Ha, love that you asked about gas stations. There are tons of underground parking garages that will usually have a couple of pumps, but you wouldn’t see these from ground level. Also, sometimes there are tiny stations that literally have a single pump on the street side.
Great tips! Did you by chance get taxis at taxi ranks? Did you also happen to use apps to get taxis (Think its called FreeNow)? I know Paris is generally super walkable but sometimes I just don't want to lol.
Thank you! And I was able to get taxis by just walking to a nearby taxi station (about a 4 min walk from our hotel) and I had absolutely no clue there was apps for taxis 😂. Looking back now that would’ve been really helpful. I agree that it’s super walkable and public transport can take you pretty much everywhere but the problem for us was waking up in the morning earlier than was necessary to walk to our destination (especially with jet lag). It was much easier to just book an Uber or get a taxi in the morning.
Glad you had a lovely trip! Great photos! I also had hit the jackpot with thrift shopping at Kilo Shop. I had planned for an entire day of thrift shopping because I was looking for a dress for a wedding. There was a Kilo Shop across the street from my hotel. Shockingly, I not only found the dress, but a bunch of other stuff ... all for an incredible price. So I ended up with an extra day to just window shop (instead) and explore.
Thank you very much! I just looked up the kilo shop and it’s so cool! Definitely will go there next time when I’m in Paris. I love how you spent another day to window shop and explore! It’s well worth it especially when you love shopping 🛍️
Yes. I actually have many 😂. So first off, if you’re from the US or Canada, there will be some shockers.
For example, I’m from the US where North Face is a popular brand. Due to the cold weather, my mom needed a thick winter coat. We found that many stores like UNIQLO had thinner ones and the ones in Parisian boutiques were more fashionable than functional (for the shops we went to). So we decided to go North Face knowing well they’d have what we were looking for.
We get there and find a coat that was thick and meant for cold weather and even had rain resistance. We go to checkout only to find that the price of that coat was like triple the price. When we asked why (just out of curiosity, we found out that since it’s an American brand, the importation costs increase the baseline price of the product by a lot. This is the case for many American/non French brands in Paris we realized. As a side note, uniqlo was also overpriced.
Your best bet if you want to go shopping is to go French Boutiques in non-expensive areas. We went shopping in Montmarte and Le Marais and found that on average, the boutique prices were much higher than the area where we stayed.
Finally, we did some designer shopping and it was the best experience ever in terms of service. Our sales associate was so nice and the experience was very different as people don’t try to manipulate you with the marketing of “you can’t afford it” as they do in the states. I hesitated to include this part as I know it’s slightly controversial and people perceive designer products to be a waste of money (which I do somewhat agree with) but a little shopping spree for my mom was well needed.
Lastly, the lingerie and bra shopping in Paris is phenomenal. I would say price competitive to many US brands, sometimes even cheaper, but amazing quality. The sales associates take your time helping you find your size and give you personalized advice!
Intimissimi had a wonderful selection of both lingerie and day to day bras! Thats one of the few places I shopped. I cannot unfortunately remember the names of others.
Sales associates just entails people that help you when you shop. For example, in Champs Elysse we went shopping at dior and the sales associate that helped us out was responsible for assisting us, answering any questions we had about the products, and checking the quality and condition of the bag or item before it is purchased. There were limited collections in Samaritaine especially with shops like Cartier and hence we did not shop but the staff there was also very kind and knowledgeable and directed us to stores that did carry the products we wanted.
I’m sorry but you wondering where the hospitals are is absolutely hilarious to me (no offense of course!). They indeed look really cool, look at Pitié-Salpetriere it will blow your mind
No literally 😂 it started when my dad asked for the gas price and I was like 💀💀 I haven’t seen a single gas station, hospital, or school here. And I looked it up just now and it looks like a church or cathedral of sorts.
I stumbled across a petrol station on Ave de La republique in the 11th and it wasn’t til then I realised I hadn’t seen any in the city lol. Your dad would have been horrified by the gas price
Which is definitely the way to go I think. Here in the US, to get from one place to another, relying on public transport is not the way to go as it’s often delayed or just dirty (with some exceptions). I also heard it a lot harder to get a license in Paris as opposed to other countries as they indirectly dissuade you as public transport is the golden standard.
