17 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Paris

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Mistakes to Avoid in Paris

Visiting Paris soon? Be sure to read up on these common mistakes to avoid in Paris!

Paris is one of my favorite destinations in the world. Not only have I visited Paris many times over the years, but I also lived there when I was a college student. And years later, I returned to Paris and spent a full month there. It’s a destination I come back to again and again, and one of my all-time favorite cities.

Unfortunately, I’ve met many people who were left with an unfavorable impression of Paris after visiting. They found it to be overrated, didn’t have a good experience, and aren’t in any rush to return. This is usually because they made one (or several) of the mistakes below. And that’s such a shame!

After many trips to Paris and after living there, these are the biggest mistakes tourists make:

1. Visiting at the wrong time

When you visit Paris can have a big impact on your experience. Personally, I would avoid Paris in July and August. These are the hottest months of the year, and the weather in Paris can be extremely unpleasant. Many places in Paris don’t have air conditioning, even including some hotels and Airbnb apartments.

Summer is crowded, but notably, not with Parisians. August is when most Parisians leave for their annual holidays for the entire month, so while the city feels busy, it’s mainly just the tourists.

The weather starts to get better in the second half of September and October, making fall a nice time to visit, although it still might be pretty crowded. The same goes for Paris around the holidays, especially in December. January and February are the true off-season for visiting Paris.

If you don’t mind the cold weather and having shorter days, winter can actually be a good time to visit Paris. However, my favorite season to visit Paris is the spring. March through May offers milder weather and fewer crowds, although it can still be pretty chilly at the beginning of spring.

2. Not giving yourself enough time

Another huge mistake tourists make is not allowing enough time for their trip. Paris is not a city you can see in just a couple of days. If it’s your first time visiting, I recommend allowing at least four full days just for Paris, and then an additional one or two days for taking day trips. Trust me, it’s worth it.

If you don’t give yourself enough time, you’ll be rushing around trying to cram everything in and visit all of the main tourist attractions in Paris. You won’t be able to truly enjoy the city.

Planning a longer trip allows you to have time to go for a leisurely stroll along the Seine River, stop at a sidewalk cafe for an afternoon snack, or relax in Luxembourg Garden and people-watch. Since there’s so much to do in Paris, you want to build in that extra “downtime” so your itinerary isn’t so packed.

3. Only visiting the main tourist attractions

Along the lines of what I just talked about, another mistake that first-time visitors make is only seeing the main tourist attractions. The Louvre? Check. The Eiffel Tower? Check. Notre Dame? Check.

But there’s so much more to see in Paris. My recommendations for getting a little off the beaten path? Visit one of the underrated free museums in Paris. Wander deep into the Latin Quarter, a lively neighborhood that’s among the most historic in Paris. Visit the Jardin des Plantes and the Grande Mosquée de Paris. Stroll through Père Lachaise Cemetery, a beautiful park-like cemetery where many famous people are buried.

You’ll have a much better time in Paris by doing this than just sticking to the main tourist spots.

4. Staying in the wrong arrondissement

Paris is divided up into 20 arrondissements, or neighborhoods. I wrote more about where to stay in Paris for the first time, including which arrondissements I think are best for visitors.

To summarize, my top picks would be:

6th arrondissement: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a chic neighborhood on the Left Bank of the Seine that’s very central and full of quintessential Parisian charm (I used to live here!)
5th arrondissement: The Latin Quarter, an amazing and vibrant neighborhood where you can sometimes find cheaper hotels here (while still being in a great location in the city)
4th arrondissement: Le Marais, a trendy and stylish neighborhood that’s very historic and packed with cool restaurants and boutiques (also a good central neighborhood)
1st arrondissement: Central Paris, in the heart of everything and close to many tourist attractions like the Louvre and the famous Rue de Rivoli, a big luxury shopping street

I don’t recommend staying in any of the outer arrondissements (except Montmartre, which is in the lower 18th arrondissement) because they’re further away from the main tourist attractions. Some of them are also very boring neighborhoods that don’t have much going on (residential areas like the 13th and 15th arrondissements), or they’re slightly sketchy (parts of the 10th, 18th, and 19th arrondissements.)

5. Taking Ubers or taxis

There are very few scenarios when I’d recommend taking an Uber or taxi in Paris. The city has a great public transportation system and it’s extremely walkable, so you really never need to drive.

The Metro system is excellent for getting all around the city, and the RER (regional train system) is also well-connected for day trips, like visiting the Palace of Versailles. Taking public transportation is obviously much more affordable than taking an Uber or taxi, and it can be faster due to traffic.

