This Paris anniversary trip had lived in my imagination since childhood. When I was a little girl, I kept an earring holder shaped like the Eiffel Tower on my dresser. Paris lived in my imagination long before I ever had a passport. So when Jim and I finally took our Paris anniversary trip in October 2022 — two years late, after a pandemic postponed it twice — it was not just a vacation. It was the fulfillment of a dream I had been carrying for most of my adult life.
By the time we reached Venice, we had already experienced the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, and a farmhouse dinner in Tuscany that I still think about. But the dream destination was still ahead.
In this post I am covering Venice, the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps, and one night in Zurich. Then, finally, Paris — in all its layered, emotional, completely-worth-the-wait glory.
“Some dreams take decades to reach. Our Paris anniversary trip was everything I had ever imagined — and something I hadn’t quite been prepared for.”
Part 3 of our Italy and Paris 27th Anniversary Series
Part 1: Italy and Paris Anniversary Trip: A 17-Day Love Story | Part 2: Rome and Florence Itinerary: Honest Tips from a Travel Advisor
Venice, Italy: First Stop on Our Paris Anniversary Trip
I want to be honest with you about Venice, the same way I have tried to be honest throughout this entire series.
Venice was not either of our favorite cities on the trip. That surprised me a little, because I had expected to fall completely in love with it. Instead I found it uniquely fascinating — unlike anywhere else I have ever been — while also finding it harder to connect with than Rome or Florence. There is something slightly transient about it. The crowds move through constantly, and it can feel more like an experience to have than a place to truly settle into.
But I am so glad we went. Every bit of it.
Where to Stay in Venice: My Honest Recommendation
We spent our first night on Murano at the Hyatt Centric Murano Venice and our second night at Ca’ Sagredo on the main island of Venice. We made that split because we had a very early train departure the next morning and wanted to be closer to the main station. But it is not an approach I would recommend for most travelers.
Moving between hotels in the Venice area costs you time and energy you would much rather spend in the city. For a two-night stay, my recommendation is simple: stay both nights on the main island if budget allows. That is where the magic is and having your hotel there means you step outside and are already in it. If you want to manage costs, staying on Murano for the full stay is a genuinely lovely alternative — the island is charming, peaceful, and Venice, Murano, and Burano are all easily reached by water taxi.
🌿 Travel Tip: You do not need to stay on Murano or Burano to enjoy them. Both are easy and enjoyable as day trips by water taxi from Venice — that is the most efficient way to experience all three for most visitors.
Murano: Where the Glass Is Made
Murano was genuinely wonderful. We watched a glassblowing demonstration that I found truly remarkable — watching a craftsman shape molten glass with movements that look effortless but clearly represent decades of skill is one of those experiences that reminds you why you travel. The glass shops here are the real thing, not the tourist-market version you find elsewhere in Venice. If you like to bring meaningful things home from a trip, Murano is the place to do it.
Burano: The Most Colorful Place I Have Ever Seen
We took a water taxi to Burano and I was genuinely not prepared for how beautiful it was. Picture an entire island of houses painted in the most vivid, saturated colors imaginable — hot pink, cobalt blue, canary yellow, deep red — all lining narrow streets and quiet canals. We wandered, looked at the famous lace shops, and just let the place work on us. Burano became one of my favorite memories of the entire trip.
Ca’ Sagredo: Staying on the Grand Canal
Our second night at Ca’ Sagredo was extraordinary. The hotel is a historic palazzo right on the Grand Canal, full of original art and architectural details. Our room was stunning — beautiful antiques throughout and a bathroom that was absolutely gorgeous. The room backed right up to the canal, which gave it a dramatic, cinematic quality.
The butler told us that Ca’ Sagredo appears in The Tourist — the 2010 film with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie that was largely filmed throughout Venice. The hotel is visible from the Grand Canal in several scenes. Given the room’s position directly over the water, it was easy to believe, and it added a fun layer to the whole stay.
🌿 Travel Tip: If you are a film lover, Venice is one of the most filmed cities in the world. The Tourist is an enjoyable watch before or after a Venice visit — you will recognize location after location.
Caffè Florian: The Oldest Coffee House in Venice
One of our Venice highlights was visiting Caffè Florian in St. Mark’s Square. Dating back to 1720, it is the oldest coffee house in Venice — and one of the most beautiful interiors I have seen anywhere in Europe. We ordered coffee and desserts rather than a full meal, which is the smart way to experience it. The history, the ornate rooms, the atmosphere — absolutely worth doing.
🌿 Travel Tip: Caffè Florian is expensive for a full meal, but ordering coffee and dessert is a very reasonable way to experience one of Venice’s most historic and beautiful interiors.
