Can you recommend places in Paris where it is safe for a solo female traveler? I heard there was an Australian tourist who was gang raped by 5 men in Paris. I’ll be going to Paris in late Sept? Thank u!
Do not take water from fountains placed on the ground. Most of the time people let their dogs drink directly from the tap. But for water go in a "Franprix" or a "Monoprix" and you have mineral water of 1.5 liter for 30 cents, it will not ruin your holidays budget !
My wife and I went to Paris in December 2022 through January 2023. I watched your videos prior an took your information to heart. Instead of the tourist traps we found local bakeries for breakfast (amazing and cheaper than going to a chain or trap area). We also AirBNB and stayed near the metro. The Metro was SAFE and CHEAP! Do your homework before you go and follow their advice to your liking and you will have a blast! LOVE YOU TWO!
Dear Les Frenchies, my husband and I really appreciate your videos which are informative and entertaining at the same time. Sadly, out tourism to France is at an end, but through your videos we can revisit fond memories and the wonderful people we met. Thank you.
I am looking to take my two teenage children (17 & 15) plus my 11 month old, I’m a single parent so I’m a bit nervous doing it on my own, my daughter missed out on her year 6 leavers school trip to Paris because of covid and my son Oliver passed away 2/10/20 from cancer, he would of had his year 6 trip June of last year so going to Paris has a lot of meaning to us as a family. Your video is such great help 😊
My daughter and I were there two weeks ago. To be honest i was full of anxiety because I prepared myself since watching these videos. We didn’t experience anything bad. In fact, we were treated so well. We are familiar on these things because we live in a big city in California. We took the metro, sat at cafes and enjoyed great food. And we walked a lot. We stayed around the Latin quarters area where it was close to the tube. We loved it. I was so pleasantly surprised because all you hear about Paris is don’t wear this or try to at least speak French or don’t look like a tourist. These were a given but because I look foreign (I am Filipino), I was welcomed so nicely. The security guard at the Dior Store was so friendly. He worked with Filipinos. Even the metro workers. An older gentleman saw me and my daughter waiting for the bus unknowingly it was moved due to the Olympics traffic. He told us where to walk to where it stops. So all I could say is Paris we will be back.
@@LesFrenchiesTravel.why all your videos with drama???? We came back to NY 2 weeks ago. I feel very comfortable and safe. G7 taxi is a scam!!! Please everyone Read their reviews!!!!! Don't trust them. Use Uber!!!!! We didn't have any problems .If someone wants to save money STAY home. I understand it is a family business,but don't scare tourist.
MY brother, who lived in Paris, always recommends finding a cafe or boulangerie or a cafe and have a coffe or choclat and a pastry and make that your morning home base for your stay. I have done this: works great!
I agree on don’t overbook tours! I learned that hard way, booked 2 long walking tours in one day and sure was worn out at end of that day. But, I did do 2 that were ok in one day…one was food tour, so got sit at most stop as sampled foods - that left me ok to do another walking one of coveted passages. And I’ve learned better for me to take metro or bus to start of tour instead of walking just because I think it’s not bad walk just because it’s a mile
On this trip, I got seated with an American family who NEVER used the Metro during their trip! They were just too afraid to use the Metro, not because of safety concerns, but because they thought that they would be confused and get lost. I really would recommend to use the Metro because it is so convenient, really easy to figure out and much cheaper than using ride shares.
We avoid subways too. We are there to see the city, and you can't below ground. I'm not saying it's not easy, cost effective, and a great fit for a lot of people. It's just not how we travel.
We didn't use public transportation either. I didn't want to be pickpocket, but my knees were hurting bad. We used Uber & Bolt. When I got back & went to the doctor, I was told I needed a new left knee as it was bone on bone & my right knee is at a stage 3 OA. I had no other pain prior.
Bravo pour vos vidéos, dynamisme, qualité d'image, arrières plans, excellents conseilles, le tout sans "blablas" inutiles. De nouveau bravo, Bonne continuation .
Another winner! The comments about the taxis and how they charge, the phone app, the way to avoid exchange rates and the insight about when prices are high were so helpful. From watching your videos - I’d been clued in about the other matters - but always a good reminder. Each week you present something so important and helpful for us to know. Thank you for putting so much thought and effort into making videos that I find extremely valuable. Each time my husband and I return to Paris - we employ more of your suggestions and insights. Love you guys!
We have been to the second restaurant shown in the video “near the eiffel tower”. Paid a lot for simple food you can easily make better yourself at home! You are so right about it!
@@LesFrenchiesTravel IMHO, the problem would not be that it's expensive - after all, you're paying for that prime location. My problem would be if it's also BAD. Just OK food and service, but with a killer view, is still pretty worth it for me. Google maps ratings helps me avoid the truly bad ones.
