Paris in a Nutshell, Plus Some Tips

Traveling to Paris the day after multiple terrorist attacks took place probably wasn't the smartest idea on my part. I know Brandon would have preferred to exchange winter in the City of Lights for a warm sandy beach, preferably where the native tongue is Spanish. Nevertheless, we went. Getting stuck at the airport for three hours while, what seemed like, the entire French army shut down the whole section to the train for who knows what was freaking terrifying and made me want to pee my pants might have been a tad bit unsettling, but hey, with all of that heightened security, it was probably one of the safest times to go...right?

We weaved our way from train to train until arriving at our tiny flat in the Latin Quarter of the city and, without hesitation, beelined it for the first pastry shop we could find. The pain au chocolats were still hot when we bit into the buttery exterior and our steaming cappuccinos washed them down perfectly. If there's one thing I've learned on our most recent world travels, it's that European coffee is far superior to ours.

After settling in and freshening up, I would love to say that we spent our first day exploring the city, captivated by the romance of it all. However, jet lag is real and our picturesque tête-à-tête turned into three hours of comatose snoozing.

Anyways, for my 2 avid readers (hi mom!) or anyone traveling to Paris in the future, here are a few tips for exploring the city without breaking the bank.

1. Airbnb
I love Airbnb. Next time you travel, ditch the overpriced hotel for a cozy apartment in the heart of everything. You have the option of staying in a shared space (probably the cheapest way to do it), having a private room, or renting an entire apartment to yourself, which is what we did. This kind of lodging lets you become immersed in the culture, you get to feel like a resident instead of a tourist, plus, you can cook which leads me to my next tip...

2. Cook
Hands down, my favorite part of traveling is the food. I love food and if the only thing I did while in Paris was eat pastries and drink coffee, I would be happy. That being said, eating out can get pricey, especially in Europe and there's something about going into a small market and trying to buy groceries from someone who doesn't speak a lick of English that makes it that much more interesting. We bought fresh baguettes and made ham and cheese sandwiches and toast and eggs with them and it was wonderful! We cooked at our flat probably 50% of the time which saved us a ton on cash money and that way, we could spend most of it on the important things in life: croissants.

3. Walk and Ride the Metro
Brandon and I pretty much walked everywhere in Paris, which is easy to do since it only takes about 2 hours to cross the city on foot. I love walking, for one it burned off the multitude of fat-laden baked goods we ingested every five minutes few pastries we ate and you get to really experience the city. There's so much to see on foot. We did get lazy at night though and quickly realized that there are Metro stops pretty much everywhere with maps that are super easy to read. You can take the Metro anywhere in Paris and there's a direct line to the airport. It costs about 1.80 Euro for a ticket (it's free on Sundays!!) and you can buy them at any stop. Make sure to buy them from the yellow ticket machines, not the information desks because they will over charge you (at least at the airport). Also, the app Paris Metro RATP Map and Route Planner is free and it helped us a ton.

4. Learn some French
This one isn't really about saving money but contrary to popular belief, not everyone speaks English. Most people are nice about it if you can't speak French but it's polite to at least try. The key phrases to know are hello/good morning/good afternoon: bonjour; good evening: bonsoir; good bye: au revoir; please: s'il vous plaît; thank you: merci. If you took high school French, you should be fine, but if you're like me and didn't, try to brush up a bit before you go, it's pretty embarrassing when you accidentally say s'il vous plaît instead of au revoir don't know how to say anything.

Probably the best tip I can give a person is to get a part time job at an airline, there's no way the hubs and I would be able to travel so often if we didn't get free airfare!

Here's some useful links:
Where to Stay in Paris
Airbnb
Tipping Etiquette in Paris

This fleeting life is such a blessing, go out and see the world.