The participants in the program always have questions – lots of them.   Most frequently, they want to know where to stay.   If you know me at all, I almost always recommend the Latin Quarter.   I am surprised of those people who want to book large, corporate hotels as their place to stay.   I think people feel comfortable staying with a brand-name hotel.  However, I recommend the smaller, boutique hotels to get a “truer” flavor of Paris.

People always want to know if Parisians are rude.   Of course they aren’t.  But they may think you are rude if you don’t greet them with a “Bonjour Madame/Messieur” before initiating a conversation with anyone.  The people at the seminar who had previously been to Paris agreed with me on that tip wholeheartedly.

People always want to know where to eat and how much they can expect to pay for a dinner.  On the radio this morning, I heard that the average price for dinner in New York City is $42 whereas in Paris it is $79.   I explained that if you go a few blocks away from the main tourist areas in Paris, you can eat well for under $30.  I also explained that dining tips were not really all that important in Paris.  There are so many good restaurants.  Also, restaurants display their menus outside.  Therefore a diner can get a sample of the dishes served and the price before they even enter.   I also explained that usually the best deal in a restaurant is the fixed price "formule" for lunch and  "menu" for dinner.

The next most frequently asked question is how to get around Paris, especially to/from the airport.  If you travel light, I suggest that you use the metro/bus/RER combination.

Lastly, another common question asked is regarding side trips from Paris.  I talked about Versailles, Reims, Normandy, Giverney (Monet's home).  People seem to be most interested in going on a side trip to Reims, the Champagne region of Paris.   They had absolutely no interest at all in visiting Disney Paris.

What I am surprised most by is that some people don’t know about some great money and time saving tips.   Very few people are aware of the great value of the Museum Pass.   They are also unaware (and very uncomfortable with) the fact that tipping is not as generous in Paris as it might be here in the United States.  I am sure that when the seminar was over, they still could not believe that only a few euros tip is sufficient when getting good service at a Paris eating establishment.

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