I am so looking forward to visiting Paris & Normandy this October & your videos have been perfect study guides! Your advice about tipping & formule dejeneur are particularly helpful this week. And I’ll be breaking in another pair of walking shoes BEFORE we leave! Merci Colleen et Antoine!
I completely agree with skipping the hotel breakfast and going to the boulangerie ! Last time I was there I went to the bakery around the corner from the hotel and as soon as I walk in a lady comes out with a fresh batch of croissants. You can't beat a warm croissant out of the oven😂
People who don't know Paris tend to think of the Eiffel Tower as the center of everything. But it's pretty much on the periphery of the part of Paris that visitors will likely be most interested in, and as you say, there's not much to see or do in the vicinity. The real center of Paris is Notre Dame -- literally, there's a point in front of the cathedral from which all distances in Paris are measured. So neighbourhoods near Notre Dame (e.g. the Quartier Latin, the Marais) are generally a safe choice. (Though of course there are interesting places further afield, e.g. Montmartre.)
We have been to France many times. The attractions are, the food, the architecture, the History, the people, the public transport, the geography, the culture, the close proximity of cities and villages, the diversity of all things French. When we are not there we are wanting to be there. Your presentations are wonderful and act as a remedy . We watch the regularly, thank you.
This is very good information. I've found that in any European country, don't be shy about asking a manager about tipping. The last time I was in Dublin, I went to a hair salon on trendy Grafton Street for a splurge on a cut. When I went to reception to pay for my 65€ haircut and asked about an appropriate tip, I was told that hairdressers in Ireland were better compensated than those in the US. She said 2€ would be very generous. Always ask a manager or host. They appreciate it.
Great tips! Have lived in Paris 7 years and going back. And u nailed it. Do not forget to get public transport weekcards. And museums have a free day every month.
Great video (again)! My daughter and I will be there in September and I have starred (in Google Maps) most of the restaurants from your guide in the areas where we will be. Thanks for educating me about so many important things about Paris!
Merci, merci, merci beaucoup! I've been watching your videos for quite some time now--some several times--as I hope to return to Paris for the first time since my student days in 1977--I know, I know, I'm old! LOL. I'm planning a 2025 trip. I look forward to once again seeing the Cathedral de Notre Dame in its new splendor. Your work, warmth, enthusiasm, and knowledge are invigorating and helpful. Merci, merci, merci beaucoup!
The les champs mars restaurant caught us 7 years ago. Four people, light lunch was over 140 euro including a couple of alcoholic drinks. Never been stung since.
Just came back from Paris a week before the Olympic starts. We did not waste money on any of these because we watched all your videos. Thank you Colleen and Antoine! You guys are amazing!
Thank you. I'm planning a trip for the fall and couldn't figure out why my favorite hotel is fully booked. After watching this I checked, and sure enough, it's fashion week. I think I'll be adjusting the timing of my trip.
This is by far the most thorough and helpful tips I’ve come across. I will be saving this segment on our next trip to Paris. Now I know how to save for lunch and water!
thank you for the many tips! we try to choose an airbnb or hotel as close to a metro as possible. we also appreciate the set lunch tip as well as the tipping itself. now for us to try to say "carafe d'eau" and "formule dejeuner" properly!
Thank you for the video! It was most helpful! Do you know how much the flat rate from Paris city centre (near La Défense Arena) to the Paris Beauvais Airport is? I’m going to Paris next month and I need to know whether this is an option on a Monday morning (around 5am) when I leave. To me, it seems like the quickest option, but it might be expensive which is why I’m asking. ❤ If I have any questions, do you have an e-mail I can use to ask you guys?
Thank you both for all the informative videos. I just got back from Paris yesterday. Your videos help be navigate so many things. Especially the Metro and taxi aspect. We arrived on Thursday morning a day before the opening ceremonies. I booked on a whim, unaware of the events taking place until after. We had an amazing time armed with the information we got watching you. Merci Beaucoup!!!!
I was in Paris, Tennessee, last week. They have an Effil Tower replica there. Cost much less to book a motel room with a view of it and no annoying tourists either.
I'm going to Paris in August 18 by myself. You are the only one I trust and I will go through as many of your videos as possible before I go. I'm so nervious
Could you maybe do a video (if you haven’t already) of words and phrases we should know when we travel to France? My mom and I plan on going next year and we want to know at least the basics so we seem respectful!
I totally agree with your highlighted points. They really make sense when you visit for the first time. Unfortunately, I'm seeing this video after my visit to Paris, but I was lucky to bypass these issues and use only public transport everywhere.
as a Frenchman I always advise foreigners to find out about the restaurants where they hope to go...Paris is a very touristy city and there are always people who prefer money to the pleasure of offering a good meal and a good service, especially in recent decades when many foreigners have come to take advantage of the windfall and open poor quality restaurants to make easy money. So don't hesitate to choose your restaurants carefully, the best are often in less busy areas. Don't hesitate to crucify on social networks or on reference sites the restaurants which seem to you to be of poor quality, this is how we maintain good gastronomy and good service.
