Paris
When it comes to traveling, everyone is going to have different experiences and places they liked more. And that seems to be the case when it comes to my time spent in Paris, France compared to other peoples. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t visit it, because I have a friend and cousin who both recently went and loved their time there, however I just don’t believe it’s on my list to visit again anytime soon.
A lot of that doesn’t even necessarily have to do with the country or city itself, but my own experiences while I was there. For example, once I arrived by train from Turin, Italy, I immediately got lost trying to figure out the subway, and decided to get off and just walk the hour to my hostel. And though my hostel was extremely well kept, and even had a restaurant, bar and night club within the building, it was far away from the center of the city. So, until I finally figured out the subway my last night there, I was walking a good hour to see all the main sights. And I know how “first world problem” it is of me to say, but when I first saw the Eiffel Tower during the day, it was surprisingly underwhelming and left me thinking “that’s it?”. My last day there was also pretty crappy so I had to just stay inside and hangout until it was time to get to the train station.
I know I sound pretty debby-downer about my time in Paris, however I promise it wasn’t all bad. If you keep reading, there are plenty of things I highly recommend if you visit, and encourage you to see it all for yourself!
For example, the Louvre did not disappoint. Me and a friend of mine got there first thing in the morning, and only had to wait like 20 minutes so that was good. We spent a good 3, maybe 4 hours inside and still weren’t even close to seeing everything. There’s so much to take in and keep you occupied inside, so it’s definitely a great option to visit on a rainy day. Spending more time here is on my list for when I eventually make it back to Paris. Luckily, I also visited back in October 2017, so I was fortunate enough to go inside the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was amazing to see how massive and beautiful it was inside. And oddly enough, one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen in my travels so far, would be the Eiffel Tower at night. Though I was disappointed it how it looked during the day, I was completely taken aback of what it looked like at nighttime. No exaggeration, I stepped off the subway, walked up the stairs, turned the corner and my jaw dropped when I saw how beautifully lit up it was and how it just stood out so perfectly. Every time someone asks me what to see/do in Paris, without hesitation my first response is to see the Eiffel Tower at night.
So just like every other travel blog/advice you see on the internet, always take it with a grain of salt. Just because Paris wasn’t my favorite city doesn’t mean it won’t be yours! Like I mentioned earlier, my cousin and a friend of mine both visited recently and said they loved it. My friend especially had the time of his life there. My advice would be to check it off the list for yourself and go into it with an open mind! And when you’re all set you can come back and let me know of all things you recommend I do and see there on my next trip! 😊