Jump to content

Our Epic European Adventure: A Review


PaulInPGH
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello again, Cruise Critic friends. As has become my custom,I’m back to do another review following my most recent cruise—this one a Medcruise on the NCL Epic. This review promises to be my most lengthy andphoto-heavy to date, as we bookended our cruise with land stays of four nightspre-cruise and three nights post-cruise for a total of two amazing weeks inEurope.

I tend to write long form—both to document my travels insome lasting form, as well as to provide some (hopefully) useful information. Ishall do my best not to bore you.

As always, I traveled with my wife (who took all thewonderful photos I’ll be posting). We’re both in our mid-30s, and while we’dboth been to the U.K., this was our first time in Europe proper. I know many ofyou are very seasoned travelers, and you may therefore not get as much out ofthis as others who, like us, are dipping their toes in the European waters forthe first time.

That being said,please feel free to follow along. It was an amazing trip, full of beautifulsights and a ton of sumptuous foods.

Up first: a weekend in Paris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 1: One Hot Flight and a Cool Paris Morning

First, let’s state the obvious: planning a trip to Europe requiresmuch, much, much more planning than a trip to the Caribbean. Choosing the rightcruise is only but one part of the puzzle. With many countries in Europe soclose to one another, your options can seem endless.

I say all this to partially explain how we ended up in Parisprior to a Med cruise that was departing from Rome. After we settled on the7-day cruise that interested us the most, we then had to plan out theland-based portion of our journey. We looked at roundtrip flights to Rome, aswell as flights to nearby cities in Italy. For whatever reason, roundtrip flightsto Rome were extremely expensive, so we decided to broaden our horizons. Becauseso many cities in Europe are easily moved-between via train (or short flight),we began thinking of other places we’d like to visit and that would work withinour timeframe.

In the end, we landed on a flight that flew to Paris andwould depart from Venice after our cruise. You might think this kind of flightwould be more expensive than your standard roundtrip, single-city flight. But,at least in this instance, this flight was considerably more affordable (to thetune of around $500 less per person). So, if you have the time and flexibilityin your schedule, definitely consider alternative options when planning yourtrip to Europe—you just may save some $$$, and get to see an awesome place likeParis in the bargain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our flight from New York to Paris, not to put too fine apoint on it, flat out sucked. We’d hoped to get at least a bit of sleep, sincewe’d be landing in Paris at 7:00 A.M. (which would be 1:00 in the morning forour body clocks). Sadly, this was not to be. The seats were small anduncomfortable, but that’s to be expected. What wasn’t expected was how hot theplane would be. This was the first plane I’d ever flown on that didn’t haveindividual air vents over each seat. Consequently, we spent a fun 7 plus hourssweating and uncomfortable—just how you want to start your vacation. Theevening meal, at least, was surprisingly good—and the wine was free!

After making it through French customs (barely a cursory nodat our passports and an emphatic stamp), we faced our first challenge—Paris’sultramodern restrooms. It may have been the jet lag, but the rooms werelabyrinthine, the fixtures unresponsive, and the lights kept cutting off whenyou peed unless you sort of jerk-danced your upper torso and arms the entiretime you sat on the bowl.

With some trial and error we located our shuttle (we usedParis Shuttle which was approximately 20 Euros per person) and were on our wayto our hotel in Montmartre. We landed early in the morning Paris-time, and sowere faced with a dilemma—stay up and power through on zero sleep or take a napand face the jet lag consequences. We decided it would be best to acclimate tothe new normal and proceeded to stay up for about 36 hours straight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hotel Le Squara where we stayed was an absolute delight. Locatedright near a metro and nestled in the charming streets of Montmartre, wecouldn’t have asked for a better location. Granted, it’s right next to the redlight/sex district, but if you don’t mind the occasional nudie bar, it’s reallyprime real estate for travelers and affordable (about 130 Euros per night). Therooms are slightly on the small side (this is Europe after all), but they haveair-conditioning, the hotel has a lift (elevator to us Americans), and thestaff was unbelievably friendly and helpful.

Speaking of the staff: when we first arrived, I asked fordirections to a place where we could grab a quick nibble and some coffee. Theman at the desk then asked “like Starbucks?(!)” I’m pretty sure he was justjoking (at least I hope so), but I shudder to think of how many people come toParis and actually ask for that specifically. In any case, he pointed us to anice spot across the street from our hotel. Everyone there was speaking French,and we were the only tourists in sight—it was great. A croissant, a little panau chocolate, and some espresso were just what we needed, and we were soon onour way to see some sights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Feeling fortified, we decided to brave our first trip on theParis Metro. Since nearly every travel resource warns of the dangers ofpickpockets (especially in the Metro), I fully expected to be accosted byroving gangs as soon as we stepped foot into the station. Luckily, no suchthing happened, and we made it to our first destination without incident.

I will say, though, that while we didn’t have any pickpocketrelated problems at any point of our trip, we did make an attempt to bevigilant, and smart. I purchased a money belt, which worked perfectly forcarrying money, our passports, and my cell phone. I also purchased a niftylittle travel wallet that was basically a small zippered compartment that couldattach to a belt loop and hang in a front pocket. I kept a small amount of cashand my credit card in that wallet for easy access, and that system workedgreat. My wife brought a small travel bag which she wore cross-body, and whichshe kept in front of her at all times. Take simple precautions like that, and remain aware of your possessions at all times, and you need not fear the hordes of thieves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our first sightseeing stop was at Sainte-Chapelle. It’s achurch that features some of the most spectacular stained glass in Europe. I’mvisually impaired, and even I could appreciate the beauty of this stainedglass. You access the main part of the church with the stained glass byclimbing a narrow, steep, spiral staircase. Like pretty much everything weencountered in Europe, it would not be easily accessed by folks with a mobilityimpairment.

