19 Things You Should NOT Do When in Paris
Paris is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is often referred to as the “City of Lights.” It is the capital of France. It is among Europe’s major centres of commerce, science, finance, fashion, painting and music since the 17th century. The city is a major road, rail and air transport hub served by two international airports.
Paris is also one of the most popular destinations in the world, and millions of tourists visit this city every year. There is so much to see and do here. In fact, tourists often get overwhelmed, not knowing how to fit in so much in a span of a few days and how to get the maximum out of their trip within a fixed budget. So, it is good to have detailed knowledge about things, which one must not do during the visit to the French capital to make their trip enjoyable and memorable. In the following section, we will discuss 19 things that you should not do during your Paris visit.
In the following section, we will discuss 19 things that you should not do during your Paris visit.
- Don”t depend too much on any guidebook. To experience the real Paris, try visiting various neighbourhoods and interacting with the local people. Exploring new places without any tips from the guidebook can be fun.
- Do not board a train without a ticket; otherwise, you will be charged with a heavy fine.
- Don’t visit Paris for just a few days. With so much to do and see here, add some extra days to your holiday.
- No need to buy bottled water. You will see Wallace Fountains all over Paris. It is better to carry your own water bottles and fill it up whenever needed.
- While looking at the painting of Mona Lisa at Louvre, it is better not to get obsessed to discover whether she is smiling or not. In order to see her expression, you have to look at it from various angles.
- Though France is known for its delicious cuisine, all restaurants in Paris are not good. You may end up being served tasteless or stale food for a high price especially in popular tourist areas. It is better to have dinner from the local areas, such as the 11th, 5th, 20th, or 16th quarters. Avoid having food from the tourist areas like the Latin Quarter. In the local areas, you will get everything at a reasonable price. It is also a good idea to ask people for recommendations.
- Don’t wait till the last minute to buy tickets for popular shows and attractions. It is better to buy tickets online in advance in order to avoid long queues and save time.
- Don’t be rude to street vendors, wait staff and other people. If you behave politely, they may help you when you are in need.
- You don’t need to spend on taxis. Always prefer to visit various places of the city by Metro. While using the Metro, you should be courteous and wait for the passengers to get off the train before boarding it.
- Don’t take stairs everywhere, thinking it’ll save you time. For example, while getting off at the Abbesses metro station, it is better to take the elevator instead of the stairs because this station has the longest steps.
- Don’t miss visiting Boulevard Saint-German. Moreover, sit at the café because it is the best place where you can observe passers-by and get to know about Parisian lifestyle.
- Don’t ask for bottled water in restaurants. In order to save money, it is better to request for tap water.
- Don’t stick to lists you may have made for visiting popular tourist spots. Paris is a historic place with lots of character and culture so you would not like to keep yourself curbed to limited attractions.
- Do not observe the Seine from the bridges and streets. Rather, book a night cruise to enjoy the beauty of the reflection of the city’s lights on the water.
- If you want to enjoy the amazing Italian food, then don’t forget to eat dinner at the Rue Montorgueil in Les Halles district. Here you will not only get Italian food but also other international delicacies at a reasonable price.
- There is more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower or shopping in the souvenir shops. Don’t eat food at regular food chains you see all over the world. Try new things to eat, try local food. Be adventurous.
- Don”t book tickets for a city tour or a guided tour with just any tour operator. Do some research and book with reliable ones.
- While visiting Montmartre do not visit just the Place du Tertre and the Sacre Coeur Basilica. There are a lot of other places to visit like the Rue des Abbesses, Rue Caulaincourt, and the Cafe des Deux Moulins. If you are an art lover, you will definitely love and admire the aesthetic beauty and architectural marvels in Paris.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for help. It is always better to ask for help if you are in need. People say that the French people are not kind if you don’t know French, but you will always find someone willing to help when in need.
Booking cheap flights for your journey to Paris
Prices of flight tickets vary daily from one airline to another. You can save some money on air travel if you follow certain tips.
- Check travel search engines, airline websites and online travel agencies. You can compare airfares to find the cheapest according to your requirement.
- Trust reliable sites for the best airfare deals, as they provide you with exciting deals, offers, and discounts on various routes like London to Paris flights, Mumbai to Pune flights, Delhi to Chandigarh flights and many more domestic and international routes.
- Get travel alerts on your phone and know about the low-price offers from your favourite airlines.
- In order to get the best deals on airfares, you must follow these airlines on your social media sites. Because they offer special rewards to their regular customers in order to encourage them to continue flying with them.
- Nonstop flights are expensive, so you can go for connecting flights.
- Look for the cheapest day to book a flight on your route.
- You can also consider flying by multiple airlines. If you split or break your trip, then you will be able to save a lot of money.