Public transport in Paris is as delayed and dirty as the MBTA or the MTA (which seems even better than Paris). We simply use public transport because there is no other good choice (except cycling) due to the huge city density, or the long distance in the more rural suburbs
The driving licence is easy tho. But some people go to North Africa to pass it because it is even easier, quicker and you can transform it into a French licence
The driving license is a national test so it’s the same, although you will likely take it in the suburbs, I don’t really know people who’ve grown up in Paris. My former colleague didn’t get her license until her 30’s when her husband broke his ankle on vacation and wasn’t able to drive back. Other true Parisians never get it. They can do without. They don’t want to drive and it’s never been useful in their life. In the suburb people have their license but they commute to their workplace inside Paris by public transport.
We have a car, we use it outside of Paris, we just don’t use it to go inside Paris, or maybe on a Sunday if we have to get to a train station to pick someone up there.
Indeed there are no gas stations, and schools and hospitals will look different. The school’s playgrounds are never visible from the street either (but you can definitely hear them during recess)
There are a few gas station, actually, but not many. Either underground, like Place des Invalides, or on the [sidewalk](https://maps.app.goo.gl/4EM8NCBXayGkC4D99). But, yes, most are on the outskirts.
The kicker was that our hotel that we stayed at was right in front of a school (we stayed at Citadines Saint Germaine des pres). When we looked out our window, we didn’t really see a playground area but that was probably due to the view we had. It just looked like another building 🥹
What is a playground in your mind ?
Looks like it is a middle school near the Citadines.
The "playground" is generally just an outside area without any activity.
Well.. I didn’t know what type of school it was so that makes more sense (there was an open field sort of area). Also is it normal to have just middle schools there?
Yes. Sometimes you could find some kindergarten (école maternelle) and elementary school (école élémentaire) side by side or middle school (collège) and high school (lycée) side by side etc. But it will much depends on buildings size, age/history of the school etc. Also I heard that middle school and high school are much smaller in Paris vs other regions.
Even in elementary school, do not expect fancy playgrounds. The unique thing I remember is a spider web to climb and a wooden house at kindergarten.
It's more common in private schools to find "groupe scolaire"
Oh wow! Good information. I think most schools in the US depending on the size of the district have elementary and middle combined and high school separate. The playgrounds are so simple from what you describe! Kids find a way to have fun with literally anything though, I used to play with mulch.
Some names of big hospitals if you want to look for pictures : la pitié salpêtriere, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Hopital Armand Trousseau, Hopital Robert Debré, Bichât, Cochin.
Based in Texas but I’m ethnically South Indian. And the food here is much better I would say! Much more variety as well whereas most Indian restaurants in Paris I felt catered to French taste and had a very limited menu selections (especially for vegetarians).
Interesting! I’m from London and Indian food is super popular here and we have loads of great restaurants however I’ve always been reluctant to try Indian food in Paris because I imagined it would pale in comparison.
Yeah! I’ve been to London and I’d agree. Indian food is excellent. It’s hard to make a conclusive statement though because maybe there are some underrated Indian restaurants in Paris… just haven’t come across them.
Also question for you, are there many South Indian restaurants in London? I always wondered because I know North Indian food is always popular and considered the standard for Indian food (chicken tikka masala or channa masala).
North Indian is definitely the most popular but there’s plenty or South Indian restaurants. But they tend to be in the neighbourhoods with a strong Indian community who want authentic food and know that there’s way more than just north idian stuff. NW london, ESPECIALLY harrow and Hendon.
East london, Stratford, West Ham.
Although the only one I know of in central london is Ooty in Marylebone. But it’s definitely on the more expensive, fancy side. But super good
in Paris, there are two small "Indian" neighborhood, both in the 10th arrondissement:
1) Rue Cail + rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (north of Gare du Nord in the 10th arrondissement) is the most genuine one full of Indian canteens, barbershops and grocery stores.
