Paris Travel Tips?

Question

I am traveling to Paris for two weeks in mid-September and am looking for some travel tips from people who have gone. We rented an apartment in the 7th arrondissement, backing the Invalides. Has anyone else done this as opposed to staying in a hotel? Also, I know just a little French, and am wondering how much is necessary to know in order to get around?

Answer 1

Dont worry. Even if you know only a little french, you can always use body language to buy some foods. I know NO french and has been survive. Just enjoy the cafe, the scenery, the foods. Ignore the rude or communication problems that may occur.

One thing: Be careful with your belonging. Its no secret that in Europe you have to be extra careful (compare to US- I dont know where you are from)

We lost a very precious thing in the hotel room, and everything from the manager to the cleaner has been interrogated-no result. Compare to US it is really different.

Answer 2

Renting an apartment can be a very good idea. The sole caveats are to be sure you know what you are getting and be absolutely sure you are dealing with reputable people. Unfortunately there are people out there scamming would be visitors.

But if all works out then an apartment can be a much more authentic Paris experience than a hotel. Locate the closest boulangerie and get your morning bread or croissants fresh from the oven every day. No self respecting Frenchmen would eat day old bread.

While more Parisians speak English than New Yorkers or Londoners speak French the fact is that not everyone speaks English. A few polite phrases, a big smile, some patience and a bit of mime will get you thru most things. Don't fret about it. Its all part of the adventure.

Remember that, generally speaking, the French are more formal than most North Americans.

In everyday speech this means appending "s'il vous plâit" (please) to any request. It means saying "je voudrais" (I would like) and not "donnez moi" (give me) when ordering from a menu. It means calling the waiter "Monsieur" (mister) and not "Garçon" (boy) as they might have taught you in French class. It means greeting the staff at a shop (like that boulangerie) with "Bonjour" (madam or monsieur as appropriate) every time you go in and saying "Bonne Journee" or "Au revoir" when you leave.

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.

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 advise 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.

Need any more details? Just ask.

Answer 3

ohhhhh I had so much fun in Paris, I bet you will too!!!! :)

You don't need to know that much french , for the most part people can often speak english. The food is sooooo good , we took a dinner cruise which was awsome, went to all the museums , hit up the red light district and get a dinner and show at the REAL Moulin Rouge, geez there is wayyyyyy to much stuff to do!

Answer 4

the two words yuo should know..that helped me sooo much was merci and pardon..trust me..those two words will help..of course now i know much more french than i started with...

Answer 5

For the most part people in Paris usually speak at least a little English. I hardly speak any French and my friend speaks none at all, and we managed to get around Paris without any problems whatsoever.

As for other tips, you should definitely get a metro pass as it is fast, cheap, and can take you anywhere you want to go around Paris. If you're going to see the Louvre, you should also try to buy your tickets beforehand (believe me, with the incredibly ridiculous amount of people that go to the Louvre everyday, you don't want to have to wait in line for a ticket!). You can buy both your metro and your Louvre tickets online at http://www.paris.org/Metro/ . Remember that there are huge crowds anywhere in Paris no matter what time of the year; there is no "off season" for tourists there.

And finally, make sure you try a crepe with nutella! There are vendors everywhere with them. Most delicious thing EVER :)