Paris Travel Tips
As much as we welcome pleasant surprises during our trips, we also love being prepared for our travels. We started our planning months in advance as we hope to experience Paris to the fullest in our limited amount of time. Sharing some travel tips below based on our experience for all travel lovers who would like to visit Paris soon.
Disclaimer: links below are NOT sponsored and we included those only for recommendation purpose.
6:30 AM - Sunrise at Palais de Chaillot
Advance Purchases
Before our departure, a few things we purchased in advance that really benefited us in our trip include:
Paris Pass: without exaggerating, this pass has saved us hours of time from waiting in the regular ticket lines, a hands down recommended purchase for your Paris trip. There are several versions of the Pass available to purchase through different vendors, all similar but with slightly different coverage and time length to choose from. The pass can be picked up locally (free), mailed to your Paris hotel or your U.S. address (small shipping fee applies). The one we purchased has worked out perfectly for us, click HERE to learn more.
The only place included in the pass that requires additional reservation is The Louvre. Once the pass is purchased, you will need to reserve a time slot on the museum’s official website at no additional cost using the serial number or purchase confirmation number of the pass. All other places included in the pass will require no further reservation, just show your pass and skip the ticket line when you arrive.
Prepaid Europe SIM cards: though all major cellphone carriers offer roaming services in Europe, this is just a much more economical option. We purchased 2 different SIM cards and they have both worked out great on our unlocked iPhones:
UK THREE - 30 days of use from activation, more data but no Personal Hotspot
Orange Holiday - 14 days of use from activation, slightly less data but capable of enabling Personal Hotspot (data can be shared among phones)
View of Champs-Élysées from the top of Arc de Triomphe
Cellphone Apps
Obviously Europe has some different App preferences in getting around the city compared to the U.S., and a few that we found useful are below:
Uber: having living in California for so long and being able to drive everywhere, we are not super comfortable in taking public transportation to navigate around the city on a timed trip. Luckily Uber is available in Paris and trips are very much affordable, the same App you use here in the U.S. will pretty much get you everywhere in Paris or to/from the airport at decent prices.
TripAdvisor: being so used to checking Yelp reviews before selecting restaurants to dine at, we were heavily relying on TripAdvisor reviews to do the same in Paris. Turned out it did take some time for us to get used to the App, but once you get past the initial stage, it is a great all-in-one App that allows you to check reviews, book restaurant reservations, and purchase tour tickets, etc.
Lime: if you want to be less like a tourist and more of a traveler, do what the locals do and try getting around in one of those electric scooters. You will need to download the Lime App in order to scan and ride the scooters, and you will be charged a base rate plus a per minute usage rate. This transportation method is most economical when you are traveling solo and you know your way around well, or you may very likely end up paying more than Uber because you will be paying for more time stopped to check on your Google Maps.
Google Maps: this one is a no-brainer, but what we absolutely love about Google Maps is that nowadays it provides clear guidance on various transportation methods on top of just walking and driving, but for buses, subways, bikes, etc. as well. So if you decide to take public transportation, Google Maps can tell you exactly which line to take at which stop.
A building in Montmartre District, next to Sacré-Cœur
Things to know before you go
Here are a few noticeable differences we see from the U.S., and good to keep in mind so no unpleasant surprises.
Tipping: it is NOT required and very much appreciated. Tipping here is definitely perceived as a reward for excellent service instead of a mandatory fee, and 5% is a sufficient amount in most cases. One thing we found it quite different is that we hardly tip in coins in the U.S., but Euro utilizes coins a lot more than U.S. Dollar and has face value in 1 and 2 Euros as well. Despite of feeling a bit awkward and strange in the beginning, we very frequently end up tipping in coins and later found it absolutely normal to do.
Pocket Lifting/Scams: everyone warned us about the scary part of going to Paris, make sure to always watch your personal belongings! With 100% of mental preparation and awareness, lucky enough we don’t have much experience to share here. However it does get crowded at popular sites especially during peak time, and random people may come up and speak with you for various topics (surveys, free gifts, etc.), so generally speaking you should always keep your bags facing front and avoid/reject such conversations when in crowds.
Smoking: this is something we were not prepared of, people can smoke freely in many places here and the percentage of people smoking seems shocking to us. Perhaps the U.S. has made it so inconvenient for smokers with different rules and regulations, and that discouraged the mass population from doing so, but that’s definitely not the case here in Paris.
Click HERE to see our unforgettable Paris Trip!
Click HERE to see our amazing Paris Food Tour!