Exploring Paris: History, Culture, and Community

What does it really mean to get beyond the clichés in Paris? 

Paige McClanahan is a journalist and author of The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel. She’s spent years reporting for The New York Times and has lived in France for seven years. Her work explores tourism’s power to shape communities and how we can all travel more consciously. 

In this episode, Paige shares five unexpected and meaningful things to do in Paris that you’re not likely to find in a guidebook. We also talk about three offbeat places in France that are worth exploring if you want to go beyond the usual stops. 

You’ll learn how small things like saying “bonjour” can shift your whole experience, and how curiosity can lead you into everything from revolutionary history to North African hammams to street art scavenger hunts. Paige brings that perfect mix of local insight and traveler perspective that makes these suggestions feel not just interesting, but personal and lived-in. 

What are the most unexpected places you’ve discovered while traveling, and what made them stand out to you? I’d love to hear about them, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. 

Tune In To Learn: 

• Why Paige’s favorite Paris park feels like a secret escape in the city 

• How a hammam visit near the Grand Mosque can open your eyes to Arab culture in France 

• Why “bonjour” and “au revoir” might be the most important words you say in Paris 

• How to explore the French Revolution using a free app on your phone 

• Advice to uncover Black history in Paris through immersive tours 

• Tips for engaging with France’s diversity and colonial history through travel 

• How to join a real-life street art scavenger hunt across Paris 

• Where to go in the French Alps besides Chamonix 

• What makes La Rochelle an underrated coastal gem 

• Why Lille is a culture-rich city most tourists skip 

• And so much more 

Resources: 

• Sign up for our FREE newsletter  

• Paige McClanahan on Instagram 

• Paige’s website and The New Tourist book 

• Parc des Buttes-Chaumont 

• Rosa Bonheur Bar 

• Grande Mosquée de Paris 

• Parcours Révolution App 

• Black Paris Tours (Ricky Stevenson) 

• Le Paris Noir Tour (Kevi Donat)  

• Flash Invaders street art app 

Want More? 

• How To Be a “New Tourist,” the Powers and Perils of Tourism, Embracing Tourist Traps, and the Impact of Travel With Paige McClanahan 

• 3 Travel Trends You Should Know w/ Paige McClanahan 

• How To Explore Paris Like a Local, Working on Hospital Ships, and Becoming an Expat on a Mystery Visa With Jay Swanson 

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