Traveling to Paris

[p0ke]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I figured I'd post here since me and my wife are going to Paris a month from now. We'll only be there 2 full days, so I don't need much of an itinerary, but anyone got any tips on some affordable accomodation? There's like a million hotels, hostels, airbnb's etc but it's really hard to tell what's actually good value for the money.

 

[Grindspine]

Me and my girlfriend are taking a trip to Paris in late April for 7 days. Its a bucket list trip for her since she is very much into art (she has a bachelors degree in fine art study). I am also excited because I've never been out of the country (USA) and Paris looks so damn nice and historic. I was wondering if anyone had any tips/tricks/advice.

- Have you been to Paris before?
- If you live there, what are the do's/don't for tourists?
- What's the best way to get around (Uber, Taxi, Walk, etc)?
- What are the "have to see" things while visiting?
- Are there any cool music stores to visit?
- Will I encounter English speaking people at most places or is it rare?
- Any cultural things we shouldn't do as outsiders? (I've heard tipping after the meal is not normal and disrespectful there.)
- How are people from the US viewed by locals?

Anyway, I'm just looking for some input if any of you have experience traveling to Paris. Thanks!!!

Get your passport early so you don't have to panic about it last minute.

I have not been to Paris, but I have spent time in Canada, Italy, Greece, Latvia, and Hawaii (yes, part of the U.S, but different culturally as well). So recommend not loudly speaking English around non-English speakers as it can make it obvious that you are a tourist.

Learn to say thank you in French, "Bonjour" and use it frequently. Appreciation goes a long way in every language and culture.

In Italy and Greece a few years back, there were some English speakers. I was surprised while in Latvia this summer; in Riga, around half of the people I met spoke at least some English. Paris, being a major city, should have a fair amount of English speakers depending on where in the city you are. If you can learn any simple French before you go, it wouldn't hurt.

Always be respectful in another country. Don't get too drunk. Watch for pickpockets in touristy areas. Have fun and take in the experience!

 

[crushingpetal]

Learn to say thank you in French, "Bonjour" and use it frequently. Appreciation goes a long way in every language and culture.

Are you fucking with him?

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

I'm pretty sure "thank you" in french is "добрий ранок"

 

[Asdrael]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I figured I'd post here since me and my wife are going to Paris a month from now. We'll only be there 2 full days, so I don't need much of an itinerary, but anyone got any tips on some affordable accomodation? There's like a million hotels, hostels, airbnb's etc but it's really hard to tell what's actually good value for the money.

Location location location. You get what you pay for in Paris usually, but expect to shell out 100+ € a night for something decent in a decent area.

Depending on what you want to do and visit my advice would vary a bit. Last time I stayed there to visit family i think I stayed at Le Mireille which was amazing value for money but required a bit of travelling to get to anything interesting for tourists (also definitely not a posh area so culture shock beware). In general you will be better off with a local hotel than getting an Ibis or whatever big chain thing. Also I would say in general avoid rBnBs because fuck them.

In my opinion Paris is better when you leave the hotel in the morning and only come back in for/after dinner. I would sleep somewhere with easy access to the subway / bus, go to a specific PoI, hang around, have a sandwich from a local bakery for lunch, maybe go to a second PoI, and decide for dinner. But honestly if you are staying a short time with your better half, dinner should be around St Michel / Ile de la cité / quartier latin and then walk around with an ice cream at sun set.

 

[Rubbishplayer]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I figured I'd post here since me and my wife are going to Paris a month from now. We'll only be there 2 full days, so I don't need much of an itinerary, but anyone got any tips on some affordable accomodation? There's like a million hotels, hostels, airbnb's etc but it's really hard to tell what's actually good value for the money.

I've travelled many times to Paris for both business and leisure.

For me, it's more important to be in a good central location that gives easy access to everywhere else. It doesn't get much better than the area around Place du 19 Juin 1940 which is on the Boulevard Montparnasse, right where some of the best restaurants are (also where the final scene of "Day of the Jackal" was shot). €100 per night is the bare minimum you'd expect to pay here, but prices are very seasonal. The back streets around that area are great for walking.

Do your research on what you want to do/see and you won't be disappointed.

Have fun!

 

[p0ke]

Thanks for the tips guys. Yeah, about 100€/night seems to be a good compromise. Cheaper than that and it's bunk beds etc. and for proper luxury hotels it'd be something like 500+ for a night. The flights were cheap af (less than 100€ in total for the both of us, roundtrip!), so I'm willing to spend a little on a nice bed.

Like I said, I don't think we'll need much in terms of itinerary since we'll only be there two days - obviously we wanna check out the Eiffel tower and the Notre Dame cathedral (I think just outside will do for both, and tbh I haven't even checked what state the cathedral is since the fire...) and then maybe visit the Louvre, because my wife loves museums in general.
But apart from those the idea is just to check out the general vibes, eat good food (that isn't dictated by what the kids wanna eat for a change) and probably drink some wine. Hopefully the weather will be good as well.

 

[Grindspine]

Are you fucking with him?

So, at work the other day, it dawned on me why I sounded like such an asshole. "Merci" is appreciation in French. "Bonjour" is "Good day." I shouldn't be on the forum when sleepy.

 

[col]

I asked about this from my french co-workers once, and their reply was pretty much don' t go there, it's a sh*thole.

 

[c7spheres]

Just a thought. Have you considered staying up and doing stuff the entire time? I've never been there, but I'm guessing they have a night life. Maybe just chill on the rivers' edge or something for a few hours? I don't know what's allowed there. Save money, or do more possibly.
- The less you spend though, the more gear you can afford. That's some serious pedal money, new tubes. Just sayin. lol.
- If you're going to be an adult about this and need a real room though, well I can't help you there. lol. I see some 4 stars out there for $91-$131 like the Georgette, Beaubourg, D'win Hotel, Grand Hotel Malher. Those don't seem to far out of the way of stuff.

Hope you have a good time.

 

[Richter]

It'd be wise to get your Louvre tickets online, saves you a lot of time in the queue. If you want to shop guitar stuff head to Douai street near Pigalle, LOTS of shops there. As for restaurants, check out the Bouillon restaurants, classic popular french cuisine for almost nothing. Crowded most of the time though.

 

[p0ke]

Just a thought. Have you considered staying up and doing stuff the entire time? I've never been there, but I'm guessing they have a night life. Maybe just chill on the rivers' edge or something for a few hours? I don't know what's allowed there. Save money, or do more possibly.
- The less you spend though, the more gear you can afford. That's some serious pedal money, new tubes. Just sayin. lol.
- If you're going to be an adult about this and need a real room though, well I can't help you there. lol. I see some 4 stars out there for $91-$131 like the Georgette, Beaubourg, D'win Hotel, Grand Hotel Malher. Those don't seem to far out of the way of stuff.

Hope you have a good time.

That'd be an option if I was traveling on my own, but since I'm traveling with my wife and it's gonna be the first time in about 3-4 years that we're away from the kids for more than a day together, we definitely need a room to, you know...

But yeah, I'm still checking. There's plenty of options, just gotta find the right one.

It'd be wise to get your Louvre tickets online, saves you a lot of time in the queue. If you want to shop guitar stuff head to Douai street near Pigalle, LOTS of shops there. As for restaurants, check out the Bouillon restaurants, classic popular french cuisine for almost nothing. Crowded most of the time though.

Thanks for the tip on those restaurants, that's exactly the sort of thing we're going there for. And yeah, I intend on buying the Louvre tickets online. I also got a tip that it's a good idea to check and decide beforehand what you wanna see there, since apparently it's so vast, there's no way you could check the whole thing out in one go.