Thanksgiving in Paris via AA
Nov 21, 2017, 8:36 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Exp, One World Emerald
Posts: 108
T-day in Paris +Versailles, Chartres, Lux City & Metz
Time for another trip. I found a great deal to Paris back in April for Thanksgiving. Roundtrip from KC to Paris for $371. This trip will also finish up my AA Executive Platinum qualification this year.
Its been about five years since my last visit to Paris and thought this would be a good time of the year to go, not quite as many tourists. Check out a few sights that I have never see/experienced.
Itinerary is as follows:
11/21 AA1568 MCI to DFW @ 2:27PM Econ, upgraded to First
11/21 AA0050 DFW to LHR @ 6:40PM Econ, upgraded to Business
11/22 BA0308 LHR to CDG @ 11:50AM Econ
11/28 AA0049 CDG to DFW @ 11:05 Econ, upgraded to Business
11/28 AA2318 DFW to MCI @ 4:45PM Econ, upgraded to First
After booking the flight, I called AA to use my systemwide upgrades to get decent seats. The return flights on 11/28 was available immediately. I was waitlisted for the outbound flight. About third days out the outbound flight was upgraded as well.
I will try and updated the trip report while in progress.
11/21 AA1568 MCI to DFW @ 2:27PM seat 4F
Offered PDB then drinks after takeoff. Flight was uneventful and made it to DFW a few minutes early.
Arrived at Terminal A and made my way to Terminal D to grab a drink in the Admirals Club before my flight to LHR.
Checked out the Flagship dining, nothing too fancy. The place was packed.
Headed over to my flight, AA0050 DFW to LHR @ 6:40PM seat 5A
Dining menu
Starters looked nice but not very flavorable.
The mani mani didn't look too good but tasted better than looked.
Caught about five hours of sleep and awoke 45 minutes before arriving in London.
Made my way through T3 to T5, security wasn't too bad. Once in T5 I headed to the BA first lounge to grab a shower and some breakfast.
My flight was in the north end of T5 so took me about 10 minutes to walk from the lounge to the gate.
11/22 BA0308 LHR to CDG @ 11:50AM, seat 11c. Plane was completely packed, thankfully had window seat. Flight was uneventful. Made it to CDG on time. Immigration was a breeze then traipsed over to the train station to grab a train into the city. I decided to buy a Metro pass instead of single tickets. The most economical is the weekly carte nominative transport. The card covers one week Monday - Sunday and a cost of roughly 23 euros. The only thing cluegy about the process is that you need a small photo appended to it. There are photo booths in the train terminal so after buying the pass, then grab your photo and go to the information booth for scissors to pare down the photo.
I took the RER train to Chatelet and then the metro 1 line to St Paul.
The AirBnB I selected in the Marais was nice and bright and airy. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby.
Its been about five years since my last visit to Paris and thought this would be a good time of the year to go, not quite as many tourists. Check out a few sights that I have never see/experienced.
Itinerary is as follows:
11/21 AA1568 MCI to DFW @ 2:27PM Econ, upgraded to First
11/21 AA0050 DFW to LHR @ 6:40PM Econ, upgraded to Business
11/22 BA0308 LHR to CDG @ 11:50AM Econ
11/28 AA0049 CDG to DFW @ 11:05 Econ, upgraded to Business
11/28 AA2318 DFW to MCI @ 4:45PM Econ, upgraded to First
After booking the flight, I called AA to use my systemwide upgrades to get decent seats. The return flights on 11/28 was available immediately. I was waitlisted for the outbound flight. About third days out the outbound flight was upgraded as well.
I will try and updated the trip report while in progress.
11/21 AA1568 MCI to DFW @ 2:27PM seat 4F
Offered PDB then drinks after takeoff. Flight was uneventful and made it to DFW a few minutes early.
Arrived at Terminal A and made my way to Terminal D to grab a drink in the Admirals Club before my flight to LHR.
Checked out the Flagship dining, nothing too fancy. The place was packed.
