Thirty-some years ago, I was hustling my wife and myself across the Tuilieries Gardens, hell-bent to get somewhere and not waste time, when she said we should stop and sit a while in the available chairs. When I objected, she told me that since I always claimed that one of the goals of travel was to experience local life, I should look around and see that sitting in the park was exactly what quite a few ‘locals’ were doing. Travel has never been the same since!

And my favorite – use your thumb to signal “one” – using the “v” fingers will get you three of everything.

I will also disagree with #24. Staying in what is perceived as centrally located can be a pitfall. I am rarely exposed to the typical touristy crowds and scams in the 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th or 11th. The Marais can be crowded with French tourists (I get asked “ou est Place des Vosges?” at least twice a day by French tourists) but it’s nothing like the Latin Quarter, Champs Elysee, are by the Louvre and Eiffel Tower. Because so many German, Dutch and Belgian visitors arrive via Gare du Nord, there are a lot of value hotels near Republic.

Another tip is to look for the smaller museums. Everyone knows the Louvre and the Musee D’Orsay, but the Marmottan, Cognac Jay, Nissim Camondo, Jacquemart-Andre and more are filled with treasures and get very few visitors.

I didnt make it to Versailles until my 10th trip, but it is worth it for lovers of this sort of thing. They also have performances at night with access to the gardens when the fountains are on (check FNAC)

#24 advises a central hotel to avoid time wasted in transit. I disagree. Transit is generally pretty fast (buses let you see much more than the Metro) but walking through Paris is no waste of time (although now, at 71, I take the bus more often than I used to). BUT the big reason for a non-central hotel or apartment is not the cost—it’s being able to “live” in a neighborhood where Parisians live, and eat where they eat, in all those little places that are not near “central” hotels.

#12 is certainly right in recommending the “tradition” over the “ordinaire,” but it misses the point that “French bread” and “baguette” are not synonyms! Don’t pass up trying pain levain, pain aux cereales (including baguettes by the way), pain complet (whole wheat) and many more. My favorites are at Landemaine, at the Jules Joffrin Metro, opposite the Mairie of the 18e.

#40 Yes, it breaks my heart to see people standing in long lines for a (not very close-up) view of Mona Lisa, a painting more important for its technique than its beauty, when there is so much more all over the Louvre. Since the museum is far too big to see in one gulp, my usual suggestion is to use the museum’s website maps and descriptions to plan a right-sized visit to the art you’re most interested in, and then add one or two exhibits outside your comfort zone. Enjoy and extend, don’t exhaust!

Another suggestion for a “do” 🙂 “Do be inventive -and bold- and celebrate something important in your life … with the locals”.

On the occasion of my nth birthday I went to the quaintest and friendliest wine bar, the Chez George at rue des Cannettes, where I revelled with a miscellaneous, free-spirited and fun-loving crowd of locals. Even some lasting friendships were created that evening.