I'm going to Paris from London and I'm so nervous. I don't speak any French. Any suggestions on how to get around? We bought a tourist card and I was thinking the metro should get us around but that may be too confusing. Anyone know if they have English signs or should I use uber or a taxi?

Christine
I went a couple of years ago, found hardly anyone that spoke English. You can pre book the Eiffel Tower online. Highly recommend doing so, makes things so much easier. And if I was you I would either print a map of the metro or download a copy. Everyone carries a map even the locals had them. It makes it so much easier to get around when you first arrive. It's constantly branching off and we weren't always sure which branch to take and there are multiple levels. The longer your there you start to get used to it. Bring a map, makes life so much simpler.

I'm there for a day and a half

Also when I was there people would walk up and ask if you needed help with directions. After we said yes and they helped us then they expected you to give them money for the help they gave.

Celina bring a metro map, once you have a map you at least can circle where your going showing someone and they can at least point at the map to show you how to get there. If you don't pre book your Eiffel, tower ticket the lineups can take hours. Also when getting your ticket make sure you buy the one to the very top. I took the elevator up but walked down because even the down elevator lines take awhile. My daughter walked the stairs up to the middle level and the lineup for that was at least 30 minutes. Make sure you use hand sanitizer as well. My daughter and granddaughter ended up with the stomach flew the next day after going there. Beware of pick pockets. We never had an issue but I heard other people complaining about them.

We are going to look at the Eiffel Tower but we both want to explore art. This trip is all about the arts. London, Paris and Italy. And other than a day trip to the almalfi coast for a change of pace, we are hitting all the big art places. The Louvre is going to be a blast. Can't wait.

Celina make sure it's open the day you go.

Never thought it was closed and it's closed the day we planned to go. So we get up early do the louvre on Wednesday before we fly out to Rome. Thanks. I missed that one!

Glad I mentioned t, it's closed on a weird day, and was closed the day we had planned for. Hope you have a great time. The boat ride down the seine was really nice as well if you just want to relax for a bit.

Celina the 1st Monday of the month many museums are free! The Louvre is massive, pick one section to see, otherwise it will take a month to see!!! Muse Dorsay
is OmaZing
. Sacre C'oure (sp) is a hilltop view of Paris (all of it)! Tour the church, behind church is an open market full of crafts. Artists, buskers and jaw dropping beauty

Oh wow! I will totally get to Scre C'oure. That sounds perfect!!! Plus the artwork behind there sounds again PERFRECT!

Celina Louvre is huge. Make a list of must see art for yourself and focus on those. Especially if you're limited on time. You'll see a lot of art on the way to the pieces you really want to see.

I should say too, that Paris is a remarkable walking city. We stayed close to the Louvre and we walked to most sites around central Paris. We walked for hours exploring all the interesting streets and neighbourhoods and enjoyed many sidewalk cafes.

We are stay at Le Walt which is 10 min walk to the Eiffel tower and man other attractions. And right in front of the metro. Hopefully I have made some good choices on all the places and things to do. I think I have made good ones.

Celina What time of year are you going to be there? Are you also looking for restaurants or things to do?

Josh I will be there early May.

That should be a great area to explore from. We walked from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. There is a great restaurant close to the tower -L'Ami Jean. On a few top ten lists. Very reasonable for great food. Friendly service. The world's best rice pudding.

Early May is a great time. That is when we were there. The service industry is not worn out from the hordes of summer tourists - we found Parisians very pleasant.

Thank you everyone. I have the metro downloaded. Also uber could end up a bit cheaper. Noticed it's 5 euro for the two of us. So 10 in total to get where we need to. May end up using it for the walking tour and using the metro for the other fun we are going to enjoy.

