Tips to Travel to France and Italy

Traveling to Europe has become an obsession for the younger generations, and we are not to blame – there is nothing that beats the feeling of being 5,000 miles (or 9,000 km) from home and seeing with your own eyes the 120 degrees of vision that no photograph or even video can simulate.

I’ve been blessed to have gone to Paris three times, Luxembourg twice and the South of Italy once. There’s still so many more places I’d love to discover but I’ve learned so much with those trips that I’d like for others to know the different lessons I’ve had to learn the hard way because at first I thought they were the best idea, but just like a baby learns to walk, I discovered by failing multiple times that there are ways to make traveling easy, comfortable and fulfilling.

My very first recommendation for traveling to France and Italy is to study their language briefly before your trip, at least the basic words and phrases to make your trip memorable and not have any inconveniences.

BOOKING THE FLIGHT

First things first: how to get there? After years of booking flights, whether because I was moving to another state or because I was visiting family/boyfriend/friends, I’ve come to discover that on the website kayak.com you are able to find the best deals. This is the best website when it comes to finding the best flights. Why? Because it locates all tickets available from all the airlines that have flights to your destination and gets the best flights possible at the lowest rates. Then, you’re also able to sort by “Cheapest”. There’s also a feature to add/remove +/- 3 days. This is very helpful because that way there’s a higher chance the search engine will find flights that are even cheaper since your dates are more flexible. Lastly, I love the feature that displays a calendar and tells you exactly which days are cheap, not so cheap, and which days are more expensive.

If you want affordable flights take into account a few things:
1. off season (winter) flights will always be cheaper. Also, touristic spots such as the Eiffel Tower will be a lot less crowded during winter months which are from November to February.
2. don’t start looking too far in advance or else tickets won’t necessarily be the cheapest. The best time to buy a plane ticket is between 8 to 6 weeks. You can push it to 4 weeks if you want to test your luck.
3. have flexibility on your travel dates. Once you have your plans in stone then request time off from work.
If you’re flying from outside Europe, flying into CDG airport (Charles does Gaulles) is usually the cheapest. If flying from within Europe, flying through Ryan Air into Beauvais Airport in Paris is the cheapest. However, flying into that airport means you’ll need to spend a bit more on a train or bus ticket because this airport is around 30 minutes north of Paris’ main international airport CDG (Charles se Gaulles).
You might be lucky and be able to find very cheap tickets (sometimes even without stops!) from Norwegian airlines. This airline is great, however, you need to read very carefully about their luggage policy as it might be more expensive than other airlines, even for a carryon bag, and also be mindful they won’t give you any food or even water during your flight, not even if it’s an 11 hour flight! They’ll sell you a water bottle for $3 once on flight. But hey, if you’re able to fly for $366 to Paris, why not.
Some people will argue that cheapoair.com has the best flights but that is not true. Yes, the fare is “cheap” but then once they add all of the taxes at the end your ticket ends up being not so cheap anymore. Anyways, give kayak.com a chance and tell me how it goes.
Booking to and from an international airport will almost always be cheaper than if you book from a smaller, local airport. San Francisco and JFK (New York) airports offer some of the cheapest flights I’ve ever found.
Paris’ main international airport is CDG (Charles de Gaulles) and is usually pretty affordable to fly there. However, be careful with booking your flight to Beauvais, which is ANOTHER Paris airport, but one that is actually one hour away from the main city. This means that you need to make an extra trip from Beauvais to Paris. There’s a bus that does shuttles from Beauvais to Porte Maulliot (10 minute walk to Arc de Triomphe) and it costs around €15 per person.

ACCOMMODATION AND MOVING AROUND

When looking for accommodation in Paris, you need to plan your trip really well and not leave bookings for last minute. Also, plan your main moves accordingly. Paris is a very punctual city and it won’t leave your plans hanging.
Paris’ main airport, CDG, (which is an international airport) happens to NOT be close to Paris. It’s a good 30 minute drive from the main city and in UBER or taxi language we are talking about between €45 to €50 euros just to get from the main city to the airport. Via public transportation, the price would be around €15 but if you don’t know your way around or get lost on your way to/from the airport, you better leave enough time as cushion so you don’t miss your flight or any other commitments. For this, I recommend that if visiting Paris, you stay at either an Airbnb or hotel inside Paris, within one of its 20 Arrondisements (districts). Once you’re in this circle, it’s easy and cheap to move around. Taking a train out of the city for 25 minutes every day after touring the city is not only exhausting but also pricey and let’s not even mention potentially dangerous if it’s already at night. Having accommodation within the city limits is easy, quick and allows you more time during the day to visit more attractions. Click here to find out what each arrondisement has to offer!

