The Journal
Briefings from the desk.
Practical, conclusion-first briefings on living, working and operating in France — written for international clients, not for search engines.
Guides · 7 min
CDG, Orly or Le Bourget: Choosing the Right Paris Airport for Your Stay
Three airports, three logics. Where each one sits, who it serves, how long the drive really takes — and when the choice is yours.
Read the briefingPerspectives · 6 min
Luxury Experiences in Paris for International Visitors: What Is Actually Rare
Most 'exclusive' experiences are sold to everyone. Here is what genuinely requires a relationship, what requires only notice, and what requires nothing at all.
Read the briefingGuides · 6 min
Business Travel to Paris: What an On-the-Ground Concierge Changes
For executive assistants organising a principal's trip from abroad — what to hand over, what to keep, and how a Paris counterpart works day to day.
Read the briefingGuides · 5 min
24 Hours in Paris: What Should You Delegate?
With one day in the city, time is the only currency. A practical list of what to hand to someone else, hour by hour — and what to keep for yourself.
Read the briefingGuides · 7 min
How Much Does a Private Concierge Cost in Paris?
Four pricing models, what each actually includes, and the questions to ask before you retain anyone.
Read the briefingPerspectives · 6 min
Private Concierge vs Hotel Concierge in Paris: What Changes
Both will book you a table. Only one of them will remember which table, and why.
Read the briefingGuides · 6 min
How to Get a Last-Minute Restaurant Reservation in Paris
Timing, telephone and a credible plan B: how tables appear in a city where the apps say 'complet'.
Read the briefingGuides · 7 min
Private Shopping in Paris: How It Actually Works
Appointments, edits, sourcing and détaxe — what a personal shopper does before you arrive, and what happens on the day.
Read the briefingGuides · 8 min
What American Clients Delegate to a Personal Assistant in Paris: Visas, Banking, Schools and the Tables That Matter
Americans arrive in Paris with a good plan and no idea how slow it will get. Here is what the well-prepared ones hand over before they land.
Read the briefingGuides · 8 min
What Chinese Clients Delegate to a Personal Assistant in Paris: Visas, the Maisons, Doctors and a Time Zone That Never Aligns
Shanghai is seven hours ahead of Paris. Here is how Chinese entrepreneurs, families and collectors get France done while they sleep.
Read the briefingGuides · 8 min
What Brazilian Clients Delegate to a Personal Assistant in Paris: Apostilles, the 90-Day Rule, CPAM and a Second Home Run Properly
Brazilians love Paris and Paris loves them back — until the paperwork starts. Here is what São Paulo and Rio families hand over.
Read the briefingGuides · 9 min
How Much Does a Personal Assistant Cost in Paris? Private Concierge, Lifestyle Management and Full-Time PA — 2026 Prices
The question every international client asks first, answered first: what a personal assistant in Paris costs, by model, and which model you actually need.
Read the briefingExecutive · 9 min
The September Reset: 12 Things International Executives Delegate to a Personal Assistant in Paris
September is when the year restarts in France. Here is what the best-run international leaders hand over — and what it changes.
Read the briefingGuides · 8 min
How to Hire a Private Assistant in France: The Complete Guide
Retainer vs. hourly, employee vs. practice, and the questions that actually predict a good fit.
Read the briefingPerspectives · 6 min
Private Assistant vs. Concierge: Which Do You Actually Need?
The two models solve different problems. Choosing wrong costs a year.
Read the briefingAnalysis · 6 min
The Real Cost of Operating in France Without Support
Missed deadlines, penalty interest and lost weeks — quantified.
Read the briefingExecutive · 6 min
Executive Support in France: How International Leaders Stay Operational
What changes when your EA does not speak French — and how to fix it.
Read the briefingBusiness · 7 min
Setting Up a Business in France: The Administrative Reality
Kbis, URSSAF, banking — the sequence that works, and the one that stalls.
Read the briefingGuides · 7 min
The French Administration, Decoded: CPAM, URSSAF, Impôts
A field map of the institutions that will govern your French life.
Read the briefingFamily · 7 min
Paris for International Families: Schools, Healthcare, Daily Life
The decisions that matter in the first ninety days, in order.
Read the briefingPerspectives · 5 min
Why Global Families Keep a Trusted Person in Every Country
The quiet infrastructure behind families who move without friction.
Read the briefingStandards · 5 min
The Discretion Standard: NDAs, Privacy and Private Clients
What professional discretion actually obliges — and how to verify it.
Read the briefingGuides · 6 min
From Airport to Operational: Your First 30 Days in France
A conclusion-first checklist for arriving and being functional fast.
Read the briefing