Travel in 10: Travel Podcast · Voyascape Media / David Brodie & Tim Johnson

Paris, beyond the postcards: a second-trip guide with Oliver Gee from The Earful Tower

·19 min·1 clip

Oliver Gee says the covered passages are “beautiful glimpses into Paris past” with only about 10 surviving.

1. Travel in 10: Travel Podcast uses this Paris episode to focus on a second trip to Paris, France, rather than the usual checklist of major sights. 2. Host James Hammond speaks with Oliver Gee, the host of The Earful Tower, whose 400-plus episodes and Paris walking tours make him a guide to the city. 3. The episode asks what a traveler should do in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Luxembourg Gardens are already checked off. 4. Oliver says the second visit is when he is “ready,” while the first trip is for taking things off the list. 5. He points to the 11th as the “trendy 11th,” and also names the 19th and 20th as neighborhoods with restaurants, cafés, and smaller museums. 6. He recommends the covered passages as “beautiful glimpses into Paris past,” noting that only about 10 survive today. 7. He gives Galerie Vivienne as a specific example and highlights its mosaic-tiled floor. 8. He says people who mention Galerie Vivienne back home will sound more informed than someone who only says they saw the Mona Lisa. 9. For food, he names Café Marie Court and Holy Belly as lunch spots, and says the café scene is “going wild” in Paris. 10. He recommends Bouillon Chartier for cheap dinners, saying dinner, dessert, and wine can cost about 15 euros. 11. He describes Bouillon Chartier as a visual spectacle with queues, fast-moving waiters, and even bills written on the table with a pen. 12. He says the food is average but the atmosphere is worth the visit, and he notes locations near République, Pigalle, and Montparnasse. 13. He calls the Moulin Rouge a worthwhile solo-night option, despite its feathers, nudity, and silly reputation. 14. He says the smaller cabarets and the famous ones both make for a night out that people remember. 15. For hotels and Airbnbs, he advises staying as central as possible and prioritizing the districts one through six if the budget allows. 16. He explains the district layout as a snail that spirals outward from the center, with districts seven through 11 still workable for many visitors. 17. The interview has a practical, conversational style, with James asking short travel-planning questions and Oliver answering with direct recommendations. 18. Oliver’s tone is opinionated and local, especially when he contrasts tourist checklist sights with neighborhood discoveries and budget advice. 19. Best for travelers planning a second Paris visit or a short stay. 20. Not for people wanting a classic first-time Paris checklist.

As heard by us

A practical second look at Paris for travelers who already know the basics.

This episode treats Paris as a city that opens up on a return trip, once the main sights are off the list and the questions get more specific. The talk works because it leans on judgment, not a generic checklist, and Oliver Gee's long run with Paris gives it a grounded feel.

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Plan a second trip through Paris with a sharper lens.

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