Paris, France: Planning Your Way to an Epic Vacation
What I wish I knew before visiting Paris?
Here are a few helpful things to consider as you begin planning for your first or fifth visit to Paris, France.
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What is the official language in France?
The official language is French and while many people will speak English, particularly in the tourist areas, you should never assume. A little effort goes a long way. It is always appreciated when you learn a few key phrases in a language you don’t speak. Here are a few basics to get you started:
- Bonjour – Hello
- Salut – Hi
- Au revoir – Goodbye
- Merci – Thank you
- Merci beaucoup – Thank you very much
- De rien – You’re welcome
- S’il vous plaît – Please
- Je suis désolé – I’m sorry (this one is for all you Canadians out there)
What is the best currency to use in Paris?
Euro € are the currency used within France. We primarily used credit cards along with a small amount of cash.
How to be safe in Paris as a Tourist?
Paris is a big city with a lot going on. In general, it is important to beware of pickpockets and take all the typical precautions like keeping your bags close to you, having a copy of your key documents, and not carrying large amounts of cash. We had a couple of situations that left us feeling uncomfortable and really noticed the contrast between the haves and have nots.
Is it customary to tip in Paris?
In many restaurants and bars, there is already a service charge added to your bill so there isn’t the same culture of tipping that we have in North America. If you do choose to tip, 10% is standard.
What phones will work in Paris?
We picked up SIM cards from a local convenience store that gave us local numbers and a data plan to use while away. We chose Lebara as it worked all through Europe and was less expensive than the offerings at the airport for travel SIMs. If you go this route, purchase the SIM card at a convenience store and then sign up for a plan that works for you online to get the best deal. We did this for all our phones, teens included, as we wanted to be able to connect if we happened to get separated. We used WhatsApp to text and talk with family back home. Don’t forget your power adapter to plug in.
What is the best month to visit Paris?
Weather
We visited Paris in early August and were met with a mix of sunshine, clouds, and the odd rain shower with temperatures between 24-27°C/75-81°F. It was perfect weather for walking around and exploring all the sites. Always pack an extra layer for the mornings and evenings.
Are things closed in Paris in August?
We were surprised by how quiet things get in August when many businesses shut down for holidays. Some shut down for the entire month, others for a shorter period. This seems like such a civilized way to ensure everyone gets a break in the summer. With so many locals off on their holidays, it made for a quiet time to visit Paris. The only places we found crowds were in the tourist areas near the Eiffel Tower, at Sacre-Couer, and Disneyland Paris.
For us, it was a great time to visit. Imagine taking photos when you are the only ones on the streets, not fighting traffic to get to your accommodation, and not waiting to be seated at a restaurant. The downside to this was there were a lot of shops and restaurants closed, so we had to search to find things that were open near us. We also found that there was a lot of construction happening on the roads and the metro. Given this, we were often re-routed, which added time to our travels.
What to expect when landing in Paris?
We visited Paris as part of a larger trip arriving by air from Crete at Charles de Gaulle. Given we were travelling within Europe, customs was incredibly fast and easy. We arranged for our transfers to and from the airport through Welcome Pickups, which was a great way to get oriented to the city and get a few recommendations from a local. Given we were travelling with a group it was an economical way to get around and the interface was easy to use. As soon as we booked we had a picture of our driver and a spot to meet. Welcome Pickups also monitored our flight so we didn’t have to pay extra if we arrived later than expected.
How many days in Paris are enough?
Seven days was the perfect amount of time for us to see all of the attractions and highlights we wanted to visit and not feel rushed. For more on why we typically choose seven days to visit a city, have a look at our travel itineraries page.
What is the best part of Paris to stay in?
The city of Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements or districts. We chose to stay in the 8th arrondissement, near the Arch de Triomphe, as we wanted to be able to walk to some of the nearby sights and have central access to the metro. The neighbourhood was great, however, our Paris Airbnb was our most expensive accommodation of our entire European holiday. Unfortunately, it was also our least favourite in terms of amenities and cleanliness, despite the good reviews.
We purchased seven-day metro passes and used these to get to all the sights we wanted to visit during our stay. It was an easy and inexpensive way to get around and we only got on the wrong train once?. With summer closures, the metro ride to Disneyland Paris was much longer than we had expected. With an already long and tiring day, we would have chosen to hire a car service like Welcome Pickups for convenience had we known ahead.
What shouldn’t I miss in Paris?
As I’ve shared previously everyone gets to pick something they want to do on our holiday. We planned a few keys days to make these ideas a reality.
- An evening river cruise on the Seine to get oriented to the city, followed by the light-up of the Eiffel Tower
- A full day at Disneyland Paris. For our guide to visiting Disneyland Paris, check out this post.
- A morning visiting the Louvre; get tickets for opening.
- A day visiting the Catacombs followed by the Luxembourg Gardens and ice cream at my favourite Amorino. Imagine the best-tasting gelato that looks like a beautiful piece of flower art.
- A visit to the Love Wall, Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur. Learn from our mistake, Sunday morning during church service may not be the quietest time to visit.
- Check out Saint-Chapelle, walk by Notre Dame and end the day with a visit to Shakespeare and Company.
Random Bits
Is it hard to find public bathrooms in Paris?
Finding public bathrooms was more challenging than we expected. Stores, supermarkets and cafes don’t offer public washrooms and restaurants and bars were limited to patrons only, although in a pinch they were kind enough to let us use their facilities. There were a number of sanisettes (free public toilets) throughout the city, unfortunately, many of these were out of order or unusable. We learned quickly to rely on the attractions we were visiting and plan ahead.
