On the night of May 18th, we embarked on a 13-hour flight to Paris, with a 4-hour layover in Dubai. The initial leg of our journey from Mumbai to Dubai, in Emirates EK509, was pleasant, highlighted by a delightful Indian meal. We had pre-selected Asian vegetarian meals for ourselves via the Emirates website, and for Yuven, we arranged a child’s Asian vegetarian meal through customer care. The flight to Dubai was smooth and quick.
Upon arrival in Dubai, we followed the “Connections” signs, located our terminal and gate number on the screens, and took a brief shuttle ride between terminals. For families traveling with children, the airport provides strollers for added convenience. We were at our gate within an hour, but since the seating area was full, we found another spot where Yuven could stretch out and nap for about 1.5 hours. While boarding our connecting flight, we had a pleasant surprise meeting one of Yuven’s teachers.
The flight from Dubai to Paris – Emirates EK71, was approximately 7 hours. The food on this flight wasn’t appealing, so we shared one meal. The flight arrived 20-25 minutes late. As we deboarded, we requested a crew member to show Yuven the first class on the upper floor of the Airbus A380-800, which they happily did. We were the last to deboard and then proceeded towards immigration.
We navigated tunnels and slopes at Paris CDG (Charles de Gaulle) Airport to reach immigration. After clearing immigration, we collected our luggage with ease, but Yuven’s stroller took about 30 minutes to arrive with the oversized luggage. We had researched our transportation options to the hotel and decided to take an official taxi from gate 24 after baggage claim. Official taxis have fixed prices depending on the destination’s location relative to the river.
From a Facebook group, we learned to confirm three things before getting into any taxi:
1. Confirm the driver will charge the fixed price.
2. Confirm the driver accepts credit cards.
3. Confirm the credit card machine is working.
Initially, the driver asked for an extra 10 euros, which we refused. We eventually agreed on 56 euros to take us to our hotel. Other transport options include the RER-Metro, Roissy bus, or pre-booked cab services. You can find all transport-related information on the official airport website.
We stayed in the 9th Arrondissement on the left bank. Google and MakeMyTrip reviews helped us finalize our hotel. We considered various factors like cost per night for 2 adults and 1 child, public transport accessibility, nearby eateries, and facilities such as elevators, air conditioning, private bathrooms, and breakfast options.
Within 35 minutes, we reached our hotel – Hotel Libertel Montmartre Opéra. After completing the check-in formalities, we received an early check-in, which is unusual in Paris. Our original plan was to store our luggage in the hotel locker room, explore the surroundings, have lunch, and visit Montparnasse Tower in the evening. Instead, we took a quick nap, had ready-to-eat food for lunch, and got ready to visit Montparnasse Tower to enjoy the stunning views of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower.
From the hotel, we walked to Pigalle metro station (a 2-minute walk), purchased 3 Navigo Easy cards, and loaded each with 10 t+ tickets, usable on the metro, bus, and tram. Refer to the videos below to understand the cards and transportation system better. Montparnasse Tower is on a direct line from Pigalle station (Metro line 12). We planned our first day this way as it was Sunday, and the metro wasn’t crowded, allowing us to get accustomed to the system for our 4-day stay in Paris.
Stay tuned for our blog on Montparnasse Tower!
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