“Cheerio and Bonjour!” – Celebrating my 50th Birthday in London and Paris
It all started with a text from one of my besties saying “hey, do you want to go to Amsterdam to the Beyonce Renaissance Tour?” Tickets for good seats were much cheaper overseas and I had been thinking of ways to celebrate the big 5-0 for a couple of months. I knew I didn’t want a big party, but I wanted to do something to commemorate reaching this milestone. I couldn’t swing the dates she was going, but it planted the seed in my mind… “why not plan a European trip with family and friends to celebrate my birthday AND see the Queen B!”
I initially wanted to go to the Paris concert, which fell on my actual birthday, but it sold out fast. So we settled for one of the London concerts a week earlier and decided we’d just take the train over to Paris. With travel dates chosen, here’s where the real work kicked in, and where my top five tips begin:
1. Plan early, and if possible, hire a travel agent.
If you ask me, securing flights and hotels/home rentals should start about a year in advance. I didn’t have that luxury, so we didn’t get the best flight deals, but they weren’t too bad. Also, if I’d had the time to secure a travel agent, I may have been able to get us the discounts they can access. Luckily, a good gal pal of mine who lived in both London and Paris curated a list of places and activities for us (check the restaurants out below) which made the planning so much easier. If you don’t go the travel agent route, definitely reserve — and pay for — car transfers, tours and popular restaurants at least a month in advance.
🫖 Check out these restaurants while in London and Paris🥂
by @notoriousnik08
Ask your travel agent to create a text thread with all travelers (or you can do this) to list important details, and so they can refer to it during the trip instead of asking you… because trust me, you will forget certain things! Make them pin the thread to the top of their message inbox!
2. Pack light. No, for real. You won’t be wearing all those clothes, sis.
This isn’t an issue for the guys as much as the girls. I know you want to wear those cute heels for dinner, but after you’ve been walking all day, you’ll probably keep on the flats. Paris is a “walkable city” so it’s best to pack some worn-in sneakers and comfy flats with arch support. I try to plan for only 1 -2 outfits per day with a jacket that can be worn with multiple outfits. Even in the summer, it can get chilly in the morning and at night. I’ve seen some people pack everything in a carry-on so there’s less risk of missing luggage. Uhhh, that’s not me! I knew I was going to be buying a lot of souvenirs, so I checked a bag and took a rolling carry-on with only some changing clothes so I’d be prepared in case my luggage got lost. That way, I could pack souvenir goodies in it for the trip back home. For the checked luggage, I dropped an Airtag in it so I could see where it was at all times.
3. Keep your itinerary loose and add extra hours for airport/train departures.
You won’t be able to see it all… not in these cities. So keep a realistic itinerary that includes downtime and going back to the hotel to rest, freshen up or even let little ones nap. Airport security is different in every city, and TSA Pre-check may not mean a thing in terms of getting you ahead of the line in some places. It’s better to have extra time to kill than potentially missing your flight. When we took the Eurostar train to Paris from London, there weren’t any attendants to help with luggage, so arrive early so you can take your time walking to the train car with all your bags.
4. Beware of ticket “package deals” that let you skip the line and other money grabbers like rideshare.
You’ll see tons of package deals and “skip the line” tickets to popular attractions. Before you snag the deal, go to the attraction’s official website to see what the prices are so you can compare. Also, you can spend a lot of money on rideshares and taxi’s (believe me, it adds up!). Instead, get acclimated with the city’s transit and train system first. Many of them are pretty clean and aren’t that difficult to navigate. Plus, if you ask attendants at the ticketing booths, they are very helpful in telling you which lines to take, connections, etc. The map apps on your phone have train lines anyway — and in these busy cities, by the time you wait on your driver to get to you, you could have walked to the train stop, caught the train and at your next destination. Plus, in London you just tap your debit/credit card at the turnstile.
5. Make it memorable for everyone in the group, not just you.
You might be that person in the group who DOESN’T want to go to the Beyonce concert or Disneyland Paris, but be open to trying something new at least one time during your trip. You’re in a different place (and a new place for some) and the experience may not be like what you’ve had in the past. At the same time, realize that not everyone likes to do a lot of sight-seeing or shopping on vacation. Throw some “on your own” hours on that itinerary. Everyone is different, so allow smaller groups to break away and do other activities.