If you are interested in traveling abroad, especially if you are interested in going to Paris, you may find my experience helpful. I started my planning from Square One since I hadn’t been abroad in many, many years, so I am describing the basics.
Going abroad: Accommodations
I started my search for an apartment on Craig’s List. I started early, almost a year ahead of time, because I wanted something very nice at a very good price. There are many, many apartments for rent in Paris, and if you want to spend a small fortune, you can find an expensive apartment easily. The nice and reasonably priced apartments are in demand. Most of the apartments I was interested in were owned by private individuals who use an agency that lists and advertises the apartment for the owner. The very first apartment I inquired about was a one-bedroom on the Ile de la Cite. (There are 2 islands in the Seine River, and they are located in the very center of Paris. One is Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame is located, and the other island is Ile St Louis.) The apartment was reasonably priced, but not so cheap that it was obviously a scam. It was 1600 euros a month, which is around $2200. On Craig’s List you can find beautiful apartments for 70 euros a week that look like something out of a magazine. If the price is too good to be true, you know it’s a scam, and I passed those up. I corresponded with the person renting the apartment, who was not the owner, and was about to sign a contract and send a deposit, but the address of the apartment on the contract was NOT an address on the Ile de la Cite. I inquired about it because I naively thought it was just a mistake. The agent insisted the address was on the Ile de la Cite. Google Maps told a different story. This is the actual correspondence from the scammer, mistakes and all:
Going abroad: Accommodations
I started my search for an apartment on Craig’s List. I started early, almost a year ahead of time, because I wanted something very nice at a very good price. There are many, many apartments for rent in Paris, and if you want to spend a small fortune, you can find an expensive apartment easily. The nice and reasonably priced apartments are in demand. Most of the apartments I was interested in were owned by private individuals who use an agency that lists and advertises the apartment for the owner. The very first apartment I inquired about was a one-bedroom on the Ile de la Cite. (There are 2 islands in the Seine River, and they are located in the very center of Paris. One is Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame is located, and the other island is Ile St Louis.) The apartment was reasonably priced, but not so cheap that it was obviously a scam. It was 1600 euros a month, which is around $2200. On Craig’s List you can find beautiful apartments for 70 euros a week that look like something out of a magazine. If the price is too good to be true, you know it’s a scam, and I passed those up. I corresponded with the person renting the apartment, who was not the owner, and was about to sign a contract and send a deposit, but the address of the apartment on the contract was NOT an address on the Ile de la Cite. I inquired about it because I naively thought it was just a mistake. The agent insisted the address was on the Ile de la Cite. Google Maps told a different story. This is the actual correspondence from the scammer, mistakes and all:
"Thank you for the information, sorry it was a mistake the address of the apartment you intend booking is 56, rue de sevigne, 75004 Paris, France. Right in the center of Paris on the Ile de la Cité where Paris was born. ,50 yards from Notre-Dame and The seine , you cannot be more in the center of the city ready to go for the right bank ( Le Marais, Opera, Champs-Elysées ) and the left Bank ( ST Germain, St Michel..) or visit the neighbour Ile St Louis ! Note this building is at the cross of three streets (Arcole, Chanoinesse, Colombe) and surely is the most unique location of this part of Ile de la Cité offering both Notre Dame and Seine views. Métro Hôtel de ville ( line 1 and 11), Cité ( Line 4 ) and RER B ST Michel Notre Dame Notre dame Carpark. There is Complimentary Airport pick up, So i will need to have your flight details if you are interested in the Pick up. PAYPAL is the best way of payment. My PAYPAL account is jpgoestony@yahoo.com. I have attached the Booking form/payment process with this message, fill it and send it back to me with a scanned copy of the funds transfer confirmation and also send me your contact address, all these details will be with the doorman for proper recognition when you get to the apartment, i will hand over to you the keys and receipt of payment for the apartment. Payment should be sent by using the information below: MODE OF PAYMENT VIA PAYPAL.........jpgoestony@yahoo.com Note: It is only when payment has been made before i can secure your dates. After payment has been made please do send me a receipt of the Payment via Attachment to my Email. Regards, Stephen Allen.”
