Meet & Depart | 4 Jan (Mon)
Weather: Dallas-Fort Worth
TJC campus | Meeting time and place to come.
• Roll Call: at a time and spot on campus I designate in December, at the vehicle.
• Bring in hand luggage: passport, ETA confirmation on your phone, every medicine you take, a change of clothes.
• Before we leave: share your Find My location with Prof. Jerkins for the length of the trip, and confirm you are in the group chat.
• Buddy pairs begin the moment we leave campus.
• Next: TJC-arranged ground transportation to DFW, about 2hr.
DFW International Airport | American Airlines, international departures.
• Meet: at the American Airlines international check-in counters
• Entry: passport and the e-ticket on your phone; bags checked as a group.
• Security: liquids 100 ml or less in one clear bag; laptops out; no pocketknives.
• Inside: stay in the gate area in Buddy pairs. Roll Call before boarding.
• Next: overnight flight to London. Water, a sleep mask, and sleep!
Arrival | 5 Jan (Tues)
Security status: U.S. Embassy London alerts • State Department: UK
Weather: London
Heathrow Airport | Terminal 3 Arrivals
• Meet: at the aircraft exit, then move as one unit through UK Immigration.
• Entry: U.S. passports use the e-gates; the ETA is already linked to your passport. Have it in hand, not in a bag.
• Bags: collect at the carousel, Roll Call, then follow the Underground signs from Terminal 3 (10m on foot).
• Inside Airport: no stopping for food or shopping; lunch comes at the hostel.
• Next: the Tube into town.
Transportation | Heathrow Airport → Hostel
• Depart: as soon as all 10 unit members are through the gates, about 1:30pm.
• Line and direction: Piccadilly line toward Cockfosters, from the Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 station (no change, about an hour journey).
• Fare: tap a contactless card or phone at the gate and again at the exit, £5.90. One card per person; a shared card is a penalty fare.
• Journey: direct to Russell Square, about 1hr. Same carriage, Roll Call at every door.
• If separated: shareride to Russell Square and wait by the station entrance.
• Walk to the hostel (5m).
The Hostel | Check-in opens at 2pm.
• Check-in from 2pm (we can store bags there earlier if we get there too early)
• Lunch and the London Safety Briefing: meet at reception at a time I designate, then we walk together to the Brunswick Centre, 3m away, lunch £6 - £10.
• Note: Food from outside cannot be eaten inside the hostel. Hostel café: 7am - 10pm.
• Afternoon + evening free in buddy pairs. Dark by 4:15pm.
• Find My check-in at the hostel by 10pm. You don’t have to text, but respond if I do.
• Roll Call tomorrow: 9am at reception.
• Nearest Pharmacy: Boots, Brunswick Centre, 4m (cf. General Safety page).
Wed | 6 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy London alerts • State Department: UK
Weather: London
Today’s artifacts: Course Artifacts Seen Today
Transportation | Hostel → Westminster
• Roll Call: 9am at reception. Safety Briefing then walk to Russell Square (5m).
• If you miss Roll Call, you will stay at the hostel until the Afternoon activity.
• Line and direction: Piccadilly line toward Heathrow, Russell Square to Green Park (5 stops, 10m), then Jubilee line toward Stratford to Westminster (1 stop, 2m).
• Underground Fare: tap in and out, £3.10 (peak).
• Journey: about 15m. Exit toward Parliament Square; Abbey’s visitor entrance is 5m
Westminster Abbey | Wed 6 Jan: 9:30am - 4:30pm | Our Visit: 10-11:30am
• Meet: the North Door visitor entrance at 9:45am; the Abbey asks groups to arrive 15m before their time.
• Entry: group booking for 10am, held by Prof. Jerkins; have your student ID ready.
• Bags: a security check at the door; small bags only. Hats off inside the church!
• Inside: 10 - 11:30am. Regroup at the exit through the Gift Shop at 11:30. Roll Call.
• Next: walk north up Whitehall, 15m, past the Cenotaph and Downing Street to Trafalgar Square. Lunch: meet on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields at noon; Café in the Crypt below the church, £8 to £14.
Transportation | Trafalgar Square → British Museum
• On foot: 20m up Charing Cross Road, right on Great Russell Street, round to the Montague Place entrance.
• Depart: 1:15pm from the church/crypt steps.
• Rain option: Northern line, Charing Cross to Tottenham Court Road (1 stop, 2 min), then 8m on foot.
The British Museum | Wed 6 Jan: 10am - 5pm | Our Visit: 2-4:45pm
• Meet: Montague Place (north) entrance at a time I designate. Our group must use this entrance (10+).
• Entry: free; group booking held by Prof. Jerkins.
• Bags: a bag check at the door; no wheeled luggage or large backpacks.
• Inside: 2 - 4:45pm. Enjoy the British Museum with your Buddy!
