Any advice for a tourist in Paris?

Question

You're answers are most valuable if you are in fact french or have lived their in the past. But, if you have just visited I would love to here from you too!

Whether the advice is specific or general I appreciate it.

P.S. Keep in mind I'm a college student so I have a limited budget.

I will be there May of this year.

Answer 1

I was in Paris in June of 2007. You hear horror stories about the French being rude to Americans and such but this is not always the case.

The #1 biggest bit of advise Id give to anyone traveling in France is before going, learn some French. You dont have to be good at it, but they will be more friendly if you at least try. A few simple phrases to show that you are making an effort will make them more likely to help you. Ive studied French for five years and when I was there, no one was rude to us and I believe it was in part because I spoke French with them.

Dont worry, you dont need to know enough to get by in Paris. Enough people speak English that when they realize that you dont speak fluent French, or if youre struggling, they will help you out in English. Theres usually English menus, English signs, and people at museums, metro stations, and other tourist areas that will have a British flag by them indicating they know English.

Also, if you are staying in Paris, if you stay farther out from the river, it will be cheaper. Staying by a metro station is also a plus, because thats the easiest way to get around, with one of the largest metro systems in the world.

When taking the metro (if not buying a pass), instead of buying your metro tickets everytime you use them, buy a carnet (pronounced car-nay). Its a set of 10 tickets. You wont have to wait in line everytime.

For breakfast, instead of spending money to eat an expensive sit down meal, go to the pastry shops called boulangeries / patisseries. They have amazing pastries that will be much cheaper than sitting down to eat.

Crepes are always good from the corner crepe stands. Buy one from a stand that makes them fresh in front of you instead of premade. Nutella is always a good filling.

Bring walking shoes. Where you arent on a metro, you will be walking.

Although Ive never been up the Eiffel Tower during the day, its amazing at night. Avoid the lines for the elevator on the way down and take the stairs. Its not tiring at all, and usually quicker.

The Louvre is good but I thought the Musee d'Orsay is better! Lots of Impressionist art can be found here, and its not far from the Louvre.

If you have the chance, set aside an entire day to go to Versailles. Its beautiful, but theres plenty to see other than the palace, such as gardens, mini palaces, and a small farming village. It needs a day to see, and again, bring walking shoes, its enormous. You can take a train out there thats accessable from any major train station (train stations and metro stations are different. Most train stations are also metros, but not all metros are train stations)

Have fun! Paris is great.

Answer 2

ya dont go

Answer 3

When you go to shops always say bonjour and something friendly before you ask what you want because to them its like being in their home.

Answer 4

Its nice to see the main events, like the Eiffel tower, try and see the things not mentioned in a travel guide.

Answer 5

have fun and don't be an idiot and you'll do fine

Answer 6

Went to France in 2000 on class trip for 3 weeks.  1 week in Paris.  Learn and use the metro. This is the best way to get around.  Learn your tour guide books before you go.  

I had just a little French lessons before I went, But always say thank you with a smile.  You will find that some people are very rude, but most french people were very helpful.  

If you go to the museums, always start early.  For you will be there for most of the day.  

Pack lite, For there is always a laundry mat close by.  (and more than likely you won't have to buy another suit case for the return trip.

Keep your valuables on your body tightly for there are pick pockets. Get good walking shoes, wear them 3 weeks before you go, (blisters)

Have fun.  Stay safe.  The memories are worth it.

Answer 7

When paying a restaurant bill, know the rules...most include service charges in the bill cost, don't tip on top of this or you are tipping twice. Also if there is an outdoor eating

area of a cafe, it will cost more for food and drink outside, than inside.

Answer 8

My advice:  

Watch out for the rabid Smurfs there.  They can be brutal.

Answer 9

Definitely visit Paris if you get the chance.  It's a beautiful city and pretty easy to navigate.  Do invest in a decent guidebook.  I like the Top Ten from Eyewitness guides.  Their books are inexpensive, small and very well done.  Good maps, great lists of things to do, restaurants, etc.  Even some day to day itinerary suggestions.

Answer 10

My "best place" in Paris - jardin de Luxembourg, in May 2006 was splendid and not very crowded.

Many statues, wonderful flowers, you can admire Palais (Palace) De Luxembourg.  Close to Cartier Latin, where you can find small restaurants, too.

Second best place: Montmartre & Sacre Coeur (up the hill, beautiful panorama, use the Carte Orange for "funiculaire" to go up)

Note: You can buy Carte ORANGE at Metro station, for 1, 3 or 5 days and you can travel any time by bus, by Metro or by train RER...)

Third place: Eiffel Tower - but my advice is to save this for your last day...you will have the chance to recognize places you have already seen walking).

The best panorama for pictures of Eiffel Tower: from TROCADERO Metro station. It's beautiful in the afternoon, the light comes over your shoulder - the pictures will be excellent.

Interesting museums - if you like to visit: LE LOUVRE, MUSEE D'ORSAY, ...

I stayed 3 days and I decided to see the city instead of museums (at Louvre you need at least 1.5 days).

I walked on the Champs Elysees Boulevard (where you can see the famous Arch of Triumph).

I saw people and houses and shops and I spent a wonderful time in a boat-trip - on the river Seine).

In May, there are a lot of wonderful flowers at Jardin de Plantes (the botanical garden).

No matter where you go - you will find something interesting, believe me - Paris is a touristical city and day and night, there are things to do and see!

Answer 11

Generally speaking the French are more formal than most North Americans.

