5 tips for an extraordinary experience in Paris

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Guest writer: Maria Karlsson

Want to experience Paris with a difference on your next trip? Jump in the time machine to Hemingway's Paris à la 20s or hang out in the same places as Gossip Girls herself. Play detective at night and find hidden entrances, munch on freshly opened oysters with the locals and be served wine in a baby bottle to avoid the alcohol tax.

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1. Take a self-guided journey in Hemingway's footsteps

Jump into the time machine of 1920s Paris by taking a self-guided journey in the footsteps of Hemingway. You'll feel like Gil in the Woody Allen film 'Midnight in Paris', who, while walking the streets of Paris at night, is picked up by a mysterious car that transports him to a time long gone.

To find the places where Hemingway and his literary friends used to move around while living in Paris, I recommend reading the book "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway where he writes in detail about the places he used to visit. Everything from the restaurants where he would sit and write to what he would order from the menu and the little bookshop he fell in love with next to the river Seine.

2. Being served wine in a baby bottle

Concept footnote pots and wine in a baby bottle. The Refuge des fondus in Montemarte can certainly be described as the most peculiar restaurant in Paris. Not only are you served wine in a baby bottle, but to avoid the alcohol tax you have to step over the tables in the small room to get to your seat. But this is exactly what creates the special atmosphere that is so unique.

This idea of serving wine in a baby bottle may sound a bit absurd, but the fact is that it really does make your visit more enjoyable. It's also a clever way for the owner to avoid the tax that applies in France when serving wine by the glass. At Refuge des fondus, a (sipping) bottle of wine costs only 3 euros which you can enjoy with a clear conscience with one of the two dishes you can choose from the menu which are cheese or meat fondue. This is the restaurant in Paris not to be missed.

Address: Montmarte, 17 Rue des 3 Frères, 75018 Paris

3. Feast on oysters with the locals at Le Baron Rouge

Le Baron Rouge is a truly authentic place that is very popular with Parisians themselves. Do like the locals and come here at the weekend when you can buy delicious oysters directly from the oyster vendor outside at a favourable price. The wine bar itself is sparsely decorated with wine barrels and simple red box furniture, but it couldn't be more charming. But don't expect to be seated, you'll be drinking wine and eating oysters standing up.

Address: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris

4. Look for secret speakeasies.

Play detective at night in search of the secrets of Paris. You know, the stuff you don't see at first and will probably never discover unless you know exactly what to look for. Here are some speakeasies that are well worth noting for your next trip to Paris.

For example, the Moonshiner maple tavern with its 1920s setting "a la Prohibition" can be found behind a heavy freezer door inside an ordinary pizzeria, and behind the black anonymous door of Le Comptoir Général, an exotic world of creative rooms with both jungle and pirate ships awaits. At the seemingly ordinary Mexican traqueria, you should confidently walk straight through the staff entrance without blinking, and behind the miniature red door hides a creative cocktail bar where drinks are ordered from a storybook.

5. Experience Paris like Gossip Girls

It was almost 10 years ago that the very last season of Gossip Girls was broadcast. A hugely popular American television series about Manhattan's teenage elite and their secrets on the Upper East Side. But that doesn't mean the show is forgotten by those of us who couldn't get enough of it. So pack your suitcase with your prettiest dresses, coat and beret and hit some of the filming locations from season 4 (where most of the action takes place in Paris) like Serena and Blair.

Some of the things you can do include toasting champagne at Le Louis Philippe, drinking luxurious hot chocolate at Café de Flore or indulging in pastel-coloured macarons from Ladurée. For those who haven't watched the series, I recommend doing so immediately. It's never too late.

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Maria Karlsson

Maria runs the award-winning travel blog fantasydining.com which is probably Sweden's most unusual travel blog. The blog's unique niche is themed trips, unusual hotels and extraordinary restaurants. Maria herself wants a visit to her travel blog to feel like entering a magical portal of fairy tales, mystery and enchanting hotels, food and drink experiences.

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