Helpful Tips for a Trip to Paris

DOWNLOAD APPS:

Here are some of the apps that I found helpful:

• Dott (renting a bike or scooter)
• Velib (renting a bike or scooter)
• Paris Metro app
• #TousAntiCovid
• Versaille app (this replaces their audioguide, and I loved using it)
  * I also used the Apple Maps app to save all of the spots I had researched before the trip. This came in handy a great deal.

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BUY A PURSE WITH ZIPPERS

Before leaving, I decided to buy a purse that zips closed in the main compartment and the outside pocket. On the trip, it brought much ease to know that my things would be more difficult to steal, especially on the Metro. I bought one that could fit a water bottle inside of it, but still looked nice and could go with any outfit.

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BRING BACK-UP TECHNOLOGY

I was grateful to have my iPad and computer safely stowed in the Airbnb. It allowed me to research directions and communicate with people while using wifi. After losing my phone, I do wish that I brought a backup camera.

I also have an Away suitcase that includes this awesome retractable battery. I have used this battery recharger on every vacation since buying the suitcase. It has been seriously “clutch” in charging my phone (more than once through) while on the go walking the streets of cities.

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MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ANYWHERE YOU REALLY WANT TO EAT

Firstly, the food in Paris was incredible… like ruined-me-forever, I-don’t-want-to-eat-food-in-America incredible. And it wasn’t just incredible food at the restaurants that I found from Bloggers online, it was every Boulangerie and Brasserie (all the quick-stop places) found along the streets of Paris, that sold delicious food. Culturally, they approach food quality and food waste differently than we do. Coming from someone who didn’t touch escargot or boeuf tartare, it’s not “French food” I am raving about, but the culture of how the French approach food.

This may be tied simply to COVID, but I did not regret making reservations, as the lines at some restaurants became very long around opening hours. These hours can be unique (many did not open until 7 pm) compared to how American restaurants run, so make sure to check before you go.

Click here to see a list of food recommendations

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BRING SOME EUROS

Most places seem to accept VISA and only a few accept AMEX. I found it easier to use euros in a lot of the smaller boulangerie shops. I only brought 100 euro with me and I did not need all of it, but I was glad to have it! You will also want to check to see if your credit card has foreign transaction fees.

My AMEX is tied to DELTA and has no foreign transaction fees. I have found it pretty incredible to turn my monthly spending into DELTA points. If you use are interested, use this link to sign up and you will get 70,000 bonus points if you spend 2k in the first 3 months. This can cover more than one flight. I actually used points to take this trip!  

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BUY HOME COVID TEST KITS  + PAPER SURGICAL MASKS

I decided to use these home kits instead of trying to find a testing center before returning to the U.S. I am so glad I did this. I tested the process before leaving and then was able to use it 24 hours before my flight, it worked like magic and was very easy to use.

In the airport, they were strict about the type of mask required (the blue/white paper masks). I was very glad that I bought a little pack before the trip. I ended up losing them in my pockets or in my purse often.

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During the Trip: Decisions That Helped Me Thrive

BUY A BOOK OF TICKETS CALLED T+

• Ticket purchasing was a bit tricky to navigate but the machines had an English option, which really helped. There are different types of tickets you will likely buy.
• When you arrive at the airport, you will have to buy an RER ticket to take the RER train into the city– keep this ticket because you will also need it in order to exit the RER and hop on the Metro.
• You can purchase a T+ ticket book (10) at the airport, which you will use to take any public transportation within Paris city limits. For a week of travel, I used about 17-20 tickets. I used about 2 per day and walked or rented a scooter for the rest of the day. I recommend purchasing a book of 10 tickets over the other types of passes because it ends up being 3.80 euro daily.

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WRITE DOWN DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU LEAVE EACH DAY

The combination of slow cell phone data and phone safety on the metro made me very grateful to process directions each day on paper. I take pride in my general “sense of direction”, but with the metro and city layout, I was totally turned around in Paris. Each day I wrote down: 1) which line of the metro to take and 2) which direction of that line to take. When I felt confused, I had a convenient piece of paper in my pocket to check instead of getting out my cell phone.

Helpful Note: the street signs are on small plaques attached to buildings not displayed with poles on the street.

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THE WATER, LIKE THE FOOD, WAS INCREDIBLE | BRING A BOTTLE

I am talking straight-out-of-the-faucet in the Airbnb kitchen, water. Every restaurant had carafes of water as well. I tasted nothing but pure, clean water. Bring a refillable bottle (this is a great airport tip anyway)!

Je Regrette | Things I Wish I Knew Before My Trip

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NAVIGATING THE METRO

I felt very unprepared to navigate a metro for the first time. The metro was full of people moving quickly, with very little personal space. If you were too slow, you were an inconvenience. There were several tunnels that met together and then veered off in different directions, as well as steep steps. Because of this, and how packed the train cars were, I definitely wish I packed lighter. I also read stories about theft on the metro, where people would make a scene to distract you and then steal a suitcase. I could see how easy this would be to do and having only one suitcase to keep close would have been optimal.

