February 6, 2025 • 48 mins
Watch this before visiting Paris. Travel Lemming local creator Rachel Kapelke-Dale tells everything you need to know to plan the perfect trip to Paris, France. Rachel details her essential things to do & see, how to get around, where to stay, travel tips, her Paris itinerary planning services + hidden gems you don’t want to miss.
This episode also includes Marriott’s nature-focused collection, TimeOut’s 50 best cities for 2025, looking like a tourist while traveling, and taking a writing retreat in the stables of a French castle.
👉 Paris custom itinerary planning service: https://travellemming.com/services/paris-custom-travel-itinerary/
📰 Articles from Travel Lemming.com
-All Paris travel guides: https://travellemming.com/paris/
-Things to do: https://travellemming.com/things-to-do-in-paris/
-Safety: https://travellemming.com/is-paris-safe/
-How to get around:https://travellemming.com/getting-around-paris/
-When to visit: https://travellemming.com/best-time-to-visit-paris/
-On a budget: https://travellemming.com/paris-on-a-budget/
💻 Perspectives from TravelLemming.com
- Looking like a tourist while traveling: https://travellemming.com/perspectives/i-look-like-a-tourist-i-dont-care/
- American habits and behaviors: https://travellemming.com/perspectives/american-habits-and-behaviors/
- Traveler vs tourist: https://travellemming.com/perspectives/traveler-vs-tourist/
- Writing retreat in the stables of a French castle: https://travellemming.com/perspectives/i-tried-a-writing-retreat-in-the-stables-of-a-french-castle/
🎙️ Other Links Mentioned:
-Marriott’s new nature-focused collection: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Big-hotel-chains-lean-into-great-outdoors
-TimeOut’s 50 best cities for 2025: https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-cities-in-the-world
- Paris’s arrondissements map: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Les_quartiers_de_paris.png
-French Castle where Rachel booked her retreat: https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/les-suites-de-fleury.en.html?aid=1353429
#Paris #ParisTravel #ParisTips
Segment Timestamps
00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:48 – Meet Rachel
00:04:42 – Where to Stay
00:11:25 – Arrondissements
00:13:05 – Best Things to Do
00:17:40 – Notre Dame
00:22:05 – Language & Cultural Tips
00:24:02 – Transportation & Get
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Planning a trip to Paris?
You'll want to listen to this episode.
If you're coming for the firsttime, I wouldn't come in August.
Because it's true that a lot ofParisians still do, on vacation.
a taxi can actually be faster becausetaxis here can use the bus and
carpool lanes, but ride shares can't.
It's, its features are really beautiful,
and, there's an archeological crypt,there as well, where there have been some.
(00:25):
fascinating discoveries,
do you have any major tipsfor travelers visiting Paris
so my biggest tip whenyou're visiting Paris
Today I sit down with Travel Lemming'sParis expert, Rachel Kapelke Dale.
She tells me about where to stay formultiple kinds of travelers, the best
things to do in the city, safety, herbiggest tips for visiting, and more.
As a tourist, Paris might be one of themore overwhelming places to visit, simply
(00:48):
because there's so much to see and do.
So if you've been craving a visitto one of the most incredible
cities in Europe, listen up.
In addition to my interview withRachel, Nate and I discussed
Marriott's upcoming nature focusedproject, a major magazine's list of
the 50 best cities to visit in 2025.
A writing retreat at aFrench castle, and more.
All that coming later, but for now, makesure to like and subscribe to the podcast.
(01:11):
We have tons of great episodescoming your way this year, and
you won't want to miss them.
I'm joined by my co host, Nate Hakenow.
Nate, what's going on?
Hey Betty, I'm doing okay.
Still here in Buenos Aires, but I'vegot this nice, for the listeners
on YouTube, I'm sitting in front ofa painting of the Eiffel Tower, so
that's appropriate for this episode.
Really looking to hearing whatRachel had to say about Paris.
(01:34):
I mean, it is of course oneof the most iconic cities.
When people think about travel,it's probably one of the first
things that come to mind.
And Rachel really knows her stuff, so.
, I haven't listened to the interview.
How did
great.
Rachel has so many detailedtips and tricks and is just so
knowledgeable about Paris in general.
So I think that this interviewwill come in handy for anybody
(01:55):
who's looking to visit Paris.
So with that, let's jumpinto our discussion.
Rachel Kapelke Dale is TravelLemming's very own Paris expert.
She moved to France from Milwaukeeafter falling in love with the
city during a study abroad program.
Now she's lived there for almost 11 years.
Rachel writes about the strangerside of French history in her
newsletter Beneath the Cobblestones.
(02:17):
She has a published memoir about her earlydays in Paris, along with three novels,
all of which we'll link in the show notes.
Rachel's such a talented writer, whichis clear from her repertoire outside
of travel loving, and I'm so excitedto pick her brain today about Paris.
She has written guides on the bestthings to do in Paris, where to stay
throughout the city, how to visitParis on a budget, best restaurants
(02:39):
in Paris, and so much more.
Rachel, welcome to the show andthank you so much for being here.
I would love for you to introduceyourself to our listeners.
Absolutely.
Well, thanks so much for having me on.
So yeah, as you were saying, I'ma writer who's lived in Paris
for more than a decade now.
I first fell in love with Paris maybeeven before study abroad when My family
(03:03):
came here when I was a kid, get thatearly imprinting in, to fall in love with
the city and everything French and thenhaving taken the language in school, it
was the obvious place to study abroadand things kind of snowballed from there.
So I've written about Paris in my books.
I've done walking tours of Paris fordifferent apps and then I've been a
(03:26):
writer with Travel Lemming now fora few years and it's been so fun to,
you know, open up new offerings to thecommunity like the Paris itineraries that
I've been planning while still gettingto write about just my favorite city.
Yes.
And those Paris itineraries, can youtell us a little bit more about that?
Yeah, so they're custom built itinerariesbased on the client and what they are
(03:52):
looking for out of their Paris trip.
So, you know, when you purchase theitinerary, you get to fill out a
Google form with as much or as littleinformation as you want to tell me.
You have the option to set up a videocall or a voice call, so I can ask you
questions about, you know, what your idealParis trip is and, you know, they start
from three days, and go on from there.
(04:14):
So, whatever you're interested in, Iknow the city well enough that, and I
live here, so if I don't know, I canfind it out, very easily, to make sure
that we get you, you know, the tours,the experiences, the kind of insiders,
guide to Paris, but tailored to you.
That's so cool.
So I just want to start with where tostay in Paris, because I know there's
(04:35):
so many different places for so manydifferent kinds of people in the city.
So where should someone stay whohas never been to Paris before?
So for first time visitors, I liketo recommend two areas, the Marais,
which is in the third and fourtharrondissement, the districts,
or the seventh arrondissement.
And there, so the Marais is on theright bank of Paris, and it is made up
(04:58):
of those two neighborhoods, and it'sjust packed full of Parisian charm.
You have a lot of little boutiques,garden squares, cafes, museums, big
and small, and it's really central.
So, a lot of people want to stay inthe first arrondissement, which is
the center of the city their firsttime in Paris, but I usually recommend
(05:19):
against that because it's so busy.
It's so expensive, it gets so crowded,and you're going to usually want to
go in there a lot anyway on your firsttrip to see things like the Louvre
Museum, to see a lot of major sites.
So it's not far from the Marais.
It's walkable from here 15 20 minutes.
So you get much more of a neighborhoodfeel, than you would in the first.
(05:43):
And the seventh is, theEiffel Tower's neighborhood.
And, it's very beautiful.
Left bank neighborhood to stay inParis, if you want Eiffel Tower
views, that's definitely one ofthe places to take a look at.
And, it's just a different energy.
It's a little more, kind of,manicured, openly upscale.
(06:04):
There are lots of, you know,embassies and stuff in the area.
But it's also a really fun place.
So
Yeah, and on the other side of that, whatabout for a budget traveler in Paris?
for budget travelers, I recommendlooking in the double digit Erlendismal.
So those go up to 20.
Some of my favorites to stay in are the11th, which is really close to the Marais.
(06:27):
It's where I Lived on my first timein Paris, and it's very, very easy
to walk from there to all sortsof sites and destinations, but
it's got a really neighborhood.
He feel, there are lots of open airmarkets nearby, lots of, really fun things
to do, but just moving out of the singledigit around the small already you get.
(06:50):
Some savings, even though you're prettymuch as central, as you could be, you
know, just, in the Murray a few blocksover, you are also really linked up
to the République, all of these areas.
The 10th can also be alot of fun to stay in.
I just recommend staying away fromthe train stations, in those areas.
(07:13):
Gotcha, and I was just going to ask youif you recommend avoiding any certain
areas, whether it's neighborhoods orlike train stations, anything like that.
Are there some, some areas thatare a little bit dicey that people
shouldn't go to when they visit Paris?
Well, as I think you'll find in alot of Western Europe, the areas
around the train stations aregenerally not the most savory places.
(07:35):
People will approach you, veryaggressively, and the thing to do
is just to ignore them as much asyou can, but, you know, I've been
followed, I've had, you know, kind ofscary experiences there, and I know,
A lot of my friends have had the same.
So I like to, you know, use the buddysystem if I can go there with a friend.
(07:56):
Try not to be there late at night.
Other than that, I'd say, youknow, the only place that it really
generalized about is on the periphery,which is the highway that circles.
Paris.
You don't wanna kind of be hanging outunderneath the highway or near those
overpasses, particularly at night.
But luckily that's not usually ona lot of visitors, itineraries, and
(08:19):
certainly not on the ones I plan.
So that, doesn't often present an issue.
Yeah, good to know.
And, just for listeners who mightnot know French words well, like
myself, we'll definitely have these,all these words that Rachel is saying
written out on the YouTube channel.
And also I know you're going to dive intothe best things to do in Paris shortly.
(08:40):
So I know you'll kind of explain thoseplaces a little more, but I just wanted to
throw that out there too, about the Frenchwords, cause I know they're kind of.
Difficult to understandfor some of us like myself,
so you talked about.
Some of the best places to stay.
What are some other notable areasfor certain kinds of travelers?
I know you have a whole article onthe best places to stay in Paris for
(09:00):
So many different kinds of people.
So if you could kind of discuss alittle bit more about those areas
and who they're tailored for.
Yeah, absolutely.
So, if you want kind of the literary,Lost Generation Paris, going down to the
Latin Quarter and kind of the fifth andsixth arrondissement, is where you're
(09:21):
going to find that, in the left bank.
You'll find the Shakespeareand Company Bookstore there.
You'll find the Café de Flore and the Cafédu Mago, which were big hangouts with like
Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingwayand lots of, lots of famous expats as
well, and in addition to Hemingway.
And, as well as their houses,and you can do tours of Lost
(09:43):
Generation Paris, down there.
If you've been to Paris, before,I'd like to recommend, staying
up in the 18th in Montmartre.
It can be really fun.
