Visiting Paris for the First Time: 10 Things to Know!
Ahh, Paris. I visited for the first time in 2012 with my family and didn’t return for 10 years! In 2022, my husband and I spent 3 perfect days in Paris, and honestly, I forgot how wonderful this city is.
A lot of people say Paris is overrated, but I couldn’t disagree more! Paris is one of the most magical cities in the world, and everyone should visit at least once in their life.
However, there are definitely some things you should know before visiting Paris for the first time, especially if you are traveling from the USA!
In this guide, I’ll cover the top 10 must-knows before visiting Paris for the first time, which I guarantee will make your trip more enjoyable.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link or book through an affiliate program, I receive a small commission at no cost to you!
10 Things you NEED to Know Before Visiting Paris for the First Time!
1. Watch Your Belongings
Let’s start with safety! In general, Paris is a pretty safe city for tourists. Crime rates are low, but you need to watch out for pickpocketing. Paris is full of pickpockets who target tourist areas and can steal things from you without you noticing.
If you’re visiting Paris for the first time, I highly recommend buying a fanny pack or small bag like this one that you can wear in front of you. Do not put ANY valuables in a backpack and wear it on your back without paying attention. This makes it too easy for pick pockets.
Make sure to pay extra attention to your belongings when visiting places like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and when on the metro. Pick pockets frequent these areas. When you’re in large crowds, hold your bag in front of you, don’t leave your phone in a loose pocket, and make sure to stay aware!
2. Be Aware of Scammers
Similar to the above, scammers are common in the touristy parts of Paris. For example, when we were exiting the Louvre up to the Tuileries Garden, there were men standing on the stairs trying to stop people and asking for “tickets”. This made absolutely no sense as we were exiting the Louvre into a public garden…
Most people just walked right past them, so I got the hint pretty quickly. But if you are a trusting or gullible person, it’s important to be aware of scammers and question whenever people stop you.
Another story: my first time visiting Paris in 2012 with my family, we were walking along the Seine and an older women stopped my sister. She handed her a ring and said my sister had dropped it (she didn’t).
When my dad came over to see what was going on, the lady said she couldn’t keep the ring because it was bad luck and he needed to give her money for it… huh?! I learned later thanks to the internet that is a common scam in Paris. So again, if you’re visiting Paris for the first time, be aware of scammers in touristy areas!!
3. Pack Comfortable Shoes
This is SO important for visiting most European cities, but especially Paris! If you’re visiting Paris for the first time, you will probably walk a TON to see as many sites as possible. On our last trip, we averaged about 30,000 steps (15 miles!) a day – that’s crazy!!
If you want to be able to enjoy Paris to the fullest, you absolutely need comfortable shoes. I distinctly remember being 16 years old in the Louvre in a terrible mood because my feet hurt so bad. Don’t let this be you!! Invest in good walking shoes.
I didn’t want to be stuck wearing sneakers the whole trip, so I bought these Reef sandals before we left for Europe, and they were freaking amazing!! I did get some blisters the first day because I didn’t break them in before we left (silly me!), but after the blisters healed, these shoes were magical.
I also walked 10 miles in them on a day trip from Nice to Monaco and had zero pain. They are super supportive and don’t rub. I highly recommend them!
Speaking of what to pack, here are some other items you should absolutely pack in your suitcase when visiting Paris for the first time!
- Portable Charger (You will most likely be out and about, away from your hotel for most of the day while in Paris. I highly recommend packing a portable charger so your phone doesn’t die!)
- A Wide Brimmed Hat (Not only does it dress up any outfit, but a cute hat like this one will provide some relief from the sun!)
- A Cross-Body Bag (Already mentioned, but a small bag like this one that you can keep in front of you will help protect you from pick pockets!)
- A Plug Adapter (If you’re visiting from the USA, you will need a plug adapter for France, as they use Type E and/or C. Remember if you are bringing something like a hair dryer or steamer, you will need an adapter with a voltage converter. Don’t fry your electronics like I did!)
4. Skip the Seine River Cruise
Okay, I don’t mean totally skip it! There are tons of different Seine river cruises in Paris.. The one I am talking about skipping is the standard 1-hour ones.
We saw tons of these during the day, and they were PACKED with people. It did not look enjoyable at all. Everyone was squeezed into benches on the top deck.. Post-covid me has no interest in doing that!
Instead, we ended up booking a romantic dinner cruise through Bateaux Mouches. While it was expensive and definitely a spluge, it was so so wonderful and not cheesy like I thought it would be! We booked the more expensive option to be on the front of the boat (again, so worth it!).
The food was pretty good, the dessert was heavenly, AND there was live music, plus champagne! Most of these dinner cruises leave around 8:30pm in the summer, so you get to watch the sun set (around 9:30pm) which was gorgeous!
They also time it perfectly so you are passing the Eiffel Tower right when it sparkles at dusk, which we watched from the top deck of the boat with our champagne. It was magical!! I highly recommend booking a Seine dinner cruise if you’re visiting Paris for the first time. It’s one of the best things to do in Paris at night!
#5. Take Advantage of Public Transportation
Paris has a wonderful public transportation system that is SO easy to use, even for tourists who are visiting Paris for the first time!
