Even though I've only been to Paris once and don't speak French at all, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts and tips gathered on this trip in case it's useful to any of you who may decide to travel to Paris in the future. Obviously you should check with other family and friends to gather info, as well as consult the experts (I highly recommend Rick Steve's books and online resources), but hopefully some of this is useful to you too.
Speaking French, Parisians and Eating Out
Speaking French...This was by far my biggest concern. I had heard from multiple people that the French are rude and don't like Americans, especially if you can't speak the language. I set out to learn French quickly because I didn't want the French hating me!! I thought my background in Spanish (college-level fluency) and being bi-lingual (Vietnamese) would make it easy, but I just didn't have enough time, especially once I started my new job. There is an app called Duolingo that was helpful and fun, but again, it takes time. So, off I went hoping that Mark's high-school French and the key phrases I learned would get me through and not offend anyone along the way.
Here's what I learned...Do NOT stress about it. The first truth is almost everyone speaks a little English. Certainly it seemed there were more people who spoke some English than you'd find with Americans speaking a language other than English. And, what doesn't translate in English or in French you can accomplish with a lot of gesturing. I found that "Bonjour" and "Au Revoir", as well as "Parlez vous anglais" got me through Paris just fine! We only came across one woman (at the metro station) who said she did not speak English - whether she could or just refused to, we don't know, but Mark ended up using a little broken French and pointing to the signs on the ticket window to get what we needed. And, if this happens to you and you can't get across what you need, you can always ask someone else.
The second truth is that Parisians are really nice and are not rude at all. I actually found them to be nicer than New Yorkers and those on the East Coast. No offense to my New York and East Coast friends, but you all have a reputation for being more direct and gruff than passive, Minnesota-nice. As long as you are kind and courteous when addressing people, you get it in return. Imagine that! And, always remember, speaking louder doesn't make it easier for anyone to actually understand you.
A third truth...the waiters and waitresses at restaurants and cafes are efficient. Some were friendly like back home, but most were there to do their job. Don't take it as being rude. They don't work for tips like in the U.S., so they don't have an incentive to go the extra mile. They do a good job and are courteous. You do have to ask for the bill though. I think the fourth truth is that restaurants/cafes expect you to sit around and chat. We were used to getting the bill when our plates were cleared, but that pretty much never happened. We always had to specifically ask for the bill. As for tipping, it felt weird not to tip, but I was thankful because the cost is much higher than back home for a meal. We often just rounded up or didn't tip at all. I've learned that's totally normal even though it's contrary to what we know.
Traveling with Children
There were many who were incredulous about us taking Keira with us on this trip. But, let's just say Keira is not a beach-vacation kind of kid with her skin breaking out in weird rashes (hopefully she'll outgrow it one day!), so this was a much better fit for our finicky daughter. I was a bit nervous about the long flight and not knowing what to expect in the city. However, I calmed those anxieties by realizing that French people have kids too so there must be things for kids to do and enjoy. I was right and am so, so thankful that we took her along. She even said that Paris was (kind of) better than Disney World!! Mark and I spent time making sure that we included things that she was excited to see such as the Eiffel Tower and art by Monet and Van Gogh. Additionally we researched and made sure that parks and playgrounds were part of our itinerary. Kids love parks and playgrounds no matter where they are. As for the bathrooms...There are many of them at all the major sites, so as long as you're touring those areas, bathrooms are a non-issue. And, even when you're not, there are plenty of pay-to-use bathrooms around. When desperate, you can always buy a cup of coffee or pastry and use the establishment's rest room. No worries at all. It turns out I was the one that needed a bathroom every couple of hours anyway. I'm pretty sure Keira's bladder makes up most of her tiny body. Ha! In the end, you know your kid(s) best so go with your gut.
By the way, here's a site with great ideas for visiting Paris with kids (
Paris with Kids).
