Off Season travel in the sports world often means long getaways and trips to Europe and I did just that. Who else believes all of the posts on Instagram this summer were from Europe? Yep, I had fomo too. I just knew I had to take it all in when I got to France. As you may have saw, I spent ten days in Europe and half of that was in France. I tried to hit all of the big stops for my first time, and loved every minute of it. I promised you a run down of everything, so finally – here it is! I broke it down by city where you will find hotels and restaurants. Also what I thought was a hit and a miss. My misses may ruffle some feathers but hey, we all have an opinion.
Paris
I had my Paris moment. I sat with a friend outside all the cafes and people watched. I ate croissants and drank all the coffee. Saw the sights. Arc de Triomphe. Eiffel Tower. Cruise on the Seine. Got lost in the Louvre – literally. You name it, I did it. And I soaked in every minute of it as well. I love Parisian life. Let me just start there. I was in awe of how everyone was so carefree and just living life. Also weird side note, I became extra obsessed with skin care in France. Everyone’s skin was so good. Okay back to the Paris details.
If you are into shopping and want your Emily in Paris moment, you will love Paris and enjoy it. I do want to go back next summer for the Olympics and see Paris from the sports and game day aspect.
Hotel Recommendation time!
Tribe Hotel – We did not stay in the city center but stayed in a cute area at Tribe. Tribe had breakfast included and very cute hotel rooms. The bed – the bed was incredibly comfortable. It was high off the ground and a very thick mattress. Also, if it is important to you, you can stream your favorite shows by casting to the tv from your phone. The breakfast has everything you could want from pastries, to meats, cheeses and coffee and tea. I truly can’t recommend Tribe more. I hope to stay at more of their properties in the future.
Big Miss: Eiffel Tower. eek! Okay hear my out. It was just there. I was so excited to see it, and I was just like, “Oh, okay.” Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to see it. But after I took my photos with it and got a video for the ‘Gram, I was over it. She was cute though. I appreciate the opportunity to see it, but it’s not a landmark I need to revisit. I enjoyed sitting outside the Louvre at Cafe Marly people watching, I loved that. It seems very lame, but it was something about the little two-seater tables looking at the crowds that I loved the most. I know my Eiffel Tower thoughts will ruffle some feathers and I’m sorry. Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa (see how I just slid that in there?!) were my low lights. Okay, let’s move on.
Versailles
No trip to Paris is complete without a trip to Versailles. This place is immaculate and stunning. One of my high points in the France segment of my European adventure was Versailles. It was just beautiful. You have to experience it for yourself. If I can offer a bit of advice though, I highly suggest you rent one of the golf carts to explore the gardens because after walking through the palace, you will definitely need it to get around. The gardens are expansive. We’re talking you could easily spend two hours walking around the gardens alone.
No hotel recommendation here – as we stayed in Paris and just ventured out. I do recommend grabbing lunch outside of the palace. There are several al fresco dining options directly across the street. There are also dining restaurants inside the palace as well as in the gardens. Your off season travel to France must include Versailles and that’s all I’ll say about that.
Monaco
I wish I could live like a billionaire and have a yacht floating off the coast of Monaco. I swear, the wealthy know how to Off Season, don’t they?! No hotel recommendation here as I stayed in Nice and did a day trip. We saw the changing on the guard at the palace and did some shopping at the local shops and had a light lunch. We ate in the courtyard area of Le Pinocchio. I had a Monaco Spritz – highly recommend you order one.
I hope to come back to Monaco and, maybe, be on a yacht. 😏
Nice
Take me back right this instant. I knew I was a South of France girl until we got to Nice. It’s easily my favorite beach town. You can walk around easily and stay close to every thing. Shopping, beach and restaurants every where makes Nice the perfect vacation spot for families during the Off Season. In an hour’s time I walked to the beach, walked to shops, walked to a restaurant for a snack and went further in to more shopping. You can find local shops and high-end luxury stores all around the city center. This is why I loved Nice. It had something for everyone. You can bring your entire family to Nice since there is something for everyone all within close proximity.
There are multiple hotel options along the main drag in Nice. I will not recommend my hotel. Although it had great accommodations, it was off the beaten path; about fifteen minutes from the city center. Not walkable to any of the shops that I visited. There are many hotel options in Nice of various price points that are closer to the center.
Getting to Nice, we took the high speed train from Paris. It took about five hours. It was a great experience since I was exhausted, I got a much needed nap in. The high speed train has a cafeteria car, so you can get food, chargers at the seats and a tray to work if need be. I highly suggest sitting on the right side of the train so you can get a beautiful view of the coast on the way to Nice.
After Nice, we went to Italy. Stay tuned for that edition of the Off Season travel. Overall, I loved France. I would most like to return to the South of France and do Saint Tropez, revisit Nice and see Cannes. Have you been to France? What was your favorite city? Let me know!
Until the next Off Season adventure!