Paris: The Don'ts of Paris

The do's and don'ts of visiting Paris, France. From the faux pas when it comes to food and fashion to the insights on sights and museums so you are ready to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Paris! Tourist information on Paris that you can trust. We talk about the claustrophobic nature of the Eiffel Tower to the tourists that try to run across the world's largest traffic circle!
Filmed in Paris
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Copyright Mark Wolters 2023

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[NovaStar]

The most important bit of French you should know when traveling is "bonjour"! Start every single interaction with it and you will have a much better overall experience. It is part of French cultural politesse to begin with "bonjour". If you don't, you come across as rude...so they often respond in kind. If you want to avoid "rude French people" start our by being a polite visitor :)

[travelwithwill]

I loved Paris. I found it safer than everyone said

[vanessaledda]

I am French and I don’t especially like going to Paris :-) I find this city beautiful but stressful. I understand that so many people want to visit it but France has many regions that are all very different, charming and authentic. They all have specialities and traditions to discover. For those who are interested, I recommend Alsace (my region <3 ) and its must-see and magical Christmas markets in December, Bourgogne and its wines, its wine estates... you will eat really well and discover incredible places. In the south, some picturesque villages like the Baux de Provence are worth a visit. I assure you that the real France, its beautiful regions are calm, beautiful, gourmet... It is also true that the French can be unpleasant, in fact they speak very few languages, just French and do not sparingly make an effort to be interested in the rest of the world. It is a great barrier for them, which they impose on themselves strangely. This is something I deplore, but national education does little to encourage French people to open up to others. But not everyone is bad. Have a good trip home, friends! I hope you enjoy my beautiful country! Love from France

[patriciakounakowitch]

You are so right! I really appreciate this video. I lived 10 years in Paris and it is exactly as you mentioned.👍I would add: do not rent a car. Parking lots are very expensive and the traffic is crazy.

[rexx]

I visited Paris last year at the peak of summer. The only time I felt overwhelmed by tourist crowds is right around the main sites like Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and Champs Elysee, which is to be expected. But going off and exploring random neighborhoods felt like being in any other major city. Since Paris is such a huge city it's easy to get away from tourist crowds.

[WDH]

A few thoughts of my own:

1) Don't be an idiot on the Metro and talk very loudly on your cell phone. The Metro is often full of tired Parisians wantng to get somewhere soon and the last thing they want to hear is some two-bit tourist yelling "HEY MOM PARIS IS AWESOME !" or words to that effect.

2) Don't expect to be overwhelmed by the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. It's not that big.

3) Do watch who you speak favourably about the TV show 'Emily In Paris' to. Many Parisians hate it with a passion.

4) As in many big cities, do watch for groups of kids out robbing unsuspecting tourists.

5) Do wear good walking shoes and (in summer) carry a bottle of water. You're probably going to walk a lot.

6) As Mark said, Paris isn't France. I used to live in Toulouse which is a great place (the wine, the food, the architecture, the rugby ...). I now live near Lille in the north and that too is a great place worthy of your attention.

[kimmontenegro]

On my first trip to Paris, my son reserved us an apartment on the outskirts of Paris. My favorite memory is getting a delicious sandwich from a local boulangerie and eating it in the garden with him and my daughter in law. One of our best and cheap meals. Also going to the Monoprix with them was fun.

[kylepifer]

We went to Paris in aug 2014🎉. Would go again in a heartbeat 💗. I’m not a city person but Paris is totally different I’ve been to London, Germany, Ireland, Africa. Paris is still my best trip to a city.

[theatrix]

I love how this video dropped my first day in Paris 😂 I’m literally here now

[Cwgrlup]

My husband proposed to me on the Eiffel Tower at 56 during a sunset dinner. Lovely memories of Paris.

[jchambers]

This is great! When we were there December 2022, the waiters were all great. Paris was wonderful! One thing that struck me the most: Paris is enormous. Nothing can prepare you for this. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. It really made me appreciate the uniqueness of the city. I've been watching your videos for years. Thanks much!!!

[Fanw]

Don't forget that a lot of the metro is over 100 years old, and accessibility is sometimes a problem.

[didaskohistory]

Paris was amazing! Thanks for the great tips, Wolters World!

[Fanw]

Don't forget that the station for Normandy is Gare St Lazare, not mentioned in Mark's list of stations.

[streetnomadism]

Great video dude.
Here is another MAJOR tip for the tourists who ask when coming to Paris.
Don't Come in summer ! It's packed and expensive.
Come in February/ March or April.
Most importantly you won't have to queue to long for the Eiffel tower or the Louvre.
A Walker from Paris

[kenlongfellow]

Such great advice no matter where you're visiting. Take the time to familiarize yourself so you can be more "at home". When you feel you are more a part of the culture and community, you'll enjoy a greater experience of peace and calm. You create your experiences & memories, and nothing will dull these more than rushing through an itinerary of "must do's".

[rwc]

Vistied Paris last summer, my don'ts: Don't be intimidated by security measures at the big attractions such as soldiers on patrol with long guns. Don't expect Disneyland Paris to be like Disney World... a different vibe with some rides more intense than at DW. Don't pass up eating at a Paris McDonalds, they offer some stuff you won't find at a US McD's like macaroons and baguettes. Don't be afraid to rent a car and drive from Paris to Normandy, just rent from a place that is as close as possible to the A14 highway (which links to the A13 which gets you to Normandy) to minimize city driving and to avoid driving around Arc de Triomphe. Don't even think about driving around the Arc or walking across it, that is truly one of Dante's circles of hell. So glad there is a pedestrian tunnel to it. Related to wait staff, don't expect wait staff to dote on you like in the US, I found Parisian wait staff to be less attentive overall. Longer to order, longer to get food, longer to get the bill than in the US.

[StamfordBridge]

In the States you can have a meal whenever you want. Don’t expect the same in Paris.

[Bexisnuts]

For people wondering why Paris has so many train stations all very far from each other :
It's part of French history: when train transportation started to be developed in France mid 19th century, the country railway system basically got split between 5 different companies, all managing a specific region (east, west etc). Each company built it own station inside Paris. They used to be interconnected by an additional line ("La Petite Ceinture", the Little Belt, now repurposed as a park). These companies eventually got bought by the State under one administration in the early 20th, but there was no point in destroying these stations or rearranging the railway system which had already considerably expanded by that time.

Some of these stations have been rebuilt / repurposed, like the building which now hosts the Musée d'Orsay, but the rest of the stations have as much history in these walls as some other famous buildings in the city :)

[positiveoutlook]

my 2 cents of advice: when visiting a city like Paris during tourist season. Look up the "top 10 things to do"...then do everything else first! Spent the day in the rain walking almost alone through the awesome gardens of Versailles. One of my best travel days ever. (everyone else went off to crowd into the museums