The Metro and Making the Most of Your Time
I was really looking into getting the Paris Metro Pass so I could go from zone to zone without worrying about it. Mark really dug into this and figured out that the best value for the three of us was to buy carnets (discounted bundle of metro tickets) to get around the city and then buy supplemental RER tickets to go outside of the city, i.e. airport and Versailles. It worked out perfectly and saved us quite a bit of money. I'd recommend getting acquainted with the metro lines before leaving so you aren't completely unfamiliar when you arrive. Here's a site that had some really good info - it's a blog, but filled with valuable info (
Paris by Train). And, if you want more info or have specific questions, I'd be happy to connect you with Mark. He did a great job of navigating us on the metro, RER and the Gare systems.
FYI - the ticket machines did NOT take our credit cards. Your card needs to be chip and pin. We ended up having to go to the ticket windows to buy all of our metro and RER tickets. There you can use your credit card or pay with Euros.
I started a new job a month before our departure so didn't get to research and plan as much of our trip as I had hoped. Fortunately, Mark was able to take over and did a great job at the helm. I pretty much provided him a list of all the places and sites I wanted to visit. From there he planned out an itinerary. We kept the itinerary flexible which was good because we had to adjust based on weather, how we were feeling, etc. In the end, we pretty much did everything except the river boat ride down the Seine, but that wasn't on my top list of things to do. Plus, with previous boat rides we all got pretty antsy and bored. We like to be on the go! Anyway, here's a site Mark used that he said was very helpful for planning (
Visit a City). You can pick a city and indicate how many days you'll be there and it'll help you create itineraries. He tried to tackle the city in sections so that we weren't crossing all over the city - whenever possible, anyway.
The Museum Pass
I will echo Rick Steve's and the many resources we looked into, you should get the Museum Pass if you're going to visit a lot of the sites. Not only does it save you money, but at some locations it lets you bypass long lines. It was definitely a good choice. If you've been to the city before and will be skipping many of the sites, than it's probably not worth it. If you estimate about 10 Euro per site (a little high for some sites and a little low, but a good average) you can figure out if this is right for you. For us, it was great - covering Musee d'Orsay, Musee Rodin, La Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Musee de l'Armee, etc. Here's a link to learn more. It's not the easiest site to navigate, but if you click around, you'll find the info you're looking for, including pricing and a list of the places it covers (
Museum Pass).
Money and Tipping
Every merchant we went to accepted our credit cards using a handheld credit card machine. That being said we did go to a local bank to exchange for some Euros prior to leaving just in case. You never know if the merchants' systems could be down.
While we didn't experience it, we heard from many people (including my cousin who was almost a victim) that there are a lot of pick-pockets in Paris. There are also signs everywhere, especially in the metro stations, to beware of pick-pockets. To combat that Mark carried his wallet in his front pocket (which he does, anyway) and I carried a cross-body bag with a front-facing zipper that I was able to flip and have facing my body. But, of course, staying alert is the best defense.
As for tipping, it was very uncomfortable at first to not tip, but soon I rather enjoyed it. Things were more expensive, but I think when you add in tipping (for eating out, anyway) it was pretty comparable to being at home. Our exchange rate ranged between $1.38 and $1.45 per 1 Euro when we were there (end of March 2014).
The Weather and Walking
We were only there end of March, but learned that there can be huge variations in weather - much like in Minnesota. The first few days were gray and drizzling. Despite temps in the mid-50's it got cold with the wind and rain. I'd recommend bringing an umbrella because the weather could change on a dime. We did good with layering and would often duck into cafes and other indoor sites on cold weather days. I've heard it's gorgeous in April and May and starts to get pretty warm and muggy in the summer - much like many other large, metropolitan cities across the world. Use your weather apps while you're there to plan what you're going to wear.
As for walking - even with the metro system we did a LOT of walking. I'm not sure I could've handled anymore by our last day. It was probably a mistake to break in a new pair of boots I had just bought prior to the trip. I tried to blend in with the locals so stuck to neutrals and a comfy pair of feminine-military-combat boots, but there were plenty of tourists who ran around in their athletic shoes and comfy clothes, so do what's comfortable for you and especially make sure you are wearing shoes you can trek for miles in. I was actually a little bummed I didn't get to parade the wardrobe I had packed. We didn't remove jackets until the last couple of days of the trip.
Those are my quick thoughts. If you want to hear more or have questions, I'd be more than happy to share my experiences. All in all, if you have the opportunity and even the slightest desire to visit Paris, you should. You won't be disappointed.
