I love to combine two of my favorite things – reading and travel. While I sometimes read non-fiction books about the place I’ll be visiting before the trip, I like to bring fiction set in the destination when I’m traveling. I find that it adds to my enjoyment of both the book and the travel. When the characters are walking in the same places I am, I can feel a greater connection to the story and also get a feel for the culture or history of the place I am visiting.
Personally I prefer contemporary fiction if I can find it, but like historical fiction too. For example, I have read Nick Hornsby’s About A Boy and Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl in London, Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons in Rome, Terry McMillan’s How Stella Got Her Groove Back in Jamaica, and Kaui Hart Hemmings’ The Descendants in Hawaii.
Memoirs are also a great option; they give you a feel for the customs of a location and what it would be like to live there. I enjoyed Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris and Adam Gopnik’s Paris to the Moon, both about the experience of a foreigner moving to Paris and adapting to their culture. When visiting Buenos Aires I read about a woman who moved there and took up tango dancing.
One of my favorite travel experiences involved a memoir set in Anguilla. I read A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean by Bob and Melinda Blanchard, the story of an American couple who moved to Anguilla and opened a restaurant. I learned about the Anguilla culture and customs from the story, and then we decided to have dinner at the Blanchard’s restaurant while we were on the island. We got to meet Bob Blanchard who was at the restaurant that night, had a wonderful meal there, and brought home their cookbook as a souvenir.
the cracked coconut dessert at Blanchard’s Table – YUM
Any time I look at the cookbook or try a recipe (the cracked coconut dessert starts with water balloons dipped in chocolate!), I am transported back to the beautiful beaches of Anguilla.
Anguilla
And if I had never picked up that memoir, I may not have gone to the restaurant and had the wonderful evening that my family and I all so fondly remember.
Finding books
How do I find books set in specific locations? Some travel guide books will include book suggestions. Barnes and Noble’s website allows you to search by geographical location. Goodreads often has booklists for locations. I also refer to Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust To Go which gives book recommendations for over 120 destinations.
You don’t have to actually go anywhere to enjoy travel reading. It’s great for armchair travelers too.
“No Man Is An Island; Every Book Is A World.” ― Gabrielle Zevin, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry
We were fortunate enough to get to spend a few days in Paris in March, this time without kids (see earlier post for trip with kids last summer). I love going back to a city for the second (or more) time; you have a feel for the city and have hit the must-see but often touristy sights, and feel more free to explore whatever sounds fun. (I know some people do that their first time to a city, but that’s not me…)
It was cold but we still had some beautiful sunny days.
My first outing was a pastry making class at L’Atelier Des Sens. It was a hands-on class and we made four different pastries. We sampled our creations and then got to take a box with us when we left. They were delicious! Who knows, maybe some day I will attempt to make them again at home.
We spent the afternoon in Montmartre, a neighborhood overlooking the city. We took the funicular up the hill to the Sacré Couer and wandered through the church. There are great views of Paris from in front of the church (even better from the dome, but we did not make the climb).
Sacre Couer
We stopped in the famous (but yes, touristy) Place du Tertre, the square where artists set up for the day and sell their work. While our friends bought some overpriced caricatures, we picked up some small sketches of Paris scenes.
Place du Tertre
Our final stop in Montmartre was the Clos Montmartre, a small vineyard tucked among the streets of Montmartre, which is the oldest working vineyard in Paris. They produce a small amount of wine per year, most of which is auctioned to support local charities. The vineyard is open to the public during their fall harvest festival and also by group tour arranged through the Montmartre tourist office. Our guide shared the history of the winery with us, and then we got to taste a recent vintage.
Clos Montmartre vineyard
The next day we took a guided tour of the Palais Garnier. Wandering through this opulent opera house you could imagine high society strutting their stuff here 100 years ago. Phantom of the Opera was set there, and we saw Box #5 which was his box in the story.
the Grand Staircase
Next we headed over to Le Marais, first for a leisurely lunch before visiting the Picasso Museum. After Picasso’s death in 1973, many of his works went to the French state, which formed a museum with the collection. The museum is housed in a 17th century hotel which has been beautifully renovated. While we were there the main exhibit focused on Picasso’s sculptures (not as many paintings).
