I'm going to paris for the holidays. what do i wear? how do i act? any tips about the french?

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worldglobetrottergirl

Dress warmly. Turtlenecks are always in style. Wear comfortable shoes...bring 2-3 pairs. The last thing you want or need is a blister on your foot. Wear a moneybelt or a neck pouch...keep your passport, credit cards, cash, etc in there for safe-keeping. Operate with a day's spending money in your wallet. Bring a scarf (or buy one there...Rue de Rivoli has great deals) and gloves. Wearing jeans is fine...I would not recommend bright white tennis shoes though.

Be courteous and polite. When you enter a shop, say "Bonjour" and "Au revoir" when you leave. Get a French phrase book (French at a Glance is great!) and memorize some key phrases. If you at least make an attempt to speak French, the Parisians will appreciate it. Sometimes they will start speaking English to you. Use "s'il vous plait" (please) and "Merci" (thank you) a lot. Read the phrase book on the plane ride over.

I don't know if you have a Paris guide book yet (I'm sure you do), but I'd recommend Rick Steves' Paris 2007. Great book, great tips. There are some tours of certain places, including the Louvre, Versailles, Musee d'Orsay, etc. You can also download (on his web site) some of his tours to iTunes and then to your iPod and do a hands-free tour.

If you plan on seeing a lot of museums, get yourself a Museum Pass. You can purchase them at certain Metro stations...saves you a lot of time from standing in long lines. I'm not sure how long you'll be in Paris, but either a carte orange (good Mon-Sun for unlimited Metro access) or a carnet of Metro tickets (10 tickets) for your transportation.

Elle

I found that in Paris, the french are not nearly as bad as their reputation. If you can speak ANY french, and try to address a waiter, sales-person, public transportation worker, etc. in the language, they will appreciate the effort. Fortunately, they will also immediately recognize your accent, take pity on you, and answer in English.

I found that as long as you treat them with respect, (don't get drunk and sloppy in public and don't yell or talk needlessly loud on the streets) Parisians are mostly polite people.

I went in Feb. of last year and it was a bit chilly and windy, so dress warmly. Also, pick shoes that you can do a lot of walking in (it's a walking city) without tripping on the cobblestone streets.

Rainy Day Lover <3

it gonna be hard to understand the french wether or not you can speek it cuz if ive been in F.I. since kindergarden and its still hard for me to understand France French cuz we were tault quebec/canadian french with is wayyy easyer

and wear whatever you want to

good luck!!!!!

Sidneykitty

I have been in Paris for 3 months now and I can tell you that the number one rule is try to speak any and all french. Even if you only know "Bonjour" the french will appreciate the fact that you are trying and will help you. In enclosed spaces such as the Metro try no to speak at all unless absolutely necessary. In the Metro (subway) no one speaks so If anyone does everyone stares at them. If you are going to fancy restaurants you should dress up. If you are going anywhere else Jeans are OK. They are worn by almost everyone in France. Just stay away from Shirts and hoodies. If you want to fit in the best thing to do is wear business casual clothes in the evenings and jeans with a nice blouse in the daytime and to automatically fit in wear a pashmina type scarf with your coat, which by the way should be Black. Anything other than black will stand out. Its best to review where you are going before leaving your hotel because if you read your guide book in public then everyone will know you are not from France and you will get major attitude. Be very careful about pick pockets because Paris is a thieves paradise and they target mostly tourists. Just watch your things at all times. Have a nice trip!

wb21089

wear scarves, try REALLY hard to speak the language, even if you don't know much, and only order cafe au lait in the morning.

tokala

I'm in Paris right now, and I can tell you that it's very cold (about 35 degrees farenheit), but it's not raining, we have sun today. So don't forget your scarf and gloves.
BUt other than that, dress as you like. You'll see many peole with jeans (including me) or sneakers, but you'll also see people wearing suits (the one who work in big companies)

How do you act ? well, just act normally ;o) Try to learn a few French words, it could be useful, even if most people speak English.
For example learn how to say :
hello = bonjour
good bye = au revoir
please = s'il vous plait
thank you = merci
where are the restrooms = ou sont les toilettes

about coffee, ask for "un cafГ© allongГ©". Then you'll have an american coffee with more water. Otherwise, you'lle have an espresso in a small cup.

Sarah B

shorts = bad
sneakers = bad
jeans on girls = bad

Dress shoes = good
slacks = good
skirts or dresses = good

Wearing any of those things will lable you a torist. Also when in a resturant never raise your haind at a waiter or holler/yell at them they will ignore you. Eye contact and nod, with small hand gestures if needed.

Do try to speak french. It shows respect. Remember to tip appropreatly.

Beni

I would agree with the other respondents about trying to speak French. If nothing else, bonjour, sil vous plait and merci go a long way. I found the French to be very polite, but matter of fact. Unlike the U.S., waiters/waitresses don't chit chat and ask you about your meal (assuming they speak English). It's all about efficient service. Typically, you will not receive the bill in a restaurant until you actually request it. This is not considered slow service, but allowing you to enjoy your meal without interruption. When you enter shops or restaurants, greet the them with a polite "Bonjour".

Bon Voyage!!

lise

Dress very warm!! Bring scarves, warm (nice) coats, a hat with attitude wouldn't be bad either ;). I don't know anything about you of course, but be quiet...no one appreciates hearing your conversation. Try to speak whatever french you know. And people aren't unfriendly, just more reserved and observant than what a "typical american" may be used to. Be polite, relaxed, and patient, then you'll probably be fine. Oh, tipping at restaurants isn't necessary-but appreciated.

Conan the Grammarian

Having worked in Paris, I can tell you that the Parisians are really lovely people. They tend to be a bit formal, but I have always found them to be very helpful. They would prefer that you greet them with a "Bon jour, Madame or Monsieur," before you launch into a conversation, but once that hurdle has been cleared, I'm sure you'll find your new "amis" very pleasant.

efrankbkkcam

warm clothes, french are nice

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