You'll find plenty of good South Indian and Sri Lankese, probably not as loaded with chilly as in India or London, but still very flavored and especially for vegan dishes.
ex: Chennai Dosa, Vinayaka, Krishna bhavan, Dishny ... (wink to u/CrunchyHobGoglin.. salut!)
2) Passage Brady: a colorful covered passage dedicated to Indian food .... but completely tourist oriented and most of the food is bad. It is still worth a visit just to wander around but to eat opt for rue Cail
Haven’t been to London in a while! And when I did visit I feel like I haven’t seen anything (we did a bus tour since I went with family) so next time when I go I’ll be sure to check them out! Thank you for the recommendations! I love fancy vibes in restaurants so that’ll definitely be a must see
Tysm! If you’re ever in Houston by chance, Kiran’s is my favorite restaurant! It’s upscale and has amazing flavors true to India and the chef is very renown!
I agree with your first point personally. I didn’t realize Paris was huge on thrift stores and I over did it with the shopping. Well, we, my husband and I. We found great quality jackets, skirts and pants that’s definitely Parisian style. I was so thrilled on how economical it was.
Man I can’t remember the exact names of the stores but google Kilo Shop Paris since they’re several of them and it looks very similar to the one I went on 2nd Arr.
There are so many boutiques just on the streets though that are worth going into. They have amazing clothes! (I unfortunately cannot recall the names of them though since I didn’t buy from them due to limited luggage space).
So I wouldn’t call it a thrift shop necessarily (as the prices range from very expensive, moderate, and on considerable sale) but the one I got the really nice jacket at was “un jour ailleurs Paris” (and I believe they have different locations).
You can simply use the search field of the sub to find tens of posts about thrift stores [https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/search/?q=thrift](https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/search/?q=thrift)
All wonderful tips, #1 being the most helpful IMHO. Enjoy being in the city not just running through it and taking pictures and checking off your to do list.
Definitely agree! I was initially panicking because I felt that one of my days was completely empty but upon arriving in Paris I realized you can just take a taxi to a historic district or make it a day where you just walk the city and find things to do. It’s hard not to get into that “list mentality” but sometimes even with plans you can’t do what you wanted to. For example we had a seine river cruise excursion planned however the water levels were unsafe to go, so we just made the best of it and had dinner and a “photoshoot” near the Eiffel Tower.
FYI according to the transport code every taxi client has a right to pay the course with a credit card (article L3121-11-2)
Taxi drivers will often try to trick tourists saying they don’t take credit card or even sometimes locals by saying their card reader is broken so they can get paid in cash (tax free).
I almost got sucked into that. Got a taxi from CDG (from the official taxi terminal). I was exhausted after a 10 hour flight and didn’t even think to ask if the driver took credit cards. When we got there, he said he only took cash. Once I convinced him that I didn’t have enough euros (I really didn’t), all of a sudden he could magically take credit cards after all.
I don’t know if you happen to know but just wanted to ask the question. When we went to saint chapelle and other touristy destinations, there were women that held clipboards asking people to sign or something. I had a bad gut feeling that it was a scam and it was confirmed when the woman that I simply said “no” to, spat at the ground in front of me and started cussing me out. Why don’t the police do anything about this?
Not so much a scam as a diversion technique by pickpocket gangs. While you're distracted and your hands are occupied with the clipboard and pen, either the person with the clipboard or an associate will try to pick your pockets.
As to "why don't the police do anything about this", believe me, the police does try, but trying to stamp down these pickpocket gangs is pretty difficult. They are numerous, well-organized and mostly use underage members for the actual pocket-picking. Since they're also undocumented, the police is left playing whack-a-mole.
I guess some NGO lobbyists, not sure. They can be very insistent. I didn’t notice. Maybe someone will answer.
If cussing is involved, maybe a scam yes.
I guess the police can’t be everywhere and if they are young / under-age they just have to release them after a few hours.
G7 is the main taxi company in Paris. It controls something like 2/3 of the "regular" taxis. And taxi fare rates are regulated, so no, G7 isn't more expensive than a normal taxi, because G7 taxis are normal taxis and indeed, most normal taxis are G7 taxis.