It can be really crowded up there on thebig streets, but if you stay on a side
street and you like climbing hills, it'sa really great way to see a different side
of almost a more village within the city.
(10:04):
Which is very charming.
And if you liked Amelie, you'll see a lotof, lot of locations from Amelie up there.
That's really fun.
Now the first can be crowded, but itis a good area for luxury and luxury
hotels, you know, at the Place de laConcorde by the Tuileries Gardens.
You have the Ritz.
You know, and other really big,famous hotels, the Ritz, and it's Bar
(10:28):
Hemingway, of course, for expats andlocals alike, for anyone willing to
spend a certain amount on a drink.
There, it just, I could gothrough all 20 if we had the time.
The 8th is great for luxury shoppingand for, like, quiet luxury on the
smaller streets, lots of peace and quiet.
Gorgeous park, the Parc Monceauwith like landscaping and like
(10:51):
little waterfalls, things like that.
If you're staying with a family, goingout to the 16th can be really great.
Especially if you're going on a daytrip or several trips outside of
Paris and you're driving, that'sa great place to rent a car and
not get stuck in Paris traffic.
But you're also right between a hugepark with a ton of amenities, museums,
(11:12):
playgrounds, things like that forwhen the kids want to run around.
With your supervision, because there aresome kind of unsavory parts of the park.
That's the water balloon.
But, you're also, really wellconnected to central Paris by
public transport and taxis.
So, yeah, I'd say those are someof my top, additional places
(11:32):
to say for certain travelers.
Yeah, of course.
So you mentioned like the1st, the 8th, the 20th.
Are you able to explain likehow Paris is divided up into
those, what is it, like sectors?
Yeah.
Districts sectors.
Yeah.
So it's 20 administrative.
Paris, you can imagine it, it's likea elliptical misshapen circle, and
(11:56):
right in the center of it is the firsthieroglyph, and from there it, the
numbers spiral out like a snail's shell.
So you have, you know, the 19thand the 20th, the 18th are, on the
edge of Paris, whereas the 1st, the4th, the 8th are more, centralized.
(12:17):
So, very generally, you can say thatthe lower numbers are more central, but
if you've never been to Paris before,I think you'd be surprised at how kind
of compact and walkable the city isbecause it is within those limits.
Just walking, the Seine cuts rightthrough that's at the center of that
circle and walking from one end tothe other would take a few hours.
(12:38):
But it's definitely possible.
Whereas doing that say inLondon would require a level of
athleticism that I don't have.
Yeah, right.
No, that's very interesting.
So moving right along, what are someof the best things to do in Paris?
I know, The obvious things are visitthe Eiffel Tower, maybe the Notre Dame.
You are such an expert and so manyof the things you've written about,
(13:00):
I've never even heard of before.
So if you could tell us what youthink are the best things to do
in Paris, that would be lovely.
absolutely.
So as you said, there are theclassics, you know, the things
that are on everybody's bucketlist and they first come to Paris,
like Notre Dame and the Louvre.
So if you're connecting through Paris, oryou want to get the classics done quickly
(13:23):
so that you can come back and spend moretime at each one, or you're spending
a day here on your way to somewherein the countryside or another part of
France, you can definitely Absolutely.
hit the classics in a single day.
So if you wanted to start out, say, atNotre Dame Cathedral, which is on one
(13:43):
of the islands, then you could headover out west to the Eiffel Tower.
go a little bit north, you'd hit upthe Arc de Triomphe, and the great
things about the Eiffel Tower, theArc de Triomphe, is that they're
not places that you necessarilyneed to spend a lot of time.
You can, and you can definitely diveinto the history, see a bunch of
(14:05):
different views, things like that,but they're also places that you can
go See, go up to the top if you wantand be done within, say, an hour.
So from there, if you went around, justa little bit to the east again, you're
going back towards, Notre Dame, youwould actually hit the Louvre Museum.
And so that would be a really fun wayto, end the day is walking through
(14:27):
the Tuileries Gardens and, seeing.
The Place de la Concorde, whichis, really important for the French
Revolution, and I believe was one of thelocations where they had the guillotine.
You'll pass the Ritz Paris.
You'll go by Angelina, whichis known for its hot chocolate.
And, end up, yeah, at theLouvre, which is right there.
In the first, used to be a royal palace.
(14:50):
And then got converted to a museum, afterthe royalty was abolished in France.
So, the Louvre is another placewhere you can spend as little or
really as long as you like in there.
But I would definitely recommendgetting a map and focusing, say,
on one room in particular ifyou're only in Paris for the day.
(15:10):
So that would be kind of thewhistle stop tour of Paris.
Another thing you can do just to see thesights from the outside is to get a ticket
for the bateau mouche, which is the flyboats that go down the Seine river because
a lot of these monuments are along theSeine along with a ton more, obviously.
So you can, while having dinner,while having a drink or just, seeing
(15:34):
the sites, depending on the kind ofticket you get, you can book, to go
down the river and see Paris that way.
And that only takes a couple of hours.
So that's a great introduction to Paris.
I think that also makes a great firstday in Paris, because again, as you
go through these sites, if you wantto dive deeper, then you can plan
(15:54):
to come back later in your trip.
But this gives you an overviewand it also gives you a feel
for the city and its geography.
But yeah like to mix those upwith some more unexpected things.
So right next to Notre Dame or not farfrom Notre Dame is Saint Chapelle, for
example, which is just huge amountsof stained glass in this gorgeous
(16:16):
cathedral, with really stunning views.
So that's as Slightly more off the beatenpath or like the Rodin Museum in addition
to, the Louvre or instead of seeingthe Louvre a second time, going to the
sculptor's, uh, house down in the 7thand they have a huge sculpture garden
set up as well and just kind of steppingback in time, stepping into the world of,
(16:40):
that sculptor Auguste Rodin,can be really fun too.
There is a perfume museum here, theFragonard Perfume Museum that, offers
tours of how they make, the perfume.
And then you get to a little workshopwhere you get to create your own
perfume if you book in advance.
And I think that's just one ofthe best things to do in Paris,
(17:01):
with France's history of, perfumecreations and things like that.
But there are all sorts of kind of unusualand unique tours that you can find.
There are tours that you can domotorcycle sidecar, for example.
There are all sorts of classesyou can take to learn how to make
anything from, macarons to, youknow, pain au chocolat and chocolate
(17:22):
croissants, you know, baguettes.
It's cheese tasting classes,chocolate tasting classes, all sorts
of, kind of learning experiences.
And I love the ones where you get totake something away, as well, you know,
like a skill or, a little bottle ofperfume that you've invented yourself.
Yeah, that sounds so cool.
So I want to talk a little bit moreabout those major things, like the
(17:45):
Notre Dame just reopened, right?
And for people who don't No,even know what the Notre Dame
is, which I think most of us do.
But if you could talk alittle bit about that,
Yeah, Notre Dame got to bethe most famous cathedral in
Paris, and probably in France.
It's on one of the islandsin the middle of the city.
And so you often get a view of itsfamous flying buttresses from, you
(18:08):
know, from the caves of the Seinewhen you're walking along the Seine.
It's, very famous for being thelocation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
I was just back in the States, so now Iwant to say Notre Dame, but Notre Dame.
And, for being the settingof, Victor Hugo's novel there.
And it's just, it'sarchitecturally stunning.
(18:30):
It's, its features are reallybeautiful, really worth seeing.
And, there's an archeological crypt,there as well, where there have been some.
fascinating discoveries, researchersjust keep finding more and more,
history associated with, the cathedral.
And so it did catch onfire a couple of years ago.
(18:50):
At this point, the church is repairedenough that it can have visitors again.
So if you're planning on comingto Paris, you are very lucky.
And I personally am planning to go in thenext few days, not for the first time,
but because I'm going to be writing aspotlight on Notre Dame and, everything
you need to know before visiting.
So keep an eye out for thaton the Travel Lemming site.
(19:13):
yes, we'll definitely be linking,any of your articles that you have
regarding Paris and on travel lemming.
So make sure to keep an eye out forthose in the show notes, listeners.
Laura and I actually discussedthe reopening of the Notre Dame
in our Lombok episode, which Ihighly encourage listeners to check
out after listening to this one.
So a few other things that I thinkare really fun in that same vein are
(19:34):
the, on the side of things that aremore experiences, that you'll have
the memories and the photographsand, you know, something to take away
and, you know, go back home with.
So one of my favorite things to do is tosend visitors to David Mallett's salon.
Now this is like the super, youknow, luxury, high end salon.
(19:55):
Salon where everybody forParis Fashion Week goes.
I believe Kate Moss goesthere when she's in town.
You can just, if you Google celebritiesand David Mallet, you'll find many a Vogue
article with the salon featured in it.
And it's in this beautiful like almost thewhole story of this old French townhouse
(20:15):
with, original architectural details.
It's in this gorgeous space, andI just love everybody there who
I've ever seen, for cut and color.
They're just incredible.
You can also see David Mallon andsome of his staff at the Ritz Paris,
but you do pay a premium for that.
So I think you'll find.
You know, the prices are high,but reasonable and worth it at
(20:39):
the, salon in the second, onthe Notre Dame de Champs salon.
But if you really want to go allout luxury, you can, have the
experience at the Ritz as well.
And another thing to do that's reallyfun in Paris is just to, you know,
get a manicure or, have a little spaservice at, uh, Parisian, uh, Parisian,
uh, Parisian Salon or spa, a lot ofthe bigger ones will have staff that
(21:02):
does speak English, and booking online.
So it doesn't have to be so intimidating.
I even now can be intimidatedwhen it comes to making phone
calls to book things in French.
But, you know, for example, there's a spathat I go to called Charme de l'Orient,
the Charme of the Orient, in the 11th.
That is, just incredible with, withthe great staff and, Hamam and, like
(21:25):
a really nice relaxing experience.
So I think those are kind of fun things towork into the more classic destinations,
that you visit while you're here, becauseit also helps you take care of yourself
and not just go, go, go all the time.
You're having this experience that'sunique to Paris, while you're at the
salon or at the spa, that you're alsotaking care of yourself and, like, letting
(21:48):
everything that you've seen kind of soakin and, you know, and really, hit home.
yes, yeah, we all need rest days.
I like that advice.
so you mentioned kind of alanguage barrier at times.
Do most people speak English inParis or is it mainly French?
People who work in tourism, or hospitalityusually will speak, some English.
(22:12):
Once you get out of the center of thecity, or especially once you get outside
of Paris, it's really hit or miss.
A lot of the younger generationdoes speak some English.
With the older generation, it canbe very, you know, hit or miss.
But if you have the basics, if youdo, do a lingo for a few weeks and
(22:33):
you know, learn pleasantries andgreetings, it'll get you a long way.
And usually if there's more than oneperson working at an establishment, a
store, a restaurant, chances are that,you will, you'll be able to make yourself
understood, even if you have limitedFrench and they have limited English.
Great, and so I've heard the stereotypethat French people don't like it
(22:56):
when you try to speak French to them.
