Paris on a Budget

Some pics from spring break:

Best pesto pizza ever from Milan-

View from my hostel in Venice-

Piazza Michelangelo in Florence-

Trevi Fountain in Rome-

My first Gyro in Athens-

Cute little island town of Aegina-

Paradise Beach in Mykonos-

Fish pedicure and Fira town in Santorini-

…In Paris! I am finally back to blogging since returning from spring break last week and have plenty of budget tips to share! Spring break was awesome but that will be another entry post. So last time I blogged I said I was going to attempt my epic spring break on 800 euros. I cannot lie to you fellow bloggers, I did go a little bit over due to budgeting mistakes early on in my trip, but I learned from my mistake and want to help you avoid making the same one.

• Budget for Miscellaneous fees: This is something I did not do and quickly had me very annoyed at the amount of extra money I was spending. There were so many random tourist tax fees in Italy that I could not afford to souvenir shop! For example, every hostel we stayed in charged us an extra 2 to 3 euros PER night and every restaurant charged a cover fee (what am I going to a club?) AND service charge (which is like tipping but I haven’t done that since I left America!), so that threw me off my budget at first. Also, it rained while we were in Italy and I had not packed an umbrella due to lack of space in my suitcase so I had to buy one there.
• Have a daily budget:  Having a daily budget helped me to control how much I was spending and made me decide what things were worth spending my money on. At the beginning of the trip I did not have a daily budget and by day four I had spent more than 300 euros (almost half my budget and 16 days to go!). After I noticed my money quickly disappear I made a budget per day that I stuck to throughout the rest of my break and found that I saved myself from making silly purchases and had more money to spend on stuff I needed.
• Check out local supermarkets: When on vacation, it is always good to try the local cuisine at restaurants but also at supermarkets. I have eaten enough pizza, gelato and gyros to last a lifetime, or at least until I get home, but I found that eating out every meal was getting expensive. When in Rome, my friend and I got great food suggestions from a local and went out to the market and bought fresh cheeses and meat. It was the best meal I had all break and it was so cheap!
• Shop around for souvenirs:  When shopping for souvenirs, make sure to look   at a few shops to get a sense of the prices. One shop will sell something for 8 euros while another across the street will sell the same thing for 6! This happened quite often throughout my trip. I found that things were cheaper in Athens than in the islands and bought my main purchases there, though I bought things from everywhere of course! There were things in Greece that were imported from Italy, that I wish I had gotten while I was in Italy cause it was much cheaper.

Overall, my spring was great and didn’t completely kill the bank. I hope you find these tips helpful when planning your fall/spring/summer break!

So spring break is just around the corner and I am extremely excited. It could not have come at a better time as I am definitely in the need of some serious relaxation! Here is my itinerary:

April 13: Milan

April 14-16: Venice

April 16-19: Florence

April 19- 24: Rome

April 24-27: Athens

April 27-29: Mykonos

April 29- May 1: Santorini

And then back to Paris!

It will be a long journey that I know will be fun but a bit tiresome. I have budgeted about 800 euros for this trip including hostels and food. Hopefully I won’t need that much since most of the cities are cheaper than Paris and I will be living off of gyros in Greece! A bientot!

So you wanna study abroad/visit Paris? Well wrap your head around this: Paris is EXPENSIVE AS F***! Not as bad as London, but that’s only because of the exchange rate. Everything from riding the metro to eating out at a mediocre restaurant will have you begging your parents for more money every week! But while you may feel a heavy dent in your pocket after leaving Paris, the following list will help you feel as if you weren’t robbed of every last penny upon your departure.

• If you are studying abroad, the metro pass (called Navigo) will be your best friend. It’s about 63 euros which may seem pricey, but an individual ticket is 1.70. So, if you use only two tickets a day, say to get to and from school, you’ll spend about 3.40 a day. Multiply by 30 and you’re spending 102 euros a month. So unless you plan on walking everywhere (if the weather is nice, i suggest it!) then invest in a Navigo!
• Food- Make your own! Supermarkets in Paris generally offer good deals on things like cheese, pasta, nutella, bread (what more do you need really?) I often bought groceries for the week for only 30 euros. Also various crepe stands offer sandwiches, a crepe and a drink for only 5.50 or delicious kebabs or gyros for only 5! If you want to try authentic french food, expect to pay more. In the Saint Michel area there are many restaurant that offer 10 euro three course menu though the food choices are limited and aren’t the best you will find.
• Drinks- Pregame, pregame, pregame. Buying a bottle of wine at the store can cost only 3 euros while the same bottle in the club or at a restaurant will be 20. Liquor at Monoprix can be from 8 to 15 euros, the cost of one drink at some bars after happy hour! Another money saving tactic on buying drinks is becoming friends with the bartenders. If you go to the same bar, eventually they get to know you and soon every hour is happy hour!
• Clothes- Parisians love their style and you will quickly fall in love with it too and want to dress the same way. Two letters: H and M. Everyone shops there and is a cheap way to fit in with the locals. Also vintage shopping is cheap and fun and you can find quite a few shops in the Marais in the 4th arrondissement. Do most of your shopping during the SOLDES if you can, aka the major sales that only happen twice a year in France. There are great deals on really awesome clothes. Before you leave America, check out stores like TJ Maxx or Burlington. I got a pair of electric blue jeans and combat boots that I thought would be more fashion forward in the states, but it turned out they were VERY popular in France (in fact electric blue is the color for spring, go figure!).

