Une Petite Advice on Travel in Paris

Une Petite Advice on Travel in Paris

1. Avoid the metro. If you need further reason to heed this advice, read the post from yesterday about Versailles.


2. Get a map and walk! Paris is not only very accessible, but beautiful. We certainly had some of our most enjoyable experiences when we walking from place to place and happened to stumble on to some treasure or other: a park, bookstore, or quaint pedestrian avenue.


3. If you don’t want to walk, consider renting a bicycle. We didn’t actually try this, but our friendly Parisian walking guide in the Latin Quarter told us that the rental bikes on the streets were the best way to get around the city in his opinion. It is only one euro for 24 hours, but the catch is that you have to drop off your bike every thirty minutes, but you can exchange it for a new one if you want to. But he also made it a point to mention that thirty minutes of biking can get you quite a long way in Paris, and there are bike rental stations everywhere that make it convenient to use a bike and return it.


4. See the Eiffel Tower at night. Cliché? Perhaps. Worth it? Definitely. The whole tower is illuminated after dark, but for five minutes at the beginning of each hour the tower is also illuminated with twinkling lights. So cool.


5. Go on a free walking tour. This was a surprising discovery. First of all, absolutely do not pay for a walking tour in Paris! There are so many free options! There are several hardcore endurance tours, like the six hour tour of Versailles, or the three hour tour of all of downtown Paris, but there are also 60-90 minute versions, one of which we took advantage of. If you are planning a trip to Paris be sure and look them up before you go. On that note…


6. Explore the Latin Quarter. If you’re a book lover, Shakespeare and Co. on the River Seine is a must see. The Latin Quarter is also just a generally adorable place, and is a wonderful way to experience the lifestyle of Parisians, especially students. It has many wonderful parks, restaurants, and sights, including the University of Paris, where the one and only Saint Thomas Aquinas taught back in the day.


7. Be aware, the water in restaurants is not free. Drinks are almost as expensive as meals in Paris. John and I ordered water at one restaurant and were startled to get the bill and realize we had been charged seven euros for the bottle. It almost would have been cheaper for us both to get wine! We ended up just skipping the drinks at meals entirely for the duration of our stay in Paris, and refilling the water bottles we carried as often as we could.