Not ready for vacation yet?

Then take a day trip to Paris

I can imagine that you might skip that summer vacation this year. It probably won't be as you like it, and that hotel can be nice, but if you have to stay in quarantine, even Plaza Athénée is a prison. But if you still need a bit of foreign experience, I have the tip. A day in Paris. Here's how you do it.

1. Take the Thalys

Thalys is a treat. From the moment you step on board, you don't have to do anything else. No check-in, no customs, no luggage drop-off, just sit back and relax. From Schiphol, you're at Gare du Nord three hours later. You can board at Amsterdam Central, Schiphol, or Rotterdam, and then it's a breeze before you're in France.

2. Kids are a bargain

You only pay fifteen euros per ticket per child. That's at least what you spend on parking in Amsterdam.

3. Every Sunday all museums are free

Just saying. That train ticket compensates.

4. Bring your own food and drinks

The restaurant on the Thalys is closed due to corona, so bring your own tasty snacks and water.

5. Bring a face mask

It's mandatory and, and that's the only downside, the Thalys can sell out. So it might happen that you sit next to a stranger. Unless you book an even number of seats, of course, then you can sit together nicely. In our case (there were three of us), I sat next to a stranger both ways. But both wore their masks properly, so that's okay.

6. Paris comes alive on the sidewalk

The mayor has relaxed the rules regarding terraces, and since it's better to sit outside than inside during corona times, it's a lively atmosphere on the sidewalks.

7. The big hotels are closed

So no dreaming of lunches in the courtyard of hotel Costes.

If you take the train at 8:30 AM, you'll be in Paris by 11:30 AM. At 5:30 PM, you board again with baguettes, brie, and a small bottle of wine, and by 8:30 PM, you're back on home soil. Ideal, right?