I traveled to Paris to see Taylor Swift – it was worth the money

When I searched resale sites for their New York shows in May 2023, I found a limited-view seat at the very top of the stadium for about $1,000. Compared to another ticket closer to the stage that was being offered for over $15,000, that seemed like a bargain.

For one brief, particularly delusional moment, I considered spending a thousand dollars. I’d never considered spending that much on live music before, but the Eras tour featured songs from their entire career. It promised too much nostalgia to pass up.

I’d been listening to Taylor Swift since I was about 14, and her music inspired me as I grew up. Swift crystallized the sometimes heartbreaking and ecstatic moments of girlhood into catchy, relatable songs. At 30, I wanted to relive the eras of my youth together with tens of thousands of like-minded people.

Thankfully, I pulled myself together and stayed home. I was disappointed and had to stop watching tour content online as that was rubbing salt in the wound, but I was glad I had saved the money and hoped that somehow I would get another chance.

A few months later, Taylor Swift, now officially a billionaire, announced a European leg of her tour for 2024.

After Ticketmaster let me down again, I turned to StubHub in July 2023 and found tickets to their Paris show for about $400 each. I bought two: one for myself and one for a friend and co-conspirator, who quickly refunded me.

I paid about $230 over face value, which was still less than the incredible amount I would have had to pay in the States.

The concert became the culmination of a week-long vacation in Europe. I started the week in Barcelona and ended it in Paris. I spent about $620 on flights, shared a hotel in Barcelona with my partner before he left for Morocco, and saved money on a hotel in Paris by staying with a friend.

For months I was worried that my resale tickets might be a scam, but I kept booking flights and making travel plans, thinking that if it didn’t work out in the end, I would still get to see Spain and France, and there’s nothing bad about that.

I arrived in Paris the day before the show and learned that another friend from New York was in town. She wasn’t planning on going to the concert. We met over a buffet of charcuterie and old Taylor Swift songs – and by the end of the evening she had bought a resale ticket for the equivalent of $245.

In May, my two friends and I boarded the train to La Défense Arena in Paris. I learned that many Americans were making the same journey. We met a mother from New York who had picked up her daughter from school the day before and surprised her with tickets and a flight across the Atlantic.

In a mass of glitter and friendship bracelets, we made our way to the entrance of the stadium. Our tickets were scanned and we were finally in.

We We spent the next few hours dancing, singing and swaying along with the crowd, enjoying the show and letting the music take us back to a bygone decade.

My friend said we had reached the peak of girlhood.

For less money than Taylor Swift tickets were resold for in the US, I was able to eat tapas in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, enjoy sugar-dusted crepes with a view of the Eiffel Tower, spend quality time with people I love, and wander through beautiful cities.

With their sequined dresses and shiny cowboy boots, the Taylor Swift fans who invaded Paris this weekend were easy to spot. In the metro, in gardens and in bistros across the city, strangers swarmed with excitement.

We were finally able to be part of this cultural phenomenon – in Paris of all places.

The day after the show, I saw two bejeweled tourists getting into a taxi and assumed they were also on their way to the tour. I wished them a lot of fun. When they smiled back and thanked me, I heard an American accent. I hope they also saved some money last year and spent it on a short vacation in Europe instead.

Do you want to stop worrying about money? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course Achieve financial well-being: Be happier, richer and more financially secure. We’ll teach you the psychology of money, show you how to manage your stress and develop healthy habits, and show you easy ways to increase your savings, reduce debt, and invest for the future. Get started today and use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory 30% discount through September 2, 2024.

Plus, Sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success in your career, with money and in life.