I guess I should have mentioned that I’m staying in the 17th arrondisement, apparently close to the Arc de Triomphe. Avenue de Clichy if that means anything to anybody.
The area’s apparently a little seedy, but I’m not concerned about that. It does appear to be a bit away from the action, but again I’m OK with that too.
Anybody know anything about that area?
Café: as someone said, it’s way cheaper to get your coffee and stand at the bar, rather than sitting at a table. However, if you do sit at a table, you can stay there all day. Nobody will make you leave or give you the evil eye.
Metro: you need your ticket to exit the station. Don’t toss it once you get on the train. The police also do frequent checks to see who jumped the turnstiles; if you don’t have your ticket, the fine is quite large (200ff the last time I was there, pre-Euro). Even so, LOTS of people jump the turnstiles or squish through with someone else who has a ticket, even if that person is a stranger.
Not sure what it’s like lately, but it’s kind of freaky for an American to see large groups of police/military in the subway or on the streets carrying Uzis and other major (to me) artillery. Kind of disconcerting. Not for any kind of riot; it’s just the regular everyday thing.
Most hotels don’t provide pillows unless you ask for them. You get these small bolster things to sleep on.
Carry your identification at all times. The police can stop and ask you for it and if you can’t produce it, they can detain you in a very lovely and hospitable French holding cell.
You’d probably have no need for taxis unless it’s late at night. If I recall, there are surcharges for it being nighttime and surcharges for luggage, even if the driver doesn’t help you with it. (Can’t remember for sure.) The Metro is a wonder of engineering and can get you anywhere you want to go. Take the RER lines if possible; they are a lot faster.
I second the “no pre-made crepes” advice. No need to get pre-made when there’s another vendor 10 feet away who will make one fresh.
Bonjour CapnPitt 
Feel free to ask any specific questions and if you haven’t already found it try this site it has a lot of good stuff and deals with ‘jeans’ on a regular basis. .
Remember the metro is your best friend, it is democratically designed so that no one lives more than 500m from a station which makes it hard to stay lost for long ! IMHO it’s much easier to use than London or New York but one thing - no allowance is made for anyone with reduced mobility, when changing between lines you can walk for miles up stairs down stairs and up again.
Metro lines 1 & 14 have automatic doors but on the other lines there is either an obvious green button to push or a handle which you push upwards. The stops at the stations are plenty long enough for you to get out even if you’ve waited in vain for the door to open automtically - you’re more likely to find someone has opened it up before the train comes to a halt !
It might be worth your looking at the Paris public transport website there’s an English language version and a great route planner - you can familiarize yourself with the main transport possibilities from your hotel before you go. The carnet of 10 tickets sets you back about 10 euro 50 and usually works out better value than a daily pass especially as you can share them out between people.
Top tip - metro 6 is above ground for most of the route and you get some great views.
Ah the Taxi thing - well, it is true and it isn’t. You can hail taxis unless you are within a certain distance of a taxi rank. Ponster found an excellent site on taxis I’ll get hm to post a link tomorrow. The only tricky thing is working out if they are free or not - over three years and I still get confused, yellow light night fares in operation, white light free.
'French" style toilets (the French call them “Turkish”) are less and less common, should be no problem for a gent taking a leak and ladies just adapt the hovering technique you might use in a public toilet with dodgy hygeine 
Cultural differences - I guess what you might find odd is that it is up to you to tell the wiater what you want, once they have served you your food, drink you’ll be left pretty much alone until the plates are empty, forever once you’ve finished dessert.
Take as much time to people watch as do the tourist things, true a coffee is more expensive at a table than the bar but consider it rent - you’ll only be asked to move on or pay if the waiter is ending his shift or the bar closing up.
Paris is small too - only about 15km across so wear comfortable shoes and get walking. Some parts of 17th are seedy true but that’s as much Paris as the Eiffel tower and you’re not far from Montmarte.
Oh and you may want to wrap up warm we had snow today - the perfect excuse for the perfect hot chocolate in Angélina’s !