I have many more tips to share but that will have to be another entry at another time. A bientot!

Sorry I have not updated in a while, the weather in Paris last week was so perfect that I did not want to stay inside and miss one second of it! But, alas, the days of me in sun dresses and shorts are over for now as it chilly again.

So I celebrated my 21st birthday this past weekend which was amazing to say the least! My day started with school on Friday and afterwards one of my friends iced me by putting a Smirnoff Ice in my workbook! I had never been iced before but i’ve seen others do it and it was definitely a pleasant surprised. If you don’t know about getting iced, it happens when someone hides a Smirnoff in a random location and whoever finds it has to get on their knees and chug it! 

Afterwards, I met up with a couple of my friends at the Seine to chill before my picnic at the Eiffel Tower and when over my list of 21 things that I had to complete before the night was over. My close friends had made me the list in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and some of the things on the list included:

• Say 21 meaningful YOLOs
• Get 21 kisses
• Learn 21 new french words
• Take 21 shots throughout the day
• Listen to 21 lady gaga songs

I had a lot of fun attempting the things on the list! Next we met up with a bunch of people at the Tower to have my picnic which was a major success. The weather was perfect, the wine, cheese and baguettes were never ending and the company was great! 

We had a great time chatting and catching each other up on our lives and relishing in the fact that we can picnic at the Eiffel Tower whenever we want, so nice. After a few hours there a few of us went out to eat at a mexican restaurant called Boca Mexa which is basically like a french Chipotle and was very delicious. Then I went to my friends place to get ready for the night.

We ended up going out around the Saint Michel area and bar hopping around there. At one bar they played Happy Birthday over the stereo system and even gave me a candle to blow out with my drink! Then we went to one last bar, the Violon Dingue where I always have a good time, and stayed there the rest of night til it closed around five am. The next day I was supposed to go to the Loire Valley but I overslept and did not wake up in time for my trip. Instead of wallowing in the fact that I missed my trip, I decided to extend my birthday weekend and continue of with the festivities by having sushi with my friends that didn’t go to the loire and had drinks at a bar afterwards. 

Overall it was a great weekend, I had a blast and am so thankful for the friends that I have made here that made my day so special. Being 21 is not a big deal in Europe since the drinking age is much lower, so I felt like I had to make it a big deal myself. Mission accomplished!

I must have done something right at some point in my life to have such an amazing opportunity to be living in a city as amazing as Paris. Everyday I wake up and realize that no, this is not a dream, that I can practice speaking French to actual French people, or I can go and take a nap at the Eiffel Tower on a nice day and eat crepes, cheese and baguettes whenever I want (and for cheap!). There’s not a day that goes by that I go without thanking God for letting me live out my childhood dream of traveling throughout the world, yay! Whenever I am feeling down, or upset or wishing my friends were here with me, I just say to myself, “I’m in freaking Paris!” and I feel sooooo much better.

If you are even THINKING about studying abroad, just DO IT. You will not regret the experiences you will have. There’s nothing like learning about a new culture and speaking a new language and being in a different country where you meet lots of new people and learn more about yourself along the way. I’ve only been here for two and a half months and I DON”T WANT TO LEAVE! I love America and the freedoms that I get to enjoy but being able to take time out of my day to enjoy the littlest of things, like most Europeans do, is so nice. Not everything is about living to work but about living to enjoy life. And right now, I AM ENJOYING LIFE. So nice.

My 21st bday is next weekend and though it’s not a big deal to turn the big two one in Europe, I’m still going to go all out cause not everyone can say they’ve celebrated that milestone in Europe! Got a test to study for so I will update again soon! Til next time!

So Amsterdam was….well it was what you would expect it to be: a bunch of potheads and perverts. Lol not really, but kinda.

I took the train to Amsterdam from Paris which only took about three hours and ended up finding my way to the hostel an hour before my friends did. We stayed at Hostel Leidseplein which was right in the center of Amsterdam with a bunch of clubs, bars and coffee shops, aka, the perfect location. The room wasn’t bad either as we had booked an entire room and had our own bathroom and breakfast was included (toast and nutella!).

Right away we put our stuff down and went to explore the city which isn’t that big. We went to a couple coffee shops which was an interesting experience seeing people buy and sell weed like it was no big deal. I noticed that the city was filled of men which I guess shouldn’t have surprised me since Amsterdam is basically a man’s dream city. The first night was pretty uneventful though we got to see a street dance show which was pretty cool.

The next day we went to the Heineken Experience and got turned into beers and did a bunch of other interactive things while learning how they make their beer and drinking it. That was a lot of fun, though I could only drink so much beer before I got full! Later that night, my friend and I went to check out the Red Light District which was interesting to say the least. It was a little sad to see the girls in the windows primping themselves up for these men that wanted to buy them. It felt very degrading and little twisted. Who knows how many of these girls are sex slaves or even just trying to put themselves through college.