The Gondola Ride — and One Genuine Regret
I would absolutely recommend the long gondola ride over the shorter version. Our gondolier did not sing — which I had been looking forward to — but he told us about Venice as we drifted through the smaller canals, and the experience was peaceful in a way I had not expected.
What I Would Do Differently in Venice
One genuine regret: we did not make it to the Doge’s Palace. We had also booked a walking tour that we ended up canceling. By the time we reached Venice, we were tired from the pace of Rome and Florence, and I had simply over-scheduled the trip. That is a lesson I now carry into every itinerary I design for couples — know your travel partner’s limits and build breathing room in from the start. Venice deserves more time than we gave it, and the Doge’s Palace is on my list for the return trip.
The Bernina Express: The Most Beautiful Train Ride of Our Anniversary Journey
The next morning, we left Venice early for one of the experiences I had been most looking forward to: the train through the Swiss Alps. We took the Bernina Express, which winds through some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the world. We had booked the upgraded panoramic seating with the glass dome cars, and that was absolutely the right decision. The dome allows you to see the mountains rising above you in every direction.
Here’s a glimpse of our Bernina Express ride through the Swiss Alps — easily one of the most breathtaking parts of our anniversary journey. The scenery was every bit as unforgettable as I had hoped.
There were moments where I just went completely silent. That is saying something.
“The Bernina Express gave me several moments in a row where I simply ran out of words.”
The Paprika Pringles — How a Travel Tradition Was Born
I have to tell you about the paprika Pringles. As part of the upgraded seating class, the train served snacks — and among them was a small can of paprika flavored Pringles. Jim and I had never tried them before. We were immediately obsessed. Both of us. On a train moving through some of the most extraordinary scenery in the world, we were also deeply invested in these chips.
When we arrived in Zurich, we liked them so much that we found a little convenience market right across from our hotel and stocked up — along with some Swiss chocolate and whatever else caught our eye. The paprika Pringles have become a tradition now. Every time I travel to Europe I look for them. If you are heading to Europe and you have never had paprika Pringles, I am genuinely excited for you.
🌿 Travel Tip: The Bernina Express panoramic car upgrade is absolutely worth the cost difference. Book well in advance as space fills up quickly, particularly in peak season. This is one of the most spectacular rail journeys in the world.
Zurich: One Honest Night
We spent one planned night in Zurich, staying near the train station. We could not get a direct connection to Paris that evening, so Zurich was our overnight stop before continuing on the next morning. The room was genuinely tiny — a decent bed, a very compact bathroom, the basics — and it served exactly the purpose we needed. Neither of us connected to Zurich, but I want to be fair to the city: staying near a train station overnight is not the way to experience anywhere. I hope to go back someday and give it a proper visit.
Our Paris Anniversary Trip: The Dream That Finally Became Real
I have been building toward this part of the story since Part 1.
The earring holder shaped like the Eiffel Tower. The shower curtain with the Parisian skyline. The prints on my walls. The decades of quietly carrying a dream that had not yet become a plan. Our Paris anniversary trip was the trip we had planned for our 25th anniversary and finally taken on our 27th. It survived a pandemic and two postponements and two years of wondering if it would ever happen.
And then we arrived. And Paris was outside the window of the car. It looked exactly like I had imagined. And then it looked more.
Where We Stayed — and What I Would Consider Instead
In Paris, we stayed at the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme. The hotel is unquestionably upscale — our room was lovely, the welcome amenity of macarons and champagne waiting when we arrived was a really thoughtful touch, and breakfast was a step above average. And if Paris sweets are part of your dream too, here are a few of my Must-Try Desserts in Paris.The service was excellent throughout.
That said, comparing it honestly to the Waldorf Astoria in Rome — my favorite hotel of the entire trip — the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme did not reach the same level. The Waldorf felt like walking through a living museum. The Park Hyatt felt like a very nice business hotel. Pleasant, comfortable, but not extraordinary in the way I had hoped.
Choosing the Right Hotel for a Paris Anniversary Trip
If I were advising a client planning a Paris anniversary trip and looking for a hotel with more genuine Parisian character, I would absolutely recommend exploring the Hotel du Louvre. It has a beautiful position near the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, real Parisian atmosphere, and a price point worth comparing carefully before committing to a larger property.
🌿 Travel Tip: When planning a Paris anniversary trip, compare hotels carefully before booking. Location and character matter as much as the brand name. Working with a travel advisor who knows these properties personally can help you find the one that will actually deliver the experience you are looking for.
The Paris Photographer: The Best Decision of Our Anniversary Trip
The Paris photo shoot was the single best decision we made on our Paris anniversary trip and I would do it again without hesitation.
