First time in Paris next month

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

First time in Europe actually and am very excited.

I am staying for a week and would like to take one day for a trip to Normandy to see the D-Day battlefield. I am also interested in history related to the French Revolution and the Viking Conquests. Is there anything left to see from the Viking Conquests?

Any general tips for a first time visitor?

2

No idea about the Vikings in France. But in Paris, get yourself familiar with the public transport system:

https://www.ratp.fr/en/visite-paris/english/visiting-paris-and-its-surrounding-areas

If you’re particularly interested in the French Revolution, you’ll probably want to visit the Conciergerie. Unfortunately the Carnavalet. the main museum of the history of Paris with lots of material about the Revolution, is closed until next year.

For trips to Normandy, you’d get a train from the Gare St Lazare. I believe there are battlefield tours out of Bayeux and other towns in the area.

3

If you’re at all interested in the museums, get a Paris Museum Pass. You don’t really save much $$ with one (but you could if you REALLY tried) but being able to skip the lines makes a huge difference. As in… you see a line that would take an hour+ to get through, but you have that pass so you walk right up to the front.

As PatrickLondon said, figure out public transportation. It’s the way to go.

You didn’t mention food, but if you’re at all interested, Paris by Mouth is a hugely good resource.

4

I can strongly recommend Paris walks for excellent and inexpensive (15 Euros) walking tours in English. Home

5

Excellent. Thanks.

Do I need to brush up on my French or are there enough English speakers to get me around?

And yes, I am interested in French food, but not the five star variety. I don’t eat that at home. Wines and cheeses, definitely.

6

UltraVires, attempting to speak French gets you brownie points, even if you can’t speak much of it. So do brush up on it. We expect those visiting the US to speak English, the French expect those visiting their country to speak French. If they can, they usually relent and and speak English to you. They’ll also treat you better for having tried to speak their language.

7

The link I provided above has all kinds of food, definitely not just the 5 star stuff.

8

When you go into a shop, bar, cafe or whatever just smile and say “bonjour” to the person waiting there. That really does help a lot. Basically just be nice, use the French you have, and things will be OK.

9

I had four years of high school French, so I am trying to recall it. :slight_smile: I read the metro map and understood it. Baby steps.

10

I was taught that just saying “Bonjour” was not proper; that French people did not do that. You should say, “Bonjour, Monsieur” or “Bonjour, Madame” or “Bonjour, Rick” or whatever. The word Bonjour, without more, was not proper. Was my high school French teacher, who grew up in France during the Nazi occupation, wrong?

11

Indeed – contrary to stereotype, my experience was that a perceived good faith effort to adapt and communicate was well reciprocated. Plus of course it may be just your luck that the person you address does not have English skills. Around the usual visitors’ routes things will be easier.

And yes, the train system was great once I got some comprehension of the maps and the transfer points.

12

Not only that, but especially for large overwhelming museums like the Louvre, another major bonus is being able to go back as many times as you want in case you don’t get through everything you want to see in one visit. (Also, to be able to duck into a museum just to use the bathroom.) It’s also nice to feel free to spend shorter stays in museums you might not have wanted to spend money on otherwise.

13

Maybe not wrong then or in a small community or if you expect an extended conversation. But in a busy city like Paris with lots of people engaging in lots of brief interactions, ‘Bonjour’ on its own is fine. NOT opening with it is abrupt and rather rude (I’m thinking your high school teacher might have been pointing to what would seem abrupt in other situations). Likewise a quick “Merci” on finishing won’t go amiss. Just take your cue from watching other people.

14

Indeed. I had a nice conversation last night with my high school French teacher! (The wonders of Facebook). She stated that the “Bonjour on its own” was disfavored when she was a child, but it has since become normal. She also stated that an attempt, even if feeble, to speak French will be much appreciated by the locals.

Also, I am staying here: Hôtel Le 123 Sébastopol * * * *

Anyone know the neighborhood? A nice restaurant or attraction nearby?

