Paris Travel Tips

If you plan on traveling to Paris, here are a few tips that might come in handy and save you a few $$$.

1. Getting into the city from the CDG airport
If you take a taxi into the city, it will cost you the equivalent of $60 to $100 depending on the traffic and where in the city you are heading. Instead, take the RER B line from the RER station in Terminal 3; it costs only 8.40 euros one-way (about $12). You can purchase a ticket in Terminal 3 at the SNCF office or at an automated kiosk. To get to Terminal 3, there is an inter-terminal tram on the councourse level that will take you there. We must've missed it though because we ended up walking there.

As long as you take the RER B line, it doesn't matter which line you take as long as you're heading toward the city (the line splits when it reaches the suburbs on the other side of the city). If you're unsure, just look at the TV monitors situated on the platforms and check to see if your stop is listed. Be sure to keep your ticket as you'll need to use it to exit the turnstiles when you reach your destination.

Châtelet Les-Halles is the main transfer point to the metro from the RER. You can use the same ticket to transfer to the metro.

2. Taking the metro
I've been in Paris now for 12 days and I've only taken the metro once (outside of taking it to the city from the airport). I love walking around the city and exploring the different areas on foot. If, however, you're crunched for time (or don't like walking a lot), there are a couple of options for metro tickets/passes.

Navigo Découverte: You can get a weekly metro pass called the Navigo Découverte, which is 5 euros for the card itself, 4 euros to take a passport sized photo at the photo booth in the station, and 16.80 euros for the weekly fare. It's valid from Monday 12am to Sunday at 11:59pm so if you're arriving mid-week, it doesn't make much sense to purchase one.

Paris Visite Metro Pass: Paris has a tourist metro pass that you can purchase for 8.80 to 48.40 euros depending on the number of zones (3 zones-city center, 6 zones-includes suburbs, Versaille, and airports) and days (available for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days). Personally, I think this is a rip-off, but if you plan on taking the metro often (really often), it may be worth your time.

Booklet of 10 tickets: If you're going to take the metro, my suggestion is to get the booklet of 10 metro tickets, which costs 11.40 euros.

Individual tickets: If you don't want to buy a pass or the booklet, an individual ticket is 1.60 euros that is good for transfers within 1.5 hours.

3. Call your credit card companies to let them know you'll be in Paris and to see what the surcharge will be on purchases you make while you're in Paris
Here's a list of some of the rates, but they may vary depending on your specific account:

AMEX: 2.5% added to purchases

MBNA: Many websites said that MBNA had no fees, but I called and they confirmed a 3% additional surcharge on purchases

Bank of America: 3% surcharge added to purchases

4. ATM fees
If you have a Bank of America account and withdraw from a BNP Paribas, you won't be charged any fees from Bank of America or BNP Paribas. The only drawback is if you have several accounts linked to your card. BNP will only allow you to withdraw from your main account. The exchange rate they give is pretty good too...

5. Currency conversion
If you need to convert dollars to euros before you leave and you're in SF, go to Pacific Foreign Exchange Inc on Sutter and Powell (533 Sutter Street). They gave me a better exchange rate than my bank did, and they charged no commission fees.

6. Paris Museum Pass
If you plan on going museum-hopping, the Paris Museum Pass is a great deal. They are available for 2 days (32 euros), 4 days (48 euros), or 6 days (64 euros). We got the 4 day pass and saved 50 euros between the two of us. You can buy one at any of the participating museums or at a Paris tourism office. Not only will it save you money, but it will save you time since you won't have to stand in the long ticket lines outside each museum.

7. Essential French survival phrases
My French is horrible and practically non-existent, but I've learned a few survival phrases to help me get by.
Hello (good morning / good afternoon) - Bonjour
Hello (good evening) - Bonsoir
Good-bye - Au revoir
Yes - Oui
No - Non
Where is...? - Où est?
Please - S'il vous plait
Thank you - Merci
How much does it cost? - C'est combien?
Do you speak English? - Parlez vous l'anglais?
Excuse me - Excusez-moi (or Pardon)
I don't speak French - Je ne parle pas français

8. In a restaurant...
Restaurants will serve lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 7pm to 11pm. The lunch rush is at 12:30, and the dinner rush is at 8:30pm. More French survival phrases:
I would like... - Je voudrais...
A pitcher of water - une carafe d'eau
A half bottle of wine - une demi-bouteille de vin
The check please - l'addition s'il vous plait

9. Pack in layers
In the mornings, it's freezing (by my California terms), and by midday, it's nice and sunny. I usually wear several layers and I peel the layers off as the day heats up.
Average high and low temperatures by month:
March 52˚F - 37˚F
April 57˚F - 43˚F
May 64˚F - 48˚F
June 70˚F - 54˚F
July 75˚F - 57˚F

10. Cheap eats
Paris can be an affordable city if you're wise about where you eat. Quinn and I love having picnics in the park (we make our own baguette-filled sandwiches or pick one up from a local boulangerie) and checking out the afternoon menus at otherwise super-pricey restaurants... and then of course, there's the falafel... soooooo good and soooooo cheap. Mi-Va-Mi in the Marais district is my fav (27, rue des Ecouffes, 4th arondissement).

11. Check the voltage requirements on your electronics before you pack them
This one sounds like common sense and pretty straightforward. I swore I checked before I packed everything, but I got here and found out that my curling iron isn't compatible with the voltage requirements here. Also, my hair dryer was compatible but it only worked for the first couple of days before it sparked and died. I had to buy a new one...

12. I had an epiphany: macaroons are overrated
I think I was brainwashed into the macaroon craze. You see them wherever you go! Pain au chocolat, hot chocolate, and French pastries (except macaroons) are what it's all about! (The only exception would be Ladurée's pistachio and chocolate macaroons... but only if you're willing to wait half an hour in line!) I'm sure I'll probably still try making macaroons one of these days and will probably have one within the next week (maybe two weeks) or so. I've just realized that I don't need to eat a macaroon everyday that I'm here. Hopefully, my waist line will thank me for that. Pain au chocolat, on the other hand, is a different story. :-)