There is a saying in French, “Il ne faut pas prendre les enfants du bon dieu pour des canards sauvages.” Literally, it means one shouldn’t think God’s children are wild geese. Freely translated, I think it means “People are not imbeciles.” And neither am I. I knew there was something very wrong, so I cancelled the deal right away. I subsequently saw the same apartment advertised by a legitimate agency, but at a higher price. In the meantime, I read about a scam that’s a kind of “Bait and Switch.” A tourist rents an apartment and puts down a deposit via the internet, but when he arrives in Paris, the agent tells him that the owner of the apartment sold it, so it is no longer available. BUT he has another apartment that would be suitable, although it’s not quite so desirable as the original apartment. The tourist finds himself with no place to stay, he’s already paid a deposit, so he agrees to stay in the alternate apartment. This situation is not hypothetical--it happened to American tourists, and the more stories like this I read, the more cautious I became. There is even a web site dedicated to Craigs List scammers, and the list of aliases used by scammers is a mile long.
There is a saying in French, “Il ne faut pas prendre les enfants du bon dieu pour des canards sauvages.” Literally, it means one shouldn’t think God’s children are wild geese. Freely translated, I think it means “People are not imbeciles.” And neither am I. I knew there was something very wrong, so I cancelled the deal right away. I subsequently saw the same apartment advertised by a legitimate agency, but at a higher price. In the meantime, I read about a scam that’s a kind of “Bait and Switch.” A tourist rents an apartment and puts down a deposit via the internet, but when he arrives in Paris, the agent tells him that the owner of the apartment sold it, so it is no longer available. BUT he has another apartment that would be suitable, although it’s not quite so desirable as the original apartment. The tourist finds himself with no place to stay, he’s already paid a deposit, so he agrees to stay in the alternate apartment. This situation is not hypothetical--it happened to American tourists, and the more stories like this I read, the more cautious I became. There is even a web site dedicated to Craigs List scammers, and the list of aliases used by scammers is a mile long.
This is the site:
I have since found out that this scam goes on in this country, also; an unfortunate family rented a Florida beach-side home, but it didn’t belong to the person advertising it for rent. When the family arrived for their vacation, they found that the house was privately owned and had not been offered for rent at all. The family was out of the rent money AND a place to stay. I decided to go through an agency, which is what I would advise anyone else going abroad to do. Some agencies that had nice apartments with wide range of prices were www.paristay.com , www.parisattitude.com www.paris-be-a-part-of-it.com and www.vrbo.com. Although I’m sure there are honest individuals who advertise and rent their own apartments, I would never again deal directly with an individual as the initial contact rather than through a reputable agency representing an individual.
My apartment cost 1900 euros, which is around $2400 for the month. It was on the Ile St Louis, and part of the reason that it was relatively inexpensive is because it was on the sixth floor with no elevator. It’s in a 17th century building, and buildings on this island are often without elevators. The apartment is on the top floor, and there is a balcony with enough room for a small table and chairs. I had a view of Paris rooftops and Notre Dame Cathedral, but I couldn’t see the Seine from the balcony. I got in touch with the owner and sent him a deposit of $600 (425 euros at the time) through my bank. The transfer cost $40, but I didn’t know how else to send euros. The owner seemed very helpful, and the apartment listing included glowing reviews from people who had rented this apartment recently.
My apartment cost 1900 euros, which is around $2400 for the month. It was on the Ile St Louis, and part of the reason that it was relatively inexpensive is because it was on the sixth floor with no elevator. It’s in a 17th century building, and buildings on this island are often without elevators. The apartment is on the top floor, and there is a balcony with enough room for a small table and chairs. I had a view of Paris rooftops and Notre Dame Cathedral, but I couldn’t see the Seine from the balcony. I got in touch with the owner and sent him a deposit of $600 (425 euros at the time) through my bank. The transfer cost $40, but I didn’t know how else to send euros. The owner seemed very helpful, and the apartment listing included glowing reviews from people who had rented this apartment recently.