The following day started with a visit to the Musée des Arts décoratifs in a wing of the Louvre to see the special Barbie exhibit which is running from March 10 to September 18, 2016. This was so fun! To see how Barbie evolved over the years and how that reflected changes in society was interesting. There were outfits that various fashion designers (DVF, Burberry, Karl Lagerfeld, etc.) have made for Barbie, a display of Barbie’s family members (who knew Barbie had a brother named Scott??), and a wall of accessories sorted by color. If you ever loved Barbie you will love this exhibit.
Fashion designs
Wall of accessories
Barbie foosball?! I want!
Next up was a visit to the Catacombs, a place we missed on our last trip to Paris because the line was 3 hours long. This time we bought tickets in advance and bypassed the line, which was still at least an hour even on a winter day. The Catacombs are an underground burial site for over 6 million Parisians whose remains were moved there in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s when cemeteries ran out of space.
You can wander through the underground tunnels and into the galleries that house walls of stacked bones and skulls. It is chilly down there and there’s no bathroom, so be prepared.
No wine, burgers, or touching the skeletons. Got it.
I have no idea what the lower sign means. You are walking over bodies? Beware of bowling balls?
After that macabre experience we headed back into the daylight and headed to the Salon de Chocolat of Un Dimanche à Paris for some delicious hot chocolate and souvenirs for our family at home. This shop/restaurant is in the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood – we had been there on our prior trip and had to go back. I could happily sip that hot chocolate daily.
Our final night in Paris we visited the Eiffel Tower at sunset. We bought tickets in advance, and went up before it was dark and watched the sunset from the top while sipping a glass of champagne (which they sell from a counter on the top floor). This is a great time to visit because you get to see the expansive views in the light and lit up in the dark, as well as the sunset in between.
sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower
After descending we enjoyed the tower from the ground, a golden glow in the night sky.
Once again the City of Light charmed us and we look forward to visiting her again.
Whistler is a great destination with something to appeal to everyone – both skiers and non-skiers alike. There are great restaurants and shopping, and a wide range of outdoor activities. We’ve visited with and without kids, in the winter and also in the summer, with friends and on our own. We have always enjoyed it.
Our most recent trip was in February with the kids. Our family skis and/or snowboards, and Whistler Blackcomb has miles of runs for all ability levels with beautiful views across the valley. The Peak 2 Peak gondola makes it very easy to move back and forth between Whistler and Blackcomb.
View from Blackcomb
There are several on-mountain dining options, with large lodges but also some small alpine huts with tasty choices. Our favorite is the Crystal Hut on Blackcomb that serves delicious Belgian waffles. Yum!
Crystal Hut waffle – berries on one side, chocolate on the other
This trip we had a whole week at Whistler so wanted to try some new activities on the days we weren’t skiing. The first one we chose was zip-lining. We did the Eagle Tour with ZipTrek Eco Tours. Heights make me nervous but I still had a lot of fun. The guides were great and made us feel very safe. It was definitely a thrill!
Hanging upside down is not required 🙂
The thrill-seekers in my family wanted another adventure, so two of us (NOT me) decided to do the Whistler Bungee. You jump 160 feet over the Cheakamus River. There is no minimum age (although you need parental permission under 19) so our 12 year-old decided to take the plunge. She’s already talking about going back and doing it again (with a back-flip next time).
Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics which brought some fun additions to the area, including the Olympic Rings (nice photo op), the Sliding Centre (where you can try the luge, bobsleigh, or skeleton), and Inukshuk statues on both mountains.
Inukshuk on Blackcomb
The current exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Canadian dollar means U.S. residents can find some good deals on shopping right now. We found the best deals (when considering the conversion) were at Canadian brands (like Lululemon). It’s also nice to save on dining and lift tickets.
If you are a resident of Canada, Washington, or Oregon state, Whistler offers the EDGE Card which gives discounts on lift tickets, dining, and some activities and stores . Beyond being a money saver it’s also very convenient because you don’t have to wait in line to buy lift tickets, your card will automatically be charged when you get on the lift. The EDGE Card can also be linked to your credit card for retail purchases so that you can use it for on-mountain purchases and don’t have to bring your wallet on the slopes.
Whether you’re taking part in the on-mountain activities or sticking to the village, everyone will find something to enjoy in Whistler.
