Fall for Paris, not for its traps

We’ve all been there: planning a trip, looking forward to enjoying a well-deserved holiday, and then falling for tourist traps that make us never come there again.

Even though Paris is on many travellers' wish lists, it’s important to be aware that not all that glitters is gold. But don’t worry—after reading this article, you will be ready to stroll the beautiful streets of Paris like a local.

This year belongs to a new season of YOU in Paris. Sipping espresso in a ‘brasserie’, while the only pain you have is a ‘pain au chocolat’. Let’s get started then. What is rule number one, when it comes to choosing a good restaurant or a café?

Be picky about your restaurant

First of all, you don’t want to look like a tourist and be treated like one the moment you step in. The one thing that French people love more than a fresh gossip over a glass of fine wine and a cigarette is themselves. Meaning? French culture and their language are something they are very proud of.

So if you are welcomed by the waiting staff in English straight away, and French is just a background noise from outside the restaurant, trust me, you’ve probably fallen for a tourist trap. You can still have a lovely experience in this kind of establishment, if you don’t mind overpriced food and drinks in a non-French atmosphere. But this is not what you came to Paris for, right?

In this kind of situation, trust the locals and rather visit a little, old-looking ‘patisserie’, ‘boulangerie’ or a ‘brasserie’. French people also don’t mind waiting for a fine dining experience, so if you hear people speaking French in a queue in front of a restaurant, you've found your place and try to book a table for the next day.

Beware of the illegal vendors

Paris is well-known for its spectacular monuments, where you have to be careful to stand your ground against local illegal vendors. Don’t be fooled by cute souvenirs or jewellery sold on the streets right next to Montmartre, Sacré Coeur or the Eiffel Tower, as you can easily get quite literally trapped.

Illegal vendors selling especially ‘homemade’ jewellery will quickly capture your hand and try to put their bracelets on you without your permission. Not only won’t you be able to take it off, but you will also be forced to pay them with money you were probably saving for a ticket to Versailles gardens.

Avoid transportation fines

Last but not least, transportation. Once you figure out the maze of underground and trains RER you are already a winner, however, if you want to keep this feeling, don’t fall for the third, the most important trap.

In most of the big underground stations for 5€ you can buy a transportation card called Navigo, which cannot be used until you put your picture on it. To make it more tricky for tourists, not every station has a Photo Booth where you can get a picture of yourself.

Make sure your card has your signature and your photo on it, unless you are willing to pay a fee of 50€ or even 100€ if you are not able to pay on the spot.

Having this card charged will make your life in Paris easier, as you can use it for all the buses, RER trains, underground and it gives you a free pass to the Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports using RER.

The card is very beneficial if you are staying in Paris for at least a week and you can recharge it during your next visit.

Paris is worth seeing and is more pleasurable if you know a few tricks. In the next article, we will choose the best restaurants in Paris, where you will enjoy great food at a good value for money. No more tourist traps, just a great dining experience awaits you.