The Obvious Travel Guide: PARIS, FRANCE

PARIS, FRANCE

SITES TO SEE | FOOD/DRINK | SHOP | LINGO | TRANSPORTATION | QUICK TIPS

SITES TO SEE:

1. Eiffel Tower

• For the best view start from Place du Trocadero. From there you can walk down the steps and through the Trocadéro Gardens to slowly get closer to the Eiffel Tower, taking in the beautiful view with every single step.

• Highly recommend the wait to take the elevators up to the top! Go at sunset for the absolute best time to have a beautiful view of the City of Love. If you don't want to wait, you can also take the steps.. but keep in mind the Eiffel Tower has 108 stories, with 1,710 steps. So good luck.

2. Arc de Triomphe

• You can also climb the Arc de Triumph and take 284 steps to the top for a beautiful view of the city.

• *TIP: DO NOT TRY TO RUN ACROSS THE STREET. There is an underground passage that will bring you up at the base of the Arc de Triomphe. Do not follow the crazy people and try to sprint across the nonexistent lanes full of speeding cars. You can find this underground passage on the Champs-Elysées.

3. Musée du Louvre

• Located along the Seine, beautiful to just walk around the sculptures and gardens or to go inside the museum. Home to the Mona Lisa, tickets are 17 Euros and be sure to block out a couple hours to even get a taste of everything this museum has to offer.

4. Seine River

• Walk along the Seine for a beautiful stroll and you'll come across some museums and sculptures along the way. Be sure to keep an eye out for Love Lock Bridge, where couples have been putting locks on the bridge to symbolize their affection for years. Recently city employees have been removing these locks, but some still remain.

5. Sacré-Cœur

• Famous Roman Catholic Church, located in Montmartre. Also known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris.

6. Montmartre

• A historic district located on a large hill in Paris's 18th arrondissement, with a breathtaking view of the city.

FOOD/DRINK:

Rue Montorgueil | Neighborhood in the 2nd arr. lined with restaurants, cafés, bakeries, fish stores, cheese shops, wine shops, produce stands and flower shops. Great to explore during the day or hangout at night for dinner and drinks!

Angelina's | Brunch. There are a few locations in Paris, including one located at the Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arr. *TIP: The hot chocolate is a must, however be warned that it is very rich and some may even say it is just melted chocolate..

Place du Trocadero | Area near the best view of the Eiffel Tower (across the Seine River). Lined with restaurants both indoor and outdoor seating, and if you're lucky you'll get a seat with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Hôtel Amour Restaurant | Located in the 9th arr., this trendy hotel restaurant offers modern international food with a beautiful indoor terrace. Amazing food and drinks but also a very popular hot spot so be sure to call ahead to make a reservation!

Ice Cube Bar | Located on the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette, this bar is located inside a giant snow globe in the winter allowing you to stay warm while feeling like you are at a rooftop bar in the cold winter months. Also has a beautiful view of the city!

Batofar Nightclub | This nightclub is located inside of a large boat docked on the Seine River. Great experience for a crazy night out on the town with a DJ and lots of dancing. Young crowd.

Le Perchoir | Great rooftop bar, be sure to go on a warmer night or in the summer.

Brasserie | Be sure to eat at a French Brasserie for some delicious local favorites.

Crêpes | Crêpes after a meal or a quick stop at the Crêpe stands mainly located near the tourist attractions are a must!! Nutella or Cinnamon are my two favorites!

Macaroons | Macaroon shops are located on almost every street. Be sure to stop in there and get a box to take home for your family or friends.

SHOP

Galeries Lafayette | One of the world’s best known department stores, offering affordable and premium brands. It is the second most popular visitor attraction in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, and has an incredible view of Paris from the rooftop! One of the very few places that are open on a Sunday in Paris.

Marais area | Located in the 3rd arr. and has all the cool shops. Also open on Sundays!

LINGO

Bonjour = Hello

Oui/Non = Yes/No

S’il vous plaît = Please

Merci = Thank you

Merci beaucoup! = Thank you so much!

