Travel expert’s seven things she ‘desperately’ wishes she knew before trip to popular city

A travel expert has shared seven things she ‘desperately’ wishes she knew before visiting a popular romantic city in .

Raimee uses her online platforms to help people “travel smarter and for less” with tips she has learnt after travelling to more than 40 countries. She posted a video on sharing her pearls of wisdom for people visiting – a French city she has visited more than ten times.

The American expert has put together a list of things to know before taking a trip to Paris after she “hated” her first trip there. She started off her clip by saying: “I desperately wish I knew these things before my first trip to Paris because I hated it. Now I actually love it after visiting over ten times so here’s what you need to know!”

1. Take a secret entrance to the Louvre

Raimee said: “First: To avoid the crazy lines at the Louvre take one of the many secret entrances, not the main pyramid. My favourite is the one through the subway.

“Take Metro Line 1 or 7 to this stop (Le Carrousel de Louvre) and you can enter the Louvre from underground.” In her video she shared a picture of a map of the various entrances to the famous museum, including Porte des Lions, Passage Richelleu and Palais Royal.

2. Choose the the right zone for your Metro card

The travel pro went on to explain that when you buy a Metro card to use the public transport in Paris, you will be asked what zone you would like to travel through and you will “most likely only need access to Zone 1.” This zone is for central Paris and covers the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Galeries Lafayette.

3. Be prepared to get strange looks when you ask for oat/almond milk

Raimee suggested to be prepared when you ask for oat milk or almond milk in your coffee when in Paris. She added: “I asked one cafe what kind of milk they had and they said ‘cow’ and I thought that was pretty funny.

“It’s becoming more common for them to have milk alternatives here but you might be like me and find that regular milk doesn’t actually upset your stomach in Europe.” found that of the top ten countries with the lowest rates of lactose intolerance, eight of them are European but the “unsurprisingly” didn’t make the list as Americans are “less likely to possess the gene that processes lactose” and there are differences between milk production in America and Europe.

4. Don’t wait in line for the Shakespeare and Company bookshop

The Paris expert said she wouldn’t wait in line for the Shakespeare and Company bookshop. She admits it is “a cool bookstore” but she doesn’t think it’s worth waiting in a long queue for. Raimee shared in the comment section of her post that the shop was “so crowded” the last four times she went and she doesn’t think the line is “worth it to be crammed in there.”

Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the River Seine, opposite Notre-Dame and since opening in 1951, it has been a “meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution”, according to the .

The bookshop is located in a 17th century building and staff limit the number of people in the store at one one time. As per the website, there is sometimes a queue to enter during busy periods but it “generally moves quickly.”

5. Eat at establishments away from major nearby tourist sites

Raimee’s next tip is “before sitting down to eat somewhere make sure you walk five to ten blocks away from any major nearby tourist site.” She claims the will be “better and cheaper.”

6. Have a picnic by the River Seine like the locals 

Moving on, Raimee said: “The best way to have a good time in Paris is to do as the locals do, have a little picnic by the Seine. Go to a local market and grab some cheese, a cheap bottle of wine and a baguette and just lounge around and people watch.”

has put together a blog on how to eat like a local in Paris. It recommends having an apéro, the “early evening bite” which is usually accompanied by beer or wine and is often hosted at someone’s home but can also take place in public places, like along the Seine.

7. View the Eiffel Tower from the second floor

Raimee said if you’re planning to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower she thinks the “view from the second level is much better than the view from the third” (the very top). There are three floors you can go on to visit the Eiffel Tower: the first floor, second floor and top.

The states that the second floor has a lower level and an upper level where you can “take in the most unobstructed view”. Also, on this level you can find the Michelin star restaurant, Le Jules Verne.

Raimee’s video has amassed a staggering 3.6 million views, 296,600 likes and more than 700 comments. One user said: “Love these tips! I just went to Paris in May. I loved it!”

Someone who lives in Paris added: “I’ve been living in Paris for 3 years and I must say, you gave pretty good advice!”

A third user commented: “Great tips! I was so disappointed when we went. I had such high expectations my whole life and it was a let down. I’m excited to go back and try again though.”