Versailles & Paris
About This Stop
Our first full day in Europe was like being thrown into the deep end of international travel - exciting, chaotic, and completely unforgettable! After landing at Charles de Gaulle and somehow breezing through French customs, we dove headfirst into Paris public transportation. Of course, we immediately made every tourist mistake possible, including sitting by the train doors and getting those classic French 'you're doing it wrong' looks.
Just when we thought we had the hang of things, Saint-Notre-Dame station decided to flood and close completely. Suddenly we were in full 'Amazing Race' mode, scrambling to figure out how to get to Versailles with no idea what we were doing. The chaos reached peak comedy when our tickets mysteriously stopped working and we ended up following locals through gates and basically jumping turnstiles like rebels. Not exactly the dignified start to our European adventure we'd imagined!
But somehow, we made it to Versailles, and wow - it was absolutely worth all the transportation drama. The palace is ridiculously over-the-top in the best possible way. Every room is more opulent than the last, and you can practically feel the history in those halls. The gardens were incredible too, and we found the perfect spot to enjoy our first real French meal: authentic ham and cheese baguettes that put every American version to shame.
The return trip was like traveling in luxury compared to our morning adventure. We splurged on an Uber ride in this awesome Mercedes van while the kids completely crashed and slept through the entire hour-long journey back to Paris. Sometimes you just have to admit defeat and pay for the easy option!
We managed to check into our hostel early (the staff took pity on our jet-lagged American family), and everyone immediately took much-needed naps. Later that evening, we went on a grocery shopping adventure at Aldi, Lidl, and Auchan - which sounds boring but was actually a great way to see how locals live and stock up on snacks for cheap.
The day ended perfectly with Madison trying out the hostel's rock climbing wall while we all cheered her on from below. Looking around at our family, exhausted but happy in this Paris hostel lobby, we all had the same thought: 'This is going to be a great trip!'
Just when we thought we had the hang of things, Saint-Notre-Dame station decided to flood and close completely. Suddenly we were in full 'Amazing Race' mode, scrambling to figure out how to get to Versailles with no idea what we were doing. The chaos reached peak comedy when our tickets mysteriously stopped working and we ended up following locals through gates and basically jumping turnstiles like rebels. Not exactly the dignified start to our European adventure we'd imagined!
But somehow, we made it to Versailles, and wow - it was absolutely worth all the transportation drama. The palace is ridiculously over-the-top in the best possible way. Every room is more opulent than the last, and you can practically feel the history in those halls. The gardens were incredible too, and we found the perfect spot to enjoy our first real French meal: authentic ham and cheese baguettes that put every American version to shame.
The return trip was like traveling in luxury compared to our morning adventure. We splurged on an Uber ride in this awesome Mercedes van while the kids completely crashed and slept through the entire hour-long journey back to Paris. Sometimes you just have to admit defeat and pay for the easy option!
We managed to check into our hostel early (the staff took pity on our jet-lagged American family), and everyone immediately took much-needed naps. Later that evening, we went on a grocery shopping adventure at Aldi, Lidl, and Auchan - which sounds boring but was actually a great way to see how locals live and stock up on snacks for cheap.
The day ended perfectly with Madison trying out the hostel's rock climbing wall while we all cheered her on from below. Looking around at our family, exhausted but happy in this Paris hostel lobby, we all had the same thought: 'This is going to be a great trip!'
Location
Photo Gallery
