Qantas Perth to Paris route: Inside the newest flight to get Aussies into mainland Europe

With all eyes on Paris, there’s a new route that airline Qantas hopes will dominate the market and open a new gateway for Aussies to the world.

The Olympic Games in Paris are well and truly here.

And if the scenes from the opening ceremony haven’t got you dreaming of a trip to the City of Love – perhaps the next five minutes of reading will do the trick.

How to get there from Australia

I was lucky enough to be one of the first on board the new Perth to Paris flight operated by Qantas Airways. The 17-hour journey from Australia’s west coast essentially means you don’t have a single layover before arriving into Paris. It also means you’re shaving off about three hours of travel compared to stopping at an international port en route to the French capital.

Yep, three glorious hours on the ground rather than in the sky.

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson expects the direct Paris route from Perth will have a similar popularity to London and Rome point-to-point routes. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift

Australia now has a direct route from the west coast and in to Paris, France. Picture: David Ramos/Getty Images

The new point-to-point route follows the airline’s launch of flying direct into Rome and also into London, and expands on Qantas’ mission to dominant point-to-point travel from Australia.

The flight itself, which launched just a week out from the opening ceremony, was buzzing with excited travellers ready to kick off their Euro-summer (or perhaps get into Paris a little early for the Olympics). But the best part for me was knowing once we landed, there would be no requirement to board again.

The menu on board the Perth to Paris route have a French twist.

Direct from Perth to Paris. The route will shave off three hours.

The flight can feel long, even if you are travelling at the pointy end of the plane, but the real beauty of this route is that it’s a complete night flight – so when you land at 7am (and providing you’ve got a few hours sleep on board) you will be ready to tackle your first day in Paris.

Return flights are not as easy to adjust to, given they leave midmorning local time in Paris after presumably a night of rest, before arriving into Perth around 8.30am.

The Perth to Paris route uses a Boeing Dreamliner aircraft. Supplied: Qantas

Passengers enjoy a taste of France from the moment they board — with a curated menu showcasing some delicious Parisian dishes by famed chef Neil Perry. Some of the highlights from the fancy new menu include a creme brulee, Bouillabaisse of snapper and Skull Island prawns and the pithivier of chicken and tarragon with onion puree. And yes, there are crossiants aplenty.

A taste of France at 30,000 feet.

Chef Neil Perry has curated a FRench menu on board the Perth to Paris route.

The flights out of Perth will run four times a week before scaling back to three flights once the Olympics concluded in mid-August.

Officially, the route is a smidgen shorter than the London path – making it the sixth longest commercial flight in the world, but also slightly longer than the carrier’s direct route into Rome that was launched just two years ago.

Spending 48 hours in Paris

Walking tour to Le Marais from Le Louvre

Paris really is the ideal city for sliding into your favourite pair of sneakers and getting those steps up. In fact, don’t be surprised if you rack up more than 30,000 in a day!

Hit the ground running and explore Paris by foot.

There's plenty of cute cafes and boutiques to explore around Le Marais.

While you can easily grab yourself a good old fashioned paper map and catch the very easy-to-use Metro system to get around the city and all the unique arrondissement – I would highly recommend finding yourself a walking tour that highlights parts of the city that interests you most.

I was lucky enough to score a half-day tour around the River Seine and The Marais with Paris local Catherine from Ask Me Paris tours.

A walking tour with Catherine from 'Ask Me Paris' tours will have you stopping at Le Flore en l'Île for a scoop of ice cream.

The flowers during the summer in the main parks around Paris, including Tuileries Garden, are stunning.

Starting nearby to The Louvre and heading towards Notre Dame, Catherine’s tour followed flat cobblestreet and hidden laneways, while her anecdotes were easy to digest.

If the summer heat gets to you, there are rest stops (and even a cheeky ice cream break) before concluding in The Marais (which, if you’re into boutique shopping, is a perfect end because you’ll want to spend the rest of the day exploring the streets here).

Visit a bakery … or 10

It goes without saying – Paris is a pastry-lovers paradise.

You won’t come across a bad croissant or chouquettes here, but for the one place I went to three times in three days – here’s the tip.

The best croissants I found during my whirlwind visit to Paris was at Le Pain Retrouvé.

I'll take 10 of these home with me from Le Pain Retrouvé.

Le Pain Retrouvé will have your mouth watering from the moment you enter the front door. Sitting on the corner of Rue des Martyrs and Rue Choron, the croissants (especially the Pains Au Chocolat aux Amandes) are literally heaven on earth. I think I went up two jeans sizes because of this place #worthit

My diet now consists of the two Cs – coffee and croissants.