The portals that lead to the courtyard of my apartment building on the Ile Saint Louis
You need to punch in a numeric combination in order to open the portal.
My apartment, six floors up, with the three window boxes on the railing.
The courtyard of my apartment
The apartment is on the main street of the Ile Saint Louis. Lots of tourists frequent this street, but once you enter the courtyard, it's like walking into a silent world.
The apartment is on the main street of the Ile Saint Louis. Lots of tourists frequent this street, but once you enter the courtyard, it's like walking into a silent world.
Becky in the courtyard
The three window boxes on the railing of the apartment balcony
I planted the boxes with flowers, ivy and ferns from the nearby flower market on the Ile de la Cite.
I planted the boxes with flowers, ivy and ferns from the nearby flower market on the Ile de la Cite.
Going Abroad: Passports
In order to download passport applications, I went to www.travel.state.gov which is the US Department of State site. There are other sites that offer passport expediting services, for a fee of course, but they are not the government site, and if you allow yourself enough time, you don’t need their services. I found the information on the government site under “Passports.” There is a lot of information on this site, and I downloaded the forms there, also. Your case may be different from mine, so you have to read the information carefully. I had to assemble the needed paperwork, including proof of US citizenship (a birth certificate) proof of identity (a driver’s license and a copy of the license, back and front), and a 2 x 2 color passport photo. Then I had to find out where they accept passport applications. That is under the category “About our Office.” Once on that site, I found “Passport Application Acceptance Facilities.” I then searched for the nearest post office by zip code. I made an appointment, thinking it would be in a matter of days, but I was surprised that I had to wait a few weeks. I had a passport that was more than 15 years old but took it along anyway. The agent attached it to my application. He also scrutinized my paperwork for much longer than my husband’s, why, I have no idea. I paid a fee of $110 for each passport and $25 each for the “execution” fee to the post office, so I wrote a check for each passport, and used a third check for the post office. There are instructions for other methods of payment, as well. I followed the instructions for getting a passport to the letter and had no trouble. I had the appointment on May 9 and the passports arrived in the mail around 6 weeks later.
Going Abroad: Luggage
Generally, checked baggage must weigh 50 lbs or less and its combined length, width and height must measure 62 inches or less. My luggage, which is typical, is 27” x 19” x 12” or 58”.Usually, there is no fee for the first checked bag on an international flight. For the second checked bag, it may cost you $50 if checked online or more if checked in at the airport. Within 24 hours of your departure, you can check your bags and pay any fees online. Higher checked baggage fees will apply if paid at the airport. You can carry on one bag and one small personal item at no charge. The carry-on bag should not exceed 11 pounds and 46 inches. If your bags are overweight or oversized, be prepared to pay a stiff fee, as much as $150-200. These are general guidelines, so it is necessary to check with the particular airlines you are traveling with. My husband and I each had one large suitcase and a carry-on. My personal item was my purse, and my husband carried a laptop computer. I planned to also take a garment bag, which counted as an extra piece of luggage. I thought it would cost $75, but I justified that expense because I was going to be there for a month, and I needed the stuff. Check on all airlines baggage fees at www.airfarewatchdog.com . Be sure to check the TSA web site: www.tsa.gov/travelers for packing tips and items you CAN’T take in your carry-on luggage. I paid attention to the rules when I packed to go, but forgot to do so on the way home. Some French baggage security checkers confiscated some of my cosmetic items apologetically, but they confiscated them just the same.