The weirdest part is eating-- You will have an immense amount of difficulty eating between 1 pm and 7 pm, so I suggest you hit up a boulangerie (bakery) in the morning and load up on juice, cheese, and a baguette. You may want to take a pre-dinner nap too, since you’ll probably be getting up early and staying up late.
I skimmed the latest answers a bit quickly, so forgive me if I’m repeating:
From your description, you’re not as close to the Arc de Triomphe as you think you are. Av de Clichy is well north in the 17th, and the A de T is in the 8th (which is south of the 17th). Thanks to the Metro it’s all good, though.
An emphatic second on the value of speaking QUIETLY, indoors and out. That will greatly reduce the chance of anti-American glares, etc.
Also, whenever I go I leave white sneakers, university sweatshirts, and baseball caps at home.
Oh, no matter how hard you try, you cannot get a real live American martini. While the French are in many ways a lovely people, they foolishly believe that a Martini is made entirely from vermouth, the one ingredient that has no place in a martini. Don’t try being clever and ordering a “martini avec vodka sans vermouth”. They just look at you funny. And they lack the correct glasses.
It was never entirely clear to me…
Just to tweak this a little - Bonjour means good morning or good day, and bonsoir means good evening. So if you’re leaving a shop in the morning and say bonsoir, they may look at you funny.
You can say “Bonne journee” (bun jour-nay : have a nice day) or “Bonne soiree” (Bun swarr-ay: have a nice evening) as a goodbye, too, and it’ll make you look good.
I’m only speaking from my experience living in Quebec, since I’ve never been to France, but the language is pretty much the same.
That’s false. You can hail a taxi in the street. However, if there’s a taxi stand within a short distance (say, 100 meters, I don’t know exactly), they’re forbidden to pick you up in the street (in order not to “steal” a customer from their waiting colleagues).
I very often hail taxis.
Completely false. I could easily list a number of people I personnally know, who live in Paris, and couldn’t utter a sentence in english if their life depended on it.
Besides, a large number of people who actually studied english (and some didn’t study much of it) have forgotten it since they never used it and won’t understand you.
The younger, the most likely the frenchman is to have studied english ennough to actually hold a conversation and to remember it.
I must disagree here. The fact is that in France, there isn’t any generally accepted rule about tipping. Some people tip essentially all the time, some essentially never. Some give always more or less the same amount regardless of the cost of the meal, some will give more if the meal is more costly. Depending mainly on what they saw their parents, friends,etc…do, and how generous they are (or feel like). In upscale restaurants, tipping only a couple euros after a 150 € meal would probably not be perceived very favorably by the staff.
However, I’ve friends who indeed tip a couple euros in all restaurants they go to, regardless not only of the cost of the meal, but also regardless of the number of people at the table. Recently saw it with a table of eight, for instance. But it’s not a general norm. It’s just their norm.
In restaurants, I generally gives a 10% tip, which is, by french standards, quite generous, or alternatively nothing if I’m not satisfied. In cafes, it depends on the loose change I get (waiters will make sure you’ll have loose change. I they must give you back , say 2 €, you’ll quite never get a 2€ coin, but rather an assortment of coins of different values).
However, tipping isn’t “socially mandatory” (not morally…waiters all make at least minimum wages, and some might make very good money). If you aren’t pleasd by the service, don’t feel guilty about not tipping.
I would also add that the 15% service fee printed on the check isn’t a tip, and often doesn’t go to the wait staff but to the owner. Even french people generally are unaware of it.
You indeed remember it correctly.
It’s a large slab of porcelain on the floor with basically a hole and two “steps” for your feet. Work on your balance. They’re much more common in the men toilets than in the ladies toilets.
I hope they aren’t or else many of my neighbors must be thinking I’m American.
Besides, I don’t think that shorts are a problem, excepts for dinner in restaurants. Many tourists from all countries wear them in summer (parisians don’t, of course, since generally they aren’t vacationning). However, the older you get, the more you’ll stick out wearing shorts.
