I am offering actual travel experiences from me, and other travelers that have had similar encounters. I will also offer reviews, tips, and travel advises on more than fifty countries in the world. This is just getting started, so expect to learn more as I cover more countries. I want to travel to more countries because I am not ready to quit yet. I will tell you the good and bad about each country, so you can be sure of getting honest reviews from me.
At least at one point of time in our photography journey, almost all of us want to try our hands on wildlife photography. Be it an attempt to photograph a bird in our backyard or taking a jungle safari, it is pretty rare to see someone with a camera not attempting to shoot the wild side. For a person like me living in India, the land of tigers & elephants to a wide array of resident and migratory birds flocking all the way from Siberia and Australia, it is no surprise that you will see me with a super telephoto lens crawling through wilderness. There are countless articles floating all over the Internet on the rules and guidelines of wildlife photography, not to mention some amazing articles on various aspects of wildlife photography right here at Photography Life. In this article, I would like to pen down a few pointers that I feel come very handy in the field, and things that aren’t spoken much of.
from Photography Life https://photographylife.com/creating-stunning-wildlife-photos#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=creating-stunning-wildlife-photos
New Zealand. The land of Middle Earth, Great Walks, kiwis, backpackers, adventure sports, delicious wine and pristine wine regions.
And a land that sucks all your money from your wallet like a giant vacuum.
I first visited New Zealand eight years ago. The country was so much more expensive than I thought it would be. Back then, I was a cheap(er) backpacker and focused on saving as much money as I could. I cooked most of my meals, hitchhiked, skipped all the costly adventure sports, and drank a diet of cheap boxed wine and happy hour beer.
But, when I visited earlier this year, I changed my MO this trip. I was going to say yes to everything, regardless of cost.
I wanted to really know how much money you need in New Zealand for a variety of budgets. What’s it cost to be a broke backpacker? A mid-range traveler? Or a mix of the two? What if you want to eat out a lot but also hike or sleep in a van? What if you want to do all the adventure activities in the world? What if you just let the tab pile up?
So I became the Nomadic Matt of many budgeting hats. And, in the process I learned a lot about, the true cost of traveling New Zealand.
Let’s break it down.
How much did I spend in New Zealand?
Over the course of my 25-day visit, I spent $4,550.90 NZD ($3,292.74 USD), averaging $182 NZD ($131.68 USD) per day.
That’s a lot of money. Like holy hell a lot of money! Way more than my $50 USD a day guideline.
Here’s how my spending broke down:
Accommodations: $913.64 NZD ($661.05 USD)
Spark phone service: $164.68 (119.15)
Pharmacy: $39.98 (28.93)
Internet: $15.29 (11.06)
Groceries: $235.52 (170.41)
Transportation: $1,014.32 (733.90)
Activities: $823.65 (595.94)
Restaurants: 1343.82 (972.30)
Total: $4550.90 NZD ($3,292.74 USD)
I spent a lot of money, but, again, I said yes to everything. I knew taking scenic planes, trains, and helicopter rides; staying in private rooms, and meals out was going to cost a lot of money.
But even I was surprised how much I spent when I wasn’t tracking my spending.
Looking back, there were things I could have done to lower my costs.
I could have saved money by eating out less or by booking less expensive Airbnbs instead of hostel private rooms (which are always a terrible deal but I wanted to be around other travelers).
With a lot of ground to cover, I couldn’t always spend a day on a bus so flying really increased my costs. Additionally, the scenic rail I took (while awesome) was also $159 NZD! And transportation to Stewart Island is $160 NZD! Instead of doing them all, I could have picked one or the other.
And I definitely blew through way too much phone data. As a person not used to data limits, being data limited at hostels (around 1 GB per day) was new territory for me as I tried to stream Netflix. I picked up the slack on my phone by just ordering more data and not really thinking about it.
If I was slightly more conscious about my dining, accommodation, and spending habits, I easily could have cut $20 USD or more per day from my budget.
How much does New Zealand really cost?
So how much do you need to budget in New Zealand then? If you’re going to travel like I did, budget $110-130 USD a day. This will let you travel carefree and basically do anything you want (within reason). Fly, take scenic trains, expensive ferries, scenic flights, drink expensive wines, have expensive dinner – New Zealand is your oyster!
A more “I want to do a lot but still want to be budget”, a budget of around $142 NZD ($100 USD) a day will get you private rooms in Airnbs, a large number of activities (I let no winery go unvisited!), the occasional flights, and restaurant meals about 70% of the time.
