First Time Trip to Paris

[willow675]

Hi everyone,
I am in the midst of planning a trip to Paris for next summer.
Right now it looks like I'll be going solo, which has me a bit worried since I have never traveled solo.
I was wondering what I can do to stay safe in Paris.
Also how long is long enough to see the sites in Paris?
I've been wanting to go for ages so I want to see lots!
Any suggestions for inexpensive, clean, safe hotels?
And any general hints/suggestions/must sees..etc?
Thanks!

[wilson49332]

Well to take care of question one. It says you live near Chicago, so you are used to a bigger city. I was there alone as well and didnt not feel uncomfortable. But to be honest- its no different then here in the US. Make sure someone knows where you are- email if you can. Try to stay near other tourists, dont wander too much. Try not to look like a tourist, keep money to a minimum. Dont stick out- but yea as to safety, just keep to what you do in the US. I like to keep to be back before dark as well unless with a group of people. (Or if you wish to go to a bar, make sure its close to the hotel).

As to question two- Thats really up to you. I did it in 2 days, was very rushed but was able to see most everything. If your a person who is into art, then it will need much longer. If you like to just browse, and not read everything at the museums- then I would say 3 days would do it.


Question 3- I stayed at a hostel so I dont know. Most hotels are NOT cheap there though so beware. It was a very cramped city in that you must not expect all the huge rooms we get here, and all the great ammenities.

Question 4- Well theres lots- Louvre, Versailles, Notre Dame, Sacre de Coure, Eiffel Tower. Those are the obvious ones. A walk on the Seine River is nice to relax, Hope that helps!

[willow675]

Thank you! That does help.

I am from a big city, but as an added benefit I am from eastern europe originally, so I know a little about Europe. I'm more worried about having difficulty communicating. I know some french, but I'm not too confident in my ability.

This will probably be my last hurrah before starting a full time career, so I'm looking at staying 2 - 2 1/2 weeks, with a trip to London one weekend.

Any other advice is appreciated!

[wilson49332]

Ok ill pull out my trip details and let you know where else I went. I also bought the Paris toure card, which allowed me free access to all museums, and also it allowed me open tour of Versailles- which was a 2 hour line skip!!. Those are for purchase at any major metro station. It gets you free travel on the metro and busses. They can be bought for like 3-7 days.
OH Dont forget the cemetary on the east side. Its huge! I went to see Chopins grave there, but many famous people who died are buried there. If you kow a little French, you will be fine. Most hotels know English, and signs have English too. The people can speak broken English, its tough but you will be fine. There was police everywhere, so ask them if in doubt. They know English well. The locals know more then they lead on too, so if you try French with them, they will laugh but speak English to you back for the effort.
Go to the catacombs as well. It was a little out of the way, but an awsome place to see real live bones and see old Paris underground. It was awsome. I also went to the old sewer system where you get to see a real sewer system. Sounds nasty, but it was cool. It didnt smell and was clean and all. Both of those are covered free by the tour card as is the Arc and Notre Dame- both of which you can go to the top.

Be Prepared for LOTS of spiral staircases there! Just a hint- its rough!

[jabroni79]

Except for the recent trouble in the suburbs of Paris, the city is a safe place. Just allowed doing things that you would not do in another big city like Chicago.

Wilson touched on a lot of the issue, so I will add my 2 cents:

Question 1: Keep your purse close to you and secure especially in crowded areas, watch out for pickpockets, avoid travelling by yourself late at night in area you do not feel safe.

Question 2: Like Wilson said, if you are into museums and art, I would stay for 5 days. I was there for 4 days and still did not get to see all I wanted to. The Louvre can be an all day event onto itself. Personally, to give the city justice, I would give it a minimal 4 days since you said you have always wanted to visit Paris.

Question 3: Find a budget hotel make take some work. If you can, try to see if you can stay in the Montmartre (sp?) section of Paris. It is not so touristy and gives you an idea of what it is like to live in Paris. If you are going to be there for awhile, you might want to look into renting an apartment for a week.

Question 4: Musee D'Orse is one of the best museum in Paris.

Do not be afraid of not knowing French. A few key words like hello (bon jour), thank you (merci), good bye, pardon, and knowing how to count in French can get you through the day. If you get lost, try to find young people to ask or a police office since they are the people most likely to know English.