We visited Paris in July and I couldn’t believe how long the lines were at the popular attractions, sometimes over 3 hours long. Fortunately there are ways to avoid many of the lines. Spend your spare time sipping a beverage in a sidewalk café or sampling macarons instead.
[Note: In addition to the suggestions I list below, you can book guided 3rd party “skip the line” tours to all of these sites – but it will be significantly more expensive. This may be worth it in some instances. You will find many options on Viator and TripAdvisor. We went this route for the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, and were very happy with our experiences. See my previous post for more information.]
Paris Museum Pass
The Paris Museum Pass is good at over 50 museums and monuments, including the Louvre, Musée D’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, Versailles (main palace only included), and Napoleon’s Tomb. The pass allows you to skip the ticket purchase line at most of the included attractions (e.g. not at Notre Dame).
The pass is available for 2, 4, or 6 consecutive days, which starts on the first day you use it. I found it to be economical even if you were not going to any of the attractions some of the days of your visit.
Some sites will have a security line that you will still have to wait in (e.g. Versailles).
You can buy the pass online and have it mailed to you, or at the airport, or various locations around Paris. You can also buy the pass at any of the included attractions, even if you do not plan to use it at that time. For example, we bought ours at one of the smaller museums that was close to our hotel to avoid a line at one of the more popular locations, and didn’t activate the pass until a couple days later. We just walked in, bought the pass, and left.
Many museums and monuments are free for visitors under 18, so we did not buy the pass for our children. Some locations will require you to stop and pick up a free ticket for your child – the only place we had to do that was the Musée de L’Armée.
The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is one of the attractions that can have a line hours long, especially in the summer months. There are a few different ways to skip it:
Buy your ticket online. You have to be quick if you’re planning to go during busy travel times. Tickets go on sale at 8:30am Paris time, approximately 90 days in advance. You will need to be online immediately when they’re released in order to get them.
Climb the stairs. You can climb the 700 steps to the second floor. It’s less expensive and a much shorter line.
Book a behind the scenes tour for an additional approximately 18€ per person. This tour takes you to the bunker and engine room. It ends on the 2nd floor, so if you want to go to the summit you would need to buy a ticket from the 2nd floor ticket counter at the end of the tour.
view from the Eiffel Tower at sunset
Versailles
We arrived at Versailles before they opened and there were hundreds of people already in line and the courtyard quickly filled with people. See this page for the busiest times to visit.
lines forming before the palace opened
Avoid Tuesdays (when the Louvre is closed) and weekends if you can, those are the busiest days.
Buy your tickets in advance online or get the Paris Museum Pass (described above). You still have to wait in the security line but can skip the ticket buying line.
Versailles recommends the following route on busy days:
The interior of the Palace: at 9am
Gardens and park: 10am to noon
Trianon palaces and Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet: noon to 4:30pm
Book a guided tour for 7€ per person. This allows you to go in a separate entrance with no line. We took the tour of the Private Apartments of the Kings and it was excellent. The palace was so crowded and it was really nice to see some other rooms with a small group of people and a guide. You can then visit the main palace rooms on your own after the tour, without waiting in line. The tour went on sale 3 months in advance at 9:30am.
The Louvre
The Louvre is closed Tuesday. The museum gets very busy, and you’ll often fight the crowds getting in but also while touring the museum.
Avoid Mondays (when Versailles is closed). The museum is free the first Sunday of the month from October to March, so will be crowded then.
The museum is open late Wednesdays and Fridays and is often less crowded at that time.
Buy your tickets in advance online or get the Paris Museum Pass (described above).
The pyramid entrance line is usually the longest. Try one of the other entrances instead (e.g. from the mall underneath).
the mob in front of the Mona Lisa
The Catacombes
While not as popular as the above attractions, I had to list the Catacombes because it is the one place that we tried to see and didn’t because the line was 3 hours long. There’s not much I will stand and wait 3 hours for. I am determined to go there on our next visit but to plan ahead this time!
Their website recommends visiting on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after 3 pm to avoid too long of a wait.
Buy your tickets online. They can be purchased 6 months in advance. Note that you must get the audioguide when you buy your ticket online, and there is also a 10€ per ticket reservation fee.
Paris is a beautiful city with much to offer for all ages. We visited Paris last summer as a family, with our kids aged 12 and 15. The kids loved seeing in person places they had heard of and seen pictures of – and of course loved the pastries and chocolate.
