16 Tips On Traveling To Paris | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

16 Tips On Traveling To Paris

As told by an American

11
16 Tips On Traveling To Paris

1. Dinner is going to be at least €20 per night

2. Download a map of the metro system on your smartphone

3. The shortest lines for climbing the eiffel tower is late at night (before 11)

4. The shortest lines for Notre Dame are during the morning hours

5. Don't take out your phone and flaunt it around in Monmartre

6. The Louvre is free on Friday nights after 6

7. All museums are free in France on the first Sunday of the month

8. Make sure you know when the metro closes at night so you don't get stranded or have to walk several km in the dark.

9. Say "bonjour" every time you walk into a business and make eye contact with a staff member

10. The service will be slower. That doesn't mean the service is bad. The pace of life is different.

11. Don't expect that you can grab a quick coffee at a Parisian café. You'll be sitting there for at least 45 minutes.

12. Anytime you say you want coffee, they will give you an espresso. If you want an American styled coffee, ask for "café allongé"

13. If you're at a restaurant and you're antsy about getting your check, observe other tables to see whether or not you pay at the counter or they bring it to you. Never shout out that you want the check. If you're in a bit of a rush (Most people who go to a restaurant aren't) politely raise your hand when the waiter comes by and ask for "l'addition." (A.k.a the check).

14. Don't even try getting lunch after 3pm or dinner before 7pm. Most places are only open to serve wine, beer, or coffee.

15. A lot of people speak English but not all are fluent. It's best not to expect them to speak English anyway. Learn a few polite French phrases and chances are if they hear your accent or see that you are struggling, they will speak to you in English the best they can.

16. When you're waiting for a train in the metro, stand at the side of the doors so the descending passengers can get off first, otherwise it's kind of rude.

This are all things I have learned from first-hand experience. Paris is beautiful but it's best to remember that even if you're a tourist, the people there are working and going on with their lives, kind of like New York. Money won't by you everything there, but politeness might.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
student sleep
Huffington Post

I think the hardest thing about going away to college is figuring out how to become an adult. Leaving a household where your parents took care of literally everything (thanks, Mom!) and suddenly becoming your own boss is overwhelming. I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job of being a grown-up, but once in awhile I do something that really makes me feel like I'm #adulting. Twenty-somethings know what I'm talking about.

Keep Reading...Show less
school
blogspot

I went to a small high school, like 120-people-in-my-graduating-class small. It definitely had some good and some bad, and if you also went to a small high school, I’m sure you’ll relate to the things that I went through.

1. If something happens, everyone knows about it

Who hooked up with whom at the party? Yeah, heard about that an hour after it happened. You failed a test? Sorry, saw on Twitter last period. Facebook fight or, God forbid, real fight? It was on half the class’ Snapchat story half an hour ago. No matter what you do, someone will know about it.

Keep Reading...Show less
Chandler Bing

I'm assuming that we've all heard of the hit 90's TV series, Friends, right? Who hasn't? Admittedly, I had pretty low expectations when I first started binge watching the show on Netflix, but I quickly became addicted.

Without a doubt, Chandler Bing is the most relatable character, and there isn't an episode where I don't find myself thinking, Yup, Iam definitely the Chandler of my friend group.

Keep Reading...Show less
eye roll

Working with the public can be a job, in and of itself. Some people are just plain rude for no reason. But regardless of how your day is going, always having to be in the best of moods, or at least act like it... right?

1. When a customer wants to return a product, hands you the receipt, where is printed "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" in all caps.

2. Just because you might be having a bad day, and you're in a crappy mood, doesn't make it okay for you to yell at me or be rude to me. I'm a person with feelings, just like you.

3. People refusing to be put on hold when a customer is standing right in front of you. Oh, how I wish I could just hang up on you!

Keep Reading...Show less
blair waldorf
Hercampus.com

RBF, or resting b*tch face, is a serious condition that many people suffer from worldwide. Suffers are often bombarded with daily questions such as "Are you OK?" and "Why are you so mad?" If you have RBF, you've probably had numerous people tell you to "just smile!"

While this question trend can get annoying, there are a couple of pros to having RBF.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments