15 Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make the Next Time You Go To Paris (From Our Experience)

I love Paris and try to go at least a couple of times a year as I’m only a two-hour train ride away. Last year, we decided to spend New Year’s in Paris, and it was fabulous. Seeing the fireworks over the Arc de Triomphe was quite a sight to see.

However, I also remember my first few trips to Paris, and there were several minor and not so minor mishaps that could have been avoided. From standing in huge queues to not realizing the Palace of Versailles closed on a Monday, I’ve made every mistake in the book.

So, that being the case, I thought it would be helpful to share my experiences over the years with you. Hopefully, you can avoid some of these traps and really enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer.

15 Mistakes You Don’t Want To Make the Next Time You Go To Paris

These mistakes came from actual trips I’ve done to Paris; they’re not guesswork. Some were irritating, others were expensive, and a few made us want to throw our luggage into the Seine and give up entirely.

Taking a Cab in Paris

Never, ever take a cab in Paris. For a start, the Metro is very easy to use, cheap, and much, much quicker. You can spend precious vacation time stuck in a cab, and it’s never the best option. Uber is better, but even then, because at least you know before you get in what you’re going to be charged. Even then, I still wouldn’t do it. 

Forget the taxi. Just forget it entirely and either walk or get the Metro.

Overpacking With a Giant Suitcase 

Paris is a city with staircases everywhere. From the apartment you’re staying in to the metro, you’ll find stairs upon stairs, and dragging a heavy suitcase is fine for the first staircase, but by staircase number ten, you’re ready to ditch it and go buy a whole new wardrobe.

Then, you have to contend with getting on the Metro when it’s busy with your giant suitcase, and walking miles and miles with it. I’ve become very good at packing everything tightly into a much smaller suitcase with leftovers in my travel rucksack. Much easier, less sweating, and my cheeks stay the color they’re supposed to be, rather than a scary crimson color.

Not Opting to Walk Everywhere

Paris has to be one of the most walkable cities in the world. It was made for walking, and it’s the only way you’ll discover those hidden gems that aren’t in the guidebooks. The metro is great for longer distances. But if Google Maps says something is three stops away, just walk it. You’ll get there much faster.

Paris is compact. Most tourist sites sit within a few kilometers of each other. The 1st through 7th arrondissements are incredibly walkable if you have decent shoes.

Putting All Our Metro Tickets On One Phone

So this is a recent issue. The Metro has stopped issuing paper tickets, so you have to use the RAPT App or buy at the ticket counter, which isn’t always open. So, thinking I was being very organized, I purchased Metro tickets for my husband and I on my phone.

Big mistake, huge (couldn’t resist a Pretty Woman quote there). You see, the Metro is still pretty old-fashioned and doesn’t like you using the same phone multiple times consecutively. It makes you wait at least five minutes, and then you can try again.

This happened on my last trip, and it was a royal pain in the backside. Even with tickets on our own phones, it still wasn’t plain sailing. Twice, it completely refused my husband’s phone for no reason. I’d gone through, and he was stuck at the barrier. Eventually, it worked, but it was a real faff.

Overscheduling With No Downtime

This is a mistake I hear about all the time, especially with first-timers to Paris. It’s so tempting to want to cram in as much as possible so you don’t miss anything. The problem with that is that Paris has a ridiculous amount to see. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been, and I am nowhere near seeing everything.

So, my advice is to choose one main attraction per day, with somewhere nice to eat on each one. Also, build in some downtime as Paris can be exhausting. On our last trip at New Year’s, we scheduled a return to the hotel in the late afternoon before going out for dinner. It allowed us to just chill on the bed for a couple of hours, so we were ready for round two.

And besides, by spreading out what you see into attractions or arrondissements, it’s the perfect excuse to return.

Going to the Louvre For the First Time Without a Plan

The Louvre is enormous. You cannot see it all. Trying to see it all guarantees you’ll leave disappointed and exhausted. Pick three things you actually want to see, find them on the museum map before you go, and walk directly to those things. Spend real time looking at them instead of sprinting through 35,000 other objects trying to see everything.

The Egyptian collection is worth an hour if you like ancient history. Napoleon’s apartment is stunning, and the Italian Renaissance paintings are clustered together, so you can see the famous pieces without having to hike across the building. The Mesopotamian section is usually empty and fascinating.

Don’t try to do it all in one visit. You can always come back.