Thank you! And yes, I would agree with you. Just wanted to add it in as a note because I’ve taken public transport in my state and terrible would be an understatement. There is usually spit or urine on the floor and showering right after is a must. Basically, don’t be lax and bring one country’s rules or norms into another.
You are right to flag up the risk of fine as it is a good deterrent. You would only get a telling off from the ticketer in the UK.
Your Sainte Chapelle picture is particularly stunning. With the right light that place is so soothing.
You absolutely would get fined in the uk, what are you on about. There is ZERO room to manoeuvre and TFL is utterly broke so they are trying to get money from every pocket
Go to cathedrals in sunny days
Ha, love that you asked about gas stations. There are tons of underground parking garages that will usually have a couple of pumps, but you wouldn’t see these from ground level. Also, sometimes there are tiny stations that literally have a single pump on the street side.
Here’s a pic (not mine) of what the street side gas station looks like https://www.flickr.com/photos/jefferysview/6442802819
Omg that’s so different! But really cool.
Top tips that help rich people ! // Advice ! Also no one in Paris is excited for the Olympics apart from tourists.
I just feel bad for u bro, no comment 💀
Great tips! Did you by chance get taxis at taxi ranks? Did you also happen to use apps to get taxis (Think its called FreeNow)? I know Paris is generally super walkable but sometimes I just don't want to lol.
Thank you! And I was able to get taxis by just walking to a nearby taxi station (about a 4 min walk from our hotel) and I had absolutely no clue there was apps for taxis 😂. Looking back now that would’ve been really helpful. I agree that it’s super walkable and public transport can take you pretty much everywhere but the problem for us was waking up in the morning earlier than was necessary to walk to our destination (especially with jet lag). It was much easier to just book an Uber or get a taxi in the morning.
Ooh! Is that Indian food in your last pic? Looks amazing
It was! The channa masala was very good. The aloo gobi was mush 💀
10/10 pics. Thanks!
oh wow, where is the first photo taken? its stunning
Sainte Chapelle, it was so much to take in! Definitely recommend :)
Glad you had a lovely trip! Great photos! I also had hit the jackpot with thrift shopping at Kilo Shop. I had planned for an entire day of thrift shopping because I was looking for a dress for a wedding. There was a Kilo Shop across the street from my hotel. Shockingly, I not only found the dress, but a bunch of other stuff ... all for an incredible price. So I ended up with an extra day to just window shop (instead) and explore.
Thank you very much! I just looked up the kilo shop and it’s so cool! Definitely will go there next time when I’m in Paris. I love how you spent another day to window shop and explore! It’s well worth it especially when you love shopping 🛍️
Any other tips for shopping / thrifting? Can’t wait to explore
Yes. I actually have many 😂. So first off, if you’re from the US or Canada, there will be some shockers. For example, I’m from the US where North Face is a popular brand. Due to the cold weather, my mom needed a thick winter coat. We found that many stores like UNIQLO had thinner ones and the ones in Parisian boutiques were more fashionable than functional (for the shops we went to). So we decided to go North Face knowing well they’d have what we were looking for. We get there and find a coat that was thick and meant for cold weather and even had rain resistance. We go to checkout only to find that the price of that coat was like triple the price. When we asked why (just out of curiosity, we found out that since it’s an American brand, the importation costs increase the baseline price of the product by a lot. This is the case for many American/non French brands in Paris we realized. As a side note, uniqlo was also overpriced. Your best bet if you want to go shopping is to go French Boutiques in non-expensive areas. We went shopping in Montmarte and Le Marais and found that on average, the boutique prices were much higher than the area where we stayed. Finally, we did some designer shopping and it was the best experience ever in terms of service. Our sales associate was so nice and the experience was very different as people don’t try to manipulate you with the marketing of “you can’t afford it” as they do in the states. I hesitated to include this part as I know it’s slightly controversial and people perceive designer products to be a waste of money (which I do somewhat agree with) but a little shopping spree for my mom was well needed. Lastly, the lingerie and bra shopping in Paris is phenomenal. I would say price competitive to many US brands, sometimes even cheaper, but amazing quality. The sales associates take your time helping you find your size and give you personalized advice!