Bundle up a basket full of goodies and hit the Seine for a picturesque picnic.

If you’re wanting more of a picnic experience, be sure to swing by Le Bon Marché to pick up some local cheeses and baguettes, and head for the Seine. Sitting on the bank is the perfect place to take it all in over a long afternoon (just don’t go for a swim, even if the rest of the city says it’s clean!)

Spend a day drinking champagne … in Champagne

I don’t need to say this one twice. Go have a glass or two of champers … in the place it all began.

Just a 30 minute fast train from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (where you will land if heading from Australia), or closer to 45 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord train station (which is in the heart of the city) – the region is like a scene out of a movie.

Champagne is a relatively short trip from Paris on the fast train. Picture: iStock

Rolling green hills, quaint villages and all the big champagne houses within a short drive from each another – it’s the perfect way to spend a day or two out of the city.

We paid a visit to both Piper Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck houses for an exclusive ‘VIP tour’ that went in to the history and detail of how a bottle of their signature brut comes to life.

The Residence Eisenhower is a sensational place to stay in Champagne.

Take a visit to the biggest champagne houses in the world.

If you are in the area and want to stay at perhaps the most luxurious ‘private mansion’ I’ve stepped foot in, take a look at Residence Eisenhower.

Hiding behind enormous wooden doors and nestled in the village of Reims, the private mansion is surrounded by rose gardens and just footsteps from the thirteenth-century Notre-Dame Cathedral, the setting for the coronations of the kings of France.

Inside the incredible Residence Eisenhower in Champagne.

Every room within the Residence Eisenhower in Champagne has its own atmosphere.

The interior of the property is magical, with each room having its own atmosphere. One thing is for sure, a step inside will have you feeling like absolute royalty.

Sacré-Cœur at sunset

Perhaps one of the most visited sites in Paris (alongside The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe) – is a walk up the steep slopes to Sacré-Cœur.

Aerial view of Montmartre hill with Basilique du Sacré-Cœur in Paris during sunset. Picture: iStock

I stayed at the stunning Sofitel Le Scribe Opéra in the 9th arrondissement, so the walk was well under one hour. But that time will fly, be cause the streets around Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre are perhaps some of the most unique in all of Paris.

The walk up to Sacré-Cœur has a real village atmosphere, with streets lined with bakeries, fruit stalls and characterised by steep and winding cobbled pavement.

The streets in Montmartre in Paris, surrounding Sacré-Cœur, is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Picture: iStock

While you can take the 90 second funicular at Montmartre, which takes you from the bottom of the hill up to the Sacré-Cœur, I opted for the stairs – all 237 of them. And while my hamstrings paid for it, the view – especially if you can get there at sunrise or sunset – is well worth the sweat.

You will work a sweat walking to the top of Sacre-Coeur. Picture: iStock

The tall monument of Sacre Coeur from every angle is a treat. Picture: Getty Images

The panoramic view from the top shows off every corner of Paris, and if you remember to take a pair of binoculars – you’ll be able to catch all the famous sites. In fact, locals say that on a clear day – the naked eye can see as far as 30km away.

The best rooftop in town

For an absolute unobstructed view of the Iron Lady, you cannot go past an afternoon aperitif on top of the super-luxe Paris Peninsula Hotel.

Known as ‘the Secret Garden’ – the rooftop of this hotel, which sits within the 16th arrondissement of Paris, is surrounded by roses and fruit trees, plush seating and a delectable menu of light bites and cocktails.

Be sure to order the falafel and the roasted cauliflower.

Be sure to order the falafel and the roasted cauliflower.

Opening in 2014, the rooftop itself is very popular for not only those who stay at the hotel – but anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower on sunset or at 10pm, when she really sparkles.

This year, the venue has debuted a new Mediterranean menu highlighting the best regional produce on offer. My top pick was the citrus-peppermint falafel, roasted spiced cauliflower, and the venue’s Mezze plate.

Park yourself here for a sunset this summer.

Find yourself a rooftop to spend a leisurely afternoon overlooking some of Paris’ most famous sites.

While you may be tempted to sip a glass of champagne, don’t discount the extensive 10-drink cocktail list (even if they do cost a small fortune!).

A different kind of layover

Forget Singapore or Dubai, this flight direct to Paris from Australia’s mainland means you’ll be able to spend a little bit of time on the west coast before boarding the 17-hour flight to Paris.