If you’re going on a backpacker’s budget, I’d say you need around $71-85 NZD ($50-60 USD a day). That will get you a hostel dorm room, bus transportation, happy hour drinks, one or two expensive activities (bungy, scenic flights, skydive, etc), and mostly self-cooked meals (around 70-80% of your meals).
If you are going to rent a campervan or self-drive, you could knock $15 NZD ($11 USD) daily off your budget since your van will act as accommodation too. On an even tighter budget, with Couchsurfing, hitchhiking, few if any activities, and cooking 90% or more of your meals, you could get by on $40 NZD ($28 USD) per day. It’s not easy to do but I met travelers who did it. It requires a lot of discipline though.
Here are some sample costs:
Spark Phone plan (with 4.5 GB of data) – $40 NZD ($20 with 1.5 GB of data)
Buses booked far in advance – $1 NZD per ride
Buses booked last minute – $20-60 NZD
Airfare – Varied wildly but you’re looking at least $50 NZD each way.
Scenic trains – $159 NZD each way
Full-day Bay of Islands cruise – $259 NZD
Hobbiton tour – $84 NZD
Nevis Bungy – $275 NZD
Franz Josef Glacier Guides Heli Hike – $459 NZD
Waitomo glow worm caves – $51-246 NZD depending on if you walk, raft, or abseil
Hostel dorms – $20-30 NZD
Hostel private rooms – $55-$100 NZD
Airbnb – $50+ NZD for a shared location, $80+ NZD for a whole unit
Wine tours – $150+ NZD
Drinks – $8 NZD for a beer, $10-15 NZD for wine or cocktails, and $5 NZD for a happy hour drink
Bar crawls – $20-30 NZD
Casual restaurant meal – $15-25 NZD
Fast food meal – $11-20 NZD
How to SAVE money in New Zealand
Spending so much money taught me a lot of about how to save money in New Zealand. Where your budget will go to die in this country is with activities and meals. Adventures activities are crazy expensive, most of them costing $200 NZD or more! I mean a heli-hike in Franz Josef was $450 NZD! That’s CRAZY! Moreover, with most meals costing $20-30 NZD ($15-22 USD), your budget is going to be gone quickly if you eat out a lot (food represented 34.7% of my total spending).
New Zealand’s groceries weren’t that expensive (it’s an agricultural country after all), and there are a lot of free hikes to replace those expensive activities. Taking advantage of these should help lower your costs substantially. When I was in Wanaka, I only spent around $50 NZD ($36 USD) each day ($30 for my dorm, $20 for food and drink, and $0 for activities since nature was free!). It can be done.
Simply put, New Zealand doesn’t have to be expensive if you don’t want it to be. After all, if it was, so many backpackers wouldn’t come here in droves. I mean how many hordes of backpackers go to Norway? Not a lot! Why? It’s f*ing expensive unless the only thing you do is camp! New Zealand has a middle ground. It’s whatever it is you want it to be.
Here is how to save money while there:
Cook (a lot) – I know this is going to sound crazy but, and I can already hear the comments coming, the food scene in New Zealand isn’t that mind-blowing. Yes, there are nice cafés, some hip gastronomy, and really delicious meals, but nothing that’s so mouth watering delicious you have to blow your budget on it. I never walked away going “That was a meal I couldn’t get at home! I’m glad I just spent $60 bucks!”
No. In fact, my biggest regret is that I spent so much on food. I should have cooked a lot more. I feel like I wasted a lot of money not doing so. I probably could have saved about $800 NZD by cooking more and, honestly, I don’t feel like I would have missed anything too great.
So cook as much as possible. You’re going to save a ton of money. Heck, even a burger and fries is $20 NZD! I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever eat out, just do so sparingly.
A week’s worth of groceries will set you back between $80-100 NZD. The cheaper supermarkets are Pak’nSave and Countdown.
Choose your tours wisely – Tours cost a lot of money in New Zealand. Going on just a few is enough to bust any budget and send you home before you had planned. Pick the ones you really want to do and save the rest for another trip.
Hit happy hour – The backpacker bars have cheap happy hours offering $5 NZD drinks — take advantage of them.
WWOOF it – WWOOFing is a way to get free accommodation and food in return for working on a farm or in a B&B. You can do it for a few days or a few months. It’s a popular activity with travelers because it lets you travel cheaper and longer. Keep in mind, though, most farms will require you to have some experience, as too many inexperienced workers have caused them trouble in the past.
Work at a hostel – Many hostels let you trade a few hours of cleaning and making beds for free accommodation. Ask when you check in if this is possible — it might just save you some money!
