Student Ambassador Brendow Souza shows how studying in Ireland also opens the door to exploring the rest of Europe.
In his latest blog, he shares an unforgettable trip to Paris filled with practical travel tips, personal moments and advice on how to make the most of a European getaway on a student budget.
Hey everyone, how’s it going? In this blog, I’m going to share some tips about the trip my fiancée and I took to Paris (by the way, I proposed there, haha), along with some struggles, insights and everything else, so you can have an amazing trip just like we did.
Tip 1: Planning is essential. Start putting your plans into action. Create an Excel spreadsheet, a notes app, a notebook or whatever works best for you. Write down how you imagine your trip, starting with leaving home for the airport, the tourist spots you want to visit, and where to eat. You can find all the information and tips online through YouTube, Google and other sources. Many videos and articles help estimate expenses, assess whether there’s enough time to do everything you want, and find great hotels, among other valuable insights.
Tip 2: Airports and flight tickets. As usual, arriving early at the airport, both for departure and return, is something everyone already knows. But here’s a valuable tip we discovered: check all the details on your ticket, such as the name, exact airport address (some cities have more than one), travel time to your hotel and the best way to get there. We ran into an issue right before boarding because Ana Luiza’s name on the ticket was different from her passport, and fixing it cost us a lot. Also, on our return, the airport we departed from was far from the city centre, and we arrived just in time for boarding. Luckily, everything worked out, but even with all the planning, you can never be too careful.
Tip 3: Navigo (metro and other transport options). Here’s some great feedback. Although Paris’s metro can be crowded during peak hours, we used it for almost our entire trip, and so far it’s the best public transport system we’ve experienced. A big advantage is the Navigo card, which costs €5.00, and with a weekly recharge of €32.00, you get unlimited access to all public transport (metro, bus, train, etc.) for a whole week. The trick with this card is that it works from Sunday to Sunday, so to get the most out of it, use it within that timeframe. Besides central Paris, we used the Navigo to go to Disneyland and Versailles, which are in nearby cities. This saved time in ticket queues and money, as a single ticket costs €2.50.
Tip 4: Free and affordable paid tours. A great option for those who, like us, are unfamiliar with Paris is to join guided tours led by professionals. Some are free and you can leave a tip to support the guide’s work, while others are paid but quite affordable. For example, we took a boat tour on the Seine River, a guided tour of Stade de France and visited Versailles Palace. The prices ranged from €16 to €24 per attraction per person. Considering the cost-benefit and the experience, it was totally worth it and I highly recommend it. 
Tip 5: How to make the most of your day at Disneyland Paris. With the Navigo card in hand (see Tip 3), it’s time to visit one of Paris’s and Europe’s most iconic spots, and no, it’s not the Eiffel Tower. Like us, arrive early, but not too early, as the gates opened at 9.30 in the morning during our visit. If you’re going in winter, dress warmly because it gets really cold. To save time, bring snacks from home and wear comfortable shoes.
Our main focus was to enjoy the most thrilling rides, such as roller coasters and high-speed attractions, but the queues can be long. That’s why using the Disney app is a great idea to find attractions with shorter wait times early in the day. Also, since we bought a two-park ticket for the same day, we took advantage of off-peak times to switch between them. At the end of the day, there’s a spectacular light and fireworks show, so it’s worth sticking around until the end to get a good spot in front of the most famous castle created by Walt Disney.
So that’s my blog for today, folks. Hope you liked the tips.
And you, have you been to Paris? Do you agree with these suggestions? Do you have any other tips to add? If you haven’t been yet, what do you think?
Leave a comment and share this with anyone planning a trip to Paris. Wishing you an incredible experience and a wonderful journey.
See you soon. Until next time.
Student Ambassador Brendow Souza is studying at ICD Business School via Education in Ireland.