I was shocked by how long the lines were (sometimes 2-3 hours long), and was very thankful that I had made some plans in advance that allowed us to avoid many of them. Keep your eye out for a follow up blog post where I will give specific suggestions on skipping the lines in Paris.
One general tip – it is a good idea for everyone in your family (children too) to know that it is polite to say “bonjour” when you enter a restaurant, store, or café (you will typically be greeted this way as well). My husband almost didn’t get his ice cream because he forgot to say “bonjour” first! For example, in the U.S. we might say “Mint chip please” but in Paris you should say “Bonjour. Mint chip please”.
ITINERARY:
Day 1:
We arrived in Paris during a heat wave (“la canicule”). It was uncomfortably hot (100 degrees and humid); most of the cafés were not air-conditioned and even the museum air conditioners were having a hard time keeping up. So we took it easy our first couple days until the weather cooled off a bit.
Our first evening in Paris we took a Seine cruise on one of the Bateaux-Mouches. This is a nice way to get an overview of the city, and the breeze felt so good on a hot evening.
Day 2:
Early on our first morning in Paris (before it got too hot and the crowds came out) we met with a local photographer to take some family photos. I had come across the idea on tripadvisor, and we ended up with some wonderful images to commemorate our trip – and great options for our Christmas card.
In the afternoon we went on a Chocolate and Pastry Tour . During this 3 hour tour in the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood we tasted chocolates, macarons, bread, croissants, and the most amazing hot chocolate!
First stop on our tour
It was still very warm that afternoon so we scrapped our original plan to do some sightseeing and instead had fun at the amusement park that is set up in the Jardin des Tuileries every summer.
A fun way to cool off on a hot day
Day 3:
We took the train out to Versailles where we started our visit with a guided tour of the private apartments of the Kings. This was a small group tour that took us into rooms that we could not have seen otherwise, and was a much more pleasant experience than fighting the crowds in the rest of the palace (which we did after the tour) – – and it allowed us to bypass the HUGE lines which had already formed first thing in the morning.
A private apartment of the kings
After seeing the main palace, we rented a golf cart and visited the gardens, the Trianon Palaces, and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.
The golf cart was a fun way to ride around the gardens, and you can stop and park it in various places in the Estate.
Grand Trianon
After we were done at the palace and grounds, we headed over to the Royal Stables (outside the estate) to see a show by the Versailles Academy of Equestrian Arts. These are some very talented horses and riders! After the show you are able to walk through the stables and get a closer look at the horses.
After a full day in Versailles we headed back to Paris for the evening.
Day 4:
We started the day on a private tour of the Louvre with Paris Muse. We took the Louvre Quest family tour aimed at ages 13 and up, which involves an interactive game where you solve a number of clues as you work your way through the museum. This was an excellent way to see the Louvre, which is so large that it can be overwhelming. I had visited the Louvre on my own in the past, and this was a much better experience. We all learned and saw so much, and our guide was able to maneuver us through the crowds and put us right in front of the popular (and mobbed) pieces of art or artifacts.
The mob of people waiting to take a picture of the Mona Lisa – our guide brought us right to the front of the line
After the Louvre we checked out the nearby Palais Royal grounds (and grabbed a bite to eat).
Palais Royal
In the afternoon we explored the Ile de la Cité: the Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned), Notre Dame (we did not climb the towers as the line was crazy long, and opted for an ice cream break instead), and Sainte-Chapelle.
Notre Dame
We relaxed at a sidewalk café for a while before taking a sunset tour of the Eiffel Tower. This was a great time to visit, watching the sunset from the top of the tower. When we came down, we watched the light show that occurs every hour after dark.
Day 5:
Our final day in Paris started with a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, where we climbed to the top for great views of the city.
After a delicious lunch at a creperie, we went on a self-guided walking tour (using Frommer’s suggestions as a rough guide) of the Marais neighborhood that includes the historic Jewish quarter.
a street in Le Marais
We spent our final evening in Paris at a relaxing dinner, before packing up to head home. Oh Paris, j’adore. Until we meet again…
If you’ve ever dealt with missing luggage when traveling, you know how frustrating it can be! I’m surprised with current technology and the revenue airlines are generating from baggage fees that there hasn’t been more advancement in airline luggage tracking.
