Paris is a dream place to study and work throughout summertime. However, it is also one of the most expensive cities in Europe, even around the world. Here are some ideas on how students can prepare to live and work in France while keeping a lower budget.

Learn to Speak French

If you want to study and work in Paris, you first need to learn to speak French. It is a well-known fact that citizens of the country are not specialists in Shakespeare’s language and they prefer that you address them in their own. Don’t worry, thanks to the Institut de Français, you can learn to Speak French while enjoying one of the most beautiful regions of the Hexagon: The French Riviera. There, you will meet with other students from around Europe and learn how to speak the language through immersion and various outings.

Transportation

When you live in Paris, chances are you’ll be using public transportation (RATP) often. And although the cost is quite friendly compared to London, it still represents quite a sum when you are working a student job. However, you can benefit from your status by showing your student card when you buy tickets or a monthly pass. It will reduce the cost by a large percentage, compared to standard fare. These reductions are also applicable when you use the rail network (SNCF to travel around Paris or the country.

Working All Year Long

Once your summer job will be completed, if you choose to remain in Paris to study, or at the French Language School mentioned at the beginning of this article, you should know that it is legal to hold a part-time job in France for students. As long as you don’t work over 20 hours per week, you can continue to do so and secure some extra money that will come handily in this beautiful but expensive “Ville Lumière”. Some universities might not allow you to hold a job while you study. Go through the establishment’s guidelines before to start looking for a job.

Subscribe to Public Health Insurance

This is one of the first things you should do when living in France. Public health is obligatory for French citizens and there are precise rules and regulations for students living there as well. This will only be a benefit for you as you will receive 70% back of the cost of medical visits, but also when you will need to buy drugs at the pharmacy. If you wish to recover all expenses and prefer to be completely covered in case, something were to happen; it is possible for you to add health insurance at a monthly cost.

Hopefully, these tips will help you make your move to France far more affordable, so that you are ready to move to France in the future for work!