Top 10 Mistakes Tourists Make When Visiting Paris for the First Time
I made many of the following mistakes on my first visit to Paris and I’ve seen repeats of all of them over and over again! Don’t make the same mistake—do Paris right.
1. Staying near the Eiffel Tower
I know, I know. You’ve dreamed of visiting Paris your whole life and in it your hotel has a terrasse looking out at the Eiffel Tower where you eat croissants and drink champagne. Listen, even if you’re able to find this dream hotel and afford its ghastly prices (let’s face it, this is unlikely) you may get your croissants but you’ll be stuck in the wrong part of town! The Eiffel Tower is really inconveniently located. The neighbourhood is of course beautiful (and expensive), but it’s very residential. Boring.
If you really want to be close to an iconic architectural symbol of Paris with a great location try something around Notre Dame or Sacre Coeur. Just be sure to stay somewhere not too far from the city centre; I feel strongly about this because where you stay can really change your experience of the city and I want you to see all the city has to offer. That said, if you really need the Eiffel, you do you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
2. Not pre-purchasing tickets online
Always check to see if you can buy your tickets online before you go (or, if you have data, while you’re standing out front for that matter). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped enormous lines of people waiting to buy tickets just by standing near them and going through the website. I still don’t understand it really, but this one is a no brainer for tourist activities such as the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre. Don’t waste valuable time waiting in lines!
3. Blind fear
It is healthy to be cautious when traveling to a new country or city, but blind fear is uncalled for. One thing I’ve learned living in Paris is that the media coverage back home is incredibly exaggerated. Friends and family are always calling to check in on me and that’s usually the first I’ll hear of something. For instance awhile back there was a small area of the city that has minor flooding, though back home everyone seemed certain that Paris was the new Atlantis. That’s not to say that there are not serious incidents and real dangers in the city, but they are more or less the same dangers and odds you would face anywhere. You can’t live your life in fear, but what you can do is be pragmatic and be aware of your surroundings. My advice is to talk to the people around you and to hear how locals feel about their own safety. Know your comfort level and act accordingly.
4. Not taking advantage of transit and bike options
The metro system in Paris is fantastic and will take you anywhere you need to go. Don’t waste your precious pennies on cab fare when the metro will more than likely get you there faster. By all means do not expect to use a car in Paris, the metro is much faster, less traumatic, and more ecological to boot!
My number one Paris tip is this: use the Vélib bike rental system. I think at this point most major cities offer some variation of this service, but essentially you pay a euro or so for 30 minutes of biking. Once the 30 minutes are up if you’d like to keep going you can drop off your current bike at one of the zillion stations around town and grab a new one. Easy as pie. There is nothing, I say nothing, more beautiful than biking through Paris, especially along the Seine. You can see so much in so little time and save your legs some walking!
5. Eating at tourist traps
I get that it can sometimes it can be hard for tourists to decipher which restaurants are targeted at tourists (i.e crap food, high prices) and those that are genuinely delicious, I’m-never-leaving-this-city, tasty goodness. A good rule of thumb is that if you’re in what feels like a pretty touristy area, head two blocks in a different direction and find somewhere people aren’t giving you come hither hand gestures to get you in the door. We use Foursquare filtered by rating (I know, who knew foursquare was still a thing…) when we’re looking for a new place to try! Usually works like a charm.
6. Getting scammed
I hate even having to broach this topic because it only adds to the negative clichés about Paris. That said, you could get scammed so you should probably be forewarned. When in doubt just say “no, merci”.
7. Shopping at the Champs-Elysées
Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées…
So not true. This is a tourist infested street lined with all of the same big box shops that you have back in your home town. Check out the Arc de Triomphe of course! Take in the view, but if you’re looking for shopping try the Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, or Montmartre or les Galleries Lafayette (where you can get your own personal shopper!).
8. Making no attempt at speaking French
I know the French have a reputation for sometimes being less than friendly to tourists but my theory here is that many anglophones arrive in town and don’t attempt a simple bonjour. You don’t need much more than that! I think a good rule is to start and finish your interactions in French. Say hello, “bonjour” and finish off with thank you, good bye, “merci, au revoir” et voila! You’re basically fluent.
9. Doing what is expected of you as a tourist
There are so many different ways of exploring Paris and so many unique things to see, do, and visit. Of course seeing the Mona Lisa may really be high on your list of things to do, but if you’re not actually interested in art why feign interest during your limited time in Paris? P.S the Mona Lisa is tiny and (no offense DaVinci) but pretty unspectacular. Beautiful views of Paris are hardly limited to the Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame has a stunning view, but the best by far (if it’s open) is la Tour St Jacques. Don’t feel obliged to follow the Paris tourist guidebook. Explore the New York Highline’s counterpart, la coulée verte, visit the sewage museum, stroll through Pére Lachaise, or take a cooking class!
10. Expecting service to be similar to where you live
This comes up a lot. It really comes down to having patience and understanding. Try to remind yourself that you’re on vacation, and take a breath. People everywhere live different lives, have different expectations of one another, and move at different paces; as a result some of the interactions you have while traveling may be different to you. Try not to see different as negative even if sometimes it may feel like it (certain experiences are clear exceptions, being pick pocketed for instance…not a positive experience!). Finding these differences is where you find real value in travel. It helps us all break out of our comfort zones, and see what other people’s zones have to offer. Hopefully you can take back some interesting experiences and maybe even apply some of what you see to your own life back home.
