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Will you be visiting Paris, France for the first time soon? Make sure you avoid these common first-time mistakes on your trip!
Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world – I lived there and recently returned from a month-long trip during which I considered taking another step into the future.
But I often hear from other travelers that they couldn’t stand Paris and either had a bad time there or thought it was totally overrated.
And usually those travelers made one (or more) of the following mistakes!
These are the common mistakes to avoid on your first trip to Paris:
Visit during high season
If I had to give any advice about your first trip to Paris, it wouldn’t be in the middle of summer! June, July and August are the high season for tourists in Paris, and everything is extremely busy.
All Parisians leave in August (it’s their main summer holiday month), so the city is only filled with tourists. And it’s HOT this time of year.
Since most buildings in Paris don’t have air conditioning (even luxury hotels have weaker air conditioning than you’re probably used to at home), this can be an unpleasant time to visit.
With the Olympics taking place in Paris this summer, I would recommend a visit even less as not only will the crowds be insane, but prices for everything will skyrocket.
Instead, spring and fall are the best times to visit Paris; April, May and October are my top picks for the best time of year to plan a trip.
Don’t learn French
You certainly don’t need to be fluent in French before visiting Paris.
And the truth is that most Parisians already speak good English, so you certainly don’t need French to get by. But learning a few basic words can go a long way.
Even knowing and using “bonjour” (hello), “au revoir” (goodbye), “s’il vous plaît” (please) and “merci” (thank you) is highly appreciated.
If you make the effort to speak a little bit of French instead of just walking up to someone and immediately speaking in English, you’ll find that the person usually has a warmer attitude.
Thinking Parisians are rude
Many people have the impression that Parisians are rude, but that is really not the case.
Some of it just comes down to cultural norms. For example, in France you are expected to say “bonjour” when you enter a shop or restaurant.
Not greeting the shopkeeper or hostess is rude.
Likewise, before asking someone a question, it is polite to greet someone first, rather than just walking up and asking, “Which line should I be in?” or “Where’s the bathroom?”
Falling for common scams
Unfortunately, Paris is full of tourist scams, and a surefire way to ruin your first trip is to fall for one of them.
Here are some things to look out for:
- Friendship bracelets: A man comes up to you and starts to tie a friendship bracelet around your wrist. Don’t let him do that, he’ll try to pay you for it afterwards!
- Rose “gift” scam: Similarly, a man will approach you or your traveling companion and offer a rose as a ‘gift’, but then demand payment after you accept it.
- Fake petitions: A group of women come to you, usually posing as members of a deaf charity or other organization, and they want you to sign a petition. These are fake and they will ask you for money or try to pickpocket you.
- Metro pickpockets: If you’re on a busy subway, stay extremely Be vigilant and keep a close eye on your belongings as this is when pickpockets most often strike.
By recognizing these common scams, you can easily avoid them.
Over planning your trip
One of the biggest mistakes you can make on your first trip to Paris is over-planning it and trying to cram too much into a short amount of time.
I understand, if you only have 3 or 4 days in Paris it makes sense that you would want to maximize your time and see and do as much as possible.
But too much planning can make your trip stressful.
Instead of lining up with thousands of other tourists to get to the Eiffel Tower observation deck (which isn’t even a great view because you’re there) in the most iconic building in the Paris skyline), why not have a relaxing picnic on the Champ de Mars and enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower from there?
Or instead of fighting the crowds on a day trip to Versailles when you only have a few days in Paris, why not stay in the city and stroll along the Seine or explore a cool neighborhood like the Latin Quarter?
These are the kind of experiences you will remember and enjoy more than feeling like you have to tick off every tourist activity in Paris.
Dress inappropriately
I often see tourists in Paris fall into one of two extremes when it comes to clothing.
They’re either completely underdressed, wearing flip-flops, a T-shirt and a fanny pack, and they might as well have a neon sign that says “tourist” above their heads. You don’t want to be this person because it will make you stand out and become a bigger target for pickpockets and scammers.
I also see tourists in Paris dressed as if they were extras Emily in Paris. No Parisian actually wears a beret, a nice dress or skirt and high heels while walking around the city.
If you go at chic, you will feel quite uncomfortable. Instead, I recommend wearing comfortable footwear and using classic dark and neutral tones for your clothing.
Throw away your metro ticket
Although Paris is gradually phasing out paper metro tickets in favor of the digital Navigo pass, you may still find yourself purchasing paper tickets during your trip.
Just make sure you don’t throw your card away! When you exit the subway, there are sometimes transit police checking tickets, and if you are caught without a ticket you can be fined.
Waiting for the restaurant bill
At home, you may be used to eating out and having the waiter check on you several times during the meal.
It doesn’t work that way in Paris.
You should speak to the waiter and ask if you need anything during your meal, and this includes asking for the check at the end.
In French you can say ‘L’addition, s’il vous plaît’ when you are ready to pay.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
