Entertaining Paris

Paris, France - beautiful, cultural, glamorous, atmospheric, peaceful

Parisians aren't as bad as their reputation and are friendlier than I expected, although they are arrogant!  There are loads of places to go out in Paris suiting a wide variety of tastes - live music (jazz, electro, d'n'b), clubbing, bars, cafes, museums, theatre - too much to do really!   The atmosphere is out of this world - as a capital city, Paris is lively and bustling, yet peaceful and relaxing, with its river and abundance of pedestrian-friendly areas. The atmosphere changes dramatically from arrondissement (district) to arrondissement, and these are worth researching thoroughly beforehand so as to find the right corner "made for you".  You should definitely choose work over university! It’s seriously good for your CV, and in my opinion offers most opportunity for linguistic improvement.

Useful local words: 'Nan', 'genre'.

What not to pack: Mini-skirts (depending on what kind of looks you want to attract from both sexes).

What to pack: A good camera.

Couldn't have done without: A good map of Paris to start with.

Word of advice: Live with others if you can (I didn't and it made me nearly bankrupt!), but only if they are French/non-English speaking - otherwise, when the going gets tough, the temptation becomes too much!

Hatty, French and Philosophy, Bristol University

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