Surprise Trip to Paris
May 12th, 2015 | 01:24 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Surprise Trip to Paris
Hello everyone!
I am planning to surprise my mom with a trip to Paris next fall. I'm going to tell her THIS fall on her birthday so we can plan together (I will be going with her) but I need some ideas on how to surprise her.
A little background on my mom:
-So loves Paris but she has never been.
-She almost went a couple times but she always comes up with excuses last minute when it comes to booking a ticket.
-She is touched very easily so I'm pretty sure she'll be mad and then cry happy tears.
-She has worked her butt off to support her kids.
I don't have a lot of money but I have been saving for a year and a half to make my mom's dream come true. I will be booking the tickets and the AirBnB apartment (beautiful Eiffel Tower view) at the end of this summer to get the main expenses out of the way but I need an amazing way to surprise her!
It will be her 50th birthday and I am throwing her a Paris themed party where I will give her a Pandora charm shaped like the Eiffel Tower in front of the family.
To sum it all up these are my main questions:
1) How to Surprise her (i.e. a wrapped travelers guide with the tickets, a box of macarons, etc.)
2) Should I tell her in front of the whole family or when we are alone
3) Any advice for Paris
Thank you so much!!!
I am planning to surprise my mom with a trip to Paris next fall. I'm going to tell her THIS fall on her birthday so we can plan together (I will be going with her) but I need some ideas on how to surprise her.
A little background on my mom:
-So loves Paris but she has never been.
-She almost went a couple times but she always comes up with excuses last minute when it comes to booking a ticket.
-She is touched very easily so I'm pretty sure she'll be mad and then cry happy tears.
-She has worked her butt off to support her kids.
I don't have a lot of money but I have been saving for a year and a half to make my mom's dream come true. I will be booking the tickets and the AirBnB apartment (beautiful Eiffel Tower view) at the end of this summer to get the main expenses out of the way but I need an amazing way to surprise her!
It will be her 50th birthday and I am throwing her a Paris themed party where I will give her a Pandora charm shaped like the Eiffel Tower in front of the family.
To sum it all up these are my main questions:
1) How to Surprise her (i.e. a wrapped travelers guide with the tickets, a box of macarons, etc.)
2) Should I tell her in front of the whole family or when we are alone
3) Any advice for Paris
Thank you so much!!!
May 12th, 2015 | 05:25 PM
#2
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,027
Likes: 50
Welcome to Fodors awyeaha. This is a generic/slow forum more for topics like luggage, electronics, etc.
See the Change Forum pull down menu up top? Click that and re-post on the Europe forum . . . MANY more people will see/respond to your questions on that board.
See the Change Forum pull down menu up top? Click that and re-post on the Europe forum . . . MANY more people will see/respond to your questions on that board.
May 13th, 2015 | 01:28 AM
#3
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,763
Likes: 0
1. The macarons and travel guide are a good idea. Maybe also print off a fake set of boarding passes.
2. You know your mom better than I do but if it was my mom, I'd do it alone and let her tell everyone herself.
3. You are sure to get tons of advice so check back often. It would be helpful to say how many days you have, what you and her want to see and do, likes, dislikes, etc.
2. You know your mom better than I do but if it was my mom, I'd do it alone and let her tell everyone herself.
3. You are sure to get tons of advice so check back often. It would be helpful to say how many days you have, what you and her want to see and do, likes, dislikes, etc.
May 13th, 2015 | 02:36 AM
#4
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
sparkchaser is right, you know your mom better, and I think the best way to go would be to tailor this trip to her likes - if she likes art for instance, add the galleries/museums/festivals/street art that you think she'd enjoy and so on.
I think telling her when you're alone would make of this a much more personal experience.
As for the surprise, I think wrapping the tickets inside a travelers guide sounds good. And she'll even get to use it afterwards
I think telling her when you're alone would make of this a much more personal experience.
As for the surprise, I think wrapping the tickets inside a travelers guide sounds good. And she'll even get to use it afterwards
May 13th, 2015 | 02:38 PM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 0
I gave my niece a trip to Paris/London for her graduation. The way I told her was to give her a photo album with her photoshopped into all the places we would be seeing; in front of Buckingham Palace, next to the Eiffel Tower, on a Bateau Mouches boat... I also faked a boarding pass and added some metro tickets and pounds/euros.