Generally, checked baggage must weigh 50 lbs or less and its combined length, width and height must measure 62 inches or less. My luggage, which is typical, is 27” x 19” x 12” or 58”.Usually, there is no fee for the first checked bag on an international flight. For the second checked bag, it may cost you $50 if checked online or more if checked in at the airport. Within 24 hours of your departure, you can check your bags and pay any fees online. Higher checked baggage fees will apply if paid at the airport. You can carry on one bag and one small personal item at no charge. The carry-on bag should not exceed 11 pounds and 46 inches. If your bags are overweight or oversized, be prepared to pay a stiff fee, as much as $150-200. These are general guidelines, so it is necessary to check with the particular airlines you are traveling with. My husband and I each had one large suitcase and a carry-on. My personal item was my purse, and my husband carried a laptop computer. I planned to also take a garment bag, which counted as an extra piece of luggage. I thought it would cost $75, but I justified that expense because I was going to be there for a month, and I needed the stuff. Check on all airlines baggage fees at www.airfarewatchdog.com . Be sure to check the TSA web site: www.tsa.gov/travelers for packing tips and items you CAN’T take in your carry-on luggage. I paid attention to the rules when I packed to go, but forgot to do so on the way home. Some French baggage security checkers confiscated some of my cosmetic items apologetically, but they confiscated them just the same.
Going Abroad: Money
Because we would be gone for a month, I wanted to keep ATM fees and credit card fees to a minimum. I opened a checking account with Bank of America because BOA has a sister bank in Paris, BNP, and there is no charge for withdrawals with a debit card. It’s best to use a debit card to withdraw cash because using a credit card is much more expensive. BNP has ATMs all over the city, so finding one was no problem. I also got a Capitol One credit card because Capitol One does not charge a transaction fee for point-of-sale purchases. It’s good to have a backup credit card, just in case. My Capitol One card did not work in a gift shop for some reason. The clerk used a hand-held credit card machine, and it would not accept my credit card payment. Also, you should be sure to contact your bank and credit card companies and inform them that you are going abroad. I took a laptop computer, so I could check on our bank balance daily, and before I left, I had arranged for automatic Bill Pay from my checking account. Again, we were gone for a month, but if you are going for a shorter period of time, some of these things may be unnecessary because the extra cost is negligible. The rate of exchange for dollars to euros changed every few days, and I never was able to figure out how the rate for that particular day was determined. We probably spent about $100 a day on average. We didn’t splurge on very expensive dinners, but food was still a major expense. There were many restaurants that we wanted to try, and it was an easy matter to spend $50 or more on lunch. Dinners could be even pricier, but it depended on the restaurant. Getting to Paris and renting an apartment were expensive, but once you’re there, there is an infinite number of things to do and see that cost very little or nothing. (FYI: I took my laptop on this trip, and on the next trip, I’ll take a portable printer, too. While there, I could have used a printout of directions to a specific place, and I could have printed out my boarding pass and itinerary for the plane trip home. CDG was a very big and very busy place, and it would have helped a lot if I had had our tickets and boarding passes in advance.)
Going Abroad: Airplane Tickets
I read all that I could on the net about the cheapest time to buy plane tickets. I used the site www.momondo.com to compare airfare prices, starting about four months in advance of the trip. According to common wisdom, it is best to travel during the middle of the week, so I arranged my departure on Wednesday, September 28, and I had to return on a Monday, October 31, because of my apartment rental. I wanted to take an “overnight” flight, so my departure time was 12:09 PM on Wednesday, and because of the time difference, I arrived in Paris at 7:55 AM on Thursday. I wanted the shortest flight possible with only one stopover, as there are no direct flights from Fort Myers. Our stopover was in Cincinnati, which was a modern and not very busy airport. So the entire trip took 13 ¾ hours, but the time difference is six-hours, so flight time with one stop was really 7 ¾ hours. I thought I could sleep on an overnight flight, but screaming children and crying babies spoiled that plan. The food was pretty dreadful, too, so the flight to Paris was not a good experience. On the way back, my flight was at 1:40 PM, arriving in Fort Myers around midnight the same day. When you compare airfare prices, you have to decide particulars beforehand, like how many stops are acceptable, what day and the time of day you want to travel, and which airlines you want to travel on. Then you can compare apples with apples, that is, specific flights on one airline with specific flights on others. If I had chosen the cheapest airfare possible, it would have meant being flexible about traveling dates, number of stops, time of day and airlines. I also read customer reviews of airlines (on independent sites), and they were all pretty bad, some worse than others. I decided to go with Delta or Air France, and I made my reservations on the Delta site. Supposedly, it is possible to request a refund if your airfare is offered at a lower price after you pay for it, but you have to make your reservation directly on the airline’s site. The Delta site was not particularly easy to navigate, but I knew the specific flights I wanted from looking on momondo. One ticket cost $1309, I bought it 6 weeks in advance, and contrary to popular opinion, fares did NOT go down after that--actually, they went up. I think there was a greater correlation between the cost of jet fuel and the price of tickets than the amount of time before the flight. Right now, the cost of a comparable ticket is $1367. If I were a lot younger, I would probably opt for the cheaper but more stressful flight. A flight with 2 stops, very early hours of departure, and an unnamed or unknown airlines would probably cost between $900 and $1,000.
