Tag: Paris

Planning Trips to Other Cities: Nantes, Paris, and London (UK)

On By nicolegrace22In Study Abroad Blog FeedLeave a comment

While studying abroad you are bound to do some travelling if your budget allows it. Luckily, I had been saving up the past few years so I was able to check out the cities listed above.

Booking Travel

Nantes and other cities near Rennes: For booking travel to a city nearby there is usually a Flixbus, Blablabus, or Ouibus you can buy a seat on. Blablacar is another option which is kind of like uber but in advance. You can also check the day of if someone is going there with Blablacar, but then there is less reassurance that you’ll have a ride. I originally booked Flixbus to Nantes, but there was a cancellation due to concern of Covid-19. My friend and I were able to find a Blablabus instead. The bus takes you to La Haluchère train station where you can catch a train to center city. This is the same place you have to go back to for your bus back to Rennes. This was the weekend right before I left France.

From Rennes to Paris: Paris is a little bit farther. It takes 3-5 hours or sometimes longer by bus (depends on extra stops the bus might have) but it is usually a lot cheaper than the TGV (high speed train). I have found bus tickets for under 20 euros. I was able to find a deal where I took a bus the Friday night of my trip and then a metro to get to the hotel I was meeting my family at. Then, I took a TGV for around 15 euros or less early Monday morning heading back to Rennes. There’s a specific platform for the TGV with OUISNCF at the station Paris Montparnasse 1 Et 2. I went straight from the Gare in Rennes to the university for a class that morning. The TGV is the quickest option making the trip only 2 and half hours long. Sometimes the price ranges from 35 to 60 euros, but it also depends on the time and day you book your travel.

Rennes to Paris to London and Back: I think it’s possible to take a train all the way to London, but I’m not sure about pricing. My friend and I booked flights from CDG (Charles de Gaulle Airport) to London Gatwick. The flight was around 8 p.m. so we took a bus around 11 a.m. so we would get there on time. We took a Flixbus directly to the airport. The bus drop-off and pick-up is right by terminal 3, which is where we had to go. Our friend on the same bus had a different flight and was able to take the CDGVAL (light rail) to her terminal. Once we got to the Gatwick airport, we took a train to the center city and then took the tube (metro/subway in London) to our hostel. On the way back home to Rennes, I took the tube to St. Pancras International and took a train (around 12 pounds sterling) to the London Luton airport for my flight back to CDG. The train takes you to a shuttle to the airport that costs around 5 pound sterling. Once I landed at CDG, I waited for a couple hours and then took a Ouibus back to Rennes, which was found at terminal 3 where we were dropped off the start of our trip.

This is the plane we took to London.
We waited on a shuttle before walking up the stairs.
It was pouring rain.

Packing for a Weekend Trip (Nantes & Paris)

Nantes: I could have honestly just brought one of them, but I brought a backpack and a tote. My friend used a duffel bag, which I feel like is the best option. I mainly had my backpack, so I could bring my laptop just in case I needed to do something about a flight back to the U.S.

Here’s a list of what else I brought.

  • Wallet/purse
  • Clothes for Saturday and Sunday
  • Underwear, socks, etc.
  • Pajamas
  • Jacket
  • Hairbrush
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Shampoo, conditioner, and other shower products (My Airbnb included these but I brought some just in case it didn’t)
  • Razor
  • Deodorant & spray/perfume
  • Makeup & makeup wipes
  • Moisturizer
  • Hand sanitizer (Covid-19 prevention)
  • Jewelry

I only wore boots that weekend which were fine, but it probably would have been smarter to pack sneakers since we were walking everywhere.

Paris: Paris was a little bit of a longer weekend from Friday until Monday morning, so I had to have clothes for Monday as well. I used a carry-on and backpack. I mainly brought my backpack for work I needed to do and then my carry-on had all of my clothes. I pretty much packed exactly what’s in the list above into my carry-on.

Packing for a Longer Trip (London)

Don’t forget your passport! My house mother told me about the person before me was at the Nantes airport and was flying out of the country, but she completely forgot her passport. My house mother was nice enough to drive it to her, but that might not work if you’re at CDG which is three more hours away.

My friend and I booked our flights with Vueling Airlines, which allow only one carry on and a personal bag. I had a separate flight back with easyJet, which has the same rules. We stayed in London from February 25th to March 1st, but both of those days were mainly traveling, so we really spent four full days in London. I packed things that could be reworn, so it didn’t make my carry-on too heavy. I kind of wish I had an extra pair of pants to sleep in, because my leggings felt gross by the last night we were there. We shared a hostel room with eight other girls.

I only had my carry-on. Here’s what I brought.

  • Passport
  • Wallet/Purse
  • 4-5 shirts/sweaters
  • 3 pairs of pants
  • Underwear, socks, etc.
  • Pajamas (Leggings and a t-shirt)
  • Jacket (I brought my rain jacket as well but I just used my regular coat)
  • Sneakers
  • Bathroom products (shampoo, conditioner, etc.)
  • Toothbrush & toothpaste
  • Deodorant
  • Moisturizer
  • Spray/Perfume (small 3-5 oz bottle for travelling)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • My friend brought a lock to put onto our storage locker in the hostel (It was also possible to borrow one from the hostel)
  • Hair ties

I’m going to be honest London is a really expensive place. I’m happy I got to experience four full days of it, but the cost of the tube and the food was a lot. I don’t think I’ll be back there anytime soon, so I would say it was still worth it since I had always wanted to visit it.

To-do Before Going to Another Country

  • Don’t forget to call your bank and tell them that you will be travelling to another country. (I forgot to do this and my debit card was eaten by an ATM at the London Gatwick airport. I assumed that it would be fine since the bank knew I was in Europe. My friend became my debit card for the trip and I paid her back once we got back to Rennes.)
  • Make sure your phone plan will work while you are in the country that you are visiting (I had Free while I was in France and I only paid 9.99 euros a month. I was able to use it most of my time while I was in London. I did run out of data by the last day, but you should be able to manage it so that that does not happen.)
  • Just an extra reminder to remember your passport 🙂

À bientôt

– Nicole

Covid-19: The Journey Home

On By nicolegrace22In Study Abroad Blog FeedLeave a comment

The day we found out we had to leave

On March 12th we received news that the CDC would declare France as a level 3 travel advisory. This meant that many of those in the group would be obligated by their home universities to leave. The emails were sent out around 3 a.m. while we were sleeping, so a lot of us woke up to the devastating news. Throughout all of this I thought I would be staying because I had the choice in whether I wanted to stay or not as long as the school and program was still running. I would just not be a part of my host university’s study abroad program. I was completely upset because a lot of my friends would be leaving. We all ended up at the CIEE office, which is in the same building where most of our classes took place.

We were told there would be a meeting held that afternoon, so we went into town to buy last minute souvenirs and gifts to get our minds off everything. I only bought one thing, because I thought I was going to be able to come back to buy gifts for my friends later on. I’m happy I did buy what I did, because it was something I truly wanted to get no matter when I left and I ended up not getting the chance to go back. Outside of the souvenir shop, a girl noticed us and told us how she was buying flowers for her host family. She was in high school studying abroad. A lot of the others decided to do the same and buy flowers for their host families.

At the meeting we found out those who had plane tickets to leave the next day would need to sign forms for a withdrawal. Since the program would still be running (at least during those last few hours), it would be considered a withdrawal if they left. At that point only me, Bri, Claire, and Anri would be staying, so everyone else had to sign the papers. While they got the forms ready, we all decided that we would go buy food somewhere and then meet up at Parc du Thabor. It was pretty nice out and we sat at some benches in between the two fountains. I couldn’t believe it was the last time we would all be together. We were all upset, but we still enjoyed each other’s company.

I hung out with some of them as they actually went back to the area of the souvenir shop and then went home after some of the others got their flowers. When I got home I told my house mother I thought I was staying. It wasn’t until after dinner that I saw the email that CIEE would be shutting down their programs in Europe. I felt like I knew it was coming, but it still completely tore me down. I decided not to go to class the next day because I was trying to figure everything out. President Macron had decided to shut down all of the schools in France that night. At least those who had to withdrawal would no longer need to accept the w and will be continuing classes online. It’s still very uncertain about evaluations and credit transfers, but it should get figured out.

I emailed about changing my ticket, but I had to wait for my travel agent to get into the office on Monday March 16th. I tried to change the ticket myself, but since it was purchased by a third party I had to wait. I wasn’t planning to leave until then anyway, because I had made reservations to stay in Nantes with a friend that weekend and I’m so happy I got to have that last weekend before I left. I don’t know if I would have been mentally prepared if I had to leave the next day like the others.

Hotels Shutting Down

My travel agent got back to me that Monday. I was receiving emails from my school and the scholarships team making sure everything was getting done. My travel agent found a direct flight to Newark on Saturday March 21st, but when I told my house mother she told me everything would be closed down by Wednesday and there wouldn’t be a way for me to get to Paris. I asked my travel agent if she could find any sooner flights. She found two, one on Wednesday to Detroit with a transfer to Newark and one on Thursday to Frankfurt, Germany with a transfer to Newark. I chose the Germany one because it would be a short flight and then the long one. Now thinking about it, I should’ve down the Detroit one.

I left Tuesday at 6:21 a.m on a TGV to CDG airport in Paris. There was only one train available on both Tuesday and Wednesday, but I decided to take the Tuesday train because who knows if the Wednesday one would have been cancelled. Every train after 6 a.m. those days were cancelled. There was a really nice lady on the train who asked if I wanted a mask, because she saw me wrapping my scarf over my mouth and nose. I also got to say goodbye to my friend Anri at the airport, because we took the same train. There was a free shuttle service from the airport to my hotel. This is when things started to get rough…

The hotel I had originally reserved was in the middle of closing down when I got there. They said they would reimburse me for the reservation. I was pretty much in a neighborhood created for hotels for the airport, so I asked the desk receptionist if he knew of any that were open near them. He mentioned the Holiday Inn, but he said it with a strong accent so I needed to ask him to write it out for me. I had to walk about fifteen minutes with all of my stuff to find it. I used google maps, but it lead me through a park when I really only had to walk straight. At least the park was super beautiful.

Park by the Holiday Inn Paris
Roissy-En-France

When I got to the Holiday Inn the receptionist said they weren’t sure if the hotel would be open the next day. She said I could go try across the street, but she’ll be there if I need to make a reservation. The hotel across the street was much more expensive and they lead on at first that they would be open for two nights, but really they had no idea. I called around to the other hotels in the area to make sure there wasn’t a cheaper option, but they were all going to be closed by the next day. Since I was already at the more expensive one with all of my stuff, I tried to reserve a room but my card was denied. My aunt sent me her card as a picture, but they wouldn’t accept it. I went back to the Holiday Inn hoping they would accept it. I talked with the angel of a receptionist again and when my card was denied again she manually put in the numbers from my aunt’s card. I have no idea what I would have done if I had no where to stay. I probably would have had to stay at the airport.

I spent my first night there not knowing whether the hotel was going to shut down the next day. Also, I needed to buy food from a grocery store a few minutes away, since there was no food service provided by the hotel. My emotions kept and keep coming and going in waves. I’m fine at one point and then sadness just comes over me. I distracted myself with Netflix and Youtube. I was definitely not in the mindset to get started on my homework. I was able to get an extension on some of my work due to travel. CIREFE (the international school) was getting organized to officially start classes online.

The next day, I showered and dressed myself in what I thought would be the most comfortable to stay in overnight at an airport. I was so relieved to find out that the hotel would remain open another day. The receptionist let me reserve with my aunt’s card again. I had to change my room, because the side of the hotel I stayed in the first night had closed down. Once I got up to my second room, I contacted my bank through a chat service on their website. I wasn’t able to call them because I didn’t have international calling. They told me they took off the hold on my card after I explained that I needed it to buy food on my way home from France, but later that day when I went to buy my dinner and breakfast for the next day it didn’t work. I only had eleven euros left on me.

I called me aunt, but I wasn’t able to use her card like I did at the hotel. She was able to call a family member she knows that works at the bank and she fixed it after a couple more times of trying my card. I paid for what I could with the eleven euros and then tested my card at the other supermarket across the street. Thank goodness it worked, because then I was able to buy lunch and snacks at the airport before my flight the next day.

Flight Changes

My original flight was 11:15 a.m. so I got there three hours early to check in and get through security. When I got to the check-in area for my flight, the receptionist talked with the lady next to her saying in French how it was impossible for an American to go to Germany right now. She sent me over to another desk, because she couldn’t retrieve my ticket. I was surprised when the other lady said I would be flying to Montreal, Canada and then to Newark instead.

I headed to the Air Canada area to check in and I used a kiosk to get the tag for my suitcase. I was confused where to put my checked bag, so I asked security where I can do that but he wasn’t sure either. The check in area just wasn’t open yet. I got in line like an hour early and thankfully I did, because the line was huge. I ended up meeting a really sweet girl from Ontario, Canada who had been studying in Nantes since September. We talked about how crazy the whole situation is, how fast everything is changing, and how people need to start taking it seriously. Once we got to the desk receptionists, I found out that Canada was also not accepting non-citizens. I was sent to another desk to see what could be done. The girl came over and we said bye to each other after exchanging our information. She seemed so concerned for me when she left, it broke my heart. I made sure to message her right when I found out my flight had changed again. It was then a direct flight to JFK with AirFrance.

I had to lug my stuff all the way to the other side of the terminal again. I did the same thing at a kiosk and put the tag on my suitcase. I sent it onto the conveyor belt and then made a mistake when asking for directions to the gate. The ladies all turned to me and started expressing how I would need to check my carry on. They saw I had a backpack as well. One lady expressed rudely how I would need to check it and I calmly replied, “okay, where can I do that?,” when she probably thought I would argue back with her. I only started breaking down a little bit when I said “I’m just trying to get home.” My card didn’t work in this area, so they sent to me to find where to pay for it around the corner. I was just really frustrated at that point. Checking the bag costed me around $90. I just felt a little defeated, but I finally had a flight home.

After talking with my director on the phone I went and bought my lunch and snacks by the gate. Loading the plane went pretty smoothly. I’m happy I got to choose my seat. It was a window seat and I was next to a really nice older man. He immediately put on a comedy and his laughter made me feel better. I decided to watch the live action version of Aladdin for the first stretch of the flight. I accidentally ate my lunch right before the airline fed us, but I was able to hold onto the food after everyone was done and threw out their stuff. I slept for a couple hours during the middle of the flight and then ended the flight by watching Creed. I liked Creed the best. I feel like I chose it since I was on my way home and it was filmed in the city I was born in and don’t live far from.

When we arrived, we weren’t allowed to leave right away. We were given forms for the CDC to fill out earlier during the flight. We filled out where we had been and whether we had been in contact with someone with the corona virus. We waited for the CDC for like forty minutes and we thought they were going to come onto the plane. Instead, we were told we could leave but on our way out we handed the form to someone and then someone else took our temperature and let us know if we could leave. It was only based on temperature and not what was put on the form. The lady that checked my passport gave me attitude when asking me to put down my scarf and how I spoke quietly about what kind of food I had, but I remained calm and just spoke louder and did what she asked.

I finally made it out of the terminal, connected to WiFi, and called my aunt. I didn’t have to go far to find my aunt and cousin. My cousin waved vigorously, did a jump like “ta-da” with jazz hands, and ran towards me in excitement when he saw me. I was surprised when he gave me hug since that probably wasn’t the safest idea. We got my stuff into the car and then we headed home.

I still have jet lag and wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. sometimes. It’ll go away at some point. Now I’m just trying to get myself organized for online classes and cancel reservations for things I had planned. I’m heart broken, but there is nothing I can do about it and I have to remind my self I will go back.

Taking it one step at a time.

À bientôt

– Nicole

Orientation in Paris!

On By nicolegrace22In Study Abroad Blog Feed2 Comments

Bonjour tout le monde! My first day in France was 13/01/2020. I am studying abroad through CIEE’s Rennes program. This program includes 3 days of orientation in Paris!

The Flight

Departure: I spent most of 12/01/2020 in the Newark International Airport. I was lucky to have my friend Bri from school, who is doing the same program, join me on the flight. We didn't sit next to each other, but I slept through most of the flight anyway. It was only a six hour flight and we departed at 6:25 p.m., but because of time zones it would be 6:30 a.m. the next morning. I made sure to sleep so I wouldn't be a complete zombie the next day.

Arrival: We arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. I was really surprised the security only checked my passport and visa and not the other documents I had with me. After grabbing our bags we went to the gate the directors of the program picked us up at. The shuttle that's a part of the airport was really nice because we had to take it to the complete other side. Others from the program started to meet up with us in front of Paul, which is a coffee and patisserie franchise. I ordered there for the first time speaking only in French. I was so freaking nervous and the cashier could definitely tell that I wasn't a native, but hey I still got my chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and pains au chocolat. 🙂

Small wins really matter for immersion. You can’t let little mistakes get to you because they are bound to happen. It means you’re learning.

The directors arrived and oh my goodness they are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. The assistant director is so sweet and adorable and the director is very sympathetic and he smiles all the time :). I love them so much. They established not long after their arrival that we would only speak in French from that point on. The group is made up of mostly girls and one boy. Right from the start, they seemed like genuinely really nice people and I’m so happy that they are a part of the program.

We waited until everyone arrived and then we were shuttled to the MIJE hostel in Paris. I honestly really liked the hostel. I shared a room with two other girls and the rooms were key card accessible. We had a shower and sink in the bathroom, but the toilet was in it’s own little room in the hallway. We ate lunch at the hostel and the food was pretty good. I may have mistaken the dressing as soup and made a bowl of dressing haha. I realized it right away after I filled up the bowl. At least I didn’t realize by eating it. I swear it looked like cream of spinach. After lunch we had a meeting and signed contracts that also helped us make a promise to ourselves that we would only speak in French as long as it’s possible while we are here. This is so we can get the most out of our immersive experience. We also discussed academic and personal goals for the semester.

