How I spent $4,700 on my first trip abroad to Paris and London — and what I'd try next time to save money and avoid bed bugs

Tue, 08/20/2024 - 15:10

Author Kelly Nguyen in Paris — I spent thousands of dollars on my first trip abroad.
Kelly Nguyen

I spent $4,700 on a trip to Paris for one week and a few days in London.
I thought I had mastered public transit, but I needed more time to space events out properly.
I learned on-the-fly travel decisions don't always work out and reading reviews can pay off.

The 2024 Olympics seemed like a great time to explore Paris, so my friends and I began booking our trip over a year in advance.

Then, in late July to early August, I embarked on a 10-night trip to Europe, including seven nights in Paris and three nights in London.

This was my first time traveling outside the United States, and venturing throughout Europe during such a monumental time was both chaotic and insightful.

Here's roughly what I spent on my 10-night trip:

Transportation: $1,298 for a flight from Los Angeles to Paris, a flight from London to Los Angeles, public transportation, and rideshares
Hotels/Lodging/Hostels: $761 for six nights at an Airbnb in Paris (split with six people), one night at a hostel in Paris, and three nights at a hostel in London
Food: $421
Activities: $921 for tickets to Olympic events (soccer, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball), the Dior museum, a trip up the Eiffel Tower, a Catacombs tour, and a Seine River cruise
Shopping: $1,310
Total: $4,711.

Since it was my first trip abroad, I learned from rookie mistakes I tried hard to avoid and got money-savvy tips from my well-traveled friends.

Here are ways I spent my time, money, and energy well — plus mistakes I hope to avoid on my next trip.

Researching and preparing outfits in advance helped me ward off the heat and save time.

Author Kelly Nguyen in Paris at Olympics — I planned my outfits in advance.
Kelly Nguyen

Before my trip, I extensively researched Parisian fashion and tried to take my spin on it so that I wouldn't stand out too much as a tourist.

I also wanted to stay cool — Paris in the summer was no joke, with high humidity and temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

I planned my outfits in advance, which saved me time and brainpower on my trip. Sticking with dresses, linen pants, and flowy, matching sets kept me cool and comfortable.

Many locals spoke to me in French first, so I'd like to think I blended in with my outfits.

My mini fan was a savior on the trip and a nice conversation starter.

Author with portable fan and friends — I charged my mini fan throughout the trip.
Kelly Nguyen

Coming from the US, it was definitely a bit of a culture shock to not have air conditioning in most places I visited, including in our Airbnb.

So, the mini fan I purchased from Amazon was a lifesaver during the hot days. I get overheated quite easily, so having it on me at all times helped tremendously.

It also ended up being a great conversation starter. Many people, including the mother of one of the Olympic competitors, asked me where I got it from.

But my Salomon sneakers were definitely my best investment overall.

I wore my Salomon sneakers every day while walking thousands of steps on European cobblestones, and my feet didn't ache at all.

They're technically hiking shoes and were recently popularized on TikTok by lovers of gorp-core, which involves wearing clothes for outdoor activities as streetwear.

I like that they were super comfortable with a stylish and sleek silhouette that matched all of my outfits.

Eating locally instead of sticking to internet-famous restaurants definitely saved me money.

Plated meal in France with escargot — Bakeries and restaurants that people in the neighborhood recommended ended up being the best.
Kelly Nguyen

My group and I made a few reservations at popular restaurants like Pink Mamma and Le Train Bleu, but we also tried to grab food from local vendors while walking around.

Locals gave us some excellent food recommendations, and stopping at smaller or more casual spots saved us money.

But I wished I'd spread out my days more evenly and planned time to just breathe.

Author Kelly Nguyen in Paris with friends — Some of us fell asleep during the Seine River tour because we were so exhausted.
Kelly Nguyen

Since my group planned so many things back to back in Paris, from watching Olympic games to going on tours, we rarely had time to relax or take adequate breaks.

We also walked a lot. When public transit was unreliable — and if we had time to spare — we'd brave the sweaty walk to our destination instead of calling a rideshare, even if it meant sacrificing our sanity.

My group averaged 25,000 to 30,000 steps a day in Paris and often returned to our Airbnb extremely exhausted. This allowed us to see a lot of the city in a few days, but it took a toll on our physical strength.

It was helpful to have reservations and advance tickets, but I wish I'd opted out of some group activities.

I felt like I spent all of my time in Paris running from attractions and museums to meal reservations while encountering crowds of cranky tourists along the way.

Our experience going up the Eiffel Tower didn't feel worth it and I wish I'd skipped our Catacombs tour in favor of leisurely walking around Paris and just enjoying the scenery.

After all, just walking around Paris and seeing its culture is a gift in itself. The city had great shops, too, which were a highlight of the trip. I wish I'd given myself more time to take them all in.

I wish I'd looked into my lodging ahead of time and checked reviews.

We had multiple fiascos before our trip despite booking our lodging over a year and a half in advance.

About six months before we were headed our way to cheer on Team USA, our Airbnb host canceled on us.

Luckily, we were able to find new accommodations at a nearly identical price point, but they were a bit out of the way in the suburbs of Paris.

On average, it took us about 40 minutes to commute to central Paris (including a 15-minute walk to the train station from our Airbnb). It was a bit of a hassle, and the place we stayed in was of questionable cleanliness.

Toward the end of the trip, I decided to spend extra time in Paris, so I booked a hostel on a whim without reading reviews. As I was about to put my sheets on and turn in at the hostel, I found a bed bug.

I ended up scrambling to find a new place to sleep at 2 a.m.

Bed bugs can be found in even the nicest places and can be tricky to avoid, but if I'd read the hostel's TripAdvisor reviews — which had multiple accounts of people saying they found the pests — I could've saved myself a lot of trouble.

I could've saved money on my purchases if I'd done more research.

Pharmacy in Paris — I should've done more research on VAT before making a big pharmacy purchase.
Kelly Nguyen

Paris has an incredible shopping scene, plus non-EU tourists can get a refund on the more than 10% value-added tax on luxury goods if they spend more than 100 euros.

When I made a large purchase at a French pharmacy that qualified for this refund, employees gave me the option of filing the paperwork later at the airport on my way home or making the request in the store.

I opted to try to file at the airport, but I wasn't flying out of France. At London's Heathrow, I learned the UK no longer does these refunds for visitors outside the EU.

I would've saved money if I'd just done my tax refund at the store.

Overall, I'm going to plan carefully if I return to Paris.

Kelly Nguyen at the Olympics — I enjoyed visiting Paris and learned some great travel lessons.
Kelly Nguyen

I'd definitely visit Paris again, though maybe during a different season — and I'd be more intentional about planning next time.

I'd also try to avoid too many last-minute itinerary changes and do more research when choosing where I sleep and how I fill my days. I wouldn't pack my schedule so much, especially since doing so left me tired and contributed to the amount of money I spent on rideshares.

But overall, the mistakes I made definitely helped me learn to deal with discomfort abroad.

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How I spent $4,700 on my first trip abroad to Paris and London — and what I'd t…