In everyday speech this means appending "s'il vous plâit" to any request. It means saying "je voudrais" and not "donnez moi" when ordering from a menu. It means calling the waiter "Monsieur" and not "Garçon." It means greeting the staff at a shop with "Bonjour" (madam or monsieur as appropriate).

A little oddity...in Paris one asks for "la note" rather than "l'addition" as one does in most other parts of France and the Francophone world.

The French tend to follow the older practice of not calling each other by first names or using the familiar without at least some acquaintance (although this is not so much true of young people).

The easy presumption of friendship or the discussing of personal matters with relative strangers that is common in North America is sometimes seen as boorish or crude by the French.

Americans in particular who will talk about the intimate details of their love lives, the state of their personal finances, and the cost of everything they own with someone they met ten minutes ago are, for that reason, regarded as utterly outré.

On the other hand, Americans, who have been taught to never discuss politics or religion, sometimes think they are being singled out for abuse when the French express their opinions on such matters. They are not, of course. they are simply engaging in the second most popular French indoor sport (and the one that does not usually require a bed).

On a more prosaic level, you will notice that butter is not served with bread except at breakfast or when served with the cheese course.

Cafe au lait is only called that at breakfast. At other times it is "café crème " or "une crème."

Asking for special preparation of food items is generally frowned on as is the practice of the "doggy bag."

By law, prices must be posted in the window of cafes. You will notice that there are usually at least two price levels. One is for service at the bar (le zinc) and the other for table service. It is cheating to buy a drink at the bar and then take a table to drink it at.

I'll let other people suggest standard tourist sights. Any good guidebook can tell you what the "must see" places are. So here are some slightly offbeat suggestions.

1) Have dinner with an icon of the Hippie era.

Jim Haynes is one of the founders of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and founder of the London Traverse Theatre Company. He started Suck, the sexual freedom newspaper, in Amsterdam in 1969 and taught Media Studies and Sexual Politics at the University of Paris 8.

He throws a dinner party every Sunday night. The crowd will include college professors, artists, the occasional rock star of famous actor. Give him a phone call or send him an email and you'll be invited. Details are on his website at: http://www.jim-haynes.com/index.htm

2) Go Rollerskating

Every Friday night except when there is rain, the City of Paris and the Paris Rollerskating Association organize a skate thru the streets of Paris from about 10 PM till 1 AM. People gather at the Place D'Italie and skate a route that changes each time. The number of participants can be anywhere from a few hundred to 28,000 (the largest group on record).

3) Become a member of the least exclusive club in the world

The Café Metropole Club meets every Thursday after noon. membership is very exclusive...you have to show up. details can be found here: http://www.metropoleparis.com/aclub.html  the people who show up are a coolection of expatriates and tourists. A good place to meet some nice people and get some good advice about current events.

And for some tourist sights that most people miss or never hear about:

Some of the less touristed places might be:

1. Musée des Plans-Relief

An overlooked museum that is housed over the Army Museum on the Esplanade des Invalides. For years this place was just a garret filled with models of the various fortifications and walled towns in France. Prior to 1950 the public was not admited since some of information that could gleaned from the models was considered a state secret. The collection of models was started by Louis XIV. The oldest model, representing the town of Perpignan, dates back to 1866.

2) Arena Lutetia on the rue Monge.

These are the remains of a Roman arena destroyed in the 3rd century. Completely forgotten during 1500 years they were rediscovered in 1869, when new streets were planned and diggings ordered. It was one of the largest amphitheatres of Gaul and could accomdate at least 15,000 spectators.

3) La Maison du Haut-Pignon at 51, rue de Montmorency, Paris 3rd arr.

This is the oldest house in Paris. It was built in 1407 by the writer and alchemist Nicolas Flamel. Look at the façade and see the inscription: "Ora et labora" (pray and work), which was the motto of the alchemists.

4) Cimetiere de Picpus

This is the burial place of the Marquis de Lafayette which can be found at 35, rue de Picpus. The only way into the cemetary is through an unmarked door in a larger, perpetually-closed gateway. You have to ring the doorbell and turn to the right after you pass through the door and find the entry 'official' who takes your entry fee.

An American flag flies over his grave and did so even during the n**i occupation of Paris.

Finally, there's also a lot to Paris that is beyond the tourist sights. Its the ambience and the attitude of Paris which need to be lived and felt.

You should spend some time just strolling around the city to appreciate its architecture and to get a feel for its medieval layout, the Belle Epoch improvements of Baron Hausman, and the modernizations seen in places like the Les Halles Forum and the new Opera in the Place Bastille.

You should take a little time to just sit in a cafe in the Latin Quarter or St. Germaine and people watch.

Enjoy some of the nightlife of Paris. Not the tourist ripoffs like the Moulin Rogue or the Lido but the vast number of fantastic music venues, from the jazz joints to discos.

Eat! And be a bit courageous. Go to places that don't cater to tourists and don't have English menus. Just point to things on the menu or, better still, walk into a cafe at lunchtime and ask for the daily special which you'll almost always see displayed on a chalk board. don't worry if you don't know what it is! Try it! The worst that will happen is that you'll have a hilarious story to tell about how you got served a calve's head with cream sauce or something else too weird for you to eat.

Mainly, don't listen to the half wits who tell you Parisians are terrible people or adivse staying in a tight little tourist cocoon..

Strike up conversations with strangers, be open minded, put your map in your back pocket and just wander around, get lost, experiment, learn, take the time to really look at things.

Mainly, enjoy yourself.