Stories of Mi

This September I had 4 days off at work and I just wanted to get away for a short trip. While I thought about where to go, I found a great deal for Paris, which is only a 2 hour train ride from Luxembourg 🙂 So far, so good. But every time I told someone that I would go to Paris on my own, they were surprised, as it actually is called the city of love. But is Paris only a romantic destination for lovers? Here is my experience:

In General

No. Turns out Paris is perfect for solo travelers! People are so friendly and chatty, you will feel welcome everywhere. Also, you will see that locals enjoy their alone time too! Never have I seen so many people in cafes on their own, or just sitting in a park by themselves, relaxing and enjoying the sun shining on their face or listening to street musicians at the stairs of montmartre. Here are a few situations to illustrate the situation as a solo female traveler in Paris:

The architecture of Paris with the Seine river in front

The cafes and restaurants

This is still one of my favorite things to do alone in Paris: Sit in a cute cafe or restaurant, read a book and watch all the busy people on the streets while I am sipping my cappuccino. It is just so relaxing! Plus, the waiters and waitresses were all so nice and chatty (maybe it was just luck, who knows?), I could have sit there all day. One day I sat in such a cafe for like 3 hours and when I left, the waitress even hugged me! I just felt that all the people in Paris were so welcoming.

Who doesn’t need a break in the city life? Picture was captured in the “jardins de luxembourg”

Take a break… or a nap

Some say that you haven’t properly experienced Paris if you haven’t taken a nap in the city. This sounds weird at first, but if you visit one of the many parks, you will get the idea. There are chairs all over the parks where you can just relax, read a book or, of course, take a nap. Many locals do it and it is a great way to escape the stressful city life. Even before the train station you will find deckchairs in a small garden and people really appreciate it. There is even a NAP BAR in Paris, called the Zen bar. I didn’t experienced this myself, but for 12 Euros you can get a deluxe 15 minutes nap in a high end couch.

Absolutely worth climbing: The Eiffel tower. The show tourists put on with selfies is even for free

The tourists attractions

The tourist attractions are what they always are: Full of people. For me that’s alright, as I always try to find a good balance between tourists attractions and off-the-beaten-path places. But you simply cannot go to Paris without climbing the Eiffel tower. It is a must, end of story. And while standing on top of the Eiffel tower, you will really truly appreciate that you are on your own. I swear, I felt real pity for all the boys and men who were forced by their girlfriends or wives to take the perfect Eiffel tower selfie for Instagram, yelling at each other, than smile again for that 126th perfect selfie. Wow. No way! I mean, I probably took a million pictures myself (no selfies :p ), but at least I wasn’t torturing my poor boyfriend with it! Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad with taking a few selfies, but this was just a freak show. Just grab a cup of coffee, enjoy the awesome view and the spectacle tourists turn on here 🙂

Picture captured in the “jardins de Luxembourg”

Safety  measures

I have been to Paris a few years ago and the safety measures increased drastically, which is completely understandable regarding the terror attacks two years ago. It takes away some of the charm, but alright. At every tourist attraction, every church, even at the flea market you will need to open your purse and sometimes even walk through metal detectors. But the  security is usually very friendly and as a female solo traveler I was sometimes just waved through even though all the other people before and after me were checked completely.

One of the many views from the Eiffel tower

You see, Paris is awesome for travelling solo! The public transportation system is awesome, the metro and trains just get you everywhere really fast. It’s also an easy destination for starters, because nearly all the people in the center speak and understand English.

Have you been to Paris? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments 🙂

By the way, this was my first time I planned a trip with Triphobo. As a person who never really plans anything correctly, this was surprisingly awesome! It gives you a great idea of all the attractions in the area (also some very nice insider tips). Have a look: