A girls’ trip to Paris and London
A recap of our trip including, the ‘Swifities’, what we did, family-friendly spots and top recos from the Substack community. Plus, a few tips.
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This trip to Paris and London was years in the making. I’ve been to London once, over 10 years ago, with my now-husband when we had friends living there, and we took a day trip to Paris.
I always promised my mom I’d take her one day as she’s never been, and we talked about it for years but never actually got serious about the trip until about a year and a half ago. We thought it would make a fun family girls’ trip, so we brought along my 6-year-old daughter, sister-in-law, Ashley (my husband’s sister,) and 10-year-old niece (my brother’s daughter.)
When I travel, I’m all about planning ahead. It gets trickier when you’re travelling with a diverse group and have to consider the different ages and interests, but I think we made the best of it! We planned a mix of touristy things (since it was everyone else’s first time) with kid-friendly experiences while leaving some room for shopping and exploring.
Travel day
We took an 8:45 pm flight out of Toronto so we would arrive in Paris for the morning and have a full day to explore. When we got to the airport, we realized our flight was full of ‘Swifities,’ who were (mostly women and girls) travelling to see Taylor Swift in Paris. We had booked our trip before she announced her Eras tour, so it was quite the coincidence, and Ashley and my niece (also ‘Swifities’) were envious. Still, it was fun to be surrounded by so much excitement, on top of the excitement of going to Paris. When we landed, our pilot announced, “Welcome to Paris. Don’t forget your bracelets!” Throughout our trip, we bumped into ‘Swifties’ all over, who were sweet enough to show the girls videos from the concert and trade bracelets.
Day 2
Our first official day in Paris. Our Airbnb was in a charming location, between the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements, close to so many amazing shops and restaurants. After we got settled, we grabbed coffee, croissants and sandwiches at The French Bastards, a popular boulangerie that was a 4-minute walk away. Everything was so delicious that we ended up coming back for the pastries at least three more times during our trip.
We wandered around our area, stumbling upon the shopping centre in Les Halles, before making our way to the Sézane store. There was a line-up to get in, but it was worth it. The store was beautiful, and I was so excited to finally get the Gaspard cardigan, which I’ve had my eye on for a while (I’ll be covering what I bought on the trip in another post soon!) We then stopped at a French pharmacy, like everyone recommends, to pick up a few skincare products. After some shopping, we were hungry again—and tired—so we went for dinner at Peppe Pizzeria, a restaurant below our apartment known for its award-winning Neapolitan pizzas.
Day 3
We had tickets to the Louvre, which was a 20-minute walk. We got lucky with the weather in Paris—it was warm and sunny without being too hot, which made it easy for walking. The Louvre was just as grand and impressive as I imagined. We were there right when it opened, and made a beeline for the Mona Lisa because we knew it would get busy.
After spending a few hours in the museum, we grabbed macarons from Ladurée and stopped by the Jardin des Tuileries for a quick rest. We had our first sighting of the Eiffel Tower, and it really started to sink in where we were. Such a beautiful spot!
In the afternoon, we munched on fresh pasta and salads at Pink Mamma. The Italian restaurant was so pretty and the perfect vibe for an all-girls lunch.
Day 4
Our morning was spent at the Dior Museum, which definitely lived up to our expectations after hearing so many good things about it. It was interesting to get a peek into Dior’s creative journey and so special to see the dresses up close. The whole experience was visually captivating.
The rest of the day was filled with window shopping (and some shopping-shopping!) around the 8th arrondissement and at the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Inside, the Galeries Lafayette was luxurious and grand but very crowded, making it hard to move around. What made it worth it were the views from the rooftop terrace overlooking the city. That night, we had dinner at the family-friendly Breizh Café, which came recommended from a Substack group chat. I got a savoury crepe with pork belly, potatoes and cheese and I can honestly say it was the best I ever had.
Day 5
Our last full day in Paris was also North American Mother’s Day. We went for brunch at Mademoiselle Angelina (another Substack community reco) and had their famous hot chocolate. It was located behind the picturesque Jardin du Luxembourg, which we spent some time strolling in afterwards.
We then headed to Le Bon Marché, the oldest department store in Paris, which I actually preferred over the Galeries Lafayette because it was less busy but still really elegant. Ashley made a good point that the Parisians seem to have their department stores figured out—they’re so much nicer than what we’re used to in Canada.
Our last dinner was at Poulette, a chic and intimate French bistro, two doors down from our Airbnb. We didn’t have resos but they were able to sit us outside, which we didn’t mind. It felt kind of fitting for our last night to be sitting out on the streets of Paris, enjoying our delicious steak frites. Our waiter was actually the owner who was so kind and easy to talk to about everything from living in Paris to French food and celebrity sightings he’s had at his restaurant.
