10 Paris Mistakes First-Time Visitors Always Make

Your first trip to Paris can be absolutely amazing and go off without any hitches, but it can also throw you a few curveballs. I still remember my very first visit (a very long time ago and back in pre-smartphone days), so I can confidently say that things are definitely easier now.

That said, even with Google Maps in your pocket and all the careful planning you might do, little hiccups can still pop up. I want you to have the smoothest trip possible, so let me tell you about the top Paris mistakes first-time visitors tend to make and, most importantly, how to avoid them like a pro.

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This is an image of a cafe with people sitting on tables outside.

Planning too much for your first day

One of the biggest Paris mistakes first-time visitors make is trying to do way too much right off the bat. Day one can go totally off-script, and often due to issues that are completely out of your control.

Flights get delayed (more often than you’d think). Then there’s border control, which can be a breeze, but is often a 30 to 40-minute wait and occasionally a full two-hour ordeal. Add in luggage taking its sweet time to arrive and airport traffic once you’re finally in a taxi, and you realize that you’ll miss that perfectly planned tour or timed museum ticket.

Because of all this, and you can add in some jet lag, I REALLY recommend keeping your first day light and flexible. Skip the fixed plans and just wander a bit near your hotel. You could also take a gentle stroll along the Seine (no advance booking required), or meander down a lively market street like Rue Montorgueil or Rue Mouffetard. It’ll keep you awake without stressing you out, and it’s the perfect way to soak up your first Paris vibes.

Once you’ve had your wander, park yourself on a terrace and spend some time just watching les Parisiens go by before grabbing something to eat. Find a brasserie, which is a casual restaurant that serves food all day long. That way you don’t have to try to keep yourself awake for “real” restaurants to open at 7pm.

There are some in every neighborhood, and trust me, you’ll be very happy to have one close by so you can get to bed early (but try to stay up till 8:30pm or 9pm to beat your jet lag).

This is an image of a big birdseye city view with the Eiffel Tower in between.

Arriving at attractions without booking in advance

This is another Paris mistake first-time visitors often make that can be a real headache. Put in place during Covid, a LOT of Paris’s top sites still require you to book in advance online. I’d hate for you to be super disappointed by showing up at a site you really wanted to visit without a reservation, only to be turned away at the door.

We’ve included some handy checklists for site bookings with our Paris Itinerary, but as a general rule, book any must-see attractions three months in advance. That’s when tickets come up for sale, and the Eiffel Tower sells out VERY fast. You can still get tickets to the Louvre, Versailles, and the Sainte-Chapelle, a few weeks in advance, but you really have to watch out during peak season, so Easter, summer, and Christmas.

If you aren’t able to book tickets in advance or if you don’t want to deal with the hassle, you can get skip-the-line access by booking a guided tour. You’ll find some great options in this article on skip-the-line and private Paris tours.

This is an image of a taxi with the light on in Paris.

Taking taxis everywhere

It might be tempting to hop in a taxi while you’re in Paris, but there are a couple of very good reasons against this reflex. Getting in from the airport is a different story (there are set rates which you can read all about in our airport transport guide), but for getting around inside the city, if you’re in a taxi, you’ll likely spend TONS of time stuck in traffic, which means they’re not necessarily faster than taking the métro or walking.

Paris is actually an AMAZING city for walking. It’s super compact, distances are shorter than they look, and strolling lets you soak up those beautiful streets and burn off those rich meals you’ll be having along the way.

For those longer journeys, the Paris métro system is one of the BEST in the world. It’s fast, frequent, and pretty affordable (more on that in the next section). You can also use electric Lime bikes, which are everywhere and bookable via the Lime app or Uber. You’ll zip through the deadlocked traffic, and this is often the quickest way to get around.

This is an image of the metro passing through the city, as well as one of the old-school metro signs.

Getting an unlimited Paris Visite transport pass

Here’s another first-timer’s mistake that makes me cringe, because I HATE seeing people waste their money. The unlimited Paris Visite transport passes are a HUGE waste of money. You’ll likely only use the métro 1-4 times per day, and these passes are only worth it if you use it more than 6 times.

Really, the only time I’d recommend getting one is if you’re staying pretty far from the center AND will use it to get in from or back to the airport. Even then, you might just break even.

So instead, get single tickets, which you can do super easily through the Bonjour RATP app and have them straight on your phone or smart watch. You can buy a few at a time and then it sort of feels like you have an unlimited pass that way (but you’re saving a bunch of money).

