Paris anyone? - Page 2

gmkb · ‎07-29-2012

I am in agreement with most of the posters here who had good experiences in Paris. People were kind, most spoke English, the city is beautiful, shopping is great, traffic is horrendous. I would return without hesitation.

sweetee2 · ‎06-21-2015

We are going to Europe in May. 7 countries, 17 days and Paris is on the list. Can't wait.

Alsee · ‎03-15-2010

Beautiful city, lovely people, no need to speak French but it is welcome if you do (or try!)

The food is terrific The pastries are fantastic.

If at all possible, everyone should visit Paris once in their life.

Kroppie · ‎06-23-2010

I have been to Paris about 15 times, the first in the late 1980s and then yearly since the mid 2000s. I have travelled a lot in Europe and Paris is by far my favorite city in the whole world. While I HATE the flights, the planes are packed and it is an uncomforable experience, once you get to the city (and see the Eiffel Tower!), you immediately start smiling!

There was a marked difference in how I felt treated between the time frames when I was there. While I can speak French, it was clear that French had to be spoken in the 80s while now, while it is VERY appreciated (in particular by the older generation), everyone can speak enough English once you let them know you are not conversant in French. So you will have no problem if you can't speak French, but knowing Bonjour, merci, etc will help. Yes there are a lot of cigarette butts and dog doo on the streets BUT the city is no dirtier than other cities. It is not accurate to call Paris a dirty city.

Prepare for A LOT of walking. If you plan to use their subway system (easy to use), there are 17 different lines and multiple lines travel through many stops so be prepared to walk up and down multiple levels of sometimes steep stairs to switch lines. I actually prefer to use the boats on the Seine River to get around. Batobus is by far the best vendor to use to get around. Plus sitting there looking up at the many historic sights is a treasure.

It rarely snows in the winter, you typically get a cold rain. But if you go into the many cafes for hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate, you are happy! It typically doesn't get too hot in the summer either, very few hotels are even air conditioned (unless you go 5 star). Shopping is fabulous. And there are too many places to visit (Louvre, spend at least 2 days if not more), Notre Dame, numerous museums too many to list, Eiffel Tower, etc.) And the food, well it is beyond fabulous.. Even the outside vendors around the Eiffel Tower sell outstanding food. Food is just a dream in Paris.

And last, it is very difficult to get transportation into the city from the airport. Yes there are buses and there is the subway line but you are exhausted from the flight and figuring out where to go is a challenge. Most signs are in French, not English. Taxis are EXPENSIVE because they know they have you. I typically sign up ahead of time for a shuttle. Read the reviews though because some of the shuttles are not as reliable as others. Or you have to wait hours for them to show up and then the van is packed and you have to go all over the city before you are dropped off. Taxis are fine to get to the airport to go home (arrange for a pickup at your hotel) but not to get into the city. Remember that taxis do not stop around the metro stations. And yes the traffic is horrendous. They drive like they are on a racetrack, and use horns all the time, it is quite amusing.

I LOVE PARIS. Can you tell? I assure you that you will have a wonderful time.

Tribesters · ‎03-10-2010

I went to Paris to visit my Pen Pal over 30 years ago. I couldn't speak any French. Of course I stayed with them & they were my tour guides. It still amazes me how we could go into a restaurant & before I even opened my mouth people would look at me & say "American?"

I'm sure a lot has changed in 30 years but I didn't think French people were as friendly as Americans. If you walk down the street in the US people will generally nod, smile or speak to others. I didn't see a lot of that in France. I'm a fussy eater & hated the food- except the desserts. The cheese, at every meal, was awful. I like cheese but not their cheese.

There were a lot of wonderful sites to visit in & around Paris. Of course the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Louvre, Napoleon's tomb, and so on. We also went to Normandy, Le Mont Saint Michel & Notre Dame Cathedral. We took an evening boat ride down the Seine River. A great chance to see the city at night.

I'm sure you will have a fabulous time if you go. For me it was the trip of a lifetime. For the longest time I had no desire to go back but every now & then I think about someday going back.

granddi · ‎03-16-2010

@sweetee2 wrote:
We are going to Europe in May. 7 countries, 17 days and Paris is on the list. Can't wait.

What tour company are you using for your 7 country tour?

We thought the Paris subway system was extremely confusing. We were standing in front of a map trying to figure out and another couple was doing the same. They were from London and said the Paris system was extremely confusing to them too!

itiswhatitis · ‎05-27-2016

I was thinking that during part of my trip in that region, I could also go to London on the train.

