It’s the ultimate romantic or historic destination. You’ll have high expectations. But Paris is a big city, a crowded metropolis, and there are plenty of incidents waiting to spoil your holiday. Be prepared and make your trip to Paris fun, enjoyable and memorable.
So, you want to go to Paris? You and the rest of the world! Some 25 million tourists snap a photo of the Eiffel Tower each year, so you can imagine that it’s sometimes hard to find a quiet corner for yourself. Make your trip as enjoyable as possible by following this advice.
Paris in the Spring … When To Go
There’s no time of year when Paris is tourist-free. The summer is certainly a peak season, although many Parisians head out of the city for country and coastal holidays – but the tourists are still there. Spring’s traditionally said to be the loveliest time to visit Paris, and the crowds are likely to be a little smaller; fall is similar. If you don’t mind grey skies and wearing a good coat, then winter in Paris is just as lively and enjoyable.
Use the Museums and Monuments Card
Many major cities around the world issue special combination tickets to visitors, and some of them are rarely worth the cost. Some do give a degree of convenience, without super value, but I found the Paris version -- the Carte Musees et Monuments -- was the best I’ve ever come across. The card, which can easily be bought for one, three or five days, from Metro stations and museums, gives you entrance to over sixty famous sights around Paris (notably, however, not the Eiffel Tower). Not only will it nearly always work out a lot cheaper to access your favorite Paris sights, but it comes with an extra advantage – queue jumping. In a busy tourist destination like Paris, avoiding one-hour waits in a long, boring line is a huge bonus. When you reach a museum, check at the front entrance about where card holders can enter – it’s usually the case that you can walk straight past the queuing hundreds and finish enjoying the experience before they even get inside.
See the Musts, Then Pick Your Favorites
Really, there’s no excuse for visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe. You should also walk down the Champs-Elysees and try to get to the Louvre too, at a minimum to stare in at the Mona Lisa. Omit any of these activities at your own risk – your family and friends might not believe you’ve been to Paris if you do. If your time is limited, then get a good overview of these by joining one of the tourist “hop on, hop off” buses which run circuits around all the major tourist attractions – some of these are even run by the local transport authorities and are reasonably cheap.
But when does “following the tourist trail” simply become being a slave to the most famous monuments of Paris? If you only stay long enough at any one point to take a couple of photographs and then head off to the next destination, you’re not having fun. Let’s say you buy the Musees et Monuments card for three days. For 72 hours you have free entry to dozens of places you’ve heard about, read about and seen on TV your whole life. You want to experience everything! But stop right there. The key is “experience.” If you simply dash in and straight back out of the Picasso Museum or spend a mere ten minutes soaking up a little atmosphere in Montmatre, you’re probably getting less than what you’ve already known from documentaries or magazine articles. Give yourself enough time to find something unique and memorable in each place. Plan ahead, pick a few museums, localities or monuments you’re especially interested in, and enjoy them properly.
Find a Convenient Hotel
Paris is not small. With two million inhabitants in the inner city and ten million in the suburbs, you can imagine the area: and this is space for thousands of hotels. Before you make a booking, make sure your hotel is in a convenient place. It doesn’t have to be in the heart of the city – unless your pockets are very deep, it certainly won’t be overlooking the Eiffel Tower – but make sure the transport options are good. The best method is to make sure a Metro (subway) station is within easy walking distance from your accommodation. Don’t just believe the hotel advertising – they always say the Metro’s nearby – check on a map or ask the hotel for specific directions and timing for getting to the Metro.
Eat the Local Way
Don’t be exploited by the fabulously expensive tourist restaurants. Eat street food for at least one meal a day. Buy a fresh crusty baguette and some cheese and have a spontaneous picnic in a park; or pick your favorite topping for a fresh crepe from a roadside stall.
Do Learn A Little French
Stereotypes are never applicable to an entire nation, but in my experience it’s true that some French are reluctant to speak other languages. What is true of all nations is that if you make an attempt to speak their language, doors will open up to you. Spend at least a few hours (if nothing else, then during the plane trip) learning some useful French phrases. Focus on what you’ll need in shops, hotels and restaurants, and how to ask directions and underground or bus information.
Vary Your Transport
Walking and walking a whole week along the streets of Paris is rewarding for the sights you’ll see, but very wearing on the feet. For such a large city, it’s important to make use of different ways to get around, not only to save time or to avoid getting tired, but also to give yourself a variety of different perspectives. In this category, taking a cruise on the Seine is, of course, a must; but also consider other ways to move around, for example by joining a bicycle tour or by taking a slower bus over the fast – but underground and thus not good for sightseeing – Metro. As in many large cities, there are also plenty of options for making economic use of public transport – weekly tickets can be good value, or for fewer trips, buy a package of ten bus or Metro tickets for a discount price.
External Links:
French Tourist Office - The official website with info on accommodation, sights and more
Paris Info - The English version of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Paris Pages - Everything you wanted to know about Paris, and a whole lot more