This year we decided to visit some of the great cities in Europe by train. Modelling our trip after the Orient Express, we left Paris and headed as far east as Vienna, with some stops in between.

Day 2 – No visit to Paris is complete without lunch on the rooftop at Galleries Lafayette and a quick look at the amazing view.

As is our habit when we travel to Paris, we stay in the 19th Arrondissement, drop off the luggage, then take a walk and have lunch in the area. After a nap, we try to stay awake till later in the evening. We usually stop for dinner at our favourite bistro in the area.

The view from the rooftop at Galleries Lafayette. You can even see Sacré Coeur in the distance.
Canal de l’Ourq, near our hotel
Louis Vuitton giant luggage, actually a front for the building restoration
Of course there is always time for a cocktail on the Champs Élysées

Finally, we began our train trip with our first ride on the TGV from Gare de l’Est (Paris) to Strasbourg, in the Alsace region. Distance by train 440Km. Travel time about 1.5 hours. Can’t beat that!