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Paris for me is one of those destinations that will always have the romantic appeal it was assigned when introduced to me. Nothing will ever change that, not even experiencing it and realizing it is nothing like the fantasy. Nope. Over and over again, I forget what I experienced and make excuses for Paris. I should also mention that I have discovered my romanticism of life dominates my memory after about 6-months. So, regardless of my New Year reality, by the time my birthday rolls around in July, it was a great January.
The first time we traveled to Paris, it was only for a week. We stayed in the Latin Quarter, and while I loved the neighborhood, the city didn’t do it for me. But it was the month after a terrorist attack, with beefed up military patrolling the streets in a cold February. There were three excuses details that altered this trip – the length of the trip, the unfortunate tension following a tragic attack, and the weather.
So, we returned. The next time we visited for more than a weekend, we decided to stay a month. I feel like you can really get the feeling of living somewhere with a monthlong stay. This time, we stayed in Poisse, which is just outside ‘proper Paris’, but close enough to access the city by train. It was a nice trip, but not so nice we needed to live there.
I still wasn’t convinced Paris wasn’t for us. So as time passed, and my romanticism kicked in, I got the urge that, ‘we need to live in Paris’. I think it was a combination of living in Bali (always hot, not walkable, far from family) and recovering from the pandemic. Whatever the reason, we thought it was time to test it out again, this time checking all the boxes to make sure we gave Paris the best shot.
We decided to live in Paris for the month to make sure we would have enough time to get the feel of the city. We chose the month of May, because I’d always fantasized about a Parisian spring. And we were going to stay in proper Paris, living just a 5-minute walk from Place des Vosges. It was all set to be perfect, so you know it wasn’t.
Here are all my tips about visiting Paris, and my recommendations.
Tips for a Long Trip to Visit Paris
One of the best tips I learned during the planning of the trip was that if staying in Paris for longer than one month, you can access more apartments on Airbnb. So many were reserved strictly for extended stays – using a distinction called a mobility lease (google it for more info). You have to rent for 1-10 months to qualify for this opportunity. We found our place on Airbnb with these restrictions. It does require a little paperwork the host will request – identification, a letter from your employer, a guarantor, and rental insurance. We used a French company for the insurance. It was only $30 or so for the month of insurance. I don’t have a recommendation for that, but it was easy.
To see which apartments are available under this adjust your search so that you are searching for at least a 30-day stay. Apartments utilizing the mobility lease will only appear in searches for a minimum of 30-days.
The Good: What I Liked About Paris
Now, when it came to judging this trip, I’ll start with what we liked. We loved our apartment and neighborhood. The apartment was a large 1-bedroom, with a great dining area that could double as an office. There was a modern kitchen and updated bathroom. Hardwood floors, a washing machine, dishwasher, all the necessities. The bed was a little uncomfortable for the two of us (I think it was a double), but I’ve romanticized that small detail away. All in all, we loved the apartment. If we were to go back, we would rent that apartment again and buy a new bed.
We also loved the neighborhood. I mean loved it. It was in such an idealistic Parisian setting – with the beautiful architecture and streets lined with cafes and restaurants. A man would literally come and play the saxophone outside our window every afternoon (here’s proof of this incredible memory on my Instagram). At the end of the block (a 2-minute walk) was a posh bakery with the best pastries and fresh bread. Turn left, and you’ve got a café with espressos for one euro. Walk another 2-minutes and you’re at Place des Vosges, with the famous restaurant Carette right across the street (more about Carette later).
Again, I think my desire to move to Paris stemmed from what I felt we were missing in Bali. We don’t walk anywhere in Bali. Not only because it is always super hot or raining, but the sidewalks are not fit for walking (they are currently being fixed, though). I really wanted the city feel of being able to walk to the bakery, café, or restaurant. I loved that. And we wanted to be able to take the metro, and access so many things that just aren’t in abundance here like thrift stores, hipster shops, and tourist attractions.
Paris gave me all of this. We walked everywhere, got to be tourists on days we weren’t just living a regular life going to the grocery store and preparing lunch at home. We visited the sites, attended the French Open, watched the new Top Gun movie at the largest movie theatre in Europe, I got my hair done at the nicest black salon. There was endless access to all the things I’m missing on this side of the world. That part was glorious.
Now to The Bad: What I Didn’t Like About Paris
Obviously, everything wasn’t perfect, or we’d be living in Paris right now. We’ll start with the atmosphere. Those walks I talked about? The streets smelled like piss. Garbage lined the streets until about 10:00AM. And pickpockets were rampant. That was annoying. I had to buy a crossbody purse after wearing my backpack purse the first few days. And I know backpacks are forbidden in many European cities due to pickpockets. I think I just figured since I don’t carry anything in it, I’d be fine. The problem as it attracted pickpockets. They would literally hover around me constantly, driving Jarrell crazy!
My springtime fantasy was squashed by the lack of sun in the city. In May, and into June, it was cold. Like, ‘I need a coat’ cold. Even when the sun did shine, it didn’t reach the sidewalk due to the beautiful architecture I love so much. And there wasn’t enough greenery for me. You had to seek out nature. And I will say, you never have to seek too far, because there are beautiful gardens throughout the city. But I guess I’m a bit spoiled in Bali, with the beautiful views from everywhere you look. In contrast, it felt like a beautiful concrete jungle.
In Paris’ defense (because enough time has passed for me to romanticize this trip completely), you could say this about every major city. And that is probably the true conclusion. I don’t want to live in Paris, because I don’t want to live in any major city. It is like a European New York City. Slightly cleaner, but only slightly.
All that to say, I have decided we do not, in fact, need to live in Paris. But I would like to continue to spend a month there every couple of years to see if I’ve changed, because I hope Paris always stays the same. I love it enough for a month. Next time, we’re going in June or July. Hopefully I’ll get some sun.
This got a little longer than I intended. What can I say? I’m a writer. So, I’ll add all my Paris recommendations including restaurants, thrift shops, hipster stores, activities, and the photographer we used for a professional photoshoot, in the next post.
