1. First, skip the French for Traveler’s course at your local community college and invest in babble.com. Start now. You’re leaving tomorrow? Okay, learn these 17 phrases. At the very least you want to be able to order a glass of wine.
2. Paris is not New York City. You don’t “catch” a cab. When my husband and I stepped off the plane we were feeling pretty good about all the research we had done to get out of the airport, onto the train, and into the City. Until we stepped off the train and tried to hail a cab. Turns out there are some restrictions around that.
3. Do some of your touring at night. Begin with a sunset cruise on the Seine. What better way to enjoy the City of Light? We did the Vedettes du Pont Neuf cruise but there are many choices. In a word, breathtaking.
4. Skip some of the more popular tourist destinations (and the crowds that accompany them) and venture off the beaten path. Pere LaChaise Cemetery was a great find; it felt like a city inside a city. Be sure to book a guided tour or you may never find the plots you’re looking for, unless you’re lucky enough to find a kiosk outside the cemetery that sells maps. We weren’t that lucky.
5. Shakespeare and Company, on the Left Bank, was another unplanned surprise. I could have spent an entire day in this bookstore. It’s full of nooks and crannies and characters, both on the page and off. The original shop was part library, part publishing house, and part boarding house for aspiring writers. Today it’s a place to linger.
6. Avoid the metro at rush hour. Know where you are going ‘before’ you get on the train so that your eyes are on your belongings, NOT on a map. Often it’s not a question of ‘will’ someone pick your pocket, but rather, ‘when’ will you lose that wallet? I’ve been to Paris on four separate occasions. Three out of four I (or one of my companions) had something stolen: camera, wallet, bag. Be vigilant, especially on public transportation.
7. Keep your eyes wide open. I found one of my favorite artisan chocolates quite by accident. There are so many beautiful chocolate makers in France but stumbling upon a ‘bean to bar’ establishment, Le Chocolat, was quite a treat.
8. Purchase the piece of art (or jewelry or dried pasta or chocolate or article of clothing) that lights you up. Every time you look at it (wear it, eat it), you will be magically transported back to the Rue de la Chaux. My husband and I have a running dialogue when we shop. Me: I have to have this! He: You can get it on the internet. Turns out, in most cases, you can’t.
9. Take a walk on the wild side and have lunch or dinner in a restaurant that caters to the local population. (Hint: the menu is displayed in French and nothing says, américain.) Venture out of Paris to find some of the smaller more intimate restaurants that are family owned and operated. Bring your iPhone so that you can ‘Google’ the food items you’re considering ‘before’ you order them. Translations can be tricky. More on this in a future post.
10. You know the saying, “When in Rome. . .” That’s how I feel about any foreign city. There is something about settling in and enjoying the culture of an area and with it, its customs. I drank café. I ate French bread. I couldn’t get enough butter. I savored every sip/bite. I highly suggest you enjoy the espresso, even if you are not a coffee drinker. And, if you must have it your way, here’s a handy little primer on ordering coffee in Paris.
Care to chime in? Tell me about some of your favorite vacation experiences or tips when traveling abroad. I’d love to hear them. Has anyone traveled to Provence? It’s next on my bucket list. I’m thinking essence of lavender. And the food. Oh the food. . .
41 thoughts on “10 Things to Consider Before Your Next Trip to Paris”
It looks like you had an amazing time, Sue Ann! I’m so glad to hear it. And, thank you for the tips. I will spending a couple of days in Paris next month and am grateful for guidance from your experience there. Happy re-immersion!
Thank you, Stormy. Let me know which arrondissement you’re staying in and I’ll let you know if any other “must do” items come to mind. I could write ten more posts on France!
It looks like you had a splendid time in Paris and that the surprises were the best part. I may get to Paris for the first time next June so am saving this post.
Yay, Kim! When your trip gets a little closer, let’s talk food! And light. You would love the photo opportunities in Giverny.
What a great post, Sue Ann! I will get to Paris someday, and your pictures and words just reinforced my desires!
I’m so glad, Serene. I’m already planning my next trip!
