There was some intention with the choice in our wedding date – by celebrating the weekend of July 4th, we hope than many of our US-based guests will have some additional vacation time to travel in France or Europe!

Below we have included some recommended travel locations in France and other parts of Europe that we or our loved ones have visited to help you kickstart your travel planning. If you’re interested in traveling with others, please contact Noelia (267-772-7321) or Cory (724-709-4957), and we'll be happy to help connect you with other guests who may share a similar travel plan.

Stay in the 1st or 7th district of Paris for the best walking access to major historic attractions. The bride and groom typically stay in an Airbnb, but cheap hotels can be found in the 7th district. Several recommended places to visit include:

o Eiffel Tower: visit the monument & stop on the lawn for a romantic bottle of wine (can be purchased from street merchants for 10 Euros). While visitors can purchase tickets to scale to the top, we recommend instead walking the street of the Champs D’Elysees and visiting the Arc de Triomphe (a famous monument built after WW1) for a great view of Paris.

o The Louvre or Musee D’Orsay: Visiting the Louvre is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the world's most famous art & artifacts, architecture (the King of France used to live there, and the Mona Lisa currently resides here as well)., and more. Visit Musee D’Orsay, one of the world's most impressive collections of impressionists (and Cory’s favorite place in Paris).

o Dinner on the River Siene: the mother and father of the bride gifted Noelia & Cory this river boat dinner the first time they visited Paris together. We recommend saving this special opportunity for your last night in Paris – throughout the four-course dinner, you’ll pass famous landmarks you may have visited during your stay in Paris such as Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre.

o Galeries Lafayette: visit a French department store/mall to do shopping. When in Paris!

o The Palace of Versailles: The Palace of Versailles, former residence of the King of France, has been listed as a World Heritage Site for 40 years and is one of the greatest achievements in French 17th century art (and Noelia's favorite place to visit in Paris). The Palace is right outside of Paris in the city of Versailles, and you can take the RER C train directly from Austerlitz Station to Versailles Château Rive Gauche.

Want to visit the region famous for its sparkling wines bearing the same name? Just hop on the quick train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Champagne-sur-Seine, and stay in a historic castle. Book several wine tastings & tours in advance just to be sure you have the best experience.

An idyllic, charming town in the south of France that offers a picturesque French Alps experience. Take the train (with a few transfers, likely in Lyon) from Paris and arrive in four hours. We recommend staying in an Airbnb, and walking around the shops & waterfront.

Take the Eurostar (bullet train) from Paris to London and visit Buckingham Place (or Cory’s favorite whisky shop, the Whisky Exchange).

Travel via train to this cute beautiful medieval town, Bruges, and try to obtain West Vleteran No. 12 (the world’s highest-rated beer) at the monastery that brews it. Cory grabbed four of these beers for his 21st birthday with his dad & brothers.

Consider heading to Geneve via bullet train, the watch capital of the world, to see the United Nations headquarters and explore all the Swiss Alps have to offer.