It’s true that there were times in which I would have liked to have had someone with me, like when I was at the Eiffel Tower, or sometimes when I went out to eat. But there were plenty times I was grateful I was on my own, like when I took the wrong train to Versailles. I kept thinking: “I am so glad I screwed up on my own because if I were with someone, this would have been a big source of tension and stress.” As it turned out, I was only slightly chagrined, and getting back on the right track was no big deal. And there were times when dining alone opened me up to meeting some really great people. At some restaurants they seat you with people because there isn’t enough room for everyone to have their own table. I was next to a couple from England, and by simply asking them what they were eating, it opened up a great conversation with some really friendly people. This happened more than a few times.
In the Rick Steves videos and books, no one ever gets burned out from flight delays, people don’t need to use the restroom when they’re out touring, women don’t get their periods and have to hunt down a place to get Kotex pads, the rooms aren’t the size of a postage stamp, and the language barrier is never a problem. If you want the unicorns and butterflies perspective of traveling, then pop in one of his videos, because they are great! But I am going to tell it like it is because I think people would want to know there aren’t bathrooms on the Bateaux Boats!!!]
It seemed like such a simple plan: I would get on a plane, and then when I got off the plane I would be in Paris. After all, a plane trip is what it is, and why not end up in Paris? I could hang out, wander around, and see some really cool stuff.
This was back in 2007 when the economy was doing good and the price of airline travel was pretty reasonable. Virgin Atlantic was offering a package deal, air and hotel for $600 and some change per person for 6 days and 7 nights. Since I was going on my own, it was a little more expensive to pay the single supplement, so it ended up costing me about $1,100. Here's a little suggestion for the travel industry: How about catering to the single traveler every once in a while with your fabulous package deals???
The British Airways flight left San Francisco at 4 p.m and arrived about 9 hours later in London's Heathrow airport. This was my first really long flight and the lesson me and my long legs learned was this: We're going business class next time! It's huge and confusing at Heathrow, so I was glad for the two-hour lay over to give me time to catch the flight to Paris. But when a delay stretched the waiting to three hours, it did start to wear on me.
I finally got to Paris at about 4 p.m. on a mild February afternoon and was immediately revived. The package deal included airport pick-up and drop off, but I had to call them when I arrived, and using the public phone, the "cabin" as I learned from a wonderfully sweet (note sarcasm) French airport worker was a little tricky. But I managed to contact the company and they got me to Hotel Etoile (Star) Trocadero. This was advertised as a three star hotel, but it was very small and located on a typically narrow cobblestone street packed with centuries-old buildings with lots of wrought iron balconies off the windows. The sitting area had just a couple of chairs and there wasn't an elevator. My room was about the size of a double bed, it was teeny teeeny, and it did have a teeny teeeny bathroom. It overlooked a courtyard, so there wasn't much of a view. But for all that I loved it because it wasn't some impersonal chain hotel room. I felt I was really in Paris, and I could sort of see the Eiffel Tower's sparking lights at night. Besides, I didn't end up spending much time in the hotel room.
My hotel was in the 16th arrondissemont. Sorry for the spelling!!! An arrondissemont is like a neighborhood, and Paris is organized with about 20 or more of them. The first is located near the Louvre and then they spiral out in a clockwise circle. The 16th ar. is west of the first, the 5th ar. is a little south, and the 18th is a little north of the first.
The Eiffel Tower is near the 16th ar. and so is the Arch de Triumphe. But the museums, Notre Dame, and the Latin Quarter, and some other good stuff were located near the 5th and 6th ar. You can get around using the Paris metro system, which you do have to spend some time figuring out. Or you can spend more money on a cab. Or you can make reservations for the red double decker bus that makes a continuous loop to nine top destinations, like Norte Dame, the Musee d'Orsay and Eiffel Tower. If you are only staying a few days and don't have time for a lot of walking, I recommend staying in the 5th ar. and spending money on cab fare or taking the double decker bus.
Since I was going it alone, I made a couple of tour reservations in advance to give a little structure to my visit. I made a point to book at least one nighttime tour because I didn't want to be inside at night the whole time. Here's what I did in no particular order:
I booked a half day tour with Gray Line Tours to visit Montmartre and then a guided tour of the Louvre. It was a little difficult finding the Gray Line bus depot and when I asked a woman on the street for directions, in English, she looked like I was going to mug her or something. So yeah, the language barrier can be a problem at times. But for the most part, there are a lot of Parisians who speak English, especially in the service industries like the hotels, restaurants, and the museums and monuments.
I tried to learn a few French phrases in preparation of the trip, but ended up speaking English most of the time. What I thought was kind of funny was that about four or five times when I was out walking or waiting for the metro, people would turn to me and start talking, like I was a hometown girl! Of course I had no idea what they were saying, probably asking for directions, which happens to me a lot no matter where I am. But at those times I wished I could speak French.
We went to the Montmartre village center which is full of artists and is for tourists, but I still loved it and would recommend this. Be prepared to be hit up by a lot of guys who want to draw your portrait. It seemed like a goofy idea at the time, but now I wish I had that memento.
