I have just retuned from Paris and found the recent love/hate discussion quite interesting. After spending a week there I can completely understand why so many posters love this city. However, I can also understand why some posters don’t like or even hate this city.
I am going to address some of the ideas/notions/opinions I encountered during my research leading up to my visit.
1. “There are beggars/street people everywhere” Answer: TRUE
At least once a day I was asked if I spoke English. I saw several instances of the gold ring scam. The bracelet peddlers were at the base of Sacre Coeur and at other locations. The Eiffel Tower trinket peddlers were at many locations. The rose peddlers were at many restaurants. I passed several spots with women openly begging on the sidewalk. Of course, the “everywhere” in the statement above means everywhere there is a major tourist attraction.
My opinion: Paris is a major city, it is a major tourist city, this comes with the territory. Being aware of this before I went made this a minor issue. Just say no and keep walking, they are not going to bite you.
2. “Paris has an excellent public transit system” Answer: TRUE
The metro system is easy to learn, easy to follow and inexpensive. You will find an efficient route for virtually any two points within the city.
My opinion: I loved the metro and I always felt safe on it any hour of the day. And this is coming from someone who loves their car and shuns all forms of public transportation in my city.
3. “Parisians are unfriendly” Answer: FALSE
From staff at hotels, restaurants, stores and attractions, to people on the street, to people in the subway I had only positive encounters. I found Parisians to be courteous and helpful and benefited from many random acts of kindness.
My opinion: Maybe it was my effort to speak French first, maybe it was the sincere friendly greeting I gave everyone. Of course, any generalization about a group of people will never be completely true or false.
4. “To blend in you must wear pressed black pants and a shirt” Answer: FALSE
If you want to blend in, wear shorts, a camera around your neck and bury your face in Rick Steves’ Paris guide. That was the look I saw most often in Paris.
My opinion: Do not waste a second worrying about what to wear. Be respectful if visiting certain places, be practical, but otherwise be comfortable.
5. “Parisians are bad drivers” Answer: FALSE
Opinions on driving are always relative. I base mine on the fact that I have been to Rome! If you are accustomed to North American roads, then you might have a different opinion. In fact, I found the pedestrians less respectful than the drivers.
My opinion: If you are accustomed North American driving don’t drive within the major European city centres. Outside of the cities, no problem.
6. “The Hotel ‘X’ was in the perfect location” Answer: TRUE and FALSE
When somebody make this statement keep in mind that it was the best location for them and what they considered important to their vacation.
My opinion: Consider what aspects are most important to you. Is it proximity to a metro station, shopping, night life, varied dining options, pace and density of the area, specific attractions, etc. I spent time in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th. They are all great locations for differing reasons.
7. “Paris is too crowded” Answer: TRUE
The day I went to the Louvre the crowds were insane. The hordes in front of the Mona Lisa were annoying. You can only take so much of people trying to take a photo of themselves with the Mona Lisa behind them. I read about getting early to Versailles to beat the crowd. It didn’t help.
My opinion: It is Paris, it is the summer, it should not come as a surprise. Buy a museum pass and bypass some of the lines. I know that if I didn’t have one I would not have been too happy waiting in those lines.
8. “Paris is expensive” Answer: TRUE and FALSE
I read a post on this site that summed this up perfectly. It went something to the effect of: “the closer you are to a major attraction, the higher the prices will be.”
My opinion: If you want more reasonably priced dining options you will find them.
Paris is a major international city. It is expensive but not excessively so. Again, this is a relative issue. Is it expensive compared to New York City or London?
Other random thoughts:
I did not expect gravel roads in Tuilerie. I thought it would be all parkland.
I was not as thrilled with the evening boat cruise as I expected. Enjoyable but not spectacular.
As high as my expectations were, the Louvre still exceeded them. I could have spent a week just there. The audio tour is highly recommended.
Don’t overlook other museums. D’Orsay and Orangerie were also excellent.
I didn’t care for Versailles. Unless you are into room décor and gardening, you will be underwhelmed. The fountains were a disappointment. But I admit my opinion is influenced by my aversion to crowds (see above).
In conclusion, for me, Paris was a beautiful, delightful city that I would gladly return to. Is it perfect? Of course not, but the many positives easily outweigh the few negatives. But I think it is important for people to express their dislikes. I appreciated it because it did prepare me for some of the negative aspects, which then became non-issues during my visit. I also think Paris will generally receive good reviews because many people choose to visit it for a special occasion such as a milestone birthday or an anniversary. So naturally, a happy occasion will tend to bias your opinion of the place of celebration.
