Paris, France 2025

Lucas and I were wanting to go away somewhere overseas, and ultimately decided on Paris, France. We had visited France once before, back in 2010, but we only did Parc Disneyland, and we were also not as financially stable as we are now so the trip was kind of stressful.

I’m really glad we had a “redo” on Parc Disneyland because it ended up being a lot more fun than I remember. Sure, it’s still not as impressive as Disneyland, California, but it isn’t nearly as bad as my 2010 self made it out to be. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first day we arrived in Paris, we ended up walking around the area near our hotel since we arrived later in the day. We saw some cool buildings, including the Arc de Triomphe, and strolled down Champs-Élysées.

We also went to Bacha Coffee, which had the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted— and I have had A LOT of hot chocolate. The croissants were absolutely delicious, too. I had the Lychee, Raspberry & Rose of Kelaa M’Gouna and Candied Orange & Chocolate croissants.

Hot Chocolate & Croissants at Bacha Coffee, Paris 2025

The next morning, we woke up early and headed to Parc Disneyland. It was decorated for Christmas, and since it was the off-season, it wasn’t very busy so no lines!

We lucked out with the weather, too. Though the wind was cold in the morning, it warmed up throughout the day, and the sky was perfect for photos.

The castle at Parc Disneyland, November 2025

We went on all of the rides. Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, and Tower of Terror were definitely my favourites. Sadly, Phantom Manor was closed for repairs so we weren’t able to go on it this time around.

I definitely needed to restrain myself at the gift shop! There were so many cute things I wanted to buy— mainly Aristocat merch 😂 But I was good and only bought a sweater.

The next morning we got up super early to take the train to Brussels, Belgium. We visited a lot of the more touristy places, like the Grand Place, which we caught at a good time because the sun was rising just past the height of the buildings. Definitely a breathtaking sight.

For lunch, we went to the Woodpecker, which came highly recommended for amazing breakfast foods, and it did not disappoint. I got the pumpkin pancakes, and they were oh so yummy!

Pumpkin Pancakes at Woodpecker in Brussels, Belgium

We walked around more of Brussels, and stopped by the Cathedral of Saint Michael & Saint Gudula. It was beautiful inside. Gorgeous stained glass and statues. And then we went to Palais Royal de Bruxelles, walked to the View Ferris Wheel, say a super cute “Caution: Fall in Love” sign, and then finished the day up at Coudenberg Palace.

After Coudenberg Palace, I started to feel pretty ill so we called it a day and took the train back to Paris.

We spent the next day exploring Paris. We stopped at Hoct & Loca for some more hot chocolate. This one was served in a beaker and we had to use a whisk to stir the chocolate into the milk. It was a neat idea, but it definitely didn’t top the hot chocolate from Bacha Coffee.

After that, we made our way to Notre Dame. I have to admit, walking in there was a surreal experience, and I was overcome with emotion. It is absolutely stunning. Very, very crowded, but wow. It felt like being in a fairytale.

We walked around the Seine, slowly making our way to the Eiffel Tower so we could see it around sunset. The tower was definitely cool. I’m glad we stayed to see the lights come on. Made it a bit more magical.

The next day was probably my favourite experience of the whole trip. Versailles. What a wild place to go. The palace was extremely busy, so it kind of felt like we were rushed through each room, and we weren’t able to truly enjoy it the way I wished we could, but my gosh. It. Is. Beautiful.

The entrance to Versailles

Everything was just so grand. I can’t even image what living there must have been like. I wish I could spend a week there, just to sit in each room and truly appreciate the details of the paintings and decor.

But the best part of Versailles was the garden. The moment I stepped outside, I gasped. I had no idea it stretched for miles! I honestly think it would take days to explore the entire property.

Walking through the garden was really nice. It was something we could do at our own pace, and a lot of people didn’t stray too far from the main building so it wasn’t so crowded. In fact, there were some areas where there were no people at all, which made the experience a lot more intimate.

Unfortunately the palace was closing for the day so it was time to head out. If I ever make it back to Paris, I definitely want to spend at least a couple of days at Versailles.

Sunset at Versailles, November 2025

The next day Lucas and I did my second favourite thing of the trip. I think I may have mentioned before that Lucas is the one who does most of the planning for our trips and I just follow along since I’m pretty much happy to do anything. This worked to my advantage.

Lucas told me we were going to Sainte-Chapelle, and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I thought it was another cathedral that was going to be similar to the ones we had already seen. From the outside and the bottom floor, it pretty much was. Still gorgeous, but nothing compared to Notre Dame.

Then we went up to the second floor and I was left speechless. Photos cannot do this place justice. The moment when you ascend to the top of the stairs and are surrounded by breathtaking stained glass walls? There’s just no way to describe the beauty.

Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France, November 2025

After Sainte-Chapelle, we headed to Père Lachaise since Lucas read about it in a book when he was a kid. The book mentioned there were lots of cats that wandered in the cemetery, and we were hoping to enjoy some peace and quiet since we were getting a bit of sensory overload from all of the noise in the city. But when we arrived, it was sadly very busy so we didn’t get the quiet we were looking forward to. There were lots of people FaceTiming people and at one point there was loud music being blasted from one of the buildings. So, yeah, definitely not what we were expecting.

We didn’t see any cats, but on the way out we walked by a grave and heard what sounded like a stone coffin lid being dragged open. Lucas and I both froze, just staring at each other. One of asked, “Did that just happen”, because we were sure we stumbled upon someone trying to break out of a grave. But it was just a caretaker doing some maintenance.

Our last day in Paris was spent at the Louvre.

The Louvre, Paris, France, November 2025

There were a lot of exhibits closed due to the theft that occurred shortly before we went, but the museum is so large that there was still tons to see. Once again, it was pretty crowded so it was difficult to see a lot of the paintings and statues. I couldn’t even get close to the Mona Lisa, but thank goodness for the zoom feature on my camera 😂

The Louvre was interesting, but I was very much over the crowds so it was hard to enjoy. I would hate to see how crowded it gets when it’s not the off-season.

Overall, Paris was an incredible trip. There are places I’d love to go back to, but I’d also love to see more of France than just Paris. Hopefully Lucas and I can return one day.

Merci, Paris, et au revoir!

⭐️ Jenna