I learned SO much on my recent trip to Paris and Marseille in France, that I wanted to share what I learned with all of you! I wrote down everything I learned the entire time I was on my trip and compiled them in to this list of 30 tips and tricks for traveling in France, and international travel in general! I spent a lot of time really thinking them through and going over what I wish I had known before I went. I hope they help you in some way as you journey abroad!
1. FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE: Most money changers can negotiate rates. The money exchange places in the airport probably won’t, so I would recommend getting a little cash from them to get you in to town, and then you can find money changers in most tourtisty areas of France and they will definitely give you a better rate if you haggle. Probably the BEST way to get money is to find a post office with an ATM, and they usually won’t charge you any fees (your bank might but it will usually only be like $5) and they will give you a great rate. Those ATM’s can be a little hard to find sometimes though, and money changers are fairly common so it may be easier to just arrive in France with your cash in hand, to exchange in to Euros. BE CAREFUL to only change as much money as you think you’ll need, there are fees to exchange it both ways.
2. BE EARLY: Plan to be early everywhere you have any kind of appointment or departure time. If you pre-pay for your train tickets and you miss your train, usually the train tickets will be no good and they won’t give you any kind of credit to buy new ones. Plan on being at least 45 minutes to an hour early if you are taking a train, as new train stations can be confusing and you need to leave as much wiggle room as you can.
3. BOOK IN ADVANCE: Book tickets in advance as early as possible, specifically train tickets. When you’re in France you can easily see a lot of the country and neighboring countries by high-speed train. There are a few options, we used Ouigo as it is the cheapest train line in France, however their tickets get bought up fast because of that so book as early as you can. If those are unavailable, you can try to use Voyages-SNCF , however that one wouldn’t let me buy tickets unless I had a UK based address. Their USA website is Rail Europe which will definitely let you buy tickets, but the prices are usually a lot higher for the same train tickets you can find on Voyages-SNCF, but if you have to you can use them.
4. TICKETS: Keep your tickets always! On the high-speed trains sometimes they have people come around to check your tickets. If you threw them away when you got on the train they may kick you off! Keep them on hand. Metro tickets too, if you get a day pass keep that sucker with you (they are kind of small) and in a safe spot. If you lose it you’ll just have to buy a new one!
5. PICTURES: If you want someone to take a picture of you, look for someone using a nice DSLR camera, or someone who looks “touristy”. It can be scary handing over your expensive camera to a stranger, but that is really unlikely to happen if you just find the right people. You will probably get better photos out of someone using a camera similar to your own too, because they know how to use it. Another strategy is if you see someone or a group who looks like they want a photo together, offer to take some of them and they will of course return the favor.
6. THE LOUVRE: Buying tickets online in advance is good, but not as great as you’d think. You have to book them at least a week or more in advance, so be aware of that. Also there are two main lines to get in to the Louvre, one for people who already bought tickets and one for people who didn’t. When we went both lines were VERY long. I think the line for people who already bought tickets went a little faster, but not by much. Also once you get “in” to the Louvre, you still have to go down into the underground ticketing area in the glass pyramids to buy your actual tickets, and the line to buy the tickets wasn’t even bad. We were told a lot to buy our Louvre tickets in advance (we didn’t) but on the actual day of it didn’t seem to make a huge difference in wait time. (Note: We waited probably 45 mins to an hour in line to get in. I’ve heard it can usually be around 3 hours though in peak times, so I would recommend getting there early in the morning to minimize your wait time.)
7. TIPPING: One glorious fact about France, they don’t TIP! Restaurants, taxis, anything. No tips expected, so do not tip anyone (unless it’s like a tip jar or something, they still have those but it’s totally voluntary in that case). It is surprisingly nice to be able to walk in to a restaurant and know just what you will pay. As a tradeoff, customer service is definitely not a huge priority to them, but it’s still worth it to me not to have to worry about a pesky tip.
8. METRO: Save your feet, take the metro as OFTEN as you can! When you first look at the Metro map you might be confused. It definitely looks very intricate and complicated but we got the hang of it in our first day, trust me it’s easy once you figure out the maps! The BEST map I found was given to me at the airport at an information desk. It had the landmarks clearly written, each train stop, prices to Versailles and Disneyland, Day Pass prices, etc. It was the perfect map and I would definitely encourage you to grab one before you leave the airport! Of course the maps they have at the Metro stations work fine, I just loved how easy and clear my map from the airport was to read and navigate with. To navigate where you need to go, just look at the metro station where you are, and plot a course to the metro station you need to be at using stations that connect to other lines if you need to. To see which line you need you look at the END station of the line in the direction you need to go, and take that line to that destination and get off at the station you need. I hope that makes sense? Just take a few minutes to study it and you’ll be just fine! You can find a Metro map here if you want to study it beforehand.