Car share – Car shares are a popular transportation option for travelers looking to lower costs — all you need to do is chip in for gas. You can find rides on websites like Gumtree and Craigslist. Additionally, you’ll see people asking for rides on hostel bulletin boards. As for ridesharing apps, check out Thumbs Up NZ or Carpool New Zealand. (I never found a New Zealand version of BlaBlaCar but if anyone knows of one, let me know!)
Couchsurf – While there are not a ton of Couchsurfing options in the country, there are hosts in all of the major cities. If you don’t mind sleeping on a couch or floor, this is not only a way save money on accommodation but also a way to meet some amazing locals too. (Don’t just use this as a free hotel. If you don’t want to interact with your hosts, don’t use this site.)
Hitchhike – Hitchhiking is easy in New Zealand. Besides Iceland, it’s probably the easiest country in the world to hitchhike in. There are plenty of people who will pick you up. Additionally, you can just ask around any hostel and find a ride — everyone is doing the same circuit. I got from Wanaka to Queenstown to Fiordland that way. Between message boards, Couchsurfing forums, the people you meet in hostels, and just thumbing it on the side of the road, you can always find a ride.
Take a free walking tour – There are a few free walking tours in New Zealand, like the Auckland Free Walking Tour or WellyWalks Limited in Wellington, that offer visitors (and locals) insight into each city.
Remember that nature is free – New Zealand, home to the Great Walks of the World, has tons of free outdoor activities. While the adventure sports, wine tours, glacier treks, and boat cruises can eat into your budget, all the trails and walks are free. You can easily fill your day with free hikes, excursions to the lakes, or days on the beach!
And keep in mind the majority of museums in the country are also free!
Get a bus pass – I tend to buy transportation last-minute so I never scored super discount fares, which is where bus passes come in. I bought the $135 InterCity FlexiPass for 15 hours of travel. I’d suggest this since it is hours based and lasts forever. It will save you a lot of money versus booking last-minute tickets on the bus.
Skip the backpacker buses – While they’re fun, backpacker bus tours like the Kiwi Experience, Stray, or Haka are expensive! Best to avoid them if you are on a tight budget. If your budget isn’t so tight and you do want to check them out, be sure to sign up for their mailing lists first — there is always a sale on.
Use Book.me.nz – This website provides last-minute discounts on activities (and pub crawls) throughout the country. If you’re flexible about when you want to do things, you can save up to 60% off attractions and activities! I can’t recommend it enough. It saved me a lot of money.
***
Saving money in New Zealand is about picking and choosing your battles. As you can see, when you just don’t care, costs can really go up. I made plenty of spending mistakes that upped my daily average a lot. But if you get a bus pass, cook a lot of your meals, find rideshares, stick to Airbnb rooms (or split rooms with friends), and campervan it, New Zealand won’t be that expensive.
This month my beautiful friend gave birth to the most perfect baby boy. Not only am I crazy about this kiddo, I’m an auntie for the first time ever! That, far and away, is the highlight of this past month.
It also made me feel even more grateful for my career and lifestyle. Most people who try to become travel bloggers are dreaming of the travel perks — “free” trips, getting paid to travel, unlimited vacation time. But for me, the best perks are being able to make my own hours and be there for my loved ones when they need a helping hand.
So when my friend found out she’d be having the baby sooner than expected and lamented that she had no time for maternity photos, I dropped everything to do a shoot with her and her husband (and their dog too!). I spent time with my friend while she was laboring, and I visited the morning after the baby was born. I even got to read him his first book! As soon as I recover from a tough bout of strep (more on that below), I plan to help her out during the week while everyone else is at work.
So yes, the travel perks are nice…but for me, getting to be there for my friend in her early days of motherhood is the greatest perk of self-employment.
Destinations Visited
Reading, Lynn, Lynnfield, and Burlington, Massachusetts
New York, New York
Highlights
A rock star schedule in Massachusetts and New York. I had my friend’s baby shower in Massachusetts that ended at 4:30 PM and my sister’s 30th birthday party (how do I have a 30-year-old sister?!) later that evening in Manhattan. I made it work — I flew! I got there in time for Sarah to blow out the candles on her Dunkin Donuts cake, which is pretty much the most Bostonian thing ever.
Family time in Massachusetts. I tend to do a spring visit every year, and this time I got to spend Easter and my mom’s birthday with lots of different family members, which was nice. Also, there’s an Amazon Bookstore near my hometown now and that place is probably the most dangerous place I could go. ALL THE AMAZING BOOKS AT AMAZON PRICES.
