Accomodation and Out & About in Paris

This was my first time in Paris and it was a highly anticipated trip for me. Back in UiTM Shah Alam, i learned French as my third language and i was hoping that i could finally practise what i have learned. However, it had been at least a year since my last French class so i didn't put much expectations on myself. 

But i have to tell you: having basic knowledge in French did help me a long way throughout my stay in Paris. Prior to coming here, i heard quite a handful number of stories of how rude and unfriendly the French are when you talk to them in English. Even the people over the information counter! Ergo whenever i had to talk to the locals, i tried my hardest to talk in French. And alhamdulillah, 98% of the locals whom i spoke to were very friendly and helpful. God bless. 

Also, yes, Paris is filthy. I can vouch for that. The metro (which is equivalent to Malaysia's LRT) smells like pee almost all the time. And if you ever see a random wet spot on the wall, dripping to the floor, it's pee. When Emma and I were walking on the street heading to Grand Palais and Petit Palais (a huge tourist attraction), there was shit everywhere by the roadside. Dog shit or human shit; i don't know. But there must have been a berak berjemaah because the amount of shit by the roadside was definitely more than three humanbeings can produce. 

Moving on.

Out and about in Paris. The public transportation in Paris is very, very efficient. I basically went everywhere by train. The buses are quite efficient too but i personally am not confident taking the buses. I got the 5-Day Paris Travel Pass (€39) which can be purchased at the normal ticketing machine. When going around Paris, i solely relied on Google Maps and help from the locals. And honestly, when in Paris, you don't have to worry about getting lost anymore. We're in the 21st century when you have everything you need at your fingertips. When your phone fails you, then you start asking around. So my advice : get a SIM card. For this trip, since my first point of arrival was the UK, i got a giffgaff SIM card. Giffgaff can be used from anywhere within the EU countries, so you need not buy a new SIM card whenever you enter a new country. 

Throughout our stay in Paris, we stayed at an airbnb in a district called Neuilly-Plaisance. It's on the outskirts of Paris and it took us about 20 minutes to central Paris via train, depending on which stop you want to go to. This is the last stop of Zone 3 and is closer to Disneyland than to central Paris. We stayed there for four nights and it was very comfy. Despite being quite small (one room, one bathroom), it's equipped with a washing machine, iron, heater, water heater, strong WiFi, microwave and it was very clean!

The apartment is on the fifth floor, overseeing the RER station which is right across the street. So getting to the train station took us about 5 minutes every single time. The airbnb host is a Vietnamese and she's so nice too! One night stay at the apartment costs around €46. Since there was just me and Emma and we stayed there for four nights; we had to pay RM1177 in total (RM588/each).

It was a good and cosy place. If you're coming to Paris with a friend, i highly recommend this airbnb! In the morning, there's a small bakery that opens at 7am right across the street and they have good almond croissants. If you're looking for halal restaurants, there are a few halal restaurants within 50m from the apartment that open till late. And there's Domino's pizza nearby too. Teehee.

For more photos of my trip: