How I Dealt with Pre-Departure Chaos: Paris, France

Hi! My name is Shannon Allen I am an Environmental Science major and Film minor at SU. This year I will be doing two international trips through Seattle University. First, I will be taking a trip to Paris, France for a two-week-long class which I will use as a Film Elective. The flight to Paris from Seattle totals around 10 hours. Now would be a good time to mention I have aerophobia (intense, irrational fear of airplanes). This flight to France was my second international flight, my fourth flight total, and my first solo flight. So, you would think that flying would be the most stressful part of the trip for me, I thought so too.

The most stressful part of the trip for me was actually not flying, it was all the prep for the flight. What to pack, what suitcase size to bring, how to navigate the airport, etc… on top of my existing fear it all became too much. So, for my first post, I have decided to share some tips that helped me deal with stress.

15 Best Tips For Paris

1. Dress up…always
2. Remember you can wash things when there
3. Metro over taxi any day
4. Use a bag you can keep in front of you, plus bring a tote for extra space while there
5. Carry-on bags whenever possible
6. Be careful crossing the street, in Paris, cyclists and bikers own the road
7. Check the weather regularly, AC is not a given
8. There are so many amazing museums in Paris, don’t spend all your time at the Louvre
9. Ask for tap water in restaurants, not bottled, they will charge you for bottled.
10. Don’t try to hit every monument the first time, not if it takes away from the experience
11. Always say “bonjour” when you enter an establishment or start a conversation
12. Be nice and they will be nice back, French “hating Americans” seems to be a myth to me! They just hate rude people, they are very friendly to each other.
13. ATMs and the Airport will each charge a transaction fee for converting USD to Euro, so, if your bank can’t avoid the fee, try going into an American restaurant (like Mcdonald’s) and ask for cash back if offered. I didn’t personally do this, but others who I traveled with highly recommend it.
14. Meals take a long time in Paris! Feel free to sit for hours at a table, even after you eat, your waiter won’t keep checking up on you or ask you to leave.
15. Below are more specifics on luggage and packing

Luggage Shopping

Suitcases: Given I had little luggage of my own and I would be traveling internationally, I decided it was time to invest in a set of luggage. I used a three-piece set from Travel Pro, luckily, I found them at a good discount. The hardest decision when picking luggage was hard-sided or soft-sided. Hard-sided is very secure, but I am a person who likes to stuff things into my suitcase, so the outside appealed to me because it had lots of pockets on the outside. If you find a soft side case with good bones, it is easily as secure as hard-sided. For my two weeks in Paris, I used the smallest size as a carry-on with a large backpack as my under-seat bag.

My carry-on, under-seat bag, and purse

Small Bags: I knew pickpocketing was a large issue in Paris so I didn’t want to carry around a backpack the entire time, I wanted something I could carry in front of me. I found a small bag that converts between a backpack and a side bag, perfect for walking around all day. The best hack for me was bringing a tote bag that I could fold up small and carry with me in case I found any food I wanted to buy and carry. In Paris, I highly recommend buying food throughout the day and finding a good place on the river to eat it. 

Packing

The weather in France was over 100℉. For this weather, I brought skirts, dresses, one pair of jeans (for the cool mornings), a pair of dress pants, light outerwear, a raincoat, and six pairs of shoes. Six pairs of shoes were too much. I also brought too many pairs of pajamas, there’s no AC in the hotels typically in Paris, so there is no need to pack warm, bulky pajamas. I wish I had brought more dresses. People are always dressed up in Paris, so a dress or nice skirt is always the way to go. Pictures are below of what I packed for reference. Also, I don’t care how cute your shoes are, pack comfortable ones instead, you will walk everywhere.

What I brought!

SU Faculty-Led Short-Term Program - American in Paris - Paris, France - Summer 2022