14 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR FIRST PARIS ADVENTURE

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Paris is in almost everybody’s bucket list. That might include you! Why else would you click, right? A wanderlust, a backpacker, a recent high school graduate, a die-hard romantic. No matter what you are, if you desire the ultimate Parisian experience, continue scrolling and reading. These are tips and guidelines that will surely be useful to you before boarding the train or airplane to Paris, France.

1. HOW TO GET AROUND TOWN

Paris has different modes of transportation to get around, namely, Great Public Transit, via bike, a scooter, or get an Uber. Their public transportation or subway is what they call the Metro, suitable for short distances but has a lot of stops. The what they call the RER, on the other hand, has fewer stops but is useful for longer distances.


Paris also has public bikes and scooters you can get from one point within the city, after paying and then return to another designated point within the city. These bikes are found almost in every major intersection in Paris. Parisians offer and make use of these options because bikes and scooters don’t have to compete with other cars with all the traffic going on.

Uber is not cheap but if you are a tourist and you’ve been walking around town the whole day, sometimes you just want to sit in a car and be taken to your next destination.

2. FOOTWEAR MATTERS

Although you need some kind of vehicle to get you from one place to another, the best way to really see and feel Paris is by walking on foot. With this said, you have to wear comfortable shoes. I recommend wearing slip-on, fashionable enough sneakers, ankle boots or if you really want shoes that give height, wear wedges.


3. CHILL

As you try to absorb the Parisian experience, try to just sit in a cafe and just observe the people and the streets. Paris is home to a lot of good cafes. Make time to just relax and see the view by yourself or even with whoever you are with. I assure you Paris streets and people would not bore you.

Source:

https://travelbook.com/blog/14-things-to-know-before-your-first-paris-adventure/

4. OUTFIT MATTERS, TOO

Your outfit matters! As you know, Paris bears the reputation of being a place of fashion but I’m not saying you wear the fanciest clothes in your wardrobe but it matters to Parisians how you dress on the streets, or even just inside your home. The goal is to dress in a way that is not too casual but not too touristy, either.

You’ll avoid the minorly judgy “look” when you try to dress appropriately. Don’t wear gym clothes from head to toe, flip-flops and baseball caps with your favorite team on it. This could also help you to avoid incidents when fancy restaurants and establishments may turn you away for how you look and to not attract scammers and pickpocket incidents your way, which brings me to tip #4.

5. STAY ALERT

Paris is known for scammers and pickpocketers victimizing tourists and even locals. The city is fairly safe to go to but just like any metro city, you are susceptible to people on the streets trying to snatch your belongings. I recommend you to keep an eye on where your bag zipper faces especially when you’re in the Metro (subway).

In restaurants, don’t ask for a menu in English because chances are some of the restaurants would charge higher for an “English” menu.

When you’re in the tourist spots in Paris, there are what we call “ring scammers” where a woman would yell “I found the ring!” and then she would a tourist the ring and when you take it, she would persist for something in return, giving you all sorts of reasons why you should give her money.

Beware of taking the wrong taxis. There are illegitimate taxis in train stations that would charge 8-10 times the metered price and if you are a first-timer, you are not familiar on how to differentiate the registered taxis from the scammer ones. Try to look for the queues of people. That would most likely be the line for taxis.

6. EVEN YOUR BAG MATTERS

The bag of choice for going out and about in Paris is a small cross-body bag. Avoid wearing backpacks. Aside from being a fashionable piece, cross-body bags can be situated in front of your body where you can constantly see it, unlike backpacks, thus avoiding an unfortunate theft.


7. SO WHEN?

The best time to book a trip to Paris is around spring and autumn. Do not go in June, July or August. These are the busiest months for Paris as it is packed with tourists. In August, almost everything is closed for the whole month because this is the time for the employees and students to have their vacation. They are normally off to Greece, Portugal or beaches. Even on Sundays, almost every restaurant and grocery shops are closed or operating for just a few hours, so make sure to do your groceries or shopping beforehand.

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Paris

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4. OUTFIT MATTERS, TOO

Your outfit matters! As you know, Paris bears the reputation of being a place of fashion but I’m not saying you wear the fanciest clothes in your wardrobe but it matters to Parisians how you dress on the streets, or even just inside your home. The goal is to dress in a way that is not too casual but not too touristy, either.

You’ll avoid the minorly judgy “look” when you try to dress appropriately. Don’t wear gym clothes from head to toe, flip-flops and baseball caps with your favorite team on it. This could also help you to avoid incidents when fancy restaurants and establishments may turn you away for how you look and to not attract scammers and pickpocket incidents your way, which brings me to tip #4.

5. STAY ALERT

Paris is known for scammers and pickpocketers victimizing tourists and even locals. The city is fairly safe to go to but just like any metro city, you are susceptible to people on the streets trying to snatch your belongings. I recommend you to keep an eye on where your bag zipper faces especially when you’re in the Metro (subway).

In restaurants, don’t ask for a menu in English because chances are some of the restaurants would charge higher for an “English” menu.

When you’re in the tourist spots in Paris, there are what we call “ring scammers” where a woman would yell “I found the ring!” and then she would a tourist the ring and when you take it, she would persist for something in return, giving you all sorts of reasons why you should give her money.

Beware of taking the wrong taxis. There are illegitimate taxis in train stations that would charge 8-10 times the metered price and if you are a first-timer, you are not familiar on how to differentiate the registered taxis from the scammer ones. Try to look for the queues of people. That would most likely be the line for taxis.

6. EVEN YOUR BAG MATTERS

The bag of choice for going out and about in Paris is a small cross-body bag. Avoid wearing backpacks. Aside from being a fashionable piece, cross-body bags can be situated in front of your body where you can constantly see it, unlike backpacks, thus avoiding an unfortunate theft.


7. SO WHEN?

The best time to book a trip to Paris is around spring and autumn. Do not go in June, July or August. These are the busiest months for Paris as it is packed with tourists. In August, almost everything is closed for the whole month because this is the time for the employees and students to have their vacation. They are normally off to Greece, Portugal or beaches. Even on Sundays, almost every restaurant and grocery shops are closed or operating for just a few hours, so make sure to do your groceries or shopping beforehand.

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