Our Trip to Paris, Lake Como, Verona and part of Switzerland (Bellinzona and Lugano)

We just spent 16 days in Paris, Lake Como, Verona and part of Switzerland (Bellinzona and Lugano). It was such an amazing trip! Ella was invited to play soccer in Verona with a team from Utah against teams from Italy. This was her second year competing in this tournament, last year we explored Verona, Rome, Venice, and Cinque Terre. At the start of this blog post I will share a quick run-down of things we did and where we stayed, at the end is basically a billion photos of our trip, a personal photo journal for us, and hopefully fun for you to see too! Also sharing our travel favorites.

Travel Favorites-

We only pack carry on luggage (now), last trip to Italy we took large luggage and regretted it!! It is hard to fit large bags on trains, cars, hotels, and not to mention stairs and uneven roads. Highly recommend packing light! I even had clothes I didn’t wear in our carry on, we did wash clothes a few times at our AIRBNB, but you can find places to wash clothes and some hotels offer that service.

Travel Favorites-

Thieves hand sanitizer– always with me, the best hand sanitizer, and all natural
Setting Spray Sunscreen– quick sunscreen application, sprays on and keep in a small purse
Water Bottle– another item I don’t travel without!
Plug for European Travel– must-have if you travel to Europe, these plugs are what we used!
Travel Mini Iron– it was hard to find an iron while we traveled, we didn’t take this, but wish we did!
Molly Sud’s Washing Sheets– we used these on our trip, I washed some clothes in a bathroom sink, and used them in a washing machine at our AIRBNB.
Rain Jacket– the best jacket to always travel with, and water repellent. Size up!
Travel Blanket– we never have enough blankets at hotels, and love to have it on the plane.
Luggage Strap– I love these to strap a bag to your luggage or water bottle.
Belt Bag– perfect size for travel and you can tuck safely in front of you.
Toiletry Bag– this holds everything! I put my makeup, toothbrush, jewelry, skin care, etc.
Travel Bottle Set– perfect to squeeze larger bottles of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, etc
Portable Charger– I have tried a lot of different chargers, this one is my favorite, it can fully charge my phone and more, plus it has cords on the sides.
Compression Packing Cubes– another thing I have tried a lot of is packing cubes, these are great because you can pack it full, then close it with the second zipper like a vacuum seal.
Carry On Luggage– exact carry on luggage we used, it has fit on all different flights we have been on, now 9 flights from our trip to Paris, Japan and Dominican Republic.
Mini Weekender Bag– LOVE these bags, they can fit two pair of shoes in the zipper area below (even two of Kevins size 11 shoes fit). In the upper area I put my MAC computer, toiletry bag, baseball hat and snacks.

You can see how our carry on luggage fit nicely above the train.

I shared a lot of our outfits HERE.

Also wanted to share (since we got asked) how Ella got the chance to play in Italy. One of her past coaches was asked to put together a girls soccer team from all different Utah soccer clubs, and he invited Ella. The tournament is run by La Squadra.