A few years ago we discovered these luggage tracking devices from Trakdot.
TrakDot device
You put the tracker in your suitcase, and then it uses cellular networks to notify you (via text or email) when your suitcase arrives at an airport. Fortunately most of the time your luggage will be where you expect it to be, and it just gives you that added peace of mind from when your plane lands until you have your bag from the luggage carousel.
But it is most helpful when your luggage is lost or delayed. We recently flew from Miami to Seattle connecting through Denver. Our suitcases did not arrive with us in Seattle. The airline had no idea where our bags were – but we knew they were in Denver because Trakdot had notified us. The following afternoon I called to check with the airline on the status, and they said they still had no idea where our bags were. Fortunately Trakdot had texted us 2 hours earlier that the bags had arrived in Seattle. I looked up the flight number for a flight on that airline arriving from Denver to Seattle at around that time – and was able to tell the airline what flight number the bags came in on. They sent someone to check and sure enough found our bags!
I think in most instances the airline will eventually find your luggage and get them to you, but Trakdot can help make that quicker and also give you reassurance while you wait. We did have one time years ago that a set of checked golf clubs was never found, and I wonder if the outcome would have been different if we’d had one of these trackers in the bag?
London is a wonderful city to visit with teenagers. You get to experience a foreign country while still being able to speak the language, and there are tons of things to do that appeal to that age group. We traveled there last summer as a family of 4, kids ages 15 and 12 (okay, our daughter wasn’t technically a teenager yet, but she sure seems like one!). When I was planning our trip I found a lot of information on traveling with young children, but not as much on teens. So I did a lot of research and found activities that I thought would appeal to our whole family. We had such a great time! I hope this information is helpful to other people planning a trip there (you don’t have to be a teen to enjoy it!).
LODGING: We rented a flat for a week through A Place Like Home. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous going through a rental agency in another country. But this was an excellent experience – they were responsive, helped us find an appropriate flat (good sleeping arrangements, in a convenient neighborhood, and close to a tube stop), arranged transportation, etc. Many European hotels limit you to 3 people, so as a family of four we would have had to stay in two hotel rooms. We found renting a flat to be a better option – more space, laundry and kitchen, and also less expensive – plus you feel like a local.
Then we took a cruise along the River Thames which was a nice introduction to the city – – and all we could handle after our long flight and lack of sleep, so headed back to the flat to catch some Z’s.
the London Eye seen from the River Thames
Day 2:
We started our day at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where we climbed up to the top of the dome to get a great view of the city. We all enjoyed the Whispering Gallery with acoustics that carry a whisper from one side of the dome to the other.
View of London from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Then we moved on to the British Museum, which is of course an amazing museum with lots of things interesting to kids and adults alike (e.g. the Rosetta Stone and mummy shown below) but was also hot and crowded.
the Rosetta Stone
mummy at the British Museum
We checked out Forbidden Planet which is a megastore for Dr. Who, Star Wars, and comic book fans and then did some shopping along Oxford Street. Last activity for the day was riding the London Eye for great views of the city.
London Eye capsule
Parliament as seen from the London Eye
Day 3:
This morning we went on Fat Tire’s Royal Bike Tour which gave a great overview of royal London. The ride included a stop where we could pop into a traditional English pub.
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In the afternoon we headed out to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour where we spent the evening. This was enjoyed by all, even those of us not very knowledgeable about Harry Potter. The description of the movie making process and getting to walk through the original movie sets was fascinating. [NOTE: Tickets must be booked in advance and tour times will fill up during peak travel times.]
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Day 4:
On our fourth day we visited the Tower of London, where we took a Beefeater Tour and saw the Crown Jewels.
After a few busy days, the kids were ready for some down time, so they stayed in for the evening while my husband and I went to dinner and a West End show (Bradley Cooper in The Elephant Man – excellent!).
Day 5:
Today we went on a full day trip to Bath and Stonehenge on a small group tour with The English Bus. Our guide for the day was great, and I much prefer a small group tour to going with a big bus full of people. The tour also made a stop in a “secret place” – I’m not supposed to give it away but we loved it! While it is true that you don’t get a lot of time in Bath doing a daytrip like this (versus staying the night), we still felt like we had plenty of time to wander around, grab some lunch, and enjoy the town.