• Regroup at the Great Court information desk by 4:45 for Roll Call.
• Next: walk home, 10m. Free evening in Buddy pairs.
The Hostel | London
• Find My check-in at the hostel by 10pm.
• Roll Call tomorrow: 9am at reception.
• Nearest Pharmacy: Boots, Brunswick Centre, 4m (cf. General Safety page).
Thurs | 7 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy London alerts • State Department: UK
Weather: London
Today’s artifacts: Course Artifacts Seen Today
Transportation | Hostel → British Library
• Roll Call: 9am at reception. Then walk together to the Library (12m): west from the hostel, right on Judd Street, left on Euston Road.
• If you miss Roll Call, you will stay at the hostel until the Afternoon activity.
The British Library | Thurs 7 Jan: 9:30am - 8pm | Our Visit: 10-11:15am
• Entry: free, no booking; a bag search at the door.
• Bags: free cloakroom and lockers on the lower ground floor; nothing larger than a day bag in the gallery.
• Inside: the Treasures Gallery, 10 - 11:15am. Regroup at the gallery entrance at a time I designate. Roll Call.
• Next: Wellcome Collection (8m west, free)
• Lunch: meet at the fountain steps in Granary Square, behind King’s Cross, at a time I designate; pizza slices and sandwiches from £5.
Transportation | King’s Cross → National Gallery
• Depart: from Granary Square at a time I designate; 10m on foot to the station.
• Line and direction: Piccadilly line toward Heathrow or Uxbridge, King’s Cross St Pancras to Leicester Square (4 stops, 8m).
• Fare: tap in and out, £3.00.
• Journey: about 8m, then 5m down Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square.
The National Gallery | Thurs 7 Jan: 10am - 6pm | Our Visit: 2-4pm
• Meet: the Sainsbury Wing entrance, Trafalgar Square, at a time I designate.
• Entry: free, walk-in; the Gallery has been told a group of 11 is coming.
• Bags: a bag search; large bags to the cloakroom.
• Inside: afternoon, 2 hours. Enjoy the Gallery with your Buddy!
• Regroup at the Sainsbury Wing entrance at a time I designate. Roll Call.
• Next: free evening in Buddy pairs; it is dark by 4:30pm. Piccadilly line home, Leicester Square to Russell Square (3 stops, 7m).
The Hostel | Last night in London.
• Pack tonight: bags staged for the morning; we will check-out at 9:30am
• Find My check-in at the hostel by 10pm.
• Roll Call tomorrow: 9:30am at reception, with all bags.
• Nearest Pharmacy: Boots, Brunswick Centre, 4m (cf. General Safety page).
Fri | 8 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy London alerts • State Department: UK •
U.S. Embassy Paris alerts • State Department: France
The Hostel | London: check-out at 9:30am
• Roll Call: 9:30am at reception, bags in hand; settle anything owed well before 9:30am
• If you miss Roll Call, you will find your own way to St Pancras and meet us under the station clock by 10:45am; the train will not wait and neither will we.
• Passport, ETA, and Eurostar ticket in hand luggage, not in the suitcase.
• Breakfast before Roll Call. • Check your room: chargers, adapters, medicines.
Transportation | Hostel → St Pancras International
• Depart: 10am. On foot, 12m: from the hostel, Judd Street to Euston Road, to the Pancras Road entrance.
• Rain option: 3 rideshares at about £15 each.
• Journey: level pavement the whole way; luggage on wheels is fine.
• If separated: go to the station clock on the upper concourse and wait.
St Pancras International | Eurostar check-in, security, UK exit and French entry controls, with EES registration, all before boarding.
• Entry: Prof. Jerkins holds the booking; each of you shows a passport at the gate, at UK exit, and at French entry, where your photo and fingerprints are taken for EES.
• Bags: two bags plus one hand bag; nothing over 85 cm; the security scan is like an airport’s (without the liquids rule).
• Lunch: buy a boxed lunch in the arcade before check-in, £6 to £10; eat in the departure lounge or on the train. Check-in closes 11:15am. We’ll get there at 10:15am.
• On the train: same coach, phones charged, clocks go forward one hour. Roll Call at the Gare du Nord platform in France.
Transportation | Gare du Nord → Hostel
• First: Navigo Easy cards at the RER machines, €2 each, loaded with six Métro-Train-RER tickets at €2.55; the group buys together, 10m.
• Line and direction: RER B toward Robinson or Saint-Rémy to Châtelet-Les Halles (1 stop, 4m), follow the “Métro 1” signs through the long corridor (8m, moving walkways), then Line 1 toward La Défense to Saint-Paul (2 stops, 4m).
• Fare: one €2.55 ticket covers both trains. Luggage option: rideshares from the Gare du Nord rank, about 25 - 35m.
• Journey: about 45m door to door with bags; 6m on foot from Saint-Paul.
