Before I went to Paris I had a few concerns. I would be alone, I do not speak French, would it be safe, how would I get around? So, having just come back last week I thought I would share some observations for any others who have similar concerns..
First, Is Paris safe? The short answer is yes. I felt very safe everywhere I walked. I even went out and used the Metro at night - something I would never do in Sydney. The reason I felt able to do it in Paris is because there are so many people around. Admittedly my latest night on the Metro was about 10.30pm on a Thursday and this is late night shopping so there may have been more people around because of that.
Pickpocketing and Scams: Most people will have heard about pickpockets, gypsies and bracelet guys. While these things can be a problem (see pickpocketing thread) I think that if you are aware of them and take precautions you will minimise the chances of being affected by these things. The pickpocketing has been covered. As for the gypsies, they will approach you and ask if you speak English, if you say %26#39;non%26#39; and avoid looking at them any further they will go away. I had several approach me but when I said no and looked completely disinterested they moved on to someone else. If you hesitate at all they will know you are lying and continue to harass you. Don%26#39;t worry, you can see them coming a mile away - they%26#39;re pretty obvious.
As for the bracelet guys, I only saw them at Sacre Coer but they were very %26#39;enthusiastic%26#39; about their job. I held back a bit until I identified them (they%26#39;ll be the ones following people asking for a minute of their time). There were 3 of them when I was there. While they were occupied with others I walked around behind them and on my way avoiding them completely. I don%26#39;t know how I would have gone if I was confronted by one of them.
Getting Around: The metro is very easy to use although takes some getting used to. Several times I got on the train heading in the wrong direction and had to get off at the next stop and go back the right way. Luckily you don%26#39;t have to use a ticket each time you change trains - I%26#39;ld be broke by now. I bought a Carnet (10 tickets) for 11 Euro. This lasted my whole 4.5 days in Paris. I actually walked most places anyway so didn%26#39;t use the Metro as much as I could have.
What to wear: There have also been many questions on this forum about what people in Paris wear. Well, I found everyone was very stylish - it%26#39;s hard to say exactly what it is that makes them look stylish. I noticed that the women wore jackets over their shirts or tops, not jumpers (or pullovers, sweaters). Not everyone was wearing high heels although many were. I noticed too that the Parisian women are very well groomed, hair pulled back neatly, light make up with well defined eyes and a confidence in their walk. If going as a toursit wear comfortable shoes (they can still be stylish) and dress in layers (with a jacket, not a jumper). If you want to look Parisian then remember the make up kit but less is more - don%26#39;t overdo it.
Speaking French: I managed to get by quite well with my few phrases.. Bonjoir, Bonsoir, Cest kombien? (sp) Cafe au Lait etc... When asking how much someting was I would, of course, get the answer in French. Unfortunately my grasp of French numbers is not that great so I would just give the guy more than enough money and wait for the change. So for a cup of coffee I%26#39;ld give a 10 Euro note, for other things like souveniers I%26#39;ld hand over a 20 or 50 just to be sure. I ended up with heaps of coins but I used those to pay when the price was written down for me. I jingled all over Paris...
Anyway, these are just a few of the things I was concerned about and thought others might be too. I might write a report on the things I actually did a bit later.
Hope anyone going to Paris soon has a great time, I did. Cheers.
|||
Glad you had a wonderful trip!
|||
Cheers to you, but you haven%26#39;t shared what you loved about Paris!
|||
You seem to have managed very well on your own. Thanks for sharing your observations with all of us.
|||
Hi Matilda
I agree with your tips and you obviously had a fantastic time. Like OuiParis I would also like to hear about your favourite sights, best experiences etc during your trip. What did you see or not see that you are determined to see next trip?
|||
-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-
This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Removed on: 12:21 pm, September 10, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment