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What Not To Do In Paris: The Top Five Tourist Mistakes

Where: Paris, France
December 10, 2009 at 1:52 PM | by | Comments (23)

Ahh Paris, City of Lights, city of stinky cheese, and city of a million tourists. As much as we love you, we know to be cautious around certain things while visiting. We have been to Paris many times, but for this feature on what not to do, we consulted with a friend who not only lived in Paris, but also studied art and photography there for years. Yes, someone who truly learned what it was to spend an evening in Montmartre and walk by Notre Dame daily.

So without further ado, here is the Jaunted guide of What Not To Do In Paris: The Top 5 Tourist Mistakes.

Check them out, after the jump.

5. DON'T try to see the Louvre in 3 hours or under
You've come all this way and we know you might have other places on your itinerary, but dashing through the Louvre Museum is just robbing yourself. It really deserves an entire day, especially considering how much you spend on the entrance tickets (14 Euro per person, for the whole place) and how long it'll take you first find the Mona Lisa and then wait for the crowd to part enough so that you can get a picture with it in the background.

4. DON'T don a beret, striped shirt, red neck kerchief, grow out a thin mustache, or do any combination of those things.
This is what is called "perpetuating a stereotype." You don't drive to Texas and throw spurs on your boots and the biggest 10-gallon hat on your head, do you? A trip to Paris is not Halloween. Regardless, there will be those who violate this rule, and we have no doubt that they will also try to wear kimonos in Japan.

3. DON'T forget to purchase an RER ticket for the train to the airport
Many tourists are tripped up on this since they believe that the initial entry ticket to the Metro will get them out to Charles de Gaulle airport. Alas, no. There are RER police that come aboard to check ticket, making sure you have a full fare ticket for the airport. If you're caught lacking, then the fine is at least 20 Euros—it'd be a shame to lose your airport coffee and baguette money before even reaching CDG.

2. DON'T go to Paris with the belief that luxury goods will be cheaper
Because they won't. Brands, especially French luxury brands, have their images to uphold. Just because they are headquartered in Paris or their goods are made in France doesn't mean that they'll give you a proximity discount. Fine things take so much to manufacture, and because so many tourists come to Paris with the dream of purchasing a Chanel jacket or a Louis Vuitton bag or an Hermes boot here, that's all the more reason to keep price high (or higher!).

1. DON'T order a la carte at dinner
Going out to a mid-price or fancy restaurant is a dream, when you're in France and looking for the best wine and unpronounceable cheeses. Instead of racking up an astronomical bill by picking and choosing, better to go with a prix fixe menu, a more economical way to enjoy a variety of courses. Most restaurants have prix fixe menus that change daily, but beware of any outright labeled as "tourist menus," since those will often skimp on the portions or offer up blander choices.

What are your Paris DOs and DON'Ts? Have you done any of the above and loved or regretted it? Let us know in the comments!

Related Stories:
· What Not To Do In Venice: The Top Five Tourist Mistakes [jaunted]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: julie, gzap, Jaunted's own]

Comments (23)

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Père Lachaise

Don't think you can just wander around Père Lachaise cemetery until you find Jim Morrison's grave. It's huge and confusing. Get a map or don't even try.
Victor Ozols on December 10, 2009 at 3:51 PM #Permalink

Be careful how you order your steak

I sent my steak back at L'Ami Louis twice bc it was still bleeding even though I ordered it medium. The waiters laughed at me each time, probably because no one ever asks for it that well-cooked. Then on the third try, they served it to me and the steak was near-charred.

Also this restaurant serves frog legs with the spines still attached. Just FYI.

juliana on December 11, 2009 at 1:29 AM #Permalink

Wow

That is indeed some excellent advise! Jess www.online-privacy.th.tc
Bobbe Lee on December 11, 2009 at 12:41 PM #Permalink

Nightlife?

Don't think you can wander around in the middle of the night and find a million things going on. Paris has good clubs, but unlike New York, it definitely sleeps. Also, the Metro stops running at 1:30 and cabs are impossible to find in the middle of the night.
AirTreks Nico on December 11, 2009 at 12:46 PM #Permalink

Wait, what?

People in Texas LOVE it when you walk around in spurs and hat. Especially if it's a giant foam hat. Trust me, I've been there - twice.
Christopher Gamblee Wallendjack on December 11, 2009 at 12:48 PM #Permalink

Texans definitely DO NOT....

