Salut, mes amis!
If you don’t know me, my name is Jenna Hughes and I am currently studying in Paris.
When you get to your city (wherever that may be), it can be overwhelming! There are tons of things to do: trying new foods at the local restaurants, seeing the big sites and if you are like me, shopping a little (or a lot).
However, sometimes these things add up FAST, especially since the currency isn’t the same. It is hard to plan how much things cost when you want to do everything and also have no idea what the value of certain things are.
I personally have to watch my money, so I get how you feel if money is your stressor. I mean, I am all for living my best life but why does it have to be so expensive?
While the popular sites and ‘touristy things’ are fun, I believe from my own experience that the best things are often FREE. These free experiences not only save your wallet, but they also tend to be less swamped with tourists. Hidden gems of the city if you will.
Not to mention, these free experiences are also more likely to connect you with daily life in your country. Oftentimes, most of the people who live in the city go to these places because they are free and not filled with tourist traps. These places will connect you more with daily life and teach you to enjoy the simplicity that life has to offer abroad.
So whether or not money is something you have to keep in mind abroad, these free things are worth a visit! You might find something that you weren’t expecting to see or meet someone you might have not known otherwise. That’s the fun of these places! They are authentic experiences. Look below to see just some of the many free things to do in Paris. Happy sight-seeing!
Bisous, XOXO
This is Les Colonnes de Buren, which is located about 5 minutes from the Louvre. It is a free space with lots of nature and beautiful architecture. It would be a great place to read or do some homework, while also being close to the center of the city! |
This is La Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, a library in Paris with some beautiful architecture. You can take a tour of this library for a couple euros, BUT if you have a student card, you can get a free membership to this library for a year! My friends and I all got memberships, so we are able to go and study there or rent out study rooms. Highly recommend! |
This is one of the many ports/les quais in the city! These are essentially platforms where you can stand by the Seine river and watch the water or get an excellent view of the city. My favorite platform can be accessed by 'Avenue de New York' and has a great view of La Tour Eiffel, without an insane amount of tourists! |
This is Le Jardin de Luxembourg, one of the many free parks in Paris! All the parks I have been to in Paris are free, have beautiful views, and lots of places to sit or things to do. It is a great place to relax, meet someone new and/or people watch a bit. A lot cemeteries are also free in Paris and are great for taking afternoon walks! |
As mentioned above, cemeteries are also a great place to spend some time and save some money! This is a photo of Le Cimetière du Montparnasse that has some famous French writers buried there like Simone de Beauvoir or Charles Baudelaire. Another popular cemetery with famous people is Le Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, which is on my sight-seeing list but I just haven't got to it yet! |
This is La Place Dauphine, which is on one of the islands in the middle of the Seine river. From here, you can see Pont Neuf (a famous bridge) or Le Palais de Justice. This is also another great place to relax and take in the scenery! |
This is Le Musée Carnavalet, a free museum that shows the history of Paris! It is a pretty big museum with both exhibits inside and a garden outside. The exhibits have a little bit of everything including sculptures, paintings and artifacts. This museum doesn't get overly crowded, so it is a really good museum to go to and become fully immersed in the culture! |
This is the Place Vendôme, which has beautiful buildings and all the designer stores one could imagine. While the designer stores are definitely not free, they do have very pretty window displays and overall, I think this is a beautiful place to walk around and admire the architecture of the city! |
This is Place de la Concorde, which is very similar to Place Vendôme. It has a lot of pretty architecture and a big beautiful fountain. This square is also close to Le Jardin des Tuileries and Le Louvre. You can also see La Tour Eiffel and L'Arc de Triomphe too, so it is a great place to walk around! |
And last but not least, this is La Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, which is located in the neighborhood Montmartre. This is a beautiful church that is located on the top of a hill. After you finish the monstrous hike to the top (of take the lift), there is an amazing view of the city! Not to mention, the neighborhood of Montmartre has many cute souvenir shops and great places to eat! |
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À Bientôt
In this post, I write my farewell letter to Paris.
Jenna Hughes
My name is Jenna Hughes and I am student at Miami University in Ohio. I have dreamt of going to France since I was 13, so I am excited to go this summer! My favorite things are reading French books, getting coffee with friends and family and my dog.