Sortie = Exit

Rue = Street

TRANSPORTATION

Walk

- Paris is a beautiful city, but to fully experience the beauty you will definitely need to walk from destination to destination. The city is very much a walking city and sometimes walking may actually be the best way to get to your destination.

Metro

- You can pick up tickets from the metro at the ticket window or my preference would be the self service kiosks located in the metro. You can pay cash or card but you need to pay attention to the icons on the kiosks: if there is a light that says "NO CB" --> that means no cards accepted at that kiosk.

- For the most part, if you are just trying to get around the city of Paris, you will only need the t+ Tickets. If you think you will be using the metro several times during your stay, I would recommend purchasing several tickets at once so you do not need to do that every time. **TIP: be sure to remember what tickets you have used already, since they can't be used twice but they don't look any different after being used. AND do not miss place the (very tiny) tickets..

- Rush hour: Keep in mind the times that there might be a crowd of people using the metro to commute to work!! The Metro gets very very crowded that it might be best to find an alternative route.

- *TIP: pay attention to the opening and closing times of the Metro. If you are out late you may need to call an uber instead. (The Paris Metro runs from roughly 5:30am – 12:40am Sunday thru Thursday and 05:30 – 01:40 on Fridays, Saturdays and on days before a holiday.)

Taxi

- Taxis are available and should be easy to find through out the streets of Paris.

- *TIP: Do not let the driver use a "meter app on their phone" instead of the cab meter. They will over charge you x3!! If they refuse to use the cab meter, get out and find a different cab or.. call an uber.

Uber

- Uber is available and definitely one of the easiest ways to get around in Paris.

- Ubers can run to and from the airport. *TIP: if taking an uber from the airport you need to get to the upper level of Arrivals to be picked up. The elevators are very slow so either find the steps or escalators OR wait to call the uber until you are on the upper level.

- The driver usually always calls you when they arrive.

Eurostar

- You can take the Eurostar train from Paris to a number of cities including London and Brussels.

- Book your ticket ahead of time.

- Be sure to get there early since there may be a long line for passport control and security.

- Doors close 30 min prior to departure.

- Pay attention to your platform and your car number.

- Do not go up to the platform until they call your train ready to board.

- *TIP: You can bring food and WINE on the train. So enjoy the ride ;)

QUICK TIPS

- Arrondissements (arr.) | Paris is divided into twenty (20) arrondissements (arr.), which simply means 20 districts/areas.

- Most things are closed on Sundays | Including grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping centers. (With the exception of Galeries Lafayette.)

- Parisians eat dinner late and go for drinks before | To me, that sounds backwards but that's just how things are in Paris.

- Waiters and cashiers never hold your credit card | You have to do it yourself in the handheld machine and click the correct buttons to accept. If from the US, you will need to sign - which is normal for us, but with European credit cards you do not need to sign so sometimes you may need to ask the cashier.

- Watch for pickpocketers! | It is very common to be pickpocketed especially in touristy places like the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe. Keep your bags close and zipped closed and always have your guard up.

- Water is not commonly served without asking | You have to ask for water specifically and they will usually ask if you want tap or sparkling. Tap water is fine to drink in Paris.

- Must flag down your waiter | Sometimes it can be difficult to finally put your order in or to get your check to leave. Just be aggressive when flagging down a waiter, they don't usually come over without being prompted. - Tipping at restaurants | Waiters do not expect a tip when you are paying for your bill nor is there an option when you are paying with a card.

- Parisians kiss on both cheeks when greeting someone | This is extremely common and they see it as less of an interaction than a hug. I personally, kindly disagree, but do not go in for a hug or even a handshake because things will just get awkward.

- No sunglasses | People do not where sunglasses in Paris. It's weird, I know, but you will get weird looks from people if you do it.

- ELECTRIC PLUGS | You will need a power adapter and a voltage converter. France uses Type C, E, & F - which is the same as most of Europe excluding UK, Ireland, and Switzerland. You cannot use your electric appliances in France without a voltage converter, because the standard voltage in France (230 V) is higher than in the United States of America (120 V). *TIP: Find an all-in-one adapter and converter.

- CURRENCY | Euro

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