The email I got for our walking tour, just seems complicated.
The Walk on the Dark Side meets just outside the Cité Metro Station (on the metro line 4, in the centre of Paris and the purple line when looking at a metro map).
To get there by metro from Hotel Le Walt :
take the metro line 8 from Ecole Militaire in the direction of Balard, changing at La Motte Picquet Grenelle to the line 10 in the direction of Gare d'Austerlitz, getting off at Odéon and changing to the metro line 4 in the direction of Porte de Clignancourt, getting off at Cité. This will take around 30 minutes.
If you prefer to take a taxi, ask the driver to drop you as close to the Cité (pronounced see-tay) metro station as possible - the taxi ride will take around 15 minutes.

Sounds but is not difficult. Carry Metro map

It always sounds complicated...once you get there and follow the directions you'll figure it out no problem...

I have a Paris card and will have to go grab it when I arrive. Once I find the place they have a metro map for me. I'm kinda excited this card includes the metro

Celina, you might get a map with your card (package). Everyone, everything provides a Metro Map

Just curious, I have the Paris pass. Anything that you think is a must see or do that would be on this pass?

Celina, we were only in Paris for 6 days so Museum Pass was better. But many great venues cross over to Paris Pass! Plus yours includes all Metro. We loved the Muse Dorsay (sp?). Archer de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower n The Great Canadian Pub
. The River Seine Cruise @ night. Google Rick Steeves, he has tremendous Paris tips
. Enjoy Paris

THANK YOU!!! I am taking my daughter to europe as her gift for graduating and Im pretty stoked!! This all is making me much more excited for our big adventure. I have added the apps to my phone and Im ready to enjoy figuring out the Metro!! Thank you again so much.

Celina, if I didn't post, google Rick Steeves and traveling to Paris. He had omaZing great information on everything you need to know. He gives 1,3,5 or 7 day recommended itineraries

I just looked him up for London.

Use this application

Totally will download this!

You'll be fine. We went to Paris in July. Were there for a few days before heading off to Italy. Paris was a breeze. Wasn't there for enough time to master the metro so we used cabs a few times. Cabs were hard to find when we needed one. Download the apps, we weren't prepared that way, but they sure would have helped. I'm sure we sounded funny trying to pronounce at the street names. We took the double decker buses in all the countries that we stopped in. They were everywhere and went to all the major sightseeing locations. Also had wifi on them which was handy sometimes. Enjoy. I loved Paris. So pretty

We' be been to both places. I guarantee you the English in Paris is one thousand better than London!!! The Londoners were so loud, abknoxscious (sp) and very difficult to understand. Yes, even cab drivers n hotel staff @ airport hotel, they knew we were tourists and really awful
. Paris , we went in September and had an OmaZing time. We bought our Museum Pass n Metro pass & Airport for 6 days. Best holiday ever. Food is OmaZing
. English spoken everywhere
. I think the uber is still a controversy. We only took cab once! Rode Metro like a pro. One train every 3 minutes, enjoy Paris

What the hell are you talking about

Josh I am completely serious, that was our experience. You don't have to yell.

and again, what the hell are you talking about

Obnoxious and amazing.......for future reference.

Everyone speaks english, major places and stations have directions in english

I also don't speak French and absolutely loved Paris. The metro can get you everywhere and I learned some polite questions and greetings in French but apparently I was so bad at it that people must have taken pity on me and only spoke to me in English haha

The people we ran into I think were pleased that we were at least trying to speak their language. In our 8 days there we only encountered one person who was negative but I understand that we were just very very lucky!

Celina, I'm going to say it a second time for emphasis: Do NOT pay for taxi or uber in Paris, the metro is so much easier, cheaper (especially if you get a navigo decouverte or something similar), and gives you plenty of free people watching.

First time to Paris 2 years ago and I was terrified of the Metro, especially since I do not speak French.... within 2 days, was using it like a pro. I took my Ipad and was using the metro navigation where I could put in my starting point and where I wanted to go and it gave me great directions on which lines to use and to transfer to. Try to look at it before you go. Everyone was very helpful when you asked.

