Young Woman Solo Travel to Paris

Old Nov 13th, 2012, 05:18 AM
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Young Woman Solo Travel to Paris

I am a young woman in my mid twenties and I decided that I would like to take a trip to Paris. It has been my dream to travel there my entire life and I decided (perhaps after reading Eat, Pray, Love) that I shouldn't wait to find the perfect travel buddy to go traveling.

I would like to stay between 5 and 8 days. I have never traveled anywhere by myself besides the occasional business trip (but that's really not the same). I had about 8 years of french lessons but would definitely need to spruce up on my vocab before I left.

I would like to go in April partly because it is more convenient for work but mostly because I've always dreamed of seeing Paris in the Spring time. I have many questions and could use a lot of help so any input would be greatly appreciated.

Hotel vs. Apartment - Should I rent an apartment for a week or should I stay at a hotel? My budget is $150 a night but would definitely like to shoot for less. I'm not sure if this is possible. I really just want a place that is safe, clean, and in a good location. I don't need anything big or luxurious.

Tour vs. solo - I like the idea of a tour but I really would like to see most of the city by myself. I wouldn't mind doing smaller tours throughout. I would love to see the old stomping grounds of my favorite philosophers and writers and have some wonderful food and wine. Museums aren't as important to me.

Safety - Any recommendations for safely traveling at night? I hear the metro can be a little dodgey in the evening.

Days of the week - I have flexibility for when I leave vs. when I come back. Is less expensive to book on certain days of the week?

Any recommendations would be much appreciated. If you have any great tips for saving on this trip it would be great. I'd like to do this trip in the most affordable way possible without sacrificing cleanliness or safety.

Merci!
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 05:40 AM
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>

May is also a spring month and the weather is likely to be a lot better. April can be cold, damp, rainy (although no one can predict the weather).

>

Since you've never been anywhere on your own you should stay in a hotel (especially as this is a short trip) so you can have help from hotel staff if you need it.

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I'm not sure you can find an escorted tour that only covers Paris. There are tons of bus and walking tours that cover various aspects of the city.

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I never heard that the metro can be dodgey in the evening. I believe that people should cite their sources when making unfounded comments like this rather than say "I've heard" or "I've read."

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I guess you mean airfare? You'll have to check on prices - no one can do this for you. It depends on where you're originating and time of year and the airline. Too many variables to generalize.

>

There are tons of threads on this board about free and budget recommendations for Paris. You might get a copy of Let's Go guide book which is a great book for budget travel.

Generally budget travel is not dependent on a particular country or city. Think about ways you save money at home and apply these principles to travel as well. Read some of the postings here for budget advice.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 07:26 AM
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NO reason you can't go when you want, just realize the weather can be unpredictable in April in terms of temps. BUt May is a lot rainier than April in Paris, historically.

I've been to Paris many times and have never heard that about the metro being dodgey in the evening. Where did you hear that. I think there is always some truth to that in any city real late at night, but I'm talking very late, and then more likely in dodgey, unpopulated areas (perhaps around the metro, not on it). I would suggest you not wander around Paris alone real late at night, that's all. I'm talking about after midnight. I have no desire to stay out that late myself when traveling alone, what would you be doing anyway. Sometimes if I go to the ballet, I may not be getting home until 11 pm or so and I've never noticed anything unusual on the metros or buses at that time.

The key thing is to stay in a place with good public transportation very close, that's all. I stay in hotels within a block or two of a metro stop and very near bus stops, and in areas with a some major nearby streets with a lot of night life (eg, I stay near bd Montparnasse, but certainly other areas are like that, also). I would not want to stay in an area blocks away from a metro stop and be coming home real late at night, even if odds are nothing would happen. Aside from safety, it's just a lot more convenient anyway.

I think you should book things yourself and then sign up for some local walking tours or something.

I wouldn't worry about days of the week, do whatever suits your schedule best. YOu are going to have to be there all days of the week anyway, I would guess, certainly if you stay a week or more. I wouldn't bother going to all that expense and trouble for only 5 days. I haven't noticed any difference in hotel rates by day of the week usually, not enough to plan a vacation around or to assume is true in the majority of hotels. The days of your flight would be more likely to affect that, you can easily check that yourself on airline websites.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 12:53 PM
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Sounds like a wonderful trip. Don't hold yourself back because you are traveling alone.

Personally I would stay in an apartment. I find it more comfortable. Plus I like having a kitchen and having breakfast at home then heading straight out to where I'm going to do/see that day.

The only difference in price for days of the week is airfare. Tuesday, Wed, Thurs are usually cheaper.

Anyway, I agree with Christina. 5 days is not enough.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 01:10 PM
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If you had 8 years of French, I think you'll be fine in an apartment, and it will save you some money.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 02:43 PM
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Not much to add, but to tell you that I think it's wonderful!