Headed over to my flight, AA0050 DFW to LHR @ 6:40PM seat 5A
Dining menu
Starters looked nice but not very flavorable.
The mani mani didn't look too good but tasted better than looked.
Caught about five hours of sleep and awoke 45 minutes before arriving in London.
Made my way through T3 to T5, security wasn't too bad. Once in T5 I headed to the BA first lounge to grab a shower and some breakfast.
My flight was in the north end of T5 so took me about 10 minutes to walk from the lounge to the gate.
11/22 BA0308 LHR to CDG @ 11:50AM, seat 11c. Plane was completely packed, thankfully had window seat. Flight was uneventful. Made it to CDG on time. Immigration was a breeze then traipsed over to the train station to grab a train into the city. I decided to buy a Metro pass instead of single tickets. The most economical is the weekly carte nominative transport. The card covers one week Monday - Sunday and a cost of roughly 23 euros. The only thing cluegy about the process is that you need a small photo appended to it. There are photo booths in the train terminal so after buying the pass, then grab your photo and go to the information booth for scissors to pare down the photo.
I took the RER train to Chatelet and then the metro 1 line to St Paul.
The AirBnB I selected in the Marais was nice and bright and airy. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby.
Last edited by tjcnkc; Nov 27, 2017 at 11:48 am
Nov 23, 2017, 10:42 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Exp, One World Emerald
Posts: 108
After I settled in my AirBnB, headed out to visit Centre Pompidou which had a nice exhibit of Andre Derain.
Eiffel tower lit up in the background.
After a couple of hours at the Centre, it was time for some wine and dinner. I had made list of a few restaurants I wanted to try while in Paris. First up was Pamela Popo in the Marais. The restaurant is cozy and charming and the food was really tasty.
Started off with a crab & scallop dish, main entree was veal then dessert was a chocolate praline with warm chocolate sauce.
I was pretty satiated from dinner and a little buzzed from three glasses of wine and waddled home. Got a good night's sleep.
Found a cute coffee shop near where i was staying called Le Cafeotheque near the Holocaust museum.
Pan du chocolat right out of the oven.
After caffeinated, I headed to Musee Marmottan-Monet. The museum has a nice collection of French artists but the main attraction is the Monet's that were donated by his son. Also, there is a large group of paintings that were in Monet's own private collection.
After the museum I took a walk through the Bois de Bolugne to check out the new Louis Vuitton foundation.
The building is really amazing. Unfortunately the exhibit was of MOMA masterpieces which I seen at their home many times so skipped going inside.
Time for lunch, ended up at Marche des Enfant Rouges in the Marais which is the oldest market in Paris. It is mainly full of small eating establishment than actual vendors.
Had a great lunch at a place that I couldn't find its name but the food was excellent.
Vegetable Soup
Sweetbreads w/ Mushrooms
Creme citron w/ Meringue
Eiffel tower lit up in the background.
After a couple of hours at the Centre, it was time for some wine and dinner. I had made list of a few restaurants I wanted to try while in Paris. First up was Pamela Popo in the Marais. The restaurant is cozy and charming and the food was really tasty.
Started off with a crab & scallop dish, main entree was veal then dessert was a chocolate praline with warm chocolate sauce.
I was pretty satiated from dinner and a little buzzed from three glasses of wine and waddled home. Got a good night's sleep.
Found a cute coffee shop near where i was staying called Le Cafeotheque near the Holocaust museum.
Pan du chocolat right out of the oven.
After caffeinated, I headed to Musee Marmottan-Monet. The museum has a nice collection of French artists but the main attraction is the Monet's that were donated by his son. Also, there is a large group of paintings that were in Monet's own private collection.
After the museum I took a walk through the Bois de Bolugne to check out the new Louis Vuitton foundation.
The building is really amazing. Unfortunately the exhibit was of MOMA masterpieces which I seen at their home many times so skipped going inside.
