Travel Tips! Anyone!

[mtnag]

Come on people just give me some helpful hints. I will arrive at about 6:45 Paris time. How do I sleep on the plane? Do I take something or drink heavily? I will not be able to go directly to a hotel we will start touring that morning. How do I get over jet lag? I have never been on a plane that long. 2hrs max to Vegas thats it. What exchanging money? Tipping and such, Just give me some ideas of what to look out for you know Does and Donts.

Any help will be appreciated.

[bixaorellana]

www.travelooce.com/jetlag.shtml

I have read that it's very unwise to consume much alcohol on a long flight -- something to do with blood circulation from sitting so long.

This is interesting: www.britishairways.com/travel/drsleep/public/en_us

[bixaorellana]

Re: money ~~ I believe the accepted wisdom is to rely on your ATM card for money. Certainly France must have ATMs all over the place.

[mtnag]

Thanks BIXA

[bixaorellana]

MT ~~ you probably won't get any answers from anyone in Europe until sometime tomorrow. They're probably all still in bed right now.

[Deleted]

Yes, there are ATMs everywhere. I think they're all HSBC at the airport, but once you get into the city, there is an unlimited variety. Generally your bank will have a deal with one of the main banks in France for reduced or zero fees, so you should find out before you arrive. (For example people with cards from Bank of America should use the BNP Paribas machines to not get charged extra.)

[bjd]

I have read that it's better not to drink alcohol in airplanes because it dehydrates you. Stick to water.

You get over jet lag by immediately trying to adapt to your new hours.

If you are touring immediately, you won't have to worry about money or anything, will you? They will pick you up with the bus and take you around.

Tips are usually included in French restaurants -- at the bottom of the bill, it will say "service compris". They will not run after you to demand a tip.

I think you asked about dressing -- well, wear whatever you are comfortable in -- you will look like a tourist no matter what, especially if you are part of a tour.

[mtnag]

Thanks bjd. I am traveling with a group of teachers and will be in Paris for a Tour leader orientation. I will be taking some of my high school students to Italy and Greece next summer for 2 weeks. (I am a History Teacher.) This trip is supposed to get us familiar with traveling and touring on the companies schedule. It is a quick trip only on the ground 4 full days.

Since you live in France, what are other things i should be aware of, Food, drink, places to stay away from and such?

[bjd]

I'm not sure what to tell you. There are no places to stay away from that you would be likely to go anywhere near!

I have never been on an organized tour, but from what I have heard from people who have, you won't have much time for anything else and you will be undergoing sensory overload (plus your jet lag!). They will try to show you as much as possible.

Have you any idea where in Paris your hotel will be?

If it's in a lively area, my main suggestion would be for you to go and walk around a bit in the evening without the rest of the group, or maybe with one or two other people, sit down in a bar or café, have a drink of whatever you like and people watch.

If it's in a quiet area, or a suburb, I suggest you go to a supermarket, buy a bottle of wine and some bread, cheese, fruit, dark chocolate and get some of your tour people -- but not too many -- and go have a picnic. There are various possible locations: on the shores of the Seine; at the port beside Bastille subway station overlooking the boats; on the grass near the Eiffel tower... You are allowed to have an open bottle in France!

[traveler63]

Hi mtnag:

Drink plenty of water on the plane, don not drink alcohol. We also pack snacks, raisins, nuts, energy bars, etc. I use a mask to sleep and ear plugs work well for me. Do get up and walk around. The issue of sitting for long periods of time without lower leg movement can cause DVT or deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot and obviously this is serious. We fly from Arizona to Atlanta and them from there to Paris. When we do, I always try to do some walking between plane change. The overnight flight is hard to walk around, but just getting up and standing helps too. There are fliers on Delta which show some exercises you can do while sitting. Are you on a direct flight from Texas?

Jet Lag varies. I am fine going over, my husband want to go to sleep immediately when we arrive. It just depends, some say go out and fight it, some people say go ahead and go to sleep.

Most of the bistros, cafes and restaurants, the tipping is included but it is traditional to leave three or four euros additional if the service is really good. If you are a wine person and you ask for suggestions additional tipping is something you should do. Please be polite and greet people in stores, restaurants, etc. BonJour Madame or Monsieu sure goes a long way. ATM's are the way to go. The rates are better. We always have some euros with us for baggage, etc when we arrive.

Hope this helps

[Deleted]

Three or four euros traditional? My tradtional maximum would be 2 euros. Generally, in a café I leave between 0.10€ (for a coffee), up to about 0.50€ if a group of us have been drinking.

[traveler63]

K2

Maybe I am fullfilling the thought that Americans tip too much, but everyone I have talked to has said the same thing. Generally 2-4 euros but thanks for setting us straight.

[Deleted]

"Traditional for Americans"

[bixaorellana]

Wouldn't it be by percentage anyway, not a range of amounts? I mean, you'd hardly leave 2 euros as a tip for a cup of coffee, right?

[Deleted]

Well, in my mind it is a vague percentage for the very small amounts For example, an espresso standing at the bar is 1€ or 1.10€ in most places. That's why I would never leave more than 0.10€. But a full meal for two often costs around 50€ now, and if it is actually 49.50€ I will leave about 0.70€ as an extra tip -- and only if the service is acceptable. At a Chinese restaurant, the meal might cost just 25€ for two and there I wouldn't leave a tip at all, because they don't expect one. I have found that my 100% French friends leave even less of a tip than I do. (And that's probably one of the reasons that the French were voted the #1 worst tourists in the world in the annual Expedia poll again.)

