Don’t be THAT Tourist - How to Blend in in Paris
Don’t be THAT Tourist in Paris:
Over the centuries, Paris has collected several nicknames including the capital of food, fashion, and culture. It’s a city that millions of people dream of one day visiting to experience all that it has to offer. With all the hype surrounding Paris, it’s easy to set unrealistic expectations of what a visit will look like.
Will the food be as delectable as I’ve always imagined?
Are Parisians as fashionable as everyone says?
Are the French easily annoyed by tourists?
Should I learn French before I visit France?
Will I stand out like a sore thumb?
A lot of “bad trips” to Paris happen when people's expectations don’t align with reality, which is really unfortunate. To help prevent or alleviate the stress that you might feel when visiting Paris, Jay and I have compiled a list of tips and tricks on how to avoid being THAT tourist in Paris. The tips below are also geared to help set realistic expectations before arriving.
10 Tips & Tricks:
Let's start with volume level. American voices, myself included, tend to project. We like to have fun and express ourselves, often at an increased volume. It definitely shows. If you’re an American, I’d suggest toning it down a bit and using what your elementary school librarian referred to as your “indoor voice”. When you’re outside it's not a huge deal but ultimately shouting and laughing loudly will make you stand out. You’re also likely to disturb those around you, especially in restaurants, cafés, and museums. Try to get a sense of how those around you are speaking and adjust your volume accordingly.
The magic word “bonjour.” It means “hello” in French, and it's the word that earns you respect when you walk into a bakery, shop, or anywhere else you may encounter a French person working. Make sure you greet them with a polite “bonjour” and in most instances, it’ll instantly make your interaction 10x better, especially if you don’t speak French. Greeting employees with this simple word show you respect them in their environment. The way that the French see it, it’s like you’re walking into their home and they don’t owe you anything, at least not until you’ve gone through the proper ritual (and often, not even after that).
Learn a few other French phrases and words. I understand you’re probably traveling to France as well as other countries within Europe and you can’t learn multiple languages right before your vacation. However, I would strongly recommend that you learn how to say a few other French phrases to make your life a little easier, and again, to show respect for the country that you are visiting and its culture. Overall, learning a few phrases before you depart helps to quickly build the bridge with French people and not come across as rude by assuming they speak English. Here are a few examples of helpful phrases, but if you’d like a more extensive list then be sure to check out Jay’s Guide to Paris:
Parlez-vous anglais?: Do you speak english?
Merci: Thank you
Bonne journée: Have a nice day.
Definitely come to Trocadéro. It’s one of the best spots to see the Eiffel Tower and take photos, but keep in mind that it gets more crowded as the day wears on. It can get crazy between tourists trying to take photos, buskers, and tour groups checking out the view. I also cannot emphasize enough not to eat around Trocadéro. Simply put, nothing around here is good quality. Thankfully, there are some restaurants that have recently opened within a 10 to 15 minute walk. Jay has listed a handful of those places in his guide, but I suggest making a plan prior to visiting Trocoadéro if you decide to come around mealtimes.
Protocol for entering the metro. When you’re about to board the metro, make sure you don’t stand directly in front of the door when it comes to a stop and try to get on first. Whoever’s onboard has the right of way to disembark, so you’ll want to stand off to the side and allow them to pass. Once everyone has exited the train, then you can get on and you’re not a total jerk for blocking everybody.
Bonus metro tip. Don’t block the doors of the metro if you miss the train. Let it go, and don’t try to shove yourself in there. Especially with the automated doors: they will cut you in half, and if they don’t the people whose train you’re holding up might do exactly that (kidding of course)! If you’re traveling in a group, make sure that everybody knows where you’re going and how you’re getting there. Have a plan in case you get separated on the metro. Do you want to get off at the next metro stop and regroup? Or do you plan to meet each other at the final destination?
Don’t block traffic. Speaking of getting out of someone’s way, when you’re inevitably going to look for directions, whether on your phone or a paper map, please don’t stop in the middle of the stairs, sidewalk, street, or anywhere there's traffic. It’s really dangerous depending on where you stop, and annoying for those around you. Remember: people live here and are going about their daily lives. Take a look around, move over to the side, and then figure out where you want to go from there, so you’re not driving people insane by blocking their way to work.