Time for lunch, ended up at Marche des Enfant Rouges in the Marais which is the oldest market in Paris. It is mainly full of small eating establishment than actual vendors.
Had a great lunch at a place that I couldn't find its name but the food was excellent.
Vegetable Soup
Sweetbreads w/ Mushrooms
Creme citron w/ Meringue
Nov 25, 2017, 5:06 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Exp, One World Emerald
Posts: 108
That evening met up with an old acquaintance of mine who lives in Paris and got caught up. Drank too much wine and headed home early for a good nights sleep.
The next day, refreshed. Headed to Ob-la-di in the Marais to grab breakfast. Great coffee and yummy interesting things to eat. I had ricotta on toast with pears and other fruit.
After breakfast, I planned on seeing the Christian Dior exhibit at the Le musée des Arts décoratifs. I tried to buy tickets online but they were sold out through December. So i decided to try my luck standing in line. I arrived about 45 minutes before the museum opened and there was quite a long line already. After standing in line for 1.5 hours, I gave up.
So to help sooth my frustration, decided to do some retail shopping therapy. A friend of mine had a pair of Camille Fournet gloves, and i wanted a pair myself. The shop on Rue Cambon is beautiful and the service is amazing There is a wide range of leather goods. I ended up finding a nice pair of lambskin gloves lined with cashmere. Frustration gone!
After blowing some cash, I walked about a bit and viewed some of the sights.
That afternoon, I was excited for a food tour of the Marais I booked through Paris by mouth (parisbymouth.com). The website has a lot of great Paris restaurant information. The tour guide Andreas was great, very informative. We started at a bakery (Tout Autour du Pain), proceed to a chocolate shop (Jacques Genin), Ramella traiteur & charcuterie, Cheese shop (Jouannault), and finally a wine shop (Divvino). At the wine shop we went downstairs to the 17 century cellar to try all of the various foods and wines. Highly recommend doing a tour like this in Paris.
That evening I went out for a bit and saw a few sights lit up which are always beautiful in Paris.
The next day, headed to the Left Bank. First up was the Arab Institute which had a really interesting exhibit on Christianity in the middle east.
I was heading to a store in St Germain afterwards so decided to walk despite the rainy weather.
I happened upon Aux Merveilleux de Fred on Rue Monge. Amazing confections, course had to get one.
After that, walked through the St Germain street market.
I finally made it to my destination, Buly 1803 on Rue Bonaparte. They have an amazing selections of perfumes, lotions, handmade brushed and combs as well as scented candles and matches. I picked up a couple bars of their soap.
Afterwards, Metro'd over to Palais de Tokyo which is mainly modern art museum. Had a great lunch at the restaurant then wandered around the museum and viewed the interesting installations
Amazing view of the Eiffel tower from the Palais de Tokyo.
I needed a little pick me up, so headed over to Jacques Genin which was featured on the food tour. Besides selling chocolates and candies, they have a small cafe. I ordered a vanilla mille-feuille and hot chocolate. Both were amazing.
In the evening I had tickets to the Paris Opera of Mozart's Clemency of Titus. The music and performances were amazing. The Garnier Opera house is spectacular. A night to remember.
After the opera, I walked across the street to view the holiday decorations at Galleries Lafayette.
Versailles is on tap for tomorrow.
The next day, refreshed. Headed to Ob-la-di in the Marais to grab breakfast. Great coffee and yummy interesting things to eat. I had ricotta on toast with pears and other fruit.
After breakfast, I planned on seeing the Christian Dior exhibit at the Le musée des Arts décoratifs. I tried to buy tickets online but they were sold out through December. So i decided to try my luck standing in line. I arrived about 45 minutes before the museum opened and there was quite a long line already. After standing in line for 1.5 hours, I gave up.
So to help sooth my frustration, decided to do some retail shopping therapy. A friend of mine had a pair of Camille Fournet gloves, and i wanted a pair myself. The shop on Rue Cambon is beautiful and the service is amazing There is a wide range of leather goods. I ended up finding a nice pair of lambskin gloves lined with cashmere. Frustration gone!