There are only several European countries I want to visit and London, UK is one of them. I figure this would kill two birds with one stone. Half the time in Paris and the other half in London. From London back to the states.

US to Paris

Paris to London

London to the US

Does this seem reasonable? I would alot at least 8 days for this (including travel).

*Call Tyrone*

itiswhatitis · ‎05-27-2016

@Tribesters wrote:
I went to Paris to visit my Pen Pal over 30 years ago. I couldn't speak any French. Of course I stayed with them & they were my tour guides. It still amazes me how we could go into a restaurant & before I even opened my mouth people would look at me & say "American?"

I'm sure a lot has changed in 30 years but I didn't think French people were as friendly as Americans. If you walk down the street in the US people will generally nod, smile or speak to others. I didn't see a lot of that in France. I'm a fussy eater & hated the food- except the desserts. The cheese, at every meal, was awful. I like cheese but not their cheese.

There were a lot of wonderful sites to visit in & around Paris. Of course the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Louvre, Napoleon's tomb, and so on. We also went to Normandy, Le Mont Saint Michel & Notre Dame Cathedral. We took an evening boat ride down the Seine River. A great chance to see the city at night.

I'm sure you will have a fabulous time if you go. For me it was the trip of a lifetime. For the longest time I had no desire to go back but every now & then I think about someday going back.

@Tribesters, I've heard this as well, about not so friendly.

*Call Tyrone*

itiswhatitis · ‎05-27-2016

@Alter Ego wrote:
I would agree with the other posters. Have only been there once and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

But, as a courtesy, please use a little bit of French. My little old mother, who never spoke a word of Italian in Italy (when she's Italian!) knew her merci's and bon jours. I'm sure we've all heard stories of the horrible American tourists that expect everyone to speak English - even though they can doesn't mean they will if you aren't being polite (not that you wouldn't be!)

I can't recall where I heard this...I was told that there is a general difference in the way French and American's enter a shop. Americans keep to themselves whereas the French will smile and say hello to the shopkeeper. So, you can see why there may be a misunderstanding when that shopkeeper isn't warm and welcoming. Whether or not true, I don't know - I had a limited time in Paris and really only went to one of the larger department stores. But I did try to remember and be more open in greeting people I met.

I did, however, get the tip scam. Tips are generally included. But, everyone knows Americans are tip crazy. I was told the tip line was for something else and pointed to where I could leave another amount. I didn't care - I'm not going to argue about a few dollars. So, there is that.

I would, however, have a couple ideas of what to do each day. France has scheduled strikes; when I was there, the museums were closed for a day.

(This is going back 5-6 years.)

Thank you for your input @Alter Ego.

*Call Tyrone*

itiswhatitis · ‎05-27-2016

@ZoetheCat wrote:
@itiswhatitis wrote:
Anyone (American) been to Paris? Please share your experiences here. I'd love to go. I've seen all kinds of you tube videos and read all kinds of travel info about going.

Is French speaking a must? I'd need to brush up! Weather, etc. I keep reading that Parisians don't care for Americans. I can't believe this to be true on a grand scale.

Anything of interest would be greatly appreciated.
I have been to Paris several times, and it is my favorite city in the world. I've been fortunate to travel a great deal to Europe and, although I love just about the entire continent, Paris is, hands down, my favorite. There is something about the architecture, the ambience, the whole package. It's a great walking city with many diverse neighborhoods. And when you get too tired to walk, the Metro is great and easy to use. My favorite thing to do is sit at an outdoor cafe enjoying an omelette with a glass of wine. Heaven!

It is not necessary to speak French as most everyone speaks at least a little English. Although we did have trouble in rural parts of Franch (and other parts of Europe) where English is not as widely spoken, it was never an issue in Paris.

The weather is very much like the seasons we experience in New England (with less snow, I'm guessing). Most of our trips to Paris have been in September (which is our anniversary month) and the weather has been pretty much like here at home. Summer is waning but the weather is still quite nice for any outdoor activities.

As to Parisians disliking Americans, as a rule I have not found that to be the case. Of course we have run into rude people in Paris, but then again, I run into plenty of rude people right here at home. And, conversely, one of the nicest people I've come across in the course of my travels was a French agent at a car rental place in central Paris. The very young couple in front of my husband and I were picking up their rental car and were terrified of driving through the traffic at the Arc de Triomphe (not for the faint of heart!). The young woman was almost in tears. This was many years ago, but I still remember how kind the agent was and how he calmed her down. My experience has always been that people are pretty much the same everywhere - some are nice and some are not, regardless of geography.