This is an image of a bridge with water underneath from the canal and Seine, with a sunset peeping through.

Wasting too much time backtracking

Now this is one of the classic Paris mistakes first-time visitors make, but it’s totally not your fault. Planning days in a brand-new city is tricky, especially when Paris has so many amazing things to do. Missing a few sites just gives you a convenient excuse to come back (very) soon.

Without a LOT of map-based planning, most first-timers end up bouncing back to the same neighborhoods on multiple days, simply because they didn’t realize which sites were close to each other.

That’s exactly where our Paris Itinerary comes in. It does the heavy lifting for you by grouping all the must-see sites, hidden gems, and lesser-known spots into smart daily walking routes. So you see more, walk less, and you won’t miss a thing.

This is an image of a woman buying bread from another woman at a bakery.

Not using “bonjour” enough

You’ve probably heard the stereotype that the French are rude, but to tell you the truth, a curt attitude usually only kicks in if they think you were rude first, and it often comes down to one tiny word: bonjour.

Saying bonjour (hello) is a big deal in France. You should always say it when you walk into a shop, café, restaurant, or when you ask someone for help. It’s basic politeness here, and skipping it can earn you the famous cold shoulder.

I see first-time visitors make this mistake a LOT. It’s such a small thing, but it instantly sets the tone and makes interactions way smoother, even if you switch to English right after.

There is one small catch to this golden rule. Around 6pm, bonjour turns into bonsoir, which means good evening. But don’t stress if you mess it up, they’ll appreciate the effort, and that already counts for a lot.

This is an image of a croissant and a coffee with a view of the Eiffel Tower behind it.

Eating at restaurants next to major attractions

I can admit, I’ve been in your shoes on my own past trips – and regret it very quickly. After a full day of sightseeing, you’re exhausted, your feet hurt, and that café right next to a famous landmark looks VERY inviting.

But after you sit down, you realize the other customers are all fellow travelers, you get bad service, mediocre food, and a bill that makes you blink twice. You’ve landed in a tourist trap, and Paris has plenty of them, ESPECIALLY around the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and Sacré-Cœur.

Your dining experience in Paris doesn’t have to be like this and all you usually need to do is walk a few streets away to find some great local spots. I’ve already built tons of convenient restaurants and cafés right into the walking routes of our Paris Itinerary, but you can also do a quick check on your Maps app, look for good places with good reviews and you’ll be eating much better in no time.

This is an image of a packed-out restaurant with people walking around outside and sitting on the veranda outside.

Expecting to eat quickly

Speaking of eating… it is definitely NOT a rushed thing here in Paris. For the French, eating is a pleasure, not just for survival. So this means they take their time to enjoy their meal, and a LOT of time. Good luck to have a sit-down lunch in under an hour or dinner in less than an hour and a half.

My best advance is to try to embrace this and especially factor this in for your lunchtime schedule. Or if time is tight, bakeries have all kinds of quick lunch items, get some picnic supplies, or track down a creperie (they’re usually pretty fast).

This is an image of a receipt with tips and coins on a plate.

Tipping too much

While we’re still on the topic of restaurants, tipping too much is one of the biggest Paris mistakes first time visitors make. Tipping actually isn’t required in Parisian cafés and restaurants and knowing this can save you a LOT of money.

That’s because a 15% service charge is already built into the price of your food and drinks here. Servers here earn a proper living wage, with paid holidays and healthcare, so they don’t rely on tips the way they do in some other countries.

That said, if you had great service, a small tip is appreciated, but it’s very much optional, and not an obligation. You can leave about 5%, which would be around 30-50 cents for a drink, a euro or two for a casual meal, and a bit more for fancier places. It’s best to leave this in cash, but more and more restaurants have added this option to credit card machines.

I share more info about tipping in Paris in our Paris tipping guide.

This is an image of a man standing in the middle of the escalator.

Standing in the middle of escalators

This one isn’t as major as the others on this list, BUT it’s a huge pet peeve of Parisians. When you take an escalator in Paris, whether it’s in the métro or in a store, ALWAYS stand on the right.

Why? Because the left side is for people who are in a hurry and want to climb up or down. If you’re blocking it, you’ll almost certainly get a very firm (and slightly grumpy) pardon as someone tries to squeeze past you.

So you can save yourself the side-eye and Parisian impatience by standing right, let the speed-walkers pass on the left, and everyone stays happy.

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