To maintain your muscles, you must exercise; to maintain your mind, you must think; to maintain your nerve, you must dare.<BR><BR>

Leigh, whenever I read about robberies or snobby Parisians or any of the up-scale mags with their 4-star recommendations, I, too, reach a point where I'm dreading my trip. Then I think about all those who have gone - some with absolutely no idea of how to behave, what to expect, where to go, and I realize that I'm way ahead of the game. But more importantly, I just say to myself, "My vacation - at last! I'm gonna just be myself, have fun, get lost, make a fool of myself, laugh at it, and come home with some tales to tell." I know the feeling you have - you want it to be great. Don't ask too much of yourself, just be determined to enjoy the time with your daughter. Focus on those stars in her eyes - she'll see their reflection in yours. It's simply too precious an occasion to worry. Be brave, and be silly a lot.

Leigh: I am just like everyone else who answered your post. I was also conserned on my first trip to France. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about and I think the little bits of confusion you may encounter will end up being the highlights of your trip. The only French you should have to know is: Bonjour, au revoir and merci. Don,t forget to smile, it will open many doors. Bon voyage! I also think a lot of us would like to hear from you when you get back.<BR><BR>Randy<BR><BR>Elvira: Thank you for your thought. It helped make my day.<BR><BR>To maintain your muscles, you must exercise; to maintain your mind, you must think; to maintain your nerve, you must dare.<BR>

I just returned on Monday from my first ever trip to England and Paris and given the chance I would go again in a minute. My French consists of hello, please, thank you and do you speak English, and contrary to what I had heard most of the people we encountered did not speak any English. Despite this language barrier we did ok. (Although the phrase "could you please reset the gas pump" would have saved us from an unfortunate incident in which my husband almost choked a really rude attendant. We ended up just going to another station to fill up and the attendant there was really nice.) My point is that you have to take the bad experiences in stride and not let them ruin your trip. I'm sure you will love Paris and please go to the Louvre. It will make all the hassle worth it.

Just keep reminding yourself: Lots of people far more .. .stupid .. than you go to Europe every day and have a fabulous time, don't get lost (or maybe they do - and see something they never expected to see, eat something they would never have imagined eating .. .)<BR> - and where else in the world can you imagine being more thrilled just to be alive than in Paris! Go see 'the hand of God' at the Musee Rodin and imagine NOT having made this trip and seeing this most breathtaking of sculptures . . . and PLEASE let us here from you when you get back!<BR><BR>One last bit of advice that I always tell my children when we travel: As you walk through the city, periodically stop in your tracks, turn around and see what's behind you - you'll get a totally different perspective of where you've been.<BR><BR>Have a joyous adventure!

You'll be just fine. I don't speak a word of Chinese and managed just fine getting through China for two weeks. I was so proud of myself when I was able to even get my airline tickets changed while I was over there. It's often a tough task here in the US where I speak the language! <BR><BR>Europe is a really quite an easy place to travel to, despite the langauge barrier. Trust me, they're very used to having foreigners visit and won't be the least bit surprised that you don't know the language.<BR><BR>If it makes you feel any better, I just got back from Scotland and most of the time I couldn't understand anyone despite speaking the same langauge. I got along just fine. Just smile alot and have a great time! It will be an experience of a lifetime and you'll be so happy that you went.

Paris is a very easy city in which to find your way around, provided that you have a good map. The bus routes are well marked on large street maps posted on the bus stop shelter, and the Metro stations have good route maps.<BR>I have yet to take a wrong train or bus in Paris. I do, however, figure out in advance what I need to do, because I do not speak French. Although several people have offered assistance in English while I was riding, I don't think you can rely on that type of aid. I am sure you can find a Paris map in a big bookstore like Borders or Barnes and Noble.<BR>I like the Michelin #7 map because it is small enough to carry. The big Michelin mAp is vital, but I never take it out of my hotel room because it is quite large.<BR>If I need to, I mark on one of the free maps that are often found at your hotel or various tourist spots.<BR>But study a map before you go, or while you are going. And if you get really lost, take a taxi back to your hotel.<BR>As Tom Lehrer used to sing, "... don't be frightened, don't be scared; be prepared."

It's normal to be a little apprehensive going on any trip. I felt that way, and ended up doing fine. When you're back home, you'll wonder why you'd never done it before.<BR><BR>The people in Paris are great....and I walked around in shorts, white tennis shoes, and a fanny pack, with 2 large Nikon cameras hanging around my neck. <BR><BR>Don't worry about being lost....you've never seen that part of the world anyway. Getting lost is usually one of the highlights of our european trips.