A Student's Guide to Paris

Chris Donnan, a classics student at the UK’s University College London, is spending a year studying in France at the Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV). He shares his favorite things to do in Paris, and explores some of the differences between student life there and back in London.

I’ve been learning French since I was 11, so France was the obvious choice for my year abroad. As I’m very much a city boy, Paris was the most attractive French location, and I was keen to compare living in the French capital with London, where I’d done the first two years of my degree.

Paris is an amazing place to be an international student – provided that you enjoy big cities. Life here is busy and exciting, and there are opportunities to meet people from all over the world. It has lots in common with London – they’re both bustling with tourists, businesspeople and commuters and full of theaters, museums, bars, restaurants and so on. But of course it’s also very different…

Coffee, clubs, cuisine

I love the café culture of Paris – I’ve never drunk so much coffee! The tearoom at the Petit Palais is my favorite place to visit, although the Musée Jacquemart André is also great for a coffee.

In terms of shopping, a visit to one of Paris’ markets is a must – the quality of the produce is superb and often very reasonably priced. The Grande Épicerie, a food hall in the seventh arrondissement, is also a favorite of mine.

I’ve really enjoyed Paris’ nightlife offerings. The music is overwhelmingly house/trance/techno-based, so people who enjoy these styles will be spoilt for choice. My own favorite clubs and bars include Showcase, Batofar, Rex and Social Club. If you’re a jazz fan, the rue des Lombards has to be visited: there’s great quality live jazz there every weekend.

If you enjoy restaurants, I’d recommend visiting the Grand Colbert in the second arrondissement or, if you’re on more of a budget, the Bouillon Chartier in the ninth offers a very ‘French’ dining experience. (Be prepared to drink lots of wine if you move to Paris!)

Out and about in Paris

Outdoors, I love the view from the top of the steps of the Sacré-Coeur (an iconic Roman Catholic church); it’s even better than that from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I also really enjoy walking in the Bois de Boulogne on the western side of the city, especially on a sunny day, and my favorite urban place is the historic Marais district. Its narrow winding streets are a refreshing get-away from the grand boulevards which are so commonplace throughout much of the rest of the city.

Paris’ Metro is considerably cheaper than London’s Tube, but not as clean or as well-looked-after. The night-bus system here is nowhere near as good as London’s, but then taxis are much less costly.

Paris’s green spaces are also quite different. Whereas London has lots of little green spots dotted around, such as the garden squares in Bloomsbury (close to UCL), Paris has relatively few green spaces, but they tend to be larger.

Overall it would be fair to say that Paris is a more conventionally beautiful city than its British counterpart: the majority of the buildings in the city center are remarkably well-preserved. And, since Paris is smaller, it’s also easier to get to know in a short space of time.

Get off the 'tourist trail'

There are the usual drawbacks to living in a large urban area – dirtiness, crime, and so on. But, in my opinion, the positives easily outweigh the negatives.

One thing I do dislike is the seemingly unnecessary administration and bureaucracy which is so ubiquitous in French life – there’s a lot more paperwork here! However, this is part of living in a different culture and so, in a strange way, adds to the experience.

I also don’t like the French ‘assimilation’ method of dealing with immigration; for all its problems, I believe the British multiculturalism system is better at integrating new arrivals into society.

I’d advise English-speakers to be careful not to take the ‘easy option’ and turn to speaking English every time a situation gets tricky. French people are generally eager to practise their English, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of always reverting to your ‘comfort zone’.

Aside from this, I would simply encourage people arriving in Paris to try, as much as possible, to get off the tourist trails and delve into true French culture. And the best way to do this is to make French friends who know the cafés, clubs and restaurants which aren’t mentioned in the tourist guides.