Is that true?
In my experience, it is not true.
, it comes about, in my opinion asa non-French person, from the
fact that French people will tryto be honestly as friendly as
possible and try to make things moreaccessible, and if they speak English.
Very well, and you only have a fewwords of French, they'll try to just
(23:18):
kind of cut through, you know, thelanguage barrier and go to the language
that's easier for everybody, but itcan seem kind of harsh, you know, when
you, go and you're, you're trying,you know, your very best with French
and, somebody just switches right toEnglish, it can feel very abrupt, but I'll
say, you know, somebody who is, it is.
studied French in, middle school, highschool, college, studied abroad here,
(23:42):
you know, went to graduate school here.
They, they do it even with me.
And maybe that's a commentary on thelevel of my French, but I prefer to think
of it just as, you know, just they'retrying to make life easier for everybody.
Gotcha.
So it can just kind of be misconstruedbecause they're a bit abrupt with it, but
they're just trying not to waste any time.
(24:03):
I hate speaking in huge nationalstereotypes, but I do think that on
the whole, in my personal experience,the French dislike the kind of small
talk and pleasantries that, we asAmericans will use a lot of the time.
It's not to say they don't havetheir own kind of codes and
politenesses and, you know, thingsthat, they'll say to, you know, make
(24:23):
a conversation go a certain way.
But, it's, yeah, it's definitelyjust a cultural difference thing.
Yeah, very interesting.
So you discussed a little bitearlier about potentially renting
a car and on that note, I want totalk about how to get around Paris.
What are the best waysto navigate the city?
Well, a car is definitely not one of them.
(24:45):
I don't recommend renting acar in Paris in most cases.
you can check out my article on the topicto find out the exceptions, but like if
you're leaving the city and, you know,there's no train to that place, you're
going to the countryside, you might rent acar in Paris and drive it out of the city.
But, the mayor of Paris has worked reallyhard to close down a lot of, really
(25:08):
congested streets, to open up more bikelanes, to, make things basically harder
for cars, easier for public transport,and kind of more climate friendly
solutions, and modes of transport.
So I don't recommend that youbike in Paris, particularly
if it's your first time here.
But, I will talk a little bit laterabout a bike tour of the city with
(25:30):
an expert guide that I really love.
That would be an exception to the rule.
The metro and the bus are really thebest ways of getting around the city.
What I like about the bus is thateven though it's a bit slower
than the metro can be, is thatyou do get to see the city.
Often times, you know, you'll cutthrough multiple arrondissements,
(25:51):
you know, multiple districts.
You can maybe go along the Seine,you know, all for, you know,
just a couple euros as well.
What I don't like about the busis that it's subject to delays.
So if you're trying to get somewhereon time, I would say take the bus.
the metro.
And that's even over a taxi.
I'll take a taxi or a rideshare, like very late at night
(26:12):
after the metro is closed.
If I have to get somewhere faraway, and I have a lot of bags
with me, something like that.
But, the subway system here is so goodand so fast that really, for me, that's.
That's my go to.
The other thing is, too, ifyou're staying in central Paris,
just walk as much as you can.
It's a really walkable city and,a great city to be surprised
(26:36):
by things when you're on foot.
And that kind of gives youmore flexibility to explore
different neighborhoods, too.
And the thing is, you won't go more thana few blocks, especially in the city
center, without seeing a metro stop.
So you can always just hop on thesubway if you get sick of walking.
Did they have an app for the city metro?
Yes, so the metro and the bus,are both have the Bonjour RATP.
(26:58):
So bonjour RATP app, which is the bestway to, kind of explore, you know,
the, the subway to explore buses.
You can, recharge, you can buy tickets,if you have an iPhone, you can buy
tickets on the app, or if you have anAndroid, or you have a Navigo pass.
(27:19):
Which is the physical card that you canbuy at tobacconist shops, around the
city or in metro stations, and a few otherplaces like kiosks, things like that.
You can recharge it usingyour app and your phone.
So it's a really useful, app to have.
Yeah, very convenient.
So, when is the best timeof year to visit Paris?
(27:41):
So I personally don't thinkthere's a bad time to visit Paris.
If you're coming for the firsttime, I wouldn't come in August.
That would be my main thing becauseit's true that a lot of Parisians
still do, you know, go on vacation.
Then if I had to pick the very best time,I'd say kind of the shoulder seasons of
April to May or kind of late Septemberthrough early November are great times
(28:06):
because the weather is still good.
Paris has pretty mild weather overall,but it can get rainy or very cold during
the, you know, high winter months.
But, you won't pay as much as youwill during the very high season, you
know, when you're talking about like,you know, late May through beginning of
July, and it won't be as crowded either.
(28:28):
So those are my recommendations ifit's your first time in Paris, but I
think it's fun to on subsequent visitsto come at different times of year and
explore the city because I do think it'sgorgeous year round and there's always.
something to do.
There's always somewhere fun to go.
Thank you for that.
I definitely want to talk about howParis is such a big foodie destination.
(28:51):
And the gastronomythere is world renowned.
So do you have some favorite Frenchdishes that you can talk about?
absolutely.
So.
I'm from Wisconsin and most ofmy favorite French dishes are
going to be cheese related.
So,
if you look at my guide to thebest restaurants in Paris, or the
best, you know, foods to try whileyou're in France, I do have other
(29:14):
options, including vegan options.
It's very new for Paris, butthe past few years we've started
having good vegan options here too.
But, my favorites are all cheese based.
So, when you're in France, youabsolutely have to try onion soup.
French onion soup is justmy absolute favorite.
I'll eat it year round, but It'sespecially so good if you have it in like
(29:37):
fall, winter, when it starts to get cold.
What you usually have is just like a,crust on it with, of cheese, like a few
inches thick over like a crouton that youkind of almost like a creme brulee, you
punch through to get to the other side.
And then you have just this fulldelicious, you know, onion broth,
mixed in with crouton and, and cheese.
(29:58):
I also love a croque monsieur sandwich,which is like a fancy grilled cheese.
And what that is basically it willhave, two pieces of toasted bread
with melted cheese on the outside,like a softer cheese on the inside,
and then usually ham, in the middle.
You can get a croque madame for, usuallylike a, extra alternative, in which case
(30:18):
they will put a fried egg on the sandwich.
That's a little too rich for myblood, but it is a big local favorite.
And then, of course, there'sjust the wine and cheese.
I love to make kind of a mini mealout of, you know, smaller things
that I have around the house.
Baguettes, you know, French bread with,Cheese from all over the country is one of
(30:41):
my favorite meals, to kind of have on thego or very quickly at the end of the day.
If you're vegetarian, you'll find, oreven if you're not, I'm not, and, you'll
find amazing Middle Eastern food here.
There's great falafel.
There are great Lebaneserestaurants throughout the city.
All sorts of just, like, wonderful.
Food from all over the world, really.
(31:03):
The one thing I have not foundhere is great Mexican food.
I'm still looking.
Yes, so I definitely want to go oversafety in Paris, which you've already
touched on a little bit, but how wouldyou characterize safety in the city?
Safety in Paris is a lot likesafety in a lot of big cities.
So, like, I lived in NewYork before I was here.
I spent some time living inLondon, and really the guidelines
(31:27):
are pretty much the same.
You know, keep an eye on your belongings.
Don't take things out of the housethat you can't afford to lose.
I've been lucky in that the only crimeI've experienced has been getting my
cell phone stolen, but that's happenedto me three times in ten years.
Now, I'm a little inattentive,but, people will just pluck
it right out of your purse.
(31:48):
It's happened to me on the metro.
I did, you know, I did have, an attemptedpickpocketing once, but I noticed it
happening and that was enough to stop it.
But again, you know, just trynot to forget your surroundings.
That's, when.
Those experiences happened to me, I waszoning out or texting somebody or, not
(32:09):
that you have to be to, , experiencethat, but, in my experience, vigilance
helped stop the pickpocketing, forexample, so I think, biggest issue,
for visitors is going to be, around,Places where visitors tend to go.
So, in front of the Louvre, in frontof the Eiffel Tower, again, the train
(32:30):
stations, I'm making them sound justabsolutely horrible, and they don't
have to be, but they are placesthat you should pay a little extra
attention, because, you know, whatI say to visitors is just if anybody
comes up to you on the street, and it'snot immediately clear that you dropped
something, Just, you know, wave themoff or just keep going straight ahead.
You know, don't engage with people.
(32:51):
There are scams that involve evenjust you being passive, as well.
This one happened to my friend Upat, Sacré Coeur, which is a big
basilica at the top of Montmartre,where somebody just started went
up to her and started braiding afriendship bracelet around her wrist.
And then what they do is, you know, claimthat you owe the money and, you know, it
(33:11):
can be very awkward and difficult to get.
Out of those situations with grace, whichis why people end up just paying them, you
know, to basically go away and, reallykeeping an eye on your personal space is
going to be important, taking the Metro.
is fairly safe.
But, again, late at night, especially ifyou're a single woman traveling alone or
(33:34):
otherwise feel that you may be unsafe.
You know, you can always get a taxi.
You download the G7 app.
That's the main app for taxis in Paris.
Make sure to test it out withyour credit card before, or debit
card before you actually need it.
But it works like a rideshare app, and youcan basically hail a taxi from your phone.
(33:56):
And I like to have that in caseswhere I'm feeling like I might be
unsafe or I'd rather take a car.
So I think, you know, for mostpeople, those will be the main
safety concerns to keep in mind
Gotcha.
And so you mentioned the ride share app.
Do you guys also have Uber there?
we have Uber.
We don't have lift.
So, yeah, I would definitelysuggest comparing and G7 app for
(34:19):
particular rides because with surgepricing and, Closed roads in Paris.
A ride share can take so long firstto come and then to get you to your
destination that a taxi can actually befaster because taxis here can use the bus
and carpool lanes, but ride shares can't.
So I have the uber app.
(34:41):
I almost never use it.
I'm much more likely to take anactual because for a comparable
price, especially at rush hour, you getmore professional and faster service.
Yeah, very good to know.
So where are some of your favorite hiddengems in Paris, from a local's perspective?
one of my favorite places togo, in my neighborhood is a
(35:02):
coffee shop called Peloton.
And this is a big hub for theAnglophone community here.
It's definitely bicycle themed,which is very exciting if
you love the Tour de France.
But it's also exciting if you're lookingfor a bicycle tour, because the owner
there, I believe, does incrediblebike tours, really highly rated, of
(35:24):
the Marais, of the Latin Quarter, ofdifferent corners of Paris, where you
can get a bike, you can get a helmet,and he really knows what he's doing.
So that's an establishment that I loveand they have great coffee and great
pastries and things to nibble on.
So it's not the most Parisian ofdestinations because you do get,
your to go cup, anglophone style ofcoffee rather than, you know, a little
(35:47):
French espresso, to sit with for hoursand hours, but it is a great place.
It's for when you're missing likea really big coffee or for when
you want a bike tour of Paris.
One of my favorite places to go ona summer evening is up in the 19th
in the park, the Butte Chamon, whichis a bar and beer garden called
(36:09):
Rosa Bonheur, like the painter.
And it's inside the park, even afterthe park closes, it's open and it's
a really fun kind of lively place.
To hang out, have a drink, but ifyou're in the garden, it's a lot more
relaxed and you can even kind of seethe park at night and it's really
stunning and a really fun place to go.
(36:30):
I've even, you know, had nights thatended up in a little bit of dancing
there, although it's maybe not mytop destination for dancing in Paris.
And then, yeah, I think another reallyfun thing that I've been doing this last
year has been taking pottery classes.
And so my hidden gem on that side is aplace called Clay Atelier, and that's
in the 11th, in the cutest passage,it's a pedestrian cobblestone passage,
(36:55):
and knowing just a little bit of Frenchwill open up a lot for you there.
Because, in my experience, severalof the instructors did speak really
excellent English, but in order to connectto book, you know, a day long class
or a few hours of a class or a privateclass, it may help you to be able to.
(37:16):
Just say pleasantries, ask theperson on the phone if they
speak English, things like that.
So those are some of my favorite,off the beaten path kind of
hidden gems, to go explore.
So just to wrap up our Parisdiscussion, do you have any major
tips for travelers visiting Paris
so my biggest tip when you'revisiting Paris is to leave
yourself time to explore.
(37:38):
And if you have the possibility ofjust wandering into, you know, a street
that interests you, and then takingthe next turn that interests you and
popping into this shop and that one,stopping at that cafe without kind
of any ulterior motive, except just.
To explore that neighborhood ofthe city and really make it yours.
(37:59):
I think spending a morning or an afternoonor even a whole day like that can
really make the difference and reallymake you feel like you're part of the
city and that it belongs to you now.
In my opinion, those are some of themost memorable times that you could
spend in Paris because there areso many lovely surprises here, kind
(38:19):
of around so many of the corners.
Yes.
Thank you so much for that.
And for all of our listeners, as wewrap up this episode, make sure to check
out all of Rachel's articles on Paris.
She has so much valuableinformation on travellemming.
com and She also can create yourown itinerary if you would like
for her to build your trip for you.
(38:41):
So make sure to checkout those services too.
Rachel, this has been solovely to have you on the show.
Thank you so much for tellingus all about Paris and France.
And I think listeners who areplanning to head over to Paris could
find a lot of awesome value out ofeverything that you've shared today.
Oh, thanks so much for having me on,I love being able to talk about Paris.
(39:03):
And again, to everyone listening,we'll be linking all of Rachel's
articles in the show notes.
And for listeners on YouTube, if youhave any questions that you'd like to
post in the comments, anything that wemight've missed in this episode today
that you'd like to know about, Rachelwill be responding in the comment section.
So make sure to add any questionsthat you have and she'll be.
(39:23):
Happy to respond to you assoon as this episode is posted.
Absolutely, I'd be happy to.
Planning a trip to Paris mightseem daunting, but if you wanna
take the stress out of planning andmaximize every single minute spent
in Paris, let Rachel plan your trip.
For you.
Rachel creates custom self-guided Parisitineraries so you can get the local
perspectives of the city, along with allthe can't miss sites Paris has to offer.
(39:46):
But no matter what you're looking for,Rachel will make the ideal itinerary,
hand tailored to your interests.
You can have a video meetup with herwhere she'll ask you questions to make
sure she includes everything you couldpossibly want to do on your Paris visit.
So if you value packing as much intoyour travels as possible, click the
link or search Travel Lemming Pariscustom itinerary to have Rachel create
(40:07):
your personalized trip to Paris.
Also, check out Rachel's dozens of freeguides like where to stay in Paris,
things to do in Paris, and much more.
So, for our next segment, Nate and I aregoing to discuss what's new in travel,
where we talk about some of the latestideas and occurrences in the travel world.
So, to start, I'm talking about Marriott.
(40:27):
So, Marriott just bought postcardcabins and made a long term agreement
with Trailborn, which are two outdoorsfocused boutique hotel brands.
So, according to Travel Weekly,Marriott plans to launch an
outdoorsy collection later this year.
centered on upscale stays andnature immersive experiences.
So the article says the companyplans to quote, fill the white space
(40:50):
between basic accommodations andluxury lodges near national parks
and other outdoor recreation areas.
So for me, I mean, I wonder howthis is going to affect the more
rustic kind of cozy stays fromcompanies like Airbnb and VRBO.
That kind of separate those brandsfrom the classic hotel stay feel.
But I guess we'll see what Marriottcomes up with at the end of this year.
(41:12):
Nate, would you ever book a cabin inthe woods from a major hotel company?
Oh, I'm a big fan of Marriott.
So I stayed more than 100 nightsin Marriott hotels last year.
They've really grown a lotover the last five years.
They've just been acquiring allthese different hotel companies,
and expanding their footprint.
They're the largest hotelcompany in the world.
And I think a lot of people don't even,you may stay in a Marriott and , not
(41:33):
even know that it's Marriott becausethey have them in all these different
brands that they've sort of acquired.
And certainly like, it's interestingthat they're getting more
into that outdoor space stuff.
I'm really hopeful that they're goingto do more of like the apartment style.
Accommodation.
Maybe they make some moves in thatway because, to compete a little bit
more directly with Airbnb because, ofcourse, the big downside of staying
in hotels, you don't have a kitchen.
(41:53):
And do have some brands that are likelonger stay suites that have that.
But it's interesting to see where thehotel markets moving where there's
you're kind of getting more of thiswhere they are making moves that
they're trying to compete againstthose apartment rental places like a
cabin would normally be something youwould go to one of those sites for.
So I think it's reallyinteresting as a Marriott member.
I'm always happy to have, youknow, have more Marriott properties
(42:16):
to choose from, particularly fortheir Bonvoy program, because they
have really good rewards program.
So for my story, so timeout,which timeout of course is one of
my favorite travel publications.
They also operate markets in anumber of cities around the world.
To celebrate the beginning of 2025, theydid this huge survey of, they talked
to, let's see here, they talked to morethan 18, 000 different locals in cities
(42:41):
around the world, and they quizzed thembasically about like, How much they like
their city, and then they ranked theworld's 50 greatest cities based upon
that survey, and it's really interesting.
I'm not going to gothrough all 50 of them.
I did count, though, and I've been to 37of them, but there's 13 of them that I
still have on my list, and I want to goto all of them, including their number
(43:03):
one, which I've never been to and ison my list, hopefully for this year,
which is Cape Town, South Africa, andthey sort of talk about why Cape Town.
Locals really love it, for its food scene,for its natural beauty, and just for
the happiness of the locals generally.
So Cape Town was number one, but I'll goahead and read out the top 10 real quick.
Number two.
(43:24):
personal favorite, Bangkok.
Number three, New York City.
Number four, Melbourne, Australia.
Number five, London.
Six, New Orleans.
Next was Mexico City, PortoPortugal, Shanghai, and Copenhagen.
Really an interesting list.
Lots of different cities on there.
Yeah, that's awesome.
I have not been to three of thoseBut I have been to Cape Town.
(43:45):
I actually turned 21 inCape Town, crazy enough.
And it is one of the most stunning citiesI've ever seen, with the mountains right
there, and there's such amazing wine land,safari land nearby, there's so much to do,
so definitely add that to your list, Nate.
As an American turning 21, like, Ifeel like it's almost wrong to do
I know!
(44:06):
like, you're not actually, what does
like it
the time were like,why are you so excited?
Like, the drinking age hereis 18, but I had a blast!
yeah, yeah, amazing.
All right.
Well, next up, let's talk aboutour travel lemming perspectives.
So at travel lemming, our team of dozensof local expert travelers, we have a
section of the site called perspectives,and this is where we just share our
(44:27):
own personal perspectives on travel.
It's a really interesting section tojust kind of scroll through if you're
in the mood for, you know, readingsomething interesting about travel.
And.
Betty and I each came with a couple of ourfavorites of the latest pieces on travel.
I make perspectives.
So my first one is by Laura Phelan.
and it's called, I definitely look likea tourist when I travel, I don't care.
(44:49):
And she basically talks about how.
A lot of advice online, includingsome other perspectives on travel
lemming that she references,suggests that while you're traveling
abroad, you should try to blend in.
You should try to kindof dress like a local.
And she kind of says that she hadon a recent trip to London and
Iceland, she started to go downthe path of trying to do this.
And then at some point gave up andsaid, no, I'm just going to lean
(45:11):
into being the tourist that I am.
Why is it so bad to looklike a tourist anyway?
I am a tourist.
So I look like a tourist.
Big deal.
And she was like, it feltexhausting to try to do that.
And, that's just who I am anyway.
And she's like, look, whenpeople visit my hometown, I'm
flattered to have tourists there.
And she does kind of qualify that bysaying, you know, you want to avoid.
(45:32):
Becoming a jerk or becoming one ofthose tourists that, you know, like
the woman who famously sort of followedthe Geisha, along the street with
a camera in Kyoto or, or did thingsthat were disruptive, but she's like,
you know, she thinks that if you'retrying not to look like a tourist,
then you're not becoming vulnerable.
You're not being curious and you'renot kind of recognizing the fact
that you are not in your home place.
(45:53):
So I thought that was an interestingperspective that kind of ran counter
to some of the other perspectives
I honestly think that being a touristis shouldn't be seen as a bad thing.
I mean honestly, whenever I go somewhereand it's very obvious that i'm not from
there people are really helpful likelocals I I see kind of go out of their
way to Give me their their opinions onwhat I should do and where I should go.
(46:15):
And so I don't think there'sany shame in being a tourist.
And I really liked thispiece from Laura for sure.
All right.
So what I brought to the table is Rachel'sarticle titled, I tried a writing retreat
in the stables of a French castle.
So obviously I did a deeper dive intoRachel's pieces when we decided to
do this Paris interview together.
And I thought this one was so unique.
So she wanted an experience that wouldreinvigorate her love for writing,
(46:40):
and also just for life in general.
So she booked a stay in the stables ofthis old castle south of Paris, and her
room was totally remodeled into thisbeautiful studio apartment, totally redone
and cozy, and she had no responsibilitiesor chores to focus on except for
writing for, I believe it was four days.
So she kind of discusses the stayand the process of the retreat in her
(47:02):
article, and The pros and cons of itand it's super cool because she actually
was working on a novel at the time andwas kind of doing this to work on her
writer's block that she was feeling.
She actually wrote over 30 differentfairy tales on this retreat, some of
which made it into one of her novels.
So the link to which is In thearticle and will also be, in
the show notes for this episode.
(47:24):
So yeah, this piece definitelygot me thinking about booking
a writer's retreat for myself.
I think it's super interesting.
So I'm looking right now at thehotel that she stayed in, which
is Le Domaine des Fleurets.
