Tips for Travellers to Paris - the Letdowns (2)

Let me continue to write something about the downside of travelling in Paris. I'm not trying to discourage you from visiting Paris, but I'd like you to be mentally prepared so that you don't get too disappointed when arriving in Paris. 

They don't speak English

Having stayed in Paris for more than a year, I can say that at least half of the Parisians don't speak English. Some of them have little knowledge of English, and some just don't want to speak English even though they know how to speak English. Actually these two types of people are just the same for you because neither of them will talk with you in English. So don't expect to communicate well with Parisians; to enjoy your experience in Paris doesn't necessarily mean you have to talk much with the local people. If you really want to talk to a Parisian, you'd better book a stay at a Parisian's home on Airbnb. As far as I know, people on Airbnb are all trying their best to speak English. 

Thieves are just beside you

Be careful when you visit Louvre Museum, Champs-Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and other famous and crowded attractions. When you are looking at a beautiful painting in the Louvre Museum or admiring the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you think the people around you are doing the same thing as you are doing? Think twice....You know what, the thieves also buy tickets, get into the attractions, and pretend to be tourists. You could never be too careful when visiting Paris.

It's always raining

When it comes to the bad weather, we are more likely to think of England. But actually Paris is no better. The summer is fine, but the spring, the autumn, and the winter...Er, you'll regret if you don't bring an umbrella.

Every restaurant serves expensive food

In Paris you can find a variety of nice food, but you'll notice that you have to pay a price - usually you have to spend 20 euros to have an average-tasting meal. If you want to save money, you'd better go to fast food chains, like McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway, or go to the bakeries, which can be found everywhere on the streets, to buy a sandwich. In that way, you can spend less than 10 euros to make your hunger go away. But don't expect to have a taste of Paris's really nice cuisine if you want to spend less than 20 euros on a meal.

Don't count on the metro

There are tube strikes in Paris from time to time, which stop you from getting to your destination on time. And even when there is no strike, the Paris metro can also screw up your travel plans - there are loads of problems with metro. If you can read French and pay attention to the metro's official website, you can see things like this: a metro line is under renovation, another line is halted due to an electric problem, another line is blocked because there's a bag left unattended, another line is delayed due to an accident...I can't say these situations happen every day, but they happen frequently. When you come across a problem like that, don't feel despondent: you're not unlucky; you're just experiencing something every Parisian has experienced. What you need to do is just take a bus (if you're not in a hurry) or a taxi (if you have little time left) instead. 

That's all I can think of about the bad aspects of Paris now. Good night!