I thought Père Lachaise Cemetery WAS a major tourist attraction. Or maybe that’s just when you’re 19 and determined to find Jim Morrison’s grave without a map. Exploring that creepily beautiful place is one of my fondest memories (and there are many!) of Paris. Reading this, and seeing your delicious pictures, reminds me how much I long to go back!
Ha, ha, good point, Cathy, but compared to all the other places we visited, this one felt serene. Of course, right? And we did find Jim Morrison’s grave pretty easily by following the only crowd in there. The rest, not so much. Yes, Paris is a beautiful place to capture and create memories.
How wonderful to take part of your trip to Paris this way! I wish I could get you some tips for your next travel but it is such a long time since I last visited Paris that the only thing I can come up with is Le Marais, don´t remember which arrondissement it is but I remember there were lots of wonderful small cafés and shops. I follow “Messy Nessy Chic” an american girl living in Paris that has the most amazing articles. One was from an unbelievable part of Paris that is almost ‘dans la campagne’. I have to search out the article for you! Paris is full of small odd gardens that you either stumble upon or only fid if you have the right adress and that no one has ever heard of. Oh please, write more from your visit Sue Ann!
Love,
Carina
I love Messy Nessy! Thank you, Carina. Let me know if you find that article. Love seeing your “face” here. xxxooo
I also love walking through the cementaries of the cities I’ve visited. Argentina has some stunning ones right in the middle of Buenos Aires. Evtia’s is a very popular stop.
I love cemeteries, too, Alex. I remember doing a photo essay in college with photos I took at Forest Lawn in Buffalo. My dad loved them, too. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Thank you for this Sue Ann! I will be making my first trip to Paris in March – I cannot wait!
You’ll have to report back, Aggy! Meanwhile, stay tuned for more. I have lots to share.
Great tips Sue.Reminds us our Paris trip 3 years ago.We got good dinning tips from the hotel concierge(where the locals eat).At one we tried I told my wife we should eat later than usual,as the French do.So instead of 5:30 we went at 7PM.There was one other couple there and they were from Pasadena,Cal!!By 8pm the place was packed with locals.We were in Provence about 10 years ago visiting Aix,Eze and Marseille.My grandmother (on my mothers side) was born in Marseille of Italian parents.We still have relatives in Lyon area.There is also a Campagna connection with France that goes back several hundred years.We enjoyed Aix but make sure you have plenty of loose coins for the facilities.
Yes, we ate a little later each night until we were eating with the locals, Sam. Most of the restaurants didn’t even open until 7:30. And, I was surprised that many were closed on weekends. I was told the ‘serious’ diners eat out during the week. Would love to know more about the the Campagna connection with France.
such a wonderful way to share your trip! I hope you had some ‘chocolat pout le petit dejueuner’ (TY4HSfrench)
Oh, yes! Every.Single.Day.
Oops hit send to soon. I love the visuals and different experiences. Seeing the city of lights at night is magical!
I absolutely loved this post. The photos were amazing and your description of the experience makes me want to book a vacation there as soon as possible. I wonder if tourists visiting NY City are as frequently subjected to theft as they are in Paris. So happy for you to have had such a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
I visit NYC a lot, Lori, and I’ve never had a problem there bit I think we need to be mindful of our belongings on all public transportation, particularly during rush hour!
How wonderful! These are fantastic tips and your photographs are STUNNING. I so completely agree about buying the thing that lights you up. The last time I traveled internationally, I bought a painting (well, won it in a charity auction) and EVERY day I am lit up by its beauty, and how much it reminds me of that trip, even as it now has been (too many) years ago. Excellent post!
Thank you, Bonnie. I’m am loving my new painting and so grateful I said, “Yes!”
Psi undos wonderful! I love France. I have travelled across a lot if it staying in Some amazing places, I did a home stay in Marseille with a French family for a week one year. They were my tour guides and we were up early in the morning and back for dinner and out again visiting artists, listening to music admiring the scenery that has been made famous by artists.
