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paris on the student budget. possible?

I have two weeks left until I bid a temporary farewell to the United States and head to the other side of the Atlantic. Some friends and I are getting ready for our trip to Paris for a study abroad program sponsored by our university. After two in-person meetings regarding the program, many of us still had numerous questions and concerns regarding the program. Our dorms are located on the "south side" of Paris where most of the cool places are north of the river. There were many questions still floating among us. Are there any cheap eateries available? Where is the nearest bakery? Is the neighborhood relatively safe? Where is the best place to exchange currency without getting ripped off? Where can we shop? We're not talking about the touristy department stores or high-end, super-expensive boutiques. We wanted to know where the "real" Parisians shop. Where are the streets filled with vintage clothing stores and underground shops? Where are the places that the "real" Parisians hang out?

Obligated to be armed with some information to get us started, I began my search online to find the "must-be-seen" spots of Paris.

First, I checked out the forums at the student travellers' site, StudentUniverse. While looking through the Europe posts to find anything related to Paris. However, most content related to people who are staying there for a few days rather than 10 weeks that we will be there for. Then I went to RealTravel to browse through their archives of Paris travel blogs. This is an interesting (I know that I've used this word frequently through my recent posts, but I can't think of any other word that perfectly describes my thought. It's better to be blunt than frivolous... I guess.) archive as the blogs are written by real people who have travelled to Paris recently and recorded their photos and thoughts onto a blog. The people are not only from the United States which brings another perspective into the eclectic French city.

This is only the beginning of the many blogs I found devoted to Paris. Heather Stimmler-Hall has written a great guide on her blog, Secrets of Paris. This alternative look at Paris offers some insightful recommendations (and funny comments) about her experiences in Paris. There are definitely some eateries under 15 Euro that I want to try. I've heard the ethnic cuisine is also fantastic in Paris, and many of them are very inexpensive. There are other sections on Parisian nightlife, culture, the arts, hotel, and essentials that all travelers should be aware of. This blog will definitely be bookmarked as I'm sure we'll refer to it often while in Paris.

Another blog entitled "Girl's Guide to City Life" is also chocked full of information especially for the ladies. They have sections for not only Paris but for many other international cities as well. Most content is biased towards shopping and nightlife, but there are other little things for the "active girl" or the "travellin' girl" to see. Speaking of fashion, I've also browsed through many forums showcasing Paris street fashion, so that I don't stick out like an American tourist.

I'm still looking around for a very good restaurant guide, especially for student budgets. If you know of any communities, please share.

posted by Koh @ 6:58 PM