Don’t be intimated by it, even if you can’t speak French. If you rely solely on taxis when visiting Paris, you will end up spending a ton of money and wasting time, so take advantage of the public transportation!
RATP is the name of the public transportation system, which includes trains, the Paris Metro, trams, and buses. I highly recommend downloading Google Maps for your trip, which has all the public transportation schedules built in.
Just enter your location and where you need to go, and it’ll show you the different options for getting there, including the easiest (least amount of stops) or the fastest option.
You can purchase a book of single tickets in any metro station when you arrive, which is what we did on our trip. You can also purchase the Paris Visite travel pass before you go, which you can pre-load for with money and includes all public transportation within the city limits.
No matter which option you choose, make sure to take advantage of the public transportation!
#6. Book Tickets in Advance
If you’re visiting Paris for the first time, you will likely be visiting some notable sites like the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, or maybe even taking a day trip from Paris to Versailles. All of these places have the option to buy tickets in advance, which you absolutely should do.
It is very common for these places to sell out, especially during the summer. We purchased our tickets to the Louvre and Versailles about a week in advance, and the morning time slots were already gone.
Plus, most of these places have two different lines: one for people who pre-purchased tickets and one for people who still need tickets. The line for purchasing tickets was always INSANE!
For example, when we arrived at the Arc de Triomphe, there was a line with probably 300 people in it. Luckily I walked to the front and confirmed it was the line for people who didn’t have tickets.
When I showed my pre-purchased ticket, I was able to skip the entire line.. So moral of the story, buy your tickets in advance!
#7. Look into the Paris Pass
Speaking of visiting the famous sites, make sure to look into the Paris Pass before your trip. The Paris Museum Pass is a combination pass that you can purchase for a flat fee, and it gets you entrance into over 80 tourist attractions in Paris, including places like the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, etc.
There are different passes depending on the duration of your trip, the shortest being 2 days. The Paris Pass also allows you to skip the normal line at most attractions, and/or get early entry. But make sure to do your research and confirm if it’s worth purchasing!
We didn’t end up purchasing the pass because a 2-day pass was about $140 per day per adult, and the total for the sites we wanted to visit was much less than that!
#8. Learn Some French Language and Customs
I am sure you have heard of the Paris stereotype – that they are all rude to Americans. I can honestly say that while visitng Paris in 2022, we did not have one bad experience with a Parisian!
Of course, everyone’s experience is different, and not every person you interact with is going to be a ray of sunshine, BUT I think 2 things make a huge difference. #1. Being polite (obviously) and 2. Knowing some French. A simple “Bonjour!” and “Merci!” goes a long way to the French people.
Here are some French phrases you should absolutely know before visiting Paris for the firs time:
- Hello! | Bonjour!
- Excuse Me | Excusez-moi or Pardon
- Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous Anglais?
- Thank you (very much)! | Merci (beaucoup)!
- Je voudrais… | I would like…
- The bill, please | L’addition, s’il vous plait
- Goodbye! | Au revoir!
Using these phrases in restaurants and cafes will get you a lot further than automatically speaking English, which is quite rude! Another tip I can give is to set your expectations.
For example, servers in a restaurant will almost never bring you the bill without you asking for it. In America, this is common. In France, this is rude. They don’t want you to feel rushed. So if you want the bill, you need to ask for it.
It’s simple things like this that help change your mindset and will make a huge difference when visiting Paris for the first time!
#9. Download the area on Google Maps
If you’re traveling from the USA, you may not have cell phone service while in Paris! Luckily, Google Maps has a unique feature that not many people know about. Google Maps allows you to download the entire map of specific places while on WiFi, and then you can use it when you’re offline (like on Airplane mode).
To access this feature, just search the area you want to download, like “Paris”. Scroll over in list to “Download”. The amount of storage you need will depend on the area you want to download.
Once downloaded, you can access the entire map, zooming in to specific streets, even on airplane mode. It’s a wonderful option for traveling to Europe!!
#10. Spend Time Doing Nothing!
If you only have a few days in Paris, you are probably trying to maximize your time as much as possible, which often means running around like a crazy person hitting all the highlights! Now, while I have done this in Paris, I highly recommend giving yourself at least an afternoon to just wander.
Paris is such a magical city and one of the best parts of visiting for the first time is just exploring the gorgeous streets, sitting in cafes, or relaxing in the parks.
We spent one evening having a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower. We stopped by a local market, picked up some fresh fruit, cheese, bread, and wine, and headed to the Champs de Mars at sunset. Just sitting in front of the Eiffel Tower with nothing to do but hang out and enjoy the view was absolutely wonderful.
So I highly recommend not planning out every single hour of your time in Paris, and give yourself time to do nothing but relax!
Final Thoughts
Well that sums up my list of 10 things you absolutely need to know before visiting Paris for the first time! Whether you’re going for a day or a week, these travel tips will help make your first trip to Paris more enjoyable, and I hope you feel more prepared now!
Paris truly is a magical city that I think everyone needs to experience at least once in their life.
fI you’re planning a trip to Europe, don’t miss my 3-day Paris itinerary for first-timers and my 7 Day France Itinerary for first-timers!
Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!
Copyright © 2021 Adventures by Lana
All Rights Reserved
Great article! Great things to know before going to Paris!