On the topic of banking fees, I would also add to get any euros at your local bank before coming because you’ll get the best exchange rate with little to no fee. Most everything we used credit cards for but I like to have some cash on hand just in case.
Thanks for encouraging bikes and public transit over cars ! Paris is just so much better in terms of metros and bicycle lanes than individual polluting cars.
Just came back from euro trip(netherlands, belgium, france and Spain) and I used maya esim for 16$ for 10 gigs of data for 30 days and it worked perfectly fine at all of these places.
Hope you two got to experience some of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. I ended up having to not come to the Olympics because of not finding a reasonable priced place to stay. So my bucket list trip is no more. Think it is funny now we are seeing how the French hotels and Air B&B's are complaining that no one is renting their units. Don't overprice and at least this visitor would have been there. The Opening Ceremonies were spectacular from my couch on TV. I've sold 16/17 event tickets I had but at a loss cause they charge a handling fee and then there is an exchange rate fee. Dream 17 day trip went out the door but I'll probably see more with the TV Olympic coverage. I've appreciated learning so much for that trip from the two of you. Still hope to get to Paris for the first time sometime in the future.
I went to a Fan Zone for the opening, and it was fun to be there with all my neighbors in the rain enjoying the atmosphere, and the great, great show. My friend paid the expensive price for the riverside seats, but felt disappointed in the cost afterwards. The reason is, as amazing as the show was, it was focused across six specific spots along six KM of the river. At each spot, some dance, or show, or lady Gaga, or Celine performed. So, if you watched from the fan zone, you were in the wrong place 6 out of 6 times. But if you paid a thousand euros and watched from the river, you were in the wrong place 5/6 times. Not much of a difference, is it? My friend said he found himself in the stands by the river watching the big screen for those other 5/6 spectacles. I mean, it's all good. But I still have 1000 euros!
I only go to Paris and to France for mainly educational purposes and also leisure. I’m a college student studying French. Paris can be good if you a lot of studying about it and know the city well at least. also there are cities like nice and antibes on the French coast where I went to summer school when I was 16. I’d say it’s very unforgettable and beautiful
Thank you so much for your video! OMG I buy and drink so much water, that is amazing, I would save so much time and $ just in getting free water in France! I love France💖
Cafe Le Dome was great and the waiter was friendly and hilarious. You can really only see the very top of the tower from there, no cafes have a full unobstructed view of the tower.
My biggest near miss was booking to tour the Opera at a time...I forgot I would be arriving from London, and there is a time difference! Lucky the opera allowed me to go in a couple of hours late.
As always, your advice is right on and welcome! I like all of these but appreciate Antoine pointing out Re-Use water bottles! I wish everyone all over the world would do this! The billions of one-use plastic bottles are a disgrace. The second pointer I'll highlight is the e-SIM cards. I haven't used this because I wasn't sure of them. I have paid the $10.00 a day to US carrier! With Les Frenchies' advice I would try this next time.
Another great video - thanks. A great idea for another video could be accommodation ideas for families (2 adults and 2 teenagers ) - apartments or apart hotels seems like a great idea but difficult to find good you tube videos . Thanks Mark
Great reminders. Often same in otger cities eg rome. I had a trip to las vegas and hotels seemed so hard to find and so expensive. Quickly searched and it was F1 week. Moved trip a week!
Our hotel breakfast was €2.50 per person per day. It's the first time I've ever paid extra to add breakfast, because normally the cost is ridiculous. Reviews say it's ok as well, so can set us up for the day before we head out.
Excellent advice, especially skipping the hotel breakfast, not eating at the restaurants close to the major attractions. Unfortunately, these aren't the only ones to avoid. My friend insisted on heading straight for the Champs Elysées, so I steered her away from the obvious restaurants and I found a small pizza place in a totally non-tourist area a few streets away, forgetting she was vegetarian, which never goes down well with the French. As the only non-meat pizzas contained only cheese and tomato, we ordered a green salad on the side. Eventually the pizza was put in front of us with a casual aside that, sorry, there was no salad. I don't think this would have happened at a tourist restaurant.
Great tips. I prefer a healthier breakfast, than starting my day with pastry. I skip the processed meat, go for the boiled egg, fruit and yogurt. I can always pick up a pastry later in the day, after I got all my steps in ;)
A good boulangerie few minutes away from famous monuments is nearly always better than any restaurant close to those places that attract all the tourists.
In Spring 2024 we had lunch and champagne on the Champs de Elysee and it was about the same price we paid anywhere else in the city maybe even a little less.
I want to thank you for your videos. My family and I travelled to Paris this past April and had a great time. All of your videos from what to do when arriving at the airport and how to find the right cabs, to ordering food were spot on!