I had another wonderful trip staying near Bordeaux in a Buddhist monastery with Thich Nat Hanh. That was like being in an international peace village.
The most recent was 5 weeks in a small village of 50 people in the mountains. The Boulanger would arrive in the village twice a week, as would the grocery in the little truck. Waking every morning and looking out over the mountains, across the valleys, down to in the river was very inspiring. I was on a writers retreat with 8 other people , a Nigerian, health professional, poet and dancer,, a Norwegian history professor, a Belgium doctor, an American journalist, a Canadian entrepreneur, – we pitched in and shared meals together. One day we went to a 3 star Michelin restaurant. We were there all afternoon, as delicate, flavoursome delights were brought out one by one, our Belgian doctor shouted us French champagne, and tumi, who was vegan and a raw foodie etc had every course presented beautifully with the ingredients she could eat! Every course was an artistic masterpiece and a sensuous delight. I love France! Oh, and with all my trios to France I have never stayed in Paris.
Oh Deb, your travels sound divine. What a wonderful wealth of experience you shared here. I may have you plan my next trip!
Oh what a walk down memory lane. Thank you! I laughed so hard when you talked about trying to hail a cab! hahahah… and when in Rome… yeah… nothing like getting away from the tourist thing and really being in the experience. It brought back so many good memories. Thank you.
PS…and your photos are Stunning. Did you take the one with the red tulips while you were there?!!!! cause … WOW!
I took the photo of the tulip in New York City with the cabs speeding along behind them. I thought it would be a perfect photo to illustrate this tip! #lovenyc
Oh Sue – what a lovely trip. I went to Paris and toured the countryside when I was 17 and it was a magical place. I remember the sunset cruise on the Seine fondly.
My children both dream of France, and I hope to take them in the next two years. I can smell the coffee and taste the chocolate croissants if I close my eyes. So many wonderful things to see and do!
Yes, Julia, those are aromas and flavors that linger. I can’t wait to return! Can’t wait to hear about your travels. I love it that your children dream of France.
Is that an Italian coffee pictured above? Viva l’Italia! 😉
*sigh* I feel as though I just slipped through an Internet portal and visited Paris.
And the Shakespeare & Co photo brings back memories of many lost afternoons at their Upper West Side shop in NYC. I wonder if they’re still there. I may have heard that they’ve since closed. *sigh* again.
Sue Ann, may I please join you in Provence? Pretty please?
Merci!
Michelle, I would LOVE to plan a trip with you. What a time we’d have!
Oh I just loved reading this Sue Ann. It sent me down memory lane. I was in Paris with my daughter about 5 years ago and it was magical. Oooh vive la france – ahhhhhh 🙂 xxxx
How wonderful that you got to share the experience with your daughter, Maria!
Sue Ann, perfect start to my morning savoring your photos and reading this. Paris is on my travel list so these tid bits are great…looking forward to more about your trip.
Oh yes, Dana, there will be more! Thanks for stopping by.
love the paris tips, sue ann. whenever i am in buenos aires, i buy myself a jar of dulce de leche and treat myself to a delicious spoonful a day. i never bring any home with me – it’s my special argentina delight. (and the cemetery in buenos aires is amazing as well!)
I did the same with Nutella, April. Great minds think alike!
Great tips! I think a lot of these are great no matter where you are visiting. I love to visit places that are not big tourist attractions. I have found that people who are local to the area are the best to help you truly experience the area.
One day I will get there, too. I took French in school and became almost fluent in two years. I used to take French tourists out on 3-hour walks around my hometown without any language issues – that is completely incomprehensible to me these days. I just pray that it is all safely tucked away in my subconscious somewhere – because I *will* get there one day!
Thank you for the inspiring post and all the gorgeous photos!
Love, Neens Bea (fellow BFTH participant)
Thank you so much, Neens Bea. I’ll bet your French will come right back with your first nibble at a croissant in a lovely little cafe in Paris.
Great tips. I’ll be taking this with me when I finally make the trip. I loved the link to the coffee tutorial. Quite interesting.