But it looks, I mean, it really,it really does look like a castle.
I mean, this is a beautiful,absolutely beautiful property.
But what's really impressive aboutthis and why, if you're planning
(47:45):
a trip to France, you mightwant to pay attention to this.
Because, it's a really good find byher because it's like I'm looking at
their availability calendar and it isnot expensive for how good it looks.
And it has like 9.
0 out of 10 reviews and it'sjust a stunning place and I
mean, I'm seeing nights on herefor as little as 126 a night.
She said she paid about 150 a night, butI mean for a room that's, in a castle
(48:10):
like that, that's a pretty awesome deal.
So if you're planning a trip around
that in Yeah, and she talkedabout the article that this was
in 2021 when she went and did it.
And she said that the prices have just notfluctuated at all, really, since she went
several years ago, four years ago now.
So yeah, it's a, it seems like areally great deal for what it is.
(48:30):
It looks beautiful.
Well, that's all for today.
Thank you listeners for joiningus for our Paris discussions.
Remember to like, and subscribe.
We've got way more episodes coming yourway soon, and we will see you on the next
episode of the Travel Lemming podcast.
Planning a trip to Paris?
You'll want to listen to this episode.
If you're coming for the firsttime, I wouldn't come in August.
Because it's true that a lot ofParisians still do, on vacation.
a taxi can actually be faster becausetaxis here can use the bus and
carpool lanes, but ride shares can't.
It's, its features are really beautiful,
and, there's an archeological crypt,there as well, where there have been some.
(00:25):
fascinating discoveries,
do you have any major tipsfor travelers visiting Paris
so my biggest tip whenyou're visiting Paris
Today I sit down with Travel Lemming'sParis expert, Rachel Kapelke Dale.
She tells me about where to stay formultiple kinds of travelers, the best
things to do in the city, safety, herbiggest tips for visiting, and more.
As a tourist, Paris might be one of themore overwhelming places to visit, simply
(00:48):
because there's so much to see and do.
So if you've been craving a visitto one of the most incredible
cities in Europe, listen up.
In addition to my interview withRachel, Nate and I discussed
Marriott's upcoming nature focusedproject, a major magazine's list of
the 50 best cities to visit in 2025.
A writing retreat at aFrench castle, and more.
All that coming later, but for now, makesure to like and subscribe to the podcast.
(01:11):
We have tons of great episodescoming your way this year, and
you won't want to miss them.
I'm joined by my co host, Nate Hakenow.
Nate, what's going on?
Hey Betty, I'm doing okay.
Still here in Buenos Aires, but I'vegot this nice, for the listeners
on YouTube, I'm sitting in front ofa painting of the Eiffel Tower, so
that's appropriate for this episode.
Really looking to hearing whatRachel had to say about Paris.
(01:34):
I mean, it is of course oneof the most iconic cities.
When people think about travel,it's probably one of the first
things that come to mind.
And Rachel really knows her stuff, so.
, I haven't listened to the interview.
How did
great.
Rachel has so many detailedtips and tricks and is just so
knowledgeable about Paris in general.
So I think that this interviewwill come in handy for anybody
(01:55):
who's looking to visit Paris.
So with that, let's jumpinto our discussion.
Rachel Kapelke Dale is TravelLemming's very own Paris expert.
She moved to France from Milwaukeeafter falling in love with the
city during a study abroad program.
Now she's lived there for almost 11 years.
Rachel writes about the strangerside of French history in her
newsletter Beneath the Cobblestones.
(02:17):
She has a published memoir about her earlydays in Paris, along with three novels,
all of which we'll link in the show notes.
Rachel's such a talented writer, whichis clear from her repertoire outside
of travel loving, and I'm so excitedto pick her brain today about Paris.
She has written guides on the bestthings to do in Paris, where to stay
throughout the city, how to visitParis on a budget, best restaurants
(02:39):
in Paris, and so much more.
Rachel, welcome to the show andthank you so much for being here.
I would love for you to introduceyourself to our listeners.
Absolutely.
Well, thanks so much for having me on.
So yeah, as you were saying, I'ma writer who's lived in Paris
for more than a decade now.
I first fell in love with Paris maybeeven before study abroad when My family
(03:03):
came here when I was a kid, get thatearly imprinting in, to fall in love with
the city and everything French and thenhaving taken the language in school, it
was the obvious place to study abroadand things kind of snowballed from there.
So I've written about Paris in my books.
I've done walking tours of Paris fordifferent apps and then I've been a
(03:26):
writer with Travel Lemming now fora few years and it's been so fun to,
you know, open up new offerings to thecommunity like the Paris itineraries that
I've been planning while still gettingto write about just my favorite city.
Yes.
And those Paris itineraries, can youtell us a little bit more about that?
Yeah, so they're custom built itinerariesbased on the client and what they are
(03:52):
looking for out of their Paris trip.
So, you know, when you purchase theitinerary, you get to fill out a
Google form with as much or as littleinformation as you want to tell me.
You have the option to set up a videocall or a voice call, so I can ask you
questions about, you know, what your idealParis trip is and, you know, they start
from three days, and go on from there.
(04:14):
So, whatever you're interested in, Iknow the city well enough that, and I
live here, so if I don't know, I canfind it out, very easily, to make sure
that we get you, you know, the tours,the experiences, the kind of insiders,
guide to Paris, but tailored to you.
That's so cool.
So I just want to start with where tostay in Paris, because I know there's
(04:35):
so many different places for so manydifferent kinds of people in the city.
So where should someone stay whohas never been to Paris before?
So for first time visitors, I liketo recommend two areas, the Marais,
which is in the third and fourtharrondissement, the districts,
or the seventh arrondissement.
And there, so the Marais is on theright bank of Paris, and it is made up
(04:58):
of those two neighborhoods, and it'sjust packed full of Parisian charm.
You have a lot of little boutiques,garden squares, cafes, museums, big
and small, and it's really central.
So, a lot of people want to stay inthe first arrondissement, which is
the center of the city their firsttime in Paris, but I usually recommend
(05:19):
against that because it's so busy.
It's so expensive, it gets so crowded,and you're going to usually want to
go in there a lot anyway on your firsttrip to see things like the Louvre
Museum, to see a lot of major sites.
So it's not far from the Marais.
It's walkable from here 15 20 minutes.
So you get much more of a neighborhoodfeel, than you would in the first.
(05:43):
And the seventh is, theEiffel Tower's neighborhood.
And, it's very beautiful.
Left bank neighborhood to stay inParis, if you want Eiffel Tower
views, that's definitely one ofthe places to take a look at.
And, it's just a different energy.
It's a little more, kind of,manicured, openly upscale.
(06:04):
There are lots of, you know,embassies and stuff in the area.
But it's also a really fun place.
So
Yeah, and on the other side of that, whatabout for a budget traveler in Paris?
for budget travelers, I recommendlooking in the double digit Erlendismal.
So those go up to 20.
Some of my favorites to stay in are the11th, which is really close to the Marais.
(06:27):
It's where I Lived on my first timein Paris, and it's very, very easy
to walk from there to all sortsof sites and destinations, but
it's got a really neighborhood.
He feel, there are lots of open airmarkets nearby, lots of, really fun things
to do, but just moving out of the singledigit around the small already you get.
(06:50):
Some savings, even though you're prettymuch as central, as you could be, you
know, just, in the Murray a few blocksover, you are also really linked up
to the République, all of these areas.
The 10th can also be alot of fun to stay in.
I just recommend staying away fromthe train stations, in those areas.
(07:13):
Gotcha, and I was just going to ask youif you recommend avoiding any certain
areas, whether it's neighborhoods orlike train stations, anything like that.
Are there some, some areas thatare a little bit dicey that people
shouldn't go to when they visit Paris?
Well, as I think you'll find in alot of Western Europe, the areas
around the train stations aregenerally not the most savory places.
(07:35):
People will approach you, veryaggressively, and the thing to do
is just to ignore them as much asyou can, but, you know, I've been
followed, I've had, you know, kind ofscary experiences there, and I know,
A lot of my friends have had the same.
So I like to, you know, use the buddysystem if I can go there with a friend.
(07:56):
Try not to be there late at night.
Other than that, I'd say, youknow, the only place that it really
generalized about is on the periphery,which is the highway that circles.
Paris.
You don't wanna kind of be hanging outunderneath the highway or near those
overpasses, particularly at night.
But luckily that's not usually ona lot of visitors, itineraries, and
(08:19):
certainly not on the ones I plan.
So that, doesn't often present an issue.
Yeah, good to know.
And, just for listeners who mightnot know French words well, like
myself, we'll definitely have these,all these words that Rachel is saying
written out on the YouTube channel.
And also I know you're going to dive intothe best things to do in Paris shortly.
(08:40):
So I know you'll kind of explain thoseplaces a little more, but I just wanted to
throw that out there too, about the Frenchwords, cause I know they're kind of.
Difficult to understandfor some of us like myself,
so you talked about.
Some of the best places to stay.
What are some other notable areasfor certain kinds of travelers?
I know you have a whole article onthe best places to stay in Paris for
(09:00):
So many different kinds of people.
So if you could kind of discuss alittle bit more about those areas
and who they're tailored for.
Yeah, absolutely.
So, if you want kind of the literary,Lost Generation Paris, going down to the
Latin Quarter and kind of the fifth andsixth arrondissement, is where you're
(09:21):
going to find that, in the left bank.
You'll find the Shakespeareand Company Bookstore there.
You'll find the Café de Flore and the Cafédu Mago, which were big hangouts with like
Simone de Beauvoir and Ernest Hemingwayand lots of, lots of famous expats as
well, and in addition to Hemingway.
And, as well as their houses,and you can do tours of Lost
(09:43):
Generation Paris, down there.
If you've been to Paris, before,I'd like to recommend, staying
up in the 18th in Montmartre.
It can be really fun.
It can be really crowded up there on thebig streets, but if you stay on a side
street and you like climbing hills, it'sa really great way to see a different side
of almost a more village within the city.
(10:04):
Which is very charming.
And if you liked Amelie, you'll see a lotof, lot of locations from Amelie up there.
That's really fun.
Now the first can be crowded, but itis a good area for luxury and luxury
hotels, you know, at the Place de laConcorde by the Tuileries Gardens.
You have the Ritz.
You know, and other really big,famous hotels, the Ritz, and it's Bar
(10:28):
Hemingway, of course, for expats andlocals alike, for anyone willing to
spend a certain amount on a drink.
There, it just, I could gothrough all 20 if we had the time.
The 8th is great for luxury shoppingand for, like, quiet luxury on the
smaller streets, lots of peace and quiet.
Gorgeous park, the Parc Monceauwith like landscaping and like
(10:51):
little waterfalls, things like that.
If you're staying with a family, goingout to the 16th can be really great.
Especially if you're going on a daytrip or several trips outside of
Paris and you're driving, that'sa great place to rent a car and
not get stuck in Paris traffic.
