Paris is a dream destination for many travellers of all age, and being of the most visited country in the world if you want to plan a great trip to Paris there’s some tips and tricks you need to know about Paris. More specifically, you want to know those 10 mistakes to avoid in Paris.
When you travel to a city for the first time, it is almost sure that you will have a hiccup and go against the current at some point during your journey. I mean you could stand on the wrong side of the escalator, buy the wrong ticket or fail at something cultural, the possibilities are numerous. Of course, nobody can be perfect even with doing the proper research before a trip, and that’s okay, we’re only human after all.
But a lot of those can be avoided by documenting yourself a little about the mistakes to avoid! When it comes to travel there are some general travel mistakes you don’t want to commit to ensuring yourself the best trip possible, and they obviously apply to Paris as well, but there is much more to know. Like if you come from the U.K, for example, you don’t want to forget that you have to look on the right side before you cross the road or you might get yourself into a lot of trouble…accidents can unfold a lot faster than we think.
Of course, not every travel mistake you can make in Paris will be as hazardous as this one for you, don’t worry, it’s still a pretty safe city to visit!
10 Top Mistakes To Avoid In Paris, Franc
Table Of Contents
- 1 10 Top Mistakes To Avoid In Paris, Franc
- 1.0.1 1. Stay on the right side of the escalator
- 1.0.2 2. Assume Paris is a romantic “safe” city – Pay attention
- 1.0.3 3. Never throw away your metro ticket
- 1.0.4 4. Don’t expect everyone to speak English
- 1.0.5 5. Forgetting your travel plug
- 1.0.6 6. Parisians are snobby – it’s not against you
- 1.0.7 7. Ask for tap water – no bottle
- 1.0.8 8. Tipping too much
- 1.0.9 9. Don’t rent a car – use public transportation
- 1.0.10 10. Don’t overpack your schedule
Paris isn’t a city; it’s a world
KING FRANcois the i
Do you like Paris AND quotes? Then make sure to check out those 25 quotes about Paris!
Oui, oui Paris!
Alright time to jump into it and give you the best tips about Paris so you know what not to do and what you can do when you visit the French Capital!
1. Stay on the right side of the escalator
Chances are you are going to use public transportation in Paris when you visit the city as it is the most efficient way to get from point A to B (see #9).
And for that you do need to know some etiquette how on to use the metro properly, I promise you it’s not complicated and the main thing you need to know if that you must always stay on the right side of the escalator and line up!
Otherwise you’re risking the wrath of some annoyed Parisian that are trying to get up the escalator as fast as possible because you’re in their path!
2. Assume Paris is a romantic “safe” city – Pay attention
If you’d like to read more about that I have a post about 6 commons scams you need to be aware of when you visit Paris which I highly recommend you to read before you visit Paris!
I don’t want to scare you, Paris isn’t a terrible place, that’s for sure. However like in every major city and tourists spots (think Eiffel tower, Le Louvres, Montmartre..) you might encounter some mishonet people who tries to takes advantages of the tourists.
Unfortunatly it’s also happen that there might be some pickpocket in the metro as well, so make sure to always watch your belonging and your phone at all time, just like the announcement in the metro say. Better be safe than sorry!
3. Never throw away your metro ticket
Alright, staying on the metro topic, as it is a pretty common mistakes a lot of people do when they use the metro in Paris and not only foreigners, French people as well when they travel to Paris.
Never throw away your metro ticket until the very end of your journey. Otherwise, you’re risking a fine! Also never buy your ticket from a random seller, always use the machine.
Another good reason to not throw your metro ticket is that if you need to take the bus + the tramway within 1h30, you can use it for both!
4. Don’t expect everyone to speak English
This one is a no brainer for me, and it applies to every country where English is the main language. You can’t expect people to speak English just because for you it’s normal.
Sure some people might not make any effort to understand you which is clearly annoying when you’re trying, it happened to me too, but some people just genuinely do not speak English, and there is nothing wrong with that if it’s not the main language of their country.
It’s always good to know some basic French words and sentences when you visit, always pleasant to see people make some effort! However, in the most touristic areas, you should be fine!
5. Forgetting your travel plug
Paris and throughout the country use circular indent type E outlet mostly.
If you’re from a country that uses a type B or C, plug, you won’t charge your appliances, making your arrival a little annoying, especially as we rely a lot on our devices nowadays when we travel.
And, by the way here are 5 apps you need to use in Paris!
You can always buy one in a electronic stores when you arrive to Paris or at the airport but it’d be cheaper if you got it beforehand!
6. Parisians are snobby – it’s not against you
This one might be a bit controversial, while Paris is one of the top world destination, Parisians are also judged to be some of the least friendly people.
Parisians have a bad reputation around the world. Is it a true fact?
Well, yes and no. I can definitely understand where this is comming from as a Parisian myself who have to deal with other Parisian, things can get quickly stressful and you might get easily annoyed at people.
But it’s a not a generality, yes some people are straight out awful but a lot of them are willing to do effort and help you out!
