Tips for Traveling Paris

Paris is an amazing city. I fell in love with it the first moment I was there. Recently, American ex-pat, Tanya from Parisian Spring, gave us some tips for beating the summer crowds in Paris. They are wonderful tips as Paris can be really crowded during the summer, especially during August. Parisians evacuate the city for the summer and head to the countryside or the beach. The vacuum caused by their departure is filled with tourists who crowd all the sights, streets, and cafes.

Should you find yourself in Paris during the summer months, here are some more tips for traveling Paris that might make your stay more enjoyable:

• Crowds swarm the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, creating queues that wrap around each structure. Should you go mid-day, you’ll be waiting a few hours to climb each. Head there early in the morning or very late to avoid the rush. Queues start to form about an hour after opening.
• The maps the tourist office gives away doesn’t include all the streets. Should you get lost, aim for a main street and you can coordinate your position from there. Moreover, the map is not really drawn to scale. The tourist information map is a good reference but for more detail stick to a guide book map. This is especially true in the Latin Quarter. (I found out the hard way.)
• Paris has few street maps for tourists. Unlike Amsterdam or London, there are few signs telling you where you are. Don’t expect easy navigation while walking around. If you do find a sign, it will be in French and not English. (Signs describing historical monuments are also only in French).
• The Latin Quarter is one of the best parts of the city and less crowded than the main area. It is a great place to wander around. If I had to rent one of the many paris aparments, it would be in this district. Head deep into the heart for tiny windy streets and cheap cafes that overlook little plazas. The cafes get crowded during lunch time.
• If you want a good view of the city but don’t want to wait to get to the top of the Eiffel tower, head to Montmartre. This little district, where artists like Picasso and Pissaro used to live, provides sweeping views of the city without the wait or the cost.
• Internet cafes are expensive- about 6 Euros an hour. Z-net in the Latin quarter offers it for 4 Euro a hour and has wi-fi.
• The Louvre is discounted after 6pm on Fridays and free on Sundays. During the low season, it is also closed on Tuesdays. It’s located in the center of the city and has two metro stops- both marked “Louvre.” Get off at either one.
• The Jardin du Luxemburg is a great place to eat out and enjoy a nice day. It’s filled with people relaxing in chairs and on the grass. It’s a great day to enjoy the sun of Paris. Don’t miss it!
• South of Notre Dame, Rue Dauphine has some great eateries. The place gets crowded with folks relaxing for drinks after dinner. Pull up a chair, grab a glass of wine, and enjoy a Parisian pastime- staring at what walks by on two legs.
• Buy a metro card. Paris has over 300 subway stations so it is easy to get around the city. A day pass is only 6 Euros.

It took me two days in Paris to learn all that. Imagine what a longer stay would yield. These tips should help make your travel experience in Paris easier, cheaper, and more enjoyable.

Heading to Paris? Get the Paris Pass to save some money:

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