Being one of the most famous places for trips, Paris is also known to have a couple of tourist traps that one should avoid having a memorable trip. When the entire city is flooded with tourists in the high season, there are many places that you should avoid visiting at all costs.
However, while skipping certain areas you mustn’t miss out on anything interesting such as museums in Paris.
To make sure you avoid all the tourist traps and yet have the best, trouble-free experience, we have compiled a list of tourist traps that you should avoid in Paris.
1. Skip: The Eiffel Tower in rush hours to avoid tourist traps
You might be wondering why anyone would not visit Eiffel Tower when it is the most famous site in Paris. Well, we have our reasons to recommend you to skip this visit. The Eiffel tower is on every tourist’s Paris bucket list.
But let’s not forget it is also one of the most visited places. This means there are many other places that you can visit instead that are not flooded with hundreds of people. Those places are not only interesting sites that are less crowded but also offer the close view of the Eiffel Tower.
If you still want to visit the Eiffel Tower, then we would recommend you to pre-book a time slot. However, you can go to Montparnasse Tower to enjoy aerial view instead of Eiffel Tower.
Recommended alternative view points
- Avenue de Camoens
- Pont de Bir-Hakeim
- Rue de l’Universitie
- Montparnasse Tower
2. Skip: The Champs Élysées to avoid tourist traps
If you are someone who is not that much interested in shopping, then you should definitely skip visiting the Champs Élysées. It is too crowded. Moreover, if you want to buy French luxury brands, then instead of visiting the Champs Élysées you can instead go to the flagship stores.
Also, you can find most of the items online and it can really help in saving your time.
Having said that, if you still want to visit Champs Élysées, then we will definitely recommend you to take out time to take a picture with Arc de Triomphe.
Recommended alternative options
Visiting the flagship stores of all the French luxury brands or buying clothes online
3. Skip: The Louvre Museum
If you are someone who is deeply interested in art and history, then there is no doubt that the Louvre Museum must be on your bucket list. But you should also keep in mind that Louvre Museum is one of the busiest places in the world.
Due to countless voices, selfie sticks, and languages, etc. many people are not able to fully enjoy their trip. They often find the entire process to be extremely overwhelming.
If you are one of those who like to enjoy viewing paintings and other pieces of art in silence, then the Louvre Museum might not be ideal for you. We will recommend you to instead go to Musee D’Orsay. There, you might get the inspiration to buy art to bring back home.
By the way, here are all the places which offer affordable art in Paris.
Moreover, if you are only interested in going to the Louvre Museum, then we have news for you. Instead of viewing this small painting amidst a huge crowd, the best way to enjoy this painting is by downloading the high-resolution picture on your computer as you will be able to view all the minor details.
Recommended alternation stop
Musee D’Orsay is definitely worth-visiting.
4. Tip: avoid sidewalk peddlers and tourist traps
You might be tempted to dine in a restaurant, at the sidewalk, and staff is urging you to come inside. However, we will recommend you to ignore that feeling of sympathy.
Because if the place was really worth it, then the staff would have not been required to beg you to visit their shop.
This is one of the most common tourist traps set by many eateries when they have mediocre-tasting food. Moreover, not only do these people sell low-quality food, but they also sell it at a high price. That means they will fool you in more than one way.
However, if you are visiting an open-air market, then this tip does not apply as it is a norm of that place to call out the customers.
Here is the list of best Chinese restaurants and sushi places if you want to try delicious food in Paris.
Another thing we will recommend you to be extremely careful about is having bodily contact with a stranger. This is because many tourists are scammed by sellers who place a bracelet around the wrist of the tourist in an attempt to manipulate them to buy it.
This is why you should always set clear boundaries especially when you are at the Louvre Museum or any other popular site, as they are filled with scammers.
5. Tip: do souvenir shopping right at the end of your trip
For many tourists, Paris souvenir shopping is essential as it helps in having a lasting memory of the trip. However, we will recommend you to do this right at the end of your trip, preferably from the airport. The reason is that many tourists are trapped into buying overpriced items that they later regret buying.
This is why, it is always recommended to buy at the end of the trip. You will have a better idea regarding how much money you want to spend.
However, if you need Packing ideas for your upcoming trip, here the the best packing tips.
Paris is undoubtedly one of the most visited places in the world as it is always flooded with tourists. However, there are various traps that one should avoid to have a great experience.
For instance, instead of visiting world-famous, crowded areas like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, there are many other alternative places that you can visit that are not that crowded.
Moreover, there are certain scammers that you should avoid who will trick you to either buy an overpriced item.
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