[mtnag]

Thanks for the insight. It will be a sensory overload Thursday. We will tour all-day. I have not met anybody I will be touring with so I'm not sure what to expect from the people on the tour. Me on the other hand I like to get out and knock around hit the bar and meet people get my feet wet. The Quai Saint Bernard sounds like a lot of fun but I don't know where it is from where I am going to be staying in Rueil Malmaison. Is the Rueil Malmaison a fun place, in the burbs or a bad part of town. Thursday tour, Friday morning lectures seminars then after lunch the rest of the day is mine to do what I want. Any suggestions? Then Sat back touring with the group and leave Sunday morning.

[Deleted]

Rueil Malmaison is a dead, rich (i.e. pretty) suburb quite far (more than 10km) from Paris but it is connected to the city by the RER A express metro line, so it is not completely isolated.

The Quai Saint Bernard is quite easy to find if you can find Notre Dame. If you are facing Notre Dame, it is behind it on the right, across the bridge.

[mtnag]

IS there a pass I can purchase so I can use all of the public Transportation or do I need to pay individually for each (bus, train, subway)?

Thank you guys for all of your help. I am really looking forward to my trip.

I f there is anything else you can tell me please do so. Like I said I have all day Friday after lunch to explore the city. I will have to take public transportation to do this, is there city map I need to purchase that will help me get around easier?

[bixaorellana]

You can do some planning right now, using these online maps in conjunction with other resources.

[bjd]

Actually, given the small amount of time you have, I wouldn't buy a map. Have a look at some internet resources before you go and decide what you want to see on that Friday afternoon.

In fact, in your case, it might be worth getting on one of those hop-on/hop-off buses which will take you all around the main tourist sights. You can always get off and get a better look at something that interests you, and get on another bus afterwards.

All the central areas of Paris have maps of the neighbourhood and information about things worth seeing. And if you really get confused, stop at any bus stop or Metro station entrance (they are all over the place) -- they all have maps.

It would be good to know where in Rueil your hotel is. I hope it's not far from the RER (commuter train mentioned by Kerouac). It's a big place, but much of the town is made of large office buildings. There are also residential neighbourhoods. It's not exciting, but you don't need to worry about dangerous areas. Also check what time the last trains run!

You should be able to get information from whoever is guiding your around on your tours too.

[Deleted]

Also, the hotel desk will know exactly what you need.

[mtnag]

Thanks I am 50 m from RER A ststion. That will get me to were i need to go rt. Should I buy a pass? I will have thur and Sat evenings to explore as well as the Fri.

[lagatta]

Great. Reuil is not exciting to put it kindly, but the central square is pretty, and there are some historic buildings. fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Rueil-Malmaison_PlaceÉglise.jpg Many Paris suburbs were old towns and villages. www.rueil-tourisme.com/EN/ As you can see, some of the site is in sort-of-English.

It is very close to the university of Nanterre, but that is quite a different place.

I don't actually think it makes a lot of difference to buy a pass for three days, but that is your call.

Remember that this is just a glimpse of Paris and its metropolitan region. Hope it gets you interested in more.

[Jazz]

mtnag,

You've been given some great advice from those who are very familiar with Paris. From the sounds of the area of your hotel, I would go there ONLY to sleep and keep a close watch so that you don't miss the last train back! I suggest that you pick up a copy of Pariscope. This is an excellent guide to everything that is going on in Paris (comes out each Wed.), is cheap (.40E) and small to put in your pocket. You will find it at any street newstand. There is much that is free or inexpensive to do in Paris.

Your time is rather limited and you will probably be very happy just wandering around the areas close to the Seine. The Marais, Ile Saint Louis, Ile de la Cite, the Latin Quarter etc., which contain many of the key tourist sites for the first time visitor. You may want to take a Seine boat trip (about an hour, for 20E? or, my favorite, buy a day pass to the Batobus, 12E (a boat shuttle on the river): www.batobus.com/english/index.htm ....you can hop on and off at any stop all day. This will give you a lovely perspective of the city from the middle of the Seine. These boats run about every half hour. The hop on-off bus is also great.

I agree with Kerouac on tipping, but it is still hard for me to do. As North Americans, we have been trained to leave 15%, sometimes 20%. This is NOT expected in Paris and disrupts the system for the locals.

Traveller63 mentioned what I think is the most important for a great time. The 'small' courtesies are very important to the Parisiens and often misintepreted as French 'rudeness' or 'arrogance'. It is a different culture. When entering a shop...'bonjour madame (monsieur) and when leaving, some acknowledgement, in French. This is significent and is taken as a sign of respect. This minimal effort on your part will completely shape your experience. I found this not just in shops, but cafes, metro stations ...everywhere. It costs you nothing but awareness and the memorization of a few phrases. Here in Toronto it isn't the same. Often there is no communication and it can be difficult to wrench a sales clerk from her cell phone to pay attention to you. Not in Paris.

[mtnag]

I want to thank everyone for their advice. My trip starts tomorrow and i am very excited to the point I cant sleep. I hope this works in my favor so that I can sleep on the plane.

I hope to take some great pics to share with you guys when i return. I will try to post from my Blackberry while I am there but it is not a promise.

Merci

[bixaorellana]

I know you're going to have a wonderful trip, MT. Enjoy yourself and we'll be looking forward to hearing all about it when you return.

[Deleted]

The 'Malmaison' of Rueil-Malmaison was Empress Joséphine's residence, so it is not a shabby location at all.

[auntieannie]

Have fun, MT... sorry I didn't answer any of your questions. Others have done much better than I could ever have tried.

about sleeping on planes and jetlag: I usually cannot really sleep on planes so I "play vegetable" (i.e. just disconnect my brain and lie about neither thinking nor doing much). I am always trying to adapt to whatever hour of the day it is, but sometimes one cannot help but have a short nap (set the alarm for 45 minutes or an hour).

[traveler63]

Can't wait to hear of your adventures and see your pictures. Have a great trip!!!