Just returned from Paris. We used Metro lots. It is super easy. We printed off a metro map before we left so we would have a hard copy. Would recommend buying a pass or book of ten tickets when you get there (at metro station) because some stations do not have dispensaries to sell tickets and we were caught without having tickets once and had to walk to another station to get our tickets. Enjoy! We had a great time.

You will be amazed to see how many people speak English in Paris, visitors and locals. Take the metro. There are also very good guides of Paris in English.

We did Paris with the kids and it was absolutely fine! The metro is my favorite way to travel in Europe, it's so easy and efficient! It's a way of life. And you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy the language barrier is overcome

Just came back. Use Google Map and you'll be using Metro like a pro. It really was just a regular big city. Other that that, I find it dirty and nothing special that wants me to come back. No English menu at restaurants. Been there. Done that. Not again.

I've been to a lot of different cities and if you just take your time you should be able to navigate by using the map and always check the times because your bus might be leaving at a certain time even if it's on certain platform

Walk, walk, walk! The City of Lights is so beautiful and exciting you'll want to stay above ground as much as possible! Plus all the walking helps burn off the cheese, chocolate, gelato, macarons etc calories!

You will have very little problem if you don't speak any French - we had no issues at all. The metro is easy to use - but we didn't find taxis expensive at all and used them when the metro was not handy.

You don't need to know french, its a tourist city and you'll always find people speaking english there. As long as you put an effort in speaking there language, they will gracefully help you.

Paris is fine. countryside unfortunately not very friendly if you looks like an English and speak English too. my 65 years old friend was pushed out from a local shop for speaking English when asking for directions after he was lost when driving down the country. very very very rude.

The metro is very easy to use, just very busy! you will enjoy the ease of getting around such a large city. Also, you do not have to speak French, everyone is very helpful! have a wonderful holiday!

Enjoy! Paris is a wonderful city. We went there 2 years ago and knew no french and had the odd problem but not a big deal. If people didn't know English, they would still help us or find someone to help me. Metro is super easy! When you are in London go to Hampton Court Palace, it is bit outside of London. But it was highlight of my trip, it is where King Henry the 8 lived.

I've traveled all over France and you'll have no issues in Paris...small town France may be an issue but even that seems to work out somehow without speaking French...enjoy your trip, don't stress, Paris is a fantastic city and tourist friendly...I agree with above comments, don't take taxis or uber...WALKING and METRO are the best options

Also good advice to buy the Eiffel Tower pass ahead of time. We waited in that horrible line for hours. Then every level we waited for a long time as well. Smart to avoid the ticket line if you can

The trains are easy.
Travel by day as the educated (who speak 2 languages) get the day shift. The others get night shift.
Force your way in or they'll force you out.
The french are rude shit heads !!!!!!

you will be fine. Me and my sister went there, we did eurail and metro. Metro map is so easy to read. Go to versailles, buty tix online. You just go there using metro.

When is the trip? Maybe you have enough time to learn some conversational French for free via Duolingo or some other app?
https://www.duolingo.com/course/fr/en/Learn-French-Online

Normally you can have a kind hearted citizen to translate if you have any issues if your afraid but everything is self explanatory

App interpreter lol

We didn't struggle at all in Paris. Just have a map, and the metro map is quite easy to understand.

Also the metro is really easy, cheap and convinet. Dont waste money on anything else!

I did it and speak no french. Use the metro, its the same as any other city.

You will have no issues at all. Transit is in English and easy and awesome

Metro is quite easy to navigate and more economical. Most people speak some English. Have fun!

Even if you apologize that you can't speak French do not be surprised if you get a cold shoulder from time to time

Download offline maps of Paris in google maps. Super easy to go around in metro.

Have travelled extensively in France and loved Paris

Don't use a taxi or uber, use the metro

We used the metro and didn't have any trouble.

Get Citymapper app.

Great Metro easy to use. Lines colour coded!

Google translate