22-hour Paris layover, here is every euro we spent!

The iconic Louvre pyramid

We had been traveling through Italy for two weeks, and it was finally time to go home.

We knew Rome had direct flights to Los Angeles, but our last destination in Italy was Venice, and Venice didn't have a direct flight to LAX. Since we had to make a stop somewhere in either Europe or the U.S., we decided to stop in Paris because I love Paris!

Yes, 22-hour layover in Paris is enough time to explore the city, even with 5 and 7 year-old boys. Here is exactly how we routed, what we spent, and what I would do differently.

Venice to Paris:

We purchased the tickets about 6 month before our trip. I like to book international flights well in advance, especially when we are traveling with the kids. One of main reasons is flight tickets are cheaper when you purchase them at least 6 month before. Once the dates are closing in, price will skyrocket and you may have to cancel your trip.  And yes that happened to me too. 

Some people use points, we partially did too, but did not have many points left in our accounts, so we ended up purchasing the ticket through Chase Travel. 

We use Chase and AMEX, but we tend to use Chase more often, because we usually fin better flight options through Chase Travel. When I spoke with AMEX customer service, they told me to check out Amex.point.me, but results were not as good as Chase Travel. I felt like AMEX points are for rich people.

Itinerary from Venice to Paris to Los Angeles

Our flight from Venice Marco Polo Airport departed at 9:50 a.m. We flew with Air France, operated as Delta flight DL8567, and after about two hours in the air, we landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 11:45 a.m.

But this wasn't just a quick airport connection. We had a 22-hour layover in Paris. That gave us enough time to leave the airport, spend the afternoon and evening in the city, enjoy a good dinner, see the Eiffel Tower, and experience a little more of Paris before heading home the next morning.

After two weeks of traveling through Italy, the Paris layover turned out to be the perfect way to end our trip. Instead of spending an entire day waiting at the airport, we got one more night in one of the world's most beautiful cities.

The next morning, we returned to Charles de Gaulle for our 10:20 a.m. flight to Los Angeles. The long-haul flight took nearly 12 hours, and we finally arrived at LAX at 1:10 p.m.

It was a long journey home, but that one night in Paris made the trip feel like we had squeezed one more destination into our European adventure.

Sometimes, a long layover isn't something to avoid. It can be an extra vacation.

Itinerary from Venice to Los Angeles

You can find your delta flights here!

Layover in Paris: 

A foggy afternoon at the Eiffel Tower

7:00 a.m.: We took an Uber to the airport and cost us about €34. It was a quick ride because there was no traffic that early in the morning. It took probably 20-30 minutes. We just followed the map shown on the app to meet up with a driver. 

8:30 a.m.: We quickly checked in and grabbed some food and drink at the lounge. Compared to the JFK lounge, it was small and the food selection was very limited with snacks. I was just happy with the morning drinks. They have Peroni, and of course Spritz. Yes Spritz was my morning drink! I really like the red label Peroni, but they didn't have it at the lounge. 

9:50 a.m.: The flight was on time. Here we go Paris!

11:45 a.m.: We arrived on time at CDG airport, and it was time to head into the City! We also used Uber app to book our taxi. I could have just gotten a taxi as I walked out the airport, but didn't know how the price varies and didn't want to take any chances. The Uber app guided us to the Uber driver, and it was a comfortable ride to our Airbnb. (Uber €32). 

12:50 p.m.: Our one night Airbnb was right next to Eiffel Tower. We didn't have a view, so we had to come out to see it, but it was okay. It was foggy, so we couldn't see the top of the Eiffel Tower, but that was okay too. We dropped off our stuff and came outside to see the Paris. There was no time to waste. 

01:40 p.m.: To Louvre Museum (Uber €15): To save some time, we decided to grab some food inside the Louvre. I guess a lot of other people had the same idea because the line for sandwiches was pretty long. Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long.

The sandwiches were surprisingly delicious. They cost about €13 to €16, and they were really filling. I couldn't believe how good the bread tasted. It was honestly much better than the bread at some well-known restaurants in Los Angeles. If I visit the Louvre again, I would happily grab a sandwich here.

We never expected our 7-year-old son to love the art so much. He wanted to spend minutes after minutes staring at every single piece.