To cap off the night, we enjoyed a Seine boat cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf, which was recommended by
from . We took the 9:45 cruise as the sun sets really late in Paris in the spring and we wanted to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower sparkling. Even though we saw the Eiffel Tower at different points in our trip, nothing compared to seeing it like this. It was incredible to see it all lit up and everyone gasped when it started to sparkle. Sharing that moment with my family was definitely a highlight of the trip and something I’ll never forget.
Day 6
Before leaving Paris, we stocked up on some cheese and butter and went to The French Bastards one more time for their Pain au Chocolats and éclairs. We took a train to London and got to our Airbnb, which was located in the North Kensington area, near Notting Hill.
Wanting to explore our surroundings, we walked to Portobello Road Market, which was 15 minutes away. The market was closing, and it was a weekday, so we didn’t get to see much. We checked out some vintage stores, The Notting Hill Bookshop, dined on fish and chips, and then made our way back to our Airbnb.
Day 7
We started our morning at Buckingham Palace before walking over to Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea (another solid recommendation from the Substack community.) We chose it because of their kids’ menu, and although it was pricey, it was a beautiful experience. There was a pianist playing as you entered the elegant tea room, and the teas, sandwiches, scones and jams were all delicious.
Afterwards, we strolled through their department store, picking up jams, teas and biscuits to bring home. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but we went a little overboard with the jams so Ashley and I actually had to split an extra suitcase to fit them all in. We ended the day with a bit more shopping (and the Disney store for the kids), so by the time we got home, we were all shopped out and decided to have a low-key evening with takeout Thai food.
Day 8
The only sunny day we got in London, and we spent it touring Kensington Palace and Gardens. As part of the Palace tour, they offered a complimentary audio guide, which kept the kids engaged the whole time. Everyone really enjoyed the experience, exploring the historic royal residence and getting a glimpse into the history of the royals.
We also loved relaxing in Kensington Gardens as it was a nice and quiet reprieve from the busy city. Unfortunately, the Diana Memorial Playground was closed for maintenance, which was disappointing for the kids as we kept promising them some playtime after the tour.
We then headed to Harrods as my mom and Ashley were curious to see what it was all about. Although the building was impressive, it was overcrowded, overwhelming and not very kid-friendly, so it was just a quick visit.
Day 9
Our last full day in London was gloomy and rainy. We boarded a boat at the London Eye Pier for a morning cruise on the River Thames, which passed by the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.
We then headed to lunch at Caravan in Covent Garden where I had arranged a special surprise for my mom. My childhood best friend, Susie, lives in London, and we had lost touch over the years but reconnected recently when she saw I was in Paris. She was like a second daughter to my mom, so when she made a surprise visit at lunch, everyone was in tears.
After a long lunch catching up, we strolled around Covent Garden, visiting the market and popping into different shops. It was a vibrant and cool spot, and I loved the hustle and bustle of it all. I had my heart set on visiting the Arket store there, which ended up being kind of underwhelming. The store didn’t have much selection and felt pretty uninspiring—I left empty-handed. We grabbed takeout from the Seven Dials Market for dinner and headed home to pack.
Day 10
Before our car came to pick us up for the airport, we walked to Layla Bakery for coffee and pastries. It was a quaint, neighbourhood bakery on Portobello Road, and I got a pastry with hazelnut pesto, feta and lemon zest—SO good.
Our trip back home went pretty smoothly. We had our fingers crossed that our luggage wouldn’t be overweight (because… jams), and thankfully, they weren’t.
At the end of our trip, Ashley said, “London was beautiful. Paris was magical,” which summed it up perfectly. We’re all still buzzing from our girls’ trip and feeling so lucky to have shared this experience! It’s been less than two weeks, and we’re already plotting how we can go back…
TIPS
Buy tickets and book resos in advance wherever you can. Even with reservations, we still had to wait in line sometimes, but it was definitely less stressful.
I wanted to use my phone for the trip, and a friend recommended I get an eSIM through Airalo. They have a Eurolink package that provides data coverage for France and the UK, which is convenient. You have to make sure your phone is compatible and download their app. While installing the eSIM was a bit confusing, it worked really well for our trip and was so much cheaper than going through our phone carrier in Canada.
I was surprised to learn that a lot of places in London didn’t accept cash and preferred credit, which Susie confirmed. I was left with a bunch of British pounds at the end of our trip.
Sounds like a great trip!!
Thank you for all the hardwork in planning this trip my dear Maria. It was truly a memorable and special Mother's day treat. Would love to do it again with you, Tllly, Cara, Ash plus Tin and Kehaulani.
PS...the boys are welcome to come if they are game with all the walking and shopping😍.