I had originally included this in my post recapping our Paris trip, but thought it would be better to break it out as a post note to all I experienced. These are just my own thoughts and you might feel differently, but I thought I would share on the chance they are helpful.
- Tipping isn’t really a thing in Paris. I did tip the bellman who helped us with our luggage and I left a tip for our room’s housekeeper, but other than that, it doesn’t seem to be something to worry about.
- Paris is expensive. I think this is just the way of the world right now–London is, too. But we found we could make great meals by popping into a grocery store for a baguette, butter, cheese, and some fruit. Grocery shopping in a foreign country is one of my favorite things to do!
- Apple Pay is accepted almost everywhere. We only had one cab driver (as we only took one cab) who wanted cash. Otherwise, there isn’t much need to have cash on you unless you’re shopping in some of the flea markets or street vendors.
- You can NOT drink and still enjoy Paris. The first time I visited Paris, there was lots of wine. This time, there was lots of sparkling water and Coke Zero and I’m not mad about it at all. If drinking is no longer your thing, you can go to Paris and still have a ball. I continue to be amazed at how much further ahead European restaurants are in offering NA options. It’s awesome!
- A “bonjour” or “merci” goes a long way. For my whole life, I have heard that the French are unfriendly to Americans, and we found the opposite to be true. I speak all of three words of French (more now!) and found every server, retailer, metro ticket guy, really anyone we encountered to be willing to work with us. I did a lot of smiling and nodding and it all worked out. If anything, I wish I had pursued a foreign language more seriously when I could. My children will be getting lectured on this when I get home.
- I was a little taken aback by the number of homeless in Paris. It’s actually heartbreaking. Grace didn’t seem as surprised as I was because she sees more of this living in London, but I thought there were many more homeless people in Paris than London. I was heartened, though, by how many people tried to help and just wish I had been more prepared to do so. Next time.
Let me know if you have had similar observations.
xo,
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