My husband has a hilarious sense of humor. He says to me, "Ali the past two years, we've gone to Paris for the weekend prior to London. Do you want to go somewhere else this year?" My mind went blank.. Hmmm.. Do I want to go to my favorite city in the world? Or do I want to go somewhere else? This wasn't even a question for me. Can you guess where I opted to go?! Easy: Paris. My answer is always Paris, and you would have to drag me kicking and screaming to want to go somewhere else~! Just Kidding... Kind of..
English Channel, Underwater Train from Paris
So here's my itinerary: Fly into Paris for a long weekend and head to London. This has become an annual trip: lucky me! My husband must be in London for work (yes it sounds terrible.. über busy for him, unfortunately, but it's definitely a trip I'm going to tag along for.)
Traveling from Paris to London is actually super easy. I like taking the train, which is only 2 hours and 25 minutes, but if you'd like to fly it's only an hour flight. Even though the train is technically longer, I feel like the security of the airport and what not can end up being more of a hassle. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a train ride.
Hotel Costes
My hotel of choice in Paris, which i'm sure you know (because it's all I talk about) is Hotel Costes, but because I'm trying to be practical, I'm going to cash in some Intercontinental Points and stay there two nights for free. It's kind of a no-brainer, instead of spending money on two nights of a hotel, we're staying for nothing. To get my fix of Hotel Costes; however, I will definitely try to plan a dinner there or at least head for a nightcap one of the nights i'm in Paris.
If you haven't already, please sign up as a member at your hotel of choice to start redeeming the perks. My husband is Spire Elite with IHG in their Ambassador club. Not only does this allow us free upgrades (generally suites), but also Early Check-In, Check-out at 4pm... oh and the best one... Free Mini Bar. I'm not making this up. It's the real deal.
Intercontinental Le Grand
Each trip I take to Paris becomes more enjoyable. Not because anything has changed about the city, but since I've done the touristy things already, I'm able to casually walk around without an agenda. I don't feel rushed to accomplish a million things before I leave, so I can head to the park if the sun is out, go shopping, head to a cafe... or maybe nothing! Summer is the peak season for Paris, just like most of Europe, but since I'm not waiting in lines it's fabulous.
Summer Days in Paris
Stay tuned to see what cafés, bars, night-scenes, and excursions I will find in Paris this next trip. If you ever want specific tips, feel free to drop me a line: travali-lux@travali-lux.com
Next Stop : London, Hello Big Ben!
We will be staying in my favorite area of London: Mayfair. Located a minute from Hyde Park and a ten minute walk to Buckingham Palace. We will be staying at the Metropolitan by Como, London just like last year. It's a nice, modern hotel located next to some of the best pubs and has a Nobu inside! (Huge Perk) Sometimes I'm torn on whether I want to stay at a new place or stay where I've been before. Since, I already love the location of this hotel, sometimes having the familiarity of a hotel is comforting. I know what I'm expecting and have been happy in the past. Certain cities I definitely like to change it up--but this year, we will be staying in the same spot.
Metropolitan by Como
One of my favorite places to grab a romantic cocktail is at the bar in the Dorchester. I do recommend coming here for a nightcap, especially if you are staying at the Metropolitan: right next door.
Bar at the Dorchester
I've been fortunate enough to have been to London several times now, and that being said I want to venture outside of the city a bit and check out places I've never been before.
This is the starting point to my summer trip to the UK, Hotels Booked! Flights Booked! Train... will need to see when I NEED to leave Paris (sad face) but the rest of the agenda is in the planning!
Make sure to check back for my write-up on the trip- probably by the end of June, summer... yes!! As with all my trips, you can follow me on Instagram & Twitter: travali-lux to see more up-to-date postings on where I am.
I will be moving in the next month, so will be a bit scattered-- don't worry, travel is still involved but will be shorter trips to closer destinations. I love weekend getaways in the summer... and obviously near the ocean-so will be sharing my insider tips.
Until Next Time, Safe Travels