I read all that I could on the net about the cheapest time to buy plane tickets. I used the site www.momondo.com to compare airfare prices, starting about four months in advance of the trip. According to common wisdom, it is best to travel during the middle of the week, so I arranged my departure on Wednesday, September 28, and I had to return on a Monday, October 31, because of my apartment rental. I wanted to take an “overnight” flight, so my departure time was 12:09 PM on Wednesday, and because of the time difference, I arrived in Paris at 7:55 AM on Thursday. I wanted the shortest flight possible with only one stopover, as there are no direct flights from Fort Myers. Our stopover was in Cincinnati, which was a modern and not very busy airport. So the entire trip took 13 ¾ hours, but the time difference is six-hours, so flight time with one stop was really 7 ¾ hours. I thought I could sleep on an overnight flight, but screaming children and crying babies spoiled that plan. The food was pretty dreadful, too, so the flight to Paris was not a good experience. On the way back, my flight was at 1:40 PM, arriving in Fort Myers around midnight the same day. When you compare airfare prices, you have to decide particulars beforehand, like how many stops are acceptable, what day and the time of day you want to travel, and which airlines you want to travel on. Then you can compare apples with apples, that is, specific flights on one airline with specific flights on others. If I had chosen the cheapest airfare possible, it would have meant being flexible about traveling dates, number of stops, time of day and airlines. I also read customer reviews of airlines (on independent sites), and they were all pretty bad, some worse than others. I decided to go with Delta or Air France, and I made my reservations on the Delta site. Supposedly, it is possible to request a refund if your airfare is offered at a lower price after you pay for it, but you have to make your reservation directly on the airline’s site. The Delta site was not particularly easy to navigate, but I knew the specific flights I wanted from looking on momondo. One ticket cost $1309, I bought it 6 weeks in advance, and contrary to popular opinion, fares did NOT go down after that--actually, they went up. I think there was a greater correlation between the cost of jet fuel and the price of tickets than the amount of time before the flight. Right now, the cost of a comparable ticket is $1367. If I were a lot younger, I would probably opt for the cheaper but more stressful flight. A flight with 2 stops, very early hours of departure, and an unnamed or unknown airlines would probably cost between $900 and $1,000.
Going Abroad: Medical Insurance
We have medical insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and they do have coverage for travelers abroad. With BC/BS, if you incur medical bills while abroad, you would have to pay the bills upfront, file a claim and then get reimbursed. However, I read about the young man who died abroad, and his mother couldn’t afford $20,000 to bring his body home. I wasn’t worried about dying abroad, but I was worried about getting sick or injured while abroad and needing special arrangements to get home. For that reason, I took insurance that included Medical Evacuation insurance. Also, the agent assured me that if we had to go to a doctor or hospital while abroad, the insurance company had a list of preferred doctors and would pay the costs up front, so we wouldn’t have to pay and then get reimbursed. The name of the company is HTH Worldwide Insurance Services, and I took the policy called “Travel Gap Excursion” insurance. You can take different amounts of coverage, but I took $100 deductible, a Medical Limit of $100,000, and Medical Evacuation of $500,000. It cost $367.20 for the two of us, and even if it may be overkill (no pun intended), I would do the same thing again. The web site is www.hthtravelinsurance.com .Their phone number is 888-243-2358. There are a lot of companies that offer travel coverage, and it is very confusing to figure out which one is the best. Fortunately, I can’t really say whether or not this is the best one because I didn’t have to use it.
