Let some Paris into your life, whether you’re planning on visiting or just doing some travel dreaming. Real Food Traveler Podcast host, Courtney Drake-McDonough chats with travel writer, author, and Europe Editor at RFT, Irvina Lew. They cover helpful tips for visiting Paris including essential phrases, lesser-known (and less busy) places to visit, and news about Irvina’s upcoming book, Forays in France: A Flavorful Memoir.

Save this article and podcast to Pinterest to keep it handy and to plan your trip to Paris. Beautiful shots of Irvina’s travels in Paris, and Irvina herself, are courtesy of Irvina Lew. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.
Hungry for more? Discover where to eat in Paris during the 2024 Olympics.
In our conversation, Irvina talks about how her love affair with Paris began, her philosophy on how to decide where to eat, tips for planning your trip in advance and making the most of it while you’re there. She also tells us about her new book series, Forays in France. Click on the player below to hear the episode and read on to get some great information from Irvina before you plan your trip to Paris or anywhere in France. Bonus: Click on the bars below to read Real Food Traveler articles by Irvina related to this podcast.
Here’s some of the information Irvina refers to in the Real Food Traveler Podcast about tips for visiting Paris
10 Essential French Expressions:
Madame (Madam)
Monsieur (Sir)
Mademoiselle (Ms young woman)
Bonjour Mme. (always greet someone)
Bonsoir M. (after 5pm greeting)
Au Revoir Mlle (Good Bye, whenever you leave)
s’il vous plait (please)
l’Addition, s’il vous plait (The check, please)
merci (Thank you)
Je voudrais un carafe d’eau, s’il vous plait (I would like a carafe of water, please)
Hungry for more? Read about Irvina’s cooking class at La Cuisine Paris.
Websites for hotels with restaurants with beautiful settings:
Bsignaturehotels.com
Saint-james-paris.com
Hotel-fauchon-paris.com
Lareserve-paris.com
Hotelcostes.com
Hungry for more? See what the Alain Ducasse dining experience is like.
Helpful websites for planning and tips for visiting Paris:
Parisjetaime.com
Lacuisineparis.com
Hungry for more? Here’s Irvina’s list of where to eat in Paris near popular sites.
Ways to keep in touch with Irvina, her travels and her upcoming book series:
Irvinalew.com
Foraysinfrance.com
@Irvina Lew on Facebook and Instagram
@sipsupstayspa on Instagram
-Story by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor of RealFoodTraveler.com and host of the Real Food Traveler Podcast which is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts and more.
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