Take advantage of airport shuttle services when available and when convenient: Paris airport CDG has partnered with around 20+ different hotels that are within a 5-10 mile radius from the airport in order to provide a free shuttle for customers. It’s a lot more convenient than spending €20 on even the closest Airbnb’s or other hotels that aren’t partners. It’s important to look at a map to see where the shuttle stops. They usually stop on terminal 2E on the very top floor outside, and there are different bus color lines that identifies them and tells which hotels a specific bus color does shuttles to. Shuttles are unlimited and they have extensive coverage from early morning to past midnight. If your flight lands in the evening or your departing flight is early morning I recommend staying that 1st or last night in a hotel nearby that offers a shuttle. Then, the rest of the time you can move to accommodation in the inner city so you don’t have to do the 30 minute trip twice every day, since like I said before, the airport isn’t exactly close to the main city.

Plan with months in advance so you can get the best accommodation for the best price so you’re not stuck on an Airbnb far away from the city that will cost money and time to move to every day you want to enjoy the city attractions.
Airbnb’s are great for accommodations within the city, but if you have an early flight the next day the best thing you can do is move to a hotel that’s really close to the airport with airport shuttle service the night before so you don’t have to worry about taking a metro/train/bus very early the day of your flight.
make a list of the attractions you want to see and the times they open/close and how much the entrance fees are.
get up early and be ready to walk a lot. Wear your most comfortable shoes. The city is gorgeous and honestly every single corner will seem magic as you walk by. Aim for unique shots not just the typical main attraction spot pictures.
Try getting a phone carrier chip so you don’t roam and you don’t get charged extra for using your phone plan internationally. As much as you’d want to not use data on your trip, it is quite necessary specially if you’re lost and finding public, free WiFi isn’t always easy to get.

Download offline maps from google maps

PACKING

RULE ABOVE ALL RULES: PACK LIGHTLY! be smart about your luggage and pack as if you’ll be dragging your stuff for hours on end while strolling around the city. Sometimes things don’t necessarily go as planned and sometimes it will not be possible to go drop off your luggage at your Airbnb or hotel before heading to explore the city.

Pack one or two pairs of shoes, the most comfortable you have.
Pack lightly. Unless you’ll be in Europe for multiple months, only take one carryon bag and one personal item, and if possible, even only one bag. This will save you money because checked bags to Europe (the baggage they put under the plane) can cost between $25 all the way to $100, specially if you pay at the airport. Check your airline fees as they all differ.
Not only do you need to be mindful about your luggage expenses at the airports but also trains. Some trains that go from one city to another, such as Metz-Paris or viceversa, will charge for a bag fee if it’s a large bag. If this is the case, check the fee on the train website and pay the fee BEFORE boarding because most likely at the train the day of the trip you’ll have to pay 4x the amount.
Invest in a good, 360 degree spinner carryon bag. If you find yourself having to walk a lot this type of bag will make it a lot easier than to drag the bag around.

Always look for opportunities of traveling with the most comfort possible. A lot of airlines, for most flights, at the boarding gate they’ll offer to check bags for free (without paying the extra fee for checked luggage) because the cabin usually runs out of space quickly. This is very convenient as this extra bag, such as your carryon, will be sent directly to your destination and you won’t have to carry it around during your flight (s).
Plan your outfits before leaving home. Pack clothes that match with each other. Check the weather and be realistic. If it says it’ll rain and be cold the whole week, don’t take a bunch of beach clothes hoping for a miracle because 99% chance that miracle won’t happen! Also, don’t wear ripped jeans on your flights. No matter what you tell yourself, you will be cold in the plane.
Toiletries: you can still take your shampoo, and other items in your carryon or hand luggage without having to pay checked bag fees: however, make sure your liquid toiletries are 3.4 oz or less. At Walmart, you can find a whole section with travel sized items you can buy or if you want to take your own items you have at home, they also have empty bottles that already are the size that would not allow more than 3.4oz to fit in the bottle, therefore not giving you an inconvenience when you go through security check.

WHILE BEING THERE

Don’t be afraid to walk. In Paris you’ll find plenty of Ubers but trust me, those add up very quickly and you kind of miss the fun of getting immersed in the city by doing that. Paris has an impressive web of subways, metros and buses that run well into the night that will make it very easy to move around. There’s train stations in every single small town and honestly, it’s just so much fun getting to see locals on their day-to-day duties riding to and from their jobs. In my experience, buses, trains, subways and metros are always on time in Paris. In the South of Italy, in Palermo, however, Ubers are nonexistent and I’ve heard Taxis are very expensive and inconsiderate. Buses are also not very reliable. They are always late and are very inconsistent. In Palermo, my feet hurt more from standing waiting for the bus to come more than them hurting from me walking. So if you’re in Italy, embrace the fact that you’ll need to walk or you can also rent a scooter and this will make things easier for you as well.
Don’t drive in Paris or south of Italy, unless you’re really brave and love potentially getting tickets for staying longer on a parking spot than you were supposed to. Plus, driving takes the fun away from things, you want to explore the city, notice details, take photos/video, have conversations with your trip buddies or even people you meet there, not be stuck in traffic just like you already do back home.
Rent a scooter or bicycle if you’re feeling brave enough. Drivers in Paris are a lot less crazy than the ones in the south of Italy, that’s a fact.

I hope this guide helps you plan your next trip! Paris is an amazing city. It’s really clean, well-organized and has so much to offer. Don’t limit yourself on everything you can do in this unforgettable city!