I got to see Hamilton again! My friend Eric had an extra ticket to the show and he kindly offered it to me. What an amazing show. It was so interesting to see how the new cast interprets their roles — especially the humorous lines. Just think of all the ways you can say, “Everything is legal in New Jersey!”
Was it as good as the first time? I saw Hamilton with the original cast, went in mostly blind, and I was blown away in a million different directions. You can’t replicate that experience, though I still love the show as much as ever. And this time I found some new actors I adored — especially Michael Luwoye, who played Hamilton so spectacularly that I will fork over major cash to see him in literally anything (and if my dream comes true, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice or maybe the titular role in Macbeth) — and I gained an appreciation for things I overlooked the first time around.
(Also, we had dinner at Osteria Doge beforehand and it was outstanding. I thought there was no good dining in Times Square but I was dead wrong! If you’re going to a show, eat there. You’ll love it. Thumbs way up for the risotto Milanese.)
I learned to crochet. It’s been a long time since I learned a completely new skill! Being in Antarctica showed me how much I value time away from screens, so I decided to pick up a hobby that allows me to disconnect and clear my mind.
I took a few classes at Lion Brand Yarn Studio (I found them on Coursehorse — get $15 off your first Coursehorse class here). I feel like I took to it quickly — maybe I inherited some skills from my grandmother, who was amazing at anything involving yarn or thread. Unfortunately I missed the third and final class due to illness, but I hope to make it up next month. But that’s okay because YouTube is an absolute gold mine!! You can learn how to crochet all kinds of crazy things on YouTube! I’m already addicted. I can’t wait to share my creations with you.
A tour of uptown New York City. My friend Dani had an extra ticket (recurring theme this month?) and I joined her for an art and culture tour of Washington Heights and Central Harlem. It was nice getting to see some places in my neighborhood that I’d never visited, like Sylvain Terrace, one of the most unique streets in Manhattan. We also grabbed some soul food at Sylvia’s — I can’t believe I haven’t been there until now!
Some gorgeous spring days. I won’t lie, it’s been a rough April weather-wise (it snowed no fewer than three days in April!!), but there’s nothing more enjoyable than taking a long walk through Central Park on the first warm days of the year. It’s nothing short of divine.
And my old brownstone, my first New York home, has gone on sale.If you’re interested, it’s here. $2.7 million for a duplex with a backyard topped with two rentable one-bedroom units on one of the prettiest blocks in Hamilton Heights, which honestly is a steal by New York standards.
Challenges
This month, I was the sickest I’ve been in years. Right after the baby was born, I got strep throat. Strep is something that I get every five to eight years or so and it always seems to come at the worst time. Usually I get diagnosed, start antibiotics, and feel better within a day and can go outside within two days. Not this time. I got a weird, antibiotic-resistant form of strep that would take its time to work through my system, and a viral infection on top of it as well.
So instead of being knocked down for two days, this time it knocked me out for more than a week. I didn’t leave my apartment for several days; I couldn’t focus enough to read or work; I was too weak to stand in the shower; I rotated between fever and chills every few hours; even swallowing water felt like razor blades down my throat. I’ve been sicker than that in my life, but I’ve never been that sick for that long.
I had a trip scheduled to Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, to profile a new hotel, but I had to cancel (and thankfully reschedule for two weeks later).
Worst of all, I had to stay away from the baby. I missed him so much!
The Handmaid’s Tale is back and it’s as brutal as ever. I won’t give anything away, but it’s frightening and gorgeous and heartbreaking. I’m so glad only one episode comes out at a time; binge-watching this would turn me into a mess. As a Bostonian, this season is making my heart hurt — a number of pivotal scenes take place at Boston landmarks.
On a lighter note, I became slightly obsessed with Oh, Hello on Broadway, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll’s show where they play two crotchety old Upper West Siders, which is on Netflix. It’s weird and hilarious and you don’t want to know how many times I’ve watched it.
What I Listened To This Month
I’ll be honest — when I started watching the reboot of Queer Eye in February, I loved it but I found the long-haired Jonathan a bit grating. Well, my sister recommended his podcast to me, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. I was shocked — turns out I love this guy!
Each week, Jonathan invites an expert on a subject he’s curious about and they talk about it. Some of the subjects: cults (and they totally talk about how the Landmark Forum has cult-like qualities, which I found hilarious), the Armenian Genocide, how Los Angeles became a driving city, how Dave Holmes became a VJ (I’m a huge fan of Dave and vividly remember that VJ contest), the opioid crisis, psychedelics, and more.
This has become what I listen to when I crochet.
