Apart from being an incredible city, one of the reasons I chose to study abroad in Paris was that it is one of the largest central travel hubs in Europe. I was excited to be able to live in Paris and see the city, but as it was my first time traveling outside the United States, I wanted to be able to see a few other places during my time abroad.
It was very simple to travel both within the country and to the surrounding countries, though I would recommend looking into whether the metro will be reliable for making it to the train station on time if it's early in the morning. The day Metro 4 reopened, I ended up quite literally running through the streets of Paris at 6 a.m. (Google Maps said I was going to miss the train by 15 minutes). It was a potentially flawed plan, but I somehow managed to make it on the train to London with two minutes to spare and learned to plan a little better the next time.
Deauville, France
Deauville is an upscale seaside resort town in the Normandy region of France and a popular spot for wealthy Parisians. It is a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris. The town is known for its grand boardwalk (Les Planches), colorful beach parasols, its architecture, grand casino, and, to my surprise, the annual Deauville American Film Festival.
We spent the day mainly just walking around the town to see everything. The buildings, sailboats, and beach all come together to make a very picturesque town and an enjoyable day trip.
Deauville architecture is famous for its 19th- and early 20th-century seaside villas, grand Anglo-Norman hotels, and half-timbered structures. It was developed mainly under the Duke of Morny and transformed from a marshland into an aristocratic seaside resort in 1859. It blends planned urban grids with Neo-Norman, classical, and Art Deco styles.
London, England
London is a little over two hours away when taking the Eurostar. A friend and I were able to make London a day trip from Paris by taking a 6:40 a.m. train there and a 9 p.m. train back.
I feel this was enough time to see the highlights of London, though I did end up having four cups of coffee. We were able to see 221B Baker Street, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben, the Parliament building, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Tower of London, and London Bridge (though the original is in Arizona).
London had many impressive monuments to see and was a very walkable place to visit.
One of the things I was most excited to see was Westminster Abbey. This is because it is the burial place of many well-known historic figures, such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Charles Dickens. Over 3,300 people are buried or commemorated here, including kings, queens, scientists, writers, and national figures.
Brussels, Belgium
Brussels is a little over an hour away from Paris by train. Although it made me appreciate how relatively safe I feel in Paris, and I was grateful to be leaving before it got dark, it was a cool place to visit.
The Grand Place of Brussels is a 20-minute walk from the train station, which makes it easy to see the main areas of Brussels by just walking. The Gothic architecture style was stunning, and it was cool to see how the buildings were different from France even though it isn’t that far away.
Besides just walking and seeing all the interesting buildings, they are known for their waffles, fries, and chocolate. Although I thought the fries were a bit overrated, the waffles and chocolate were amazing.
To finish the day, we headed to the Mini-Europe park, which had models of many European monuments. It was interesting to read about each place, and the models were impressive.
Lille, France
Lille is a little over an hour away from Paris by train. I was excited to be able to visit Lille, where I had been debating studying abroad instead of Paris.
Lille is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region in northern France, near the border of Belgium. The historic center, Vieux Lille, has 17th-century brick townhouses, cobbled pedestrian streets, and the large central square, Grand Place.
As with everywhere I visit, I mainly just walked around the town, as the buildings were beautiful and there were many beautiful things to see. My favorite thing in Lille was the old book market. There were many old books, and I have been wanting to look for a book to read in French.
An interesting monument in Lille is the Porte de Paris, built in the 17th century to commemorate Louis XVI’s capture of the city.
Provins, France
Provins is a town near Paris with medieval architecture like high ramparts with fortified gates, the stone Tithe Barn, César Tower, and underground tunnels. It was a very easy day trip from Paris, as there is a public transportation train that goes there with just a metro pass.
The Tour César was built in the 12th century and has panoramic views of the surrounding village and countryside. The village is surrounded by 13th-century stone walls, deep moats, and fortified gates.
The Tithe Barn is a 12th-century building that was used as a covered market. The underground tunnels are a network of medieval cellars and passages beneath the city streets.
Loire Valley, France
The Loire Valley is a valley near the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. It has many beautiful castles, signature grapes for its renowned wine, and lovely landscapes.
Here, I was able to visit the Château de Chambord, Château de Chenonceau, see the town of Blois, and see many castles from a distance. I was able to learn a lot about French history on this day trip, and all the castles were impressive.
At the end of the day, out of all the places I had the opportunity to see, my favorite part was coming back to Paris afterward. I enjoyed learning about each place and being able to go to England and Belgium, but it always felt like coming back home when I made it back into Paris.
I was able to learn many new things about French, Belgian, and English history and culture. I was very sad to have to leave Paris, but am grateful I had the opportunity to see many different places while still exploring much of Paris.
I have never considered moving somewhere abroad, but after my month in Paris, it's become one of my favorite places, and I’m now considering going to graduate school there.