9. METRO DAY PASSES: In Paris we usually found it more economical to buy day passes for the Metro. As of our trip, a one-way ticket was €1.80. The day pass for Zones 1-2 is €7.00 each, so if you are going to be using the metro more than 4 times, it makes sense to just do the day pass. The Paris Metro is divided up in to zones as far as the day passes go. We were usually in zones 1 and 2, where most of the touristy spots are. If you venture out to zone 3 the day pass for zone 1-3 is still only €9.30. Note: This website is hugely helpful to get you familiar with the train systems, I recommend reading through it before you go! Also most of the ticketing machines would NOT let us buy Day Passes for just zones 1-2, they would only let us do 1-3 so when that happens go to the Information desk and ask for just zones 1-2 and they can do it for you. Most of the time they spoke enough English to at least get what we were saying. We had only one time when a worker would not talk to us or even try to help us, and so we just walked a couple blocks to another metro station and they got us the correct tickets no problem. DO NOT LOSE YOUR METRO TICKET. If you lose your day pass ticket you will have to get another one, keep it in a safe spot!
10. CREDIT CARDS: Your typical magnetic stripe credit cards usually will not work in European credit card machines. They use chips in their cards that they insert into a slot. Some American credit cards are now switching over to a chip, so if you have that it will probably work, but be aware most credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee for every purchase (usually 3.75%). Also most places don’t accept American Express credit cards.
11. APARTMENTS: Some apartments don’t have toilets in them! We used AirBNB for our first apartment we stayed in and somehow missed that little fact. The apartment was just fine but it was on the 6th (top) floor and those are usually maid’s quarters from back when lots of families had one. There is one shared toilet in a separate room. It was no big deal at all, our apartment had a shower and sink and kitchenette so we were fine, but if that is an issue for you just be aware to check if you are using an AirBNB or HomeAway situation!
12. PICKPOCKETS: Be mindful of pickpockets. I made sure to use a messenger type of bag with a zipper, and kept in in front of me across my chest and had zero problems. They will warn you at every tourist destination that pick pockets are a real threat, don’t take their warnings lightly! There is nothing worse than being stuck in a foreign country with no passport, money, or credit cards. Don’t flash money around ever. Always zip up your bags & purses and use luggage locks if you can (not on your checked bags, but when traveling around or leaving bags in hotels/apartments). Separate your money if you are traveling as a couple, each carrying half. That way if one of you gets pick-pocketed it’s not the end of the world!
13. WATER: Water is an issue. I drink a LOT of water so I had a little bit of a hard time in France. Water fountains like we have in the U.S. are not a thing. Be aware you’ll have to buy it anywhere you go, you can’t just buy a water bottle and then fill it up at a gas station or fast food place. You’ll be buying lots of bottled water so try to get it at grocery stores where it is cheapest. Try to stay somewhere you can fill water bottles and refill them when needed, we filled ours from the tap at our AirBNB apartments and it tasted just fine, and saved us a little bit of money. At restaurants they will automatically charge tourists for bottled water unless you ask for regular or normal water explicitly! We learned that €8 lesson VERY quickly.
14. BUSKERS/ STREET PERFORMERS: On a lot of metro trains and in the stations, you’ll see people playing accordions, saxophones, or even just singing! We even came across a full 8 person band in one metro station. They are doing what they do to make money, so if you enjoy it, or take pictures or film them, definitely make sure you tip them! The performers on the actual cars will come around with a cup when they are done and you can put money in there. I always made sure if I filmed someone I tipped them, it’s only polite! They are usually quite good too, it made long metro rides into a great experience!
15. BUDGET YOUR TIME: Research each place you want to go beforehand so you know exactly how much time you will probably need there. Also research any holidays they might observe in the area you are going during the time you’ll be there. We neglected to do this and ended up in Paris on French Labor Day, when EVERYTHING was closed. Shopping, the Louvre, museums. It really messed up my itinerary but had I googled French holidays I might have known! Also research how long certain attractions usually take. For the Louvre for example you do not want to budget 2 hours there. You’ll need at least 4 to even see just the basics! (Some people even recommend 6-8 hours for the full experience. It is HUGE!) When planning your itinerary, keep time budgeting in mind.
16. TO DO LIST: Make a list of things you want to do in each place. Make a separate list of “MUST DO” things that you would be devastated not to do, the bare minimum basically, so that if you have to cut any activities or attractions for time or budgeting reasons, hopefully they won’t be from that list. Plan out when you will do the “MUST DO” items and get those done first, so if time or jet lag becomes an issue, you will still feel like you did everything you needed to do!
