Paris, day one
 

Just arrived today. CDG is much smaller than I anticipated, smaller than LAX in states and customs was an absolute nothing (though i did have my passport stamped). I was incredibly fortunate to have private driver, especially as my sister's flight was over 2-1/2 hrs late (I flew Tahiti Air Nui which was the best). Our apartment is beyond expectations which is always a good thing, we are in the Marias. I found I didn't need much French though when I asked if store person knew english is french, they quickly responded in a way thgat they did maybe took a tad bit offense. From now on, I'll ask that question is English.

I'd stick to French. I trust you know that every exchange or visit to a store always begins with <i>bonjour, monsieur/madame</i>. Not saying it is almost sure to offend.

Remember that there's 3 terminals, and pretty spread out, so if you landed in Terminal 3, it might look very small. But yes, it's not as big as LAX or Dallas, but at least the latter airports are built in a way that it's central, where CDG isn't quite very central.

Assume that everyone is French, even if they speak English to you. Many Europeans (not all) speaks more than one or two languages. Bonjour madame/monsieur is very polite, and goes a long way.

Have a great time, enjoy Paris. Be sure to stop and enjoy your afternoon coffee nd people watch, and enjoy the parcs and places (little parks or squares). Don't forget to watch the Eiffel Tower at night as well.

Getting out of CDG2 (ABCD, not EF) is a tiny walk in terms of distance. In fact, it was designed that way from the beginning, which is both an advantage and a drawback. The idea was something like curbside to jetway = 200 meters max, which made the terminal extremely thin. Unfortunately, this ignored the detail of the expansion of the travel market and turned 2 ABCD into a mob scene during the busy hours.

Thanks for posting while on your travels. Its always fun to hear first impressions of Paris.

Since your title is &quot;Paris, day one&quot; I assume you plan to start a new thread for each day. For the benefit of those who can't get onto fodors daily it is much easier if you keep the whole trip on one thread.

To all, I learned to always greet and thank in French...that is definately something you see all do and should follow. I'm not necessarily planning on posting every day, but felt so excited to post my first here!

If you asked &quot;parlez-vous anglais?&quot;, that is a standard inquiry...

What hotel are you staying at, and how do you like it? I have never stayed in the Marais (yet) and have been thinking about it.

I agree with the others, asking &quot;parlez-vous anglais?&quot; is SO much better, much more polite.

MelissaHI,
We are staying in an apartment and the Marias area is fantastic-very youthful, with vast choices for shopping and eating. It takes little time to walk almost anywhere..today we will visit Notre Dame; it is perhaps a 10 min walk.

parisnewbie: Stick to asking your question in French. It's unlikely that the staff in the shop took offense at your question; it's just that you've run into normal Paris attitude. Parisians can be courteous, helpful, professional, friendly and even occasionally loquacious, but I'd never call them bubbly, chirpy or cheerful. Think of them as cats, not dogs.

parisnewbie, we definitely found that a little French went a long way! Folks seemed to appreciate my efforts to use their language and were very understanding when I ran into trouble, as they immediately broke into English, or somehow communicated what we needed to know.

Also, you said you're staying in the Marias...do you mean Marais? Or, is there a neighborhood called Marias?

Hope you continue to enjoy your trip!
D

I speak no French and rely on flash cards and &quot;pictionary&quot; skills. LOL.

I'm looking forward to hearing more. I stayed in an apartment in the Marais a month ago and had a wonderful time.

When my husband or myself couldn't get our point across in french, we would say&quot; Je suis desole, mai Je ne parle pas francais&quot;(sorry about the spelling) but that basically means I'm sorry but I don't speak french, then we usually got a smile and the person would speak english(if they knew it) or on the odd occassion, someone nearby would overhear and translate for us.

The Marais and Paris is incredible.
Enjoy!

&quot;...Think of them as cats, not dogs...&quot;

I <b><i>love</i></b> that!

Don't pack any valuable souvenirs in checked luggage with Tahiti Air Nui. Before the new luggage/security rules, my sister-in-law had her locked/checked luggage broken into and all her souvenirs stolen.

hi there...

we are renting an apartment in le marais through alacarteparis this spring. i think you may have used the same agency and was wondering if you might share your opinion of them. the apartment we're renting is at 26 rue des francs bourgeois. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks very much!