A last minute decision in mid-November has found me spending Christmas and New Year in Paris. A great deal on a business class fare from Qantas and one of the last three apartments available from Rentals in Paris (who I’ve been renting from for over a decade now and highly recommend) has me set for transport and accommodation. The planes from Melbourne to Dubai and Dubai to Paris are operated by Emirates under the new code-share arrangements with Qantas.
I’ve never flown with Emirates before and was curious to compare their business class cabin with Cathay Pacific, who I flew to Paris with back in July. It’s no contest – Emirates Melbourne to Paris wins hands down, and I wouldn’t consider travelling with any other Qantas partner to Europe now as a result. The connections available from Dubai into Europe and the Middle East open up all sorts of travel ideas :-).
The Emirates Lounge in Dubai is a revelation in smart planning – once you’re in the lounge, you don’t need to leave it again to board the aircraft. All of the gates are accessible from the lounge. It’s a short stopover in Dubai – long enough for a shower and then on to the next plane for a short sub-7 hour flight to Paris. All (private car) transfers are included in the airfare, which is a very nice way to get from home to the airport and your final destination.
I’m at the apartment in Boulevard Beaumarchais from CDG in no time on Sunday afternoon, and there is time for a wander around the neighbourhood to discover this new area of Paris. The apartment is in an excellent location – a stone’s throw from Bastille metro, next door to Dalloyau patisserie, and around the corner from Lenôtre patisserie. There is a Monoprix a short walk down Rue Saint Antoine, so I’m all set for two weeks in Paris.
