The Streets of Paris

 “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

– John C. Maxwell

Sites/Topics covered in this post:
• Walking the Streets of Paris

Go-Date: Day 129, Friday, May 31

Lesson Learned:  Its expensive to eat in Paris. Even if you are careful to pick spots full of locals instead of tourists the prices are high. You can have a strategy for dining to manage your expenses, like eat breakfast in your apartment, eat street food for lunch (or picnic) and find a modest café for dinner, but its still easy to rack up $75 to $100 for meals, snacks, and drinks during a day.

I put drinks in the mix because Paris has such a café culture, and its really quite nice. The Parisians like to take a late morning caffé un creme (that’s probably spelled incorrectly) which is a latte’ and probably a pastry or souffle’. In the evening, its common to see the French meet friends for wine or a spritz at the corner bar at about 6 and recap the events of the day. Dinner happens at around 8 PM (20:00 local time) I find it a very relaxing way to live, but one that you’ll rack up the costs if you don’t look out. Its very different than Greece and Croatia where coffee and drinks cost a fraction of the amount it does in Paris.

I don’t suggest you shun this routine, after all….this is Paris. How many times are going to do this again in your life? Bon Appétit.

Wandering the Streets with No Destination in Mind

One of the first things you’ll discover about Paris is there is something interesting to see no matter which direction you walk (if you are staying in the middle of town). When walking the streets, its easy to have an idea where you are going, only to get distracted by this sight or that until you find you are 2 kilometers out of route and three hours later. Oh well, that’s why you are here, isn’t it?

Street Tips

• Don’t hang around the well-known eateries in the tourist areas. The best-priced restaurants in Paris can be found away from the likes of Île de la Cité, Le Marais, and around the Eiffel Tower. Well, you may be seeking places with Michelin stars, but most of don’t do that type of dining. So, when in Paris, head to other Parisian arrondissements to find the most reasonable rates. Districts such as the 10th, 11th, and 14th offer local and authentic cuisine that might not stretch your budget. In Paris, there is a café on every corner. There are probably 4 or 5 bistros in between the corners as well. Even if you have dietary requirements, there’s a restaurant for every requirement and every budget when it comes to Paris.  

• Greet the shopkeeper when you first enter their store. Never enter a shop/ store, and say nothing! You normally will be greeted as you enter, but even if you don’t, throw out a friendly bonjour‘ as you walk in the door. If you don’t, you may be greeted with a sarcastic “Hello”, which is kind of like saying “Hello, you rude American.” Many people believe that Parisians are rude, but I’ve not found this to be the case! Don’t believe the attitude of the waiters in busy tourist restaurants is the attitude of the rest of the city. We’ve even found that most of these hard-working waiters are friendly and have a sense of humor if you give them the chance.

• Like all large cities, there are tourist scams in Paris. We’ve seen a few of the common scams which you may encounter. First are young women that present you with ‘petitions’ while you are walking through busy place (i.e. Sacre Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, or Musee d’Orsay). Do not sign the sheet as they’ll demand money. Not only that, they’ll follow you around persistently. The locals try to shoo them off, but they are thicker than flies around a carcass. Another common scam is being offered something, seemingly for free. C’mon, you know better. Nothing is ever free. Don’t accept ‘bracelets’ or roses when someone offers you one in a restaurant. I did see one lady drop the rose to the pavement and stomp on it in Athens, but I thought that went beyond rude. These people are just trying to make a buck, after all. So, despite the person insisting it’s a gift, once you accept their ‘gift, they’ll demand compensation for the ‘gift’.

• While not a scam as such, be aware of your things at all times, especially so when in crowded or busy places such as on the metro. Be sure to bring a bag with a proper zip, never leave valuables in outer pockets and don’t wear backpacks in crowded areas. Instead, carry backpacks at your side with the zip at the front where you can see it. You’ll often see the locals wear their backpacks in front (like a baby carrier) when on the metro or in crowded spaces. That is not a bad idea. I carry a messenger bag on my side, and usually lay my arm on top of the zipper when walking. The strap, is worn cross shoulder to prevent snatch and run theft. When eating, I step my leg through the strap. That keeps the bag from being eased from under the table when I’m not paying attention and also keep you from forgetting it when you leave.

• Don’t bother using Uber or taxis. If you really want to get to know Paris like a local the best way to see the city is on foot. This way, Paris will reveal itself to you in one charming street after another. Simply wandering around the city, getting lost on purpose is one of the most enjoyable activities you can do in this beautiful city. This is how we’ve found most of the unique cafés and interesting sights on this trip.  

• Go to the Paris metro site. Download a .pdf map and get the free app with a Paris metro map for your phone. It will help you figure out how to navigate the city from one site to the next.

• The first Sunday of the month the Paris museums are free. Crowded, but free. We saw the Museum d’Orsay this way. We had a great time and saved ourselves 28 Euros. If you don’t go on this day, book your tickets online. This will save you up to an hour on your visit. Check around, most busy venues do this. You can also buy a Paris Pass or a Museum Pass. This will save you time and money. We skipped this because we are here for a month, but if you are going to be here for 4 or 5 days, and plan on packing sites and museums on your itinerary, this may be the way to go for you.

• Père-Lachaise Cemetery is a great site to visit in Paris. It’s also free. See the graves of Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Molière, Frederic Chopin, and the most famous grave in Paris: that of Jim Morrison.

• Take your umbrella everywhere you go. Paris is very green, thus it’s prone to frequent rain showers. The weather also changes quickly — sunny when you walk out your door, raining before you make it to the metro.  

• Learn to love the metro. It goes all over Paris and is very economical to ride. Buy the book of ten tickets, called a carne (kar-nay), which are sold at a discounted rate. You can also split them up among multiple riders. Make sure that you hold on to your ticket until you are finished riding, and have exited the station as some transfers require feeding your ticket again.

• A lot of the metro trains require you to open the door when the train stops by using the door knob or pushing a button. There are 2 trains in paris: Metro and RER. RER is heavier rail (commuter trains), metro is metro. You can ride both with a metro pass, but only RER within the city limits. Metros travel on the right, and RERs travel on the left. The RER takes a different ticket.

• Eat Crepes for lunch. There are plenty of delicious, cheap crepes for sale in Paris, but learn to spot the good ones before ordering. The best ones are made to order right in front of you. They are really good and its fun to see the skill these guys have making them.  Usually, we find them for 4 to 5 Euros, which is far cheaper than any other meal you’ll find in Paris.

• Most grocery stores, pharmacies and shops are closed on Sunday.   If a grocery store is open on Sunday, it will be only in the morning – usually until around 12:30pm.   Plan to do your shopping on Saturday or you’ll be stuck eating out all day.

• When you do eat out for dinner, take advantage of the Menu Formule. It is a fixed price menu for tourists all over the city. This is a great way to save money and keep the budget down if you find one at the right price. It includes an appetizer, main dish, dessert and one drink.  These meals range from 9 Euro to 50 Euros.  

• Enjoy the street markets. Is there anything more French than a classic street market to buy fresh produce, meats and cheeses? Well, or Greek, or Croatian, or Egyptian? Still, even though street markets are common throughout many places in the world, they are still a lot of fun and the produce and other wares are great. The Marché Bastille is one of the largest in the city and takes place on Thursday and Sunday mornings, but the city’s market streets are also great to stroll through on a random afternoon.