Paris Travel Guide: Hidden food spots, Tips, and Airbnb recommendations 

Full disclosure, our only motivation for travelling to Paris in 2022 was because of the Netflix show 'Emily in Paris'. The show makes Paris look like the most beautiful place in the world, with the candid streets, authentic bistros and the stunning scenery, but unfortunately, for us at least, Paris is not like how it is shown in the movies. When Emmy visited in 2017, the city had experienced a huge influx (hundreds and thousands) of refugees that were seeking asylum but were made to sleep on the streets in tents. They were situated right by the hotel we were staying in. The time we travelled together in 2022, we couldn't escape the scammers that put a real dampener on the trip too. We have a little angst and frankly a vendetta against Paris and it has put us off adventuring to France for some time. However, Paris remains a top choice for a weekend away and so for the sake of unbiased travel advice, this is our ultimate travel guide. Everything you need to know and watch out for when visiting the city of love because it can be beautiful. 

 

Taxis

​Taxi scams are rife in Paris and they target the main areas of Gare du Nord and the airport. Only use Uber or the public transport. 

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Public Transport

Using the buses and metros are relatively simple in Paris. As the city is so well interconnected and most things are walkable, we barely used the public transport. But when we did, we simply grabbed our tickets from the stations stood inside the metro station. A one way ticket was super cheap at around €1,50. We cannot for the life of us remember how the bus tickets work though, sorry. 

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Tickets

Accessing the museums such as Le Louvre requires tickets ordered in advance, especially in peak season. The Mona Lisa sits in here so it is worth the visit. We also sat down on a bench within Le Louvre and listened to the Louvre by Lorde through AirPods to get the full experience. Don't worry, unless you're a Lorde fan, this makes absolutely zero sense. 

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When we travelled, it was a requirement to obtain three COVID vaccinations. Young people from the UK were not entitled to three vaccinations so it took some explaining in Emmy's poor French to the guard, who was not budging. Until after shoving loads of articles and the gov.uk website in his face in English (which he did not speak), he simply sighed and turned his back so we could slip in. Thanks, dude.

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