mdtravel

I'm not going to do a typical trip report just yet, just give some facts for folks looking to plan their trip. I'm sure someone will disagree with what I have to say here, but I don't care...it is what I saw and experienced.

1. There is dog poop everywhere in Paris. TRUE. Because there are dogs everywhere in Paris. They are in the cafes, in the shops, on the sidewalks, in the subways. Dog poop is everywhere and there is no denying that. It doesn't bother me, just watch your step.

2. Everything is more expensive there. TRUE. Think about it, it is a highly taxed country and city. I saw a BBC report about how Parisians think Americans are complaining too much about gas prices when their gasoline is twice as expesive (after converting liters to gallons and euros to dollars). Something like gas in Paris costing $2 more per gallon after that math. Hello...that means either your gas companies or your government is jacking the price by $2. The result is that there are no bargains and the only thing we brought home was four bottles of wine and some chocolate.

3. Parisians are rude. FALSE. We speak no French at all and were treated very kindly by everyone we encountered. Metro, cafes, hotels, bars, stores...everywhere. If you don't speak French, try to learn some key phrases and take a dictionary, but do NOT worry about it. They are very friendly folks.

4. Parisians dislike Americans. FALSE. See above, but also know that most of the Parisians I spoke to who spoke a good bit of English seemed to actually admire the US for odd things like our big cities and being so advanced technologically. I replied that we were no more so than they, and that seemed to surprise one of the guys I was speaking to.

5. You will be assaulted and pickpocketed. FALSE. We were in the metro at least four times each day and around all the major sites. We never once felt threatened. We were very alert and aware of our surroundings, but it wasn't any worse than the way I feel in my own city.

6. You need to watch what you wear in Paris. FALSE. Oh how I wish I'd not allowed the Fodorites to sucker me on this one. I remember the thread comparing Paris to the wedding of a sister...you wouldn't wear jeans to her wedding would you? Give me a break. Wear jeans, shorts, tennies, ball caps...whatever you want. Shorts and ballcaps will make you stand out as a tourist. Jeans and tennies WILL NOT. Trust me on this and take whatever the heck you are comfortable in and do NOT let anyone here tell you otherwise. The lone and sole exception to this is for churches, but honestly I didn't see this enforced in Paris like I did in Rome. I wish I'd taken tennies. I wish I'd taken jeans. On a side note, Parisians I saw tended to look very dressed up, or very dumpy...very little in between. Again, trust me...take whatever you will be comfortable in and don't compare Paris to a wedding of a family member...that's just sily.

7. The Carte Oraange subway pass is the best value. TRUE. If you are in town for four or more days starting on a Monday, get this pass. I paid 24.10 euro for the pass covering zones 1 through 4 which includes Versailles. Versailles alone costs 10 euro round trip so that brings the cost down to 14.10. Approach a metro window and tell them you want a Carte Orange, zones 1 to 4, for one week. Get your photo taken in one of the booths and you're set.

8. It stays light late in Paris. TRUE. I was surprised that it was still light up until 10:00...this was great as our days were busy and hectic.

That's about all I have for now. I will likely post some information on what we did, day by day, so folks can see what is possible when you are 'motivated' to get things done.

Let the flames begin!

cigalechanta

No flames! Thanks, You tell it like it is

ira

Hi md,

Actually, there is not dog poop EVERYWHERE.

I'm sure that I have been on several streets in Paris that didn't have any dog poop. (I think)

As for expense, I can still fly from ATL to Paris and stay a week for less than equivalent accomodations, food, tourist sites in NYC.

Hope you enjoyed your visit. I look forward to your trip report.

mdtravel

IRA, there was in fact one or two steps per street without dog crap...thanks for clarifying. I'd hate for folks to get the impression from my post that a layer of dog crap covered every street several inches deep. Then again, I think most folks would not take my everywhere literally. I saw it by the Tower, in the squares, along the Champs. Also tons of little puddles of water where they had pissed.

I did not see anyone urinating in public as had been reported here previously. I had seen that in Rome and London, but not Paris.

francophile03

I agree there is no dog poop everywhere. I walked in St. Germain, by the Louvre, over on rue de Rivoli, the bridges, over by Notre Dame, etc. I didn't come across dog poop. I noticed the green outfitted cleaners a in a couple places and I think they're doing a good job at taking care of the poop. I guess it's there but not everywhere.

Agree wholeheartedly about the dress factor. Parisians are wearing jeans more than ever and one can't always distinguish them from Americans. But I still say no to the baseball caps and shorts though.

Underhill

Paris law now requires dog owners to clean up after their pets--but do they? Aye, there's the rub. Or not.

Marilyn

Thanks, mdtravel.

I just don't get it about the dog poop. In 9 days in Paris I honestly did not notice any more dog poop than I would expect in any major city. Nor did I step in any.

