What is living in Paris like?

What is living in Paris like?

• I'm going to Paris for an exchange term, and wondering what it's like to live there. It must be different from just visiting the city for couple weeks. How is it different ...show more

• Answer:

  Well, I studied on exchange in a different city in France, but I've been to Paris several times and I've had good and bad experiences. One thing I know for sure is that Paris is really, REALLY expensive. Especially compared to where I was studying (which was only 2.5 hrs from Paris), it was ridiculously expensive. And Parisians are not as nice as the rest of the French, but it may just be my own opinion. The city is dirty, but it's a major metropolitan, so you can't expect any less. Paris is much more "modernized" than the rest of the country, so it's not as Renaissance, but it's definitely a beautiful city. Of course, like any big city, I would advise you to be very careful, especially on the Metropolitan (the underground subway system), there's a lot of strange characters in there. It's not difficult to figure out, you'll get the hang of it. And watch out for the people who come up to you asking you to sign something, don't pay them any attention. Generally, just don't pay attention to any strange person that approaches you because they will hustle you. The language thing won't be a big problem for you in Paris because it's filled with so many people who speak English, but always attempt to speak French first. They'll be nicer then. Europe, along with anywhere else in the world, is dangerous. But, you know yourself and you can figure out relatively quickly what's shady and what's not. Just always be aware, but don't be on edge. I never felt too sketched out in Paris and overall, the city is amazing and the French are lovely people.