You can't see everything at the Louvre in one afternoon, but our guide took us to the highlights, which was really helpful considering the size of the museum. There were only two other people, Americans, that signed up for the tour that day, so don't be concerned about being in a big herd on that tour.
I booked an Illuminations of Paris tour, which was a nighttime cruise down the Seine and then a tour of the city in a minibus. The thing I liked about this particular tour, which was offered through Pariserve, is that it offered pick up/drop off at the hotel. For being known as the city of light, Paris is sort of dark at night with the low energy bulbs the city is now using. So good for them going green, but the next time I cruise down the Seine it will be during the day. The boat was large and roomy and packed with people on Valentine night. There were some really nice people sitting next to me, again from England, who talked about their trip to America. And note: there are no bathrooms on board. If you have to go, stop by the public restrooms at Eiffel Tower, which is near the dock.
The minivan driver was super friendly and spoke excellent English, and took us around to see some of the sights. I was with two couples from England, the nice couple from the country who told me all about tea time and invited me to their village up north, and the quiet couple from London who looked like they wanted to throw up on their shoes every time I said something. I really felt like a dufus AMERICAN around them. Unfortunately, the nice couple ended the tour early, and the “fun couple” just seemed to sulk in the back of the bus. The driver offered to stop at the Ritz so we could look inside, but we ended up not doing that because the couple seemed to want to get the tour over with as soon as possible.
I pre-booked a tour with the highly-rated, Paris-Walks, which offers English language walking tours through different neighborhoods with different themes. At the time the DaVinci Code was popular, and the tour guided the group to some of the sites mentioned in the book. This is probably why the group was really big and all Americans. We took up a lot of space and really stood out walking down the narrow streets, with the guide talking very loudly. A few times we heard comments from the passersby about being Americans, which were positive let me add, but it sort of had the effect of making the group kind of self conscious. So instead of bonding we sort of stuck to ourselves, which was a bummer for me being a solo traveler.
Still, I do recommend going on a Paris-Walks tour. In comparison to the minibus tour, you do get a better sense of place and history. Also, it really is a great way to meet fellow travelers; I think I just had bad luck the day of my tour. Next time I’ll book a less popular Paris-Walks tour with a smaller group.
A couple of things I did on my own included the Eiffel Tower. I went there on a beautiful rainy Paris morning, and seriously, there were only three other people at the ticket booth. When I went for a walk a couple days later during unseasonably warm weather, the lines snaked around the courtyard. I went to the second level having chickened out going all the way to the top. The little 19th century elevator was kind of rickety-looking. One downside of traveling solo is that you don't have someone encouraging you to do stuff.
You have to take a train trip to see the Palace of Versailles, which I did on about the third day. It was hard to figure out what train to take, and I ended up going the wrong way. But I eventually made it there, and guess what? There was a strike which closed down most of the tour. I later learned that French workers routinely go on strike and this shuts down the museums. For some reason, I wasn't that over-awed by Versailles and I won't see this again if I ever go back. If you are only in Paris a few days, you would do well to skip this tour.
The highlight was Notre Dame. This is a must-see destination. You will be awed by the sky-high ceiling and stained glass. There’s no way to get a sense of this cathedral unless you are standing in it, and make sure to have your picture taken at Point Zero, the center of Paris, located outside in the courtyard. And if you are there on a Sunday, I recommend attending high mass. Nearby is the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, located in the Latin Quarter. Did you ever see that movie with Ethan Hawke were he meets up with that girl in Paris for one day? They meet at the bookstore. Even if you aren't the literary type, definitely stop by.
Another great destination was the Musee d'Orsay, were you can get thissclose to paintings by the impressionist masters. It was amazing they didn't have the Van Gough paintings covered by glass, but I still appreciated having nothing obstructing my view of his work. You can see just how much paint he layered onto the canvas, which really gives you a sense of his emotional connection to his art. This is definitely something you cannot see in a print of his work!! I found it completely mesmerizing.
Since this blog is about solo adventures, I'll say a few words about going to Paris on your own. Do it!!! Don't let anything stop you from experiencing that amazing city. I am writing about it four years later, and it is still fresh in my memory, like I was just there last year. No other trip I have ever been on has made this impression. Of course there were times I wish I was with someone, mostly when I went out to eat. It was intimidating walking into a Paris restaurant on my own and dealing with the waiters. But to be fair, sometimes I was just imagining things. At breakfast in a near-empty café one morning, the waiter, who spoke very little English, kept glancing at me when he walked by to wait on other people. I thought, “What am I doing wrong? I am making a cultural faux pas? Should I not be sitting here taking up space??” When he finally gave me the check, he looked down at me and said in halting English with a very heavy French accent, “You aavee a beautiful bluee eyes.” Okay, I wasn’t expecting that, and yes, the French accent does have an effect on us girls, I mean, gurrrlls.
But on the other hand, I had a very pure experience with nothing and no one to distract me from whatever I was experiencing. I woke up when I felt like it, I made my own schedule, ate all of the out-of this-world-delicious chocolate croissants that I could stuff in my face, I took it easy when I needed to, and enjoyed doing all the dorky things I like to do without having to negotiate my plans. The best part about the trip is that is gave me confidence and incentive to keep traveling either on my own, with a friend, or with a tour group.
Happy travels everyone!