• If separated: ride to Saint-Paul and wait at the top of the exit stairs. Gare du Nord and Line 1 are where Paris pickpockets work; bags zipped and in front.
The Hostel | Paris: check-in from 3pm.
• Check in, rooms, then the Paris safety and transit briefing at a time I designate.
• Dinner in the Marais in Buddy pairs, 5 - 7:15pm; the falafel street is 5m away.
• Note: Hostel restaurant (self-service, good prices); breakfast included, 7:30 - 10am.
• Tonight only: Find My check-in by 11pm, after the bus tour.
• Roll Call: 7:15pm at the hostel.
• Pharmacy: Pharmacie du Marais, 119 rue Saint-Antoine, 3m (cf. General Safety page).
Transportation | Hostel → Big Bus Paris Night Tour
• Depart: 7:30pm from the hostel door after Roll Call.
• If you miss Roll Call, you will stay at the hostel until Saturday Morning.
• Line and direction: Line 1 toward La Défense, Saint-Paul to George V (9 stops, 17m).
• Fare: one €2.55 ticket each way. No train changes.
• Journey: about 17m, then 3m on foot to 156 avenue des Champs-Élysées (facing the Arc de Triomphe)
• If separated: ride to George V and wait at the top of the exit stairs on the Arc side.
Big Bus Paris | Night Tour departs 8:15pm | Our Visit: 8:15-10:15pm
• Meet: at the Big Bus stop, 156 avenue des Champs-Élysées, by 7:55pm; seats are first come, first served.
• Entry: tickets held by Prof. Jerkins.
• Bags: a day bag is fine; it is an open-top bus in January, so hat, gloves, and scarf.
• Inside: a 2-hour loop of the lit monuments; it does not stop. Roll Call at the end.
• Next: Line 1 home toward Château de Vincennes, George V to Saint-Paul (9 stops, 17m); trains run until about 1:15am.
Sat | 9 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy Paris alerts • State Department: France
Weather: Paris
Today’s artifacts: Course Artifacts Seen Today
Transportation | Hostel → Notre-Dame
• Roll Call: 9am at the hostel door. Then walk together to the cathedral (12 - 15m): west along the quai, across the Pont d’Arcole to the Île de la Cité.
• If you miss Roll Call, you will stay at the hostel until the Afternoon activity.
Notre-Dame Cathedral | Sat 9 Jan: 8:15am - 7:30pm | Our Visit: 9:30-11:15am
• Meet: the group line on the parvis by 9:20am; the 8:30 Mass ends about 9:15.
• Entry: free, on the group reservation held by Prof. Jerkins; the Treasury is a separate ticket, €12 public (student rate to confirm).
• Bags: a security check at the door; no large bags. Hats off, voices down in the church.
• Inside: the cathedral 9:30 - 10:30am, the Treasury 10:35 - 11:15am. Regroup at the west front at a time I designate. Roll Call.
• Lunch: meet at the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, in front of the city hall, at a time I designate; Eataly Marais, King Falafel Palace, or Miznon, €8 to €15.
Transportation | Hôtel de Ville → Louvre
• Depart: 12:20pm from the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville. On foot, 25m west along the rue de Rivoli, straight to the Passage Richelieu group entrance opposite the Palais-Royal.
• Rain option: Line 1 toward La Défense, Hôtel de Ville to Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre (3 stops, 6m), then 5m on foot.
• Journey: Rivoli is the pickpockets’ street too; bags in front.
The Louvre | Sat 9 Jan: 9am - 6pm | Our Visit: 1-4:45pm
• Closed today: Islamic Art, Roman Antiquities, Galerie Campana, Galerie Médicis.
• Meet: the Passage Richelieu group entrance at 12:50pm; our entry time is fixed.
• Entry: the higher-education group reservation held by Prof. Jerkins; student ID and passport copy in hand.
• Bags: an airport-style scan; no large bags; the cloakroom is under the Pyramid.
• Inside: 1 - 4:45pm, the busiest day of the week. Enjoy the Louvre with your Buddy!
• Regroup at the information desk under the Pyramid by 4:45 for Roll Call.
• Next: walk home along Rivoli, 25m, or Line 1 toward Château de Vincennes to Saint-Paul (3 stops, 6m). Free evening in Buddy pairs.
The Hostel | Paris
• Find My check-in at the hostel by 10pm.
• Roll Call tomorrow: 9am at the hostel door.
• Nearest Pharmacy: Pharmacie du Marais, 119 rue Saint-Antoine, 3m.
Sun | 10 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy Paris alerts • State Department: France
Weather: Paris
Today’s artifacts: Course Artifacts Seen Today
Transportation | Hostel → Musée d’Orsay
• Roll Call: 9am at the hostel door. Then walk together to Saint-Paul (5m)
• If you miss Roll Call, you will stay at the hostel until the Afternoon activity.
