Vacationing in Paris: Things You’ll Like and Things You Won’t
If you’re planning to (or dreaming of) visiting Paris this year, here’s a 5 things you’ll most likely hate about the city, followed by 5 things that will make you love “la Ville Lumière” and never want to leave!
Things You’ll Likely Hate About Paris:
- Pickpockets and beggars. Be particularly careful at the metro stations.
- Strikes in various services. The French are a passionate lot…
- Pricey food and accommodations. You pay more for less. While the hotel rooms will be smaller and the food more expensive, always expect to pay more in large popular cities in Europe and North America — this is just the way it is.
- Lineups. Especially to must-see attractions like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.
- Rude service! Basically they can’t be bothered to act nice like other places (It’s really just the way it is, but don’t judge all Parisians by the way the service industry acts; they’re a nice culture, particularly if you can bother to learn some basic Francais before visiting.)
Things You’ll Probably Love About the City of Love:
- The food! French cuisine is very rich and fatty, and just plain yummy.
- It’s easy to get around. Lots of metro stops everywhere, but do keep the poor service in mind. The metro is one of the cheaper of the travel expenses you’ll incur in the city — no worry about needing to hire an expensive cab or rent a pricey car.
- Museums. Get to see lots of historical French and European art and artifacts .
- Paris is very “Walkable”. Plenty of sites to see, architecture is awesome, night lighting is spectacular, street performers are cool. Lots to do and see!
- Cafes. You’ll feel like you’re really a part of the culture just chilling with an espresso and watching the world go by.
Main Image: “Paris 2012) by Emax-photo