My Goals

  1. Do what I always do academically and stay on top of things
  2. Don’t stress (if you know me personally, you know this really isn’t possible but I’ma try)
  3. Speak French as much as possible (English only with family/friends at home)
  4. Stay active and row
Notre-Dame de Paris (13/01/2020)

After the meeting, some people in the group took naps or others like me went on a walk to see Notre-Dame with the assistant director. On our walk we ended up seeing the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I was immediately overwhelmed with emotions and I started to tear up because it didn’t feel real. The Eiffel Tower has been a big symbol for me for most of my life. The thought of seeing it in person is what helped me get through a lot of hard times in my life and it’s what motivated me to work hard in my French studies. I knew that studying French would be the key to getting to France one day and be able to see and touch something that was absolutely completely out of reach growing up.

I wasn’t able to see the Eiffel Tower up close yet because parts of the metro were closed down due to some strikes that had been occurring. But I can promise you that I will be returning and I’m most likely going to fall onto my knees and sob once it’s right in front of me. Notre-Dame is so much bigger than I had originally thought. I can’t wait to see inside one day after the restorations from the fire are done.

Restoration of Notre-Dame

Petit Itinéraire (Little Itinerary)

  • The first night we ate dinner at Le Baricou: : brioche bread with vanilla ice cream for dessert
  • Breakfast (hot chocolate, bread/croissant, cereal, yogurt) & lunch at MIJE
  • Meeting with the group in the morning: discussion on how to greet and interact with our host families
  • Two tours in French: Le Marais & L’Hôtel de Ville de Paris
  • Saw the Arc de Trimphe
  • Dinner the second at Fuxia (Italian Restaurant)
PARPADELLE POLLO E PROCINI

A tiny bit lost in Paris

After the tours, some people decided to nap again and a small group including me, decided to go with the assistant director to see l’Arc de Triomphe. Everything was fine until we got to the metro. We didn’t realize how pact the train car was, so the door was about to close behind me and leave one of the girls (Claire) behind. I told the assistant director very quickly I would stay with Claire. The two of us took the next metro, but we realized we didn’t know what stop we had to go to. I heard the assistant director say something about the Champs-Élysées, so we got off at that stop. We were hoping to see them as soon as we got there, but they weren’t to be seen (they ended up getting off at the next stop on the line).

Claire was having a hard time trying to get a hold of our assistant director and we didn’t have access to GPS on our phones, so we decided to walk down the street that led to the Tombeau de Napoleon (I did not know that that’s what it was at the time). We didn’t realize l’Arc de Triomphe was in the other direction. We stopped once we got to the Pont Alexandre III (bridge), mostly because it was the closest view we have had of the Eiffel tower so far. I started to tear up again. At that point I felt like we got lost for a reason. We stayed and admired it for a little bit and then started back on our hunt for L’Arc.

We walked towards the direction of the Eiffel Tower and then turned right down one of the streets back towards the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. At some point we decided to look at the map the directors gave us. We didn’t do that at first because we didn’t want to look like tourists and draw attention to ourselves. I decided to look up at some point and look down both sides of the street where we were and said “Oh my gosh Claire, it’s right there.” On our way towards l’Arc de Triomphe we stopped at the toilets by the shops. You have to pay two euros to use the freaking bathroom there. I had to go really bad so Claire paid for me since I didn’t have euros yet and they didn’t accept card. I made sure to venmo her later that night.

After leaving les toilettes, somehow Claire’s phone was able to receive a call from our assistant director. This woman is so adorable, she was so worried about us. We knew she was probably freaking out right after the doors of the metro closed. The group was able to meet us by the Sephora not very long after the call ended. They had already seen L’Arc de Triomphe, but they were fine with going back to see it again. This also worked out because they went to go see the spot that Claire and I had the view of the Eiffel Tower earlier. We didn’t go onto L’Arc, but I’ll be able to do that another time when I’m in Paris.

L’Arc de Triomphe

Chartered off to Rennes

The third day, we started on our way to Rennes. We ate breakfast at MIJE and then loaded onto the bus. We made a stop in Chartres and had a guided tour in English of La Cathédrale Notre–Dame de Chartres. The church is so stunning and I’m happy to have heard some of the stories that are pictured in the stained glass windows. I hope to return and explore Chartres more and see the Cathedral again.

After arriving in Rennes, we were dropped off at the University where we will be studying. Our home-stay hosts were waiting there to take us home. Tune in for the next blog to read about how that went.

À bientôt!

– Nicole