After blowing some cash, I walked about a bit and viewed some of the sights.
That afternoon, I was excited for a food tour of the Marais I booked through Paris by mouth (parisbymouth.com). The website has a lot of great Paris restaurant information. The tour guide Andreas was great, very informative. We started at a bakery (Tout Autour du Pain), proceed to a chocolate shop (Jacques Genin), Ramella traiteur & charcuterie, Cheese shop (Jouannault), and finally a wine shop (Divvino). At the wine shop we went downstairs to the 17 century cellar to try all of the various foods and wines. Highly recommend doing a tour like this in Paris.
That evening I went out for a bit and saw a few sights lit up which are always beautiful in Paris.
The next day, headed to the Left Bank. First up was the Arab Institute which had a really interesting exhibit on Christianity in the middle east.
I was heading to a store in St Germain afterwards so decided to walk despite the rainy weather.
I happened upon Aux Merveilleux de Fred on Rue Monge. Amazing confections, course had to get one.
After that, walked through the St Germain street market.
I finally made it to my destination, Buly 1803 on Rue Bonaparte. They have an amazing selections of perfumes, lotions, handmade brushed and combs as well as scented candles and matches. I picked up a couple bars of their soap.
Afterwards, Metro'd over to Palais de Tokyo which is mainly modern art museum. Had a great lunch at the restaurant then wandered around the museum and viewed the interesting installations
Amazing view of the Eiffel tower from the Palais de Tokyo.
I needed a little pick me up, so headed over to Jacques Genin which was featured on the food tour. Besides selling chocolates and candies, they have a small cafe. I ordered a vanilla mille-feuille and hot chocolate. Both were amazing.
In the evening I had tickets to the Paris Opera of Mozart's Clemency of Titus. The music and performances were amazing. The Garnier Opera house is spectacular. A night to remember.
After the opera, I walked across the street to view the holiday decorations at Galleries Lafayette.
Versailles is on tap for tomorrow.
Nov 27, 2017, 3:54 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Exp, One World Emerald
Posts: 108
Woke early to head out to Versailles then a further afield to Chartres.
The Metro wasn't super crowded and arrived at Gare Paris Montparnasse. There is one train (N) that goes to Versailles and there its the first stop on the line. Once at the train station its a 15-20 minute walk through the town to Versailles. I had bought my tickets online in advance to help avoid some of the crowds as well as tried to arrive as close to opening time (9am). The line wasn't too bad when i arrived. I toured the site myself which was the right thing to do because the inside was pretty mobbed so dashed around the crowds pretty quickly.
Once through the chateau, I walked through the grounds/gardens to Trianon and Petite Trianon. They do not open until noon and I arrived before they opened so just walked around outside.
Walked back to the train station to head to Chartres which is about 50 minutes from Versailles.
From the train station, the walk to the Chartres Cathedral is about 15 minutes. The Cathedral pretty much looms over the city. The stained glass is amazing.
There was a cute bistro across from the Cathedral where I grabbed a really delicious french onion soup before I headed back to Paris.
When i got back to Paris, there was a bit of sunlight still. So went over to one of my favorite spots, Place des Vosges. Also right nearby is Hotel Sully
Day Trip to Luxembourg City and Metz
The next day I got up early to head to both Luxebourg City and on the way back stop by Metz. My ulterior motive of visiting Luxembourg City was so that I can tick off another country visited.
I left from Gare de Paris Est, opted for first class o the TGV. The train ride was 2 hours 45 minutes. It was quite comfortable and they do have wifi.
Once arriving Luxembourg City, there is approximately a 20 minute walk into old town. The town is quite attractive and there is a deep gorge running through part of it. Unfortunately by the time i arrived, it was rainy.
After a good couple of hours walking around it was time for lunch. I stopped in the Mousel canteen. I had the Schengshax (roast pork leg) and a good beer.
