How to be a tourist in Paris

There’s no shame in being a tourist. If you only have a week to visit some place amazing, spend half of that time being a tourist and the other half trying to be a local. Don’t get me wrong, if you have the time and perhaps the lack of interest in the things that make a particular place popular, go ahead and be a local. But if you’re there to see the sights, go and see the sights.

Paris. La Ville-Lumière. Literally, the city of light(s). Figuratively, the city of enlightenment. But, you’re probably not going to Paris to become enlightened. Well, I’m assuming. Maybe you are, maybe you want to walk in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. Or maybe you’re there because Paris is really popular and has a lot of popular things like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and all the shops on the Champs-Élysées. There is definitely no shame in that at all. So, in order to make your trip all the more worth while and pleasant here is a list on how to be a tourist in Paris.

• Learn a little bit of French. “Bonjour!” is hello, “S’il vous plaît,” pronounced seel-voo-play or see-voo-play means please, and “Merci” is thank you. Just these three phrases will go a long way because it shows that you at least tried.
• Do not dress like a typical tourist. Don’t bring that comfy college hoodie and those sweatpants because pickpockets will be able to spot you from a kilometer away. For women, a cross-body bag is great and for men, keep those wallets in your front pockets. And don’t wear those worn out tennis shoes. The key is to blend in!

• Get to know the area around your hotel/hostel/bed and breakfast. Getting to know the streets and landmarks will make it easier to find quick places to eat, stores to get necessities from, and how to get back to your temporary home.
• Come with a plan. Make a list of the places you really want to see and make sure to fit that in the itinerary. You don’t want to get there and just wing it because it’ll get messy really fast. For example, if you like museums, definitely spend at least two days in the Louvre (though two days is not nearly enough!).
• Don’t let the “rudeness” of the Parisians get to you. If anything, the Parisians are just more reserved. They are critical of new people and won’t be “nice” until you’ve earned their respect and friendship. That’s just how it is.

It’s definitely important to keep all of these in mind and to have fun! Having fun is the best part!