Paris-

Where we stayed in Paris– We spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect place and location. We found an AIRBNB next to the Eiffel Tower, with lots of shopping nearby and walking distance to restaurants and bakeries. Cost was comparable to a hotel room/suite for 5, find the Airbnb HERE.
How we got to Paris– We took a train from Lugano to Paris, it was a 7 hour ride, but so worth it! It would had been a 2 hour flight if we flew, but that doesn’t include the hassle of the airport and travel time and prep to get on the plane. (The best app for booking and checking out train schedules, is HERE).
How we got around– Instead of renting a car in Paris, we found it was really easy to get around via UBER, they had plenty of vans for our larger family, and we never felt we were waiting around too long for a ride. We spent roughly $500 on UBER rides for 5 days in Paris, that included trips to the Airport and Paris Disney which were both 45 min or more away from our pick up location.
What we did–
- Eiffel Tower– Our girls were so excited to see the Eiffel Tower! We did the package that gives you access to the Summit. The tour guide gave us a few pieces of history but we didn’t feel trapped by being with the tour, and it saved us time by getting us in a shorter line. We booked about a month in advance, if you try and buy the day before or day of at the Eiffel Tower there is a good chance that it will be sold out. The cost was $40 per person for the tour which is about 25% more than going without, book tour HERE.
- Catacombs– I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Catacombs, really neat to learn about Paris history! When you book a tour you get a specific time to enter which saves you from waiting in the line and ensures that you get in. Plus you get an audio guided tour. This sells out quick, smart to book a month or so in advance. (Cost was $60 per person, book tour HERE).
- Palace of Versailles– We did a tour to the Palace of Versailles (HERE) and it did help get us through the lines quicker, our guide had lots of great information and we really enjoyed it! It was very busy, but I’ve been told if you go first thing in the morning it isn’t as bad. We also wish we had a bit more time to tour the gardens and visit Marie Antoinette’s private home, but that will have to be for another time!
- River Seine Private Boat– We loved our boat tour of the River Seine, it was so neat to see the city from the water, to experience what the summer olympians will experience during the opening ceremonies and we were the only ones on the boat which makes it so much more relaxing and comfortable! It does cost a lot more than the other boat tours of the river, but keep in mind, they are packed. You can find the private tours for between $300-$450 for up to 6 people, we did ours through HERE.
- Paul Bert Antique Market– I absolutely LOVED going to this market and really could had spent a full day there. Best to go on Saturday and or Sunday, more vendors are there. Several places to eat nearby. We did end up buying an extra piece of luggage at a local souvenir shop that we checked at the airport, full of things we bought at the market. We did buy some art that they kindly wrapped up for us that we could check as oversized luggage. I got asked about shipping larger furniture pieces, it is pretty expensive to do this, (for example over $1k for a chair), at the market there is a shipping company, you can get a quote, but takes a few days to get the cost to ship. Smaller items are much easier to get back to the states, just take with you. (Info on Market, HERE).
- The Louvre– We opted for the shorter private tour of the Louvre, it was so worth the cost as we skipped huge lines! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and really directed the tour to what she thought we would like! We loved seeing the Mona Lisa and the beautiful roman/greek sculptures. You can find private tours for between $100-$200 per person, book a tour HERE.
- Disneyland Paris– Our last day in Paris we went to Disneyland Paris, it is about 45 min from Paris Central, but it was so worth the drive! We did the 2 park pass with the Express Pass which we are so happy we did, we were able to get through all the rides and enjoy lots of treats and meals! We loved the Ratatouille ride (and food by Ratatouille), and the Avengers ride was so fun. The cost of tickets were slightly below that of the American Parks, you do still need to book in advance and choose what day you will be going, find tickets HERE.
- Shopped at Sezane– I love to shop this brand online (HERE) so it was fun to see their store in person, they also have a little home decor. We walked here after The Louvre.
Where we ate– Honestly everywhere we ate was very good! Mostly went to places that we happened to be close to, just checked the ratings on. But here are a few favorites-
- Louise– (lunch & dinner) we had lunch here after the Louvre, and all of us LOVED our meal, plus really pretty inside.
- Ralph’s– beautiful to even stop and see the store and restaurant, but lunch outside is really nice
- Girafe Restaurant– view of Eiffel Tower (JLo celebrated her birthday here with Ben Affleck, July 2022)
- Aux Merveilleux de Fred– (dessert) we first saw this at the train station with a really long line, finally tried it after seeing two other locations and it was amazing!!! The layered meringue mound was so light and unique, we all loved it! And the Cramique, a Brioche we gobbled up!
- Berthillon– famous ice cream in Paris.
- La Grande Épicerie– most fancy grocery store!
- Maison Bergeron– delicious baked goods, and breakfast food
- Le Paul Bert– this was in Paul Bert Antique Market, stopped here while shopping, I enjoyed the fish and chips!