Though I somehow think it’s not really a major issue in february, anyway…
Actually, there’s an “avenue de clichy” a “rue de clichy” and a “boulevard de clichy” (and also a "place de clichy"and a “porte de clichy”). All three are rather long streets. The seediest (sex-shops, rip-off bars, etc…) one is the “boulevard”, not the “avenue”. You’re indeed a bit away from the action. But you might be close to Montmartre, which is an interesting part of Paris.
Here is a tip that will save you money and show you something of Paris that you probably wouldn’t see.
Instead of getting a bottled water or a soda from a vendor on the street or at a corner store, go into a grocery store. It will be much cheaper, just like buying at a grocery store is cheaper than a 7-11, and you get to see French food stuff on the shelves. Some of it is pretty much the same as you are used to seeing but you will see some stuff you probably never imagined. It’s just a fun as going to a museum.
Actually, it’s part of the “Vigipirate” plan which has been put in place following terrorist bombings ten years ago or so. It depends on the alert level. Currently, you won’t see armed soldiers in the subway, barring some unpredictable event. You might see them in major rail stations and airports.
You’re right on both accounts. Also, if you call a taxi rather than hailing it or waiting for it, you’ll be charged from the moment the driver got your call, not from the moment you actually ride the taxi.
I was only there for a weekend, but I picked up a few hints.
Along the Ave de Sebastopol near the Pompidou Center is the late-night drugstore district.
Give yourself more than 70 minutes to get from Le Bourget to Gare du Nord, then a hotel near the Arc de Triomphe, then back to Gare du Nord.
Those may be a little on the specific side, but if the situation demands it, they’ll come in very handy.
And more generally, if you want to hit one of the really touristy things like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, get there in the morning to beat the crowds so you won’t burn up a lot of time waiting in line.
I don’t know the site linked to above (maybe I’ll visit it), but as usual, I’m going to mention the “europe” message board on www.fodors.com , where there are usually a “proper behavior in Paris” thread twice a wek or so…
Generally, speaking, the mosty common mention I read from americans is that french people are much more formal than american people, hence for instance expect to be greeted (by customers entering their shop, lost tourists asking for directions). A number of people don’t like being adressed right off the bat in a foreign language. So, you might want to :
I will also add that if someone has a limited knowledge of english, he could not understand your question (yes…it seems obvious, but apparently not everybody get it). Keep it simple. And don’t forget that if you’re asking say, where the closest swimming pool is, to a person who roughly understand english and knows where the closest swimming pool is but don’t know the word “swimming pool”, you’ll get nowhere. Sign language can come in handy and can be surprisingly efficient.
I really appreciate all the help folks.
I’m sure I’ll make a fool of myself, but I’m guessing that it’s a universal that a fool who’s trying to do good is more appreciated.
Bring warm clothing !
It’s 1°C out there at the moment and yesterdays snow is still lurking around.
There’s a good little guide to what’s-going-on - Le Pariscope. You can get it at any newsstand for a couple of bucks. I believe it’s mostly in French but there’s a section in English too. Even the French parts aren’t hard to figure out. There’s another visitor’s guide too - Les Something des Spectacles - but I think Pariscope is better.
Unless you’re rolling in dough, try to buy your sodas or bottles of water AWAY from any touristy area. You’ll easily pay $5.00+ for a can of Coke if you are within 200 feet of anything that any tourist could possibly want to see. There’s a chain store - Monoprix - that has a grocery in it; you can buy drinks and snacks there for a fair price. Or any little 7-11 type store, as long as it’s not in tourist central. You can get some decent wine for very little money in those 7-11 stores too.
You must go into any bakery and get a baguette. Once you have a real French baguette, you will wonder what the hell it is being sold in the U.S. under the fraudulent name of “French bread.” There is NO comparison. And bread is subsidized there, so it’s dirt cheap. Also try some French butter and other dairy products if you can. Much much better than anything made in the U.S.