17. SHOES: This one is tricky. I kind of think that no matter what shoes you wear, after walking all day your feet will hurt no matter what, but you can lessen the pain! Obviously bring a few pairs, even if you bring your most comfortable sneakers, your feel will need a change as the days go on. Even if you are taking the metro, French cities still require a LOT of walking and you will be glad to be able to switch out your shoes day by day if needed. I recommend NO heels as well, you might feel like they’re comfortable, or that they’re low enough not to matter, but when you walk enough it WILL matter and it will mess you up. (Just trust me.) Go with flats and sneakers every time.
18. LEAVE THE KITCHEN SINK: Don’t feel like you need to bring everything. Contrary to what you might think, most things aren’t that extravagantly priced. If you are not sure if it will rain, just buy an umbrella in Paris versus making sure to pack one you might not even need. If you do need to buy one it might be a few euros more expensive, but you’ll be able to look at it and remember it’s the umbrella you got in Paris! (They even have beautiful souvenir umbrellas too if it rains, they always bring them out!) A main reason to maybe bring convenience items you may be worried about is to save time, it can take valuable time finding shops that are open and looking for what you need, especially when you could be sight seeing. If that is a concern to you then sure, pack the extra power adapter! But for bigger items that you may not need, leave them at home and buy it abroad if you really end up needing it.
19. LOVE LOCK BRIDGE: I mentioned the Ponts de Arts bridge in my France Travel Diary: Part 1 and a quick note about that. If you want to, you can specially order an engraved lock to bring with you to put on the bridge, or bring one with you from home to put on the bridge. That is a perfectly fine option! BUT they do sell cute locks at the souvenir stands by the bridge, and they were only €5. Totally worth it to me to be able to just get one there and write our initials on it in permanent marker, rather than carry a heavy lock in my luggage!
20. RESEARCH: Before you go on your trip, wether it be to France or another destination, do some research on the area you will be in. Look up the attractions, temples, museums, historic sites so that you know the significance. It will make your trip 120% more rewarding to know exactly why the Louvre is so amazing, or who in fact lived in the Palace of Versailles. It may also help you narrow down your list of things you really have to see, versus things that actually might not care to see if you’d researched them a little more!
21. BATHROOMS: Another aspect of France that is NOT like America, bathrooms can be very few and far between. They usually don’t have bathrooms you can use in restaurants and even fast food places. You might even need to pay for them when you do find them (.70€ in some train stations!) So if you see one and you even remotely need to go, I recommend doing it! (I spent a LONG train ride holding it and I thought my bladder was literally going to burst. Learn from my mistakes my friends!)
22. CLOTHING: Light layers! I don’t really care when you go, weather can be unpredictable and I have never been upset to have brought a cardigan or light jacket with me in my travels. Restaurants can be cold, wind can kick up, it can rain with no warning. Removable, light layers are key when traveling. I recommend neutral colors too. If everything in your suitcase goes with everything else, then you’ll have a much easier time dressing for the day, and dressing to your comfort level. (Not much worse than being cold on a long train ride, or too hot for that matter!)
23. LANGUAGE: No matter where you are going on your travels, learn the basics in the local language. It is respectful to the people and you’ll find you have a much easier time navigating, and communicating with people when you need help (and you WILL eventually need help.) Examples: Hello, Goodbye, Thank You, Sorry, Do You Speak English?, Bathroom?, numbers 1 through 5, Please, etc.
24. ENTERTAINMENT: The one HUGE drawback of international travel to me, is international flights. They are LONG people. Do not underestimate how long they are. Especially when traveling in coach or economy seating, 10-12 hours in a cramped, uncomfortable chair starts to feel even longer. Bring enough things to entertain yourself the entire time. Sure they have movies you can watch, but what if you don’t like their movie options? Watching a movie you don’t want to watch for 2 hours is kind of horrible. Bring books, magazines, snacks, music, movies, tv shows, ANYTHING you can to help the time go by. Most long distance planes have chargers for your phone or laptop, but if they don’t then come prepared with spare batteries or external chargers.
25. BE PREPARED: If you are traveling with a companion/spouse/etc., in the first few minutes when you are at an attraction or place, agree on a place you will meet should you get separated. Some places can be overwhelming and crowded and it can definitely happen. This way you’re not freaking out trying to find each other, you just go to the agreed upon place!