But you're also right between a hugepark with a ton of amenities, museums,
(11:12):
playgrounds, things like that forwhen the kids want to run around.
With your supervision, because there aresome kind of unsavory parts of the park.
That's the water balloon.
But, you're also, really wellconnected to central Paris by
public transport and taxis.
So, yeah, I'd say those are someof my top, additional places
(11:32):
to say for certain travelers.
Yeah, of course.
So you mentioned like the1st, the 8th, the 20th.
Are you able to explain likehow Paris is divided up into
those, what is it, like sectors?
Yeah.
Districts sectors.
Yeah.
So it's 20 administrative.
Paris, you can imagine it, it's likea elliptical misshapen circle, and
(11:56):
right in the center of it is the firsthieroglyph, and from there it, the
numbers spiral out like a snail's shell.
So you have, you know, the 19thand the 20th, the 18th are, on the
edge of Paris, whereas the 1st, the4th, the 8th are more, centralized.
(12:17):
So, very generally, you can say thatthe lower numbers are more central, but
if you've never been to Paris before,I think you'd be surprised at how kind
of compact and walkable the city isbecause it is within those limits.
Just walking, the Seine cuts rightthrough that's at the center of that
circle and walking from one end tothe other would take a few hours.
(12:38):
But it's definitely possible.
Whereas doing that say inLondon would require a level of
athleticism that I don't have.
Yeah, right.
No, that's very interesting.
So moving right along, what are someof the best things to do in Paris?
I know, The obvious things are visitthe Eiffel Tower, maybe the Notre Dame.
You are such an expert and so manyof the things you've written about,
(13:00):
I've never even heard of before.
So if you could tell us what youthink are the best things to do
in Paris, that would be lovely.
absolutely.
So as you said, there are theclassics, you know, the things
that are on everybody's bucketlist and they first come to Paris,
like Notre Dame and the Louvre.
So if you're connecting through Paris, oryou want to get the classics done quickly
(13:23):
so that you can come back and spend moretime at each one, or you're spending
a day here on your way to somewherein the countryside or another part of
France, you can definitely Absolutely.
hit the classics in a single day.
So if you wanted to start out, say, atNotre Dame Cathedral, which is on one
(13:43):
of the islands, then you could headover out west to the Eiffel Tower.
go a little bit north, you'd hit upthe Arc de Triomphe, and the great
things about the Eiffel Tower, theArc de Triomphe, is that they're
not places that you necessarilyneed to spend a lot of time.
You can, and you can definitely diveinto the history, see a bunch of
(14:05):
different views, things like that,but they're also places that you can
go See, go up to the top if you wantand be done within, say, an hour.
So from there, if you went around, justa little bit to the east again, you're
going back towards, Notre Dame, youwould actually hit the Louvre Museum.
And so that would be a really fun wayto, end the day is walking through
(14:27):
the Tuileries Gardens and, seeing.
The Place de la Concorde, whichis, really important for the French
Revolution, and I believe was one of thelocations where they had the guillotine.
You'll pass the Ritz Paris.
You'll go by Angelina, whichis known for its hot chocolate.
And, end up, yeah, at theLouvre, which is right there.
In the first, used to be a royal palace.
(14:50):
And then got converted to a museum, afterthe royalty was abolished in France.
So, the Louvre is another placewhere you can spend as little or
really as long as you like in there.
But I would definitely recommendgetting a map and focusing, say,
on one room in particular ifyou're only in Paris for the day.
(15:10):
So that would be kind of thewhistle stop tour of Paris.
Another thing you can do just to see thesights from the outside is to get a ticket
for the bateau mouche, which is the flyboats that go down the Seine river because
a lot of these monuments are along theSeine along with a ton more, obviously.
So you can, while having dinner,while having a drink or just, seeing
(15:34):
the sites, depending on the kind ofticket you get, you can book, to go
down the river and see Paris that way.
And that only takes a couple of hours.
So that's a great introduction to Paris.
I think that also makes a great firstday in Paris, because again, as you
go through these sites, if you wantto dive deeper, then you can plan
(15:54):
to come back later in your trip.
But this gives you an overviewand it also gives you a feel
for the city and its geography.
But yeah like to mix those upwith some more unexpected things.
So right next to Notre Dame or not farfrom Notre Dame is Saint Chapelle, for
example, which is just huge amountsof stained glass in this gorgeous
(16:16):
cathedral, with really stunning views.
So that's as Slightly more off the beatenpath or like the Rodin Museum in addition
to, the Louvre or instead of seeingthe Louvre a second time, going to the
sculptor's, uh, house down in the 7thand they have a huge sculpture garden
set up as well and just kind of steppingback in time, stepping into the world of,
(16:40):
that sculptor Auguste Rodin,can be really fun too.
There is a perfume museum here, theFragonard Perfume Museum that, offers
tours of how they make, the perfume.
And then you get to a little workshopwhere you get to create your own
perfume if you book in advance.
And I think that's just one ofthe best things to do in Paris,
(17:01):
with France's history of, perfumecreations and things like that.
But there are all sorts of kind of unusualand unique tours that you can find.
There are tours that you can domotorcycle sidecar, for example.
There are all sorts of classesyou can take to learn how to make
anything from, macarons to, youknow, pain au chocolat and chocolate
(17:22):
croissants, you know, baguettes.
It's cheese tasting classes,chocolate tasting classes, all sorts
of, kind of learning experiences.
And I love the ones where you get totake something away, as well, you know,
like a skill or, a little bottle ofperfume that you've invented yourself.
Yeah, that sounds so cool.
So I want to talk a little bit moreabout those major things, like the
(17:45):
Notre Dame just reopened, right?
And for people who don't No,even know what the Notre Dame
is, which I think most of us do.
But if you could talk alittle bit about that,
Yeah, Notre Dame got to bethe most famous cathedral in
Paris, and probably in France.
It's on one of the islandsin the middle of the city.
And so you often get a view of itsfamous flying buttresses from, you
(18:08):
know, from the caves of the Seinewhen you're walking along the Seine.
It's, very famous for being thelocation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
I was just back in the States, so now Iwant to say Notre Dame, but Notre Dame.
And, for being the settingof, Victor Hugo's novel there.
And it's just, it'sarchitecturally stunning.
(18:30):
It's, its features are reallybeautiful, really worth seeing.
And, there's an archeological crypt,there as well, where there have been some.
fascinating discoveries, researchersjust keep finding more and more,
history associated with, the cathedral.
And so it did catch onfire a couple of years ago.
(18:50):
At this point, the church is repairedenough that it can have visitors again.
So if you're planning on comingto Paris, you are very lucky.
And I personally am planning to go in thenext few days, not for the first time,
but because I'm going to be writing aspotlight on Notre Dame and, everything
you need to know before visiting.
So keep an eye out for thaton the Travel Lemming site.
(19:13):
yes, we'll definitely be linking,any of your articles that you have
regarding Paris and on travel lemming.
So make sure to keep an eye out forthose in the show notes, listeners.
Laura and I actually discussedthe reopening of the Notre Dame
in our Lombok episode, which Ihighly encourage listeners to check
out after listening to this one.
So a few other things that I thinkare really fun in that same vein are
(19:34):
the, on the side of things that aremore experiences, that you'll have
the memories and the photographsand, you know, something to take away
and, you know, go back home with.
So one of my favorite things to do is tosend visitors to David Mallett's salon.
Now this is like the super, youknow, luxury, high end salon.
(19:55):
Salon where everybody forParis Fashion Week goes.
I believe Kate Moss goesthere when she's in town.
You can just, if you Google celebritiesand David Mallet, you'll find many a Vogue
article with the salon featured in it.
And it's in this beautiful like almost thewhole story of this old French townhouse
(20:15):
with, original architectural details.
It's in this gorgeous space, andI just love everybody there who
I've ever seen, for cut and color.
They're just incredible.
You can also see David Mallon andsome of his staff at the Ritz Paris,
but you do pay a premium for that.
So I think you'll find.
You know, the prices are high,but reasonable and worth it at
(20:39):
the, salon in the second, onthe Notre Dame de Champs salon.
But if you really want to go allout luxury, you can, have the
experience at the Ritz as well.
And another thing to do that's reallyfun in Paris is just to, you know,
get a manicure or, have a little spaservice at, uh, Parisian, uh, Parisian,
uh, Parisian Salon or spa, a lot ofthe bigger ones will have staff that
(21:02):
does speak English, and booking online.
So it doesn't have to be so intimidating.
I even now can be intimidatedwhen it comes to making phone
calls to book things in French.
But, you know, for example, there's a spathat I go to called Charme de l'Orient,
the Charme of the Orient, in the 11th.
That is, just incredible with, withthe great staff and, Hamam and, like
(21:25):
a really nice relaxing experience.
So I think those are kind of fun things towork into the more classic destinations,
that you visit while you're here, becauseit also helps you take care of yourself
and not just go, go, go all the time.
You're having this experience that'sunique to Paris, while you're at the
salon or at the spa, that you're alsotaking care of yourself and, like, letting
(21:48):
everything that you've seen kind of soakin and, you know, and really, hit home.
yes, yeah, we all need rest days.
I like that advice.
so you mentioned kind of alanguage barrier at times.
Do most people speak English inParis or is it mainly French?
People who work in tourism, or hospitalityusually will speak, some English.
(22:12):
Once you get out of the center of thecity, or especially once you get outside
of Paris, it's really hit or miss.
A lot of the younger generationdoes speak some English.
With the older generation, it canbe very, you know, hit or miss.
But if you have the basics, if youdo, do a lingo for a few weeks and
(22:33):
you know, learn pleasantries andgreetings, it'll get you a long way.
And usually if there's more than oneperson working at an establishment, a
store, a restaurant, chances are that,you will, you'll be able to make yourself
understood, even if you have limitedFrench and they have limited English.
Great, and so I've heard the stereotypethat French people don't like it
(22:56):
when you try to speak French to them.
Is that true?
In my experience, it is not true.
, it comes about, in my opinion asa non-French person, from the
fact that French people will tryto be honestly as friendly as
possible and try to make things moreaccessible, and if they speak English.
Very well, and you only have a fewwords of French, they'll try to just
(23:18):
kind of cut through, you know, thelanguage barrier and go to the language
that's easier for everybody, but itcan seem kind of harsh, you know, when
you, go and you're, you're trying,you know, your very best with French
and, somebody just switches right toEnglish, it can feel very abrupt, but I'll
say, you know, somebody who is, it is.
studied French in, middle school, highschool, college, studied abroad here,
(23:42):
you know, went to graduate school here.
They, they do it even with me.
And maybe that's a commentary on thelevel of my French, but I prefer to think
of it just as, you know, just they'retrying to make life easier for everybody.
Gotcha.
So it can just kind of be misconstruedbecause they're a bit abrupt with it, but
they're just trying not to waste any time.
(24:03):
I hate speaking in huge nationalstereotypes, but I do think that on
the whole, in my personal experience,the French dislike the kind of small
talk and pleasantries that, we asAmericans will use a lot of the time.
