Traveling for the first time ever... to Paris!

[miss_jaclynrae]

can I just start by saying how excited I am!



Our original plan was for me to visit over summer, but he has reached the point where he wants me there ASPA. :giggle: So even though I am going to need to be a bit more frugal these next few months, we both agreed that a winter break visit would be SO worth it! So not only am I going to get to see my man in less than 3 months, but I will be spending the holidays in the beautiful city of Paris!


I have never been out of California before, this trip is a HUGE deal to me. Because of the fact that I am going sooner and an extra time though, this trip is more about our time together rather than sight seeing. We still plan on doing things, but our budget will be tighter.
Luckily with him having his own place, we won't be spending anything on room and board. Since I will be traveling during winter, I just want to make sure I bring what I should. He is there, but let's be honest, he is useless when it comes to telling me EXACTLY what I should bring. I know it is going to be cold, and we plan on doing a couples shoot... so I don't know if I should shop BEFORE going there, or just buy a cute outfit and things when there!



Any advice or tips, or even recommendations of things we MUST do would be great!
Thanks!

[alizee]

I am so happy for you!
Yes, you have to bring (buy) some clothes for the winter!!!! Definitly !!!!

[CynicalQuixotic]

I don't really post here anymore, but I am an American expat living in Paris. If you (or your boyfriend) need any help/advice/what have you from a bilingual resident of France (whoa, that sounds so weirdly formal), PM me and I can give you my email.

And yes, it will be cold and most likely rainy. Pack sweaters and lots of scarves.

[Anoulie]

Not only sweaters, but also a rain-proof jacket/coat, and sensible shoes (if it snows and then the snow melts and you have all this slush... you don't want that inside your shoes). And gloves. Definitely gloves.

[miss_jaclynrae]

I am so happy for you!
Yes, you have to bring (buy) some clothes for the winter!!!! Definitly !!!!

Thanks!!!

I don't really post here anymore, but I am an American expat living in Paris. If you (or your boyfriend) need any help/advice/what have you from a bilingual resident of France (whoa, that sounds so weirdly formal), PM me and I can give you my email.

And yes, it will be cold and most likely rainy. Pack sweaters and lots of scarves.

I don't think I can PM yet but I definitely will once I can! I would love to chat with you! The boyfriend is also bilingual, and he would love to pick apart your brain as a fellow expat I know he is trying to meet new people too!

Scarves! After talking with the mister, I am fully aware of the importance of scarves and accessories. Don't want to walk off the plane looking like a cliche american.

Not only sweaters, but also a rain-proof jacket/coat, and sensible shoes (if it snows and then the snow melts and you have all this slush... you don't want that inside your shoes). And gloves. Definitely gloves.

Would rain boots be weird to bring? I have a huge puffy jacket already, and plan on just packing tons of accessories! Scarves, gloves, and then I usually wear boots as it is here, only I doubt they will do so well in inclement weather!

Anyone know when the snow season is usually?
I also want to add that we both will be on a pretty tight budget. This is a last minute decision as we weren't going to have me come over til summer, so this trip is mostly about spending time with my man. That being said, we still plan on doing things.
I am pretty low key though, there are some things I know I should definitely see... but any ideas about inexpensive must do's would be awesome!

I also want to add neither of us drink, and bars are out of the question. We are more of a coffee and cigarettes on the patio, stay in and play uno on our weekend nights, cook because we hate spending money on too expensive food, farmers markets and fresh fruits and veggies, small book stores and hidden gems, kind of couple.

[CynicalQuixotic]

Would rain boots be weird to bring? I have a huge puffy jacket already, and plan on just packing tons of accessories! Scarves, gloves, and then I usually wear boots as it is here, only I doubt they will do so well in inclement weather!

Anyone know when the snow season is usually?
I also want to add that we both will be on a pretty tight budget. This is a last minute decision as we weren't going to have me come over til summer, so this trip is mostly about spending time with my man. That being said, we still plan on doing things.
I am pretty low key though, there are some things I know I should definitely see... but any ideas about inexpensive must do's would be awesome!

I also want to add neither of us drink, and bars are out of the question. We are more of a coffee and cigarettes on the patio, stay in and play uno on our weekend nights, cook because we hate spending money on too expensive food, farmers markets and fresh fruits and veggies, small book stores and hidden gems, kind of couple.

Rain boots are definitely Not French (they usually treat regular leather boots with a waterproof spray here), but I wear my wellies proudly and they are very useful. I get a lot of amused stares/compliments, so I think for the most part French people admire me stepping outside of their very ironclad fashion norms.

Real, fluffy, postcard-worthy snow is fairly rare. It'll maybe snow once a year if that, and it'll be fairly light and quickly turn into slush. It just rains. All the time. Or looks like it's going to rain.

Vietnamese and Chinese food is usually very cheap and delicious in Paris (and a bowl of pho is the best thing on a cold day). Crêpe stands are cheap as well, and 'staples' (bread, cheese, certain ham products, etc.) are price capped by the government, so you won't break the bank making a meal of a baguette and some Camembert. A falafel in the Marais won't put you back more than 5 euros, and they are delicious. Also, if you are here between the end of November and early January, the Christmas market will be here, which is always fun (hot cider! ice skating rinks! waffles with nutella!) Also, coffee in Paris sucks. Hate to break it to you, but it is the sad truth

As for inexpensive things to do, I always recommend walking. Paris is the ultimate walkable city, and you can see so many beautiful things by just picking a direction and not worrying about getting lost. (There's also a metro station literally every 50 feet or so, so there's that ) Paris has some of the most beautiful parks in the world and they are all free--my favorite is Buttes Chaumont. All museums in Paris are free for everyone the first Sunday of every month, but be prepared for ridiculous lines.