Going Abroad: Electric appliance converters and adapters
I brought 3 kinds of plugs for electric appliances. I bought them online at www.magellans.com , a travel supply site. One kind was a simple adapter plug which had 2 round prongs and went directly into the wall. This costs $2.85, and I got several of these because I just left the adapter plug on each appliance, including my laptop. If the appliance lists 110, 115, 120 or 125 volts only, it is not dual-voltage. If the appliance lists 100-240 or 110-230 or something similar, it is dual voltage, and you need only the two-prong adapter plug.
There are 2 kinds of appliances that need converters. One kind is for an appliance that heats up, like a curling iron, hair dryer, iron, or coffee pot or some other appliance whose main task is to provide heat. For this appliance, you need a converter for heating appliances ($24.85.)The other kind is for an appliance like an electric shaver that does not heat up and is not dual-voltage For this appliance, you need a converter for motorized appliance.($18.85.) I got both the converter for heating appliances and the converter for motorized appliances. You can get them combined in one converter, but I thought I might want to use the different appliances at the same time, so I got both of them.
Going Abroad: Transportation on Arrival
There are many companies that provide shuttle or cab service from CDG airport to Paris. I decided on one that turned out to give excellent service. The first address was: www.parisnet.com ,and from there I chose the shuttle service www.parishuttle.com Be careful of the spelling, as different companies have very similar addresses. I paid for pickup at CDG in advance. Once we arrived, I called the company, and I was directed to a pickup spot outside of the terminal. The driver was there within 5-10 minutes. Transportation was a van, and we continued to 2 more pickup spots at CDG to pick up passengers. There were 6 passengers all told. There is nothing like close quarters to encourage conversation, and 2 of our seatmates were from Australia. (We later found out there were lots of Australians in Paris, even though it is a 22-hour trip to get there, because the exchange rate for them was very good.) There were also 2 young British girls who had “popped over” for the weekend to do some shopping. The trip cost 36 euros. I booked the same company for the return trip, and the experience was just as good. I’ll use the same company on my next trip to Paris.
Going Abroad: Madame La Liste
I had been to Paris twice in the past and have already visited many of the major tourist destinations, like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, and day trips to see chateaux in the Loire valley, Versailles, Mont Saint Michel, and the Cote d‘Azur (the Riviera in the South of France.) I had a long list of places I wanted to visit and day trips I wanted to take on this trip to Paris. I accomplished only about half of my agenda. There are still a few major museums and many lesser-known museums left to visit, day trips to take, restaurants to try and sights to see. I had originally planned to take a lot of guided walking tours, but quickly found out that I wanted more in-depth information than was offered on the tour and preferred to go at my own pace, anyway. (It also cost around $15 per tour and the groups got rather large, maybe 15-20 tourists.) I found that a little research beforehand concerning the sites is valuable, especially if you are taking photos. I missed a few important shots I should have gotten and would have gotten if I had prepared a little better in advance. I’m also taking a second camera that is especially good in low-light situations, like museums and churches, where you are not allowed to use flash photography. My husband and I will be going back to Paris within a year or two. I’ve started my search for a terrific apartment with a low price in a great location--not an easy task, but time is on my side. My list of things I want to do on this trip grows longer by the day. It’s been so long since I visited the major sights that I may have to go back and revisit some of them as well. I hope that my experiences may benefit you in some way, if only to give you a little insight into what is involved when traveling abroad.
BON VOYAGE