....like it when tourists don the cowboy hat, boots, spurs and drink enough beer to ride the mechanical bull. If you come to Austin, please don't do this. We're generally very nice, but not to douche bags. If you want to have some of the "cowboy" Texas, go somewhere out in West or East Texas middle of nowhere-ish.
austintexas on December 11, 2009 at 2:41 PM #Permalink

What to Do In Paris:)

If you do not know any French, go to your library and take out a basic language program. I found the Parisans to be quite helpful if at least you attempt to speak their language. Pick up a guide of Paris at your local bookstore that has maps and metro guides. Paris is huge and easy to get lost. Go to the Eiffel tower, have lunch in Montemarte, enjoy a dinner cruise on the Sienne (the frogs small and were almost whole, cooked in bread crumbs..I managed to eat a few...should have chosen the lobster) and visit the Buddha Bar! Be prepared for a long hike up the winding stairs of NotreDame to take in a wonderful view of the city and see the gargoyles close up. There is a dig in front of the cathedral with interesting artefacts. Definitely have a leisure lunch at the sidewalk cafes and remember to have some pastry at a local bakery. Most of all have fun!!! Just don't believe someone when they say they want a future with you as their partner.
Marie Walentuk on December 11, 2009 at 6:47 PM #Permalink

Paris

Like others mentioned in the thread, learn some French. French is a great tool anyway to have if you're a big traveller. Do take a decent camera, preferably one with a high resolution output. Parisian architechture is amazing, and should not be left to look like crap on some nasty camera. Do sit outside a coffee shop with your back against the front, lined next to everyone else, watching the world in Paris go by. Do this as early as possible in the morning, and stay into early afternoon if possible. Do go hunting round long winding side roads, because this is where the real Parisian sense of strange romantic beauty can be found. Do go looking for what the locals do, they are lively set of people, and one that is not limited to only French people, me and my girlfriend really enjoyed sitting in the huge melting pot of cultures in Paris.
ZAaron France on December 11, 2009 at 11:13 PM #Permalink

what to do in Paris

One of my very favorite things to do every time I visit Paris is to go and watch the old guys play boules in the Luxembourg Gardens. Many of them are the same for years and they are very serious about the game. It is a culture in itself. I also enjoy sitting by the toy sailboat pond in the Luxembourg Gardens in the late afternoon, early evening when people begin to get off work and they meet their families in the park. It is wonderful people watching and most of them are happy.
Denise Krochta on December 13, 2009 at 4:21 PM #Permalink

Jardin du Luxembourg

DO go to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Gorgeous little park comparable to Green Park or St. James Park in London. Quiet and family friendly, you'll often find kids playing with their remote control boats in the pond in the middle. Nice break from tourist hustle and bustle too.
Ramblin Man on January 14, 2010 at 6:46 AM #Permalink

Sorry Denise!

Sorry Denise, didn't see you'd already mentioned the Luxembourg Gardens. Glad we both think it's a must though!
Ramblin Man on January 14, 2010 at 6:48 AM #Permalink

Bonjour!

Good tips, especially the one about the stripey tops and berets. Just like when you come to London, never dress like a pearly king or queen. www.openzedoor.blogspot.com
Openzedor on January 15, 2010 at 5:29 AM #Permalink

le louvre

DO walk through the courtyards of the Louvre after dark when it's beautifully lit up and empty of people save a few romantic couples.
getgreg on January 22, 2010 at 5:14 PM #Permalink

About T-Shirts

NEVER put on a t-shirt with a word "BITE". For the french it means cock. I had a bad experience..)))
Mickey Finn on January 26, 2010 at 5:37 AM #Permalink

Wearing Kimonos in Japan

Equating the perpetuating of a French stereotype to say wearing a kimono in Japan is wrong. False and uninformed. There are many places in Kyoto for instance for foreigners and Japanese tourists alike who can transform themselves into the maiko (geisha apprentices). Some reputable places even allow men do to do. Link: http://www.maiko-henshin.com/english/index.html Or just google it "maiko henshin" It is a refined version of the cosplay culture that has taken Japan by storm since manga became so prevalent in the 1980's. So, if you come to Japan, by ALL means, have fun and wear a kimono. The Japanese won't scoff at you for doing so. You are gaijin anyway, so you are always going to be an outsider more or less. And they feel VERY flattered to see gaijin trying something Japanese...I mean, they're just amazed Americans for instance can use chopsticks. Also, if you want to perpetuate a stereotype, where playboy t-shirts with the bunny on it. The Japanese have no idea what it means - they just think it's cute. When I've told them what it was, they were SHOCKED. I felt bad. Anyway, come to Japan! Have fun! Long time resident of Japan, Dan
Daniel Stuntz on February 5, 2010 at 3:08 AM #Permalink

so true

my friends an i violated #2 and #5 during our spring break trip to Europe. Being an engineering student, I didn't really appreciate art or sculptures (although they were pretty cool to look at). I did pick up a love for cafe (espressos) and the fresh french pastries that I bought in the morning.
Phil J Park on February 5, 2010 at 10:26 AM #Permalink

