How to prepare for romantic Paris as a woman

Want to know how to prepare for romantic Paris as a woman? Romantic Paris is a city that you will love as a woman. It is the ideal place for dreaming, for feeling free to reinvent yourself, maybe for meeting elegant French men, and for shopping, of course. At a practical level, I guess the main problem you can have before coming to Paris is too put all the necessary to make your stay as pleasant as possible in your suitcase, and not too much things… As a Parisian girl student, I can give you some precious advice to achieve this hard goal.

Paris is not only a romantic city but also Paris is a very big city, you will have to walk a lot. So the first thing you have to think about is to find some comfortable shoes. Don’t take too sportive ones if you don’t want to be categorized as a tourist, but try to take some closed ones in case of rain, with supple soles. Choose some discreet and practical clothes, some jeans and some shirts: just remember that a Parisian girl like to be smart and casual at the same time.

Even if you come to Paris during the sunny days, don’t forget to bring a jacket and a scarf, as the temperature can vary a lot from one day to another. I personally like to wear a trench coat when the weather is rainy: you will not be so discreet with a big colourful raincoat and it is preferable to invest in a solid umbrella!

You can bring smarter outfits so as to get out during the evening. Take a pair of shoes with highs heels if you want, but I advise you not to put them on during the day, especially because of the cobblestones in numerous streets. An elegant wearing is preferable if you want to go the Opera, or to watch some shows in places like Moulin Rouge: it will be the occasion to put your jewelry on -keep them in safe place in your hotel during the day.

The essential accessory that you will have to take for your stay in Paris is a handbag that you can close well. Do not load it too much and keep only the minimum with you, so as to be as free as possible to walk around without hurting your back. If you do not have the appropriate bag when you arrive in Paris, you will be able to go in one of the “fripperie” of the Marais: in those shops, you can find some very cheap second-hand clothes. We, Parisian women, like to express our freedom in the way we are dressed and we are fond of vintage accessories.In my opinion, the bags which are proposed in “fripperies” are the best deals you can do there.

In fact, you do not have to be anxious for the contents of your suitcase: every supermarket in France propose a great variety of cosmetics. You will find such international brands as Sephora or Mac easily. It can be preferable for you to buy some solar cream arriving in Paris… only if the weather is worth it! A good thing to know is that some big shops as the Galleries Lafayette often do a repayment of the TVA (the French VAT) on the goods for foreigners. You can try very skilled and trendy hairdressers here, but they are generally quite expansive (around 40 euros for a haircut on the minimum).

If you are attentive on your weight -as I try to be- it will be quite easy for you to eat healthily. I like to buy fresh fruits and vegetables on markets, my favourite one being on Place Monge (5th district) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday morning. For the vegan women among you, you have to know that Parisians usually eat a lot of meat, but you can avoid doing like them in most of restaurants. By walking all the day, you can be sure you will not put on any kilo…

Now,you can relax. Keep in mind that Paris remains a romantic city, in which women are powerful. Parisian men still can be gentlemen, I promise! And you will always find a nice Parisian girl to help you in case of problem.