We just returned from Paris and the information that I got from this site was very useful so I wanted to add some of my own. We arrived on the Eurostar and got to our hotel around 5pm. We settled in and went for a walk to buy our monument and museum passes. Based on previous posts that stated the best place to buy them was the Arch de Triomphe because the lines are not too bad. Well sorry to say you cannot buy the passes after 5pm...........Now I thought we would be standing in long lines at the Louvre which was to be our stop the next morning. We purchased a batobus pass for the day and when we were dropped off at the Louvre (not the main entrance) I was pleasantly surprised that there was no line at this entrance! So it all worked out, I really wanted that pass to be able to jump the lines! Also in the Louvre unless you know French you NEED the audio guide. Unfortunetly they do not sell them at this entrance and we were clueless for much of our stay there. Our next visit will start with a visit to the audio guide kiosk! Plus I also have to mention the fashion. This is such a frequent topic on this forum that I have to comment. Do not listen to the people that say you should dress a certain way! Unless you are going out in the evening for upscale dinner/theater/clubs please dress the same way you would if you were going out sightseeing in any US city! There is no way anyone will pick you out as an American just by the way you dress. There were soooooooo many shorts, sneakers, jeans, tank tops, sundresses, flip flops....you name it....on all different walks of life.........clothing should be the least of your worries and on this forum it seems to be at the top of some peoples list. As I think of some I will post! Thanks everyone for all the insight prior to my departure!!!!! :)
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Hi Kell82..Enjoyed reading your post..Would be curious to know how French people felt about your assumption that tourists (Americans) cannot be singled out by the wasy they dress...Having a partner who has lived in france for many years i would have to disagree..They know their fashion..
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%26quot;Also in the Louvre unless you know French you NEED the audio guide%26quot;
In every room of the Louvre, you%26#39;ll find plastic sheets in several languages describing the works that are exhibited. Multi-language maps of the museum, with indications f the major works are provided at the entrance. I am not sure major US museums provide that.
But the audio guide is useful nonetheless.
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Yes, there are paper guides in every room at the Louvre telling you about the art there but it seemed every time something really interested me an English one could not be found. I could have waited till whoever was using them put them back but with so much to see and so little time the audio guide would have been so much more enjoyable.
As far as fashion in Paris and Americans.............I am talking about during the day for sightseeing and everytime I was at a tourist hot spot. And if this is true that a Parisian can %26quot;pick us out%26quot; so be it, the point here is that we were not treated differently. I never felt stared at or talked about. And quite honestly I can sit and people watch here in the states and talk about someones fashion choices as they walk by me! So what is the difference. I enjoyed Paris, their people, their way of life and the rich history that is there.
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Hi Kell82..The locals in Phuket (Thailand) would approach and in an Aussie slang say Gday Mate..I could not understand how they knew i was an Aussie and not say german or Dutch...It was pointed out to me by a Thai friend that my flip flops were a dead give away..Then i saw entire Aussie families wearing them...I asked my friend about the French..She ponted out young men wearing collars of an evening to dinner and only wore flip flops and t shirts to the Beach or Casually..I am not being sarcastic to your post..It just made me realize how much locals notice of our behaviour ...In the 14 nights i spent with my French partner she dressed for dinner everynight regardless of where we were going and made sure she looked above average for Breakfast..No wearing Bikinis or too skimpy out fits to restaurant..A time and place for everything..
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IMHO, unless you look Parisienne (5%26#39;2, 100 lbs, dark hair, high heels - these would be the women), you will look like a tourist no matter what you wear. I would say bon jour, they would respond, hello. On the other hand, in Prague they thought my friend and I were Scandanavian (5%26#39;11%26quot;, blonde hair, MORE than 100 lbs). Be polite, smile when speaking with someone, all will be well.
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Hi Codyody..I agree..As tourists we stand out ..But dont like to admit it..
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This is all very curious. I am almost always approached in Paris as if I were a native. Those of you out there who%26#39;ve met me can vouch that I definitely don%26#39;t look French, not do I sound French, but I%26#39;ve been asked for an interview on French TV (twice), frequently asked for directions (by both apparent locals and obvious tourists), and immediately greeted and responded to in French in all manner of shops, restaurants, and even tourist sites. Don%26#39;t be so sure that clothing style, attitude, and small mannerisms don%26#39;t make a huge difference!
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Paris is the fashion capital of Europe if not the world..And personally having worked in the industry for the last 15 yrs i was tought more about fashion and style in 2yrs by my Parisian partner than countless years on the job..Its not What you wear but you wear it with..But in all fairness to Kell82 ,if all the tourist are wearing t shirts and sneakers it would be very difficult to distinguish nationality..But if you a keen eye for fashion you could..And thats what Parisians have...Thats it for me..Enjoyed the banter..great forum..
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I think they will have a hard time figuring me out,i have blonde hair,slant eyes, a broad nose,brown skin and i wear a turban,i am also deaf and mute.
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Yes, Truffaut, all your body language does not give you out as an American either, and you are not tall/big the way some Americans are, and you don%26#39;t speak loudly. What else could we Parisians ask for?
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