I have been wanting to travel for some time now but I always let fear hold me back. One day I was so fed up with myself and logged on to Airfrance.com and just purchased the tickets. Just like that. I didn't know where I was going to stay, what I was going to do but I purchased a flight from DC to Paris for a week. Before the nerves of a solo travel could get to me my best friend joined me for the trip. We agreed to make this trip as stress-free as possible so the only thing we booked was our Airbnb and we decided to just go with the flow while there.

Here are three things I learned during my time there.

1. Take the metro- Becuase I use Uber and other ride-sharing services so much in DC I knew that would be my mode of transportation while there. I didn't realize how expensive it actually was! We opted out for a weekly metro card blended in with the locals. Paris has a great transportation system that covers most of the city and takes you to the airport. There is also a lot of traffic in Paris so the metro maybe the best way around.

2. What to Eat- Paris is surely known for its culinary expertise but when you are on a tight budget your options may be limited. We took advance of having an Airbnb and when grocery shopping on most days. Pictured below is a sample of what our breakfast looked like on most days. Fresh bread from the local patisserie and prosecco and other food items from a grocery store located in from of our apartment. We did have a day where we went to a seafood restaurant and feasted like kings, three of us shared a plate and still had leftovers.

3. Museums, sights, and scammers- Knowing a little French will surely help! During our stay, we visited the Catacombs, Eiffel tower, and the Louvre. There were scammers at all the tourist locations and plenty of signs that warned off pickpocketers. As you are traveling around the city you want to make sure not to be a target by having too many bags on you.

Overall I had a great time and got plenty of rest and had more than my fair share of French liquor. It snowed a bit during our stay so we didn't explore as much as we wanted to but I am looking forward to going back! No matter what destination you have in mind just booked the travel and figure out the rest as you go along!