Metros and pick pockets and other Paris, France Warning Or Danger Tips

As with any large city, keep an eye on your valuables when riding the metro and if you are standing, keep a hand on your wallet/purse.

My only time actually seeing a pickpocket in action was on the Paris Metro, they distracted the guy right before the stop and jumped out after they had grabbed his wallet.

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Although most Parisians we encountered spoke English quite well, I think it is polite to ask (Parlez vous Anglais?) before rambling on in English. I think it is also polite to learn a few words in French so that you can say hello, goodbye, excuse me, etc.

One of the places we encountered someone who did not speak English was at the SNCF train ticket counter at Gare d'Est, I would highly recommend checking with the information desk first if you do not know which train you want and then writing down your destination, the time and date of the train (remember month and date are reversed from the US) and which class you want (1st or 2nd). This is actually a good tip for any foreign country where English is not the first language as this happens often at train stations in my experience.

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The first time we went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, we laughed and laughed at all of the drivers coming in on the 12 major streets that converge at the Arc and wondered if anyone ever got stuck in the traffic circle going round and round and round, unable to slip to the outer circle.

On one of our trips we rented a car in Brussels and drove through Normandy eventually making our way back to Paris where we were supposed to drop our car off at Gare du Nord. As we got off the periphique road and drove towards the city, the Arc de Triomphe was ominously looming in the background, getting closer and closer until I was sure we were going to be doomed for life to going round and round and round that traffic circle.

Fortunately, we spotted the Gare du Nord, pulled off and safely deposited our rental car. Whew!

Needless to say, if you are staying in Paris, there is no need to rent a car. Public transportation is excellent and walking through Paris is one of the joys of visiting. If you want to rent a car to drive through one of the regions of France, an alternative to driving in Paris is to either take the TGV train and pick up the rental car there (we did that for the Loire Valley) or rent from the airport.

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Labor strikes are quite common in Paris and in France, I've read of metro strikes, museum worker strikes and I believe once I even read that the ATM stockers were going on strike (now that's a really specialized union!)

The only one that personally affected us was the gas hauler strike the year we were driving through Normandy. We had rented a non diesel car and drove mostly on the toll road, where it seemed most locals did not drive, so we had no real problem getting gas besides a few lines but those folks with diesel cars were lining up for blocks. And on the way into Paris, the gas haulers had blocked off the entire other side of the road!

What is unusual from an American perspective about European strikes though is that often they are set for a specified period of time, so check the travel boards before you go and then at least you can come up with a contingency plan for things to do, how to get from the airport, etc.

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We booked our three days in Paris in August knowing that many Parisians flee the city and flock to the resort areas in France during August and that many of the restaurants and shops in Paris would be closed. It's not like the US where someone else would just cover during the owner's absence, the shop or restaurant will have a sign like the one in my photo in the window, if you see the words ferme/fermeture (French for close/closing) or Août (French for August) in the sign, be sure that the business is closed until the owner comes back tan and rested from their days on the coast.

This may be a problem if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant but in other ways visiting in August was more pleasant, fewer people, smaller crowds, cheaper hotel rates and all of the attractions are still open.

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