My young sister and I always daydreamed about seeing the world. We sometimes joked about how mum managed to travel so much even with a family. I guess we were bitten by the travel bug even before we knew it. My young sister moved half way across the world at the age of 22 years of age to live and study in the US without any family near by for support. As much as we daydreamed about travelling, we hadn’t actually traveled together until we saw our opportunity in the 4 day weekend when Prince William married Kate. My sisters had come to visit while I was living and studying in Portsmouth as well as the visits when I moved back to London but that’s not the same as travelling abroad with sisters.
After much planning and excitement my young sister arrived from Ohio in April 2011. After happy reunions with the rest of the family we set off for Parisian exploring. As someone who always runs out of holidays I take every opportunity to explore so when the royal couple we due to wed and with UK having an extra day of Bank Holiday it was my chance to move! Its not everyday you get 4-day weekends. My sister and I wear going to explore Paris as much as we could during the April Bank Holiday. We jumped on the Eurostar. The plan was to see as much as possible in the short time we were going to be there whilst also taking the time to sit around cafes people-watching before setting off for the shops.
As much as Paris is a most romantic city in the world(so people say), there is nothing better than exploring the fashion capital of the world with your sister! Paris has beautiful areas to wander around exploring small stores and boutiques showcasing Parisian fashion at its best. Exploring on foot is always best. Streets lined with the best of Balenciaga, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Tom Ford and more price dizzying brands. After refueling we headed for the Louvre to see Monalisa and a few other paintings. As big as the Louvre is, you cannot visit every corner in the short time we were there for so I made a note of where the paintings we wanted to see were. We passed through the fast track queues with the tickets I had already purchased from London and located the room with Monalisa. The place was packed! One would think she was signing autographs.
From the Louvre we made our way to Champs-Elysees for more exploring. The weather was perfect for exploring on foot. Also getting caught on street entertainment on the way to Arc de Triomphe as break dances spun their heads on the Champs-Elysee pavements. As the queues were ridiculously long at the Eiffel Tower we decided to Take in the Views of Paris from Arc de Triomphe. It did not disappoint! The sun set from the top was nothing short of beautiful.
As the night fell we headed back to the hotel for some rest before deciding on which of the local restaurants we were going to dine at. We stopped by a little cafe near the hotel to get a better few of the Eiffel Tower light show while having some tea in true Paris style.
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The last item to tick of the list was catching the boot ride on the River Seine cruise for a round trip after a well earned nights rest. The day was going to be spent taking it easy and walking at a leisurely pace in an almost floating manner. The weekend in Paris was coming to an end and it was time to hop back on the Eurostar bound for Kings Cross.
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| My young Sister |
Travelling with sisters or family isn’t as easy as it sounds but I am so grateful to have sisters that get excited about travelling just as much as I do. This means I am never short of a travel companions. Family travel is also a whole new ball game. It can be amazing but can also come with its own set of problems when you have disagreements on where to go and what to do. Having now done a few trips with my sisters(Three Musketeers do Madrid), I have learnt a lot about travelling with family, especially in terms of strict planning where others may want a more laid back trip. Here are my tips for minimising “disagreements” while travelling with family.
- Plan your trip together and compromise where possible; decide what each would like to see.
- Allow some alone time.(Important!)
- Be honest about your expenses and what each can afford to spend on the trip.
- Sweeten the travel experience – You will be surprised what wonders offering up a chocolate will do after a disagreement. If all else fails, offer a glass of wine!
- Have fun.
So do you ever travel with siblings or family members? How has your experience been?
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This looks like such a great weekend away. I've been meaning to get a weekend to Paris booked for such a long time, I haven't been since I was 14!
I haven't travelled with my family since I was a kid but I agree – chocolate and wine can fix any disagreement!
Since 14?! Paris is only around the corner from London. Its only a little over 1 hour from Kingscross and I think because of that I kind of take if for granted. I would love to see Paris as much as every weekend if I could…
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Nice one Bianca! Seems like you and your sister had some good fun.
Thanks! It was definitely good fun.
I love Paris, in fact, my husband's family used to own a condo in the city. I want to go to France next year, but I want to travel to the south of France. I'm trying to catch up with your blog; I haven't finish reading about your middle east travels.
Hi Sheila,
Yes, France is something special. I would love to plan another trip there. Its so close to London but still taking the distance for granted. If you still have family there atleast you can save money on the expensive accommodation. Thanks for catching up with my blog 🙂
Ahh…these beautiful locations always reminds of my post wedding trip to Paris. In Paris the locations, the ambiance everything has a romantic flavor in it, you can resist yourself by falling for it. The longer you stay, the more you strive to connect with the culture of every part of that beautiful city.