Our photographer had a background in filmmaking and he approached the entire session through that cinematic lens — the way a director would shoot a scene rather than the way a photographer would pose a portrait. The majority of our photos show us not looking at the camera. We were looking off into the distance. We were experiencing Paris. He was filming us discovering the city for the first time.
Why the Paris Photo Shoot Was Worth It
I do not love having my picture taken. And yet I came home with a portfolio of photographs from all over Paris that I am genuinely proud of, because they do not look posed. They look like us, in Paris, fully present. He took us to multiple locations throughout the city, which meant we also got to see a great deal of Paris organically in the process.
I had him booked again the following spring when I was heading back to Paris for a river cruise expo. That was the trip where my passport was stolen at CDG Airport — which I wrote about in a separate post — and I had to return home unexpectedly. That experience jaded me a little about Paris, I will be honest. It was a nightmare in a city that had always been my dream, and it took time to process. A little over a year later I am starting to come back around. When we eventually return, the photographer will be the first person I contact.
🌿 Travel Tip: For any milestone Paris anniversary trip, consider hiring a cinematic or lifestyle photographer for a few hours. The images feel completely different from posed portraits, and you naturally see more of the city in the process. Book well in advance, particularly during peak travel seasons.
Versailles: More Extraordinary Than I Expected
During our first day in Paris, we spent the day at Versailles and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I think I had slightly underestimated it going in. What I was not prepared for was the sheer scale — the succession of ornate rooms, each more elaborate than the last, and then the gardens stretching out seemingly without end beyond the palace. The Hall of Mirrors is worth the visit on its own. I stood there for a while just taking it in. Versailles was one of those experiences that shifts your sense of scale entirely.
🌿 Travel Tip: Buy Versailles tickets well in advance — lines without a reservation are extremely long. Plan for a full day to experience both the palace interiors and the gardens properly. Comfortable shoes are essential.
The Eiffel Tower: The Emotional Center of Our Paris Anniversary Trip
Standing beneath the Eiffel Tower for the first time was one of the most emotionally layered moments of my life. It is bigger than you expect — even if you have seen it in photographs your entire life, standing beneath it and looking up is a completely different experience. I stood there for a while before I said anything.
We went up to the second level. Jim is not great with heights so we did not go to the summit, and I think that was the right call for us. From the second level, you can see all of Paris in every direction — the Seine curving through the city, the rooftops, the wide boulevards. One of the most beautiful urban views I have ever seen.
One thing I wish we had done on our Paris anniversary trip: the Eiffel Tower offers both a lunch and a dinner dining experience on the tower itself. I have heard from multiple travelers that it is genuinely worth doing for a milestone visit. I have clients heading to Paris in October who are planning on it and I am curious to hear their feedback. If I go back to Paris, a lunch at the Eiffel Tower is on my list.
🌿 Travel Tip: The Eiffel Tower offers dining experiences on the tower itself — both lunch and dinner seatings are available and must be booked well in advance separately from general entry tickets. For a Paris anniversary trip, it is considered by many to be worth the investment as a milestone dining experience.
The Louvre — and a Lesson Every Paris Visitor Needs to Know
The Louvre is genuinely extraordinary, both as a building and as a museum. The Mona Lisa is smaller than most people expect and surrounded by a larger crowd than most anticipate — but it is still worth seeing.
Here is something I want to share that I wish someone had told me before our Paris anniversary trip: there are no Monet paintings in the Louvre. I had assumed — since the Louvre is the great Parisian art museum — that Monet would naturally be there. He is not. The Louvre focuses primarily on works produced before 1848, and Monet is an Impressionist painter from a later period. I came home having missed seeing my favorite painter’s work in Paris.
If you love Impressionist art, you want the Musée de l’Orangerie — home to Monet’s famous Water Lilies series — or the Musée d’Orsay, which has one of the world’s great Impressionist collections. Both are magnificent and should be on any Paris anniversary trip itinerary for art lovers.
🌿 Travel Tip: Do your Paris museum research before you go. The Louvre is extraordinary but focuses on pre-1848 art. For Monet and the Impressionists, visit the Musée de l’Orangerie or the Musée d’Orsay. Plan one major museum per day for the best experience.
Getting Around Paris: Notre Dame, the Bus Tour, and a Metro Warning
Later, we walked past Notre Dame, which was still under scaffolding and reconstruction in October 2022 following the 2019 fire. We could not go inside, but seeing it from the outside was still genuinely moving. There is something about Notre Dame that makes you feel the weight of what it represents, even wrapped in scaffolding.
