5 things tourists should relax about when visiting Paris
Some people come to Paris and try to fit in by wearing their best black outfit, staying in an obscure part of town and avoiding speaking English as much as possible. Sure, it’s fun to be a local, but at the end of the day, being a local also means working, cleaning your own bathroom, and perhaps spending hours waiting in lines at the tax office. Really, you’re better off embracing your status as a tourist.
We’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating that when in Paris, it’s OK to be a tourist. Book that charming hotel in the center of town, enjoy an outdoor table at a cafe, and stroll along the Champs-Élysées if you like. Over the years as a tour guide and correspondent, I’ve experienced lots of people who try, without success, to pass as a local. It’s just not necessary.
It’s normal that tourists want to fit in, but too often you end up adding too much pressure to the trip planning process and to the actual trip itself. Here are five ways I think tourists could relax about their trips to Paris:
1. Don’t freak out about wearing the right shoes.
I always tell people I can spot a tourist by their shoes—but since they are usually in a touristy spot, like by the Eiffel Tower, I don’t think I’m really all that clairvoyant.
The bottom line on footwear? If you really think anyone in Paris cares what you are wearing on your feet, and if you’d rather spend more time shoe shopping than planning the rest of your trip, that’s your problem. Parisians wear boots, sneakers, flats, heels, loafers, Chucks and everything in between. And while they aren’t always practical, flip-flops do come out in the summer from time to time.
Related: 8 Paris travel myths debunked
2. You don’t need to speak French like a pro.
You don’t know any French? Quel dommage. Enough websites (including EuroCheapo, for example) urge visitors to learn some basics—merci, bonjour, au revoir—and that’s all you’ll need to know.
It’s nice to know local lingo, but few waiters or bartender will expect you to whip out the conditional or future perfect tense while ordering a beer. Some Parisians speak English, and others who you will inevitably encounter are comfortable with tourists pointing, nodding and holding up fingers to signal numbers—if you’re polite about it. Get the bare basics down and then give it a rest. This isn’t a backwoods town where no one has ever met a foreigner.
Be prepared for lines at big attractions in Paris like the Louvre. Photo: Duncan R
3. Visit museums that match your tastes.
Paris is a treasure trove of art, and travelers want to be very discerning when choosing their museums to visit, and often think that it’s better to go to one museum over another. In the end, if you really care about art, go to the museum that matches your taste. If you’re only going to the museum because you think you need to, then go when it’s convenient and just accept that yes, there will be tourists at places like the Louvre. Everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa, and no one knows why, so either just go with it or else pass.
Related: 7 tips for surviving the Louvre
4. Relax about finding the “perfect” restaurant.
You only want to eat where the locals are eating? Sorry, I’m very selective about who can come over for dinner. Want to do what Parisians are doing if not dining at home? Have you seen the lines at McDonald’s?
Thinking that Parisians are all going to some quaint little, off-the-radar bistro every night is a good exercise for your imagination. There are plenty of great “local” places, but don’t think you’re going to unearth anything that hasn’t been dug up a thousand times already. Just try to enjoy your meal wherever you go, and don’t Instagram it—because real locals don’t need to photograph every goat cheese salad and glass of wine.
Be aware but don’t panic for your entire trip. Photo: Duncan Hull
5. Stay alert and stay safe.
Money belt, traveler’s checks, locked box in the hotel—check, check, check. You’re a tourist and you’re overly concerned about falling prey to pickpockets? While I applaud your caution, I wonder if you leave your phone laying on a table while you go to the bathroom at Starbucks. Do you often take candy from strangers? Do you leave your door unlocked at night?
For some traveling to Paris means leaving all notions of personal safety back in their home country—but Paris isn’t Disneyland. (Although there is one a few miles outside of the city.) It’s a real city with the same sorts of crimes that you find in other parts of the world, including America (without the fear of getting shot). If you’re walking around with a wad of cash in Paris, you’re asking for as much trouble as if you did that in Chicago, or London or Sydney—it’s not a good idea anywhere, so don’t do it.
Be vigilant and prepared, yes, but don’t overdo it. Keep your wits about you as I hope you do anywhere else in the world and you should be fine. Check out our article on popular “scams in Paris” so you know what to expect, but honestly, if a scruffy looking group of teenagers swarmed around you in Kansas City asking you to sign a dirty petition and give them money, would you really stop and engage them?
Other things tourists should relax about?
Do you have something else to add to our list of things tourists should relax about when visiting Paris? Do you agree or take issue with any of the points above? Share with us in our comments section below.
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Good post, Brian. I would recommend that people relax and take the bus. It is true that the metro is probably the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B, but who wants to travel in a hole in the ground while in Paris?
The bus gives the traveler a perspective of the city with a window to look out of. I find it to be a very “social” place too, where I can strike up a conversation with a Parisian just about anytime I want to.
Steve
http://www.travelingprofessor.com
One polite thing that I remember from way back when: Address the shopkeeper with a proper title – Bonjour, Madame ou Bonsoir, Monsieur. Respectful.
Well, sitting at a cafe outside our apartment today, I saw two men in suits and about two hundred and fifty black jeans, two hundred blue jeans and two women in white pants. The shoes are as described with lots of sneakers. I was the only one looking.
English? About half the people we hear are speaking it.
Language uses:: the one rule I tell people is to always say BONJOUR or BONSOIR before addressing a native. And of course, MERCI and au revoir..that’s it.
Very good article.
If you don’t speak French well, then at least smile as you try to use English, gestures and so on. I’ve seen some people reinforce the ugly American stereotype. A friendly face goes a long way in getting what you want Paris, even with a language barrier.
Parisians use credit (or debit?) cards all the time, so there is no need for much cash. I didn’t have any trouble with my American style mag stripe cards, and oddly, my one chip and pin card didn’t work as a chip and pin card. Amex (or at least my particular card) waived their foreign transaction fee. Check with your card issuer, and be sure to warn them ahead of time that you’ll be travelling. This helps the fraud department to expect foreign transactions.
Adding to KC’s comment both Bank of America and Capitol One do not charge foreign transaction fees. I too find it’s better to use a credit card; you get the best conversion rate.
I couldn’t agree more. Before my partner and I blitzed through western Europe this past summer I was in terror about not speaking French. Like, way more than I was about not speaking German and only knowing the naughty words my opa taught me in Dutch.
In the end, I worried for naught. Beginning every interaction with “bon jour” and “parlez vous anglais” and ending with “merci beaucoup” was all it took. Every restaurant, cafe, store and museum we went to had someone – or found someone – to speak to us in English. We had a marvelous time and I loved Paris.
I wish I’d read the article about surviving the Louvre before we went, though…
This is great information! Another thing you should not stress over is clothes. For the most part Paris is a casual atmosphere so don’t over pack. Some of the best sightseeing I’ve done is on the city buses and you must take a ride on the Metor.
such a good, truthful and sensible post! to point 4: guilty… myself I’m taking pics of my favourite food I eat in restaurants (not Instagram though, sadly) – because my eyes eat with me and eating often in Paris it helps me greatly to remember the nice places…. I also never worry about the shoes I’m wearing, as NOBODY is going to carry me around if I’m donning beautiful but impractical shoes! I have plenty of photos of people (not only tourists!) in Paris with bare feet, sandals in hand, in silly high heels, very cool boots, but also sneakers, runners, and tons of espadrilles… 🙂