What I Read This Month
My reading slowed majorly down this month. Two reasons: crocheting ate into my reading time, and I spent a week too sick to read at all. I panicked when I got close to the end of the month and had only finished two quick books. Still, I rallied to finish five in the month, including books by authors from two new countries: Rwanda and Morocco. I’ve now read books by authors from nine new countries and am on track to hit my goal of 25 by the end of the year.
Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-Loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew (2018) — Mari Andrew became famous on Instagram for her sweet illustrations about navigating through life as a young adult. This book is a collection of new and already published illustrations, along with several essays, grouped into different sections about the experience of growing up.
I’m a big fan of Mari Andrew on Instagram, and I bought this book primarily to support an artist whose work I enjoy. That said, while the book is sweet, and some of the original illustrations are fantastic (especially the maps of different cities), I did not care for her essays, and it was the kind of book I would look through once and never again. I’ve often found that I don’t like when celebrities or media stars write long-form books. Shonda Rimes is better at TV writing, Luvvie Ajayi is better when not held to a list of topics, Mark Manson is better at one great essay every few months, Amy Schumer is better on stage. Still, I’m glad I supported an artist whose work I enjoy.
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur (2017) — After the success of Milk and Honey comes a sequel of Indian-Canadian author Kaur’s poetry. This time it’s divided into the following sections: Wilting, Falling, Rooting, Rising, Blooming.
I like her poetry. Some people deride it for being so simple, but I think she really nails the universal human experience. Here are a few of my favorite lines:
i can’t wrap my head around the fact that i have to convince half the world’s population my body is not their bed i am busy learning the consequences of womanhood when i should be learning science and math instead
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clementine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil (2018) — Since I’ve been trying to read books by authors from different countries, I’ve been picking whatever Book of the Month offerings come from international authors. This book tells the story of Clementine Wamariya, who fled Rwanda during the 1994 genocide at the age of six with her teenage sister Claire. They went on to migrate through refugee camps in several African countries before becoming eligible to immigrate to the United States. The memoir shifts between their journey through Africa and their new life in America.
I realized this month that so many books by African authors marketed toward US audiences are about war and genocide. There is so much more to Africa than that. That being said, I found this book to be an illuminating glimpse of what it is to be a refugee in Africa. Clementine’s sister Claire is the ultimate inspirational figure — she was a hustler every minute of every day, and it was her business sense, street smarts, and relationship-building that kept them alive and moving to better places over time. The book itself is a bit uneven — Clementine was so young when the massacre happened that her early memories are patchy (which is totally understandable) but those parts of the book are written rudimentarily with no depth to them. I wish there had been a bit more consistency, as the later parts of the book were much stronger.
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani (2018) — This month I was at Albertine, New York’s French bookstore, and I saw Moroccan-French author Leila Slimani was making an appearance. I picked up a copy of her latest novel, The Perfect Nanny (Chanson Douce in the original French). The book opens in Paris with two children dead at the hands of their nanny. From there it rewinds to the beginning, telling the story of everything leading up to their murders at the hands of a woman who appeared on the surface to be the greatest nanny of all time.
This isn’t a traditional book — it leaves so much to ambiguity, and I can see why many reviewers didn’t like it. I personally would have liked to have more of a conclusion, but it made me realize that not every book has to be what we’re used to. I’m doing this project to expand my views of literature and the world, and part of that is discovering new styles of literature. Overall, I found this novel to be a quick, sinister, and quite entertaining read. And because Slimani’s style is so spare and simple, I think I’m going to try to read one of her other books in French.
Interestingly, Slimani named the nanny Louise after Louise Woodward, a British nanny in the Boston area who was convicted of manslaughter in 1997 after the baby she took care of died from head trauma. That was the biggest news story in Boston when I was 13. But want to know something crazy? I went on Wikipedia and found out that Louise Woodward went on to become a Latin dance instructor in Chester, England. I went to Latin dance events in Chester, England. She was probably there.
The Oracle Year by Charles Soule (2018) — A struggling musician in New York suddenly hears predictions of the future in his head, and he decides to write them down. Then they start coming true. After putting his predictions on Reddit, then on a website, he becomes known worldwide as “The Oracle,” the wealthy pay him insane money for the exclusive rights to predictions, and he becomes an enemy of the US government. Soon he’s on the run.
Ever since seeing this listed on Book of the Month, I was excited to read it — but I found it better in theory than in practice. One user on Goodreads described this book as “dick lit,” which made me laugh because it’s so true. At the center of this book is this boring guy, yet everyone he meets is fascinated by him. Three different female characters hang on his every word and say, “Oh, Will.” Come on. That’s just lazy. Throw in some action sequences and implausible plots and you have a book that entertains but makes little sense. Overall, I’d rank this as a Dan Brown-type book: compelling, and I couldn’t put it down, but as a work of literature, it made me cringe endlessly. I’d recommend it if you’re up for some mindless entertainment and you can suspend disbelief a bit.
