Author: Diana

plane flying above earth with glow of sunset on engines

15 Things a Travel Writer Takes on Every Flight

I think a lot about how to pack a carry-on — and indeed, how to dress — on the plane: Planning well can be the difference between a mini-retreat, with entertainment and snacks, and a freezing-cold brain prison. Below, you’ll find everything I bring to keep it more in the former vibe than the latter. I will add here that of course you want all your essentials in your carry-on, rather than any checked bags: medication, wallet, etc. etc. One thing I often pack by accident into my checked bag is charging equipment: cords and battery packs and wall chargers. Of everything here, the thing I forget most often is cables: a USB cord to charge my phone, a full laptop charger, and a cable to connect my headphones to the plane’s entertainment system. A quick note about budgeting, as several of the items below are expensive. As a freelance travel writer, my income varies hugely from year to year: It stabilizes when I take a staff job, and then occasionally craters when I’m freelancing, including some …

a view of the countryside including a pond and trees

An Interview With Annabel Simms, Author of “An Hour From Paris”

I’ve been living with Annabel Simms’ books nearly as long as I’ve been living in Paris. She’s the author of several guides to exploring the city from is outer limits and beyond, into the glorious French countryside, rife with forgotten castles, unexpected vistas, appealingly decrepit train stations, and much more. I’ve had a parasocial relationship with Annabel since I first bought An Hour from Paris, which includes detailed itineraries for 20 day trips outside the city (but easily accessible via a dense and generally well-run public transportation network.) Another book of hers, Half an Hour From Paris, earned a new edition in July and covers destinations including the Parc Saint-Cloud, Malmaison, and the Chateau de Vincennes. For all these reasons, I was incredibly excited to chat with Annabel over Zoom about her life in Paris — she in her 25 meter square apartment in Paris, me in Iowa City. Anyone dreaming about coming to Paris to start a new life should keep reading to see how she decided to, and succeeded, forge a new life in France, following …

photo of french bakery

The 17 Best French Food Gifts: Fancy Cookies, Special Butters and More

It’s that time again! Time to buy presents: presents that reflect their loves (France?) and their interests (food?). If you’re shopping for someone who falls under those categories, we’ve got 17 excellent ideas below for your best French food gifts— all Made in France unless otherwise noted. Bon appétit! 1. The Mercer 12-Macaron Gift Set Who doesn’t love a macaron, the world’s most expensive mid-tier cookie? The iconic brand in France is Ladurée, with their famous pea-green bags and boxes. They deliver in the U.S., though macarons are not cheap. Delicious. Not cheap. They have all levels of gift boxes and promotions — this is a 12-macaron set with illustrations on the box of the Mercer Hotel in SoHo (New York, FTR). BUY IT HERE: Ladurée 2. Bacanha Grenadine Syrup Bacanha is a 10-year-old French brand making organic syrups — mostly for cocktails, but also, according to their website, for lattes(?? very specific?) and water(???). Love that packaging! They’re available at a bunch of U.S. retailers, but here’s a tight edit — as a person …

best fall Diptyque candles - picture of the citrouille candle

So What Are the Best Fall Diptyque Candles? (Hint: It’s the Diptyque Pumpkin Candle)

Is there anything nicer than lighting a lovely, powerfully scented candle as the leaves begin to fall and it gets darker earlier? There isn’t. Especially when that candle — my vote for the top spot on the list of the best fall Diptyque candles — is the Diptyque Pumpkin candle (a.k.a. Citrouille). As much as this is a Diptyque pumpkin candle review, it’s first and foremost a round-up of the five best fall Diptyque candles. When I began writing it, I was sure — sure! 100%! — it would be Feu de Bois. There’s no candle, Diptyque or otherwise, I love more than Feu de Bois (except, maybe, Sapin de Nuit, which was a limited-edition holiday candle and is sort of Feu de Bois adjacent — it’s like a woodfire, but of a pine tree). But I had never tried Citrouille, the Diptyque pumpkin candle, and I knew I’d have to before I wrote this. So I did — and let me tell you, I hated it when I first burned it. It’s so strong. Now: Don’t get …

is chanel cheaper in france - chanel photos

Is Chanel Cheaper In Paris? (Yes! Here’s By Exactly How Much.)

Is Chanel Cheaper in Paris? is part 3 in an ongoing investigation. Please also see Is Sézane Cheaper in Paris? and Is Diptyque Cheaper in Paris? If you’re wondering if it’s cheaper to buy Chanel — a French, largely made-in-France brand — in France, the short answer is: Oh, it sure is! Let’s do some super exciting math! And we’ll take a look at three Chanel pieces: a handbag, a lipstick, and some perfume. Note that these are prices for new, retail Chanel goods. For this post, we’re leaving out the myriad possibilities of resellers, vintage shops, etc etc. Is Chanel Cheaper in Paris: The Handbag To start off, we’re talking full-fat, retail prices. Let’s look at the Mini Cabas in pink, it’s beautiful: As Chanel fans know, it is at this time not possible to purchase new Chanel handbags online. The Chanel website, though, does offer “recommended retail prices,” which you can toggle between English/USD and French/euros (look for the option at the bottom of the website, where it says “Change language and location). In …

image of three candles in a pumpkin patch

Is Diptyque Cheaper in Paris? (Yes. Here’s by Exactly How Much.)

