My Friend and I Got Separated in Paris. Then I Got Lost.

Getting lost in Paris wasn’t exactly part of our itinerary.

On our very first night in France, my friend Nancy and I got separated at a subway station. A few minutes later, I found myself wandering the streets of Paris alone at 11 p.m., unable to remember the name of our hotel or even the street it was on.

Needless to say…it wasn’t my finest travel moment.

Thankfully, everything turned out okay. Today, we laugh about it. At the time? Not so much.

It all started after an evening exploring the Eiffel Tower.

A Lesson in Paris Subway Doors

Earlier that evening, we’d taken the subway to a stop a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and spent a couple of hours exploring the area.

The ride back was completely uneventful.

Until we arrived at our stop.

The doors on our subway car wouldn’t open.

We pushed. We pulled.

Nothing.

Then another passenger casually walked over, flipped a little latch on the door, the door open and she stepped off the train.

Nancy and I looked at each other.

“Hmmm…who knew?!”

I followed the woman off the subway with Nancy close behind.

But before Nancy could exit, the doors suddenly slid shut.

I grabbed the doors and tried to pry them open as if I had super human strength so she could get off.

Turns out…I wasn’t strong enough.

I stood on the platform and watched helplessly as the subway carried Nancy off into the distance.

Well, this wasn’t exactly how we’d planned to spend our first night in Paris.

Getting Separated

Since Nancy is a seasoned traveler, I figured she’d simply get off at the next station, change trains, and head back.

She wasn’t on the first train, but when the second train arrived, I saw her get off across the platform from me.

Perfect!

I headed upstairs to meet her.

When I got upstairs, however, she wasn’t there.

Weird.

I figured she’d probably gone back toward the hotel, so I headed up the tunnel after her.

Bad idea.

Mistake #1: I Took the Wrong Exit

Back home in the Washington, DC area, our Metro stations usually have one or two exits.

Paris?

Not so much.

There were several exits, and I couldn’t remember which one led toward our hotel.

I picked the one I thought was right.

After walking for a bit, I came up onto the street.

I looked around.

Nothing looked familiar.

Uh-oh.

I found a neighborhood map at a bus stop and located the little “You Are Here” marker.

I got my bearings…or so I thought.

It didn’t take long to realize I’d headed in completely the wrong direction.

It was after 11 p.m.

It was dark.

I was alone.

And I was lost in a city I’d only arrived in that morning.

Not good.

Mistake #2: I Couldn’t Remember Our Hotel Name

As I walked, I stopped several people and asked,

“Parlez-vous anglais?” (Do you speak English?)

Most spoke enough English to try to help me.

The problem wasn’t them.

The problem was me.

I couldn’t remember the name of our hotel.

Or the street it was on.

Not exactly helpful information when you’re asking strangers for directions.

Meanwhile, Back at the Hotel…

Nancy had made it back and when she realized I wasn’t there, she immediately panicked.

She later told me she thought I’d been kidnapped, attacked…or worse.

While I wandered the streets of Paris trying to find my way back, Nancy spent her time pacing between the hotel lobby and the subway entrance.

She even explained the situation to the man at the front desk.

Trying to reassure her, he smiled and said in his French accent, “Mademoiselle…do not worry. She will be back.”

Thankfully…he was right.

Finally!

I kept walking.

I stopped a few more people.

Then, I turned a corner and stopped one last stranger. While I was talking to him, I happened to glance up.

The Paris Opera House.

I recognized it immediately.

It was only a few blocks from our hotel.

I cannot even describe the relief I felt.

As it turned out, I had been only one street and a few blocks away the whole time.
The map I was looking at was actually backwards. By following it, I was walking away from the hotel, not toward it.

OMG. I felt SO stupid.

 

“C’est MOI!”

When I finally reached our hotel, I saw Nancy leaning over the railing, looking down the stairwell toward the subway entrance, hoping I’d appear.

I quietly walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

When she turned around, I smiled, spread my arms wide, and announced with a smile,

“C’est MOI!” (“It’s me!”)

Nancy was NOT amused.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?! I was SO worried! I thought I’d have to call your mother and tell her I didn’t know where you were! Then I’d have to call your brother and tell him you were missing!”

Then came my favorite part.

“I thought you were kidnapped because you’ll talk to ANYONE!“

She’s not wrong.

We laugh about it now.

At the time, though, both of us were panicking.

What I Learned (and What I Do Differently Now)

Looking back, getting separated wasn’t really the problem.

The problem was that I wasn’t prepared once it happened.

I learned that lesson the hard way. As a result of that trip, I’ve changed a few of my travel habits.

Here’s what I do differently.

Before My Trip

If I’m traveling to a country where English wasn’t widely spoken, I’ll spend a little time learning a few key phrases before I leave. I don’t have to become fluent, but knowing things like:

• Hello
• Excuse me
• Please
• Thank you
• Do you speak English?

will make asking for help much less intimidating.

When I Arrive

One of the first things I do now is familiarize myself with the area around my hotel.

I look for landmarks that will help me get my bearings if my phone dies or I accidentally head in the wrong direction.

Before I Leave the Hotel

Before heading out for the day, I always make sure I have:

• A fully charged phone and fully charged power bank
• My hotel’s name, address, and phone number saved in my phone.
• A screenshot of my hotel reservation or one of its business cards.
• Offline Google Maps downloaded to my phone.
• A photo of the front of the hotel and the street name (or names, if its on a corner).

If I’m traveling with someone else, we also decide ahead of time what we’ll do if we get separated.

• Where will we meet?
• How will we get in touch with each other?
• Will we have cell service, or will each of us need an eSIM for the trip?

Thankfully, we’ve never needed that plan again, but having one gives me a lot more peace of mind.

If I Ever Get Lost Again…

The first thing I’d remind myself is: Don’t panic.

I’d stop walking, take a deep breath, and look around before doing anything else.

I’d look for familiar landmarks, use my offline map, and pull up the hotel information I’d saved before leaving.

If I still needed help, I’d ask.

One thing this experience taught me is that most people genuinely want to help. You just have to be able to tell them where you’re trying to go.