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.

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I had to laugh cos when I was in Bastille with parents early 90s it was non touristy. When I lived in Opera courtesy of a family friend of course that’s very touristy! But I got a super cheap rent, mates rates via family friend.

Yes good idea. Shows concern if anything happens to her heaven forbid.

I'm horrified that anyone would do this to their adult DD.

Unless there was a reason to think that the friend was unsafe.

Added to that, I don't actually have the numbers of most of my DS18's friends' parents.

French McDonald's is a great idea if eating in a proper restaurant alone is too much. It'll be familiar enough, with interesting French options and will feel safe and busy.

lots of things to do if solo

Hop on hop off bus
Eiffel Tower
boat trip on Seine
jump on a train and go to Versailles

get your guide is a great app for booking tourist trips and getting tickets

If the friend hasn’t returned by this evening, I would absolutely be messaging her mum, just thinking of what you’d want someone to do if it was the other way round. It’s normal to have arguments on holidays with friends and to take a day apart from each other, but that should never extend into the evening, particularly you know that they’re both quite young for their age. Please don’t be passive about this OP.

Yes, or a boulangerie - and eat it sitting by the Seine

As an often solo traveller in Paris, I walk with great confidence and purpose till I see a big store, then go in the door, out of the way of traffic flow, and stare at my phone to figure out where I am.

When did the friend go? You mentioned dd being approached by boys last night, does thst mean the friend didn't sleep in the hotel room last night? And you haven't contacted her Mum to check she is alright as well?

Ha ha - I’m really fancying that myself from my sofa in the UK!!!

this - I’d have been on the phone already (but do know DDs friends’ mums quite well and can see why if you didn’t you might not early on). Towards end of day - if her stuff is there and she has not been since morning - I’d message at least.

Exactly. The friend is missing without her stuff...

If the friend had taken her stuff, I'd probably say let it be. It didn't work out and they have obviously driven each other nuts. I'd assume she'd gone home or to another hotel.

But she hasn't so if she doesn't come back then where is she? Her mum needs to know what has happened. I had contact details for all my child's friends' parents even when they were 18, because most of them had been friends from 11 or 12 at which point you do need those details for things like party invitations and sleepovers! When DD went travelling with her friends once she was older I made sure to have contact details for parents too since you just don't know when you might need them.

Hopefully the friend will turn up soon and they will make it up and forget the argument.

My daughter opted not to go interrailing but apparently all the groups that went fell out with each other at different times. It's a stressful experience. Is that what they are doing as they are only in Paris for a couple of days?

Why would she have her adult daughter’s adult friend’s mum’s number? Ffs

The G7 taxi app is brilliant and works like Uber. Excellent for getting around.

I reckon she'll be back this evening then, because where else is she going to stay if she doesn't have her stuff?

It's a really good thing that your DD has gone out sight-seeing, because it sounds as if her friend is the dominant person in their friendship and it'll be good for her to realize that your DD isn't pining for her in the hotel, she's quite capable of managing on her own. I hope they meet up later and make up.

In case of emergencies, it’s a sensible thing to do.

I think I’d be a bit worried about the friend at this point if she’s been out all day without her belongings. It must have been a bad argument?

I lived in Paris ages 18 straight from school. Gropings were commonplace. I absolutely recommend wearing jeans and t shirt and trainers so can easily dodge people men. Any visible skin will be manhandled 😤

Paris is super easy. The hop on hop off bus would be good. Or if she’s not confident to get a metro then an uber

Head to the Louvre and that will fill half a day. Musee Dorsay is beautiful too

The free walking tours that you get in every major tourist city were always my go-to when solo travelling

I don't think posters think the minute someone turns 18 they should be tough, they think she's had 18 years to learn how navigate unfamiliar places, she's well old enough cognitively to be capable of it and what on earth has she been doing for the last 3 or 4 years?

Of course it's disappointing when a friend ditches you on holiday, but holing up in your room is pretty much the worst response.

It's heartening to hear that the DD has realised this and whether off her own bat or through OP's prompting is heading off to the Louvre.

Though bit of a shame if she's ubering rather than experiencing the metro system because she's been babied for years and doesn't want to try it.

The louvre will be fine. If she’s staying centrally she could walk there. Paris is tiny. You can wander around and have a coffee some where and people watch. Just tell her to stick between the 1st and the 16th.

Honestly you can walk between most places in central paris