So, two months have passed and our intrepid traveller Pip est rentrée* from her French sojourn. We touched base briefly to see how she’s recovering, any lessons learned and her top tips for any chouchous* planning a long stay in Paris.

YOU’RE BACK! THAT WENT QUICKLY…

Way too quickly! I arrived back a few days ago and am battling with jetlag and Paris withdrawals. I can’t believe that after all the planning and buildup it’s over. At the start, two months seemed quite daunting, but I definitely wasn’t ready to come home. I’d just found my groove at the end and my apartment and quartier* really felt like home.

SO, YOU LOVED IT?

Presque* every minute.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ANYONE PLANNING A SIMILAR TRIP?

Firstly (and most importantly), make finding a decent coffee spot a priority. Otherwise you’ll end up paying $8-9 for a weak, milky cup of sludge each morning. My pick if you’re near Le Marais is the boutique Japanese chain, The Coffee. They take their brew seriously and it shows.

For easy-peasy travel, make sure you download Citymapper. This app provides amazingly clear instructions for getting from A to B, including which section of the train you should be on to land at the right exit. A total life safer for someone as directionally challenged as me!

When people say it gets hot in summer, believe them. As a Brisbanite, I laughed off this warning. But by the end of my stay, it was STINKING hot. And the city is just not built for it.

Don’t pack exercise gear. Seriously. You’ll be doing so much walking each day that you won’t dust off your actual runners and Lululemons at all. And unless you’re staying in a hotel and plan on catching Ubers to dinner, leave les talons* at home.

Also, beware the cyclists! Trying to cross the road takes some getting used to as you need to check the bike lane as well as the traffic lights. And the cyclists tend to be un peu fou*.

WHAT ABOUT TIPS FOR LEARNING THE LANGUAGE?

It depends on your goals. For me, it was more about enjoying a change of scene and soaking up the culture and picking some more French up along the way. I had work to juggle so I wasn’t going to spend my free time studying when there was Paris at my doorstep to explore!

I highly recommend doing an immersion course (I went to Langue Appart for 4 weeks). But I think if want to learn a lot in a short time frame, there are better ways – and places – to go about it. It’s difficult to do a true immersion in Paris with so many tourists and everyone automatically switching to English when you speak.

In the future, I’d be interested to explore other options. Like a homestay in a quieter city or the countryside. Somewhere with fewer shiny distractions. And I’d also book private lessons.

Another thing… I had an Aussie friend stay with me for two weeks and that, while one of the highlights of my stay, put my French back a lot. So, if you’re serious about improving, dit non* to any English-speaking visitors.

ANY OTHER TIPS FOR THINGS TO SEE, DO, EAT?

I won’t list all my favourite spots in Paris as it would take all day (and I’ll get too nostalgic/ hungry). But I would recommend you book most of your activities well in advance as they book out.

Look at Discover Walks, too. They operate free, tip-supported tours in different parts of Paris and the guides are great. The one I did in Montmartre was exceptional.

Finally, try to factor in some free time. With so much to do and see, it’s tempting to schedule every minute. But my favourite moments were often unplanned – discovering hidden parks and pop-up shops, enjoying an impromptu spritz in the gorgeous courtyard at Le Musée Carnavalet or strolling aimlessly around town for White Night and La Fête de la Musique. Being une flâneuse* in Paris is one life's great joys.

My Paris Adventure (Part 3 – La Fin)