Day 1: Departure from Paris to Fukuoka
Flight scheduled at 7:30 PM with the Korean low-cost airline TWAY AIR, with a layover in Seoul before taking another flight with the same airline to Fukuoka Airport.
At Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, we arrived early, but check-in wasn’t open yet, and the airline’s name wasn’t displayed. However, several people were already queuing in one spot. We joined them, unsure at first, but eventually asked the people in front and behind us. Good thing—everyone was heading to Seoul with TWAY AIR.
We waited... for a long time, moving forward at a snail’s pace. Some chats with other future passengers made the wait a bit more lively. Still, for many of us, including ourselves, it was our first time flying with this airline. It’s new at Paris Charles de Gaulle and offers attractive fares compared to current prices. But since it’s new, no one really knows how the airline operates. Is the meal included? For a long-haul flight, it seemed logical that it would be. Yet, others told us it wasn’t. Really!? That’s odd, given the flight duration. Well, we’d see later—right now, we just had to keep waiting to check in.
It was finally our turn. What’s usually a quick formality took much longer than expected. The airline’s computer system wasn’t working well, so the staff had to write everything by hand. That’s when the problems started. First, the attendant only found one of us in the system. Once that was resolved, I asked about our luggage to make sure we’d pick it up in Fukuoka, not Seoul. Turns out, our final destinations weren’t the same. The attendant had to redo everything and reissue the tickets.
Then came the seat issue. Half an hour later, everything was sorted—or so we thought—until we reached the boarding gate.
I got through without any issues. My travel companion, however, couldn’t. They were told he had already boarded. "Really? Impossible—I just got here." The security agent checked the tickets and, oh no, there was a mistake: both outbound tickets had been issued under the same name. We had to go back to check-in. "Listen, it’s complicated—we’ve already spent so much time here." Finally, the security agent called their supervisor, who let us through but said we’d have to sort it out with the flight attendants before boarding. Great...
After clearing security, we first looked for food so we wouldn’t starve. The problem? At airports—at least in France—the options are pretty dismal. What’s there? McDonald’s, Paul, a Japanese restaurant, and a French brasserie, all at outrageous prices for what you get.
We were waiting at Paul when I saw a woman return with a salad. I glanced at it out of curiosity since it wasn’t on display. Good thing I did—she was bringing it back because there was a huge cockroach in it (alive, I might add). Okay, well, that didn’t make me eager to eat there. So, we had to find something else, but there was nothing decent. We ended up with a few snacks from Relay, but you really couldn’t be picky. It was all pretty depressing. Especially since all the shops around were luxury brands. I think there’s a real disconnect between the food options and the stores—never mind that France is known for its gastronomy. You wouldn’t know it at the airport!
Anyway, our tickets were reissued, and this time everything looked good. Or so we thought... When it was time to board, there was another issue with my travel companion’s ticket—this time, the seat number didn’t match. So, we waited another 20 minutes (though we did chat with a really nice security agent) while the ticket was reissued yet again.
The good news? We weren’t supposed to be seated together, but in the end, we could be.
Once on the plane, we were already in Asia—the welcome was much warmer and friendlier.
The only notable difference during the flight was the meal. First off, it *was* included! While it only had the main course (no full tray from appetizer to dessert like with national airlines), the taste was there, and I’d even say it was good—I really enjoyed it!
As expected, there were no screens—or at least, the ones there didn’t work. We had a lot of sleep to catch up on, so that wasn’t an issue.
Another difference: the products for sale on the plane. You could find natural health products like royal jelly, zinc, and other items. While it might seem like a small detail, to me, it reflects a significant cultural difference in how some Asian countries, including South Korea, approach medicine.
Another cultural detail I noticed among the passengers: some Koreans came *prepared* for the flight. Almost everyone had toothbrushes or dental floss. I saw them line up one by one to brush their teeth in the restroom. Others were practically dressed for a pajama party, complete with slippers like they were at home.
We arrived in Seoul. Incheon Airport is large and modern.
Our layover was very short—only 2 hours—so no time to explore the airport or try a Korean restaurant. But we were hungry, so we stopped at Paris Baguette. The difference in food quality and options compared to Paris Charles de Gaulle was undeniable. There were well-stuffed sandwiches with fresh ingredients, appetizing salads, and delicious hot snacks. Plus, a wider variety of drinks with more original flavors. We tried a green mandarin drink, which was absolutely delicious. And the service was efficient, with reasonable prices—no more expensive than in France, but much better!
We hurried to the gate, but the flight ended up being about an hour late, giving us time to enjoy the sunset and watch the planes take off while savoring our snacks.
The flight to Fukuoka lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes. There was some turbulence, but we finally arrived back in Japan. Fukuoka Airport seemed pretty small, though we didn’t explore much. It was almost 8 PM, so we quickly bought two Nimoca cards for city travel. To get to the nearby city center, we took a free shuttle bus, which dropped us off at an orange Airport Line subway station. Two stops later, we were at Hakata Station.
The station was still quite lively, even though several shops were already closed. We discovered a dining area open until 11 PM or midnight.
It was already 8:30–9 PM, and we decided to eat right away since I knew there was nothing near our accommodation.
We opted for ramen. The restaurant offered luggage storage, so we left our big bags at the entrance and sat at the counter.
We enjoyed a Tonkotsu ramen, one of Fukuoka’s specialties. The broth was white, cloudy, and creamy, made from pork bones.
We paired it with a nice Sapporo beer.
After the meal, we walked to our accommodation, which was 15 minutes away from the station. Along the way, we saw our first "dressed" manhole cover. I’m not sure what the fire truck design refers to—usually, the decorations are related to the city’s history.
Accommodation prices were quite high at the last minute, even after checking daily for promotions and across different sites. We didn’t really have a choice on price. We opted for an apartment hotel with no on-site staff. It’s less fun than talking to people, but check-in was pretty simple. We discovered our place: a spacious 40 m² apartment with three double beds, a balcony, a bathtub-shower, a separate kitchen with a dishwasher, and even a washing machine with detergent. We were very comfortable.
The hotel lobby with a drink vending machine
The evening was already well underway, so we settled in and then went to buy a few things at the konbini around midnight. What a pleasure to be back at the konbini! Most 7-Elevens have self-checkout machines.
Off to bed!
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Why this country?
After visiting Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, and Poland in recent years, I’ve fallen in love with Eastern European countries. I adore the Slavic soul, its Austro-Hungarian villages, the gentle landscapes, the Carpathian Mountains, and that slightly mysterious atmosphere.
Slovakia evokes a certain imagination with its deep forests, medieval castles, and cobbled villages.
After seeing photos of the High Tatras—especially Lake Štrbské Pleso and Spiš Castle—I thought, "Let’s do it! We’re going!"
So, will Slovakia live up to what I imagine?
We’ll find out together.
We decided to travel as a group of six (five adults and a six-year-old child), by car (we needed two).
Here’s the day-by-day itinerary for this family trip, which started with a 3-day stay in Vienna (see the dedicated travel journal):
When it comes to the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, it's customary to praise its coastline and dreamy beaches—and they certainly deserve it.
But in this story, I’d like to highlight other memories, aspects, and impressions for a slightly different change of scenery.
Enjoy the read—some text and, above all, lots of photos.
« Byenveni sou zile Sen Maten! » (Welcome to the island of Saint-Martin)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