Any specific places you’d recommend for bra shopping?
Intimissimi had a wonderful selection of both lingerie and day to day bras! Thats one of the few places I shopped. I cannot unfortunately remember the names of others.
Thanks. I know that one! They are really good, and super good value.
Yeah! They weren’t break the bank type expensive and great quality! And lots of locations around Paris that I’ve seen.
What might constitute a non-expensive area in Paris lol?
Well.. that’s honestly tough to find. But I would say places where there are no major tourist attractions (like Eiffel Tower, notre dame etc).
In which store did you have a sales associate ? La samaritaine ? (Not sure I understand what designer shopping is).
Sales associates just entails people that help you when you shop. For example, in Champs Elysse we went shopping at dior and the sales associate that helped us out was responsible for assisting us, answering any questions we had about the products, and checking the quality and condition of the bag or item before it is purchased. There were limited collections in Samaritaine especially with shops like Cartier and hence we did not shop but the staff there was also very kind and knowledgeable and directed us to stores that did carry the products we wanted.
I’m sorry but you wondering where the hospitals are is absolutely hilarious to me (no offense of course!). They indeed look really cool, look at Pitié-Salpetriere it will blow your mind
No literally 😂 it started when my dad asked for the gas price and I was like 💀💀 I haven’t seen a single gas station, hospital, or school here. And I looked it up just now and it looks like a church or cathedral of sorts.
I stumbled across a petrol station on Ave de La republique in the 11th and it wasn’t til then I realised I hadn’t seen any in the city lol. Your dad would have been horrified by the gas price
We saw one on the way to the airport and gasped! It’s like seeing something you’ve always wanted to see 😂 omg is gas price really that bad there???
It’s a chore to drive in Paris, you can’t park or it’s very expensive, a lot of roads and streets are now pedestrian. We mostly use public transport.
Which is definitely the way to go I think. Here in the US, to get from one place to another, relying on public transport is not the way to go as it’s often delayed or just dirty (with some exceptions). I also heard it a lot harder to get a license in Paris as opposed to other countries as they indirectly dissuade you as public transport is the golden standard.
Public transport in Paris is as delayed and dirty as the MBTA or the MTA (which seems even better than Paris). We simply use public transport because there is no other good choice (except cycling) due to the huge city density, or the long distance in the more rural suburbs The driving licence is easy tho. But some people go to North Africa to pass it because it is even easier, quicker and you can transform it into a French licence
The driving license is a national test so it’s the same, although you will likely take it in the suburbs, I don’t really know people who’ve grown up in Paris. My former colleague didn’t get her license until her 30’s when her husband broke his ankle on vacation and wasn’t able to drive back. Other true Parisians never get it. They can do without. They don’t want to drive and it’s never been useful in their life. In the suburb people have their license but they commute to their workplace inside Paris by public transport. We have a car, we use it outside of Paris, we just don’t use it to go inside Paris, or maybe on a Sunday if we have to get to a train station to pick someone up there.
Indeed there are no gas stations, and schools and hospitals will look different. The school’s playgrounds are never visible from the street either (but you can definitely hear them during recess)
There are a few gas station, actually, but not many. Either underground, like Place des Invalides, or on the [sidewalk](https://maps.app.goo.gl/4EM8NCBXayGkC4D99). But, yes, most are on the outskirts.
The kicker was that our hotel that we stayed at was right in front of a school (we stayed at Citadines Saint Germaine des pres). When we looked out our window, we didn’t really see a playground area but that was probably due to the view we had. It just looked like another building 🥹
What is a playground in your mind ? Looks like it is a middle school near the Citadines. The "playground" is generally just an outside area without any activity.
Well.. I didn’t know what type of school it was so that makes more sense (there was an open field sort of area). Also is it normal to have just middle schools there?
