorable experience in London.

What made the whole transatlantic crossing really great, and super easy, was that I worked with an American Express travel agent who worked out all the details with Cunard. Then, he booked a package that gave my parents lots of amenities:

upgraded airfare to Paris
two nights in London
two nights in New York
all the transfers from the train station in London to the hotel
back to the dock to the Queen Mary 2
from the dock in New York to the hotel in New York
transport back to the airport
airfare home from New York to Shreveport, Louisiana

Plus, they received shipboard credit and they used it to have their laundry done on the ship. Total bonus!

New York Harbor

After spending several days on the ocean, my parents said the ship came alive as early as 3:00 a.m. on the morning of arrival in New York. That is when people ran up and down the halls, full of excitement, talking amongst themselves and to anyone who would listen. All in anticipation of arrival in the New York Harbor. When Manhattan was finally in sight, every passenger was on deck waiting and watching as the Statue of Liberty greeted everyone coming to America.

Hearing my parents describe arriving in New York was worth every penny of that anniversary gift. They enjoyed the elegant dinners, watching the ocean pass them by, the civilized adjustment to the time change, flowers in the room. Every single part of the transatlantic crossing made them happy, and me happy.

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