As we covered in part un, we were keen to travel and take the kids to foreign shores and Disneyland, primarily, but whilst still having the freedom of our own car.
Travelling over via Le Shuttle and staying at the Centerparcs near Disney met all of our requirements and meant we could plan the next part of our trip, as well as enjoying the comforts of the facilities at Centerparcs.
Of course, we couldn't go to France and not go into Paris. We live rurally and so if we do visit big cities, there is always a little bit of adapting we have to do to the busy streets and roads. Our young children cannot run or go out of sight, which makes it a little restrictive, but we do go out of our way to find open green spaces when we can.
We also didn't want to drive into the centre of Paris - having been a few times it is always a busy experience, although probably only as daunting as driving around London which we have done several times now. However, as the metro was so nearby it was the perfect opportunity to ditch the car and relax. We parked at the nearby shopping centre which offers free parking and is a few minutes walk to the metro station. The other great thing about Paris is there are only two straight lines in and out of the city to Disney, so you can't really get too lost.
The metro took around 30 minutes into Paris and when we emerged into day light, we were prime placed next to the Arc De Triomphe. Rather than stay under ground we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower, taking in some of the sights, It was a pleasant 20-30 minute walk which for our kids was fine but equally could be made easier with a buggy or scooters,
En route we stopped at an epic Boulangerie on the Champs Elysee and grabbed food for picnic, including the most elegant looking patisseries. As we approached the Eiffel Tower the children were in awe and amazed that they were seeing this icon in real life, finally. We took photos and marvelled before walking the perimeter looking for the entrance. The Paralympics were due to start 2 days from then so it the rings took pride of place on the Tower looking proudly over the city and there were various security details in place.
Once we had been through the airport style security, the familiar green open space under and around the Eiffel Tower came into focus. We had hoped the kids could run off steam here but it was still busy and they were naturally cautious and stuck near us. So instead we found a bench to eat our picnic on, however, the wasps were UNREAL, and our kids hate them, so unwrapping delicious sweet treats was an invitation for an infestation. Alas we packed up our picnic and took a walk instead.
There was lovely dappled shade under the trees and we went in search of the 100 year old Carousel that sits proudly in the green spaces around the Eiffel Tower and the playground I had found online. Owing to the paralympics security, we could not get to it as we were surrounded by a perimeter of glass/ hoarding, so we gave up on that and just enjoyed meandering the streets. The pretty Parisian town houses with their wooden shutters looked picture perfect, and we found some lovely vistas by the Seine to enjoy. We even bumped into Alex Brooker and my other half got a photo with him, to which Alex commented that it was very romantic with a view of the Eiffel Tower behind them.
After finally eating and scouring for souvenirs, it was time to take the little ones back to the metro. Yes we had only seen a few sights, yes we totally expected and planned for it to be this way and I would advise you to do what is right for you and your family too. It's a big place and we know we will return once the children are older, so we felt in no rush to push ourselves or their legs too much. They were more than happy with what they saw and did for their first trip to Paris and seeing it through their eyes (having been ourselves before) was more than enough reward for us.
When we arrived back at Centerparcs after our day in Paris, we decided to take a sunset dip in the pools which was the perfect way to mark such an epic day.
Then it was back to enjoying some fun and downtime before the next adventure began....
Stay tuned for part III....