As for jeans, honestly people, is there a major city anywhere in the world where the natives do not wear jeans? (Well, maybe if the burkha is required dress for women.) They don't have to be ripped, frayed, and filthy, nor do they have to be $200 designer jeans. There's a lot of ground in between. The only question for me is whether it's too hot for them, or whether I will have a chance to do laundry, because jeans aren't getting washed in the hotel sink.

mdtravel

Underhill, I saw plenty of deposits along the street, but never a doggy bag put to use.

cigalechanta

LOL, through out France, I never saw a doggy bag though in Lísle Sur La Sorge, I snapped a photo of a "dog Pissoir"
A square of hedges which the dog enters, and a wooden post picturing a dog with leg lifted.

BTilke

You will find doggy cleanup bags available throughout the pleasant city of Angers. And they actually use them! The one place where we saw almost NO dog poop anywhere. And very few smokers, too.

cigalechanta

Thanks BTilke, it's on my list of places we have not seen yet. I read the chateau that flanks the Maine is worth a visit.

shellio

>>8. It stays light late in Paris. TRUE. I was surprised that it was still light up until 10:00...<<

For someone planning a trip at a different time of year, please note this post is dated 5/31. It's not gonna be that way in November, obviously. But it's nice while it lasts.

As for the ongoing dog poop issue, it used to be much worse. Lately I don't feel at all at risk looking straight ahead or up rather than down.

ira

>...It stays light late in Paris. TRUE. I was surprised that it was still light up until 10:00..<

I was once in Aulanko, Finland, near the Artic Circle. It never got dark at all.

In Helsinki, in the Summer, the moon doesn't rise and set. It just goes around and around.

Statia

Very accurate observations, mdtravel. Thanks for posting.

I do tend to watch where I step in Paris because I do notice more dog poop there than in most cities. However, on our last trip, I didn't seem to see it as often, so perhaps they are enforcing the "clean up after your pooch" rule.

Luckily, I didn't find things more expensive there than where I live (in the West Indies), but I agree with Ira that I still spend less there than I typically do in NYC.

I also wholeheartedly agree with your comments on the French being very nice folks, as well as wear what you want.

kismetchimera

Thanks for the True and false report about Paris mdtravel..It was a different
way to express your perceptions about that beautiful city..

You are right about the dress code..Everytime I visit the city, i have seen a more relaxed and not stylish ways of dressing..
And it reinforce my believe that people likes to be comfortable, tourists or non tourists, and the Myth of the Chic parisienne, today is just a Myth, souvenirs of a era that is now gone.

Regarding the Dog Poop, I saw it some times, but it wasn't that often..

elle

No flames. I liked your approach.

Although I'm not sure that Paris is any more expensive than where I live, I tend to compare the prices today with the first trip that my husband and I took together, which was in 2000 (pre-Euro and strong dollar). The dollar definitely does not stretch as far today.

suze

People notice different things, or maybe see them differently. I did not find dog poop "everywhere" in Paris, simply didn't. And I did not find it particularly expensive (overall seemed cheaper than Geneva or Venice where I had just arrived from). Maybe that's because of the kind of places ate, hotel I chose, and what I did for entertainment. And staying light late is a function of the time of year as well as location.

For the other points... I whole-heartedly agree and have had positive experiences with Parisians and how I was treated there. Sorry this board steered you wrong on clothing options... sister's wedding - my foot!

ed

We were last in Paris in May '03 and agree heartily with everything except #1
I especially want to emphasize the part about the Carte Orange. There is nothing quite like being able to jump on a bus even if it is only for a few blocks when you have a bad case of tourist foot. :-B

risab

I was in Paris in April for four days. Walked every where. Was surprised that we only had one dog poop encounter and didn't step in it. Found the Parisians to be nice-found service to be a bit aloof in cafes and our hotel- but very nice in stores and fine restaurants. My daughter and I are shoe lovers (from NYC) and we were really surprised to see sneakers in all of the shoe stores. A few years ago bowling shoes were the rage, now silver, gold, and multi-colored addida type sneakers were everywhere, both high end and inexpensive. But the shoes that were everywhere and even on very fashionably dressed people were converse style high tops in all colors. So go figure...high tops the rage in Paris. Jeans and sneakers can be put together very fashionably and I've seen that in both the US and Europe.

StCirq

Loved this forthright post. The only thing I hesitate to agree with is the dog poop. Ten years ago our family actually had compiled a scatalogical list of descriptors for the various types of dog poop we encountered in Paris (crispy black, milk chocolate, Nestle's Crunch, golden glow......), but since then I've found the Green Guys who are out in force at dawn every morning really take care of a large part of this problem and we no longer have to worry about stepping in poo as we traverse Paris.