It’s kind of like Disney’s UP, the animated movie about an old man who secures his house to balloons and flies high atop the clouds viewing the beautiful scenery below. Only, this might be a little better and doesn’t come with a white-haired grump in the cockpit (we think). If you thought you’ve seen Paris from every angle possible, then think again, you now have another way to experience it: Airship Paris’ 246-foot helium aircraft.
Standing five stories high, the German-made zeppelin offers four routes and three different flight options ranging from a 30-minute cruise to an hour and thirty minute soar over the Palace of Versailles. The longest experience goes from Monte Cristo to the “Roi Soleil” with views of The Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration, Conflans Sainte-Honorine, Poissy, Port Marly, Grand Trianon & Petit Trianon, Palace of Versailles, Gardens of Versailles, and ponds and fountains.
The cabin seats 12 and each person onboard gets a window seat (hallelujah!), and you are free to move around once fully in the air. From the rear, guests can also look out the panoramic window to get a full viewpoint of the passing landscapes.
Since there is no door closing off the cockpit, you’ll also be able to observe the pilots work and watch as they navigate the French skies. To minimize the harsh noises that can come from flying, the cabin is fully padded with high aviation-standard thermal insulation.
If the jolting and sudden jerks in flying tend to scare you, zeppelin would be your ideal way to travel since the airship moves calmly and quietly with a smooth floating-on-clouds feeling. Prices begin at approximately USD $337 (adults) for the half-hour flight. And while UP may have had you weepy at the end (that cute old man just really missed his wife), Airship Paris will most likely have the opposite effect on you, putting you in high spirits for the rest of your French vacation.