Good for you. I wish more young women would have the courage to travel and see the world. I did it at 18 years old, and it changed me in a most magical and amazing way. It gave me that "I can do anything!" attitude. Believe me, once you have navigated through Europe as a young woman, you will have a newfound confidence that will last you a lifetime.

My husband and I will be in Paris the first week of April, so if you'd like to meet for coffee, let us know
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 03:22 PM
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To see whether it is less expensive to fly on certain days of the week, check www.kayak.com and click on "make my dates flexible".

You can look at the apartments listed in the Paris apartment thread on this message board to see if any of them meet your budget requirements. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ent-thread.cfm

I have not had any problems traveling on the metro after an evening out. But I will happily take a taxi at night if I am feeling tired, mostly for convenience.

There are many excellent walking tours in Paris. No need to take a tour for the entire stay, just choose the ones that interest you.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 03:45 PM
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http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-in-paris.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...



http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ank-thread.cfm

Jump to the bottom of the thread and then scroll up to Dec 31,2010. In that section, I have categorized the recommended hotels, by district, and have provided websites.



If you're looking for an apartment, you can try: 



www.parisbestlodge.com



www.homeaway.com



www.vrbo.com


www.airbnb.com




Happy Travels!
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 04:28 PM
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I am on the opposite spectrum of you age wise, a very senior woman who travels mostly solo each year to Europe for about 6 weeks
Absolutely take your trip, you will have a great experience and perhaps fall in love woth Paris the way I did on my first trip over 50 years ago.
My trips always include at least 2 weeks in Paris.
I take the metro and subways and never feel unsafe.

I always stay in an apartment because I like to be able to eat breakfast or an occasional dinner or perhaps glass of wine while relaxing and listening to some music. .
I highly recommend PARIS BEST LODGE, The owner THIERRY is a delight. Very quick to respond to any emails and any needs while in PARIS. His apartments are modest, very clean and in excellent locations.

I have stayed in several of his apartments and have always been pleased.

His RUE RIVOLI apartment in the Marais area is perfect for 1 person The location is fabulous, across the street from the metro and many buses stop within 1 or 2 blocks. Good food shopping and cafes in the immediate area.

I will be in Pais May 2013 for 16 days, if you do go in May I would love to meet up with you for a glass of wine
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 04:35 PM
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Oh, and I've never had any problems on the métro at night, but I don't usually take it really late at night - maybe 11 or midnight, but not past that. If you look like you know what you're doing and walk briskly and purposely, there aren't many places in the world where you'll be hassled.

Learn how to get around in Paris at www.ratp.fr. Memorize ahead of time how to get where you're going so you're not constantly looking at maps. DO have a map of Paris with you at all times so you can check things, but don't unfold it and gaze at it in a métro station or on the street. Take buses, which are often more appealing than the métro anyway, allow you to see things as you move about, and afford better security, if you're worried about that.
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 08:39 PM
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I second Parisbestlodge recommendation, I stayed in the Esmeralda and loved it, the location is seriously perfect , close to river, close to good metro and RER station, close to tons of shops, restaurants and cafes, walk to Notre Dame( actually from this apartment you will have direct view of ND) , walk to Louvre, Orsay, Cluny,, wonderful area .

Now, that said, for your first time I still say stay in a hotel, you don't need the whole "live like a local fantasy" and you can find a single hotel room cheaper then many apartments, even studios.. at least in central areas. I can personally recommend both the Hotel Diana and Hotel Saint Peirre ( by the Sorbonne) as perfect choices.. I stayed at both, plus Hotel Eugenie ( also recommend but price may be more then you want to pay). These places are all safe, clean, super central, have nice staff and are within your price range, IF you book well in advance.

Paris is great solo, I have been with my friends, with my kids, my honey, and by myself, and secretly I confess, by myself is still kind of the funnest!
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Old Nov 13th, 2012, 11:25 PM
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My inclination is to tell you to stay at a hotel your first time too. But how lovely it is to have both the apartment and hotel recs here, right? I hope you get to check out the master threads. Guenmai has done a fantastic job.

Tours--
There is a really nice walking tour company (small)--Paris Walks: http://www.paris-walks.com/download-pdf.html. My youngest and I have taken two with them: St Denis and Hemingway's Paris.

There are also books of Paris walks. And Rick Steves has these nifty downloadable audio tours (free!) http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave..._downloads.htm

My youngest used two Paris walks type books, and whenever she had an hour or two free from her studies, she'd go hit a neighborhood.

Another type of tour is a food tour, which I have yet to do in Paris, although I enjoy them in other cities. Just Google "Paris food tour" and you'll see listing for scads of them. I do not know of anyone personally who has taken one of them, though.

