Is there something fundamentally different between recalling an experience and recalling a dream of an experience?

Let’s take two scenarios.

a) You have a vivid dream that you took a trip to Paris by yourself and had an amazing time.

b) You take a trip to Paris by yourself and had an amazing time.

Is the mind’s replay of these events indistinguishable? Does it take the persistent “But the dream was not real” self-talk to keep (a) from being as meaningful as (b)?

As a matter of experience, our memories of the past are activities of the mind that are occurring in the present moment. If we had traveled alone, and therefore had no social/relationship ties to the story of the trip (b), it seems that recalling the trip may be indistinguishable from recalling experiences had in the dream (b), right?

Slow fluther day (month/year), so bear with me with this question. Hope it makes some sense. It might not though. Sorry.