Afterwards we went back towards the hostel where various bars were competing for our service. One bouncer offered us free pints of beer for everyone in our group if we just walked in so we did!  The next day we went to the Anne Frank house which was very surreal. The whole time I kept thinking ‘Omg I’m in Anne Frank’s house, where she hid and wrote her diary.’ It was sad to see her writings on the wall and the pictures of all the people who were in hiding. The fact that her father was the only one who survived made it even more sad, but I am definitely glad I got to experience that.

When I got back to Paris, I found myself very ill and dehydrated as they are not allowed to serve tap water in Amsterdam, the bottled was expensive and I don’t drink carbonated drinks. So now I am on the road to recovery and I am glad I get to stay in Paris the next few weeks and explore more of the city. The more I travel, the more I realize how much I love Paris. There is really no city like it (except New York, my next adventure!). 

Til next time, A bientot!

So this past week has been pretty eventful. Last Saturday we took a trip to Normandy and got to see the D-day sites and Omaha beach where the American soldiers helped to liberate France from the Nazis during World War Two. It was absolutely amazing and humbling to see the cemetery where thousands of soldiers, who lost their lives so we could have a better one, were buried. To be able to walk along the beach where the battles took place was something I NEVER thought I would do, but used to imagine while sitting in my third grade world history class. Amazing. 

Afterwards, we headed to the region of Brittany to stay at a hotel in this cute little pirate town called St. Malo. In Brittany, they are known for their crepes and cider and have amazing seafood. A few friends and I went to try out this seafood in one of the restaurants, though I ended up just getting chicken. I did try one of my friend’s mussels which was my first time ever having mussels. It wasn’t so bad though the texture is one that will take some getting used to. Then we went to a bar to try some of the cider though I could not drink all mine cause it was not settling well with my stomach. We were all tired after that so decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel room.

A few minutes after being in the hotel, I started to not feel so well. My stomach was hurting badly and I was really nauseated. I ended up getting really sick in the bathroom to the point where I passed out on the toilet for a good 30 seconds. My body was so dehydrated from my stomach emptying itself out that my roommate had to go into town to buy me water cause i was too weak to move (there were no vending machines in the hotel!). After drinking the water, I felt strong enough to put myself to bed though I ended up getting sick a few more times in the middle of the night. It turns out that I am allergic to mussels and if eating just one made me so sick, I can’t imagine what would have happened if I ate more! It was a very scary discovery!

The next morning, I missed the tour around the city to rest a bit before we had to leave for Mont. St. Michel which is a fortress dedicated to the archangel Michael. It was beautiful but rainy and cold. 

Then we got back to Paris just in time to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle! It was a great welcome back present:)

In other news I am headed to Amsterdam this weekend with a bunch of people from my university back home. I’m so excited! Also, I booked everything for spring break and will be going to the following cities: Italy-Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome; Greece- Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. I am so stoked, it is going to be amazing. Our plane from Paris to Milan only cost 30 euros cause easyjet was having a sale, score! We bought train tickets to travel throughout Itlay which ranged from 9 to 20 euros.

Budget tip: check out all your transportation options while traveling. Flying is not the only option and is certainly not the cheapest in all cases. Try going by train or even by bus and you could save a bunch of money. Look into staying at hostels instead of hotels, or even an apartment at http://www.airbnb.com/.

A bientot! 

I am back! Madrid and Salamanca were absolutely amazing. I landed in Madrid around 8 pm on Friday and met with my friend, Janie, at the metro station who then took me to cute Spanish-style house, red roof and all, so adorable. It was weird transitioning from hearing French all day to hearing Spanish. I got mixed up quite a bit and said merci and oui c’est bien quite a few times and received many confused looks, but by the end of my stay my sentences were filled with gracias and yo quiero una chupita! Saturday we went to Salamanca and saw the cathedral and university there where there is a frog hidden somewhere on the building. Legend has it that if you find the frog you will have good luck forever, but who knows?

Then we went to dinner where we sat outside and were greeted by an amazing view of a guy who had a afro wig and his pants down with no underwear trying to recreate the Sexy and I know It video from LMFAO. It almost ruined my appetite, but the food was too delicious! Afterwards we went to a bunch of bars and ordered drinks and had a great time. There was even a bar that paid homage to Michael Jackson!

Things in Spain are sooooooo much cheaper than in Paris. A liter of any drink at the bar in Spain was at most 7.50 euros; shots are 5 euros in Paris it’s crazy! The next morning we caught the train back to Madrid and did some sightseeing and shopping before heading back to the apartment to sleep, it was a long weekend! I missed Paris a lot while I was there and that made me think of what it was going to be like when I went home to USA…..

This weekend I will be going to Normandy with my program which I am very excited about since I love WWII history. I can’t wait to see where a lot of the action took place and explore the same sites that battles happened and all that jazz. Time to go study for my exam tomorrow so A bientot!