Heading to Paris?
General Travel Tips
Currency:
It's important to consider your personal spending habits. Resist the urge to get cash before you leave! All airports have ATM's and you can save yourself a lot of exchange fees by withdrawing the total amount that you would need for your whole trip when you arrive. Also, consider using a credit card with no foreign transaction fees for purchases that allow for a credit card for payment. Earn points and save money, win-win!
Pick-pockets:
As with any major urban destination, it's important to MIND your surroundings. Keep your passport and/or wallet close by using an inside pocket or a cross body bag that can be worn with the bag in FRONT of you. Book bags that can be discreetly sliced open and/or picked over are not a good idea, especially for important travel documents. Often, a best practice is to bring a photocopy image of your passport and leave the actual passport in your hotel's safe. Also, make sure to avoid con artists on the street who will see you as an easy target. It's not personal, simply avoid crowds and don't make eye contact. Similar precautions you could take in any major city.
The Metro:
Before we start, a warning (from experience) be aware of what train system you are boarding!! The RER is not the same, nor does it have the same stops, as the metro.
You can purchase tickets online at the RATP website, you can also download the RATP app for iPhone and Android by searching in the app store for "RATP". For ticket purchase, I recommend buying a book of 10 tickets for zone1/2. Here is the link for the website:
https://www.ratp.fr/en/
Metro Map:
https://www.ratp.fr/plans-lignes
Note: Most metro stops have a line map in the passenger/waiting area and while the Metro is very convenient, be aware that there are lots of stairs!
Taxis:
A white light on the top of a taxi indicates that it is free for a pickup, an orange light indicates that it has a fare. While a taxi driver may not speak English, you can easily provide them with a written address or give them a major landmark destination and you should still have no issues. While there is no obligation to tip a taxi, it is considered best practice to round up to the nearest Euro. If you are having trouble getting a taxi, your hotel concierge or front desk may be able to help. Provide them with your destination and they may even be able to acquire an English speaking driver or provide the driver with your destination prior to pickup.
Staying Connected:
One of the most common questions we get is in reference to telephone service in Europe. You have several options for staying connected, the two most popular are purchasing a pre-paid SIM card/phone locally or temporarily turning on your local phone provider's international roaming plan. If you choose to purchase a pre-paid SIM card/phone , your best bet is to grab one in the airport. This way you know you have one that works locally and they are easy to get (they are usually in airport vending machines). If you plan on using your own phone, be sure to check with your provider that you have temporarily activated a plan that will work at your destination and what kind of fees and plan costs you can expect. If you do not necessarily want to use your wireless providers partner cellular networks, you can be sure to set your phone to airplane mode (which turns off the network) and then turn on your WiFi, which will allow you to use any local WiFi you are able to connect to (your hotel may have free WiFi). Make sure that your phone settings are set to enable WiFi calling if you would like to use a local WiFi network for making phone calls and using apps.
Electricity in France:
In France the power sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. This means that if you plan on using any US electronics you will not only need an adapter, but you will need to make sure that the adapter is also a converter. US standard electronics are 120/60, so you would want to be sure about what voltage your electronic item is before plugging it in. In some cases, you will only need an adapter, in others, you will need a converter.
Tipping:
For dining, tipping is never expected, however recently it's become more customary to leave a modest tip for excellent service. It's called pourboire, or "for something to drink", meaning that you are buying the server a drink for good service (5-10% is plenty). For food delivery (i.e. room service) a 2 euro tip would be polite, but be considerate that it could be more depending on the class hotel you are staying at. Be sure, however, not to leave the tip on your credit card slip if you can avoid it. Coat checks or hotel porters usually do not require any tip unless it is in a very nice restaurant/hotel, in which case, a one or two Euro tip is polite. Its also a nice gesture to tip a concierge that has gone out of their way; the tip should be an amount representative of the service they have provided. For example, getting a reservation at a hard to get/nice restaurant may warrant a 5 or 10 Euro tip. Keep in mind, the more exclusive the restaurant the higher the recommendation.
