Daughter alone in Paris after falling out with friend on holiday

[Bollard]

My DD is in Paris with her friend. They are only there for a couple of days. They have fallen out and the friend has ditched her. DD is in the hotel room, wanting to come home. She doesn't feel confident going around Pars on her own and feels the trip is ruined. Any ideas for anything she could do alone, any group thing she could join? She might feel able to do something in the day, but I don't like the thought of her being out alone at night. I don't know Paris at all. She's staying centrally.

How old is she ?

18, sorry, bit relevant!!

She needs to put her location into co pilot or similar and ask it what’s nearby and then get out and do it. This is REALLY important.

Big bus tour, boat tour along the river. Do see the Eiffel tower at night, it's not too be missed!

Free walking tour, museums and art galleries are all things she could do alone, she should be okay using google maps to get around? Fingers crossed they make up soon

Could the hotel reception perhaps help her find some local guides / activities such as a walking tour, visit to Versailles, mini bus to a vineyard. Lots on GetmyGuide app too but so many I imagine it would be difficult to pick one hence asking at Reception in her hotel.

I used to live there. I do think the city isn’t as safe as it once was but as long as she doesn’t go out too late at night and avoids the banlieue and RER at night she should be fine. If she isn’t keen on Paris what about a day trip to Giverny to visit Monet’s stomping ground. I think the RER leaves from St Lazaire. Peaceful, beautiful unlikely to come across any trouble there

they had tickets to the Louvre and I'm trying to persuade her to go ahead with that. She's not confident taking the metro alone so I'd like her to take an uber. The evening is a bit of a bust though.

She is now free to do and see what she wants which is a bonus! If she is sufficiently streetwise to cope in a town/city in UK then Paris is no different in terms of safety.

The bus system in Paris is easy to navigate and, I think, safer and more fun than the metro. So maybe tell her to familiarise herself with the bus.

Paris is small so walking to the Louvre is likely to be an option if she has no time pressure and depending where she is staying. Really at least as safe as London.

Metro very safe too but pickpockets worse than London.

If she can afford it, the boat tour is great for the evening/night.

Very visual, lot's to see and take pictures of and it is an organised event, so quite safe perosnally - staff on board, and only paying participants.

When is she due back? If she's in the centre of Paris, it is perfectly possible for her to just walk to a ton of museums, parks and other attractions. What had she already done with her friend before they fell out? If she is in a tourist area it will be very safe for her to go out to a local restaurant or cafe in the evening for dinner. If she really doesn't want to be out at night, then she could make lunch her main meal of the day, do some people-watching and buy some French treats to have in her room in the evening. I would be encouraging her to stay and not cut the trip short.

This is a good idea.
I was in Paris a few years ago with my teenage DD and she got a lot of hassle in the touristy places. You have to be "rude" and blank and ignore people which does not come easily to some young women.

thanks everyone, really appreciate it. She's heading off the the Louvre now and will see how she gets on. She's only there till tomorrow. I'm so disappointed with the friend. Golden rule is they stay together. They are quite unworldly 18 year olds.

Last night she was approached by group of French boys who made her feel uncomfortable. She looks more adult than she is.

Metro is very straightforward, if she downloads the Bonjour RATP app she can put in where she is, where she wants to go to, and it will give her the route on the Metro and or the bus, including which stations to change at and a map for walking when she gets off the Metro or bus. She can either buy a Navigo card for €2 and then top it up with Metro or bus tickets €2.55 for each Metro trip, or a bit less for each bus trip, or if she has an iPhone she can add a travel card in her wallet and top that up with tickets.

But if she is staying central, then a lot of things are easy walking distance from one another.

Highly recommend a boat tour for seeing the main sights - we were there last week and did one of the Canauxrama boat trips down the Canal St Martin and along the Seine past Notre Dame, Louvre etc all the way to the Eiffel Tower and then back to the Pont Neuf, so you got to see a lot of the main sights.

Hop on hop off bus round Paris is great. I think it was Big bus we used.

Hope she gets to enjoy a bit of solo sight seeing. I know you said she is pretty un-wordly which wouldn't have described me. But I started doing solo trips at 16 circa 2006

The walking tours are a good idea. But if she goes into the Louvre, then off for a nice lunch. More sight seeing she should hopefully enjoy herself.

If she likes art https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/programme/agenda/expositions/renoir-et-lamour is lovely. Also https://monet-museum-paris.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23387245599&gbraid=0AAAABCAjo-4_v9UIUQpvKH5mOQZJ6hh8I&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInZyL6dazlQMVqHtBAh0rICtrEAAYASAAEgK0OfD_BwE. They tend to be less busy than the Louvre.

Galeries Lafayette is a lovely shopping experience, a bit like Harrods and if she wants a treat Angelina does the best hot chocolate.

There’s a real opportunity to build resilience here. She sounds young for her age and retreating at this point will only reward her anxiety. She needs to be brave or it will reinforce the notion that she’s an anxious person.

ps the metro is very easy and should be one of the things she definitely seeks to conquer.

https://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com - is also well worth a visit and the www.paris-arc-de-triomphe.fr

Oh my gosh, this is such an opportunity for her to grow her confidence! 😊

Do tell her she can do this, she can figure it out. It will be tricky but she’ll be so proud of herself.

Where did her friend go, is she safe?

The biggest issue is pickpockets. She needs to keep her wallet/phone valuables inside her clothing at all times. No phone out in the street or in a restaurant. Be aware that children are used as pickpockets too.