Paris. The city of love and trends. Definitely a one of kind experience and a very beautiful place to see. Here are just a couple of first time Paris things I wish I knew before going.
1.The hot chocolate is amazing!
By far my favorite thing I had in Paris. I am a chocolate lover and would like to think I am a connoisseur. The richness of the chocolates is what sets it apart from the normal hot chocolate we have in America.
2.Disneyland Paris is nice, but…
I think visiting different Disney's around the world is a bucket list within itself. It was actually on my roommates that's why we went. It wasn’t bad and I still had a great time, but there are not a lot of rides like they have in Florida and two of the biggest ones they had there were closed when we went. Bummer. Don’t let this deter you from going because I would still recommend anyone to go that loves Disney. It is great to hear how your favorite characters sound in French!
3.Do Not eat around tourist attractions!
I cannot stress this enough. My friends and I did our research for what restaurants we should visit but either had a hard time finding them or just was so far from where we were when we were hungry. When I say eating at the tourist traps around the attractions were subpar, I mean it. I honestly felt like all the cooking shows that feature French cooks were lies. It really was just a good presentation with no taste. It got to a point where I just got full of a disappointment.
TIP: plan your meals accordingly so that you can go to restaurants that have good reviews or find a hole in the walls that are not where a bung of tourist are. You will thank me later.
4.They drive crazy!
I honestly felt like we were going to die with one of our uber drivers he drove so fast and reckless (for my standards). Apparently, it’s not uncommon though, they are all just aggressive drivers. They also allow their motorcycles and mopeds to weave in and out of traffic that is stopped or slow, so any sudden lane jump by a car you could hit someone. Nonetheless, we got to our destinations in one piece. If you choose to drive make sure you know the rules of the road as it is totally different.
5.Get to attractions early!
Just like you, there are thousands of people traveling to see the beauty that is Paris. If you do not get to the attractions early you will be in the queue forever. My friends and I got to the Notre Dame around lunch time and there was already what seemed like 400 plus people waiting to go inside. So we decided to count this as a loss and just admired it from the outside.
6.The Eiffel tower is even more beautiful than you think!
Whatever you think it looks like, it's better! We went at night and honestly, I think that's the best time to go. We went up the elevator they have that takes you to the very top and you are able to have a Skyview of Paris at night. The city is literally glowing and you cannot do anything but take pictures and stare in amazement. Even better, at sunset every hour on the hour that Eiffel tower sparkles for 5 minutes. This is definitely an experience. The best part is this is where and when I got engaged to my best friend! This will forever be a special place in my heart.
7.Walk and explore to find more!
My friends and I saw so many more monuments and parks just by doing this. I feel like this is the best way to experience the most a city has to offer when you do this because you don’t just limit yourself to only what has been popularized. There are more Paris points of interest than you think.
8.Have a plan but be up for change!
Like I said before, I am a huge planner and I think plans are great to make sure you do everything you want to do but be open to new opportunities that may pop up on your trip. For most people, this is a once in a lifetime experience and you want to gain everything you can.
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