Paris - tips for a first timer

[Anonymous]

Is Montmarte unsafe during the day? I thought this was supposed to be a nice neighborhood to walk around- is there a better alternative?

[Anonymous]

We liked the Batobus in April of 2023. We got on every boat we lined up for. It gave us a nice view of Paris during a light rainy day.

[Anonymous]

PP. I think the trash everywhere probably comes from a literal garbage worker strike that happened in 2023.

https://apnews.com/article/france-protests-pensions-sanitation-strike-macron-b0a0dbc47e151af1a306b4cf64e5f893

Ancient center cities have small streets and were not designed to allow space for dumpsters and big trucks to drive through. We stayed on a cute street in the medieval quarter of Barcelona many years ago that was really noisy around 3 AM because that's when the tiny (mini-backhoe-sized) trash trucks went down the cobbled streets collecting trash bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Montmarte unsafe during the day? I thought this was supposed to be a nice neighborhood to walk around- is there a better alternative?

It's perfectly fine. Vast majority of the city is. Most of this is overreacting to clickbait social media.

[Anonymous]

I mean this as nicely but honestly as possible, ignore the people you talked to. Sure like literally anywhere on the planet there may be trash and there are occasional pickpockets. I've been robbed in a red small town in the US. The Metro is completely fine, though hot in the summer. My kids loved it.

Stroll along the Seine, pop into shops, eat, walk, walk some more, stop eat, walk some more.

I would not recommend taxis unless you need them. The city is making a real effort to promote biking and pedestrian infrastructure and so streets are closed off or there are zones and honestly unless the weather is miserable (not just drizzling) it's maybe the best city I've ever been to just walk and lose yourself in. Paris is a city meant be experienced the way people live in it daily and that includes what might seem mundane.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t speak French- When you walk into a store or restaurant, greet the person with “bonjour” before asking if they speak English. Goes a long way. We got this advice before our first Paris trip a few years ago and never encountered any rude service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love a few rainy day tips because I was trying to not overplan/overbook attractions so that we could have more time for wandering and visitng parks. But we are going next week and the forecast is RAIN and I'm wondering what on earth I'm going to do with my kids if they can't blow off steam at parks/playgorunds.

Evolution Gallery, Cite des Sciences (kid specific admission areas are amazing but be sure to book in advance), the playground at the Luxembourg Garden (and the little boats) which if it rains you can always duck across to Red Wheelbarrow and buy some books or go to a cafe. Aire de jeux pour enfants du Jardin Villemin is a really good playground near Gard du Nord and again just hop into cafes if it looks like rain. We did a kid specific boat tour that had a covered section if needed.

Also a lot of rain in Paris isn't necessarily downpour and people will still be out.

Across from the Evolution Gallery is the Grand Mosque cafe that has a chaotic but pretty indoor courtyard.

My kids loved just eating. We literally just ate all the things and walked a lot. There are also some incredibly cute kids stores too for shopping.

Brassiere des Prés is on the most quintessentially beautiful Parisian street and kid accessible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What did you wish you knew about Paris that caught you off guard while you were there, and what would you do differently if going a second time?

From talking to a few people, this is what I noted down:

The subways smell of pee.
Lots of trash everywhere so be prepared for the sticker shock when going from US. Its not the oh so romantic vibe when you get on the subway.
Beware of pickpockets, train ticket scams, bracelet and flower scams in touristy areas and druggies, gangs near metro and avoid groups of men.
Gare du Nord is not a safe area to stay but inter city trains go from there including Eurostar.
Avoid arrondissement 10,18,19 and 20 - I think 19 was Montmartre and 10 is Gare du Nord
You need a metro pass just for sections 1 and 2 to cover the major city highlights.
Eiffel tower climb is not all that great. Better to climb Arc de Triomphe at night.
Or better yet the best view is from Montparnasse since you won't see the eye sore when you are on top of it.
You will need half a day for Louvre and half a day for Petit palais and grand palais.
Do Notre dame, Sistine Chapel together and club with River seine cruise.
Batobus is a scam with wait times so long you're better of on your own on the subway.
1 day for Versailles and book tickets in advance.
Club Layafayette galeries with Le Marais
Skip the Luxembourg gardens - its just a park
Skip Sacra Couer unless you absolutely need to feel old Paris - too touristy and unsafe neighborhoods now.

Anything else?

Do you know what "sticker shock" means? You've used it completely incorrectly here.

[Anonymous]

Listen to a lot of ye ye and french rap. Watch some french cinema, from new wave to contemporary. Paris is a vibe

[Anonymous]

Ha ha the "Sistine Chapel" typo/auto-correct is quietly hilarious.

[Anonymous]

If you have kids they will love love love the pony rides and sailboats at luxembourg gardens

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were in Paris for just one night last fall (we just wanted a place to stay the first night after our flight before heading to Normandy.)
We stayed in Montparnasse and it was lovely. We took public transportation and I didn't notice any pee smell--and it seemed just as clean as the subways in any US city.

Your use of the word "club" surprises me--is that your term, or the terms your friends used? I just never heard Americans use it like that so I was wondering if maybe there was a cultural difference.

I think this is a South Asian usage of the word. It’s only my Indian friends that use it in this way.

[Anonymous]

I have been maybe a dozen times. Walk or taxi (rarely).
I like Batobus. It's peaceful and a nice river cruise. I get on and off on the stops near Louvre . Of course I don't go peak tourist season.

[Anonymous]

The "subways" that smell of pee are the pedestrian underpasses at the big streets. The transit system is not the "subway." Lol.

[Anonymous]

I also wonder if people who are sort of shocked by that stuff just aren't used to cities. Paris is a big, very busy city. Yes sometimes there is trash, homeless people, and pee smells. I have yet to visit a single large city that has none of these things.

I think with the media and hype people sometimes have unrealistic expectations. There's even a name for this "Paris Syndrome", which was noticed in Japanese tourists to Paris particularly.

I will say my experience is that people in Paris are a little more grabby than in other cities I've visited, particularly in high tourist areas. You have to be prepared for that. But I still had a fantastic time.