However, my favorite way to get around Paris is by walking. There’s nothing more delightful than discovering Paris on foot. Many tourist attractions in Paris are within walking distance of each other.

6. Not learning basic French words

You don’t need to speak French to travel in Paris, but I do recommend learning at least a few basic words in French to be polite. Most people you’ll encounter in Paris speak English very well.

It can actually be very frustrating if you want to practice your French. In Paris, it’s common to address someone in French and have them respond back immediately in English! While it’s annoying if you want to improve your French, it’s helpful if you’re more comfortable communicating in English.

Still, the main words I would recommend learning in French are:

Bonjour (hello, during the day)
Bonsoir (hello/good evening, after 6 PM or so)
S’il vous plaît (please)
Merci (thank you)
Madame (ma’am)
Monsieur (sir)
Pardon (excuse me)

Learning a little French is also helpful for what I’m going to talk about next…

7. Not understanding French etiquette

Many visitors don’t understand some key rules of French social interactions.

There are a few simple things you should know that will vastly improve your interactions with the French. And yet most tourists have no clue about these unspoken rules. That’s where the stereotype that “Parisians are rude” comes from — if you follow these rules, you’ll find they can be quite nice!

The first is that you should always greet someone with a “Bonjour”, whether this is the host at a restaurant, a shopkeeper, a bus driver, or a stranger you’re about to ask for directions. If you want to be extra polite, you can say “Bonjour, Madame” or “Bonjour, Monsieur” depending on their gender.

If you get a frosty reception from someone, it might be because you didn’t greet them properly first. Similarly, it’s always polite to say “Au revoir” when departing from any situation. (For example, when leaving a shop, you can say “Merci, au revoir.”) This is literally one of the basic rules of French society.

It can be confusing for Americans and other foreign visitors because you might be used to the shopkeeper greeting you when you walk into a store. It’s also totally acceptable to walk up to someone and ask them a question (“Do you have the time?”) without needing to say hello first. Not the case in France!

Note: If you’re interested in French culture, I highly recommend reading the book The Bonjour Effect before your trip. It offers fascinating insights into French etiquette and conversation rules.

8. Going up the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is amazing. It’s the most iconic sight in Paris. But thinking that the best view in Paris is from the top of the Eiffel Tower? Wrong. I don’t think it’s worth going up the Eiffel Tower.

First of all, it’s expensive. You’re looking at €35 for a ticket. And the viewpoint isn’t even the best in Paris. Mainly because it’s the one viewpoint where you can’t actually see the Eiffel Tower in the skyline!

Instead, I recommend the free viewpoint from the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette department store or the rooftop of the Centre Pompidou. A paid viewpoint that offers a great view of the Eiffel Tower is the top of the Arc de Triomphe. It’s €16, so still a steep price, but cheaper than the Eiffel Tower.

9. Falling for tourist scams

As much as I love Paris, it’s a city where you do need to be on your guard because there are quite a few scams. These are a few of the most common tourist scams to watch out for:

Friendship bracelet scam: Common around Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre. Guys will come up to you and start trying to tie a “friendship bracelet” onto your wrist, then demand payment.
Rose scam: Someone will approach you and try to hand you a beautiful rose as a “gift” and then ask for payment. These scammers commonly target couples for this one.
Fake petition scam: A group of women with clipboards will swarm you, trying to get you to sign some sort of petition. It’s fake, and it’s just a distraction to pickpocket you.
Helpful stranger scam: Anyone who comes up to you and offers “help” out of the blue (with buying Metro tickets, using an ATM, etc.) does not have good intentions and will scam you.
Cup scam: A particularly annoying con where the scammer places something like a clear glass cup on the ground, then demands payment when you accidentally kick it over and break it.

The best way to avoid these scams (or any scams) in Paris is to simply ignore these people. If someone comes up to you on the street and randomly starts trying to engage with you, alarm bells should start going off in your head. Don’t feel like you have to be polite — just ignore them and keep walking.

Another big thing to watch out for in Paris is pickpocketing. While Paris is safe overall, petty theft is fairly common, especially in busy, crowded areas or near popular tourist attractions. I have a guide that goes more in-depth on how to avoid pickpockets, which I’d recommend reading.

10. Eating near a tourist attraction

Now let’s talk about a few mistakes related to going out to eat in Paris. The first one would have to be choosing a restaurant at random that’s near a tourist attraction like the Eiffel Tower.

