Day 1 & 2 - Part 3 - March 18th - March 19th - Paris

We took our tour buses from the Montmarte and wound through the incredibly chaotic streets of downtown Paris. On the way to dinner, our EF Tour Directors Eduardo and Silvia arranged for a huge surprise stop: The Eiffel Tower just as the afternoon sun was casting its shadow over the city. No matter how many times you have seen the Eiffel Tower in pictures, movies, TV shows, etc., there is absolutely NOTHING that will prepare you for seeing it in person. It is absolutely breathtaking and a true highlight of our marathon-like day. It was a truly phenomenal experience for every single one of us!

After our short surprise stop at the Eiffel Tower, we boarded our tour buses and resumed our journey through downtown Paris until we arrived at the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris for dinner. I cannot undersell the insanity that is the traffic in downtown Paris.  From bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and motorcycles to tour buses, large tractor trailers, to taxis, Ubers, public transportation buses and lightrail trains, it's plain nuts!

Dinner consisted of a baked whitefish (personally, I think it was cod loin, because it tasted no different than a classic Friday Fish Fry version of baked cod) with a side of roasted vegetables and a dinner roll. Our entree was followed by a fresh yogurt parfait for dessert! Additionally, several of our travelers were happy to enjoy something familiar, Coca-Cola! (Mr. E in particular!)

Following our delicious dinner, our group gathered and headed to the Tour-Maine Montparnasse, a 689 foot tall skyscraper that is the tallest building in Paris proper, that also features an obersvation deck on the 59th Floor of the building. The views were absolutely stunning and offered everyone amazing photo opportunities in all directions. 

After an incredibly exciting, fun-filled, but grueling day, it was time to head to our hotel for the next few nights at the Aéroport de Paris-Orly. With such a large group, there were some hiccups with the check-in process, but every single one of us JHS Europe Trip 2024 travelers was beyond thrilled to be able to shower, recharge, and get some long overdue sleep. We also had time to acknowledge how much smaller European hotel rooms are.