10 Things to KNOW Before YOU GO to PARIS

if you're thinking about coming to paris you may have a lot of thoughts and emotions coming up like when should i go how long should i stay where should i stay and what do i need to know about the currency or the currency exchange it's an exciting time but there's a lot to consider but don't let those thoughts get in the way of having your dream come true in this video we'll answer key questions about things you need to know before you go so you can travel with ease are you ready i am really ready hi leonieva let's go [Music] one of the first questions people ask when they start planning a trip to paris is when is the best time to come and the answer is anytime is a good time to come to paris and there are pros and cons for what part of the year you do choose to come the best time for you depends on what's important to you so paris is packed with tourists from may through october this is the high season and both flights and hotel rates will reflect that it'll be expensive december is also a high traffic time because families come here to spend the holidays and make memories together the summer months are beautiful and you have daylight from 6am to 11pm this is a great time if you want to get the most out of your days the downside is that it can get very hot and most of france does not have air conditioning by contrast november january and february are the low seasons so there's less traffic it's less crowded and you'll find lower prices on both flights and hotels the days are shorter with sunrise around 8 30 a.m and sunset around 5 p.m so in winter months you'll get to see most of the sunsets and enjoy paris by night activities overall winter weather in paris is pretty temperate it does get cold but it doesn't go below freezing often it snows but that's generally a light snow like flurries or a light dusting on the ground that melts away quickly the worst part about winters is the gray skies and the mist in the air i mentioned that december is a high traffic time and it's worth mentioning that from late november through christmas europe is a buzz with christmas markets these are neighborhood or village festivals with street foods rides vendors performers and the twinkling lights and excitement make the winter holidays extra wonderful so whether you're choosing the right time based on price comfort the amount of daylight the weather as audrey hepburn says paris is always a good idea [Music] there are a lot of opinions where you should stay in paris i always want to know by what criteria is the best is it just because someone liked it how do i know it's best for me we hear things like i want to be close to attractions or near transportation or close to bakeries and restaurants the truth is that paris is actually a pretty small place and you'll find those things close to many areas if you're getting advice on where to stay think about these things do i want a quiet place or i want to be close to nightlife am i looking for luxury or quaint neighborhood feeling do i want to stay somewhere trendy or avant-garde or somewhere more classic or do i want to stay near other tourists or in a neighborhood where more locals are in other words what is the vibe you're looking for what environment makes you feel comfortable secure alive and involved because each part of town has its own flavor we did a video that breaks down the vibe of nine different areas in paris to help you get more familiar and we've done some video reviews of hotels in different areas to help you choose what's right for you another question is how much time do i need to spend in paris and the simple answer is as much as possible but the reality for most people is that paris is about a three to four day stop in a european vacation and yes you can see a lot of paris in that time our best suggestions on how to answer that for yourself is to choose your absolute must see things and limit yourself to two per day it's possible to do more and you may but don't underestimate the impact of jet lag the time you may spend waiting in lines and the time you're going to need to relax in a cafe or get lost wandering down a pedestrian street that you didn't know you were going to fall in love with [Music] next is about restaurants and tipping and people ask us is it true that you don't have to tip in france the prices in restaurants and friends do include both sales tax and service or a tip for your server you don't need to add anything if your meal is 15 euro then it's 15 euro out the door and if you choose to add more gratuity above and beyond what you just paid i'm sure they would love that but they're already earning a living so you don't need to leave anything extra for extraordinary service a french person may leave an extra one to three euros but that for something special by the way the same is true with shopping sales tax is included the price is what the price is [Music] let me take a little break to let you know there's a link in the description below to a paris travel guide that we put together with some of our favorite restaurants the best bakeries places that we featured in our videos there's hotels there's transportation options shopping stuff and just some of the best advice for having an amazing trip in paris so if you're interested in that the link is below now let's get back to the video another question people ask is what if i don't speak french a lot of people worry about not knowing how to speak french and you may be worried or confused or vulnerable or maybe worried about being rude or misunderstood these are valid concerns but you don't have to become fluent in french to get around it's good to know a few phrases and you can do that easily with a free app like duolingo or babel and