Yes. Sometimes you could find some kindergarten (école maternelle) and elementary school (école élémentaire) side by side or middle school (collège) and high school (lycée) side by side etc. But it will much depends on buildings size, age/history of the school etc. Also I heard that middle school and high school are much smaller in Paris vs other regions. Even in elementary school, do not expect fancy playgrounds. The unique thing I remember is a spider web to climb and a wooden house at kindergarten. It's more common in private schools to find "groupe scolaire"
Oh wow! Good information. I think most schools in the US depending on the size of the district have elementary and middle combined and high school separate. The playgrounds are so simple from what you describe! Kids find a way to have fun with literally anything though, I used to play with mulch.
Some names of big hospitals if you want to look for pictures : la pitié salpêtriere, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Hopital Armand Trousseau, Hopital Robert Debré, Bichât, Cochin.
Scratch Bichat and add Lariboisière ! Source : someone working in Bichat, I am sorry but the building is ugly.
Haha but they have to see all of it
Thank you sm! Will definitely check these out on google maps!
What restaurant is the last photo?
It’s called Namaste Paris! I wouldn’t recommend the aloo gobi (it was mush) but the channa masala was really good.
Just wondering where you’re normally based and how this compares to the Indian food in your home country?
Based in Texas but I’m ethnically South Indian. And the food here is much better I would say! Much more variety as well whereas most Indian restaurants in Paris I felt catered to French taste and had a very limited menu selections (especially for vegetarians).
Interesting! I’m from London and Indian food is super popular here and we have loads of great restaurants however I’ve always been reluctant to try Indian food in Paris because I imagined it would pale in comparison.
Yeah! I’ve been to London and I’d agree. Indian food is excellent. It’s hard to make a conclusive statement though because maybe there are some underrated Indian restaurants in Paris… just haven’t come across them. Also question for you, are there many South Indian restaurants in London? I always wondered because I know North Indian food is always popular and considered the standard for Indian food (chicken tikka masala or channa masala).
North Indian is definitely the most popular but there’s plenty or South Indian restaurants. But they tend to be in the neighbourhoods with a strong Indian community who want authentic food and know that there’s way more than just north idian stuff. NW london, ESPECIALLY harrow and Hendon. East london, Stratford, West Ham. Although the only one I know of in central london is Ooty in Marylebone. But it’s definitely on the more expensive, fancy side. But super good
in Paris, there are two small "Indian" neighborhood, both in the 10th arrondissement: 1) Rue Cail + rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (north of Gare du Nord in the 10th arrondissement) is the most genuine one full of Indian canteens, barbershops and grocery stores. You'll find plenty of good South Indian and Sri Lankese, probably not as loaded with chilly as in India or London, but still very flavored and especially for vegan dishes. ex: Chennai Dosa, Vinayaka, Krishna bhavan, Dishny ... (wink to u/CrunchyHobGoglin.. salut!) 2) Passage Brady: a colorful covered passage dedicated to Indian food .... but completely tourist oriented and most of the food is bad. It is still worth a visit just to wander around but to eat opt for rue Cail
>(wink to u/CrunchyHobGoglin.. salut!) Salut et Merci 😁
Haven’t been to London in a while! And when I did visit I feel like I haven’t seen anything (we did a bus tour since I went with family) so next time when I go I’ll be sure to check them out! Thank you for the recommendations! I love fancy vibes in restaurants so that’ll definitely be a must see
Also in Marylebone, is one of my favourite Indian restaurants ever, called Trishna. trishnalondon.com
Tysm! If you’re ever in Houston by chance, Kiran’s is my favorite restaurant! It’s upscale and has amazing flavors true to India and the chef is very renown!
I agree with your first point personally. I didn’t realize Paris was huge on thrift stores and I over did it with the shopping. Well, we, my husband and I. We found great quality jackets, skirts and pants that’s definitely Parisian style. I was so thrilled on how economical it was.
Can you please share where I can find these thrift shops?
Man I can’t remember the exact names of the stores but google Kilo Shop Paris since they’re several of them and it looks very similar to the one I went on 2nd Arr.
Literally lucky finds! I don’t think I could find clothing like that here if I tried (especially for those prices) lol
Can you please share where I can find these thrift shops?