Special milk for your coffee. If you drink your coffee with oat milk, almond milk, or some other non-dairy milk, know that you’re not going to find that in your average french bistro or café. You’ll have to go to a specialty coffee shop, like Nuances. Five years ago it would’ve been challenging to cultivate a list that was longer than five, maybe eight places, where you could go get that kind of specialty coffee. Now, thankfully, the list is super long. If you’d like access to an extensive list of specialty coffee shops that can be found in every arrondissement, then check them out in Jay’s Guide to Paris.
Dressing to blend in. People ask all the time: “How do I dress to blend in?” It's a difficult question to answer in some ways because people dress in myriad ways in Paris. You’ll see guys wearing suits, tracksuits, and everything in between. I think the most salient, if easiest, advice is to dress however you’d like and to be yourself. There may be some people that judge you when you’re walking around but generally, it's a big city and no one actually cares what you look like because they're too busy living their own lives. It can take years of living in Paris before you start to blend in style-wise, so don’t feel the need to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe before arriving.
However, if you do want some tips about blending in style-wise, then these are for you:
Don’t wear athleisure outfits when you’re out and about. Leave your leggings and sweatshirts at home, unless of course, you plan on working out while here. Parisians only wear workout clothes when they're physically working out; not before and especially not after.
Parisians tend to dress in neutral dark tones, especially in the colder months. A standard look for both Parisian men and women includes a pair of dark jeans, sneakers, a black or gray sweater or turtleneck, and a cream or black coat. Stick to neutral colors and you’ll blend in.
Parisians dress for the season, not the weather. Even if it’s an warm spring day, be sure to bring a jacket with you and not just wear a t-shirt. Otherwise, you’ll definitely stand out.
Avoid from wearing bright colors, busy patterns, sports jerseys, and socks with sandals.
Keep your neck warm with a scarf. In my opinion, the scarf is the most common outfit accessory for the French so even if you think the temperature is a touch high, go ahead and bring one.
Lastly, Parisians don’t wear berets. They scream tourist, so unless you want to use it as a photo prop or ironically, don’t wear one.
The difference in food. There are a lot of interesting comments and complaints about French food and ultimately I find that it boils down to the fact that it's made for a different palette. French food tends to be very rich; there’s a lot of butter in the dishes. In your average bistro and café, the dishes will rarely have that pizzazz, or wow factor, you might be looking for. There are hundreds of incredible and affordable restaurants in Paris, but it does require a little research and planning beforehand. Jay’s Guide to Paris has tons of recommendations for food options broken down by neighborhood. It’s a great source to discover both affordable and higher-end restaurants in Paris.
A few other things to keep in mind are that portion sizes are smaller than in America, and asking for a to-go box isn’t the norm here. You might get some weird looks or a straight-up ‘no’ from the waiter or waitress if you ask for one. You can’t customize your food very much or at all, depending on what restaurant you go to, especially if it's a traditional French one. If you are a picky eater, go for simpler dishes rather than requesting the chef to customize their dishes to meet your needs. You typically won’t find salt and pepper on the table but don’t be afraid to ask.
Lastly, the service culture in France is very different from that in America. Servers don’t work for tips here because they are paid a living wage. This means that servers don't feel the need to smile constantly and pretend to be nice, so if you do get a rude waiter, roll with it and try not to complain. Relax and remind yourself that you’re on vacation and it's all a part of experiencing a new culture, and all cultures have their downsides (not that we’re biased or anything). Hopefully, with an open mind you can explore some new dishes and your trip will end up introducing you to some food that you never knew you liked before, like duck, or maybe even snails.
A Final Suggestion:
As you can see from all the tips and tricks I’ve shared, it doesn’t take a lot to differentiate you from being “that” tourist. The main thing is to be mindful and aware of your surroundings. Recognize that you’re in a foreign country and things are done differently than you might be used to. Our biggest goal with this post is to encourage you to be alert and aware when traveling to Paris!