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Not long after my trip to the United States, it was my wife’s birthday. Visiting Paris and Disneyland Paris was something that she’s always wanted to do, so we booked a trip on the Eurostar for four days. It’s a shame there isn’t a direct train to Disneyland Paris anymore, so we went to Paris first, and caught the RER train to the park. Not a bad journey honestly.
The last time I had visited Paris and Disneyland Paris was well over twenty years ago, and I don’t remember much about it. So after some research, we had a plan in place. We would split our trip on spending time in Disneyland Paris and the city of Paris itself. There was a lot to cover in a few days!
Fun fact, apart from the Uber to my local train station, the whole trip was done via train! There is now an extra benefit to using an EMR train to St Pancras. As once you arrive at St Pancras, it’s a short walk in the station to the Eurostar. Being able to walk between trains took a lot of stress out of navigating around Paris.
I also took my new camera, a Ricoh GR III X HDF, with me as well. I’ve included some photos that I took with it in this post. It’s an incredible camera to use. I’m going to use it more when I visit London or other major cities. I definitely want to improve my street photography.
<h2>The Eurostar</h2>
You’re telling me that I can have all the border checks done in London and just walk on and off a train? Sign me up. I’d rather have that than go through an airport. The seats onboard are comfortable enough in standard class for a two hour trip, anything longer and it might have been slightly uncomfortable. I ended up buying a naviGo ticket on the train for me and my wife which proved to be a good decision in getting around Paris, and it was preloaded with two tickets for the metro and train services.
I just wish that St Pancras was a little bigger. It was slightly cramped and desperately needs more seating, and maybe at least one more place to get food. Gare du Nord on the other hand was much bigger and modern in comparison. I’m slightly tempted to use my points from Amex to upgrade my status to get access to the lounge for the next time I travel.
<h2>Bonjour RATP mobile application</h2>
This is genuinely a good mobile application. Being able to view train times, and reload your ticket via NFC is extremely useful. Plus being able to bookmark favourites and configure alerts is a nice bonus as well. And of course, it’s in English, the biggest benefit of them all. Definitely removes some anxiety when it comes to using public transport in another country you’re not familiar with.
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<h2>Disneyland Paris</h2>
I don’t remember much about Disneyland Paris when I visited it twenty years ago. I do remember being disappointed by it. I think I got a Mickey Mouse plush of some kind? My wife has been to the park in Orlando plenty of times, so she would be my expert when it comes to Disney.
We stayed at the New York Hotel at Disneyland Paris during our trip, and it’s possibly one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in. The room was clean, modern, with plenty of room (probably one of the biggest hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed at). Shoutout as well for the hotel including a HDMI port, USB port and Chromecast on the TV, which is hard to find all of the above in a hotel room from other chains such as Hilton and Marriott from my experience. The hotel was Marvel themed and unsurprisingly, had artwork all over the hotel, and they had some great pieces on display.
I did end up buying the art book of the art used throughout the hotel. I was happy to see several pieces by Alex Ross. There are other amazing artists featured in the hotel as well. The skyline bar was also enjoyable, sure the themed drinks might not be for everyone, but the quality was exceptional. I kind of regret not going there again before I left Paris.
I greatly appreciate the work that the cast members do to ensure that the park keeps working smoothly. Everyone who we spoke to was extremely welcoming. It’s not easy running a theme park that welcomes thousands of visitors everyday. The fireworks that are held each night makes you realise just how many people visit the park.
As for favourite rides, my personal favourite is Avengers Flight Force. It’s an impressive ride that really throws you with twists and turns with good visuals. There is Hyperspace Mountain which is also good, but it’s going through a refurbishment and the theming is a little over the place. I think it could do with some work as you’re in the dark most of the time. Just a few more visual effects to show that you’re in the Star Wars universe. Shoutout to Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones for being great rides as well.
The food throughout the park is pretty decent as well, but slightly expensive (it’s a theme park, of course it will be expensive). We had my wife’s birthday meal at Walt’s which was truly an incredible experience, probably ate some of the best food I’ve ever had there. There’s so much on offer when it comes to food in the park, and we didn’t have enough time to try everything. We did however manage to get some champagne in a unique plastic champagne flute (which we brought back with us as souvenirs).
Speaking of souvenirs, there is always plenty of merchandise for sale, pretty much everywhere you look. From the expected shirt to jewellery by Pandora, Disneyland has everything you possibly want. I can see how people can spend a lot of money in the Park.
I think I’ll visit Disneyland Paris again in a few years, and possibly stay in a different hotel. I genuinely think Disneyland Paris is worth a visit, and was definitely better than my first visit.
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<h2>City of Paris</h2>
Paris is a truly exceptional experience. From the architecture, the shops to the food and culture. There’s so much to see and do (partially why we want to go back for a weekend trip in the future).
