The city of lights and love, a dream come true. When I finally submitted my deposit to intern abroad in Paris, all the emotions hit me. Nerves, excitement, anticipation. I couldn’t wait to fulfill my dream of traveling to Paris. This wasn’t my first time out of the country, but it was my first time in Europe. I knew I had some preparing to do before I left the states, and I had some help from family and friends, my GE advisor, and my favorite influencers. Inside this blog, you will find all my recommendations from my favorite influencers to follow, best apps to download, and my personal recommendations based on my experiences in Paris.
Jaderial interning in Paris Fall 2022
Trip Preparation
Before I left, I wanted to learn all about packing tips, the best places to travel to in Europe, and how to be safe/smart while traveling. These three accounts are my favorite influencers who I learned from and gained valuable travel information from! Give them a follow!
@Throughthelyns @Shewillbewandering @Thatch.travel
Other ways I prepared myself for my internship abroad included downloading a few essential apps.
WhatsApp - an internationally available, free, communication platform that allows instant text and voice messaging, voice and video calls, and sharing of images, documents, user locations, and other content! It’s a great way to communicate with your family back home and anyone else in-country!
Hopper – a free to download and use application to find the best times to book flights, hotels, or other transportation! It’s a great way to plan your flights based on the cheapest times/ways to travel!
Thatch – an e-commerce platform where travel creators curate, share, and sell interactive travel guides and planning services. Some of the guides are free! If you are not into planning your weekend travels and want someone else to do it for you – this is the best app to look at! Experienced travelers have their top recommendations and guides on here, specifically for you to access!
Eurail – a single train pass that lets you travel as much of as little as you want on participating European train networks for a set amount of travel days. If you want to travel to many surrounding cities or countries, this is the best bang for your buck! This is how I traveled while I was in Europe, and it was the best and cheapest way for me to see the surrounding countries. I would highly recommend looking into a Eurail pass and start planning out your weekend travels!
City Recommendations As much fun as it was to travel outside of Paris, I also loved a weekend in the city. There is so much to explore in Paris itself, and I recommend choosing a few weekends to stay in your host city to experience the local culture and history. Below are three of my favorite in-city recommendations.
Picnic at Champ de Mars Oftentimes after work, I met up with another intern, and we would head to a bakery, grab a baguette, cheese, cured meat and a bottle of wine. We would picnic at the Eiffel Tower at Champ de Mars, people watching, enjoying our French meal, and sitting in awe at the beauty of the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. It was such a peaceful end to a day at work and was quite a surreal experience. (Cost 10 - 15 €).
La Carrette for the Best Hot Chocolate and Croissant. On a cold, rainy day, I would walk around the city. In particular, I would head to the Jardin des Tuilleries. This was my favorite place to walk through the puddles, with my rain boots and black umbrella in hand. It was a Paris dream come true. After my hands grew cold and the rain chilled my body, my favorite place to warm up was La Carrette at Place des Vosges for the best le chocolate chaud and un croissant. The hot chocolate is served in a silver teapot, and the waitress serves it for you! Talk about a hot chocolate DREAM. I’m sure my eyes were sparkling when this happened. And when I tell you this was the best croissant I had while I was in Paris, I am not joking. The flaky, buttery goodness was baked to perfection, and was perfect for dipping in my hot chocolate. Also, the hot chocolate is served with créme fresh (fresh whipped cream) 😍. I must admit, I ate it by the spoonful, down to the very last bit. I couldn’t let that deliciousness go to waste. This is a MUST DO while in Paris. Trust me, you won’t regret spending 13€ on this delicacy. (Cost - 13€).
Big Mama Group Restaurants
If you are looking for the best authentic Italian meals, without weekending in Italy, head to any one of the Big Mama Group Restaurants. The atmosphere is incredible, and the food is divine. From the Italian wine to fresh burrata to the homemade truffle pasta finished with a tiramisu that was to-die-for, you can’t go wrong. Our waiter came to us with the tiramisu in a serving pan and dished us tiramisu by the spoonful. “The first bite, the second bite… and the third bite.” Each was a whopping scoop of tiramisu, and I was in heaven. These restaurants were a small piece of heaven on earth, and the best part is, they have locations in Paris, London, and Madrid! Make sure to book reservations before going because the tables fill up quick! (Cost 20 - 40€ per person). Here is the link to book!
