Traveling on your own through Paris is an exciting adventure. It's one thing to dutifully follow a guide as part of a tourist group. And it is quite another to see Notre Dame Cathedral or the Eiffel Tower for the first time, accidentally turning around the corner of the building on a walk along the Seine River. And knowing a few "Parisian secrets" will make your trip more comfortable and safe.
Paris city map and travel guides
Before setting out on your own trip to Paris, stock up on a French phrasebook. Parisians rarely answer tourists' questions if they are not asked in French, unless, of course, you are accompanied by a film crew of a television project. The exception is Parisian pharmacists, who generally speak excellent English.
Get a good overview map of Paris, which shows metro stations and bus routes, or a separate metro map. City and metro maps can be bought at the street pavilion or at the hotel where you are staying. You will also need a guide, and preferably more than one. If possible, buy themed guides - to restaurants and cafes in Paris, to historical monuments, art and architecture, museums and the most popular shopping spots. One option for solo travelers is to plan your own travel itinerary in advance using online sources.
Purchase the Paris Pass through the official website in advance. The Paris Pass tour package includes free access to dozens of Paris attractions, including the Palace of Versailles, Louvre and Pompidou museums, Notre Dame Cathedral, Salvador Dali exhibition, Grevin wax museum and more. You will be spared many hours of queues and will save a lot of euros on entrance tickets. This card also provides discounts on public transport and on purchases in some shops and restaurants.
Paris transport
The metro is the fastest and cheapest form of public transport in Paris. The Paris metro has 14 lines and 297 stations, the distance between stations is no more than half a kilometer. Return tickets should be considered at the beginning of the trip, because by the time you return, the ticket booth or machine at the desired station may already be closed. If you do not plan to travel to the suburbs, to the RER zones, it is advantageous to purchase carne passes for ten tickets. For a day of active travel around Paris, including visiting the main attractions, one or two carnets are usually enough.
The bicycle is gaining more and more popularity as a form of public transport in Paris. The Velib rental service includes 1200 bicycle parking lots and stations. You can rent a bike in the Velib system right on the street, at a machine with a credit card, and return it at another rental point. The first half hour of the trip is free, then the hourly rate. Traffic rules for cyclists, as well as basic operating rules, are written on the handlebars of every Velib bike. It is noteworthy that on weekends, the Seine embankment belongs exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians, car traffic is blocked there. Thus, the city authorities stimulate the interest of tourists and local residents in environmentally friendly modes of transport.
Buses and trolleybuses, especially double-deckers with an open second floor, are still popular among tourists. Water transport in Paris is available during the season from April to September, but it is from the board of the river trams running along the Seine that the most wonderful views of the sights of Paris open up.
After 1am, taxis remain the only public transport available in Paris.
Water, shopping and safety in Paris
Paris - of course, not Rome, where drinking fountains are at every corner, but not Cairo, where bottled water is sometimes the only way not to die of dehydration. The famous Wallace fountains still operate in Paris, and a glass of tap water can be obtained free of charge in any cafe and restaurant. Having found a tap with water on the street, pay attention to the inscriptions, "eau potable" means drinking water, "eau non potable" - accordingly, no.
If in a shopping center you spent more than 175 euros on purchases and the entire amount is fixed in one check, ask the seller to issue "Tax free Shopping France" for you. This is an invoice that gives non-residents of EU countries the right to return part of the purchase price, namely value added tax. Refunds can be made at the airport at the customs officer at the "Tax free" counter, but no later than three months from the date of purchase.
Despite the undoubted tourist attraction of Paris, one should not forget that this is a city of immigrants, where social stratification is great and conflicts on the basis of racial intransigence have flared up more than once. Pickpocketing is common in Paris, especially in places of significant tourist gathering, so it is worth stocking up on traveler's checks and money belts. While dining in street cafes, do not leave phones and cameras on the tables - they can disappear along with a teenager running by. Avoid areas and suburbs with high levels of racially motivated crime and avoid wearing jewelry that claims to be your religion. Take care of your safety in advance - take out travel and international health insurance before your trip.
