Dispatches From the City of Light
Part I Paris Without the Price Tag Traveling to Paris, France is a long-time dream of many Americans, but let’s face it: Paris is not a cheap city. Luckily, there are many ways to see Paris in all of her glory without spending a fortune. Tourists find that most of their money goes towards hotel […]
Part I
Paris
Without the Price Tag
Traveling to Paris, France is a long-time dream of many Americans, but let’s face it: Paris is not a cheap city. Luckily, there are many ways to see Paris in all of her glory without spending a fortune. Tourists find that most of their money goes towards hotel fees, eating/drinking out, sightseeing, and transportation. After living in Paris for more than three years, I have developed a few short cuts that may be unknown to the average tourist. Follow these simple tips and you’ll find that your dream vacation is more reasonable than you once thought.
Hotels in Paris can be very expensive and disappointing. Everything in Paris is smaller than in the U.S.A., except maybe the prices. When you stay at a hotel in Paris expect to pay a minimum of sixty euros and honestly, hotels within that price range are usually in dangerous areas. You will not have room service unless you request this downstairs, and even then do not expect much; room service is a foreign concept in France. There will not be a complimentary breakfast, the rooms are very small, and depending on the hotel, the rooms are generally dirty. So, how to avoid paying so much for so little? This can be tricky. The secret that hotels in Paris do not want tourists to know about are the Aparthotels. These are hotels, but set up like apartments. You have at least a stove, refrigerator, microwave, and basic dishes. In some of the more modern aparthotels you will even have a small dishwasher, radio and an actual kitchen space. The benefits are that you save money in every way: the overnight cost is less, and you save by purchasing and preparing your own food. But since you’re a tourist, it might be difficult to find your way back to the hotel for every meal.
There will be times during your visit to Paris when you will be out and about when lunch or dinner time rolls around. Should you head all the way back to the hotel? No, here is what you can do. Pop into your nearest grocery store. The most common in Paris are Carrefour, Monoprix, and Franprix. You will find a wide and reasonably priced array of sandwiches, wraps, cookies, drinks, fruits, vegetables, cheese, bread, and of course wine. Choose a few items, then find a nice bench somewhere and enjoy your meal. There is also the option of stopping in the nearest bakery, or food stand. If you are looking for something a little more personal and romantic, pack a bag and find a place to sit down and have a picnic. Drinking alcohol in public is acceptable in France, so do not worry about compromising that ever-so-important aspect of French culture.
The next fee you might want to avoid is the ever rising prices in Parisian cafes. The only way to enjoy this part of the culture and save a little is to go during happy hour Monday through Friday, 7pm to 9pm when you can enjoy cocktails at half price. The food in Paris is amazing, but let’s face it, the food is not the only reason you chose Paris. There are an intimidating amount of museums, monuments, and overall tourist destinations to see.
Knowing exactly what you want to see while in Paris can save both money and time. The reality is simply that you will not be able to see everything while you are in Paris. Even native Parisians do not succeed in seeing everything in Paris. Once you know what you want to see, study maps online and make an itinerary so that you line up your locations appropriately. Do not arrange a visit to the Notre Dame cathedral at 2:30pm, and then run over to the Eiffel Tower followed by a show at the Moulin Rouge. These attractions are too far apart from one another, which means you will spend a lot of unnecessary money on transportation back and forth.
The next tip when it comes to saving money while sight seeing is knowing what is worth your time, and what is not. Do a lot of research: check prices, average wait times, and reviews. It also helps to know a little bit of history about each place so that you know which sights have the most beneficial factors for you personally. Make sure to check each website carefully for discounts. Many attractions offer discounts for people under the age of 26, or student discounts for those still studying. Be sure in these cases to bring student cards and accompanying identification cards so that employees can verify your age. Besides making good time, it is advisable to know how to move around the city in order to avoid unnecessary transportation costs.
American tourists generally do not come to Paris in a Hertz rental; they are left relying on the city’s infrastructure and taxis. There are four main ways to move about the city in public transportation. There are buses, trams, the RER, and the metro. The most common means for tourists are the metro and taxis. A one way ticket for one person, inside of Paris is currently 1.70 euros, therefore clustering your sightseeing destinations by area and groups can save a lot of money. Try to plan your trip in a way that you only have to use the metro minimally, keeping as much as possible within walking distance. When you have finished one area, then you can return to the metro and head over to the next area. The next bit of advice is to avoid using a taxi at any time. The taxis in Paris are known to adjust prices on simple whims. American and Japanese tourists are usually the victims in these cases. The taxis will charge depending on how many people are in the group, what language you are speaking, whether or not you have luggage, whether or not you speak any French, the time of day, day of the week, and they will not hesitate to make the meter go faster, or ignore GPS directions in order to keep you in the taxi longer. Walking and taking the metro are the fastest and cheapest ways to move about the city.