Is Diptyque Cheaper in Paris? is part 2 in an ongoing investigation. Please also see Is Sézane Cheaper in Paris?  Short answer: absolutely yes. Here’s by how much. Diptyque candles come in two primary sizes: small and Classic. Something that will make this article fairly brief is that each size has an equally standard price, wherever you purchase your luxury candles: Small Diptyque candles are 70 grams, with a burning time of around 20 hours, and cost $42 USD and 38€. Classic-sized Diptyque candles are 190 grams, with a burn time of around 50 hours, and they’re $74 or 58€. Is Diptyque Cheaper in Paris? Yes! But Also in the US So let’s do some math. Just to start with, these are not cheap candles. Per gram, a Classic Diptyque Feu de Bois, for example, costs 38 cents. A small Diptyque Feu de Bois costs 60 cents per gram! That’s already a sizable difference — you can save 37% just by splurging on the larger candle. And of course, the savings are more pronounced if you buy …

three feu de bois candles - best diptyque candle

The Best Diptyque Candle (And 6 Runners-Up)

What is the best Diptyque candle? I have an answer for that. A Diptyque candle is an investment. I like to think of it as what I do instead of drinking alcohol. I have rarely regretted the money I’ve spent on a Diptyque candle (argh thinking of you, Eucalyptus!!! you are the worst!), but nonetheless, you want to invest wisely. And yeah, I am very aware that when I think of “investing” I think of “getting the right Diptyque candle,” rather than, like, mutual funds. It bodes well. So let’s get down to brass tacks: The best Diptyque candle is Feu de Bois. Don’t argue. I’ll tell you what it definitely is not, and that is Baies — arguably (perhaps also factually, IDK) the brand’s most popular candle. If you went into a chi-chi shop in the early ’00s, I swear to God, every one of them was the Red Currant candle from the still-extant brand Votivo. I hated it then, and I hate it now, and it smells exactly like Baies. Feu de Bois, …

street facade of hotel emile in paris

What’s the Best Way to Travel from London to Paris? An Investigation

Now, for those who prefer listening to reading, you can listen to me read this article aloud! Just click below or download or whatever.  It’s a truly pressing question: What’s the best way to travel from London to Paris? I’ll tell you what is not the best way to travel from London to Paris: driving (unless you need to), cycling (unless you want to) or taking a nine-hour bus. Which pretty much leaves you with Eurostar, or flying. Paris and London are just over 300 miles/several worlds/one time zone apart. It’s an incredibly quick flight — if you don’t add in all the travel to and from the airport(s) and the rigamarole getting through security. It’s also an incredibly efficient train trip — but often unbelievably expensive (closing in on $500 if you don’t buy in advance). Each method has big-time pros and cons. This summer, I had the opportunity to fly to London from Paris, and then return by train — which made it easier than ever to compare the two services, which are …

a product shot of klorane dry shampoo

The Best French Beauty Products in Amazon’s Prime (October) Sale

So! Here we are at another Prime Day, another turn of the calendar page. All the French beauty buys I saw were centered around a few brands: primarily Klorane, Avène, Bioderma and Vichy. To be honest: The American brands I saw on Prime Day this time around were more exciting than the French ones, primarily R+Co (I’m obsessed with their thickening Dallas shampoo and conditioner). That said: Below, the top-selling French products on this October Prime Day, and my review, where I have one. 1. Klorane Dry Shampoo Powder with Oat Milk: The reality is that I personally find dry shampoo annoying (it just tangles everything up, in my experience), but this one, from Klorane, smells so good it might as well be hair perfume. Our review: 8/10 2. Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water: Bioderma was the brand at the center of all the buzz about micellar water in the years past, but IDK, I don’t find it that exciting? Our review: 2/10 3: Eau Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water: If you’re looking for water to …

a promotional shot for the fashion brand maje

The Best from Maje’s Friends and Family 25% Off Sale

Maje just announced it’s 25% off Friends & Family sale — and these are the best picks from it. Wouldn’t it be nice to get these recs directly in your inbox? So convenient! Sign up for a weekly dispatch about travel and Paris — or for our new weekly email about shopping, mostly French brands but a mix of everything! 1. Obsessed!! What would you wear this to? A goth ball? A five-star hotel on Halloween night? I love this. I would buy this now and hold on to it until the right event present itself, because it’s unstoppable. Those shoes FTR are a monstrosity, speaking of Halloween. Maje long sequined dress, was $565, with discount $423.75 2. Sometimes you just want to look like an Olympics-caliber skater going to her prom, am I right?? Why are those same shoes back?? I have only questions, and no answers. Maje short sequined dress, was $445, with discount $338.25 3. This is like the epitome of Maje to me: sexy dresses that would make sense at a magazine party in 2005 SoHo. …