It's not to say they don't havetheir own kind of codes and
politenesses and, you know, thingsthat, they'll say to, you know, make
(24:23):
a conversation go a certain way.
But, it's, yeah, it's definitelyjust a cultural difference thing.
Yeah, very interesting.
So you discussed a little bitearlier about potentially renting
a car and on that note, I want totalk about how to get around Paris.
What are the best waysto navigate the city?
Well, a car is definitely not one of them.
(24:45):
I don't recommend renting acar in Paris in most cases.
you can check out my article on the topicto find out the exceptions, but like if
you're leaving the city and, you know,there's no train to that place, you're
going to the countryside, you might rent acar in Paris and drive it out of the city.
But, the mayor of Paris has worked reallyhard to close down a lot of, really
(25:08):
congested streets, to open up more bikelanes, to, make things basically harder
for cars, easier for public transport,and kind of more climate friendly
solutions, and modes of transport.
So I don't recommend that youbike in Paris, particularly
if it's your first time here.
But, I will talk a little bit laterabout a bike tour of the city with
(25:30):
an expert guide that I really love.
That would be an exception to the rule.
The metro and the bus are really thebest ways of getting around the city.
What I like about the bus is thateven though it's a bit slower
than the metro can be, is thatyou do get to see the city.
Often times, you know, you'll cutthrough multiple arrondissements,
(25:51):
you know, multiple districts.
You can maybe go along the Seine,you know, all for, you know,
just a couple euros as well.
What I don't like about the busis that it's subject to delays.
So if you're trying to get somewhereon time, I would say take the bus.
the metro.
And that's even over a taxi.
I'll take a taxi or a rideshare, like very late at night
(26:12):
after the metro is closed.
If I have to get somewhere faraway, and I have a lot of bags
with me, something like that.
But, the subway system here is so goodand so fast that really, for me, that's.
That's my go to.
The other thing is, too, ifyou're staying in central Paris,
just walk as much as you can.
It's a really walkable city and,a great city to be surprised
(26:36):
by things when you're on foot.
And that kind of gives youmore flexibility to explore
different neighborhoods, too.
And the thing is, you won't go more thana few blocks, especially in the city
center, without seeing a metro stop.
So you can always just hop on thesubway if you get sick of walking.
Did they have an app for the city metro?
Yes, so the metro and the bus,are both have the Bonjour RATP.
(26:58):
So bonjour RATP app, which is the bestway to, kind of explore, you know,
the, the subway to explore buses.
You can, recharge, you can buy tickets,if you have an iPhone, you can buy
tickets on the app, or if you have anAndroid, or you have a Navigo pass.
(27:19):
Which is the physical card that you canbuy at tobacconist shops, around the
city or in metro stations, and a few otherplaces like kiosks, things like that.
You can recharge it usingyour app and your phone.
So it's a really useful, app to have.
Yeah, very convenient.
So, when is the best timeof year to visit Paris?
(27:41):
So I personally don't thinkthere's a bad time to visit Paris.
If you're coming for the firsttime, I wouldn't come in August.
That would be my main thing becauseit's true that a lot of Parisians
still do, you know, go on vacation.
Then if I had to pick the very best time,I'd say kind of the shoulder seasons of
April to May or kind of late Septemberthrough early November are great times
(28:06):
because the weather is still good.
Paris has pretty mild weather overall,but it can get rainy or very cold during
the, you know, high winter months.
But, you won't pay as much as youwill during the very high season, you
know, when you're talking about like,you know, late May through beginning of
July, and it won't be as crowded either.
(28:28):
So those are my recommendations ifit's your first time in Paris, but I
think it's fun to on subsequent visitsto come at different times of year and
explore the city because I do think it'sgorgeous year round and there's always.
something to do.
There's always somewhere fun to go.
Thank you for that.
I definitely want to talk about howParis is such a big foodie destination.
(28:51):
And the gastronomythere is world renowned.
So do you have some favorite Frenchdishes that you can talk about?
absolutely.
So.
I'm from Wisconsin and most ofmy favorite French dishes are
going to be cheese related.
So,
if you look at my guide to thebest restaurants in Paris, or the
best, you know, foods to try whileyou're in France, I do have other
(29:14):
options, including vegan options.
It's very new for Paris, butthe past few years we've started
having good vegan options here too.
But, my favorites are all cheese based.
So, when you're in France, youabsolutely have to try onion soup.
French onion soup is justmy absolute favorite.
I'll eat it year round, but It'sespecially so good if you have it in like
(29:37):
fall, winter, when it starts to get cold.
What you usually have is just like a,crust on it with, of cheese, like a few
inches thick over like a crouton that youkind of almost like a creme brulee, you
punch through to get to the other side.
And then you have just this fulldelicious, you know, onion broth,
mixed in with crouton and, and cheese.
(29:58):
I also love a croque monsieur sandwich,which is like a fancy grilled cheese.
And what that is basically it willhave, two pieces of toasted bread
with melted cheese on the outside,like a softer cheese on the inside,
and then usually ham, in the middle.
You can get a croque madame for, usuallylike a, extra alternative, in which case
(30:18):
they will put a fried egg on the sandwich.
That's a little too rich for myblood, but it is a big local favorite.
And then, of course, there'sjust the wine and cheese.
I love to make kind of a mini mealout of, you know, smaller things
that I have around the house.
Baguettes, you know, French bread with,Cheese from all over the country is one of
(30:41):
my favorite meals, to kind of have on thego or very quickly at the end of the day.
If you're vegetarian, you'll find, oreven if you're not, I'm not, and, you'll
find amazing Middle Eastern food here.
There's great falafel.
There are great Lebaneserestaurants throughout the city.
All sorts of just, like, wonderful.
Food from all over the world, really.
(31:03):
The one thing I have not foundhere is great Mexican food.
I'm still looking.
Yes, so I definitely want to go oversafety in Paris, which you've already
touched on a little bit, but how wouldyou characterize safety in the city?
Safety in Paris is a lot likesafety in a lot of big cities.
So, like, I lived in NewYork before I was here.
I spent some time living inLondon, and really the guidelines
(31:27):
are pretty much the same.
You know, keep an eye on your belongings.
Don't take things out of the housethat you can't afford to lose.
I've been lucky in that the only crimeI've experienced has been getting my
cell phone stolen, but that's happenedto me three times in ten years.
Now, I'm a little inattentive,but, people will just pluck
it right out of your purse.
(31:48):
It's happened to me on the metro.
I did, you know, I did have, an attemptedpickpocketing once, but I noticed it
happening and that was enough to stop it.
But again, you know, just trynot to forget your surroundings.
That's, when.
Those experiences happened to me, I waszoning out or texting somebody or, not
(32:09):
that you have to be to, , experiencethat, but, in my experience, vigilance
helped stop the pickpocketing, forexample, so I think, biggest issue,
for visitors is going to be, around,Places where visitors tend to go.
So, in front of the Louvre, in frontof the Eiffel Tower, again, the train
(32:30):
stations, I'm making them sound justabsolutely horrible, and they don't
have to be, but they are placesthat you should pay a little extra
attention, because, you know, whatI say to visitors is just if anybody
comes up to you on the street, and it'snot immediately clear that you dropped
something, Just, you know, wave themoff or just keep going straight ahead.
You know, don't engage with people.
(32:51):
There are scams that involve evenjust you being passive, as well.
This one happened to my friend Upat, Sacré Coeur, which is a big
basilica at the top of Montmartre,where somebody just started went
up to her and started braiding afriendship bracelet around her wrist.
And then what they do is, you know, claimthat you owe the money and, you know, it
(33:11):
can be very awkward and difficult to get.
Out of those situations with grace, whichis why people end up just paying them, you
know, to basically go away and, reallykeeping an eye on your personal space is
going to be important, taking the Metro.
is fairly safe.
But, again, late at night, especially ifyou're a single woman traveling alone or
(33:34):
otherwise feel that you may be unsafe.
You know, you can always get a taxi.
You download the G7 app.
That's the main app for taxis in Paris.
Make sure to test it out withyour credit card before, or debit
card before you actually need it.
But it works like a rideshare app, and youcan basically hail a taxi from your phone.
(33:56):
And I like to have that in caseswhere I'm feeling like I might be
unsafe or I'd rather take a car.
So I think, you know, for mostpeople, those will be the main
safety concerns to keep in mind
Gotcha.
And so you mentioned the ride share app.
Do you guys also have Uber there?
we have Uber.
We don't have lift.
So, yeah, I would definitelysuggest comparing and G7 app for
(34:19):
particular rides because with surgepricing and, Closed roads in Paris.
A ride share can take so long firstto come and then to get you to your
destination that a taxi can actually befaster because taxis here can use the bus
and carpool lanes, but ride shares can't.
So I have the uber app.
(34:41):
I almost never use it.
I'm much more likely to take anactual because for a comparable
price, especially at rush hour, you getmore professional and faster service.
Yeah, very good to know.
So where are some of your favorite hiddengems in Paris, from a local's perspective?
one of my favorite places togo, in my neighborhood is a
(35:02):
coffee shop called Peloton.
And this is a big hub for theAnglophone community here.
It's definitely bicycle themed,which is very exciting if
you love the Tour de France.
But it's also exciting if you're lookingfor a bicycle tour, because the owner
there, I believe, does incrediblebike tours, really highly rated, of
(35:24):
the Marais, of the Latin Quarter, ofdifferent corners of Paris, where you
can get a bike, you can get a helmet,and he really knows what he's doing.
So that's an establishment that I loveand they have great coffee and great
pastries and things to nibble on.
So it's not the most Parisian ofdestinations because you do get,
your to go cup, anglophone style ofcoffee rather than, you know, a little
(35:47):
French espresso, to sit with for hoursand hours, but it is a great place.
It's for when you're missing likea really big coffee or for when
you want a bike tour of Paris.
One of my favorite places to go ona summer evening is up in the 19th
in the park, the Butte Chamon, whichis a bar and beer garden called
(36:09):
Rosa Bonheur, like the painter.
And it's inside the park, even afterthe park closes, it's open and it's
a really fun kind of lively place.
To hang out, have a drink, but ifyou're in the garden, it's a lot more
relaxed and you can even kind of seethe park at night and it's really
stunning and a really fun place to go.
(36:30):
I've even, you know, had nights thatended up in a little bit of dancing
there, although it's maybe not mytop destination for dancing in Paris.
And then, yeah, I think another reallyfun thing that I've been doing this last
year has been taking pottery classes.
And so my hidden gem on that side is aplace called Clay Atelier, and that's
in the 11th, in the cutest passage,it's a pedestrian cobblestone passage,
(36:55):
and knowing just a little bit of Frenchwill open up a lot for you there.
Because, in my experience, severalof the instructors did speak really
excellent English, but in order to connectto book, you know, a day long class
or a few hours of a class or a privateclass, it may help you to be able to.
