We’ve been talking about going to Paris for a while now, and it felt like the right time to make it happen. The last time I was there was 10 years ago, and I’d been eager to visit again. We also figured the kids would enjoy Disneyland more as they got older, so this trip seemed like the perfect opportunity for their first visit. It was a mix of nostalgia for us and a new adventure for the kids!
First, we spent some time figuring out how we’d travel and where we’d stay. After weighing up our options—flying, the tunnel, or taking the ferry—we decided the ferry sounded like the most fun way to go. It was our first time travelling to Europe by car, and we were excited to try something different. The whole ferry experience felt like a mini-adventure in itself, with sea views and plenty of space for the kids to explore. They absolutely loved it, and it ended up being a fun start to our trip.
Our journey began early in the morning when we left Sheffield at 7, aiming to reach Dover in about four and a half hours. Since we needed to check in an hour before departure, we skipped breaks and powered through, well-stocked with snacks from Costco to keep kids occupied. It went smoothly, and we arrived right on time. As we got closer, the kids spotted the White Cliffs of Dover—something they’d heard about at school—so it was nice for them to see it in person.
The ferry ride itself took about an hour and a half, and getting on and off was pretty straightforward. Once we arrived in Calais, we drove for another four hours to Paris.
In Paris, we stayed at an Airbnb in Ivry-sur-Seine, which turned out to be a fine neighbourhood. I chose it because there was free parking, and it was just a short walk to the metro, making it really convenient for getting around Paris. It turns out parking in Paris is quite costly and not always easy to find, so we left the car behind most of the time and relied on the metro for getting around. The one exception was our trip to Disneyland, where we took the car for convenience—easier to just drive there than navigate the public transport!
So we arrived around 8 in the evening, tired but excited. After getting into the apartment, we settled in quickly and headed straight to bed to rest up for the adventure ahead. It had been a long day of travel, and we were all ready to recharge!