It’s hard not to love Paris, but it takes time to feel comfortable. The sense of cultural collision may be strong and jet lag or fatigue makes things worse. So, here are 10 ways to raise your comfort level. When you plan a Paris trip, add these to your basic tips.
1. Take things slowly. Although rushing around is Parisian, rushing one’s pleasures is not.
2. You love Paris bakeries and patisseries. So you need to know the two key expressions.
3. Paris is an old city filled with hard and tricky surfaces. Yet walking is the best way to see it.
4. Wear your lipstick! Nothing makes a girl feel better and, in Paris, that confidence counts.
5. Watch out on the sidewalk. Outside the big boulevards, sidewalks here are very narrow.
6. For photos in markets, inside boutiques or of individuals, ask before you snap. Here, the law gives people certain image rights—and market vendors, especially, often cause a scene.
7. Parisians say pardon (“pahr-DOAN” . . . barely pronounce the n) rather than excusez-moi. To reach the door in a packed metro car, this is the word you need.
8. Don’t put up with unwanted attention in the street, in parks or on the metro. Central Paris is perfectly safe yet there are men who push the boundaries.
9. If leaving the metro station through a door you have to push (a heavy metal door marked POUSSEZ in green), hold it open so it doesn’t strike the person behind you.
10. In cafés, you’ll feel better if you choose the right table. Not planning to eat? Don’t sit where it’s set for a meal. (Conversely, don’t sit at a bare table to order dinner.)
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