‘There is no more beautiful urban space’

You may not agree with GlobalPost writer Alex Besant's contention that "there is no more beautiful urban space" than Paris.

But you can't say he hasn't done his research. The globe-trotting Besant first explored the city at 16, all alone, relishing the new experiences. Years later, he's a seasoned traveler of France (and many other countries).

Hence, his top five travel tips.

"Lesson #1: Find a regular spot — even for a few days."

He also encourages unabashed exploration.

"Lesson #2: take a bus/train to the outskirts of the city and walk in. Lesson #3 for seeing a city properly: Visit the ghetto. Forget ppl who say it's poverty tourism. Ppl should not live in fantasyland."

Do you agree? What are your best travel tips? Let us know in the comments below.

GlobalPost's @AFridayIn Twitter feed showcases the voices and personal experiences of our correspondents based around the world each week. A different correspondent takes over the @AFridayIn account each Friday and tweets about his or her travels and daily activities.

Check out previous Fridays in the series:

"A Friday in Jerusalem" with Alex Besant

"A Friday in Tokyo" with Justin McCurry

"A Friday in Karachi" with Mariya Karimjee

"A Friday in Joburg" with Erin Conway-Smith

"A Friday in Cambodia" with Faine Greenwood

"A Friday in Berlin" with Kristin Deasy

"A Friday in Sao Paulo" with Jill Langlois

"A Friday in Caracas" with Girish Gupta

"A Friday in Munich" with Jessica Phelan

"A Friday in Montreal" with Talia Ralph

"A Friday in London" with Barry Neild

"A Friday in Cairo" with Erin Cunningham

"A Friday in Bangkok" with Patrick Winn