Are there some good restaurants located near popular tourist attractions? Sure. But the majority of them are going to be overpriced tourist traps with terrible food. I highly recommend doing your research on where to eat before you go, so you don’t end up having a meal at some mediocre restaurant that will overcharge you. At least walk a few blocks to a random side street away from the touristy area first.

Oh, and always avoid restaurants that have pictures of the dishes on a big menu out front, or restaurants that don’t have prices on the menu. Guaranteed to be terrible and/or a major ripoff.

11. Tipping at restaurants and bars

Speaking of getting ripped off, don’t feel like you have to tip at restaurants or bars in Paris. If you’re American, you’re probably used to tipping culture, but it’s not a thing in Paris (or the rest of France.)

Unlike in the US, waiters are paid a living wage in France. And at many restaurants, your final bill will have a service charge already included. So tipping is not required or expected. Most French people I know do not leave tips, unless it’s just rounding up a couple of euros for really good service.

I’ve noticed that in some touristy places, waiters can get pushy about leaving a tip if they know you’re American. Never feel obligated to do this — only do it to acknowledge excellent service.

12. Paying for water at restaurants

At most restaurants in Paris, if you order water, the waiter will ask if you want sparkling or still water. If you answer affirmatively to either of these, you will get a bottle of water and be charged for it.

Instead, most Parisians order “une carafe d’eau” which is a jug of tap water. This is always free. So be sure to specify that’s what you want in order to save a few euros on your final bill.

The tap water in Paris is perfectly fine to drink, and this is what most locals do, so there’s really no reason to pay for water at restaurants unless you just really prefer bottled water over tap water.

13. Waiting for the check

One more mistake people make at restaurants in Paris is waiting for the check. This is not just a thing in Paris, but all over France and most of Europe! If you’re American, you’re probably used to the waiter bringing your check at the end of the meal without you having to specifically ask for it.

However, this is not how it works in Paris. If you don’t flag down your waiter and ask for the check, you might be left sitting at your table for hours. If you want to ask for the check in French, just say “L’addition, s’il vous plait.” You can also just make the universal gesture for “The check, please.”

14. Eating or drinking on the go

Eating or drinking on the go is a huge cultural faux pas in France. While it’s extremely common in New York to see people walking down the sidewalk eating a bagel and carrying a to-go cup of coffee, you will never catch a Parisian doing that. The same goes for eating on a park bench, or, heaven forbid, the Metro.

If you choose to do this, you might get some funny looks from Parisians.

Mealtimes are sacred in France, and even something small like a coffee and a croissant should be enjoyed while sitting down at a cafe. When I’ve seen French people actually have a picnic, it’s not a casual affair — they pack glass plates to eat from, real silverware, and even proper wine glasses.

15. Not booking museum tickets in advance

Paris is home to some of the best art museums in the world, but you’ll want to book your tickets in advance because they can completely sell out, especially during busy times of year.

Some of the most popular museums in Paris include the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, L’Orangerie, and the Musée Rodin. All of these museums can sell out of tickets — and even if they don’t, you might find yourself waiting in a long line to buy tickets, which is a waste of your precious time.

You can purchase tickets for almost all Paris museums online in advance. Another option is getting the Paris Museum Pass, which gives you access to all of the top museums in Paris (as well as some other attractions like the Arc de Triomphe and Sainte-Chapelle) for just one price.

16. Wearing impractical shoes or clothing

Paris is a stylish city known for being the fashion capital of the world, so you might want to dress up. But I’d caution you against sacrificing comfort in the name of fashion.

You’ll be doing a lot of walking in Paris, so skip the heels and get a trendy but comfy pair of sneakers instead. Also, Parisians tend to dress in a more understated style anyway. So if you truly want to blend in, you don’t need super fancy outfits — the vision should be “effortlessly chic” and not over the top.

17. Not leaving the city

Finally, one last mistake that many visitors make is not leaving the city at all. Paris is amazing, and you could easily spend weeks in the city and never run out of things to do, but there’s so much more to France!

As I recommended earlier, I would try to dedicate at least four full days to Paris and then one or two days for day trips outside the city. There are so many great places just a quick train ride away.

I wrote more in-depth about the best day trips from Paris, but some of the most popular ones are the Chateau de Versailles, Monet’s gardens at Giverny, or the Champagne region of France.

What Not to Do in Paris

This guide showed you the most common mistakes to avoid in Paris.

I love Paris, and I think that you will too. However, it’s important to be prepared when you visit any destination, especially Paris. Making mistakes here can lead to a not-so-magical experience.

I want you to have the best time in the City of Light, and these tips will help make that happen!

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