worldinsidemypocket.co.uk

I have read that the restaurant options are better in the Bastide de Saint Louis, where you can visit Les Jardins de l’Estagnol for excellently rated Meditteranean cuisine at a more affordable price point. Within the Cité walls, you can find the Musée de l’inquisition, where you’ll get an hour-long tour of the different Medieval torture methods and instruments used in the French and Spanish inquisitions. If you’re looking for something a little more family-friendly, consider taking a visit to the Musée de l’école, where you’ll get a unique insight into education in the 19th century, including a look at original classrooms and desks. Back in La Bastide de Saint Louis, you can visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts, where you’ll find massive collections of European fine art ranging from the 17th century to the present day.

I’ve already posted a full guide to Couchsurfing: how to set up your profile, how to find the best hosts, the best way to organise your requests and of course, tips on how to stay safe and have a great time during your stay. Going against all the safety advice that I’d ever read, we wandered through the streets, our phones shining bright in our faces, walking round in circles and down dark alleyways, looking dangerously like a couple of lost, vulnerable girls with expensive technology (which is exactly what we were). It felt like an uncomfortable position to be put in: of course, we couldn’t tell a man we’d rather he sleep on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor in his own house while we curled up warm in his bed. Sleeping was no different to being in a hostel, we felt pretty comfortable once we’d accustomed to it, despite feeling guilty that our host was sleeping on the floor so that we could use the bed.

If you want a beautiful bed and breakfast right in the centre of town, try L’Arche des Chapeliers, where you’ll find big, bright bedrooms with traditional furnishings, as well as a library and a terrace. On Rue des Marchands, you can find another of my favourite stores Savignac Maison (opposite the Savignac knife store, if you’re interested in knives) where you can find all types of unique trinkets and gifts for yourself or loved ones. At the end of Rue des Marchands, you’ll find the stunning Abbatiale Saint-Volusien de Foix, built in the Romanesque style. To find the trailhead, search for Rue Saint-Saveur (past the abbey and across the L’arget river) where you’ll find a little carpark.

Personally, I think that if it’s your first time in Paris, you should take it slow and prioritise a shorter bucket list so you can take your time at each stop and really soak in the Parisien atmosphere. Where to stay for your first time in Paris Before you leave for your first time in Paris, you’re going to need to find a place to stay. If you’d like to cycle around Paris without having to figure out the Vélib system and pay an extortionate deposit, consider a city bike tour with a friendly local guide who can give you relevant tips, tricks and historical facts while you ride through the city. You can’t visit Paris without visiting the Notre-Dame, it’s such a fantastic and historical medieval cathedral, not to mention the setting of the adorable Disney movie Hunchback of Notre Dame.