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HOW TO GET IN:

You will use a ticket to enter the metro. Once you put the ticket in (magstripe down like a credit card) it will pop out for you to grab, and a yellowish dot will appear (I still do not know what it says, but I expected green for go! And yellowish was what I got). If a yellowish and a red dot appear, the gate will not open for you. Sometimes I found that it was the direction I put the ticket in (if I recall, the t+ logo was facing me). Other times the actual reader was broken and another lane worked.

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HOW TO NAVIGATE:

Similar to all public transportation, the metro follows a route in a specific direction. When you look up stops and search for directions in your map app, it will tell you something like Metro 7 to Ivry/Villejuif, 5 stops, Take Opera. The “to” direction is important once you get to the metro and have to choose which side of the metro stop to stand on.

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WHILE RIDING:  

It seems like there is an etiquette to follow while riding the metro. No one really talks, you will be physically close to people, and as people enter or exit, everyone shifts around to make room. If there is someone with a child or someone who is injured, people will give up their seats. You will likely be asked for money in French by people walking in and out of the cars and lines (just say “no”)- I was surprised at how many people gave coins. During typical commute hours, the cars are literally packed like sardines- you will be hot, you will smell smells, and it will go faster than you think.

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HOW TO GET OUT:

This might sound silly, but I was absolutely stuck in the metro when I first arrived. People were everywhere, walking quickly, and I had no clue how to get out. My brain thought: just find a staircase up, you’ll find the street. Well, I found the street, but I was gated into the metro. Full of sweat from carrying luggage up and down steps, I tried to ask people for help and finally found someone who spoke English.

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SORTIE MEANS EXIT:

find the Sortie sign and follow it. This will at least get you out of the metro. However, if you are trying to exit to a specific place (my Airbnb was literally behind a staircase to the metro, and ideally I would’ve exited here) there are numbers assigned to the exits, along with the street name. I always followed “Sortie 5” to get to my Airbnb front door. This meant I had to go left when I stepped off the car, not right (right was a different Sortie number). You can see the signs in Navy above staircases and on the walls.

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OBSERVATIONS ON THE CULTURE

Here are some general observations I collected on the culture:

• People move like they are the rabbit from Alice and Wonderland. Even in museums, it’s like the Mona Lisa is leaving and they only have minutes to see her. There is no general nuance of space and people will not hesitate to cut in front of you or block your path in some way. You don’t have to move, but they will swiftly move around you. This is also the case with bikes on the street (a super common form of transportation- there are bike/scooter lanes everywhere) as they cunningly move around you and rarely stop for you.  

• It seemed like a very social culture. The apartment I was in had a very small kitchen and cafes were packed. I got the impression that unlike in America, eating at home was not preferred. Once you sit down, eating is long enjoyed and you are not often bothered. This might also be why the cafes are on sidewalks with tons of tables facing the sidewalk- to just watch people, eat, and chat.

• It was extremely diverse. I met people from all over the world, who spoke multiple languages. I know a small amount of French, but they speak so fast that it would take me time to process what they said. Add in global accents, and a face mask- it was hard to be confident.

• Pickpocketing is real and you won’t see it coming. I’d say I was appropriately cautious, but it happened so quickly that I didn’t feel it.

• The doors are different. I used an ancient-shaped key to open my Airbnb door, which had no knob. Once inside, I was absolutely perplexed as to how to get out, to the point that I almost emailed the Airbnb host to ask. Finally, I became curious about a small black round button on the door. This button (the size of a quarter) could be pushed sideways in order to unlock the hinge and push the door open. Most of the doors were puzzling, so give yourself some patience and maybe ask for directions in advance.

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SPEAKING IN FRENCH

I typically used the same few phrases throughout my time in Paris.

• “Bonjour! Parlez-vous l’anglais?” (said like bonjou parh-lay-voo long-lay)
• Which means: “Hello! Do you speak English?”
• “Je suis americain, mais je parle un peu fracais” (said like: juhsweez amerheecan, may juhparle unpue fraunsay)
• Which means “I am American but I speak a little French”.
• Reading/Pronunciation:
• many of the “n” sounds are in the back of your throat like you are saying “ng”
• many of the “r” sounds are more like an “h” or they just disappear into the rest of the sounds.
• Usually “s” is more “z” when connecting to the next vowel sound/word or it is not said at all.
• Ex: “Je suis” (I am) is said like swee, but when you add “americain” the vowel of the a turns the silent “s” into more of a “z” sound.

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WHERE TO STAY

I really enjoyed the apartment I stayed in booked through Airbnb. It was very convenient to the Metro. What I did not account for, however, was the need for breaks when walking all day – particularly when shopping and carrying bags. There aren’t many public places to sit other than windowsills or steps. It would have been great to be in a more central location. I was able to walk from one side of Paris (Eiffel Tour) to the other (Notre Dame) in about an hour. I realized if I stayed in the 8th, 9th, or 1st arrondissements I probably could’ve stopped by in between walking, or had a very short metro ride.

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