Coming Up in May 2018
I’m hitting the road hard this month. First up is the trip I had to reschedule — Chesapeake Bay, a lesser-known weekend getaway from New York City! I’ve barely been to Maryland and I’m excited to have a relaxing weekend at the brand-new Wylder Hotel on Tilghman Island.
In mid-May I’m going back to New Orleans, one of my favorite American destinations. I’ll be in town to attend the Bayou Boogaloo, a music festival on the water. I’ll be back in a kayak for the first time since Antarctica — hanging out on the bayou while listening to music! How amazing is that? I’m especially excited to explore New Orleans solo, as it’s not often promoted as a destination for solo female travelers. And the FOOD, oh my God. Don’t be surprised if I’m covered in powdered sugar from Cafe du Monde beignets the whole time.
In late May I’m heading to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for the Traverse conference. While I’ve been to Rotterdam before, this is my first time at Traverse and I’ve always been impressed by their line-up of creative talks and workshops. I’ll be speaking on how to be successful as a personality-based blogger. I’m putting together the talk now, and I’m pleased at how it’s going — I’ll be talking about making money, of course (that’s what everyone wants to hear), but also about setting boundaries, self-care, and standing up for what you believe in.
I turned Traverse into a two-week trip across three countries, and my next destination is a bit of a secret for now. It’s a new country (my 75th!) and it’s not in Europe. It’s famous for its cuisine. I’ll be going for five days at the end of May into June. Any ideas?
I have always liked figure skating. There is something about how skaters glide, apparently effortlessly, on the ice. They show tremendous power, yet such grace. Along the same lines, I have always been interested in photography, although I had never really pursued it until a few years ago. I think the reason was that I hadn’t found a subject that compelled me to go out and start taking pictures. So, when my two daughters got into the sport a few years ago, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to pick up my camera and start taking beautiful photographs. I could already see myself taking amazing pictures of skaters in action. How hard could it be, right? Boy, was I in for a surprise.
from Photography Life https://photographylife.com/figure-skating-photography-tips#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=figure-skating-photography-tips
Many travel and landscape photographers, including myself, try to avoid shooting scenery with a clear blue sky. As much as we like seeing puffy or stormy clouds to spice up our photographs, we have no control over what the nature provides each day. Sometimes we get lucky and capture beautiful sunrises and sunsets with blood red skies, and other times we are stuck with a clear, boring sky. When I find myself in such a situation and I know that the next morning will be clear, I sometimes explore opportunities to photograph the stars and the Milky Way at night. I am sure you have been in situations where you got out at night in a remote location and saw an incredibly beautiful night sky with millions of stars shining right at you, with patches of stars in a “cloudy” formation that are a part of the Milky Way. If you do not know how to photograph the night sky and the Milky Way, this guide might help you in understanding the basics.
from Photography Life https://photographylife.com/landscapes/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-photograph-the-milky-way
A day trip to Paris from London is the perfect addition to a trip to England! Thanks to the fast and efficient Eurostar train, it’s never been easier to visit Paris for a day.
Honestly, one day isn’t enough for Paris — ideally, you should spend as much time there as you can. But not everyone has lots of extra time to spend. So is it worth it if you only have one day to spare?
Absolutely — a day trip to Paris is always worth it. Even if all you have is one day, you can still make it the best day ever. But if you’re only visiting Paris for one day, it’s best to plan your trip carefully so that you get as much out of it as you can.
The train is far and away the best way to visit Paris for a day. Eurostar trains depart from London’s St. Pancras station, arrive at Paris’s Gare du Nord, and take about two hours and 20 minutes each way. You go from the center of London to the center of Paris, plus the train journey is exceedingly pleasant.
The bus from London to Paris, by comparison, takes more than seven hours. Not worth it. Driving takes just under six hours if you don’t hit traffic.
You could fly from London to Paris, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a day trip. The flight only takes about one hour and 10 minutes, but you have to factor in getting to the airport 90 minutes before your flight, plus nearly all of the London airports and all Paris airports are located significantly outside the city and take a long time to get there.
(If you insist on flying to Paris for the day, I recommend either flying from London City Airport, which is centrally located though often very expensive, or flying from Heathrow and taking Heathrow Express from Paddington Station, which takes just 15 minutes.)
