January saw us put flights and accommodation to rest. I think we did reasonably well cost wise and, as those layouts were all upfront, I have great idea of what expense we can handle in regards to Paris attractions for our March Break week. This is when my ever growing spreadsheet kicks in! Detail… Detail… Details!
Last week I had the opportunity to visit a Grade 4 class for “Literacy Day”. It’s been a while for me, so I struggled a bit with how to prepare for the group. I decided I’d share some resources in regards to the topic I read and write most about these days… Travel! I took in a batch of Frommer’s guides from cities I’d visited…. New York, Paris, Chicago, Rome, Venice, DC, etc. Then I had the kids pull out the maps, select an attraction, and go to the text and provide three facts about their choice. It worked great and really reiterated my suspicions that, at least for me, having success travelling is all about research!
So, my spreadsheet is loaded with facts and details. I firstly break out the trip into dates, then an itinerary for each day. Then I look at items that will not be available on a specific day (i.e. The Louvre is closed on Mondays) or an event with fixed date (i.e. Football Match). Those rigid items get locked in first. As I research each item, I put times and cost beside it in the spreadsheet. Further, I look at the location in Google maps for other attractions to partner with… No sense in criss-crossing the city when items in a general area can be clumped together. Thus, in this way an itinerary begins to take shape.
I haven’t fully mastered the timing, but I think there is a moment along the way when you see a more “set” plan take hold, a firmed itinerary and comfort of pre-purchase of attraction tickets becomes a possibility. Although I know I could almost always purchase a ticket while “on the ground” in Paris, experience tells me that Lumsdens + Ticket Line-up = Wasted Vacation Time. Lines can be nasty in Paris. We saw that while frequenting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in 2008. As I finish assembling what we’d like to see/do in Paris (for just Janie and I this is easy… little trickier with the kids) I’ll begin grabbing some date specific tickets.