learn to say things like hello or bonjour merci or thank you even where is the bathroom but it's not reasonable to expect french people to speak english but many more of them know english than the average american knows how to speak french so start with bonjour before assuming that they speak english feel free to ask if they speak english but remember it's their home and it's respectful to use their language and then if all else fails you've got google translates you can type it in and get a text translation or speak it in and get an audible translation and that way you can play out loud and communicate with anyone through google translate google translates your friend [Music] the next thing you need to know before you come to paris is what's the best way to get around in paris and what kind of transportation should i use when you're planning your paris trip there are already two things to think about how are you going to get from the airport to your hotel and how are you going to get around when you are visiting the must-see sites so let me start by saying don't rent a car driving in paris is expensive and inconvenient the roads can really be chaotic and reading sites in french well let me just say it's not for everyone chances are you would just pay for parking because there are enough easier and faster ways to get around there is a very affordable and efficient metro system and city buses that go everywhere and also plenty of taxis and ubers you can hire a private guide rent bicycles and scooter and don't underestimate the value of discovering paris by foot this is a very walkable town [Music] the next question is how does the money work figuring out your budgets and how much money to exchange from your local currency to euros can be stressful but it doesn't have to be in paris you can do just about any transaction with a credit card apple pay google pay or samsung pay they're really big on contactless payment here and it's a good idea to have some cash but you don't need to get it before you leave home it's pretty easy to do here there are places even inside the airport before you leave baggage claim and a lot of other little easily marked spots all around town where you can change money or you can use the debit card you use at home with the same pen to get cash from atm machines all over paris [Music] the next thing you need to know before you come and the questions we get often is will i need an adapter to charge my phone and will my phone work in france and in europe if you're coming to france from another country you're going to need an adapter to plug your stuff in without getting too technical france runs on 220 volts and the us for example is 110 volt you're going to need one that looks just like this one they are easy to find and not expensive and if you're on a european tour you'll need a different one for london rome and madrid so it may be worth investing in an international set you don't want to be surprised and there's a link in the description to the one we like and use and while we're almost on the subject if you want to stay connected with your mobile phone there are some cost-effective ways to do that the french equivalent of atnt or verizon is called orange if your phone is unlocked they offer a sim card for 40 euros that you can use not just in france but around the entire european zone for two weeks and that for sure beats the 10 per day verizon charged me when i started coming here you can buy one on amazon before you leave home if you're comfortable installing it yourself if not it's easy to stop in any orange store in paris and have them do it for you [Music] another question is what is the dress code and what should i wear it always surprises me how much people stress out about what to wear in paris yes it's one of the top fashion capitals in the world but most french people don't follow that they dress just like you or me so bring layers and colors that transition from day to night and things that can be matched and rematched to change from one outfit to another but you definitely should pack to be comfortable especially with your shoes locals save their fancy shoes for nights on the town or important business functions think sensible shoes for long walks on cobblestone streets i can't tell you how many people buy sneakers in paris because they didn't believe this tip dress like yourself and you'll fit right in and a lot of people ask us is paris safe the straight answer is yes paris is safe but like any large city you need to be aware paris is one of the most visited cities in the world with that volume of tourists opportunities come out during the high season pickpockets and scammers get to work please don't let that discourage you or put a damper in your plans check out our video describing the scams and the ways to avoid being scammed paris is safe and french people are quite nice be informed before you travel and you'll be ready to have a great time all right so that does it for today thank you so much for watching the video please take a moment to subscribe and click the bell so you don't miss a thing and until next time all well au revoir you

Channel: Les Frenchies

Views: 273,371

Keywords: les frenchies, paris travel, les frenchies travel, things to know before you go to paris, paris vlog, visit paris, paris travel tips, paris travel vlog, paris travel guide, paris tour, things to do in paris, best places to visit in france, best food in paris, visiting paris for the first time, french food, what to do in paris, first time in paris, paris for beginners, top 10 paris, travel tips, paris trip, paris travel video, 10 things to know before you go to paris

Id: lkCfBDntYTI

Length: 11min 16sec (676 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 20 2022