Every once in a while, a destination gets handed the perfect excuse.

This year, it’s Paris.

On October 25, the City of Light welcomes something it has never hosted before: an NFL regular-season game, as the New Orleans Saints take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France. It’s a historic moment for the league—and perhaps an even bigger opportunity for travelers.

Because while many fans are already planning a long weekend around kickoff, we’re seeing something entirely different.

They’re turning one Sunday afternoon into something far more extraordinary.

They’re lingering over Champagne in Épernay before the game. Boarding the Eurostar for a few nights in London afterward. Extending their stay aboard a luxury river cruise. Discovering villages they’ve only read about. Finally checking Scotland—or Burgundy, or Versailles—off a lifelong list.

The football game isn’t the destination.

It’s simply the reason to begin.

At Filling the Nest, we’ve been telling our clients the same thing:

If you’re already crossing the pond, don’t just attend the game.

Let it become the reason for an epic European story.

Because long after the final whistle, chances are you won’t remember every play.

You’ll remember sipping vintage Champagne beneath chalk cellars in Reims.

You’ll remember waking up to church bells outside your Parisian balcony.

You’ll remember dinner in Mayfair, an after-hours museum visit, or drifting past vineyard-covered hills aboard a luxury river ship.

Sometimes the best journeys simply need a reason to begin.

This year, the Saints just happen to be that reason, and without a doubt…

Paris is having a moment.

And there may not be a better time to experience it than late October!

The summer crowds have thinned. Fashion Week has concluded. The city’s pace settles back into something wonderfully Parisian. Café terraces are filled with locals instead of tour groups. The gardens of the Palais Royal begin turning gold. Even the light seems softer.

For luxury travelers, it’s a sweet spot.

Reservations become a little easier to secure. Michelin-starred dining feels more relaxed. Museums are more enjoyable. The city breathes again.

And this season’s cultural calendar is exceptional.

Art Basel Paris once again transforms the Grand Palais into one of the world’s premier gatherings of collectors, galleries, and contemporary artists. Major exhibitions continue throughout the city, while concerts (Bienvenue, Celine!), culinary festivals, fashion, and cultural events make October one of the most vibrant times to visit.

Start with Paris, then ask “Where next?”

Suddenly, a football weekend becomes something much more interesting.

Perhaps it’s two nights among the vineyards of Champagne, where centuries-old maisons and independent growers welcome visitors for private tastings before the holiday season begins.

Maybe it’s a quick ride aboard the Eurostar to London, where breakfast overlooking Hyde Park becomes dinner in Mayfair before flying home from Heathrow.

Or if the idea of train travel catches your fancy, begin your story in Venice or Verona and then hop aboard Belmond’s Orient Express to Paris right in time for the game.

For history lovers, Versailles offers a chance to see France’s most famous palace in a quieter season, while nearby Chantilly remains one of our favorite under-the-radar recommendations—a magnificent château, exceptional art collection, equestrian heritage, and one of the country’s loveliest luxury hotels, all less than an hour from Paris.

Or perhaps Paris simply becomes the beginning of a grander story.

The Cotswolds wrapped in honey-colored stone.

Burgundy at harvest’s end.

The Loire Valley.

Normandy.

The French Riviera, still warm enough for lunch by the sea.

When you’ve already crossed the Atlantic,

all off Europe suddenly feels wonderfully close.

Despite an incredible blackbook of preferred hotel partners in each of these regions – each of them eager to VIP our clients with upgrades and extra amenities – some of our favorite pre/post Paris itineraries actually don’t involve another hotel at all.

Many are pairing the Paris game with luxury river cruises that sail immediately before or after the weekend.

Imagine beginning in Paris before boarding a Seine voyage through Normandy.

Or continuing east to the Rhine, drifting past vineyards, medieval villages, and centuries-old castles.

Others are choosing the Rhône, combining Paris with Lyon, Provence, and the legendary wines of southern France.

It’s one of those pairings that simply makes sense.

The excitement of Paris.

Then the luxury of slowing down.

“But what if I can’t get tickets?”

It’s one of our most frequently asked questions.

Not just about the Saints game—but about everything surrounding it.

“What if the game sells out?”

“What if Céline is already sold out?”

“What if I want to attend Art Basel Paris?”

“What if I can’t get into the restaurant everyone is talking about?”

The truth is, some of the world’s most memorable experiences are never widely available from the start.

Public ticket sales are only one avenue. Luxury hospitality programs, concierge partnerships, destination management companies, hotel relationships, and private event allocations often create opportunities that many travelers simply don’t know exist, or more likely, they just don’t have the open door to access.

That’s where we come in.

Through our worldwide network of trusted partners, we’re often able to secure official hospitality packages for the Saints game, premium access to sought-after concerts, invitations to exclusive Art Basel events, private cultural experiences, coveted dining reservations, and other opportunities that can transform a “good trip” into an epic story you’ll talk about for years!

Can we promise every impossible request?

Of course not.

But we’ve learned something after years of designing journeys around the world:

Sometimes, “sold out” simply means you just haven’t asked the right person yet.

Paris is Personal.

You may have gathered that this story feels especially personal to us.

For us, this isn’t just another international sporting event. And it isn’t just another trip to Paris.

It’s New Orleans taking center stage in one of the world’s great cities.

So yes, we understand why this game matters.

But we also understand Paris.

We know how to pair one unforgettable weekend with the places, people, and experiences that make the journey unforgettable long after the final whistle.

And in case you’re still wondering about our loyalty to the black and gold, our own Carrie Bach is even a former Saintsation, so you can imagine where our loyalties will be on kickoff day.

Images courtesy of our preferred travel partners and destination organizations, unless otherwise noted.