Perth is quickly becoming the second gateway into Australia for the rest of the world, and as a result – is booming with plenty of things to see and do.

Stretch your legs before your flight to Paris with a visit to Kings Park in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

From walks around what’s been deemed as the best attraction in Australia by the 2024 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards to dining at Balthazar or Cooee, there’s plenty of ways to spend a day or two in town before the long haul into Europe.

But for an experience like no other, and one that will have you as Zen as can be before boarding the plane, it’s hard to go past a treatment tailored for long-haul flights.

I stopped into the uber-luxe spa retreat at Crown Towers for two hours of absolute bliss, that had me relaxed and ready for sitting in a seat for the next 17 hours.

Nothing says layover like a super-luxe massage.

Crown Towers in Perth has the ultimate menu of pre-flight treatments.

Dubbed the ‘Rejuvenate’ treatment – this experience begins with a full body dry skin brushing to exfoliate and stimulate the lymphatic system.

For those who sometimes feel a bit nervous with long flights and being in a stationary position for hours on end, this really gets the blood moving around the body before you board.

The brushing is followed by a deeply relaxing hot stone massage, which is typically used to release tension from the body thanks to the heat.

I opted for the rejuvenate treatment, which lasted two blissful hours.

There’s also a Hydro room so you can have a nice long soak before you fly.

And finally, who doesn’t love stepping off a long-haul flight without a subtle glow? The experience ends with a unique ‘gemstone infused collagen mask’ which ensures plenty of hydrating qualities are penetrated into the skin, which is made all the more relaxing with a white jade roller.

The experience, which you can start or end with some aqua-therapy, is truly an unrivalled way to spend a layover – even if it’s just for a few hours.

What to pack

If you’re going to spend 17 hours or more confined to a seat, you’re going to want to set yourself up for the long haul.

Without stating the obvious, you’ll be thanking yourself over and over with a good set of headphones to block out the world and create your own little sanctuary on board.

I gave the Sonos Ace a whirl and now officially an over-ear headphone convert. After downloading the app, I’d say these are the best pair of Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever used – especially when trying to drown out the noise of a full flight and immerse yourself in a film or some music.

Here's some of the gadgets I took on board my long haul direct flight from Perth to Paris.

The Sonos Ace headphones are perhaps the best quality over ear headphones I have tried.

I travelled with a pair of over-ear Sonos Ace headphones, and one feature is an absolute game changer on long-haul flights.

The headphones can be charged from 0 per cent to three hours battery life in just three minutes, which is incredibly handy when flying 17 hours.

They look chic (I gave the white pair a whirl) and the ease of use is unmatched.

A pair of Sonos Ace headphones will set you back around $699.

But the best part (especially when you’re in the air for over 17 hours) is the incredibly handy three hour charge in just three minutes. This was an absolute game changer for someone who likes to live on the edge and ride on 1 per cent battery. Complete charge from 0 per cent requires up to three hours.

Next up – luggage.

As someone who tends to live out of a suitcase (even after returning home and a month has passed) a bag that’s got its own sense of organisation is a real asset.

July's carry on luggage has a secret power charge under the handle. Source: Supplied

The July Carry On, which is the same luggage the Australian Olympic team are using, performed like an athlete when I dragged it from one side of Paris to the other.

The brand July – which decked out Australia’s Olympic athletes with their own set of bags for the 2024 Games – have become the masters in luggage that slips in with your life. Need easy access to your laptop? Check. A power port? Got it. Looking luxe – of course.

With a growing amount road closures during my short time on the ground, I was able to put the suitcase to the test along cobbled streets and through crowded cafes.

The Australian Olympic team were given the July Carry On bags to take on their travels to Paris.

Just like the travellers these bags will serve over the Olympics, it performed like a true athlete and didn’t miss a skip; strolling through each street with ease.

And finally, Paris really is one of the most walkable cities in the world – and if you’re like me and love a pat on the back (when you hit those steps) get yourself a tracker.

The perfect travel companion, especially when visiting somewhere like Paris where the step count builds up real quick.

The Withings device measures everything from sleep, breath, steps and heart rate.

Not only does it tell the time, measure your heart rate, breathing rate and even your sleep – the Withings ScanWatch 2 looks chic while piling in all the health benefits too.

I found this super handy and informative while travelling, and while I typically don’t get too bogged down in tracking certain elements of my health – I became a little addicted.

The app is super easy to navigate, and changing time zones happens with the click of a button on your device.

This journalist visited Paris as a guest of Qantas airways.