KnightOwl

I shall be a student here next year and can’t wait. It’s an awesome place just to visit and with Colonial Williamsburg right there it’s a nice addition to any trip to the area.

Although Paris is somewhere where I would suggest everyone go at least once in their lifetime, I didn’t really find the city as wonderful as I had thought it would be. I have gone twice in the last two years, and both times it was rather disappointing. The first time I went was with a tourist group and although it was great to see the world-famous monuments, the French tour guide we had was rather rude and did not listen to requests from the groups to remain longer in some places. The company also had specific restaurants which we went to which were rather expensive and the food was not excellent. But the hotel we stayed at was wonderful and we had the chance to see the Fête de la Musique on the summer solstice, which was AMAZING, and if anyone can make it then, I would highly suggest going.

The second time was better in that it was with a group of friends and we chose what we wanted to do. It was more work to make reservations and plan out a day, but we also had the chance to experience more Parisian life and visit the small market places, which were great and I loved getting the small souvenirs from there instead of some of the more expensive tourist shops. Yet, there were some issues with pickpockets and hotels which put a damper on our excitement over the course of the trip.

Overall, if you are planning a longer trip, I would suggest having the first couple days with a tour guide to take you around to all the different tourist locations, but then to take a couple days on your own once you have had a feel for the city to go and explore what you think is interesting. The city is so big with so much to offer that good research about what to do beforehand is really useful so you can have a truly amazing trip!