Going to Paris in the spring?

Question

I am going to visit Paris in April. I think I am going to go alone. Has anyone else that's gone alone recommend it or not recommend it? I am just afraid to get there and be completely lost. I am planning out my days and purchasing museum passes and tours ahead of time so when I get there I am prepared.

Answer 1

plan your trip in advance (it's fun) but don't push it too far either (like buying all the passes in advances).

Leave some room to improvisation + these are not necessarily the best bargain compared with what you'll find on the spot (prices and flexibility).



Unless you've never been in a big city, you won't be lost.



Here is a tip that may come in helpful since you'll walk a lot (it's the best way to discover the city, which is not that big (you can also try the almost free rental bikes "velib" system that you'll find everywhere, just memorize your itinerary in advance and be extra-careful (and don't try to drive it like the parisians do - same as a pedestrian : it takes year to know how to do it and it's still dangerous...)) :

- once you're here, buy a real map of Paris (a booklet actually, one page per arrondissement), with all the street names. It's worth the (small : a few euros) investment).

- now, for the orientation : there is a system, that is related to the river (la Seine). Houses street numbers work like this :

(i) streets parallel to the river : numbers go up in the same direction as the flow of the river (eg : east towards west)

(ii) streets perpendicular to the river : numbers go up as you are going away from the river (number 1 is close to the river, number 100 is aaway from it)

(iii) even and odds are continuous, on each side of the street

(iv) right bank is the bank that's on your right if you are (supposedly) in the river looking in the direction of the flow of the river, left bank is on your left.



Once you know that, you can't get lost. Of course it's easier if you have a slight notion of where the river is, but you can also deduce it from the position of the numbers of streets (if you know on which bank you are, and you are at a cross roads !).



Anyway, you can also not bother, and ask people in the street for directions. provided you say at least "bonjour", and try not to ask the people who are walking the super-fast parisian walk (meaning : don't stop me, I'm going to walk straight in that green trafic light), this is perfectly usual.

Answer 2

There is nothing to be afraid of (except perhaps, the prices). Paris is a fairly safe and tourist-friendly city.



As for getting around you can always take a taxi or the RER (metro), and since you're actually taking the time to read up and plan everything you will be fine. I recommend getting a Dorling-Kindersly (aka Eyewitness) guide to Paris from your local Barnes & Noble or Waterstone. The DK guides are a little more expensive, but they're worth it because they have a lot more maps and pictures.



A couple of sites you should see:

Le Centre Pompidou (art - mostly Modern)

Musee D'Orsay (art - mostly Impressionist)

Musee du Louvre (art - everything else)

Les Halles (shopping)

Sacre Coeur (basilica)

Notredame (cathedral)

And of course the Eiffel Tower

Answer 3

Paris is a wonderful place and very easy to get around in. Many people speak english there, so I'm sure you won't have any trouble. I drove there last year from Milan, Italy and had no problem at all, even though I only speak Italian and no French whatsoever!



Do not be afraid to go there by yourself and have the time of your life!