A Paris Survival Guide – Visit Paris Like a Pro!
Do you ever feel intimidated when traveling to new places? I know, I do. Even though I travel a good bit, getting to a new city where I don’t know my way around is always a little nerve wracking. Even more so when everything is in a different language. But, fear not! These Paris travel tips will help you navigate the city like a pro! From riding the metro to essential French phrases, you will feel prepared for exploring this amazing city. Especially if it’s your first time!
Plus, there is a bonus! I also talk about what kind of budget you need for a week in Paris at the bottom of this post. But don’t forget I have a free budget template, complete with instructions, to help you save for travel.
Riding The Metro
The metro is by far the cheapest and easiest way to get around the city. The robust train system even connects to larger, cross-country trains that get you to places like Versailles. However, it can feel like a difficult task to navigate such a complex system. Therefore, the first of my Paris travel tips for you, is actually a tutorial on how to use Google Maps public transport directions.
The first thing is to tap the “subway” looking option in Google Maps. This option will give you the public transportation directions, based on where you are and where you are going. As you start following the directions, you will notice that Google Maps leads you to the closest metro station. Further, the app will tell you which line to get on and towards which station, so that you get on the train going in the right direction. Then, you will get on the train and know how many stops until your destination, and which station to exit on. Google Maps will even tell you which side of the station to exit from. Easy Peasy!
Note that some people like to use the app, City Mapper, which also gives directions very similarly. Both are good, I just prefer Google Maps.
Travel Tip: The French are very formal in most things, including Metro etiquette. The trains are very quiet, hardly anyone talks on the phone, and everyone sits down if they can. So as a bonus of my Paris travel tips, make sure to pay attention to the locals and do as they do. You don’t want to come off as rude!
Travel Tip: Google Maps walking and public transport directions do not work without internet. So be prepared. This may be a benefit of City Mapper, where I think you can download the directions offline.
Strikes
The French love to strike. I actually said this to one of our tour guides, to which he promptly responded “no, we don’t love to strike, but we must fight for our rights.” LOL. Regardless, striking is part of the culture in France. So, the second of my Paris travel tips, is how to prepare for them.
Luckily, manners kick in, and strikes are usually very well organized. They have to be scheduled in advance, so you can always check your vacation days and see if a strike is scheduled. My best advice is to refrain from planning any activities on strike days. Even if a strike doesn’t have to do with the metro directly, it can make trains less frequent, and more crowded. Further, it’s usually a good idea to stay away from the Bastille area, and the Opera area during a strike, as this is where strikers normally gather.
Travel Tip: Sometimes the strikes have to do with air travel and air traffic. Always buy travel insurance that covers cancellations or delays due to strikes, when heading to Paris.
While we were in Paris there was a strike scheduled because the president had just increased retirement age to 64 from 62, through executive action. Even though we didn’t have anything specific planned, we did head into the city just to have lunch and walk around. And let me tell you, the trains were PACKED. I think they were running at 50% capacity. Even, getting on the trains was a nightmare. We eventually gave up, called an uber, and spent the rest of the day chilling in our Airbnb and stayed in our own neighborhood.
Language – Essential French Phrases
Everywhere we went in Paris, everyone spoke very good English. So, I am not suggesting that you need to be fluent in order to visit. However, as I have mentioned the French are sticklers for manners and formalities. Especially when it comes to greetings. I think the French have gotten a bad rap for being snobby or rude, but the reality is, we come off as rude. That is because we Americans not only speak much more loudly than the French, but we’re also always in a hurry, and we never greet people when we’re entering a shop.
After reading this blog post, and learning a bit of French, I actually didn’t find anyone who was cold or snobby. I love learning languages, so I tried to learn as much as possible before going, but the below are definitely the 5 essentials. Look them up in a translator app and learn how to pronounce them, you will thank me later!
Travel Tip: If you are a lover of languages like me, then check out the Pimsleur app. It’s a great way to learn a new language, and the first thing you learn in each language are “survival skills.” You can get a 7 day free trial and a $20 credit here.
- Bonjour/Bonsoir – Good Morning, Good Evening. These are greetings that you should make to everyone you encounter. When you’re buying your bread in the morning, to the waiter serving your dinner. It’s so important. Greet everyone individually.
- Comprenez L’anglais – Do you understand English. I can’t tell you how many times I would see an American walk up to a shop-keeper or vendor, stare at them, and say “English?” No greeting, No nothing. If you learn nothing else, greet a person, and ask if they understand English in the French language.
- Je Voudrais – I would like… This is the phrase I most used as I was giving everyone my food order. LOL. You can add a little Sil-vou-plait (please) at the end also.
- Ou Est Les Toilettes – Where is the bathroom? This one is self-explanatory. By the way, you usually have to buy something in order to use a shop’s bathroom, so you might as well get a coffee too.
- Ca Fait Combien – How much is it? Again self explanatory, you know you are going to want to buy things, you need to know how much it is.
Picking Good Restaurants
Because Paris is such a tourist hub, there are tons of restaurants that are tourist traps. But of course, it’s Paris, so there are tons of amazing restaurants too. The tricky thing is learning how to pick the right ones. The third of my Paris travel tips, is really a good rule of thumb for any international travel. Here is another list, coming at ya.
Travel Tip: One of my favorite apps to use when traveling internationally is The Fork. Not only do you get reviews, but you can book tables direct from the app.
- If the menu is in English it is likely a restaurant used to catering to tourists. Though the food may still be good, it’s highly likely the prices are inflated.
- If the reviews online are in English, again, your tourist trap radar should go off. Regardless of what app you use, if the online reviews are all in English, then locals are not eating there. Try to pick restaurants where the reviews are at least over 50% in the native language.
- If the restaurant is close to a tourist attraction. This is a no-brainer, try to go several streets over unless you are super hungry. Again, food may be good, but price will be inflated.
A few more tips include always eating breakfast at your nearest boulangerie. A boulangerie is a bread and pastry shop, and they make breakfast very affordable plus delicious! You’ll notice below our breakfast budget was $23/person. That is because we would spend about 10 Euros at a boulangerie on baguettes and quiches, every couple days. Another way to keep costs low is to eat street food, take a picnic to the Eiffel Tower, and eat some pizza!
Travel Tip: We always budget one splurge meal per trip. This trip’s splurge meal was at Pouliche! It was 65 Euros a person, fixed price, but it was so worth it.
Budget
Hooray we’ve gotten to my favorite part, talking about the travel budget! All these Paris travel tips are no good if you don’t have the money to go. Right? I’m not going to lie to you, Paris is a pricey town. Not to mention you lose buying power on the Dollar to Euro conversion. Below is what Paris cost us for a week per person.
Jumping straight into it, for us it was about $2,000 a person not including flights. With accommodations being the most expensive category. We always book 2 bedroom, 3 bed Airbnb’s, since we are a family with teens. Your accommodations may not be as much, especially if you stay in a hostel. If you only booked entry tickets with audio guides, then you could also eliminate as much as $300 from this price. The flights were about $800 a person, we flew on French Bee. Like I said, a pricey town, but manageable depending on how you travel!
| Travel Cost (Metro/Ubers) | $44 |
| Hotel/Airbnb Cost (most expensive!) | $1,266 |
| Breakfast | $23 |
| Lunch | $114 |
| Dinner | $148 |
| Attractions | $339 |
| Misc. | $33 |
| Total | $1,967 |
There it is! I really hope you enjoyed these Paris travel tips and it gives you the confidence to explore this amazing city! Have you been to Paris? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!