(37:16):
Just say pleasantries, ask theperson on the phone if they
speak English, things like that.
So those are some of my favorite,off the beaten path kind of
hidden gems, to go explore.
So just to wrap up our Parisdiscussion, do you have any major
tips for travelers visiting Paris
so my biggest tip when you'revisiting Paris is to leave
yourself time to explore.
(37:38):
And if you have the possibility ofjust wandering into, you know, a street
that interests you, and then takingthe next turn that interests you and
popping into this shop and that one,stopping at that cafe without kind
of any ulterior motive, except just.
To explore that neighborhood ofthe city and really make it yours.
(37:59):
I think spending a morning or an afternoonor even a whole day like that can
really make the difference and reallymake you feel like you're part of the
city and that it belongs to you now.
In my opinion, those are some of themost memorable times that you could
spend in Paris because there areso many lovely surprises here, kind
(38:19):
of around so many of the corners.
Yes.
Thank you so much for that.
And for all of our listeners, as wewrap up this episode, make sure to check
out all of Rachel's articles on Paris.
She has so much valuableinformation on travellemming.
com and She also can create yourown itinerary if you would like
for her to build your trip for you.
(38:41):
So make sure to checkout those services too.
Rachel, this has been solovely to have you on the show.
Thank you so much for tellingus all about Paris and France.
And I think listeners who areplanning to head over to Paris could
find a lot of awesome value out ofeverything that you've shared today.
Oh, thanks so much for having me on,I love being able to talk about Paris.
(39:03):
And again, to everyone listening,we'll be linking all of Rachel's
articles in the show notes.
And for listeners on YouTube, if youhave any questions that you'd like to
post in the comments, anything that wemight've missed in this episode today
that you'd like to know about, Rachelwill be responding in the comment section.
So make sure to add any questionsthat you have and she'll be.
(39:23):
Happy to respond to you assoon as this episode is posted.
Absolutely, I'd be happy to.
Planning a trip to Paris mightseem daunting, but if you wanna
take the stress out of planning andmaximize every single minute spent
in Paris, let Rachel plan your trip.
For you.
Rachel creates custom self-guided Parisitineraries so you can get the local
perspectives of the city, along with allthe can't miss sites Paris has to offer.
(39:46):
But no matter what you're looking for,Rachel will make the ideal itinerary,
hand tailored to your interests.
You can have a video meetup with herwhere she'll ask you questions to make
sure she includes everything you couldpossibly want to do on your Paris visit.
So if you value packing as much intoyour travels as possible, click the
link or search Travel Lemming Pariscustom itinerary to have Rachel create
(40:07):
your personalized trip to Paris.
Also, check out Rachel's dozens of freeguides like where to stay in Paris,
things to do in Paris, and much more.
So, for our next segment, Nate and I aregoing to discuss what's new in travel,
where we talk about some of the latestideas and occurrences in the travel world.
So, to start, I'm talking about Marriott.
(40:27):
So, Marriott just bought postcardcabins and made a long term agreement
with Trailborn, which are two outdoorsfocused boutique hotel brands.
So, according to Travel Weekly,Marriott plans to launch an
outdoorsy collection later this year.
centered on upscale stays andnature immersive experiences.
So the article says the companyplans to quote, fill the white space
(40:50):
between basic accommodations andluxury lodges near national parks
and other outdoor recreation areas.
So for me, I mean, I wonder howthis is going to affect the more
rustic kind of cozy stays fromcompanies like Airbnb and VRBO.
That kind of separate those brandsfrom the classic hotel stay feel.
But I guess we'll see what Marriottcomes up with at the end of this year.
(41:12):
Nate, would you ever book a cabin inthe woods from a major hotel company?
Oh, I'm a big fan of Marriott.
So I stayed more than 100 nightsin Marriott hotels last year.
They've really grown a lotover the last five years.
They've just been acquiring allthese different hotel companies,
and expanding their footprint.
They're the largest hotelcompany in the world.
And I think a lot of people don't even,you may stay in a Marriott and , not
(41:33):
even know that it's Marriott becausethey have them in all these different
brands that they've sort of acquired.
And certainly like, it's interestingthat they're getting more
into that outdoor space stuff.
I'm really hopeful that they're goingto do more of like the apartment style.
Accommodation.
Maybe they make some moves in thatway because, to compete a little bit
more directly with Airbnb because, ofcourse, the big downside of staying
in hotels, you don't have a kitchen.
(41:53):
And do have some brands that are likelonger stay suites that have that.
But it's interesting to see where thehotel markets moving where there's
you're kind of getting more of thiswhere they are making moves that
they're trying to compete againstthose apartment rental places like a
cabin would normally be something youwould go to one of those sites for.
So I think it's reallyinteresting as a Marriott member.
I'm always happy to have, youknow, have more Marriott properties
(42:16):
to choose from, particularly fortheir Bonvoy program, because they
have really good rewards program.
So for my story, so timeout,which timeout of course is one of
my favorite travel publications.
They also operate markets in anumber of cities around the world.
To celebrate the beginning of 2025, theydid this huge survey of, they talked
to, let's see here, they talked to morethan 18, 000 different locals in cities
(42:41):
around the world, and they quizzed thembasically about like, How much they like
their city, and then they ranked theworld's 50 greatest cities based upon
that survey, and it's really interesting.
I'm not going to gothrough all 50 of them.
I did count, though, and I've been to 37of them, but there's 13 of them that I
still have on my list, and I want to goto all of them, including their number
(43:03):
one, which I've never been to and ison my list, hopefully for this year,
which is Cape Town, South Africa, andthey sort of talk about why Cape Town.
Locals really love it, for its food scene,for its natural beauty, and just for
the happiness of the locals generally.
So Cape Town was number one, but I'll goahead and read out the top 10 real quick.
Number two.
(43:24):
personal favorite, Bangkok.
Number three, New York City.
Number four, Melbourne, Australia.
Number five, London.
Six, New Orleans.
Next was Mexico City, PortoPortugal, Shanghai, and Copenhagen.
Really an interesting list.
Lots of different cities on there.
Yeah, that's awesome.
I have not been to three of thoseBut I have been to Cape Town.
(43:45):
I actually turned 21 inCape Town, crazy enough.
And it is one of the most stunning citiesI've ever seen, with the mountains right
there, and there's such amazing wine land,safari land nearby, there's so much to do,
so definitely add that to your list, Nate.
As an American turning 21, like, Ifeel like it's almost wrong to do
I know!
(44:06):
like, you're not actually, what does
like it
the time were like,why are you so excited?
Like, the drinking age hereis 18, but I had a blast!
yeah, yeah, amazing.
All right.
Well, next up, let's talk aboutour travel lemming perspectives.
So at travel lemming, our team of dozensof local expert travelers, we have a
section of the site called perspectives,and this is where we just share our
(44:27):
own personal perspectives on travel.
It's a really interesting section tojust kind of scroll through if you're
in the mood for, you know, readingsomething interesting about travel.
And.
Betty and I each came with a couple of ourfavorites of the latest pieces on travel.
I make perspectives.
So my first one is by Laura Phelan.
and it's called, I definitely look likea tourist when I travel, I don't care.
(44:49):
And she basically talks about how.
A lot of advice online, includingsome other perspectives on travel
lemming that she references,suggests that while you're traveling
abroad, you should try to blend in.
You should try to kindof dress like a local.
And she kind of says that she hadon a recent trip to London and
Iceland, she started to go downthe path of trying to do this.
And then at some point gave up andsaid, no, I'm just going to lean
(45:11):
into being the tourist that I am.
Why is it so bad to looklike a tourist anyway?
I am a tourist.
So I look like a tourist.
Big deal.
And she was like, it feltexhausting to try to do that.
And, that's just who I am anyway.
And she's like, look, whenpeople visit my hometown, I'm
flattered to have tourists there.
And she does kind of qualify that bysaying, you know, you want to avoid.
(45:32):
Becoming a jerk or becoming one ofthose tourists that, you know, like
the woman who famously sort of followedthe Geisha, along the street with
a camera in Kyoto or, or did thingsthat were disruptive, but she's like,
you know, she thinks that if you'retrying not to look like a tourist,
then you're not becoming vulnerable.
You're not being curious and you'renot kind of recognizing the fact
that you are not in your home place.
(45:53):
So I thought that was an interestingperspective that kind of ran counter
to some of the other perspectives
I honestly think that being a touristis shouldn't be seen as a bad thing.
I mean honestly, whenever I go somewhereand it's very obvious that i'm not from
there people are really helpful likelocals I I see kind of go out of their
way to Give me their their opinions onwhat I should do and where I should go.
(46:15):
And so I don't think there'sany shame in being a tourist.
And I really liked thispiece from Laura for sure.
All right.
So what I brought to the table is Rachel'sarticle titled, I tried a writing retreat
in the stables of a French castle.
So obviously I did a deeper dive intoRachel's pieces when we decided to
do this Paris interview together.
And I thought this one was so unique.
So she wanted an experience that wouldreinvigorate her love for writing,
(46:40):
and also just for life in general.
So she booked a stay in the stables ofthis old castle south of Paris, and her
room was totally remodeled into thisbeautiful studio apartment, totally redone
and cozy, and she had no responsibilitiesor chores to focus on except for
writing for, I believe it was four days.
So she kind of discusses the stayand the process of the retreat in her
(47:02):
article, and The pros and cons of itand it's super cool because she actually
was working on a novel at the time andwas kind of doing this to work on her
writer's block that she was feeling.
She actually wrote over 30 differentfairy tales on this retreat, some of
which made it into one of her novels.
So the link to which is In thearticle and will also be, in
the show notes for this episode.
(47:24):
So yeah, this piece definitelygot me thinking about booking
a writer's retreat for myself.
I think it's super interesting.
So I'm looking right now at thehotel that she stayed in, which
is Le Domaine des Fleurets.
But it looks, I mean, it really,it really does look like a castle.
I mean, this is a beautiful,absolutely beautiful property.
But what's really impressive aboutthis and why, if you're planning
(47:45):
a trip to France, you mightwant to pay attention to this.
Because, it's a really good find byher because it's like I'm looking at
their availability calendar and it isnot expensive for how good it looks.
And it has like 9.
0 out of 10 reviews and it'sjust a stunning place and I
mean, I'm seeing nights on herefor as little as 126 a night.
She said she paid about 150 a night, butI mean for a room that's, in a castle
(48:10):
like that, that's a pretty awesome deal.
So if you're planning a trip around
that in Yeah, and she talkedabout the article that this was
in 2021 when she went and did it.
And she said that the prices have just notfluctuated at all, really, since she went
several years ago, four years ago now.
So yeah, it's a, it seems like areally great deal for what it is.
(48:30):
It looks beautiful.
Well, that's all for today.
Thank you listeners for joiningus for our Paris discussions.
Remember to like, and subscribe.
We've got way more episodes coming yourway soon, and we will see you on the next
episode of the Travel Lemming podcast.
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