It’s official! My friend is getting married in France at the end of September, and we have decided to go to the wedding (and to stay and explore Paris for a few days afterwards)! I’ve been to Europe before, but never to France so I’m very excited. We are trying to maximize our time there, but minimize my vacation usage (as I won’t have been at my job that long yet).
Here’s the plan:
Thursday: fly out (preferably in the evening so I only have to miss a half day of work)
Friday:
- arrive in Paris morning or mid-day (depending on when we fly out)
- get a train to the wedding site (about an hour out of Paris)
- spend time with friends/pre-wedding events
Saturday:
- Wedding
Sunday:
- spend time with friends/post-wedding events
- catch a train back to Paris in afternoon or evening
- check into hotel in Paris
Monday:
- Explore Paris!
Tuesday:
- Day trip to Normandy (tentative — I’ve heard varying accounts of how long it takes to get to Normandy and back, so we’ll see if this is feasible). I welcome your input if you’ve ever been. 
Wednesday:
- Explore Paris
Thursday:
- fly home
Friday:
- back to work or work from home
I would rather take Friday off, but I don’t have enough vacation. C will take Friday off, so he can run errands and get things under control at home while I’m at work. I figure the time change is in my favor, and it’s just one day before the weekend. Plus, it will give me a chance to deal with all my email before Monday. Also, I might be able to work from home, rather than going into work, which means I wouldn’t have to “get ready” for work in the morning.
We are now watching the airfares. A friend of ours who travels to Europe quite frequently said we shouldn’t purchase a fare for more than $600 if we can help it. He said $500 flights are usually the best deal he can get. So far the best I’ve seen is upper $600s.