If you can't say it in English, be quiet

Don't bother trying to speak French. It's a dying language, and most of the French speak English anyway. Remind them who bailed them out of WWII.
Fudgington on February 7, 2010 at 7:46 AM #Permalink

Save time and avoid long lines.

bonjour, Planning to visit the Eiffel Tower ,I recommend that you buy the tickets online. http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ Try to pick hotels in central Paris in the Etoile area and pack good pair of sneakers and start exploring Paris by walking around . It is so much fun. Pack extra batteries to your camera ,you don't want to buy them from Paris VERY EXPENSIVE! Bon Voyage!
Nerven Sharaby on February 7, 2010 at 1:13 PM #Permalink

What to do in Paris

One of the best things I found to do was to do tours through companies if you are there during the summer. Lines up at places like the Louvre and Versailles are insane during the summer but if you go with a tour to these places they often have lines for tour companies which are much faster. A must see is also Giverny north of Paris. Monet's house is there and it is beautiful. My girlfriend and I found the best way to discover the city was to take the metro and get off at random stations and wander around. We found some amazing little areas off the tourists routes that were wonderful. If you are going out at night the clubs also don't open till midnight.
Patrick Taylor on February 8, 2010 at 4:11 PM #Permalink

Avoid the Seine River Cruise

It's a waste of time, freezing most of the year and all that happens is that you get to see all the bridges from one side and then the other. Go and see amazing places like Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower instead!
Miranda Dickinson on February 9, 2010 at 10:25 AM #Permalink

Lunch,The Metro and some other tips

Try and enjoy a proper lunch. Lunch in France is served between 12 and 2 and you will be expected to eat your way through 2 or 3 courses. It will be much cheaper in the long run than having a massive dinner.Plus you get to drink wine at midday and feel Parisian all afternoon. Buy a carnet of metro tickets.Good for 10 journeys and any day any time any person ( bus and metro and RER). Better than a Paris Visite if you are only there for a weekend.Use the bus too. You will not get any view from a metro train, but on the bus you will probably get a feel for Paris and pass a few interesting buildings too. Stay a bit out of the city centre. You will get a better hotel in the 10th 13th or 14th arrondissments for your cash. Lets face it the metro is easy and cheap. Also if you are returning to your hotel at the end of a hard days pavement bashing you can easily eat in a less expensive neighbourhood bistro close to your hotel.You will have the added bonus of being somewhere where other tourists are not. If you are coming to Paris from Charles de Gaulle airport look for hotels near Denfert Rochereau or Port Royale RER stations. Then you'll not have to haul the bags too far to the hotel either. Being a vegetarian can be tough in Paris. In the Maris you will find one of the best Falafel joints in the world. Fondue , wood fired pizza and Morrocan/ couscous may be good options too. Don't go into a traditional palce like Bofinger or Flo and expect to get veggie food.You might get by on Goats cheese salads in these places but for the most part they serve large ammounts of meat and offal and always have done.In these places the customer is not necessarily always right. Seek out good Patisseries. They vary. Some are just OK but there are others which are temples to worship the art of the pastry maker in.They will have a long queue at all times and will be conspicuous by their window display which will look like an art gallery. I know - you will pay 5 euros for a bun- but look at it !- layers of chocolate ganache, almond wafer,fine biscuit soaked in Armagnac and then individually wrapped in special gold printed film and placed like a diamond on a golden carboard tray and offered up to you like the crown jewels. Pay the 5 euro and go to chocolate heaven. Lunch at The Musee D'Orsay is a great thing to do.The dining room is spectacular and the menu is good value. Expect chandeliers and restored grandeur.You have to pay into the museum to go there but it's worth it - and there are obviously some rather good paintings to see too!
pepelepew on February 9, 2010 at 3:59 PM #Permalink

Don't Forget to Watch Where You Walk

Parisians don't clean up after their dogs.
Steve Solosky on February 9, 2010 at 10:33 PM #Permalink

Nice Post

Paris is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities, an ideal tourist destination. When I went for a vacation in Paris, I had no idea about the top 5, mentioned above. Those tourists planning a visit to Paris hotel, should make sure to follow the post and thus make the most out of their vacation.
Paris visit on April 20, 2010 at 4:55 AM #Permalink

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