Stonehenge is fascinating, and awesome to see in person something that we’d all seen pictures of.
We watched a bit of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, but it was so crowded you couldn’t see much. We did get a close up view of the Guard marching to the Palace.
Next we moved on to visit the Churchill War Rooms. It was intriguing to see the rooms where Winston Churchill ran Britain’s campaign in World War II which have been pretty much frozen in time.
We had a traditional afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. I was surprised by how much the 15 year old son enjoyed this!
In the afternoon we checked out Harrods, the famous department store. Wow, it’s HUGE, and for the most part very expensive, but fun to wander around and check it out. It’s easy to get lost there!
That evening we went to see Matilda at a West End theatre. All four of us loved the show!
Day 7:
Our final day in London started with a horseback ride in Hyde Park. This was definitely one of my favorite experiences in London! We got to ride along Rotten Row, the same path kings used to travel between palaces.
We spent our afternoon at Hampton Court Palace, a short train ride outside of London. We wandered the palace and grounds, and tried to find our way out of the maze. This is a fun palace to visit because it has an interactive feel to it, where you can sit at a banquet table, play a traditional board game, and they even provide free cloaks you can wear while visiting.
Then it was back to London for a relaxing dinner near our flat before we had to pack up and get ready to leave London for the next leg of our trip. We loved visiting London – there was so much to do and see that appealed to each of us!
PLAN AHEAD:
2FOR1 – There is much debate online over whether the London Pass (which covers 60+ London attractions) is worth it or not. For our family we were better off using the Days Out 2FOR1 vouchers. Before our trip I printed vouchers for attractions I thought we might visit. You then show the voucher and your train ticket (or Travelcard) when purchasing tickets. This was a huge money saver for us.
ADVANCE BOOKINGS – Many of the attractions we visited can be booked ahead. In some instances this allows you to skip lines, which can be incredibly long during peak travel times. I did not buy tickets in advance if I wasn’t sure when or if we would visit a specific attraction, or if I planned to use a 2FOR1 voucher (in which case you have to buy the tickets at the attraction and show your train ticket). For the attractions we chose, I booked the following in advance:
Bike tour (Fat Tire’s website says you don’t need reservations, but we were traveling during a busy time and some people who showed up were not able to be accommodated)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour (this must be purchased in advance)
Show tickets
Bath and Stonehenge day tour
Horseback ride in Hyde Park
I hope you’ve enjoyed my trip report and found some useful pieces of information!
Planning a trip where you have a lot of sites to see or activities you want to do? Many attractions will be closed certain days of the week or have shortened/extended hours on others. There are often best days or best times of the day to visit. (For example the Louvre is closed Tuesdays, but very busy on Mondays because that is the day Versailles is closed.)
How do you keep track and plan accordingly?
Choose what you want to see
When I’m planning a trip, I usually start a document where I list places I want to visit. I record in the document notes on the various sites and tours, for example their days and hours of operation, the admission fee, the best days to visit, and whether they can be booked in advance. I’ve found that often travel planning websites have outdated information, so I gather details directly from the attraction’s or tour company’s website. I prefer to type the list because it takes up less space on a sheet of paper and I know I can easily print it and take it with me when I go. (And then it’s easy to share with friends or refer back to later!)
Plan what day to do each activity
To plan my days, I print out my list of attractions and cut the page into strips, with each attraction on its own slip of paper. I then make a heading for each day of my trip and arrange the strips under those headings. I can play around so my days aren’t too full, arrange attractions that are close to one another on the same day, and make sure I don’t miss seeing something because it is closed on the day I try to go there.
The final product
Once I had everything laid out the way I wanted, I took a photo, and then created an itinerary that I could take with me on the trip.
I don’t view this as a set in stone itinerary, but rather a general outline of what I would like to do. I don’t pack a full day’s worth of activities in my schedule (especially when traveling with kids), leaving plenty of time for breaks (gelato anyone?) and impromptu stops. For this trip I also listed “extras” to the side – some more stops I thought we might like if we had time. If we don’t actually feel like going to one of the attractions on our itinerary when that day rolls around, that’s fine. But this way we know that we can IF WE WANT TO hit all these places that seemed important to us when planning the trip.
After seeing the main palace, we rented a golf cart and visited the gardens, the Trianon Palaces, and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.
Trips and Tips 