Pet rats in Lidl, insane cyclists and a distinct lack of Sainsbury’s Tikka Masala
This one’s about the boring stuff—the bank accounts, the transport passes and the innumerable different types of Carrefour
If you know me, you know I like to get things ticked off the to-do list ASAP—hardly ideal in a place like Cambridge, where everything inevitably gets left to the last minute, and even less ideal when you’ve just arrived in a new country and have piles of admin to do.
Yet that is why, even while exhausted from one long day of travelling and another filled with hours of tours and talks at the ENS, I decided to attempt the impossible and obtain a French SIM.
Due to said exhaustion, I cannot report much about the talks themselves, other than to note the sudden entrance of the school mascot—a purple and yellow shark—and the fact that the director used to own a Labrador (vital information, of course). We heard from countless organisations with strikingly similar roles (the international students’ peer group, the international students’ directory, the international student mentors… You get the idea) and were lectured on bank accounts, insurance and transport passes. Frankly, all this admin talk only made me more anxious to get it done and, as for the tour, to this day, I still haven't found my way back to some of those locations.
After several unfruitful bus trips to non-existent phone shops and what felt like hours wandering through the Italie 2 shopping centre, I stumbled upon a vending machine that spat out SIM cards. The only problem was you needed a French IBAN. Yet, to get a French IBAN, you needed a French phone number (you can see the issue here). Cambridge international students, complain all you want. I get it now—the admin is tough.
By this time, I was late for my apartment tour and had realised I’d left my coat at the Airbnb. Everything seemed to be going wrong. It was lovely meeting my flatmates in person but I struggled to pay attention to the instructions of each—I would argue far too easily breakable—appliance.
It turned out, however, that losing my coat was precisely what I needed. For it was on the train back to Vincent that I had my eureka moment. I felt like Sherlock with his mind palace as I pieced together how I would obtain a French IBAN, phone number and transport pass.
By the following afternoon, I was strolling along the banks of the Seine with my flatmates, my to-do list significantly shorter and the reality of how close I was living to the famed monuments of Paris finally hitting me.
Thus, I thought I’d provide a little guide to Parisian admin to help the next generation of naïve MML-ers on their journeys:
Visas
In case filling in one form on Études en France, another on France-Visas, attending an appointment in Manchester, having my fingerprints taken and paying several hundred euros wasn’t enough, I then had to spend another €50 to validate my visa upon arrival—thanks Brexiteers!
Banking
You’ll need a French bank account if you want to get paid or buy a subscription (e.g., a mobile contract). Originally, I thought I’d try a traditional bank but they all required in-person meetings (a little too intense for my first week in Paris) due to my lack of income—rude!
Hence, I chose the fintech route. Monzo is not yet available in France and Wise can only provide a Belgian IBAN. However, I already had a British Revolut account, meaning I had to transfer all my money elsewhere and close the account before opening a new one with my French address. After all that faff, I then paid €7 for a physical card. But it was worth it—I’m now fully functional in France.
Even if you decide not to open a new account, it’s worth using a card without fees for spending abroad and converting your money into euros before you pay. There’s lots of information online from more qualified people about how to save money when paying overseas, which I recommend reading. After all, a year abroad ain’t cheap!
Phone numbers
If, like me, you have a phone contract that charges you several pounds a day for roaming, you’re going to need a French number. This also makes it easier to register for things and for French people to contact you (yay friends!).
It’s hard to purchase a contract online because you’re often required to already have a French number (though you could borrow someone else’s). To save time, I visited the aforementioned Free vending machine and paid €12/month for 160GB.
This is far more than I need and you could probably get cheaper. I just don’t feel like starting a whole new process and waiting for another SIM to arrive. If your phone accepts eSIMs though, that may be the way forward.
Public transport
You can buy tickets on your phone or at stations but you need to know which type:
T+ allow you to travel for an hour and cost €2.
A Navigo Liberté + adds up all your (cheaper) t+ and charges you at the end of the month.
You can also buy monthly/yearly subscriptions or day/week passes. Be aware that these begin at the start of the week/month and last until the end (not just 7 or 30 days).
If you’re a student, you can purchase the Imagine R pass and travel as much as you like for €30/month. All this requires is a few documents, a bank account and phone number. It takes ages to arrive but it’s such a relief once you can whizz freely around Paris.
While you’ll soon tire of the endless stairs and long walks around central stations, the metro is super handy, especially when, like us, you have several lines close by! The buses are excellent for sightseeing and the RER can take you quite far out on the same pass, allowing you to visit magnificent chateaus (and yes, Disneyland, if you’d like).
Parisian transport is generally safe—just remain vigilant, especially at night and around big stations. Watch out, too, for plainclothes officers (and ones with huge guns) who will charge you €50 if you haven’t bought a ticket.
Citymapper is a wonderful app that even shows where on the platform to board the train and which exit to use (so you don’t end up miles away from where you intended, knowing Parisian metro stations).
I can confirm that I’ve already had my first conversation with a stranger on the metro, thankfully not about politics this time—I think this guy just wanted to practise his English!
Cycling
Since my transport pass took so long to arrive, I ended up registering for Vélib, which manages bike stations across Paris. It turned out it was quicker to cycle to university than take the metro so these blue and green monstrosities have become a core part of my Parisian lifestyle.
There are numerous advantages to this: firstly, you feel incredibly French. Cycling around Paris gives you a better understanding of how different neighbourhoods connect and means you never miss the sights (unless, like me, you’re so focused on not crashing that you miss everything!).
Now for the disadvantages: Parisian cyclists are crazy. No one follows the road rules. I’m sure many would be shocked by the way I’m already cycling so I hope, for my safety, that I don’t culturally assimilate by the end of the year—at least not in that respect.
“As long as I avoid the Champs-Élysées, I should survive at least until Christmas”
Fear not, however, for I’ve found a helmet in my apartment and bought a gilet jaune (don’t worry, I haven't joined the movement). As long as I avoid the Champs-Élysées, I should survive at least until Christmas.
Getting used to riding on the right was not as hard as it sounds, mostly because I never cycle at home. Why have I gone straight to riding through a capital city, you may ask? God knows! But it’s certainly been one of the highlights of my stay so far…
Which is why I'm going to list more disadvantages: often, you’ll unlock a Vélib, only to discover there are no brakes… Or pedals… Or another fairly essential part of the bike. Then, there’s the problem of stations being full, batteries running out and docks not functioning…
Thankfully, people often turn the saddle around to indicate that a bike is broken. Nevertheless, I distinctly remember riding home late at night on the bumpiest bike of all time, a plastic tube dangling from the handle bar.
Now that I’ve sold you this experience, let me provide the details: sign-ups are online; you can use a Navigo card or obtain a Vélib one; it's a bit of a faff to activate your account (with numerous codes to enter) but, once that’s done, all you need is your card.
You can pay €1 per ride (€2 for electric bikes) or subscribe to cycle basically as much as you like (€2/month for young people, €7 including the electric ones).
There are also Dott and Lime bikes but they're not as cheap. So, why not try this healthy and inexpensive (provided you survive) way to explore Paris? Not sponsored.
Insurance
My university provided travel insurance and a GHIC should do for health, unless you're regularly needing medicines—then, you’ll have to undertake an entirely new process. But look on the bright side: you’ll never have to brandish that obnoxiously large Union Jack and you’ll receive a French social security number, which might help you get housing support (I admit I’ve had no time to look into this).
For renter’s insurance, I chose Lemonade. It was only €6/month for all of us, which seems too good to be true but we’ll see…
Food
For my first shop, I visited Franprix, which turned out to be the Waitrose of France but has good choice. Carrefour resembles Cambridge’s beloved Mainsbury's, though watch out as there are three types: Market (the best), City (the same as Market but twice the price) and Express (more like Spar).
Monoprix is great for basics but also supplies fancy food, clothes and home supplies—think of it as M&S français. The security there is intense.
ALDI and Lidl exist in France, bringing much relief to my wallet. However, the first time I visited Lidl, the place was packed with people crashing into each other’s large, blue baskets. And there was a man kissing a rat… I started to wonder if I’d entered an alternate universe.
“I’ve since returned and found the shop immensely more peaceful and rat-free”
I’ve since returned and found the shop immensely more peaceful and rat-free. Plus, I discovered a two-storey Lidl—I know, exciting!
I’m yet to visit Intermarché or SuperU but what can I say? Paris just has so much to offer…
Most items are easy to find but there are far fewer Asian ingredients in standard supermarkets. Indeed, pre-made sauces (admittedly my go-to) are virtually non-existent, forcing me to stop being lazy and make my own.
I’m using my year abroad to try new recipes, including from a vegan French (surely an oxymoron) cookbook my sister bought me—I’ll let you know how it goes.
Otherwise, I’ve been consuming countless baguettes rustiques and biscottes. Plus, we’ve already become regulars at a Greek place called L’Île de Crète with €3 chips (beat that, Van of Life).
Fun fact: all mayonnaise contains mustard here.
Hopefully, this proves to you that the year abroad is not all dossing around; we do learn some valuable life skills. A disclaimer: follow this advice at your own risk. I will inevitably discover later that all my decisions were terrible and won't appreciate being sued because you failed to recognise the wonders of Monoprix.
If, for some reason, the minutiae of Parisian admin doesn’t fascinate you, fear not for my next edition will explore the weird and wonderful world of the ENS…
Think I’ve made a dreadful mistake? Have your own advice for future year abroad students?