Show Me the Money (Currency)
You probably know that Paris (like the rest of France) operates on the Euro. You likely also know that, right now, the Euro is slamming the dollar, so there really is no such thing as a bargain in Paris anymore. (We miss those days when the Franc was king, but the dollar was Emperor, and you’d be a fool not to shop your little hearts out while in Paris.)
American credit cards are widely accepted in Paris, but you will need cash, pretty much from the moment you arrive. If you’re taking a taxi into town from the airport, you need to know that most taxis don’t take credit cards (meaning that some do).
Parisien Salon advises checking with your bank (or banks) to see what they charge on foreign transactions. We’ve found that the fee charged by our bank (Washington Mutual) is far less than any exchange fees we’ll pay at Bureaus de Change or French banks – both for cash and credit card transactions.
You’ll find ATM machines virtually everywhere in Paris – including in airport terminals. Should you need the services of a bank in Paris, please note that they’re open from 9:00am to 5:00pm weekdays only.
What the VAT?
You see signs for it everywhere, but you’re not quite sure what a VAT is. Well, you’re not going to get a full answer here. Frankly, unless you happen to be an economist, the answer is way too complicated. VAT – or Value Added Tax – isn’t a sales tax, per se, but when you’re buying something with a 19.6% tax added on to the total price, who cares. (more…)
Driving in Paris
Here’s our advice when it comes to renting a car or driving one in Paris: don’t bother. Traffic can be a nightmare, it’s hard to find parking, and roads can be confusing. If you plan on visiting sights outside of Paris, we advise taking a train to the suburbs and rent a car from there.
That said, you’ll find all the major American car rental companies in Paris (like Hertz and Avis), as well as European-based companies. Keep in mind that you’re liable for the entire value of the car you rent, so you may want to consider purchasing a collision damage waiver (CDW) supplement that covers most of the car (except for the undercarriage, roof, tires and windshield). The CDW costs anywhere from $10 to $25 a day, adding up to about 25 percent of the car rental cost. You can also purchase the CDW through Travel Guard at a more reasonable rate of $7 a day, and most European car rental companies will honor it. Visit www.travelguard.com for more information.
You’ll find that the age restrictions for renting a car in Europe are pretty much the same as they are in the U.S., meaning anyone between the ages of 25 and 75 shouldn’t have any problems.
If you plan a one way driving trip through Europe, it’ll cost you anywhere in the neighborhood of $200 to rent your car in one country and drop it off in another .
Handy Tip:
Your American driver’s license is all you need when renting a car in most European countries. If you’re planning on crossing borders, you may consider getting an International Driver’s License, particularly if you plan to drive through Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece or Eastern Europe. You can get one from AAA (www.aaa.com).
Paris a Pied (On Foot)
Paris is a city of icons. Of grand landmarks. But between all of those places teeming with camera-toting tourists are the real treasures of Paris. Hidden fountains. Small neighborhood parks. Cobbled streets lined by charming cafés. Gargoyles and gilded footbridges. The thing is, you could easily miss these things if you embark on “kamikaze sightseeing” – zooming from one site to the next as if you were in a race for time.
If you slow down and use your feet, you’ll experience the real Paris. Become a flâneur – an observer who leisurely wander the streets, taking joy in even the smallest moments you discover. Revel in the sensations – the sounds, the smells – of places off the beaten track.
Strolling is one of the great pleasures of visiting the City of Light, and though you might think it an overwhelming though, Paris is actually a very compact city. And you don’t have to walk the entire city at once. If you have the time, spend a day exploring one arrondissiment by foot. And if you don’t have the time, why not stroll your way from one landmark to the next. After all, most of these sites are located close to the Seine, so getting from the Eiffel Tower to the Arch de Triomphe to the Louvre isn’t a monumental undertaking. And you’ll get to experience the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Champs Elysees, Place de Concorde and Tuileries along the way.
To Tip or Not to Tip
Battles amongst American visitors to Paris have broken out over this question. After all, in the U.S., it’s customary to leave a 15 to 20% tip for your waiter or waitress after eating at a restaurant. That’s because these hard-working folks earn their living from their tips, since their salaries fall below the minimum wage (and mostly go to cover taxes). In Paris (as in most of Europe), waiters and waitress earn a fare wage. And a service charge is typically (and legally) added to your bill at restaurants, bars, cafés, etc. That said, it’s good manners to leave an additional 2 or 3% for your server, to show your appreciation.
What about taxis, you ask? You can tip up to 15% extra for them, but it’s not expected. And at the hotel, you should leave the housekeeping staff a Euro or two for each day of your stay.
Check your pockets or someone else will
What do tourists do when in Paris? They congregate in popular tourist spots, like the Eiffel Tower, the airport or train stations. What do thieves and scammers do? They go where the tourists are. (more…)
Carte Musée
The Paris Museum and Monument Pass – otherwise known as the Carte Musée – is like a VIP pass for visitors, because you don’t have to wait in lines if you have one. It’s also a good value if you plan on visiting a bunch of museums during your stay, since there are more than 60 participating museums. For a one day pass, the cost is 18€. Three consecutive days is 36€, while a five consecutive day pass is 54€. You can purchase passes at the main Métro stations, fnac shops, participating museums and Office de Tourisme.
Insider’s Tip:
Museums offer free admissions on the first Sunday of each month. On other Sundays, admission fees are reduced at most museums and major monuments. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, while most other museums are closed on Mondays.
Theater Tickets
You can purchase theatre tickets for half price at Kiosque Theatre located at place de la Madeleine in the 8th, from Tuesday to Saturday, 12:30pm to 7:45pm, and on Sunday from 12:30pm to 3:45pm. Credit cards aren’t accepted – cash only.
Using the Phone
Want to call home? Don’t even think of picking up that hotel room phone, because the price of your call just might end up costing more that the room rate. And unless you’ve worked out an extraordinary deal with your cell phone carrier back home, you might have to take out a home equity loan to pay the bill.
Instead, purchase a telecarte – a plastic phonecard sold at post offices and newsstands. To call the U.S. from Paris, dial 00+1+area code+phone number.
Another alternative, and certainly a more mobile one, is to buy or rent a cell phone in Paris. Still, this can be fairly costly. We discovered Call in Europe , a company that offers cell phones with French SIM cards for as little as $19, with a postpaid plan that charges you only for calls you made or received during your visit. There’s no monthly fees, no commitments, and calls to the U.S. (and to local numbers) are only 39 cents a minute. Compare that to the $1.99/minute charged by carriers like AT&T. (We did, and we were very happy!) Find out more at www.callineurope.com, or call them at 877-730-5305.