To be honest, I only ate about a third of the lunch...too much.
Off to the train station where I took a local train to Metz which is about 50 minutes away.
The train station is about 15 minutes from the center of town. Metz is quite charming and was set up with Christmas markets throughout the town. The Metz Cathedral is stunning with amazing stained glass. There are sets of modern stained glass by Jacques Villon and Marc Chagall. Also in town is Saint Pierre aux Nonnains which is one of the oldest churches in Europe.
After a bit of hot wine at the Christmas market, it was time to return back to Paris.
I had made a reservations at a modern bistro for my last night in Paris. The bistro is Le Bourse et La Vie which has one of the few American chefs cooking in Paris. I had made the reservation online but it appears that it did not come through, they found me a spot anyway. The food was really good. Dinner consisted roasted oysters, foie gras, Pot au Feu and creme caramel. I left the restaurant fat ad happy.
I collected some shots of great street art as I explored Paris.
Back home tomorrow.
The Metro wasn't super crowded and arrived at Gare Paris Montparnasse. There is one train (N) that goes to Versailles and there its the first stop on the line. Once at the train station its a 15-20 minute walk through the town to Versailles. I had bought my tickets online in advance to help avoid some of the crowds as well as tried to arrive as close to opening time (9am). The line wasn't too bad when i arrived. I toured the site myself which was the right thing to do because the inside was pretty mobbed so dashed around the crowds pretty quickly.
Once through the chateau, I walked through the grounds/gardens to Trianon and Petite Trianon. They do not open until noon and I arrived before they opened so just walked around outside.
Walked back to the train station to head to Chartres which is about 50 minutes from Versailles.
From the train station, the walk to the Chartres Cathedral is about 15 minutes. The Cathedral pretty much looms over the city. The stained glass is amazing.
There was a cute bistro across from the Cathedral where I grabbed a really delicious french onion soup before I headed back to Paris.
When i got back to Paris, there was a bit of sunlight still. So went over to one of my favorite spots, Place des Vosges. Also right nearby is Hotel Sully
Day Trip to Luxembourg City and Metz
The next day I got up early to head to both Luxebourg City and on the way back stop by Metz. My ulterior motive of visiting Luxembourg City was so that I can tick off another country visited.
I left from Gare de Paris Est, opted for first class o the TGV. The train ride was 2 hours 45 minutes. It was quite comfortable and they do have wifi.
Once arriving Luxembourg City, there is approximately a 20 minute walk into old town. The town is quite attractive and there is a deep gorge running through part of it. Unfortunately by the time i arrived, it was rainy.
After a good couple of hours walking around it was time for lunch. I stopped in the Mousel canteen. I had the Schengshax (roast pork leg) and a good beer.
To be honest, I only ate about a third of the lunch...too much.
Off to the train station where I took a local train to Metz which is about 50 minutes away.
The train station is about 15 minutes from the center of town. Metz is quite charming and was set up with Christmas markets throughout the town. The Metz Cathedral is stunning with amazing stained glass. There are sets of modern stained glass by Jacques Villon and Marc Chagall. Also in town is Saint Pierre aux Nonnains which is one of the oldest churches in Europe.
After a bit of hot wine at the Christmas market, it was time to return back to Paris.
I had made a reservations at a modern bistro for my last night in Paris. The bistro is Le Bourse et La Vie which has one of the few American chefs cooking in Paris. I had made the reservation online but it appears that it did not come through, they found me a spot anyway. The food was really good. Dinner consisted roasted oysters, foie gras, Pot au Feu and creme caramel. I left the restaurant fat ad happy.
I collected some shots of great street art as I explored Paris.
Back home tomorrow.
Nov 27, 2017, 11:57 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Geneva, Dubai, Paris
Programs: Disillusioned Cent
Posts: 1,880
Lovely report about one of my favourite cities in the world.
Well done, tjcnkc... ^
I was lucky enough to see the Christian Dior exhibition before it opened to the public and it was fantastic indeed.
