Be very careful when you choose your hostel in Paris! 80% are old and ruined by time and very poor maintenance. I've heard that some even have rat baits under the bunks, and that it seems totally normal to the owners, so don't expect any help in case you wake up during the night hearing "something" scratching into your backpack. Always go for the top three, this will avoid bad surprises.
Walk everywhere when possible. Go to all the major tourist stuff - the reason these things are so popular is because they really are that beautiful! But don't forget the rest of Paris. Spend some time down by the canal, go to the Parc de Belleville & Buttes Chaumont, Chinatown in the 13th etc. Look up - or you'll miss a lot of the architecture. Sounds dumb I know, but you'd be surprised... Smile at people and make an effort to speak French. Enjoy!
Paris is wonderful. I just finished backpacking across Europe for 5 weeks and it is my favourite place! Try the Berthillon gelato on the Island. Accept no substitutes...it is the best stuff you will ever eat. Also try a Chocolate Crepe with real chocolate (not Nutella). It may be on the menu as Crepe du Chocolate du Maison. And try to speak some French! The locals will laugh with you, try to help you and overall be friendlier. Oh, and watch for the dog poop on the sidewalks!
You could stay in Paris forever — if you can afford to — and still not get enough. I ran the whole time day and night and did not see the half of it. And remember, please at least try to speak a little French and you will be surprised how pleasant Parisians will be—don’t try and you will experience the stereotypical aloofness. My advice, buy one of those language learning cd’s at your local book store before you leave home and get the basics like “Ou se trouve le WC”, the last part is pronounced VC (Where’s the restroom.)
You can't really go wrong as far as location goes when you're looking for a hostel in Paris. They're pretty much all within a few blocks of a metro stop, which means you're always about 10-15 minutes from anywhere in Paris. By the way, buy a multi-day metro pass rather than paying for each trip to save money.
I went to Paris last summer with few expectations, it was the last stop on a European vacation. I fell in love! Paris is beautiful. The Eiffel Tower was amazing especially at night with all the lights. Fat tire bike tours is a must -- four hours of touring around Paris on a mountain bike then a hour on a boat going up the Seine drinking wine! Wonderful. I only encountered two rude french people. One was on the overnight train from Basil Switzerland to Paris, the ticket guy made fun of my high pitched voice, pinching his nose to imitate me! The second was a waiter in a Paris cafe. The waiter was trying his best to be haughty, but he had a black eye and several scratches on his face and looked like he had been in a fist fight, he ended up looking silly. Everyone else I encountered was more than helpful and very friendly. Several people went above and beyond common courtesy to help when I was lost. I love Paris! Going back next year!
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