This Local's Guide To Paris Is Affordable, Unique, And Très Fun
Bucket list locations like New York City and Paris are totally dreamy, but if you’re planning a getaway, it’s helpful to have a guide full of specific places you actually want to visit. Then, you can keep track of the important bucket list items on your itinerary. I love planning out trips down to the smallest detail (I used to plan them for fun, with no intention of going anywhere), so I got some tips before my own trip from Juliet Glock, a French local. Glock lived in Paris, France for six years and has all the insider information you need for your next holiday à la Emily in Paris.
The best part is that a lot of Glock's must-see items are free or very affordable, meaning you can save your euros for what really matters: baguettes.
The garden outside the "musée Rodin"
Image via Chloe Williams/B+C
One of the first things you’ll notice when you spend time in France is the pace of life. “We're working to live and not living to work, and I think the amount of cafes and bakeries in every city is proof of that,” she says. “And bakeries are probably my second favorite thing with fresh produce.”
There really is nothing like waking up in Paris to the smell of baked bread. It is a transcendent experience that feels like you’re living in a movie!
Glock’s first favorite thing? The independence the city offers. “One thing I didn't expect about my time in Paris is how much I'd learn to love doing things by myself,” she says. After a few months of adjustment, she realized how easy it is to embark on solo adventures.
“I started going to the movies, museums, and restaurants on my own. And even though it wasn't by choice at first because I didn't have anyone to go with, there was something very freeing about deciding to go somewhere and just going,” she says. “It just stuck. And every place I've lived at since then, I've been spending so much time doing things on my own.”
Another aspect of living in France, and Europe in general, is how easy travel is. “You can drive a couple hours to a new country, to the ocean, or to the Alps, and everything is just right there,” Glock says.
As any American knows, travel in the United States is highly dependent on cars, planes, and buses. Even though it’s easier for Glock to feel secluded when she’s in the States, that also means there are a lot of different experiences waiting to be had within the same country.
“I remember flying to California for a wedding in the fall when I lived there and thinking just how amazing it was that there could be such diversity in the same country,” she says. “So maybe that's the key to the states for a French person: TRAVEL. Because it's not all like the city you're in, and the size of the States means that you have to drive a bit more than an hour if you want a change of scenery but it's so worth it.”
Image via B+C
However, I know that not everyone can jet over to France whenever they feel like it. Want to feel like you’re in France without leaving your home? Glock has a recipe recommendation for you.
“Quiche. Sorry but it's true. And it's so good,” she says. “It doesn't have to be fancy, you just need eggs, cream, cheese, puff pastry, and whatever you have in your fridge (I love zucchini or tomatoes and any good cheese in my quiche). There you go, you can now make yourself your very own quiche!”
Try our Gluten-Free Quiche Lorraine Recipe and Cauliflower Mini Quiche Cups!
A Local’s Guide To Paris
Sculptures in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre
Image via Chloe Williams/B+C
- The 5th floor of the Musée d'Orsay is *chef's kiss*
- “Les quais” of the Seine between le pont Bir Hakeim and le Grand Palais is a beautiful walk and then you can just keep walking and see another 20 landmarks without the fear of getting lost because you're just following the water.
- "Le Marais" neighborhood and the lovely streets around the modern art museum Centre Pompidouwhere you can eat amazing Sichuan noodles at Trois Fois Plus De Plus Depiment and incredible Lebanese ice-cream at Bachir (my all time favourite combo)
- The metro line 6 going between Bir Hakeim and Passy has the best view of the Eiffel Tower over the Seine.
- Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont is like Paris' Central Park (ok, maybe not, but you definitely don't feel like you're in the middle of Paris when you're in it and it has a cute pond).
- The Musée Rodin is very quaint and lovely and less busy than other museums with a lovely garden if you're there during springtime
- Musée départemental Albert Khan has an incredible Japan inspired garden if you feel like traveling even further than Paris!
- The Sainte Chapelle. That's it. It's just great.
- The Richelieu wing at the Louvre. It's not where the Mona Lisa is, and honestly that's a good thing (because of how busy that room can get) and it has amazing light and sculptures.
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