My youngest and I did, however, take a cooking class that we really enjoyed with Eric of Cook'n with Class http://www.cooknwithclass.com/. We got to shop in the market with him and then just sit around the table, drinking wine while we prepared our meal. It was a small group,most of whom were women traveling alone, living out their dreams of seeing Paris. They enjoyed exchanging stories of how and why they finally got there.

Another tour I really liked was the English tour of the old opera house, the Palais Garnier.

Anyway, enjoy it all.
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 04:58 AM
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Thank you so much for the wonderful suggestions! This has been so tremendously helpful and I actually began to tear up as I picturing myself there became so much more of a reality.

I am definitely going to take a cooking class and I fell in love with the apartments at parisbestlodge.com. I am still looking at some hotel options (Hotel Diana sounds very appealing considering it is my first name). Please keep the suggestions coming. I would also love to hear any of your wonderful solo Paris experiences.

In my discussion with my parents about the possibilities of this trip, my mother said "I don't think many people have said that they regret the time they spent in Paris." From your answers, I can see that this is probably too.

Thank you again,

Diana
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 05:15 AM
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Given that you have had 8 years of French you should be fine, but just in case you have any remaining fear I would recommend you spend a little time chatting with a native french speaker/teacher.

I have no relationship with this organisation but the costs and ability to completely control my time when learning the basics of Italian this summer has changed my view on how I intend to take all my holidays in future. I'd try www.verbalplanet.com they offer you a skype based native speaker (whose is a trained teacher) for 45 minutes at a time. You can get the first lesson for free and they cost between Euro 15 to 20 for that period. The lesson covers the subjects you want or they can prepare course material for you and you can do homework so you progress at the speed you want.

The way I saw it was that 10 lessons was about the price of a good room for a night. But the boost in confidence was priceless.
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 05:44 AM
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I took a Discover Walks walking tour of Montmartre last week, and absolutely loved it. It's a "free" tour, but you are expected to tip the guide. I wish I had time to take some of the Paris Walks tours that come so highly recommended, too. I agree with the others that these walking tours are a great way to see and learn about a particular area without committing to an entire day.
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 05:53 AM
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Hello, I suggest taking the hop on hop off bus upon arrival. This way you can see where you want to return I the city. Walking , metro and busses are easy and as long as you are smart and aware it is safe, but up near Montmartre during the day is fine bit not in the evening.
Take the steps up to top of sacre coeur and elevator to top of montpanasse tower both views great without long lines.
Spring is spectacular, take a day trip out to moneys house and gardens by your company.
Look on viator .
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 06:11 AM
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Look at Viatour, but please be aware, Viatour is just a middleman agency, not a tour company themselves, they sell off other companies tours. So, that means sometimes you can find a good deal on them, ( when they buy tours in bulk they sometimes pass on a savings to you, ) BUT, more often you can buy the same tours direct from the tour operator at a better price.

A super fun tour is Fat Tire Bike Tours, look ont their website, you do not need to prebook their city day or night tour( which is good as you can check out weather and opt not to go if weather is rainy) The night bike tour is a hoot, includes a boat cruise, and for a solo girl its a fun safe way to spend an evening out! I also have taken a few of their daytrip bike tours, I recommend the one to Giverny especially since you get a taste of the french countryside as most of the ride is on an old decommisioned train line that runs along a river, very pretty.

I have never taken a walking tour, but based on everything I have ever read about them I think they sound like a great idea, I have never heard anyone complain about them!
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 06:14 AM
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Fat Tire also do a grand segway tour, very funny and interesting
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 06:18 AM
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I would recommend staying in a hotel, if you're the type of person who would like to strike up a conversation with other travelers in the breakfast room (and perhaps find touring and dining companions), chit chat and get advice from the staff, etc. It can be a bit lonely staying in an apartment.
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Old Nov 14th, 2012, 06:19 AM
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We did 2 walks with "Paris Walks" [Hemingway's Paris and Architecture in the 16eme] and one with "Discover Walks" [Montmartre]. All were very good. You might even meet another single traveler that you "click" with and can do other things together. While waiting for the tour guide, we were talking to another couple and it turned out they were from the next town over from ours!!

As far as hotel vs. apartment. IF it were me and my first trip - I would probably go for a hotel. A bit of comfort in having others around me and the staff that can be of assistance.

IF you want a nice, reasonably priced studio in a good area - I have included a link to a very nice one. I have stayed in another apartment owned by the same person, Sylvain, who a joy to work with is very nice. Opaldog [who posts here] just stayed at the studio and like it.

http://www.paris-walks.com/
http://www.discoverwalks.com/paris-walking-tours/
http://www.vrbo.com/371220

As for the French, it really comes back to you! Don't be afraid of using it, most people will be pleased that you have tried to speak to them. They will most likely answer you in English but that little bit of effort on your part to speak to them in their own language is most appreciated.
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