Thanks again to all that provided me with helpful hints both directly to my posts and indirectly though the numerous other posts that I read.
Au revoir.
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%26lt;%26lt;There are beggars/street people everywhere.%26gt;%26gt;
I have heard about them, but have never seen any. I%26#39;ve never encountered the %26quot;gold ring%26quot; thing, the %26quot;string bracelet%26quot;, etc.
But, then, I was raised not to talk to strangers.
%26lt;%26lt;If you want to blend in, wear shorts, a camera around your neck and bury your face in Rick Steves’ Paris guide. That was the look I saw most often in Paris. %26gt;%26gt;
That%26#39;s the look you see on tourists.
%26lt;%26lt;The day I went to the Louvre the crowds were insane. The hordes in front of the Mona Lisa were annoying. You can only take so much of people trying to take a photo of themselves with the Mona Lisa behind them. I read about getting early to Versailles to beat the crowd. It didn’t help.%26gt;%26gt;
Well, if everyone heeds the common concensus that it%26#39;s best to %26quot;get there before opening time%26quot;, one should not be surprised to find that the most crowded time. Having a museum pass to bypass the ticket line has nothing to do with the crowds once you%26#39;re inside!
If you want to have the Mona Lisa all to yourself, and you%26#39;re going to the Louvre at opening time, use the Porte de Lions entrance (where there won%26#39;t be a line because it%26#39;s never mentioned), then follow the signs up the stairs and a few rooms down. Everyone else will be going the long way around, and you%26#39;ll be way ahead of them! Likewise, you%26#39;ll reach all the other %26quot;highlights%26quot; when everyone else has left for the Mona Lisa.
(This will work nicely until everyone spreads the word, then an %26quot;insider tip%26quot; is no longer.)
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%26gt; But I think it is important for people to express their dislikes. %26lt;
I think so, too.
Your report seems balanced and reasonable to me.
What surprised me about the Louvre were the number of people who were, basically, just in the way. They didn%26#39;t seem to have much interest in any of the exhibits. Many of them were school or youth groups. On the one hand, EVERYONE should be exposed to good art. On the other hand, I wish they didn%26#39;t feel the need to do it on the day I visit. ;-)
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I just want to say thank you I enjoyed reading your report.. very helpful.
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Now that was a good report-with the negatives clearly explained as to personal taste/desires and what was truly lacking/disappointing
Thank you for your clarity.
Happy future travels
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Good write up!
I agree with your post. IMO, some of these people who complain about Paris should have a reality check. Most major cities have beggars and homeless people and grit. It%26#39;s a part of life. Personally I like the reality of the city. Every major city has a dark side and to me, it%26#39;s alluring.
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EXCELLENT post!
The negatives were presentedly simply and matter-of-fact...and we all know that they%26#39;re there, too.
The positives are also simply and clearly presented.
No sharp intake of breath, no exclamation points run amok, no flailing of arms and shouting...
Congratulations on a well-written post.
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Well said! The unfortunate thing is that one of the OPs who had such a bad experience in Paris, was there for ONE day on a day trip from London on Bastille Day! Can you imagine me writing strong opinions about one day in Toronto on Canada Day or you, about Seattle on the Fourth of July?
However, it keeps me coming back to TA to armchair travel with all the others until my next travels (to anywhere--Wanderlust, Fernweh--how do you say it in French?)
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That post was so good that it should be a sticky for all people to read. It%26#39;s a more realistic account of Paris and not based on exaggeration of personal feelings. Great post!
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Very well done.
I am taking my sister to Paris in Oct and after reading this thread I remembered my first Paris visit was not so great. I wish I had done my research and been more prepared for the reality that is Paris. Now so many things I found strange I don%26#39;t even notice anymore.
I happened to mention to my sister the other day that there are dogs everywhere even in cafes. She was incredulous. I guess I better explain the beggars to her. My only remaining pet peeve is the public peeing.
All things considered the good still outweighs the bad on any given day.
You have to go back and really fall in Love with Paris.
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Thanks very much for posting this - it%26#39;s a breath of fresh air after the nonsense and virtual screaming matches of the last week or two!
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