Experience in Paris, France by Margot

What is it like to live in Paris? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

The city is a bit expensive, but it has a great variety: different kind of parties, organised every week, you'll always find somewhere to go on weekends, a lot of bars and cafés, a lot of cultural events, etc. But the prices are high, so you have to do some exploring to find some nice cheap places (where to shop, eat, etc).

What is the student lifestyle like in Paris?

There are a lot of student associations, and student parties. I'm not involved enough to talk about this though, but each univeristy has several organizations that you can join depending on the courses you take or your interests.

How much does it cost to live in Paris?

A (really) small place is around 500-550€ (for 10m²), count around 600€ for 13m². So expensive, at least compared to other cities in France.
For the groceries, it really depends on how and what you eat, but count around 20€ each week (not including restaurants, of course).
Transport: it's 1.80€ for a ticket (subway or bus or RER), you can benefit from a 'student subscription' though, which is around 350€ /year, which is soooo cheap if you use it everyday.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Paris? Is there any advice you can give?

You have to take care of it early !! so not in september, begin searching around july/august, even june if you already know you'll move to Paris.
It's not necessary to contact a real estate agency, you can find an accomodation thanks to websites like seloger.com, or even others for flatsharing. Send a LOT of messages, answer to a LOT of ads, even the ones you're not so sure about, doing a lot of visits will garantee you something, even if it's not great at the beginning, at least you'll have a roof above your head before school starts. You can always keep searching during the year.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

I do my groceries in common supermarkets, nothing special here I think.
Of course, the bread tastes better when it's from a bakery, and not so expensive sometimes.

What places would you recommend visiting in Paris?

Montmartre, Pigalle are really toursit-y, but lively and there are a lot of things to see even when you're just walking in the street.
Bastille is a nice place to go have a drink. Same for le Marais, there are also some art galeries there if that interest you.
Museums, of course, a lot of them are free for students under 26yo.

Is it good to eat out in Paris? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

I don't know many, asian restaurants in the Beaubourg street are great.

Is the nightlife good in Paris? Where is good to go?

I don't know much about nightlife, le Marais I guess? it's lgbt friendly, but really everyone can have fun there.

What advice would you give future students heading to Paris?

Count your money... no, I'm kidding, but really Paris is expensive but there are a lot of free events/places so you can still enjoy the city !
Don't hesitate to just walk in the street, you'll discover a lot of the city that way (the best part).