Saying Yes When They Offer Water In a Restaurant 

Do not, and I repeat not, say yes when they ask if you want water. It’ll be bottled water, not free, and you’ll be charged an arm and a leg for it. Ask for a carafe d’eau, which is free tap water. They have to give it to you for free if you ask. But they won’t offer it first because bottled water makes them money.

Not Getting a Paris City Pass

The Paris Museum Pass paid for itself in two days. On our first trip, we bought individual tickets at every museum. It added up fast. Louvre: 22 euros. Musée d’Orsay: 16 euros. Arc de Triomphe: 13 euros. Sainte-Chapelle: 11,50 euros. 

The Paris Museum Pass covers more than 60 museums and monuments. You skip most ticket lines, which alone is worth it when you see the queue at the Louvre stretching around the pyramid. You don’t need it if you’re only visiting two or three museums, but if you’re planning to see the major sites, do the math. It usually makes sense.

There are also some free museums that are worth checking out.

Eating in the Tourist Areas Like the Champs Élysées

The restaurants directly around the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Champs-Élysées are almost universally bad. We learned this the hard way. Tourist area restaurants survive on volume, not repeat customers. They don’t need to be good because there’s always another busload of visitors who don’t know better.

That’s not to say that some of the big named restaurants aren’t good, because they are. My favorite experience at a restaurant in Paris was Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon. I had the best crepe suzette of my life there. I tend to find that the best restaurants are farther out. 

I’ve also had some great experiences in Le Marais and the Latin Quarter. Do your homework and don’t forget to try the little, unassuming places down the side streets that don’t have swarms of tourists or people taking photos.

Forgetting to Check For Aircon In An Airbnb During the Summer

Paris in August can be hot. Not as bad as Spain or Italy, but still hot enough that you’ll want air conditioning. Most older Parisian apartments don’t have it. We booked a place in the 11th arrondissement in July because the photos looked great and the price was reasonable. The listing didn’t mention air conditioning, but we stupidly assumed it had. It didn’t.

The temperature hit 34°C, and the apartment had one small fan. We couldn’t sleep, so we spent half the trip exhausted and cranky, looking for cafés with working AC just to cool down for an hour.

Now we check specifically. If it doesn’t say “air conditioning” in the amenities, it doesn’t have it. In summer, that’s a dealbreaker.

Wearing New Shoes or Heels

You will walk more than you think you will. Even on your laziest Paris day, you’ll probably walk ten thousand steps without noticing. There is nothing worse than shoes that hurt when you have a lot of walking to do.

Bring shoes you’ve already broken in and won’t betray you on cobblestones or when you decide to walk from the Marais to Saint-Germain-des-Prés because it’s a nice day.

Not Pre-Booking Musée D’Orsay

The line for Musée d’Orsay wraps around the building most days. We stood in it for 90 minutes once in June because we thought we could just show up. I stuck it out because I was desperate to go and had been looking forward to it.

The museum only allows a certain number of people in at a time. Once it hits capacity, everyone waits, and there’s no shade or seating. Book online and walk straight in while everyone else is still queuing. It costs the same amount either way.

The same goes for the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, and Sainte-Chapelle. Anything popular needs to be booked in advance, especially in summer.

Eating Breakfast At Your Hotel

This is an absolute waste of money. Paris is full of the most amazing boulangeries and patisseries, and that’s where you should be getting your breakfast, at least once. There are also hundreds of cafes all offering breakfast.

My favorite breakfast in Paris was at Les Deux Magots, sitting where Ernest Hemingway had once sat, eating the breakfast named after him. It’s an experience I won’t forget and wouldn’t get in a standard hotel.

Trying to See Everything In One Trip

I’ve already touched on this one, but it’s worth saying again. You can’t see all of Paris in one trip; it simply isn’t possible. Paris has more museums, monuments, neighborhoods, and restaurants than you can possibly cover in one visit. Trying to do it all means you’ll do none of it well.

Letting FOMO Dictate What You Do

Everyone says you have to climb the Eiffel Tower, see the Mona Lisa, visit Versailles, eat at this specific restaurant, and take a photo on this exact street.

You don’t have to do any of it.

Do what you actually want to do, not what Instagram says you should do. If you hate crowds, skip the Eiffel Tower and spend the day wandering around Le Marais.

If you don’t care about art, don’t force yourself through the Louvre just because everyone says you should. Go to a flea market, find a cafe and drink wine, or sit by the Seine with a picnic.

Your trip. Your rules.