At the end of February, just a couple of days after my birthday, I finally ticked something off my list that I’ve been talking about for years. A day trip to Paris.
We took the Eurostar, which was a first for me. I had built it up in my head as something that might be a bit stressful, especially with all the advice about arriving early. You’re told to get there 75 minutes before departure, but we arrived closer to 40 minutes before and it was completely fine. The gate closes 30 minutes before, so there is a bit of a buffer, but the whole process felt surprisingly calm. It was far more relaxed than flying, and you arrive straight into the city rather than having to factor in a long transfer from the airport.
I do sometimes struggle with travel sickness, so I took a Kwells beforehand and didn’t have any issues at all. It made the journey feel easy, which set the tone for the day.
When we arrived at Gare du Nord, we decided to walk across the city to the Louvre Museum. It took about 45 minutes at an easy pace, and it was one of those walks where you start to feel like you’ve properly arrived somewhere. The streets gradually shift, the buildings change, and suddenly you are in Paris rather than just visiting it.
We had pre-booked tickets for the Louvre, which I would definitely recommend. It meant we could walk straight in rather than standing in line, and once inside it was everything you would expect. Vast, slightly overwhelming, and full of moments where you turn a corner and realise you’re looking at something you’ve seen a hundred times before in books or online. Of course, we saw the Mona Lisa. Smaller than you imagine, surrounded by people, but still worth it. I could easily have spent the entire day there and still not seen everything. It felt like we only skimmed the surface.
Afterwards, I had a very specific mission. I wanted a Longchamp Le Pliage, ideally one embossed with a small Eiffel Tower. It felt like the kind of souvenir you would actually use rather than something that ends up on a shelf. We tried a couple of Longchamp stores, but they didn’t have the exact one I had in mind. By that point, a migraine had started to come on, which shifted the mood of the afternoon quite quickly.
We slowed things down and ended up in the Jardin des Tuileries, sitting and watching the world go by. It wasn’t what I had planned, but it was probably what I needed at that moment. There’s something about Paris that lends itself to doing very little and still feeling like you’re experiencing it.
As the evening crept in, we made our way towards the Eiffel Tower. We had one chance to see it sparkle before heading back, at 7pm. Once it gets dark, it lights up at the start of every hour for five minutes. It is one of those things that sounds slightly overhyped until you actually see it. Then it feels quietly magical.
By 8pm, we were heading back to the station. I tried to sleep on the train home, which is usually the only way I can get on top of a migraine, but it did make me realise something. As much as I love the idea of an extreme day trip, it doesn’t leave much room to pause if you need it.
Paris was everything I hoped it would be, even with the migraine sitting in the background. If anything, it just made me more certain that I want to go back and do it properly. Slower, with more time to wander, to sit in cafés, and to take it all in without watching the clock.
One day was enough to fall a little bit in love with it. Just not quite enough to do it justice.
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