PARIS
Years before Emily In Paris, Mikayla spent a semester abroad in the city of lights, studying and stage-ing. Take that, zeitgeist.
I’ve been numerous times since then, and even more times prior, and feel like I have a relatively good grasp on the city. So here are my tips! Feel free to take these recommendations with a grain of salt; I am, after all, merely an American.
MUSEUMS/MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
The Louvre is everything it’s cracked up to be, and then some. That said, it’s huge, and cannot be entirely seen in a day. Don’t worry about it. Go for a full morning or afternoon, and leave with a promise that you’ll be back to see the rest again one day.
Notre Dame—if repairs are finished—is fine but it’s very crowded. If you want to do the church thing, I’d recommend going to Sacré Coeur in the 18th. You can see the ENTIRE city from the top.
The Salvador Dali museum is tucked a way on a small street in the 18th, and worth the journey.
L’Orangerie is the dedicated Monet museum, located in a nice garden/park called Les Tuileries. Both attractions are worth your time.
Le Centre Pompidou is a modern art museum slash rotating exhibition hall. Check online to see what programming or exhibits they currently have in house. Sometimes they’re super cool.
The Catacombs are crazy. You have to go on a guided tour, which is a bit pricey, but worth it for the memories alone. Though I wouldn’t recommend going if you’re claustrophobic. Or particularly superstitious…
LESS TOURISTY CULTURAL THINGS
Le Point Éphémère may be my favorite Paris institution. It’s part concert venue, restaurant, art gallery, events space, and cool person collective. There’s always something happening here.
La Rosa Bonheur is another cool multi-use space, and this one is in the middle of a park.
My favorite area is the 18th/Montmartre. You can spend days exploring all the streets on that hill. It was known as the “bohemian” part of town to past generations, and is still very hip.
Le Marais (which straddles the 3rd & 4th) is also very neat. Traditionally referred to as the “gay” part of town, it now has a bunch of galleries and charm.
10DaysInParis is a website and Instagram account that used to list events throughout the city, but now seems to mostly post party photos. That said, if you look at the location tags on said photos, you can easily figure out where the hot spots are right now, as far as nightlife goes.
TIPS/TRICKS
Google Maps will get you anywhere you want to go via public transportation, accurately! Plug your final destination into the app, and it will tell you all the right metro lines to take, with pretty solid timing estimations. Just make sure you get on the correct side of the track! (Like NYC, the platforms identify themselves by the last stop on the line.)
Also akin to NYC, the train and a taxi take the same amount of time. Save your money and just take a train.
Speaking of the Metro… watch your phone. I’ve had mine literally snatched out of my hands as the doors closed. Keep a firm grip.
“Pardon” means "Excuse Me,” and is a handy word to know when trying to exit said Metro. That’s par-don with the second syllable stressed, like a mafia “don.”
It’s a common misconception that the French hate people who don’t speak their language. This is untrue. They hate people that make no attempt to speak their language. If you try the littlest bit, they’re significantly warmer.
When in need, all McDonald’s have free wifi.
FOOD
I don’t have specific restaurant recommendations. It’s Paris, literally everything is good. Stop in any café, any time, and you’re almost guaranteed to have a good meal. That said, some notes…
Eat Moules Frites, which is mussels (shellfish) and fries. It’s technically a Belgian dish, but it’s magnifique.
Also eat bread. All the bread.
Don’t bother with chicken dishes. It’s an inferior meat to begin with, and not their specialty. Go with red meat, fish, or go home.
French burgers are almost always doused in some kind of ridiculous savory sauce/au jus and are WILD. (The good kind of wild, if that wasn’t clear.)
Eating on the go still isn’t beloved, but it’s much more common and accepted than it used to be. (In ye olden days, if you walked around with any kind of food in your hand, French elders would stare daggers at you so forcefully it would make your skin prickle.) If you want something to go, ask for it “Pour Emporter.” That’s Poor Em-Por-Tay.
To order anything, say “Je voudrais” (Zhuh Voo-Dray), and just point to the thing. Be sure to say thank you—”S’il vous plait"—See Voo Play.
If you like falafel, L’as du Falafel in the Marais is the best one in the city. Don’t believe otherwise.
SHOPPING
Clothes, leather goods, and accessories are just as expensive as they would be in the USA, if not more. If you’re the type of person who wants to be able to say “Thank you I got it in Paris,” when sartorially complimented, go ahead and do some shopping.
Booze, cigarettes, cologne/perfume, and a lot of beauty products are cheaper than in the USA. Duty Free at the airport is also a goldmine for all these things.
If you have a type-A person in your life, French notebooks/stationary are the BEST, because their default page layout is graph paper. (Instead of ruled lines like us.)