The secrets are out: exploring Paris at a bargain. Now one of the most desired tourist destinations in the world can be a little more affordable and accessible to those who once thought that visiting the city of romance was out of their reach. So, the next time you are deciding on a vacation destination, give Paris a second thought. The basics, such as hotels, eating, sightseeing, and transportation can be taken care of for less than you thought.
Part II
Cultural
Blundering
But what about the locals? Well, there are certain cultural blunders that many American tourists make when traveling to Paris that garner them negative attention from the locals. By avoiding these blunders, you can make your next Paris experience go smoothly.
Picture this: there is a cool breeze blowing through the otherwise staggering heat, people are relaxing at a local Parisian café, enjoying a philosophical conversation with close friends as the ice in their Perrier slowly melts. This is peaceful, relaxing. Until a group of American tourists push their way in between the closely assorted tables and chairs. While participating in this procession, these tourists speak loudly and ironically about how reserved and elegant the French are, all the while unaware of the peaceful afternoon that they’ve interrupted for so many of these reserved, quiet French locals. The simple act of sitting for these American tourists quickly shifts into an orchestra of scratching metal on pavement as they drag and push the chairs and tables, with the goal of taking up three times more space than the small café allows. When the moment comes for these tourists to order, a friendly greeting in French is out of the question. Instead, the waiter must stand patiently as the group barks orders at him in English as if he is deaf, rather than French. These are all classic cultural mistakes that many American tourists make while visiting Paris. They talk loudly, take up too much space, and do not make the effort to speak French. The ability to avoid crossing these cultural boundaries means the ability to maximize the enjoyment of a trip to France.
When in Paris, speak as the Parisians speak: in low tones. The French consider verbal communication a sacred part of their culture and take personal offense at those who do not regard the art of conversation in the same way. That is where many Americans make their first, and most vital, cultural mistake when visiting Paris. Accustomed to large open spaces where they can speak as loudly as they like, Americans march through the tiny streets of Paris using the same loud voices, without realizing the echoing and reverberating effects their speech causes. This creates an impersonal effect, seen as disregard for the listener’s value. Last week, while commuting on the metro, a family of American tourists boarded, luggage and all. The rest of the passengers were quietly engrossed in their own activities, such as reading, thinking, writing, or listening to music. Suddenly, the entire train is engulfed in this pollution of noise, disrupting everything. People look up in indignation, they stare, they huff and puff, yet the Americans still have no idea how many people they have disturbed. Sadly, their loud voices were not all that bothered the other passengers: they boarded that metro with no regard to space, and how much was actually available.
The personal space issue has always been somewhat unique to Americans. They like to have a lot of it, no matter if it is available or not. This might not be a problem back in the U.S., but in Paris space is rare. So, when that same loud American family on the metro threw their oversized luggage in front of precious empty seats, preventing anyone from sitting down, you can imagine that the Parisians were not very happy. The glares became more penetrating, and the huffing and puffing louder. The Parisians are not angry that they have to share their space with tourists, they’re angry that the tourists do not have any respect for the limited space that must be shared. When attempting to blend in with Parisians, stay compact at all times, even when it feels uncomfortable. The same goes with regard to French. When in France, try to speak some French even if it’s difficult.
The French do not expect Americans to speak perfect French, but they do expect some effort. The French are very proud of their language and try to preserve it as much as possible. They also know that English is the universal language, which still hurts them to admit out loud. Americans who start speaking in English, rather than French, often find themselves at the receiving end of Parisian rudeness at its finest. This is an unspoken revolt of the French: pointing out that not everyone speaks English and it is rude to assume as much. To give a good impression to the locals while visiting Paris, Americans only need to learn a few simple words and phrases.
Bonjour- good day, good morning
Bonsoir- good evening
Merci- thank you
Je vous en prie- you’re welcome
Au revoir- goodbye
S’il vous plait- please
L’addition s’il vous plait- the check, please
Excusez-moi- excuse me
Making a simple attempt to speak these words will win the respect of your Parisian hosts, and guarantee a more pleasant trip.
Stepping outside of your comfort zone is a large part of traveling to foreign countries. When traveling to Paris, the same rules apply. Be respectful of the French culture and the French will be respectful in return. Learn to be soft-spoken, take up less space, and memorize a few French phrases to ensure a pleasant trip to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Where to stay:
Where to get your cafe fix:
https://www.cafedelmasparis.com/en/
https://www.cafemabillonparis.com/en/
https://www.cafescossaparis.com/en/
How to get around:
https://www.parislopentour.com/paris-accueil.php?lng=gb
Jacqueline Perrier-Gillette is currently a resident of Paris, France, where she lives with her husband. Together the two of them operate their small translation company, giving Jacqueline the opportunity to observe the French and their culture up close. She is an avid reader, writer, and student of foreign languages.
Jacqueline Perrier-Gillette