It's important to consider your personal spending habits. Resist the urge to get cash before you leave! All airports have ATM's and you can save yourself a lot of exchange fees by withdrawing the total amount that you would need for your whole trip when you arrive. Also, consider using a credit card with no foreign transaction fees for purchases that allow for a credit card for payment. Earn points and save money, win-win!
Pick-pockets:
As with any major urban destination, it's important to MIND your surroundings. Keep your passport and/or wallet close by using an inside pocket or a cross body bag that can be worn with the bag in FRONT of you. Book bags that can be discreetly sliced open and/or picked over are not a good idea, especially for important travel documents. Often, a best practice is to bring a photocopy image of your passport and leave the actual passport in your hotel's safe. Also, make sure to avoid con artists on the street who will see you as an easy target. It's not personal, simply avoid crowds and don't make eye contact. Similar precautions you could take in any major city.
The Metro:
Before we start, a warning (from experience) be aware of what train system you are boarding!! The RER is not the same, nor does it have the same stops, as the metro.
You can purchase tickets online at the RATP website, you can also download the RATP app for iPhone and Android by searching in the app store for "RATP". For ticket purchase, I recommend buying a book of 10 tickets for zone1/2. Here is the link for the website:
https://www.ratp.fr/en/
Metro Map:
https://www.ratp.fr/plans-lignes
Note: Most metro stops have a line map in the passenger/waiting area and while the Metro is very convenient, be aware that there are lots of stairs!
Taxis:
A white light on the top of a taxi indicates that it is free for a pickup, an orange light indicates that it has a fare. While a taxi driver may not speak English, you can easily provide them with a written address or give them a major landmark destination and you should still have no issues. While there is no obligation to tip a taxi, it is considered best practice to round up to the nearest Euro. If you are having trouble getting a taxi, your hotel concierge or front desk may be able to help. Provide them with your destination and they may even be able to acquire an English speaking driver or provide the driver with your destination prior to pickup.
Staying Connected:
One of the most common questions we get is in reference to telephone service in Europe. You have several options for staying connected, the two most popular are purchasing a pre-paid SIM card/phone locally or temporarily turning on your local phone provider's international roaming plan. If you choose to purchase a pre-paid SIM card/phone , your best bet is to grab one in the airport. This way you know you have one that works locally and they are easy to get (they are usually in airport vending machines). If you plan on using your own phone, be sure to check with your provider that you have temporarily activated a plan that will work at your destination and what kind of fees and plan costs you can expect. If you do not necessarily want to use your wireless providers partner cellular networks, you can be sure to set your phone to airplane mode (which turns off the network) and then turn on your WiFi, which will allow you to use any local WiFi you are able to connect to (your hotel may have free WiFi). Make sure that your phone settings are set to enable WiFi calling if you would like to use a local WiFi network for making phone calls and using apps.
Electricity in France:
In France the power sockets are of type E. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. This means that if you plan on using any US electronics you will not only need an adapter, but you will need to make sure that the adapter is also a converter. US standard electronics are 120/60, so you would want to be sure about what voltage your electronic item is before plugging it in. In some cases, you will only need an adapter, in others, you will need a converter.
Tipping:
For dining, tipping is never expected, however recently it's become more customary to leave a modest tip for excellent service. It's called pourboire, or "for something to drink", meaning that you are buying the server a drink for good service (5-10% is plenty). For food delivery (i.e. room service) a 2 euro tip would be polite, but be considerate that it could be more depending on the class hotel you are staying at. Be sure, however, not to leave the tip on your credit card slip if you can avoid it. Coat checks or hotel porters usually do not require any tip unless it is in a very nice restaurant/hotel, in which case, a one or two Euro tip is polite. Its also a nice gesture to tip a concierge that has gone out of their way; the tip should be an amount representative of the service they have provided. For example, getting a reservation at a hard to get/nice restaurant may warrant a 5 or 10 Euro tip. Keep in mind, the more exclusive the restaurant the higher the recommendation.
Dining Recommendations
Under Construction
Excursion Recommendations
Under Construction