We saw several of the major landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. All of which we saw when it was clear skies and warm weather, we got lucky on that front. I think the picture I took of the Eiffel Tower might be one of my favourites of the trip. When we visited the Arc, me and my wife just simply sat and watched the world go by. We were both confused and horrified at the traffic going round. How on earth do drivers navigate it without getting in an accident? I’d have a heart attack trying to drive around it!
I believe that walking and using public transportation in a big city is one of the best ways in seeing what life and the culture is like. Going around in a taxi or a tour bus is fine in getting from A to B, but you’re missing out on so much more. Exploring Paris by foot and Metro was fun and a challenge, you never know what scenery or restaurant you’ll come across.
No trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Louvre, the famous art museum. It’s an experience that should be at the top of any list when visiting Paris. The masterpieces on display are exceptional and you could spend an entire day there. And yes, we did see the Mona Lisa, which was honestly a little underwhelming when you compare it to other works such as Liberty Leading the People. You wait ten to fifteen minutes in a crowd, where it gets uncomfortably hot, to work your way to the front to see the masterpiece, yards away and enclosed. It’s just disappointing when you’re able to see other pieces of art up close. The architecture of the museum is a work of art in itself, plus the shopping carousel is incredible and something we stumbled across when we were trying to find the nearest metro station. The Louvre is definitely worth a visit (and you could honestly skip seeing the Mona Lisa).
Then there’s the food, it’s great as expected. There are so many different restaurants and bakeries to try, it’s one reason why I want to go back. I want to visit a bakery first thing in the morning next time and get a croissant. Plus, the exteriors of these places provide a great photo opportunity. Did we go to some touristy spots? Yes, but we had a great time regardless.
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<h2>Until next time, Paris.</h2>
I definitely want to visit Paris again in the near future. But, there’s one thing I must do which is improve my French and speak it more. I tried to speak French whenever I could but there were a few occasions where my mind went blank and I stumbled, I know I could definitely do better.
So the next time I’m visiting Paris, I want to be better prepared for conversions in French. I strongly recommend anyone visiting France to have some basic phrases and sentences practiced. The French language is also used in Belgium, another country I plan to visit soon.
Because why not? The Eurostar can take us to places like Brussels, or Bruges, which is perfect for a weekend away. Maybe the urge to travel has awoken in me once again.
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Paris trip, May 2025

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For the past two weeks, from 14th April to 25th April, I’ve been on holiday visiting the United States. With my wife being from there, and since we haven’t visited family and friends in over a year, we felt that a visit was overdue.
I always enjoy visiting the US, I feel like I learn or experience something new every time I visit.
When we visit, we tend to visit two or three states (Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee) so I experience a few of the many different cultures that the US offers.
Think of this post as more of a casual write up, with some bonus photos included.
<h2>Heathrow airport</h2>
Quick note to say that the new machines used in security are phenomenal. You now just put your bag on the tray and walk through a body scanner. Me and my wife checked our bags and got through security in roughly fifteen minutes. It was the fastest I’ve ever been through Heathrow before.
Heathrow is one of my favourite airports to visit. There are plenty of spots to grab something to eat or grab that last minute souvenir or gift. It also seems that Terminal 3 is having some work done, with several stores being revamped and new stores being added.
<h2>Atlanta airport</h2>
Out of all of the airports I’ve visited over the years, Atlanta airport continues to be the worst for international travel. Plus, the traffic in Atlanta is just awful.
The international terminal is just devoid of so many things when compared to Heathrow. Me and my wife got some food from a Burger King (which looked new, and was honestly the most appealing food place available) which featured two of the saddest looking Coca-Cola freestyle machines I’ve ever seen. One was broken, and the other was missing so many drinks. Considering Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola, I thought it would feature some of the best machines they could offer.
Next time, me and my wife are planning to go and fly to Nashville airport (as that’s had some major work done).
<h2>Alabama</h2>
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My wife is from here, and therefore we have plenty of family and friends that we visit and catchup with.
Out of all the places I visit, I feel Alabama offers a good snapshot of the average American life. Not many tourists, plenty of local businesses, and lots of friendly people. It’s a state where I can see people who take things more slowly than other places that I’ve visited before (such as New York).
One experience that stands out to me on this recent visit was a trip to the beauty salon where my wife went to get her haircut. My wife got her haircut from someone who’s been cutting her hair for years. In fact, almost all of her family go to the same place.
Apparently I’ve been mentioned a few times and it was as if I was a small celebrity. I was being introduced to everyone there. People being surprised that someone from the UK would visit a small beauty salon in Alabama. Of course, people appreciated the accent.
But the fact that everyone there knew each other, shared the same feelings and were friendly with each other took me by surprise in a pleasant way.
It’s true what they say about southern charm and southern hospitality.