• Line and direction: Line 1 toward La Défense, Saint-Paul to Concorde (7 stops, 12m), then Line 12 toward Mairie d’Issy to Solférino (1 stop, 2m).
• Fare: one €2.55 ticket; the change is inside the Métro.
• Journey: about 20m, then 5m on foot to Entrance C on the rue de la Légion d’Honneur side.
The Musée d'Orsay | Sun 10 Jan: 9:30am - 6pm | Our Visit: 10am-noon
• Meet: Entrance C, reserved tickets, at 10am; our entry time is fixed.
• Entry: a timed higher-education group booking held by Prof. Jerkins.
• Bags: a security scan; cloakroom inside; the entrance hall is under renovation through 2028.
• Inside: 10am - noon. Enjoy the Orsay with your Buddy!
• Regroup at Entrance C at a time I designate. Roll Call.
• Next: the Latin Quarter. RER C from the Musée d’Orsay station (1 stop, 3m) to Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, then 15m up the boulevard Saint-Michel to the rue Soufflot. RER C often closes for weekend works; the fallback is Line 12 to Sèvres-Babylone and Line 10 toward Gare d’Austerlitz to Cardinal Lemoine (about 20m), or a 30m walk along the quais.
• Lunch: meet at the Place de la Contrescarpe at a time I designate; rue Mouffetard crêpes and counters, €5 to €12.
The Panthéon | Sun 10 Jan: 10am - 6pm | Our Visit: 1:30-3pm
• Meet: the front steps on the place du Panthéon at a time I designate, 5m from lunch via the rue Clovis.
• Entry: tickets held by Prof. Jerkins, €13 (group rate to confirm).
• Bags: a security check; day bags only.
• Inside: about 90m; the dome colonnade is closed in winter. Enjoy the Panthéon with your Buddy!
• Regroup on the steps at a time I designate. Roll Call.
• Next: walk home, 20 - 25m downhill, across the Pont de la Tournelle, over the Île Saint-Louis, and the Pont Marie. Rain option: Line 10 Cardinal Lemoine to Jussieu (1 stop, 2m), Line 7 toward La Courneuve to Pont Marie (2 stops, 4m).
The Hostel | Last night in Paris.
• Debrief and packing check at a time I designate; TJC farewell dinner in the evening, place and time announced at the debrief.
• Tonight: buy tomorrow’s breakfast, since we leave before the hostel serves it.
• Tonight: load the €14 airport ticket on your phone or a second Navigo Easy card; it cannot share a card with the ordinary tickets.
• Find My check-in by 11pm; bags packed and by the door.
• Roll Call tomorrow: 6am at the hostel door, bags in hand.
• Nearest Pharmacy: Pharmacie du Marais, 119 rue Saint-Antoine, 3m; 24-hour: Pharmacie de la Place de la République.
Depart | 11 Jan
Security status: U.S. Embassy Paris alerts • State Department: France
Weather: Paris • Dallas-Fort Worth
The Hostel | Check-out at 6:30am.
• Roll Call: 6am at the door with bags; wake by 5am.
• If you miss Roll Call, you will find your own way to the airport and meet us at the American Airlines counters, Terminal 2A, by 7:30am; the flight will not wait.
• Passport and boarding pass in hand; airport ticket ready on the phone or card.
• Breakfast: what you bought last night.
• A last check of the room: chargers, adapters, medicines, PASSPORT.
Transportation | Hostel → Charles de Gaulle Airport
• Depart: 6:30am. Walk together to Saint-Paul (5m).
• Line and direction: Line 1 toward La Défense, Saint-Paul to Châtelet (2 stops, 4m); follow the signs to Châtelet-Les Halles RER (8m underground); RER B toward Aéroport Charles-de-Gaulle to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV (about 31m), the second airport stop.
• Fare: the €14 airport ticket covers both trains. Taxi option for anyone unwell: a fixed Right Bank fare, about €16 a head in three cabs.
• Journey: about 60m door to door; sit in the middle carriages; then 10 - 12m on foot from the station to Terminal 2A.
Charles de Gaulle Airport | Terminal 2A, American Airlines.
• Meet: the American Airlines check-in counters, Terminal 2A, by 8am, 2.5 hours before departure. Roll Call.
• Entry: passport and boarding pass; French exit control records your departure in EES.
• Bags: checked bag allowance per the airline; liquids 100 ml or less in the carry-on; duty-free liquids sealed in the bag they give you.
• Inside: stay in the gate area in Buddy pairs. Roll Call before boarding.
• Next: U.S. customs at DFW. Declare food and anything over the duty-free allowance; use the Mobile Passport Control app to save the line. Then TJC-arranged transportation back to Tyler.
• Once we return to the TJC Main Campus, you are free to disengage Find My and return home. Congratulations, you visited two European countries in 8 days!
