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Getting Around | Saving Time and Money | Hours | Eating Out | What to Wear | When to Go | Paris Etiquette

Getting Around

Paris is without question best explored on foot, and thanks to Baron Haussmann’s mid-19th-century redesign, the City of Light is a compact wonder of wide boulevards, gracious parks, and leafy squares. When you want a lift, though, public transportation is easy and inexpensive. The métro (subway) goes just about everywhere you’re going for €1.70 a ride (a carnet, or “pack” of 10 tickets, is €12.70); tickets also work on buses and trams and the RER train line within Paris.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements (or neighborhoods) spiraling out from the center of the city. The numbers reveal the neighborhood’s location and its age, the 1er arrondissement at the city’s heart being the oldest. The arrondissements in central Paris—the 1er to 8e—are the most visited.

It’s worth picking up a copy of Paris Pratique, the essential map guide, available at newsstands and bookstores.

Saving Time and Money

Paris is one of the world’s most visited cities—with crowds to prove it—so it pays to be prepared. Buy tickets online when you can: most cultural centers and museums offer advance-ticket sales, and the small service fee you’ll pay is worth the time saved waiting in line. Investigate alternative entrances at popular sites (there are three at the Louvre, for example), and check when rates are reduced, often during once-a-week late openings. Also, national museums are free the first Sunday of each month. There are many within Paris, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Centre Pompidou.

A Paris Museum Pass can save you money if you’re planning serious sightseeing, but it might be even more valuable because it allows you to bypass the lines. It’s sold at the destinations it covers and at airports, major métro stations, and the tourism office in the Carrousel du Louvre (two-, four-, or six-day passes are €39, €54, and €69, respectively; for more info, visit www.parismuseumpass.com).

Stick to the omnipresent ATMs for the best exchange rates; exchanging cash at your hotel or in a store is never going to be to your advantage.

Hours

Paris is by no means a 24/7 city, so planning your days beforehand can save you aggravation. Museums are closed one day a week, usually Tuesday, and most stay open late at least one night each week, which is also the least crowded time to visit. Store hours are generally 10 am to 7:30 pm, though smaller shops may not open until 11 am, only to close for several hours during the afternoon. Retailers now have the option of doing business on Sunday, although your best bets are department stores, the shops along the Champs-Élysées, the Carrousel du Louvre, and around the Marais, where most boutiques open at 2 pm.

Eating Out

Restaurants follow French mealtimes, serving lunch from noon to 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 or 8 pm. Some cafés serve food all day long. Always reserve a table for dinner, as top restaurants book up months in advance. When it comes to the check, you must ask for it (it’s considered rude to bring it unbidden). In cafés you’ll get a register receipt with your order. Servis (gratuity) is always included in the bill, but it’s good form to leave something extra if you’re satisfied with the service: a few cents for drinks, €1 for lunch, €3 at dinner. Leave 5% of the bill only in higher-end restaurants.

What to Wear

When it comes to clothing, the standard French look is dressier than the American equivalent. Athletic clothes are reserved for sports. Sneakers are not usually worn by adults, but if you pack yours, keep them for daytime only. Neat jeans are acceptable everywhere except at higher-end restaurants; check to see whether there’s a dress code.

When to Go

The City of Light is magical all year round, but it’s particularly gorgeous in June, when the long days (the sun doesn’t set until 10 pm) stretch sightseeing hours and make it ideal to linger in the cafés.

Winter can be dark and chilly, but it’s also the best time to find cheap airfares and hotel deals.

April in Paris, despite what the song says, is often rainy.

Summer is the most popular (and expensive) season. Keep in mind that, as in many other European cities, some shops and restaurants close in August for several weeks, though there are still plenty of fun things to do, like free open-air movies and concerts, and the popular Paris Plage, the “beach” on the Right Bank of the Seine.

September is gorgeous, with temperate weather, saner airfares, and cultural events timed for the rentrée (or return), signifying the end of summer vacation. In the third weekend in September, scores of national buildings that are normally closed to the public open for visits during the annual Journées du Patrimoine (Patrimony Days).

Paris Etiquette

The Parisian reputation for rudeness is undeserved. In fact, Parisians are sticklers for politesse and exchanging formal greetings is the rule. Informal American-style manners are considered impolite. Beginning an exchange with a simple “Do you speak English?” will get you on the right foot. Learning a few key French words will take you far. Offer a hearty bonjour (bohn-zhoor) when walking into a shop or café and an au revoir (o ruh-vwahr) when leaving, even if nobody seems to be listening (a chorus may reply). When speaking to a woman over age 16, use madame (ma-dam), literally “my lady.” For a young woman or girl, use mademoiselle (mad-mwa-zel). A man of any age goes by monsieur (murh-syur). Always say please, s’il vous plaît (seel-voo-play), and thank you, merci (mehr-see).

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