Woman on Vacation in Paris Unprepared for Grandma's Surprise
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An 83-year-old grandmother's spontaneous trip to Paris has gone viral after the chaos of her unplanned adventure was documented online.
Bridget Germain (@millain__), 25, from New York City, was on a two-week vacation in Paris with her mother when her grandmother, known affectionately as DD, 83, appeared on FaceTime and announced she was en route to the airport. Initially, Germain assumed her grandmother was joking—she is known for her pranks.
"It turns out she had secretly booked a last-minute trip to Paris that morning, which she didn't plan on telling us until after she landed, which is classic for DD! When we asked where she was staying, she said, 'Oh … I don't know! I don't even know where to go after the plane lands,'" Germain told Newsweek.
A TikTok glimpse of the unfolding adventure has since racked up more than 800,000 views and over 72,000 likes.
A split image of Bridget and her grandmother, DD, enjoying ice cream in Paris.
A split image of Bridget and her grandmother, DD, enjoying ice cream in Paris.
@millain__/@millain__
DD, who lives in Boston and has moved more than 70 times, is "very funny, impulsive, and unpredictable," according to her granddaughter.
The spontaneous 83-year-old had no international phone plan, no euros, no bank card, one outfit for a seven-day stay, and no plan for accommodation.
Germain said that this kind of behavior didn't faze them: "She's usually unprepared, but it didn't really matter because somehow she always gets by."
This wasn't the first time that Germain had experienced a travel mishap with her grandmother.
When Germain was 16, the pair traveled to Italy on a trip planned entirely by DD. She had booked what appeared to be a beautiful and surprisingly affordable Airbnb overlooking the Pantheon—but, when they arrived, they discovered the listing was a scam.
Germain recalled dragging their luggage through the streets of Rome, even to a police station, only to end up at a storage unit in an alleyway. Eventually, they gave up and found a hotel—where the power immediately went out.
Given that history, Germain said DD's unannounced arrival in Paris, with no place to stay or backup plan, felt entirely on brand.
"We weren't too worried. We knew we'd sort things out once she arrived," she said.
They looked for hotels in the neighborhood, but everything was fully booked—until, somehow, DD's luck struck again. Their Airbnb host had a last-minute cancellation in the building next door.
But the best part of the story wasn't DD's surprise arrival—it was the surprise that awaited her.
One of DD's closest friends, a 93-year-old woman living in London, decided to fly to Paris to see her old friend after hearing she would be nearby. The pair have been friends for over 45 years, having met while living in Saudi Arabia; they still FaceTime regularly—even if that means staying up until 3 a.m. because of the time difference.
The surprise reunion happened at dinner. DD was in disbelief when her friend appeared. "She honestly thought she was hallucinating," Germain said. "They cried, hugged, laughed in disbelief." A nearby couple even sent over Champagne to celebrate the emotional moment.
The two women spent the rest of the trip walking hand-in-hand, catching up, and drawing admiration from strangers.
"People stopped them to say how cute they were together," Germain said. "Two girls even asked to take a photo of them on their film camera."
When the time came to say goodbye, there were more tears. Germain said their friendship is the kind that people dream of—genuine, timeless, and full of laughter. After the trip, DD texted her granddaughter from a different terminal at the airport: "Miss you two already. No one to laugh with."
While TikTok users praised Germain and her mom for handling the chaos with grace, she insisted the real hero is her grandfather, Buddy. "He deals with this energy every day!" Germain said. "I'm so glad my grandma is as impulsive and fun as she is. She made a great trip even better."
TikTok users were enchanted by the story, flooding the comments with admiration and humor.
"Are you sure she wasn't fleeing America? That has fleeing vibes," posted Cindy.
"Listen she's just a girl," said Lucy.
"Her only plan was to show up and vibe out with the grandbaby," another user added.
"I can't imagine any of my grandparents being brave enough to do this. I hope you two have the best time together," commented Shay.
"I see my future and it's bright," wrote Amanda.
For DD, the surprise reunion with her lifelong friend became the highlight of the journey. And for everyone watching online, it was a reminder that joy, spontaneity, and friendship have no age limit.
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