Lake Como-

Where we stayed- We stayed at a cute AIRBNB in Lake Como, we really loved the view, the space and the fact that we could do laundry! The downside was, that it was a little bit away from the main Lake Como city center, and the weather was warm so a place with a pool would have been nice. Cost at the time we booked was only $500 per night which is a great deal when looking at hotels in the area, find it HERE. If I go back, just with Kevin I would want to stay HERE.
How we got to Lake Como– We drove our rental car from Verona to Lake Como, it was about a two hour drive and was very easy to do!
How we got around- We rented a car from AVIS is Verona when we landed, we made sure to select that we would be dropping it off at an Avis in Lugano, Switzerland which was our last stop before our train to Paris. I would strongly suggest getting a car if you are staying in Lake Como, there are not a lot of Taxis and Uber isn’t really a thing there. Kevin did get an international drivers license which he got from Triple A which costed $30 and didn’t entail much more than going in and getting some pictures. He didn’t have to show it for the rental car and they said he would only need it if he got pulled over. Cost for a 10 day rental was $1500, seems expensive, but was well worth it!
What we did-
- Boat Tour– It was so neat to go out on the Lake with your own driver! We learned so much that we didn’t know before and it was fun to see different areas, famous villas, and gave us ideas of places to drive to after the boat tour. The cost was right around $350, more expensive than going with larger groups, but again I feel the ease and control of what you want to see and do is well worth the extra cost, we booked tour HERE.
- Funicular– The Funicular was so fun!!! You really don’t need to buy this in advance and the times are super flexible with the funicular going up every 15 min! We hiked to the lighthouse once we got to the top of the mountain, so glad we did!! The hike is pretty much an incline the entire way. There is a little shop and food at the top which was great to have access to after our hike! Find Funicular HERE, and there are signs everywhere, but we hike HERE.
- Hotel Grand Tremezzo– this is a five star, top hotel in the world, so naturally we had to go see it. We ate lunch at the restaurant by the lake (lobster roll was so good). And we walked around the hotel. Wish we could have swam at the floating pool, next time! Find hotel, HERE.
- Walked around the main Lake Como City Center– there are lots of restaurants and shopping in this area! Ate at several good restaurants, just checked ratings online before we ate and they never failed us.

Switzerland-

Where we stayed- Leopold Hotel, this was the most expensive place we stayed while on our trip, it was beautiful, the rooms were very nice and we had access to a pool, a gym, and a complimentary breakfast which was delicious!
How we got here– We drove our rental from Lake Como to Lugano, only an hour drive through very pretty land!
How we got around- We still had the rental in Switzerland and it was very much needed to get to the castles and to explore the area!
What we did-
- Castle Tour- The Castle tour in Bellinzona was so much fun! There are three castles to explore and even a small restaurant in one of the castles, the kids really enjoyed it and it was fun to see the area. It was about a 30 min drive from our hotel and was very easy to get to and find. It was only $30 per person for all three castles and can be bought the day of, HERE.
- Funicular– Another funicular ride, in Lugano which was also so pretty! Very easy to find and tickets can be bought the day of, as with the Lake Como Funicular you can hike around at the top and there are places to get snacks and eat! Was only $15 per person to go to the top and back, HERE.

Verona-

This was our second time in Verona, you can see more pictures and info HERE
Where we stayed- Le Ali Del Frassino, we absolutely LOVE this hotel!! It was our second time staying here, the views are amazing, they have the best complimentary breakfast, beautiful pool, and yummy food you can order at the pool.
How we got here– We took a Delta flight from SLC to Verona, we had a 3 hour layover in Paris but we like to give ourselves at least that much time when trying to clear customs and board another flight! Our flights from SLC to Verona and then Paris to SLC were roughly $5000.
How we got around– We rented our car from Avis at the Verona Airport, they were so easy to work with and we got the car so fast!!
What we did-
- Lake Garda Castle– We had some time in between Ella’s soccer matches so we explored Lake Garda a bit, we found the castle and surrounding town and had so much fun! Yummy Gelato near by and lots of places to eat as well. We bought the tickets the day of and are so happy that we found it, HERE.
- Juliet’s Balcony– We had gone to Juliet’s Balcony last year but Ella wasn’t able to go so we made sure to go again! You can just visit the courtyard for no cost or spend $20 per person to go up the balcony and see in the house. The balcony is right in Verona’s city center and we love the food, shopping and gelato there. Find info HERE.
- Piazza delle Erbe– Downtown Verona has lots of great shops, restaurants and things to see in the square. I love the clothing store Lazzari.
- Roman Amphitheatre– this is located in Piazza delle Erbe, we have only seen the Amphitheatre from outside, it would be neat to see a concert or Opera Festival here.