With our river cruise behind us, we boarded the TGV, France’s high speed train for Paris. It travelled very fast, indeed, reaching an incredible 300 mph.

Once we arrived at our hotel in Boulogne, we wasted no time in taking a taxi from Boulogne to the Eiffel Tower. From there, we planned to make our way to the Champs-Élysées. We got a little lost along the way, but that’s part of the fun of exploring a new place, right?

Eventually , I did fit in a little shopping time and a coffee, and we felt quite proud of ourselves for managing, especially as we do not speak French!

Last time we were in Paris, we took a bus to all the main tourist spots. It was a good way to see the highlights, but this time we walked and discovered so much more. Charming little streets and a cafe where the owner spoke a little English and was very happy to talk to someone from Australia!

While a bus tour is efficient, walking allows you to create your own memories and our short stay felt richer because of it.