Too bad that the ticket situation is so chaotic.
Well done, tjcnkc... ^
I was lucky enough to see the Christian Dior exhibition before it opened to the public and it was fantastic indeed.
Too bad that the ticket situation is so chaotic.
Nov 29, 2017, 7:49 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA Exp, One World Emerald
Posts: 108
Time to head home. Made my way to the RER B train to Charles De Gualle. The train was pretty mobbed at this time in the morning.
Once at the airport, I stopped by the Tax refund desk and applied for my tax refund from a few things I bought in Paris.
I had checked in online and was able to use my electronic boarding pass to got through security. Security and Immigration was a breeze then onward to the Admiral's Club.
The Admiral's Club has basically the same layout the last time I visited (five years ago) but somewhat refreshed.
Nice view from the Admiral's Club
Once boarding announcement was made, made my way to gate 39 for my flight.
11/28 AA0049 CDG to DFW @ 11:05 Econ, seat 1A
I was excited that my ride was a 789 and also the new BAE business class seat which either I haven't experienced. I didn't get very good shots of the interior of the other areas of the place since boarding was half completed once I was on-board. The seat was comfortable and fairly private. Loads of storage places.
Food was fine, nothing spectacular but edible.
Stuffed Guinea Hen
Ubiquitous Sundae
The flight was nice, the flight crew was very friendly and accommodating.
Made it into Dallas about 30 minutes early. I had enough time to head to the Admiral's Club and take a quick shower before my next flight.
After shower, made my way to Terminal 3, gate 26.
11/28 AA2318 DFW to MCI @ 4:45PM Econ, seat 4B
I was surprised that the flight was a newer 738 with seat back entertainment. A bit of overkill for such a short flight.
We had a great flight attendant in First, super friendly. She did a good job personalizing service as much as possible. The flight went by quickly and finally made it to Kansas City and home.
The trip to Paris was great and I need to visit more frequently than every five years or so.
Once at the airport, I stopped by the Tax refund desk and applied for my tax refund from a few things I bought in Paris.
I had checked in online and was able to use my electronic boarding pass to got through security. Security and Immigration was a breeze then onward to the Admiral's Club.
The Admiral's Club has basically the same layout the last time I visited (five years ago) but somewhat refreshed.
Nice view from the Admiral's Club
Once boarding announcement was made, made my way to gate 39 for my flight.
11/28 AA0049 CDG to DFW @ 11:05 Econ, seat 1A
I was excited that my ride was a 789 and also the new BAE business class seat which either I haven't experienced. I didn't get very good shots of the interior of the other areas of the place since boarding was half completed once I was on-board. The seat was comfortable and fairly private. Loads of storage places.
Food was fine, nothing spectacular but edible.
Stuffed Guinea Hen
Ubiquitous Sundae
The flight was nice, the flight crew was very friendly and accommodating.
Made it into Dallas about 30 minutes early. I had enough time to head to the Admiral's Club and take a quick shower before my next flight.
After shower, made my way to Terminal 3, gate 26.
11/28 AA2318 DFW to MCI @ 4:45PM Econ, seat 4B
I was surprised that the flight was a newer 738 with seat back entertainment. A bit of overkill for such a short flight.
We had a great flight attendant in First, super friendly. She did a good job personalizing service as much as possible. The flight went by quickly and finally made it to Kansas City and home.
The trip to Paris was great and I need to visit more frequently than every five years or so.
Nov 29, 2017, 7:33 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 2,403
What a great report!
I want to reach inside my computer for some of the onion soup and crème caramel!
Nice work on the photography as well: the photo from the Palais Tokio is epic.
It sounds like you truly enjoyed your Thanksgiving in the City of Light.
I want to reach inside my computer for some of the onion soup and crème caramel!
Nice work on the photography as well: the photo from the Palais Tokio is epic.
It sounds like you truly enjoyed your Thanksgiving in the City of Light.
