If you’re flying directly to Paris- (CDG- Charles De Gaulle airport). If you want to fly into a different country then look into purchasing Eurostar tickets so you can take a train into Paris from any European city (London, Brussels, Amsterdam, etc).
No. It is not necessary to exchange your dollar to euros prior to arriving in Paris. Credit cards are accepted everywhere and you won’t necessarily need cash unless you’re visiting local street vendors. Even then there are ATM machines and banks everywhere. Depending on your credit cards (American Express, Capital One, etc) have no international fees. You should look into which of your credit cards would be most beneficial for you while traveling. I would take some euros out at ATM machine once I arrive in Paris for the best exchange rate.
Yes! You get up to 12-15% for regular goods, up to 33% for luxury goods (no refunds applicable for food, beverage, tobacco products, postage stamps, weapons, cultural treasures, and consumer vehicles). Make sure you have your passport with you while shopping at department stores! You need to ask for the duty free or VAT tax refund form and show your passport. Prior to going through security you need to visit the Cash office at the airport (your terminal) and get your tax refund back in US dollar cash. You can apply the refund onto any credit card that you used but there is a fee.
No- everyone in Paris is friendly and speak enough English for you to communicate. It’s always polite to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ in French. The locals really appreciate your gesture and will go out of their way to help you. Always ASK first if they speak English before talking to a Parisian in English.
-When taking the escalators in Europe please stand to your far right. If you want to walk up the escalator then you can from the left. -At a restaurant, Servers won’t bring you your check unless you request it so please be patient- enjoy your meal and don’t rush! -DO NOT ask for substitutions when ordering. It’s rude and won’t be accepted. Don’t ask for salt and pepper if it’s not at the table. It’s an insult to the chef.
Yes and No- when traveling anywhere you always want to be cautious and be aware of your surroundings. It’s a good idea to make sure your wallet is not in your back pocket (for men) and women wear cross body bags and keep it in front of them. I would purchase an RFID protective wallet from amazon (Mike and I did) and use that wallet to hold your credit cards. Some thieves use RFID scanners and will scan your credit information vs stealing your wallet.
June in Paris is known to be the perfect “summer” season to visit. Mid 70’s it will be comfortable to walk around the beautiful city! Summer in Paris means the sun is out long! The sun won’t set until 9:30pm-10pm!