I know the UK is more reserved in many ways, but it got me thinking that maybe we should open up to each other more?
I know that someone will be thinking about food portions, and yes, the portions are big, but I do appreciate all of the local businesses that are around and how high the food quality is. It makes me think that the UK should try and back local businesses as much as the larger chains. Shout to Mountain Brook Creamery for offering some really good ice cream.
Housing in Alabama is also interesting. Where UK house prices are at their highest point, and everything seems unaffordable, houses in Alabama are the opposite. Houses are large and affordable (well, compared to what I paid for my current first home). It takes me by surprise every time I see them.
I know there are many views on Alabama, but it’s not what you think. If you’re in the US, try and stop by Alabama and see what you think. The weather is also pretty good.
<h2>Tennessee</h2>
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Me and my wife met in Nashville, so we try and visit the city whenever we can. I honestly love visiting Nashville, from the music, the murals, the restaurants, to the people. There are plenty of reasons why you should visit Nashville.
I will mention that Nashville just seems to be constantly under construction, with a new high rise building being added each time I visit.
On this trip, we spent a few days in Nashville, Franklin (just south of Nashville), Gatlinburg (the smoky mountains) and Pigeon Forge.
Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are wild experiences. My wife describes them as the southern equivalent to Las Vegas, and I can see that.
The over the top exteriors of the buildings and attractions at Pigeon Forge do look tacky at first, but it does grow on you. There aren’t that many places in the world where you can visit a store (and hotel) that’s Christmas every day, the museum of crime and the Titanic museum all in one place.
Gatlinburg is a similar vibe, but it does have a small village area that is hugely influenced by European architecture. My wife insisted I try a huge corn dog from a place called Fannie Farkle’s and it was incredibly greasy, I couldn’t finish it.
The smoky mountains offer some truly fantastic views. Me and my wife stayed with her family in a log cabin which gave us some of the best views of the mountains.
Over in Franklin, we went around the centre and a shopping area called The Factory, which has some chains and local stores, and restaurants. Seeing the amount of support that people have for local businesses is something I wish we embraced more in the UK. Maybe it’s time that we built more infrastructure to support smaller businesses?
Me and my wife love visiting Nashville and Franklin, it’s probably our favourite spot to visit while in the US. Maybe one day we’ll move here (but it might remain a dream given how expensive houses are there)
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<h2>Food</h2>
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I know I briefly touched on food, but it really deserves its own section.
Sure, there are plenty of fast food places, but what I see more of are places that make the food fresh rather than using frozen ingredients. I want to highlight the following places:
<ul>
<li>Chick-fil-A</li>
<li>Culvers</li>
<li>Raising Cane’s</li>
<li>Swig</li>
</ul>
These places tend to offer really good food for the price. Me and my wife looked at how much something from McDonald’s costs against what we paid for one of the places above, and the huge difference in quality for a small difference in price is something that we can’t ignore.
But it’s always interesting to see that people will go to these fast food places multiple times a week. I know in the UK we view fast food as a treat that we have once a week.
I’ll also talk about the cheesecake factory, because I can never finish a meal there. Despite the gigantic food portions, I always end up going there because the quality of the food is so high. I tried the Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake, and it really is extreme on the amount of Oreos that are used in making that cheesecake!
I did try a new place, called Swig. The best way I can describe Swig is Starbucks but for soft drinks. It has a fast service, good range of drinks available and snacks. Next time I’m in Nashville, I’ll drop by Swig again.
<h2>Cars and driving</h2>
I’m always amazed by the cars over in the US. They’re hugely different to cars in the UK.
A big part of American culture is cars. They’re essential to getting around and it really is a life skill there. Seeing interstates and how complex they can be made me appreciate the UK roads. I used to be surprised by the size of American cars, but now, I get the reason why so many people drive large cars. People in the US live in their cars, and will happily drive long distances in them.
I saw a good amount of Rivian electric SUVs, which just makes me want to buy one (waiting until they release the R2 in the UK). The Ford F-150 still remains a popular vehicle.
<h2>Shopping</h2>
Of course, me and my wife did some shopping while in the US (as the exchange rate works well in our favour). We visited several outlet malls (The Shops of Grand River, Tanger Outlets) and a large shopping mall (The mall at Green Hills). J Crew once again lured me in to buy some new clothes. I remember when J Crew had a small retail presence in the UK. I also bought some clothes from a Banana Republic outlet store.
I did pick up some gifts for my parents as well from some stores in Gatlinburg. A hat and some chocolate always goes down well.
<h2>Wrap up</h2>
Me and my wife are planning to visit the US again this year, possibly at Christmas. I’ll more than likely do another write up as well, since there’s an infinite amount of culture to learn and experience. Plus, there are more photos that I need to take (I really need to work on my street photography, maybe I’ll have a new camera to take photos with when we go on our next trip).
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