Even if you just spend your days walking across the bridges on the Seine and eating the best bread, cheese, and pastries of your life, you'll have a pretty good time.

[miss_jaclynrae]

Rain boots are definitely Not French (they usually treat regular leather boots with a waterproof spray here), but I wear my wellies proudly and they are very useful. I get a lot of amused stares/compliments, so I think for the most part French people admire me stepping outside of their very ironclad fashion norms.

Real, fluffy, postcard-worthy snow is fairly rare. It'll maybe snow once a year if that, and it'll be fairly light and quickly turn into slush. It just rains. All the time. Or looks like it's going to rain.

Vietnamese and Chinese food is usually very cheap and delicious in Paris (and a bowl of pho is the best thing on a cold day). Crêpe stands are cheap as well, and 'staples' (bread, cheese, certain ham products, etc.) are price capped by the government, so you won't break the bank making a meal of a baguette and some Camembert. A falafel in the Marais won't put you back more than 5 euros, and they are delicious. Also, if you are here between the end of November and early January, the Christmas market will be here, which is always fun (hot cider! ice skating rinks! waffles with nutella!) Also, coffee in Paris sucks. Hate to break it to you, but it is the sad truth

As for inexpensive things to do, I always recommend walking. Paris is the ultimate walkable city, and you can see so many beautiful things by just picking a direction and not worrying about getting lost. (There's also a metro station literally every 50 feet or so, so there's that ) Paris has some of the most beautiful parks in the world and they are all free--my favorite is Buttes Chaumont. All museums in Paris are free for everyone the first Sunday of every month, but be prepared for ridiculous lines.

Even if you just spend your days walking across the bridges on the Seine and eating the best bread, cheese, and pastries of your life, you'll have a pretty good time.

MMMM everything you said sounds amazing! Except the coffee part which I learned from the boyfriend! Haha Have you read the sweet life in Paris? I read it right when he left and it was uncanny how true everything in there was about the french. Including the coffee! :haha: Luckily he has a coffee pot at home and I have sent over Starbucks!!!

I am a huge city girl [since I am in Cali, San Francisco has been the most amazing place I have lived at so far.] and walking around is the one thing I can't wait to do! I am really glad you listed all those food things. DB, as much as he has been to Paris already, hasn't gone out to eat as much due to him not only not having anyone to go out with, but his fear of breaking the bank.

Boots, no rainboots! lol Not made, looks like I am on the hunt for some sturdy cute waterproof boots! :P

[TwoThree]

I love Buttes Chaumont so much. On a sunny day it's one of the most romantic places I've been to

My only advice: Wear comfortable shoes.

[Gin_12]

Hi,
I can feel your excitement through your posts! whatever it is, you are going to have a great time as previous posters said.
I noticed that you prefer to cook your own meals and I wanted to recommend the following... (maybe Cynical or/and someone else can chime in on this):
I recently returned from a 3-month visit from Norway. SO and I are both vegetarian (technically I'm Vegan but this time I had the occasional non-vegan foods). Therefore, we prepare most of our meals. SO wants to be a better vegetarian (won't give up the salmon)and of course I showed up with all kinds of recipes plus my own seasoning (I know - I know). I didn't anticipate howerver bringing my own measuring cups and spoons! This may seem extreme but it was quite annoying for me to prepare my usual recipes on a whim because I had to bring my laptop in the kitchen to look up the equivalents to the metric system. I tried to find non-metric measuring cups and spoons but couldn't find these anywhere. My only option was to order online... Annoying! but SO got me a tablet instead to use in the kitchen and to listen to music while cooking.
A little "funny" story to illustrate my desperation: I wanted to surprise SO one Sunday morning with a full vegan brunch to include vegan waffles. I've made these before several times and they were always great. Well I started super early, converted everything on the table and did my usual routine (the recipe by now is in my head). I'm bubbling with excitement. SO finally wakes up, cleans up and per my directions waits for the surprise. So I break out the waffle iron and go for the first waffle... it's a miss. I am not too phased because the first trial sometimes doesn't come out perfect. Scratch that and try again... re-miss. Then it is adjustment time to save the batter... still a miss. I was so frustrated that I just gave up and there goes the surprise. The waffles WERE the main dish!!! SO was sweet and cute about it (trying to eat the crumbles with jam), but my controlling nature was just not letting me have it I was THIS close to cry. The End.

I am not saying this should be your focus. Maybe Paris is different and they do have non-metric cup everywhere. I don't even know how much "cooking" you plan to do so this is just a heads up and I'd like others to chime in on this. I do know I am buying the collapsible measuring cup type that can fit in a purse AND my measuring spoons too.

I wish you lots of fun and bonding and all the good stuff that makes 2 people melt even more into each other!

[Anoulie]

Gin is right about the measuring cups. We weigh everything here (in grams).

I am not saying this should be your focus. Maybe Paris is different and they do have non-metric cup everywhere.

No.

[Deleted]

Hey Jaclyn! As for the outfit, I wouldn't rely on buying something in Paris. Personally, I would get something from your own wardrobe, so you know it fits and you won't have to worry about finding something to wear in Paris.

[Victoriaa]

miss_jaclynrae! First of all buy some warm clothes for their cold weather. Paris is one of the worlds most attractive city. I also love Paris. I have never visited Paris before but because I like to read all about the city, So let me tell you some must watching places of Paris and they are, obviously Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Champs-Élysées, Musée D'Orsay and Palais Garnier.

[Milli]

Paris is really very wonderful place destination where everyone want to go. I have visited it for once but still i want to go there because it is one of my beloved distentions and i want to go there again and again. During your trip of this region don't forget to visit the Place de la Concorde, Sainte-Chapelle, Sacre-Coeur and Eiffel Tower. I am sure these attraction swill make your trip more fantastic.