Saturday 17 May 2008

Bonjour, Paris!


On my 25th birthday, I decided to something which I've never imagined of. Yes, backpacking alone. There are several reasons trigerring my desire to travel alone in Europe. First, having backpacking with a group of friends may be fun, but it also can be frustrating when there were different opinions as where to go and where to eat. It took a lot of time to make a simple decision, which in turn can be made useful by going somewhere you really wanted to visit. Secondly, it is a good idea to try something different and challenging on a birthday. So, I made up my mind and booked the flight ticket and hostel bed a month before departure.

Travelling alone means no one will watch after you. So, it's important to be fully prepared with travelling informations. The most difficult part was to study Paris public transportation. Basically, the metro network is not that complicated and it connects the major tourist attractions. The tricky part is it's assigned with different zones for stations and this comes with different fares. A valid ticket covering a certain zone is needed to travel 'legally'. If you cross the zone not coverd by the ticket fare, good luck or you can be fined by metro police. Finally I understood how the system works and decided which type of ticket to be purchased.

There were a lot of studies to be made prior to departure.That helps a lot during the trip I must say. Now I am back, bringing fond memories and great experience. I must say that travelling alone in Paris is not hard, it's fun and enjoyful! Glad I made the right decision.

I purposely missed some attractions to justify my return visit to Paris in future.It's a wonderful city and there's a lot to be experienced!


View my photos here: http://jdexign.multiply.com/photos