15

As you’ve said, it may have been improper to say “Bonjour” on its own decades ago but not anymore, and especially if it’s obvious that you’re not a native speaker.

For the record, I still can’t help saying “Bonjour Monsieur” and “Bonjour Madame” but I increasingly feel that I sound like an old fogey (I’m 43).

16

I agree with PatrickLondon, that Bonjour as a stand-alone is fine in Paris. I’ve visited France 3-4 times now, and my stock of French still only amounts to Bonjour, and Merci. (And Merci Beaucoup). I’ve found that in Paris at least most everyone in the hospitality trade has at least some level of English. Not to say I don’t open with a Bonjour though.

Just a tip for you if it’s your first Euro trip, with you being from the States, (and not trying to dampen what can be a fantastic time), but be alert for pick-pockets and beggars.

  • Apart from a jostle in a crowded place approach, the ruse de jour of late is teams with clipboards will approach you asking for you to sign a petition, last time I was it was to help blind students. Its entirely possible they are trying to harvest details, but more directly they’ll make an attempt to pick pocket while you’re distracted.
  • A lot of the beggars are ethnically gypsy, and can be quite aggressive. I choose not to give them anything, as the majority of them are part of organised gangs, where a ‘handler’ brings them out from Romania, and skims virtually all their takings to fund rather plush lifestyles back in Romania. To me, the problem appears to be getting worse, as on our most recent visit, at the central train station, we had to physically push some beggars out of the way with the car door of the taxi just to even get out of the taxi.

That being said, good luck and enjoy, I like Paris despite my warning, and a couple of positive tips,

  • if you want to ascend the Eiffel Tower, pre-book your tickets. Wait is usually a minimum of an hour if you don’t.
  • The museum pass mentioned upthread is a great option, jumping the queue at the Louvre is priceless!
  • While on the Louvre, while it gets the publicity, a lot of people rate the Musee de Orsay as better. (No Mona Lisa though).
17

I second your advice on the Eiffel Tower. The last time I was in Paris, my daughters reaaaallly wanted to ascend it. We were in the queue for over 2h in freezing temperatures. Not fun.

As far as museums are concerned, I’m a big fan of the Centre Georges Pompidou. I just love that place.

18

What day are you arriving in Paris? The best travel option is a weekly Navigo Descouvert pass for €22 + €5 for a reusable card, but it only runs Monday-Sunday. This covers up to Zone 5 which includes Versailles and CDG airport. If the week doesn’t like up with your stay it still may make sense for as few as 4 days.

We’re heading to Paris in March for a week and we’re staying in the 1st between the Louvre and Georges Pompidou, which is not far from you. It’s very central and easy to get around. This will be my 7th trip to Paris, and we’ve stayed in various parts of the city over the years. There is a great market near you that is worth a visit called Marche Des Enfants Rouges.

19

Re your hotel location - I’ve stayed not far north and east of there, and enjoyed it as less obviously “touristy” and stultifyingly grand than much of the the western side of central Paris. Rue Saint Denis did have a rather seedy reputation at one time, but (I’m guessing a bit here) it may well be undergoing the same sort of rapid gentrification as anywhere else in Paris.

As for eating out, there will be all sorts and grades of café/brasserie/restaurant all around: just look around and see what takes your fancy. I’m no great gourmet, so I just tend to look at the corner café/brasserie rather than a froufrou tablecloth+silver service restaurant. They will all have their menus on display outside: it would be worth investing in a phrasebook/guidebook that includes the names of foods, dishes and other menu terms (e.g., “entrée” is what starts a meal, not the main dish, which is usually called the “plat”; “menu” indicates a set menu, though sometimes “formule” would be used for that; what we call a menu is “la carte”). Here are some examples of how the day’s specials might be laid out:

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com/thread/1147/paris-restaurant-slates-special-day

20

Additional thoughts about the location: check it out on Google Streetview. Rue Saint Denis does indeed look perfectly OK, and Bvd Sébastopol always was. It’s a good location, convenient for public transport and the Pompidou centre and all around there.