7. Ask for tap water – no bottle
If you’re in a restaurant and especially as a tourist and on a budget if you do order some water make sure to ask for tap water( or a “carafe d’eau” as we say in France), if you don’t they’re most likely going to bring some brand bottled water and charge you for it!
Tap water is drinkable in Paris, so you don’t have to pay for water wherever you eat. Fun fact, there is actually around no less than 1,200 fountains in Paris with drinkable water where you can refill your water bottle and even a couple of sparkling water fountains!
8. Tipping too much
If you’re from the U.S then this might sounds kind of odd to you as tipping is a huge part of your culture as that’s how writers get most of their income from. Well, that’s not the case in France.
Tips are more seen as a bonus.
Of course if you think your waiter did a great job you can leave them a tip, it’s always appreciated but it’s not mandatory at all. Usually people tips between 1 to 5€ in Paris and in France when they tip, if you feel more generous it’s up to you!
9. Don’t rent a car – use public transportation
This one is a given for any big cities really, but unless you want to rent a car to go outside of Paris for a day trip if you’re thinking to rent a car to travel around Paris to save time and money. Don’t you’ll waste even more time and money by doing so. Renting can be expensive, and so is parking if you ever find a place that is.
Also, driving in Paris is pretty nerve-wracking, and the last thing you want on vacation is to inflict yourself some unnecessary stress during your trip. Paris has a pretty good transportation system with the Metro, the trams and the buses stop that are scattered through the city.
Another solution to travel in Paris will be to rent a bike or a scooter if you don’t want to use public transportations, make sure to be careful if you do!
Of course, you can always take a Uber if you feel like it, 100% recommend it over our regular taxi which is crazy expensive.
10. Don’t overpack your schedule
Sure, we have all been there we only have a couple days in a city and we want to see as much as possible. But let me stop you right here, you shouldn’t overplan your schedule and to do list when you visit Paris.
Yes it would be fun to discover some quirky spots in Montmartre while checking out le Louvres, La Tour Eiffel, climb up L’arc de Triomphe, eat some macarons at Ladurée, take a cooking class with a Parisians chef and so on if you only have a few days here is why you shouldn’t do it, you’ll burn out before you even notice it.
Paris is a fast busy city; you will walk a lot; many people are crossing the city every day, and also things may not go according to plan (i.e. it might rain, disruptions, strike) which may be upsetting for some, things can easily add up. Plus if you’re tired you won’t enjoy what you’re doing because you’ll be just thinking of the next spots to check on your bucket list, so take it easy!
Thats a wrap on my 10 commom mistakes to avoid when you visit Paris, I hope now you feel more ready to tackle this bustly city when you visit and enjoy it to its fullest! If you have any more tips or mishappen that happened to you in Paris let me know in the comment!
10 Mistakes to Avoid in Paris, France
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emailgetlost says
These are some great tips! I’ve definitely been caught out by a few of these when I’ve visited! I was surprised by how wary I was walking around Paris. There were definitely a lot of dishonest people trying to take advantage of tourists! That’s not to say I didn’t feel safe, just cautious! I always struggle with the lack of English spoken too. Wherever I go I honestly try really hard to learn enough of the language to get by but I really don;t have a natural flair for languages! Everywhere else I’ve visited people normally take pity on me and will help me out but not in France! Sometimes I think they speak so fast with a strong accent just to confuse me more! That being said, I REALLY wish my French was a lot better than it is!
sydney says
great article! super helpful and really good to know:)
Daphna says
These are great tips! I especially like the last one- leaving time to walk around Paris with nothing on the schedule is the best part of the trip usually!
bmeitiner says
Hi,
Paris is such an awesome city, but you are right, beware of pickpockets and scammers! Although, the same can be said for any city. If there are lots of tourists there will always be someone opportunistic. We drove through Paris. I don’t recommend it to anyone!!
Thanks for sharing!
pacioalita9 says
These are really good to know before visiting Paris
Ophelie says
As a Parisian myself I can tell those tips are on point Lyne! Well done for collecting them altogether in this great guide!
Krista says
I actually threw away my metro ticket and was fined €50 because of that, so it’s a really helpful thing to remind people of!
Chay says
It’s so easy to get carried away by the city’s charm but it’s really important to stay alert! you’re right to remind people of just how unsafe Paris can be;
A Capone Connection says
These are EXCELLENT tips! I’ve been to Paris 3 times and it is simply my favorite. So many people think that French people hate Americans and they are rude to them but I tell them that has never been my experience. I explain to them that people hate ALL rude people and some Americans can come off as being rude because they don’t take the time to research the culture before they travel. For example, Americans freely touch everything when they walk into a store and the French do not like that! Paris is my favorite place to visit and I hardly speak much French. Thanks so much for sharing!
~ Andrea | acaponeconnection.com
The Jetset Boyz says
When we do citybreaks we tend to do a LOT of walking and don’t use public transport all that much. So for us, Paris’ Metro Carnet (book of 10 tickets) is perfect. Two great things about them:
1: They don’t expire so any leftover tickets can be kept & used for the next time you visit Paris.
2: They’re 10 individual tickets so you can hand tickets to friends who’re travelling with you and you both benefit from the cheaper price per ticket.