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48 Hours in Paris

David Kennedy Nov 27, 2018 40 by 40, Trips

I recently spent a weekend in Paris. Not as a part of a larger European trip, just a weekend in Paris. And I live in Denver.

Thanks to Norwegian’s new seasonal flight from DEN (Denver) to CDG (Paris), airfare could be found super cheap. And one evening, while just researching (dreaming) of flights I could take for any number of trips, I started to think seriously about Paris. Could I do a weekend in Paris for under $1,000? Would the flights and logistics even work? Is this just a stupid idea?

The answers, it turns out, were yes, yes, and probably not.

Not only do I love traveling, I actually love the planning. Specifically for big trips, planned well in advance. In many ways this weekend in Paris became the antithesis to my typical travel. Loosely planned and quick.

48 hours, 24 minutes, airport to airport.

My rough itinerary was to leave Friday after work; arrive midday Saturday; be in Paris for 48 hours; head to the airport midday Monday; and fly home. Total time airport to airport was just over 48 hours.

For budget, it roughly broke out as follows. (This isn’t exactly what I paid as I redeemed some credit for a free hotel night, but it gives you an idea of what is possible.)

Flight: $450
Hotel: $300
Trains/Ubers: $60
Food and activities: $150
Trip Insurance: $40
Phone: $20
TOTAL $1,020

My plan was to walk, walk, and walk some more. Both to see a lot while keeping costs down, but also to stay moving to stay awake. Luckily, the weather cooperated and it was a perfect fall weekend to explore Paris on foot.

Here are 10 of my favorite photos from the weekend.