Guide to Interning in Paris
Most people look for internships in Paris - this is a world famous city with various intern opportunities including in business, media and fashion. You will need to apply around 2-3 months before the date that you are considering commencing an internship.
Requirements
You will need to be aged 18+ and have a basic knowledge of French.
Paid Internships in Paris
Find paid internships in Paris can be tough unless you make your application stand out, or if you have the right experience.
Types of Internships Available
- Business
- Fashion
- Media
- Marketing
- Hospitality
- Education
Accommodation
You can choose between:
- A Local Homestay
- Residential Housing
- Private accommodation
- Shared accommodation
What to Do in Your Spare Time
In your spare time if you would like to escape the capital you might want to visit the French countryside where there are lots of day and longer excursions available to visit spas and wineries, castles, ancient ruins and pretty rural towns and villages. Paris is also perfectly positioned in Central Europe and has fantastic transport and connection links to places like London and the world.
Cost of Living
This is quite an expensive city to live in and the cost of living can be higher here than in the rest of the country - please remember this if you are applying or have been accepted onto an un-paid internship.
Paris Internship Reviews
Have you ever been to intern in Paris? Would you like to review a company, placement or experience? Contact us today.
Top Tips for Interning in Paris on a Budget
Paris. It’s the “City of Love”, and home to some of the world’s most famous monuments, art and, let’s be honest, food, making it a travellers paradise and a hot-spot for those wanting to gain work experience on internships in Europe. However, despite Paris’ glossy veneer, it isn’t the cheapest or easiest city to navigate, and there are a few handy tricks that are easily missed in the haze of excitement that inevitably accompanies a trip to “La Ville-Lumiere” (translation= The City of Light). So, we here we have put together a quick-fire list of tips and tricks to help you make the most of your Parisian internship, and some helpful ways on how to experience this city and save money.
1) Ask Locals
It’s Paris, and so with any big city comes with it a host of rather unsavoury characters determined to derail your visit. But very often, simply keeping your wits about you and not being careless, will likely guarantee the safe travel of you and your possessions. However, certain groups of people present the ultimate foil to even the most well-travelled of visitors. Located in typical tourist locations, such as the Champs-Elysee, and the now well-recognised ‘Love Lock Bridge’ behind the Notre Dame, groups with clipboards, supposedly petitioning for good, charitable causes, often approach dazzled tourists by what seems to be simply a signature on a page. However, a donation is required, and with no guarantee that the money is going to where they say it is, it’s often better to steer clear of this group completely. If more confirmation was needed of their apparent trickery, surrounding Parisians, well versed in the nuances of their city, deliberately, and quite vehemently, tell these groups of people to stay away, and often advise tourists to check their bags and pockets after being bombarded by these groups. But again, as long as you are aware of the potential scam, it is very easy to avoid!
2) Free attractions!
A trick so often missed by us young students participating on internships is the opportunity for a discount. Now, they say you never get anything for free in this life, but the truth is that the majority of the monuments, museums and landmarks do permit students to go in for free. However, whilst not all attractions are free, most will offer a student discount, for example, at the Eiffel Tower, so be careful not to request freebies for your whole time in Paris! Many ticket offices to Paris’ main attractions will not always offer up the student discount unless you actually present them with your student card, so it is important to at least enquire about whether or not you are eligible for a discount.
3) Food
This tip may seem like an obvious one, but it’s so easy to disregard. Food places around the biggest tourist attractions are going to be expensive. Fact. It’s not uncommon for a sit down lunch for one to cost around $15 around the Notre Dame. As such, it is often a great idea to pop to a local supermarket, where there is always a wealth of fresh, local produce and all the bread and cheese you could wish for! Making the time to head to the supermarket before your day in the city can mean a lovely picnic lunch at a fraction of the price you would pay for privilege of sitting in a restaurant near one of Paris’ many tourist attractions.
4) The Louvre, being such an enormous place, deserves a top tip of its own
Firstly, it is important to make clear that the Louvre is free for under 25’s! So before you join one of the many queues in the foyer of this impressive museum, be aware that you won’t need to get your wallet out, only your passport, as proof you are eligible for the free pass. However, for those wishing to get more out of the Louvre than simply a leisurely wander around at the stunning exhibits, it is definitely worth getting an audio-guide.
Unfortunately, none of the pieces within the Louvre are accompanied by an English translation, or any translation at all, meaning without an audio-guide, you are often left to guess at the origin, and often fascinating history, of the piece you are observing. As such, for a $5 deposit, you can snap yourselves up an audio-guide, currently displayed on a Nintendo DS, making for a far more informative visit to the Louvre. This interactive guide is aware of your current placement within the museum, and thus shows you to interesting artefacts around you, followed by a description, in your own language, of the history of the pieces nearby. It is definitely recommended in order to make the most out of your trip to this world – famous museum.
Armed with these facts, there is no reason for your trip to this European city to be anything but fun, enjoyable and exciting. So start planning an internship in France and enjoy a trip to one of the world’s most beautiful cities, knowing you are well-equipped to deal with the city and all it’s offerings.
By Amy Hunt