An open-top bus tour also gave us a great overview of the city. It is a great way to orient yourself and see the broad layout of Paris without wearing yourself out. And we used the Paris Metro throughout our stay. I want to mention the Metro specifically because many visitors are intimidated by it — and they should not be. It is well-marked, logical, and very efficient.
Paris Metro Safety Tips for First-Time Visitors
One important note: be careful with your belongings on crowded Metro cars, particularly in the evenings. After our photo shoot one night, we were on a busy car and I had a very clear sense that someone was working toward my bag. Jim had a similar moment with his wallet. We stayed alert and nothing happened — but it was a real reminder. Keep bags in front of you and stay aware when it is crowded.
If you’re planning your first visit, I share more in Paris Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors.
🌿 Travel Tip: The Paris Metro is the most efficient way to get around the city and easier to navigate than most visitors expect. That said, be vigilant with your belongings on crowded evening cars. Basic urban awareness goes a long way.
A Paris Anniversary Trip Worth Every Year of the Wait
We flew home from our Paris anniversary trip tired and full and changed in the small, permanent ways that travel changes you.
Seventeen days across Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Murano, Burano, the Swiss Alps, Zurich, and Paris. The trip we had planned for our 25th anniversary and finally taken on our 27th. It survived a pandemic and two postponements and two years of wondering if it would ever happen.
It happened. And it was worth every single day of the wait.
What This Trip Taught Me
What this trip taught me — and what I carry into every client conversation I have now — is that the trips built around a milestone, around a dream you have been carrying for years, are not ordinary trips. They land differently. They stay with you differently. They become part of the story of who you are together.
Jim’s dream was Italy. Mine was Paris. We got both.
And we discovered paprika Pringles. Which, truly, was a bonus nobody was expecting.
“The Eiffel Tower was bigger than I expected. The dream was exactly as big as I had always known it was.”
If you have followed this series from the beginning — thank you. And if a Paris anniversary trip, a milestone journey through Italy, or any European adventure has been living quietly in the back of your mind: I would love to help you make it happen. That is exactly what this work is for.
Every journey writes a story. Yours is waiting. 🌿
Read the Full Anniversary Trip Series:
Part 1: Italy and Paris Anniversary Trip: A 17-Day Love Story — Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and the trip we almost never took – Access the blog here
Part 2: Rome and Florence Itinerary: Honest Tips from a Travel Advisor — Two cities, two extraordinary hotels, and a Tuscan farmhouse dinner – Access the blog here
Part 3: Our Paris Anniversary Trip — Venice, the Alps, and a Childhood Dream Fulfilled (this post)
Frequently Asked Questions About Planning a Paris Anniversary Trip
A Paris anniversary trip is one of the most rewarding milestone travel experiences you can design. The city delivers romance, culture, and beauty at every turn — but to make the most of it, plan your museums in advance, book the Eiffel Tower separately, and consider hiring a lifestyle photographer to capture the experience. Working with a travel advisor who specializes in European milestone travel can help you design it the right way from the start.
Absolutely. Venice adds a completely different dimension to a European anniversary journey — the canals, a gondola ride, day trips to Murano for glassblowing and Burano for its iconic colorful houses. For most couples, two nights in Venice works well before continuing on to Paris.
The Bernina Express is a UNESCO-listed scenic railway through the Swiss Alps, connecting northern Italy to Switzerland. It is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. The panoramic glass dome car upgrade is absolutely worth the cost. Adding it as a travel day between Venice and Paris creates one of the most memorable moments of any European anniversary trip.
No. The Louvre focuses on art produced before 1848 and does not include Monet’s Impressionist works. To see Monet on your Paris anniversary trip, visit the Musée de l’Orangerie, famous for the Water Lilies series, or the Musée d’Orsay, which has one of the world’s great Impressionist collections.
Based on traveler feedback and travel advisor experience, dining at the Eiffel Tower is a worthwhile experience for a milestone Paris anniversary trip. The tower offers both lunch and dinner seatings. Book well in advance as reservations fill up quickly, and note that dining tickets are separate from general entry tickets.
For a Paris anniversary trip, the Hotel du Louvre offers beautiful Parisian character and an excellent location near the Palais-Royal and the Louvre. There are several wonderful options across different price points throughout Paris. Working with a travel advisor who knows these properties personally helps ensure the hotel you choose actually delivers the experience you are looking for on a milestone trip.
Ready to plan your own Paris anniversary trip or milestone European journey? I specialize in anniversary travel, honeymoons, and bucket-list trips to Italy, France, Ireland, the UK, and beyond — including European river cruising. I would love to help you design something worth writing home about. Schedule your complimentary consultation at tidycal.com/karla2/30minconsult
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