Paris: Know Before You Go


 

After my first week in Paris, there was a very obvious list of things I wish I’d known, or been told, before I’d arrived. Small things, like when and when not to tip, or what to do when certain metro lines are suddenly off duty for the day.

You figure it all out eventually, of course, but simple guides like these come in handy more often than you expect.

by Joe deSousa – Unsplash

Cuisine

You won’t struggle to eat while in Paris, regardless of your personal dietary requirements. Not only does the city harbor cuisines from all over the world, it also caters quite generously to vegans, gluten free, kosher, halal and other eaters.

Something you do need to know is that Paris’ different cuisine options are generally isolated into distinct areas. Eating kosher, for example, is only really doable in the Jewish district called the Pletzl, found in the center of le Marais.

Paris – by Mahkeo – Unsplash

Vegan and gluten free food is wider spread, but still only features in a few key neighborhoods as opposed to city-wide. Hotspots for this kind of food include le Marais, Montmartre, the Bastille and Belleville.

As for the global cuisines, you’ll find all of Paris’ arrondissements equipped with foods from around the world. Asian menus dominate the scene, alongside Italian, American and even North African.

Street Etiquette

People tend to have conflicting opinions when it comes to Paris’ streets. Depending on where you’re staying, and where you go exploring, one might find the city to be noticeably dirty, while others find it to have been extremely clean.

This I’ll leave to your discretion, but one thing I do like to point out to new visitors is not to be alarmed by the city’s urinal issue.

Paris – by Yannis Papanastasopoulos – Unsplash

To put it bluntly: men can urinate just about anywhere they please in Paris — and they do! A common sighting around the city is men with their backs to traffic or pedestrians, taking a much needed leak against a public wall or fence. I’ve even had to step over someone’s urine while crossing a bridge in the 1st arrondissement while he kept his back to the world, blissfully unaware of the stream he was sending down the concrete.

The city of Paris also provides open air urinals in some arrondissements. They’re completely absurd if you’ve never seen them before; essentially just a waist-level podium where men can press up into and let rip.

Personally, I enjoy my city walks free of unsolicited genetic sightings, but c’est la vie.

Tipping

To tip or not to tip; the burning question in every European country.

Tipping culture varies across the continent. In some places leaving your change is considered slightly offensive, in others it’s mandatory.

In Paris, tipping is completely optional and not at all required. Service industry workers and paid salaries and don’t make their money off of the tips people leave behind, so they’re not too fazed about collecting pennies.

If you’re feel compelled to leave something, go right ahead. Usually one can round up their bill to the nearest euro, or leave €5/€10 when eating in a more up market restaurant.

Paris – by Bram Naus – Unsplash

In Paris, it is customary to tip when drinking in a bar. €1 per beverage is the standard, but if you’re buying individual beers over the course of the evening it’s not necessary to tip on every single one.

While it’s not mandatory, tipping taxi drivers is a nice gesture in Paris. Ten percent of your total ride fair is usually sufficient, or you can simply round up to the nearest whole number and tell them to keep the change, or “gardez la monnaie” in French.

Transportation 

Before I moved to Paris, I visited the city for vacation three or four times first. Every single time I ventured to the city, there was a strike.

Parisians love a good strike, and when they do, the city’s public transport faculties incur a lot of distress.

It’s very, very common for the metro systems to be down the minute there is any upheaval amongst the public. Usually, the city will disable a selection of metro lines so that there are enough staff available to run the more major routes.

Paris – by Chau Cédric – Unsplash

When this happens, you’ll find the running trains are chaotically full of people — especially during rush hour when everyone needs to get home from work. Streets might also become gridlocked, and the best/fastest way to get around is (unfortunately) on foot.

Taxis in Paris is another thing you should be aware of — there are never enough! Particularly late at night when you just want to get home, you’ll find all of the taxis that pass you buy will already be in use.

Download Uber for your trip to the French capital and thank me later!

People

No doubt you’ve heard the notorious rumor about how “rude” French people are. That Paris is beautiful “except for the people”.

I would like to encourage all newcomers to the city to enter with a clean and open mind. The French are not a rude people; on the contrary, they’re some of the most generous and accommodating people I’ve encountered on my travels.

That being said, they’re not here to take on your personal problems. Far too many people arrive in Paris expecting everyone they exchange words with to speak and understand the English language.

Paris – by Marie-Sophie Tékian – Unsplash

Not everyone in Paris speaks English, and not being able to communicate with them is your problem, not theirs. This is where their dismissiveness can be misconstrued as “rudeness”.

Make an effort to parler la langue, no matter how bad your attempts are. The gesture will be much appreciated and you’ll feel a lot more at home, I guarantee it.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
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Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.