{"id":130,"date":"2018-07-25T07:40:06","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T07:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/perrisinfo.org\/?p=130"},"modified":"2018-07-25T08:24:04","modified_gmt":"2018-07-25T08:24:04","slug":"singapore-to-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/perrisinfo.org\/index.php\/2018\/07\/25\/singapore-to-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Singapore to Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

We arrived at Changi \u00a0Airport about 9.30 pm and I was surprised to how mechanised everything was as last time we visited we\u00a0 were told how important it was for there to be a job for everyone in Singapore. We checked in to get our boarding pass and luggage tags at a kiosk, then self checked in our suitcases. Then it was off to departures to be thumb printed out as we had been thumb printed in on Sunday.<\/p>\n

After 4 attempts in one lane and 2 attempts with another official in another lane, my thumb prints refused to match. So I was sent to the official desk to get it sorted. This took a bit more time, but I am so pleased they have good security so they know who is getting on their planes.<\/p>\n

Our flight to Paris left at 12.15 am on an A80 Airbus. Very smooth flight and again we were glad to be in premium economy. This section was only half full so when the girl in front of me reclined to go to sleep I was able to move one row back to give me more room. This is the longest flight we have ever done but it was OK.<\/p>\n

Another plus for premium economy I hadn’t thought of before: you get to board after First class and Business Class. So there are only ever about 36 people in the queue to go through several gates for boarding pass check. Then they split into 2 aisles on the plane. So you are not rushed to get your hand luggage in the overhead lockers. And there is always enough overhead locker space as the smaller number of seats share the same space as that allocated for more people in economy. The same applies when disembarking. You are 3rd group off and you are always near the front of the plane – so very easy to manage hand luggage and much less wait time.<\/p>\n

We landed at 7.30 am Paris time 13.5 hours flying time) and were transferred to our hotel in a large van as there were now 10 in the group. It is growing each day.<\/p>\n

The Charles de Gaulle airport and the 35 km drive to the city were very disappointing after Singapore. After flying over such beautiful French countryside it is such a pity that graffiti and rubbish spoils our first impressions of Paris. Even the area between the road lanes was full of rubbish like broken concrete and building supplies.<\/p>\n

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graffiti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The traffic was also a shock to us. We were driving through peak hour so we expected it to be busy, but we didn\u2019t expect the chaos and lack or organisation on the roads. As we drove around the Arc de Triumph I felt like I was in one of those many movies that show people driving erratically in this area. I thought it was just for the movies, but it was actually all real.<\/p>\n

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Arc de Triumph 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Arc de Triumph 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We arrived at the Hotel Bradford\u00a0 (no nothing like the Bradford in Rutherford) at 10 Rue St Philippe Du Roule at 9 am. It is very quaint with delightful furniture in the coffee area.<\/p>\n

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Hotel Bradford<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Hotel Bradford address<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our rooms were not ready but we could freshen up and leave our luggage. We then went to nearby caf\u00e9 for a quick drink while the others arrived.<\/p>\n

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Les TonTons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Paul at TonTons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then we all caught taxies to the Seine River cruises. We were booked on the Bateau Parisian for a 2 hour cruise, 3 course lunch and wines. Very nice. The weather was perfect and there were 14 of us on the table. The entrees were fabulous \u2013 our pick of the courses. Paul and I chose different options for each course \u00a0and shared. I don\u2019t usually do the\u2019 take photos of my food\u2019 thing \u2013 but made an exception today.<\/p>\n

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Bateau Parisiene<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Entree 1 Bonito tart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Entree 2 Beef-Foie gras terrine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As this is our first trip to Paris we were blown away by the architecture and the amazing bridges. I was seated in behind a long table so couldn\u2019t take many pictures but Paul made good use of his movie camera.<\/p>\n

They had a lovely entertainer who sang in French and played the electric violin. The atmosphere was perfect.<\/p>\n

One thing we found strange was the cab fares. We had 4 cabs leave the same hotel and go to the same place. The fares ranged from 15 Euro to 25 Euro. On the way back our fare was 8.5 Euro, while others payed a lot more. Obviously not as regulated as our taxi industry!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Paul\u2019s movie recap of our lunch experience:<\/p>\n