In February, 2008, Angie and I took a chance on a cheap week’s package vacation to Paris, France. The price was right at under $1000 a piece for air, airport transfer and hotel with breakfast. The risk was going in February when the weather in Paris is a crap shoot.
Originally, the flight was to be on Air Transat. Nothing like a flight over the ocean in a true sardine can (although AT has since retro-fit their planes with more leg room). However, Transat couldn’t get enough customers and we were switched to Air Canada at no extra cost.
We were delayed as we left in a snow storm and Air Canada got the plane stuck in the snow before it even got the gate at Pearson International. That was the last snow we saw for the week. Paris, and the rest of Europe, was dealing with unseasonably warm and sunny weather. Temperatures got up to 12C at times. That added bonus was staying at a hotel right beside the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy. This is the main indoor sports/concert venue for the city. The Coupe de France of hockey was being played while we were there and we got to partake. Both being hockey players and fans, this was a real treat.
Paris wasn’t enough. We knew going in that we were way to close to other European countries to stay still in Paris. Besides, how many times can you look at the Eiffel Tower? We thought about train trips to Brussels or Germany and possibly even England. Then, we came across a not-so-little airline called RyanAir.
RyanAir is Europe’s favourite discounter. The airline flies out of smaller airports near major centres to save on charges. All booking is through their website, ryanair.com, and if planned well, prices are rediculously low. We were able to book a return flight from Paris-Beauvais to Venice-Treviso for about 40 Euros each, taxes included.
We spent only the evening in Venice, staying at an ancient hotel right on the island, and had the full following day before returning the next evening to Paris. Once I got into Venice, I wished we were spending the week there with a day-trip to Paris and not the other way around.
There is certainly value in going to Venice off-season. Sure, there’s the gamble on the weather but there’s no stink and the crowds are thin during the day and non-existent at night. In fact, we felt as though we had the hold city to ourselves when we roamed around the small alleyways late into the night.
