As my spring break approached, my roommates and I decided to spend our time in Paris. The city of love stole my heart and exploring the city with my best friend was the cherry on top of my trip.
I strongly recommend to those who have the opportunity to visit the lovely city of Paris to do so, but there are a couple of things I learned that should be to take into consideration.
Do’s:
Take advantages of the free museums Paris has to offer such as; Petit Palais, Carnavalet Museum, Musée de la Vie Romantique, and The Louvre is free with student ID.
Try to speak the language, a little goes a long way so a simple “bonjour” or “merci” would be appreciated and polite to those who you may come in contact with.
Try escargot, for the cultural experience and because they taste way better than you would expect.
Visit the big attractions such as the Eiffel Tower because they are really breathe taking, however, do be cautious of street vendors, as some do not take no for an answer.
Be aware of your surroundings and always have a partner by your side.
Don’t:
Do not fall for scammers, unfortunately, there are plenty of them. They will stop at nothing to try to sell you either used museum tickets or over charger you for them.
Avoid making your self look like a major tourist, this will just draw unwanted attention from pit pockets.
Most importantly do not refuse to put cultural differences aside, considering France has many cultural differences there are some things such as trying to understand French, that you can’t avoid. So go into the trip with an open mind as you may have to step out of your comfort zone.
Sierra Esqueda is a Journalism student from Fullerton College studying abroad in London for Spring 2019. Sierra will be documenting her time abroad via blogs. While in London she wants to get practice with travel writing to be able to see the world and tell those who cannot, about it. Keep checking back for more of Sierra’s blogs here.
Pioneered by AIFS, customized faculty-led study abroad programs (partnership programs), are formal arrangements between AIFS and educational institutions in which AIFS provides logistical support, student services, classrooms, housing facilities and cultural activities at a location abroad, plus student medical and program fee refund insurances and over $50 million of liability insurance for the U.S. college/university.
This arrangement enables institutions to conduct their own academic programs abroad at minimal expense for four weeks and upward (including semester). In order to keep costs affordable, programs require at least 12 to 15 students per faculty participating.
Learn more about AIFS Customized Faculty-Led Programs.