2. Be realistic about how much you can see in one day.
One day is not enough for Paris, nor is it enough for everything you will personally want to see in Paris. You can’t see the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay and go to the Eiffel Tower and climb the towers at Notre-Dame and walk around Montmartre and see the show at the Moulin Rouge. In fact, I wouldn’t advise visiting more than one museum on a day trip to Paris.
I encourage you to choose one or two activities that are absolute musts and to plan your day around them. Supplement your day with activities that are close to your main priorities.
For example, if seeing Notre-Dame is a priority, you can easily fit in nearby destinations like Saint-Chappelle, Île Saint-Louis, Shakespeare and Company bookstore, and the Marais.
If you want to spend part of your day in Montmartre, visit the Sacré Coeur, take a long walk down Rue Lepic, see Amélie’s Café des Deux Moulins, and walk down to the Opéra before checking out the rooftop terrace at Galeries-Lafayette.
And if you absolutely must visit the Louvre, take time to wander the Tuileries Gardens, visit the Palais Royal, and grab a hot chocolate at Angelina before window-shopping at the jewelry shops of Place Vendôme.
3. Include downtime in your itinerary.
It’s easy to spend a Paris day trip going from attraction to attraction, but I think the magic of Paris is found in the in-between moments. Sitting in a cafe with a coffee or a glass of red wine. Wandering cheese and pastry shops. Crossing the Seine over and over again with no destination in mind.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to get of the beaten path — just go to a new neighborhood and wander in whatever destination pleases you. I wrote a whole post about it.
What to Do on a Day Trip to Paris
I always tell people to travel to the destination that makes their pulse race. And that goes for Paris, too. Prioritize the things that make you excited — the things that are most important to you personally, not the things that you think you should do. If you’re not into art, you don’t have to go to any museums! You can have a great day in Paris without seeing the Mona Lisa.
If your favorite movie in high school was Moulin Rouge, go spend time walking around Montmartre.
If you love Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas, go to the Musée d’Orsay for the best collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world.
If you’re a die-hard Doors fan, go see Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Beyond that, I think how you should explore Paris depends on your travel experience level. If you’re an experienced traveler, you can handle exploring by metro on your own. If you’d like something a bit easier, or if you or your companion have limited mobility, I recommend a hop-on-hop-off Paris bus tour. It takes you from attraction to attraction and lets Paris unfold in front of you.
Morning: Notre-Dame and vicinity. Arrive at Gare du Nord and transfer to the metro line 4 toward Mairie de Montrouge. Get off at Saint Michel Notre-Dame. Stop for a quick coffee if you’d like and head up to Notre-Dame. Visit the towers if you’d like for photos of the gargoyles. Next, walk east to Île Saint-Louis and wander the streets. If you’re feeling really indulgent, get an ice cream at Berthillon!
Head north toward the Hotel de Ville and explore the streets of the Marais, heading further upward. Stop by Pierre Hermé for macarons — they’re the best in the city. Just be sure to eat them the same day.
12:00 PM: Lunch at Breizh Cafe in the Marais. This restaurant is home to outstanding Brittany-style buckwheat galettes and sumptuous crepes. I usually get a galette with egg, cheese, and artichoke followed by a salted caramel crepe for dessert, along with their delicious cider. Make a reservation in advance if possible (it helps massively if you speak French); if you’re uncomfortable doing that, try showing up when they open at 12:00 PM.
Alternative lunch: walk up to Rue des Roisiers and wait in line at L’As du Falafel, one of the best cheap lunches in Paris. Order your falafel and walk a few streets away to Place des Vosges, where you can enjoy your falafel “sur l’herbe” or sitting on a bench.
Afternoon: Art and the Tower. Visit one of Paris’s world-class museums in the afternoon. Since you’re visiting Paris on a day trip and have limited time, I urge you to buy skip-the-line tickets in advance, and be sure to double-check which museums are open that day.
The Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg) is close by; if you’re a fan of modern art and architecture, this is a great choice. There’s a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower from the top, too. Buy Centre Pompidou priority access tickets here. Another option? Head to the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) for yourself! The Louvre can be overwhelming; I recommend limiting yourself to two or three sections of the museum (I happen to love the golden Gallerie d’Appolon). Buy skip-the-line tickets at the Louvre here. My favorite Paris museum is the Musée d’Orsay, which is home to incredible Impressionist paintings in a fantastic old train station. Buy skip-the-line tickets to the Musée d’Orsay here.
Finally: see the Eiffel Tower up close. How you see it depends on how much time you have. You can take a hop-on-hop-off Seine River cruise if you have time; I recommend taking the Metro Line 9 to Trocadéro for the most stunning surprise view of the tower when you turn the corner. From there you can take all the photos you want.
