Tourist Traps to Avoid in Paris, France

Paris, France
Paris, France. Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash

Paris, France is one of the most visited cities in the world, with more than 15 million people choosing it as their travel destination each year. This doesn’t only mean that the city can get overcrowded at times but also that you’ll likely experience your fair share of tourist traps while visiting. Continue reading to find out the most common ones and how to avoid them.

Restaurants and Bars Near Major Touristic Attractions

Having a meal or a drink near the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, or Arc de Triomphe surely sounds tempting. However, you might want to resist this temptation and stick to sightseeing.

Visiting most of these establishments will not only make a big dent in your budget, but the service and the quality of the food will most likely be sub-par, according to locals. Instead, you’re better off saving your money and hitting some authentic restaurants and bars away from the touristic attractions where you’ll get a much more enjoyable experience.

Top of Eiffel Tower

The top of the Eiffel Tower is almost unanimously labeled as one of the biggest tourist traps in Paris. And for a good reason.

Checking out the Eiffel Tower itself is a one-of-a-kind experience. However, you have no business entering the tower itself or going to the top, no matter how hard the tour sellers try to convince you. The ticket prices are high while you’ll also have to wait hours in line to get there. Once you’re on top, you only have a great view working out for you. And, according to locals, you can get the same if you visit Maine-Montparnasse Tower.

Cruises and Bus Tours

We understand that you want to have the best time when visiting Paris. But cruises on the Seine and bus tours won’t actually give you that. They are not only notoriously expensive but also come with noisy tourists, frequent stops, and potential sunstroke.

Instead, you are better off devising your own tour and hitting the city on foot, by bicycle, or electric scooter. You experience much less hassle while getting a much better feel of Paris.