Jennifer Garner recently offered a glimpse into a happy period of her Jennifer Garner Ben Affleck marriage, describing a family adventure that still stands out in her memory. During a conversation with Ina Garten on a recent episode of the Happy Hour podcast, the actress looked back on a six-week European trip she took with the couple’s three children while Affleck was filming in London. She called the experience wonderful and incredible.
A Paris Base and Plenty of Exploring
The trip took place when the kids were very young. Garner explained that she pulled Violet, Fin, and Samuel out of school for the extended stay—something she said she has not done since. From their base in Paris, the family made the most of their time abroad. “We bopped around,” Garner recalled, noting visits to Venice and Paris. The change of scenery gave the children a hands-on way to experience new places, and the actress remembered it as a particularly fun chapter.
An Idea That Became a Tradition
One of the trip’s most lasting memories came from a suggestion by Garten herself. While Affleck was busy with his role as Bruce Wayne in a Batman-related production, Garten encouraged Garner to see Paris from the water. Garner took the advice, and the boat outing became a highlight. She has since made it a ritual: “I’ve done it now, every time I go,” she said. Looking back at photos from that night, she pointed to the smiles on her children’s faces as proof of how special the adventure felt. For Garner, the experience was a gift that Garten helped make possible.
Co-Parenting With Respect
Garner and Affleck married in 2005 and separated in 2015. Their divorce was finalized in 2018, but the two have continued to work together as co-parents. Affleck has publicly praised Garner’s parenting, calling her a spectacular mother during an appearance on Sunday Today with Willie Geist. He also joked that he measures his own efforts against hers, telling their kids he is doing about 75 percent as well as their mom—a claim the children reportedly greet with even lower estimates. Beneath the humor, Affleck emphasized his gratitude for having Garner as a co-parent and stressed the importance of mutual respect.
A Chapter Worth Revisiting
The European summer Garner described was not just a break from routine but a period when she and Affleck were raising young children together. The trip’s mix of everyday exploring and small traditions, like the boat ride Garten recommended, gave the family a store of memories that Garner still treasures. Her rare comments about that time offer a contrast to the divorce headlines that have followed the couple, highlighting a chapter defined by family fun rather than conflict.