26. COMMUNICATION: Obviously unless you have an unlocked, international cell phone (you probably don’t) your phone isn’t going to work when you get to your destination country. One option is to buy a SIM card at a cell phone store if you can find one. You should be able to find one for €20, and that gets you unlimited international calling and 20 gigs of data. We really wish we had done this! It is especially helpful if you are using AirBNB or a similar option, and you need to contact your host for help or directions! It is also really nice to pull up maps when needed, or even post a quick Instagram when you’re out and about!
27. CHATEAU VERSAILLES: Chateau Versailles is about a 30 minute train ride to the outskirts of Paris. It is one of the top attractions to see when visiting France, and I’ll let you do your own research as to why, but needless to say you need to go! Definitely make sure you get an audio guide. It is another line to wait in but worth it in the long run, because then you can actually learn about each room while you tour the Chateau! The beginning “rooms” of the Chateau where they kind of explain what the Chateau was used for and what you’re going to see are interesting, but if you’ve already done your research beforehand you can honestly just skip those and get to the main rooms and halls for the really great stuff! There are three options for you when visiting Versailles, you can see just the Chateau, the Chateau and the Gardens, or the Chateau, Gardens, and Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate. When we went we just did the Chateau and the Gardens, and it was enough to fill about 6 hours at least. I’m sure the Trianon Palaces are beautiful too, we just didn’t have the energy! Budget your time wisely! Be aware when they open and close, if you go out to the gardens at 6pm and that is when they close, they won’t let you in! And you need probably a few hours at least to explore the gardens themselves. Plan accordingly! Also be aware you can rent golf carts at the gardens! I didn’t realize this when we walked in, I thought they were for the staff and only as we were leaving I noticed tourists in them! We went on our final day in France and by then our feet were DYING so I would have paid any price to rent the cart. The gardens are just so massive it really is the best way to see as much as you want.
28. GOOGLE TRANSLATE: Your new best friend. Download the app if you don’t already have it, then you can download the language pack for the country you are going to and use it offline during your trip. They even have a great option to hold the camera up to words and it will try to translate them in real time. Or you just plug the unfamiliar word in and it will translate. Hugely helpful at restaurants especially where the waiter might not speak English and you have no clue what to order!
29. SACRE-COEUR: This is a beautiful cathedral in Paris with a view to die for. It is one of the top places to see and you can research for yourself why. It is a beautiful cathedral, but honestly I saw lots of those so I don’t think we were really totally blown away by the cathedral itself. The main draw is the view of Paris, it is absolutely gorgeous and a must-do for that reason. The Metro goes right to it and it is surrounded by lots of souvenir shops, so if you want to get your souvenir shopping out of the way you could do it there! BE AWARE that there are some drawbacks. On busy days, there will be groups of African men waiting on each of the two sets of stairs you have to climb to get to the top. (If you want to avoid all of this I believe there is a tram thing that can take you to the top, but I don’t know how much it costs.) So the African men will try to grab your wrists and make bracelets on you and tell you it’s for free, but then they will ask for money for the bracelet. Be prepared for them to be very aggressive with you. They will really try to grab your arm to get this bracelet on so if you’re not interested in the bracelet you can use the tactic of acting like you speak Russian or a made up language and walking away quickly (they speak English and if they see you do too they’ll be even more persistent with you.) Or you can walk as fast as you can past them holding your arms to yourself. They won’t hurt you of course, but I think an accurate word would be “harassment” and it’s good to be prepared for them. There are also groups of gypsies and random people on the steps who will ask you to sign a petition for orphanages or diseases but it is really a pledge for money for “donations” to their cause. I’ve heard lots of support on this that the money you give them goes right in to their pockets, not to the groups they claim to represent, so keep your euros and give them to other less fortunate people you might see, not people who would lie to you to get your money. Just my advice because I want you to be prepared!
30. EIFFEL TOWER: The most classic image of Paris, the Tour de Eiffel! A few tips… you definitely have to see the tower from a few angles. It is VERY impressive to go underneath it during the day and get the FULL scale of the tower. It is even more massive and beautiful in person. You can also go up the tower in an elevator to see the view, and there is even a restaurant in the top! We didn’t do those but I hear it is amazing. You can get a good view of the tower up close from the parks right by it, just walk around until you find a nice spot and sit awhile to admire it and get some photos. You should also make sure you take the Trocadero Metro stop and see the tower from that view, especially at night on the hour! Every hour on the hour at night the Eiffel Tower sparkles like crazy, it is so beautiful and I was so glad we made a point to go do that on our trip. The Trocadero has the best view of the show. It is so iconic, you really have to make a point to see it during the day and at night for the sparkle show!
I’m sure there are more tips I can just go on and on about, but these definitely stood out to me as things I wish I had known before I went! Did these help you at all? Is there anything I left out that you have questions about? Let me know in the comments.
Have a great trip!
xoxo
