1. Bring Euro.
You need cash because many small shops don't accept credit card. Your credit card company (in Canada or US) will usually charge you 2.5 to 3% currency converting fee for each transaction. In Paris, they charge your credit card by asking you to punch in your pin number with or without your signature.
When you buy Euro from a bank, ask for big (100, 50) and small bills ( 20, 10 or 5). Small bills are essential because some shops don't have enough change.
2. Make photocopies of your passport and ID and bring them with you on the trip.
Don't keep the copies in the same place where you keep your passport and ID. So if you lose your passport or ID, you can still have the photocopies available to get it reissued as quickly as possible.
3. Keep your credit card account number somewhere.
In case you lose your wallet, you need the account number to call your credit card company and report loss.
4. Bring an adapter with two round holes.
You will probably bring the battery charger for your camera and power adapters for your laptop and other gadgets. You need an adapter with two round holes to make it work. These days, the gadgets and devices are built 110 to 220 v. It will convert by itself. All you need is an adapter to make the plug fit the power outlet. You don't need an expensive bulky converter.
5. Walking shoes is a must have.
Even if you join a tour and ride a tour bus to commute, you will still be on foot a lot. A decent pair of walking shoes is a must. If you are going to do a self-guided tour, you will be more than miserable without the right footwear.
Note:
I mean real walking shoes. Comfortable wedges or ballerina flats are not walking shoes. For self-guided tour in Paris, you will be on foot at least 6 hours a day. Walking on cobbled streets (yes, they have a lot of streets like that, apparently French really dig the look of cobblestones) with the wrong footwear is really a health hazard. I learned that the hard way. :(
Prior to my trip, I read it somewhere that it is better not to wear sneakers because they make you look like a dumb tourist. It turned out to be the worst advice ever. The thing is, you are going to look like a tourist anyway, your camera and wandering around give you away. You will see French people wearing sneakers at Versailles and Louvre, because they know they need functional shoes to be on foot all day. So it's all about your activities dictating what you should wear, isn't it? The only time you shouldn't wear sneakers is when you dine in a formal or semi formal restaurant where people tend to dress up. Parisians may walk around the streets in dress shoes because they are not in a hurry to do everything in a few days like poor you rushing from Notre-Dame to Pompidou in one evening as if you are competing in Amazing Race. They are locals, they can take their sweet time to check out the cool places one by one.
6. Group the attractions by neighborhood.
For self-guided tour, make a copy of Paris map and highlight the attractions you want to see. Group them by proximity, so when you visit one neighborhood, you can visit all the points of interest that are on your list in the area.
7. Find out closing days of the sites.
Check the websites of the museums and monuments to see if they are open during French Public Holidays. Some of them are closed during holidays. Book your trip around holidays to avoid it. Also pay attention to weekly closing days in order to design your itinerary.
2014 French Public Holidays are as following
• January 1, Wednesday: New Year's Day
• April 21, Monday: Easter Monday
• May 1, Thursday: Labor Day/May Day
• May 8, Thursday: WWII Victory Day
• May 29, Thursday: Ascension Day
• June 9, Monday: Whit Monday (Pentecost)
• July 14, Monday: Bastille Day/National Day
• August 15, Friday: Assumption Day
• November 1, Saturday: All Saints' Day
• November 11, Tuesday: Armistice Day
• December 25, Thursday: Christmas
Find out weekly closing days of museums and monuments in Paris
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