**Parisian living - authentic experience in the heart of Paris **
If you want to sleep in a comfortable bed, in the home of a friendly and helpful Paris local who will not hesitate to give you tips and ideas on how to best see as much of the real Paris as possible then look no further.
Kitchen: Use of the kitchen was awesome for a pastry chef who prefers to have a nice breakfast and coffee at home before venturing outside for a full day of exploration. Everything tool-wise is present eg. Pots, cutlery, mugs, cutting board, fridge space
Food: There are grocery stores and multi-cultural restaurants all around. If you are vegan or just looking for some very delicious and inexpensive food nearby I highly recommend Jah-Jah by le tricycle two blocks away (take away is cheaper and the menu items change daily, amazing food!!! The bol-cru (raw bowl) was a nice way to end the day after eating an outstanding croissant au chocolate-gianduja from Pierre Hermés café just south of notre Dame - another must visit for any serious foodie)
Bed room: I slept in the double bed. A corner room with two walls of windows which allowed the morning sun to stream in and allowed me quaint views of the streets below as well as those in the distance. Very cozy, great space, private - I need earplugs occasionally and used them 2 nights out of 7 due to locals on the street but that was a non issue.
Location: walking everywhere is a must! You actually see the city, rather than zipping around underground and missing out on half the experience. Walk 45 minutes up (North) through Montmartre and to the sacre-cœur for an amazing hill top view of the city (and also take your time to explore all of the unique shops, cafes, restaurants, and artists who are busy at work!). I found this area to be one of the most culturally interesting.
South 20 minutes and you are at the Seine, from there you have access to the Louvre/notre dame (still a sight to see regardless of the recent fires)/musée de l’orangerie, musée d’orsay. Walk another 45 minutes to Trocadéro/the Eiffel Tower, cross to the Arc de Triomphe and champs Élysée etc.
**Everything in the city is in walking distance from Taïne’s centrally located apartment.
Transport: Get a metro pass (and hop on the metro at stations a block away) to go to Versailles or if you want to return home easily after a full day of walking. Gare du Nord connects you to other EU countries by train as well as the airport and is 15-20 minutes away walking depending on your speed.
Safety: single female traveller - be smart and aware of your surroundings/belongings just like in any other city.
Do not be afraid though!!
Paris is safe, I returned home at 9:30pm after going to Jah-Jah a couple blocks away for my take away dinner, after returning from walking around champs Élysée and the Eiffel Tower area in the evening by myself. If an alley or side street makes you uncomfortable be smart and do not go down it. That being said this is a well populated city and I found many Parisians/fellow travellers who did not hesitate to answer any questions I had along my walls in every area of this city.
:)
Perfect for a single traveller like me who had never been to Paris before, the apartment is creative and unique in its interior decor and personality. Taïne is an artist and her space reflects that.
**if you do not like the feeling of staying in someone’s home or personal space this is not for you, modern impersonal furnishings do not exist, every piece and item around the apartment is tasteful and boasts history of people and places. The wooden floors creak a little if you move to get water in the middle of the night but I loved the authenticity of my visit to a truly Parisian flat which had not been stripped of the original infrastructure and painted over as a “modern” home.
I hope this helps! Enjoy your Paris vacation and enjoy staying with Taïne :)
Ps. My trip was 7 days (perfect for me to see all I wanted to, I also had a 4-day museum pass, and used a metro card for travel to/from the airport/Versailles/evenings when my feet were tired from walking 8 hours or more)
Bon vacance!
Anna-Engel