This is probably one of my favorite blog posts. Now only is this about solo female travel but I can also give a special shout out to my fellow Black women. Now this post has plenty of information for all races and genders. Have no fear! If you are looking for ways to cut costs, want to know how to stay safe, and a few options of places that you can go then this is the post for you. Here it is, my ultimate guide for traveling to Paris alone.
Where you can cut costs
There are a few ways that you can cut costs and it all centers around your ability to remain flexible. If you can be flexible about the time that you fly, the time of year that you travel, and where you find your lodging than you really can cut costs. You can maybe even save hundreds of dollars.
The first place that you can save money is where and when you buy your plane ticket. If you are like me, then you are traveling from the United States. If you don’t have the benefit of flying out of a place like NY then you may have to get creative for where you buy your tickets. Now, one of my favorite websites to get my flights is to use Skyscanner. You can check out my post on getting cheaper tickets. Also, use my code (at no cost to you of course!).
I have also used both Google Flights and Norwegian air to buy tickets. Norweigian Air can be awesome at finding cheap tickets to get you over to Europe. Google flights is a handy guide because they can show you on a calendar the different ticket prices for one particular month. The only downside that I have found is that Norweigian Air sometimes flies out of smaller airports or a different city that is close by. This isn’t always the most convenient situation but it can be a big money saver.
You can try to cut costs by staying in an Airbnb instead of a traditional hotel. One of the benefits of staying in a hotel is that you might get a better location and access to a safe for your belongings. When you stay in an Airbnb you can save money on your lodging and even find a place to stay where the location will reduce the amount of money that you have to spend on taxi travel.
Airbnb also offers discounted experiences that you can purchase through the site. It is similar to Groupon where you can buy wine tastings, photo shoots, and discounts for restaurants. I have even seen experiences where you can do yoga on the beach or get guide tours. It is a great way to save a few bucks.
Take advantage of day trips
One of the biggest benefits to being in a major European city is the ease to which you can travel to other cities. It doesn’t matter if you are going by place or train, getting around Europe is really affordable. Within range of France there is Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, England, and Germany. You don’t even have to go to another country, there are other parts of France that will we worth visiting.
If you are like me then travel is very little about the destination and very much about the journey. Try looking into airlines such as Ryanair. You can get tickets to Barcelona, Berlin, and London for less than $100 when flying out of Paris. This is of course dependent on the time of the year that you fly. When I was in Europe in January, I was able to go from Athens to Rome for only $50 and Athens to Sofia, Bulgaria for only $35.
France is one of the more expensive countries, and Paris is one of the more expensive cities that a person can travel to. Spending a few days in the countryside or out of the country might be a great way to stretch your budget and get a few more stamps in your passport.
Don’t forget to look into train tickets. I love a good train trip, especially when I am in Europe. France has the coast, the countryside, and also the mountains. Imagine being able to watch the sun rise or maybe even set over the ocean or a snow covered mountain top. All of these things are possible with a little day trip or maybe a weekend trip if you can swing it.
I spent 2 days in Bulgaria in the middle of my Greek excursion and it was a great experience. It was able to try different food and experience a completely different culture. I also went to Italy for 5 days during my Greek trip and I was able to see 3 different Italian cities.
You can often get ticket between cities for less than $30 maybe even less than $15. The perks for European trains is that they are almost always on time, really fast, and very affordable.
Where you can find other Black people or Black History
France has a rich history of Black culture. Some of this is due to the slave trade and in part due to the amount of African and Caribbean migration that has happened over the past few decades. France is a country that has laws against collecting information pertaining to race. They do however collect information on a person’s home country.
What you will find is that most of the people who would be classified as Black in France will primarily identify themselves first with being French. One great place to stop by is the Goutte d’OR neighborhoods. This neighborhood has a large number of people from African descent.
For many famous African American artists, Paris has a strong influence on their art, music, and writing. Most notably this would include Josephine Baker, Miles Davis, W.E.B Dubois, and recently Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Kanye West. The jazz scene, theater scene, and art scene that made a difference for Black pioneers is very much alive in Paris today.
Did you know that Paris has a full blown Black Paris tour? Just like in America, Paris was built on the backs of African immigrants. While you are on the Black Paris tour you can see the different parts of the city that were highly influence by African, Haitian, and Caribbean immigrants.
Scams to avoid
Like many European cities, pickpocketing and scamming are real threats to tourists and in many ways even to residents. One of the main ones is the “friendship bracelet” trick. This is basically when you are approached by someone who begins to put a bracelet or ring on your body. Maybe they give you a flower. After you have the “gift,” they attempt to make you give them money for the item.
Even if you didn’t want the item in the first place they will try to guilt you into paying for it. They may even become aggressive and try to corner you into giving them more money. If someone tries to give you one of these trinkets, especially if you don’t have the money to give to them, it is best to refuse the item and get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
The ATM are a prime place to get scammed. Make sure that any ATM that you may try to go to is well lit and in a public location. It’s best if it isn’t surrounded by people who may be trying to rob or scam you. There are scams where a person will come up behind you and cover the screen. They will push buttons for money to come out, take the money, and run.
When you are traveling alone it is best to come on vacation with cash already. If you find a hotel with a safe then you can leave a majority of your money in the safe. Take the cash that you will need for the day out. You can also stay safe by going to ATM machines. Choose machines that are located in a bank where there are cameras and security.
6 Places to hit up!
1.Versaille
2. Louvre
3. Arc de Triomphe, “triumphal arc”
4. Notre Dame
5. Palais de Luxemburb
6. Eiffle Tower
There you have it! My tips and tricks for traveling solo in Paris!