I do not recommend actually climbing the Eiffel Tower. Why? Because you won’t be able to see it in your photos! But if you insist, once again I recommend buying skip-the-line tickets due to your limited time. Make sure it includes the summit.
Instead, I recommend getting a good view from the nearby Arc de Triomphe. It’s a 20-minute metro ride on the 6 from Bir-Hakeim/Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel to Charles de Gaulle Étoile, five-minute cab ride, or 30-minute walk. Climb the Arc (once again…yep, skip-the-line tickets are best here) and enjoy views of the Eiffel Tower as well as down the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde.
A cheaper alternative is to go to the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette department store in the 9th. It’s not quite as close as the Arc, but it’s free to visit with a fabulous view.
One hour before your train: arrive at Gare du Nord, preferably by metro. You have to go through immigration here, so it’s wise to arrive one hour before your departure.
Enjoy that train ride back to London, awash in your Paris memories. Now would be an excellent time to dive into those macarons you procured earlier.
Do’s and Don’t’s For a Day Trip to Paris from London
I’m not going to begrudge you for doing what you think is best for yourself, but here are some tips:
Do research opening times in advance. Especially so for museums. The Louvre and Centre Pompidou are closed Tuesdays, while the Musée d’Orsay and Musée Rodin are closed Mondays, to start.
Don’t leave central Paris. This tacks on a lot of time to what is already too short of a trip. Versailles, for example, is just outside Paris but can easily eat up half a day. That also goes for Chartres, Giverny, Reims, the Loire Valley, the beaches of Normandy, EuroDisney, and other day trips from Paris.
Do guard against pickpockets. If you use a purse, I recommend using a black crossbody purse that zips shut, preferably made of leather or faux leather. Keep your hand on it. You can also keep valuables in the hidden pocket in a Speakeasy Travel Supply scarf — I guarantee nobody will pickpocket you there!
Don’t leave love locks anywhere. They’re damaging to structures and your lock will be removed anyway. Just enjoy the city of love without vandalizing it in the process.
Do bring a digital guidebook. Guidebooks aren’t dead — they’re actually super helpful. I recommend buying a digital copy of Lonely Planet Paris and keeping it on your phone for reference.
Don’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This may seem like shocking advice, but when you’re on top of the Eiffel Tower you can’t see the Eiffel Tower. It’s like going to the top of the Empire State Building in New York — the most iconic building will be missing from your photos. Definitely go to the base of the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero Gardens for the best views, but if you want a good view from a building, I recommend the top of the Arc de Triomphe (close proximity), the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette department store in the 9th (a bit further away), or the top of the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre (furthest away but sweeping views over the whole city).
Do not, under any circumstances, forget an umbrella! Paris’s weather is similar to London’s, but only London gets the overcast weather fame. The weather changes quickly in Paris and rain can come out of nowhere, even on an otherwise sunny day. I’m a fan of the LifeTek travel umbrella, which is small enough to pack away but strong enough to hold its shape on a windy day.
What to Wear on a Day Trip to Paris
Parisians have a well-earned reputation for being among the best dressed in Europe. So what should you wear on a day trip to Paris?
It depends on the season, but my go-to outfit is a nice top or sweater, slim or skinny dark jeans, a faux leather moto jacket (this one from Zara is similar to mine) or sleek winter coat, a beautiful scarf or pashmina (Speakeasy Travel Supply makes gorgeous scarves with a secret hidden pocket — perfect for Paris!), and a pair of black flats with good arch support (I swear by black Abeo flats from the Walking Company). Top it off with tasteful makeup, nice jewelry, and a pair of dark sunglasses.
You might enjoy dressing up a bit, especially if it’s warmer out. Wearing a nice dress makes for better photos and could earn you more cordial treatment from locals or even get you mistaken for being local.
What not to wear: Shorts, sneakers, baseball caps, and t-shirts will immediately brand you as a foreigner anywhere in Europe, but especially so in Paris. I recommend leaving these items at home.
Paris is the most gloomy city on Earth. Now I can see how that statement may be controversial, so to those who disagree, I concede the following: Paris is the most beautiful city on Earth. With that off my chest, I should also clarify that the word ‘gloomy’ here is used in the context of weather only. Paris is always alive, always upbeat. But in the winter months, it can be gray, cloudy and rainy and it can stay like that for many many days. In the absence of clear blue or partly cloudy skies, taking interesting cityscapes becomes challenging. In this essay, I discuss some of ways I tried to overcome these challenges and come up with (what I hope are) interesting shots.
