Moving to Paris for the first time can be tricky at first. The streets are always bustling, there’s barely space to breathe on the metro and the banks of the Seine are always crowded!
However, internationals can sometimes feel left out and in the need of a new friend. Luckily, here at Mômji, we’ve tracked down 10 ways to help you do just that!
Socializing with Internationals in Paris
Claiming to be “the most famous group in MeetUp” with its 30,000 members, Socializing with Internationals in Paris is certainly one of the go to names to make new friends in the capital.
Targeted at Erasmus students and international au pairs, the organisation runs social evenings on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Frequenting the bars in Paris, Paul Gama and his team have been organising their events since all the way back in 2014.
Concerts, exhibitions and picnics are all on the cards too as 50 to 600 people can attend each event.
ESN Paris
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit organisation that runs in Europe’s most popular cities. Founded in Utrecht, The Netherlands ESN has been around since back in 1989 and now even has an official seat in Brussels to represent Erasmus students.
The Parisian side of the company organises its own parties and socialising events, as well as partnering with Paris’ top clubs and restaurants to offer students discounts.
You can invest in an ESN card to make the most of the company’s offers.
In the ESN Facebook groups, you’ll find fellow students looking for flatmates, seeking advice on settling in and even just asking if anyone would like to go and “boire un verre” (“have a drink”) after work!
Polyglot Club Paris
Similarly to the ESN, Polyglot is an organisation that you can come across in a wide spread of cities on the globe.
Setting up in over 300 locations, the Polyglot club aims to promote “foreign language and cultural exchanges” through a variety of activities.
Advertising languages from English, Spanish and French to German, Chinese, Russian and even Arabic, the group is a melting pot of cultures and have even featured on France 2 TV.
Different nights are put on for different languages and learning outcomes as attendees make friends at the same time as brushing up on their linguistic skills.
To Be Erasmus in Paris
“When an international student comes to Paris, he is usually quite lost (just looking at the metro map will make him flip out)”, To Be Erasmus in Paris joke on their introduction.
They’re another organisation who offers you the classic socialising options: language cafés, night out, drinks in a bar etc.
Events are pretty frequent too, with at least one in the calendar for every week.
However, on top, the company’s website can help with accommodation, part-time work and more.
Do not hesitate to read our article about best events for Erasmus students in Paris!
Let’s Run Paris !
If you’re active and want to make friends whilst keeping fit, then you’re in the right city. Paris’ sporting life is like no other, and running is the most popular pastime for ‘sportifs’ in the city.
Let’s Run Paris are a collective of international runners in the capital who look to train for races ranging in distance from 5km to marathons!
Running strong ever since launch in December 2012, the running group are also partial to a social event.
Training sessions are offered at different paces to cater for all abilities and there’s no membership fee and no formal registration!
Expat Urban Football
If you’re a football fanatic, you’ll feel right at home in Paris. Kids kick footballs in the streets and there are more five-a-side pitches than you can possibly imagine!
One group of people who makes the most of those is Expat Urban Football.
Gathering internationals together to play regular 5v5 football games, with the possibility of representing the club’s 11-a-side match down the line, it’s a great way to fill your Saturdays.
Shakespeare and Company
For nearly a century, Shakespeare and Company has been the meeting point for foreigners in Paris.
First gathering notoriety thanks to the likes of American writers such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, it’s still a hub of English-speaking activity in the shadows of Notre Dame.
On any day you will be served by English speakers and can lose yourself in the compact shelves of English and American literature classics.
If you’re after making a few new acquaintances, Shakespeare and Company runs a number of literary-based events each month.
Welcoming authors in for speeches and Q&A sessions, head along for an informative night with likeminded people.
Nuage Café
Not at all a place to go for a gossip and catch-up over a glass of wine, but if you’re feeling a little lonely in the French capital then the Nuage Café is a popular haunt with Paris’ international student community.
The co-working space is a quiet haven for study as users pay by the hour to sit in the café’s comfy chairs, enjoy the speedy wifi and benefit from unlimited tea and snacks.
As people are working, the space tends to be pretty quiet, but it’s guaranteed to make you feel better if you’re feeling a little homesick home alone.
Restos du Coeur
If you’re looking for a worthwhile cause to fill your time with whilst in Paris, Restos du Coeur is one of the best choices.
The charity is always on the lookout for volunteers to help work in their soup kitchens, and it is fairly popular amongst the international community.
What’s more, it’s a great way to meet happy-go-lucky French people.
Being able to get by in French will be a major advantage with this one, however, so it might be time to brush up on your language skills before applying!
Mômji
Some people may know us here at Mômji for our babysitting and teaching services.
It’s true, that’s what we spend our days organising and it’s why we are always looking to recruit international students!
However, after over a decade of doing so, we’ve learned a lot about foreigners in Paris and what they look for from companies.
That’s why we organise regular socials for our employees, offer help from our dedicated HR team only a call away and you can benefit from a bunch of great deals with our partners.
We’d love to welcome you as the next member on the Mômji mission!
If you want to be part of a worthwhile international community and find a part-time job at the same time, check out our jobs in Paris for English speakers.