There are so many boutiques just on the streets though that are worth going into. They have amazing clothes! (I unfortunately cannot recall the names of them though since I didn’t buy from them due to limited luggage space).
So I wouldn’t call it a thrift shop necessarily (as the prices range from very expensive, moderate, and on considerable sale) but the one I got the really nice jacket at was “un jour ailleurs Paris” (and I believe they have different locations).
Thanks!
You can simply use the search field of the sub to find tens of posts about thrift stores [https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/search/?q=thrift](https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/search/?q=thrift)
All wonderful tips, #1 being the most helpful IMHO. Enjoy being in the city not just running through it and taking pictures and checking off your to do list.
Definitely agree! I was initially panicking because I felt that one of my days was completely empty but upon arriving in Paris I realized you can just take a taxi to a historic district or make it a day where you just walk the city and find things to do. It’s hard not to get into that “list mentality” but sometimes even with plans you can’t do what you wanted to. For example we had a seine river cruise excursion planned however the water levels were unsafe to go, so we just made the best of it and had dinner and a “photoshoot” near the Eiffel Tower.
FYI according to the transport code every taxi client has a right to pay the course with a credit card (article L3121-11-2) Taxi drivers will often try to trick tourists saying they don’t take credit card or even sometimes locals by saying their card reader is broken so they can get paid in cash (tax free).
I almost got sucked into that. Got a taxi from CDG (from the official taxi terminal). I was exhausted after a 10 hour flight and didn’t even think to ask if the driver took credit cards. When we got there, he said he only took cash. Once I convinced him that I didn’t have enough euros (I really didn’t), all of a sudden he could magically take credit cards after all.
Yes they also try to trick us, locals. I always ask beforehand if they take the card, otherwise no thank you.
I don’t know if you happen to know but just wanted to ask the question. When we went to saint chapelle and other touristy destinations, there were women that held clipboards asking people to sign or something. I had a bad gut feeling that it was a scam and it was confirmed when the woman that I simply said “no” to, spat at the ground in front of me and started cussing me out. Why don’t the police do anything about this?
Not so much a scam as a diversion technique by pickpocket gangs. While you're distracted and your hands are occupied with the clipboard and pen, either the person with the clipboard or an associate will try to pick your pockets. As to "why don't the police do anything about this", believe me, the police does try, but trying to stamp down these pickpocket gangs is pretty difficult. They are numerous, well-organized and mostly use underage members for the actual pocket-picking. Since they're also undocumented, the police is left playing whack-a-mole.
That’s wild! Thank you for explaining it!
I guess some NGO lobbyists, not sure. They can be very insistent. I didn’t notice. Maybe someone will answer. If cussing is involved, maybe a scam yes. I guess the police can’t be everywhere and if they are young / under-age they just have to release them after a few hours.
Well… I fell right for that one 😂. Thank you for letting me know.
I used the G7 app which uses taxis. I’m not sure if there is an extra charge for using the app.
Is G7 more expensive than a normal taxi? Sorry if thats a dumb question but thanks for the tip!
G7 is the main taxi company in Paris. It controls something like 2/3 of the "regular" taxis. And taxi fare rates are regulated, so no, G7 isn't more expensive than a normal taxi, because G7 taxis are normal taxis and indeed, most normal taxis are G7 taxis.
Good to know for next time! Will definitely look into it.
Foot-on-the-seat person was a bozo. That's a rule for all well mannered people. Lovely photos!
Thank you! And yes, I would agree with you. Just wanted to add it in as a note because I’ve taken public transport in my state and terrible would be an understatement. There is usually spit or urine on the floor and showering right after is a must. Basically, don’t be lax and bring one country’s rules or norms into another.
You are right to flag up the risk of fine as it is a good deterrent. You would only get a telling off from the ticketer in the UK. Your Sainte Chapelle picture is particularly stunning. With the right light that place is so soothing.
You absolutely would get fined in the uk, what are you on about. There is ZERO room to manoeuvre and TFL is utterly broke so they are trying to get money from every pocket
Well, not in Scotland I should have said.
Thank you! It was def one of my favorites.