We had to wait in quite a long line to get in. BecauseSainte-Chapelle is located within a larger complex of government buildings,everyone entering must go through security. We also found out that the line waslonger than normal because this was the one weekend each year where the citymakes many attractions free to enter. So while we had to wait a bit longer inline, we did end up saving 20 Euros, which seemed like a fair trade.

After taking in our fill of the beautiful Sainte-Chapelle,we took a short walk over to Notre Dame Cathedral and took in its majesticbeauty. Sadly, it was very short on hunchback sightings. We had planned to goinside, but we took one look at the miles long line and decided to save thatfor our next trip to Paris and simply admired the impressive architecture fromthe outside.

Hungry for more stereotypical Parisian delicacies, we walkedto a cafe where we had the most deliciously molten croque madame and monsieur.This worked well: since our bodies weren’t sure whether we should be eatingbreakfast or dinner, we had sandwiches that featured a bit of both.

We then spent a little time enjoying the back streets (i.e.getting lost) in the Latin Quarter. We eventually ended up stopping in thefamous bookstore Shakespeare and Company. We had a quick look around, and thenmade our way back to the Metro, and after puzzling out the confusing map, wemade it back to our hotel for a short rest before our planned evening activities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also purchased a niftylittle travel wallet that was basically a small zippered compartment that couldattach to a belt loop and hang in a front pocket. I kept a small amount of cashand my credit card in that wallet for easy access, and that system workedgreat.

 

Enjoying so far.

Where did you happen to get your wallet. I have a similar one (mine's velcro instead of zippered) which needs to be replaced after many European adventures and your's sounds like it's a good candidate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enjoying so far.

Where did you happen to get your wallet. I have a similar one (mine's velcro instead of zippered) which needs to be replaced after many European adventures and your's sounds like it's a good candidate.

 

We got the money belt and the travel wallet at REI. The money belt was great, too, as it was big enough to allow me to carry cash, our passports, and my iPhone comfortably.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having battled the Metro enough for one day, we decided to wimpout and use Uber to head to our next outing. This worked great, both here inParis and later in Rome, and helped us save some of our cash since Uber chargesyour credit card automatically. We shared a ride and had a really nice chatwith a couple of young French men who were in town for the weekend of freeattractions.

We had booked a wine tasting at O’Chateau, and my dimrecollections of it are positive. My wife was so tired she actually fell asleepat one point mid-lecture from our sommelier. The wines were verygood—especially the champagne and the Languedoc—and the atmosphere wasincredible, a sort of underground cellar/wine cave. We had dinner plans, butmany of the people at the tasting had purchased delicious plates of meats andcheeses to accompany their wine. Ah well, we’d have our fill of tasty Frenchwine accompaniments soon enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the tasting, we walked a couple blocks to dinner wherewe finished the evening with a pretty average, over-rare steak frite and thensome truly memorable aged Gruyere. This would be only the first of manymemorable cheeses we sampled on this trip.

Having now been up for thirty plus hours, we took anotherUber back to our hotel and proceeded to sleep like the dead for the nextthirteen hours.

Up next: An attempt to see all of Paris in a day, plus somemore amazing Parisian treats.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following....great report! You are giving me ideas for my next cruise!

 

Thank you. There's definitely no shortage of good cruise options in Europe. We're currently playing with a few different ideas for 2019. Would like to go back in 2018, but not sure if time and money will allow. Plus, we feel a bit like we need to space out our more on-the-go vacations with some where we just do nothing for a week other than sit on a beach somewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What airline did you take from NY?

 

American, both flying to Paris and again on the return leg from Venice (flying to Philadelphia and then on to D.C.). The flight from Venice to Philadelphia was much more comfortable than the flight to Paris (though we still didn't manage to sleep). Definitely a good price, though just so-so flights. Maybe next time I'll spring for the premium economy or business class or whatever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 2: A Food Tour in Montmartre and a Lot of Famous Sights

 

Thankfully, we had the foresight (dumb luck) to not book an early tour for our second day in Paris. We’d have our share of early mornings later in the trip, but by then we were mostly acclimated to the time change. We did book a walking food tour of Montmartre, but it thankfully didn’t start until 11:00, which gave us much needed time for catching up on sleep.

The food tour was provided by Secret Food Tours, and it was definitely one of the best experiences we had during our two weeks in Europe. A group of about 12 of us (mostly Americans, with a few Europeans mixed in) met our guide, PJ, and he proceeded to take us around to various shops along the streets of Montmartre. We stopped in the bread shop, cheese shop, meat shop, and, of course, the wine shop—picking up items at each stop. The guide then took us to a room he had reserved, and the group enjoyed a Parisian-style lunch of wonderful meats, breads, cheeses, and other interesting items like duck and rabbit terrines and headcheese. It was quite fun (and delicious), and it made me wish we lived in a place where we could walk down the street and create a similar experience.

 

After our Parisian lunch, PJ took us to try some sweets (macaron and chocolate) and a delightful crepe (which we would visit again later that evening).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

American, both flying to Paris and again on the return leg from Venice (flying to Philadelphia and then on to D.C.). The flight from Venice to Philadelphia was much more comfortable than the flight to Paris (though we still didn't manage to sleep). Definitely a good price, though just so-so flights. Maybe next time I'll spring for the premium economy or business class or whatever.

 

 

 

Saving around $500 may have been worth not having an a/c vent over the seat. More budget for sightseeing.

Thanks for the info.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...