"Hey, son, I get it, but we only have a few hours here!"

We still had a lot to see, including the Mona Lisa, and we also wanted to talk to the kids about the famous 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and the French Crown Jewels heist in 2025. The Louvre was simply too big to explore in just a few hours.

We quickly made our way through the Denon Wing, where the Mona Lisa is displayed. We got in line, but honestly, you don't want to spend too much time there. There were just so many people that it was difficult to get a good look at the Mona Lisa behind its glass case.

We also got to see one of my favorite paintings, The Coronation of Napoleon. The sheer size of the painting is overwhelming, and the texture of the oil paint makes the details look almost as real as velvet. I could spend a long time looking at this piece every time I visit the Louvre.

At first, I thought our biggest problem was simply not having enough time. But that wasn't it.

Our second son started whining.

"Why do we have to see all these boring pictures?"

"I want to go run outside."

"This is boring."

"My leg is hurting."

"I'm getting hungry."

All that jazz.

As we wrapped up our visit to the Louvre at the iconic Inverted Pyramid, we couldn't help but stop for some Ladurée macarons to raise our now very low blood sugar. Honestly, after all that walking, they were exactly what we needed!

06:00 p.m.: We actually worried that our 5-year-old son would hate being inside an art museum, and, we were right.

It wasn't easy persuading a 5-year-old to stay inside a museum any longer than necessary, but keeping him there really took all my energy. At that point, I needed my dinner and a drink, but we couldn't seem to find anywhere to sit down and relax.

We wandered around outside the Louvre for a little while, trying to figure out what to do next. Eventually, we decided to head back toward the Eiffel Tower area for dinner. (Bolt €20)

Check out Bolt Ride: I found it little cheaper in price in Paris!

The Louvre glowing at night

07:00 p.m.: We found a dinner place where we can treat our boys with escargot and surprisingly they like the taste of it. They didn't like the look of it, but who could resist the a rich savory garlic and her butter for escargot. We were glad that they loved it. 

09:00 p.m.: We got to enjoy a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower at night. Every hour, the tower came alive with thousands of sparkling lights. We waited a few minutes for the show, and it was absolutely worth it. Of course, we took plenty of pictures while enjoying the moment.

We originally wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower, but even at this late hour, there was still a long wait. With our limited time in Paris, we decided to skip going to the top and enjoy the view from below instead.

The only thing that bothered me was the security gate and fence surrounding the Eiffel Tower. I’m not sure when they were installed, but it felt strange to see such a large barrier around one of the world's most famous landmarks. To get right underneath the tower, we had to go through the entrance gate and security area.

The bargaining for the keychains was ridiculous, in the best possible way.

At first, the vendors were trying to sell us four keychains for €5. We weren't interested at that price, so we kept walking and mostly ignored them. As we got closer to the entrance to the Eiffel Tower, they kept talking to us and trying to make a deal.

We eventually started bargaining, and somehow we ended up with 10 keychains plus a miniature light-up Eiffel Tower for just €8!

I honestly couldn't believe how much the price came down. So, if you’re planning to buy one of those little Eiffel Tower souvenirs, don't be afraid to bargain. Start low, walk away if you have to, and keep negotiating. You may be surprised at how low they’re willing to go!

It wasn't quite the Eiffel Tower experience I remembered from pictures, but standing underneath the sparkling tower at night was still one of the highlights of our short Paris visit.

It would be best to reserve your time and ticket before you visit.

We came back to our Airbnb and spend the night. And next morning, we took off to the airport at 7:00 AM to enjoy the lounge morning drinks!

I only wanted to give them a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and a small taste of the Louvre Museum, and it turned out to be the perfect introduction to Paris. Even though we spent two weeks traveling across Italy, my kids kept talking about that one day and night in Paris. Somehow, that short stop became one of the highlights of our entire trip.

If I ever have the chance to schedule a layover in Paris again, I wouldn't hesitate to spend a day and night there. It's enough time to experience the city's magic without committing several days, and it can even help save money compared to adding extra flights or a longer stay.

A perfect night in Paris

Let's go!

What about Christmas In Paris? Click here to see!