12 Mistakes To Avoid When Visiting Paris for the First Time

Avoiding common mistakes in Paris can save you time, money, and frustration in one of the world’s most visited cities. Every year, over 44 million tourists flock to the French capital, yet many fall into avoidable traps—from paying double for a taxi at the airport to expecting restaurants to split the bill.

Like most European capitals, it’s easy to make mistakes in Paris that could spoil your trip or cost you money. For example, did you know daily travel costs climb by over $100 in the peak tourist season?

We curated this list of 12 key mistakes to avoid in Paris using traveler reviews, expert insights, and local recommendations. Whether it’s navigating public transport, tipping etiquette, or dining culture, these tips will help you experience Paris like a pro.

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Which classic Paris rookie mistake would you 100% make? Be honest.

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Mistakes To Avoid When Visiting Paris for the First Time Shopping at the Champs Elysees

Shopping Champs-Élysées 1/5

Instagrammable Spots in France The Louvre Museum, Paris

Only seeing top sights 2/5

Mistakes To Avoid When Visiting Paris for the First Time Falling Victim to Touris Scams and Pickpockets

Falling for a scam 3/5

Fun Facts About France You Might Not Know Croissants Are Not From France

Over-tipping at dinner 4/5

Visiting in peak season 5/5

Results

Shopping Champs-Élysées

12 4

Only seeing top sights

11 5

Falling for a scam

12 4

Over-tipping at dinner

13 3

Visiting in peak season

14 2

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Table of Contents

Visiting in Peak Tourist Season

Visiting Paris during the peak tourist season is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you’re on a tight budget. Peak tourist season in Paris is between June and August. During this time, the French capital offers warmer weather and longer days, perfect for exploring.

However, this is also the most expensive and busiest time to visit Paris, which isn’t ideal for travelers with a small budget. The average daily travel cost in Paris during the peak tourist season is $235. In the off-season (December to April), this figure drops to $126.

With savings of over $100 daily, budget travelers should visit in the off-season. Besides, you can expect fewer crowds in the off-season.

Shopping at the Champs-Élysées

Shopping at the Champs-Élysées is one of the most costly mistakes you can make when visiting Paris for the first time. This 1.1-mile (1.9-kilometer) avenue runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle. It’s famed across Europe for being the location of the Arc de Triomphe.

However, it’s also well known for its theaters, cafes, and luxury designer shops. As such, you won’t be surprised to hear that the Champs-Élysées isn’t a cheap place to spend money. Therefore, we only recommend window shopping unless you don’t mind paying more money than you would at home for the same things.

Most brands are international brands that you can find anywhere anyway, like Louis Vuitton and Zara.

Missing the Sunset Views of the Eiffel Tower From Jardins du Trocadéro

Most Famous Landmarks in the World Eiffel Tower, Paris, France — © MarinadeArt / Adobe Stock

For the best views of the Eiffel Tower, you don’t want to miss Jardins du Trocadéro at sunset. Jardins du Trocadéro is a public square and English-style garden across the River Seine from Paris’ iconic tower. If you visit the park at sunset, you’ll be treated to extraordinary views of the Eiffel Tower lit up with bright lights.

The tower sparkles for five minutes at the beginning of each hour, starting at 8:00 p.m. The lights are only switched off at 11:45 p.m. From Jardins du Trocadéro, you can enjoy the lights display in all its glory.

If you visit in spring, you can also admire Paris’s beautiful cherry blossom trees in bloom.

Eating at Tourist Hotspots

Not To Do When Visiting France Don’t Leave a Tip For the Sake of it — © Kavalenkava / Adobe Stock

Like in most major European cities, eating at tourist hotspots is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make in Paris. Restaurants overlooking the Eiffel Tower or along the Champs-Élysées are almost always overpriced.

More often than not, restaurants at tourist hotspots serve pretty average food for two to three times the usual price.

You’ll find cheaper restaurants offering the same quality just one or two streets away from major tourist attractions. If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy more affordable food and drink, head to Avenue de Choisy or Rue Mouffetard. Both of these locations offer reasonably priced restaurants and excellent variety.

You’ll also find affordable French restaurants in Sorbonne and Marais.

Over Tipping in Restaurants

Over-tipping in restaurants is another easy way to waste money in Paris. The tipping culture in the French capital is very different from that in the United States. In the US, leaving a standard tip of 20% after a meal is customary.

Things are done differently in Paris. For starters, Parisian waiters and waitresses don’t expect tips. Tipping isn’t required, but it’s nice to leave a tip if you’re satisfied with the service you received.

The other difference lies in how much people in Paris tip. In Paris, a tip of 5 to 10% is perfectly acceptable. Therefore, don’t overspend because you think you’re expected to leave a tip of 20%.

Being Afraid To Try the Local Cuisine

Authentic French Dishes Coq au Vin — © Beataaldridge / Adobe Stock

One of the mistakes you’ll regret most when visiting Paris for the first time is being afraid to try the local cuisine. You may not be used to the types of dishes served in Paris, but it’s unique to the country, so it shouldn’t be missed. We understand why you might be put off eating escargot (snails) with your dinner.

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However, you won’t know if you like them until you try them. Conversely, the thought of eating frogs’ legs might be scary, but it’s believed they taste similar to chicken. Why don’t you make it your mission to try new things during your visit?

Here are some other things you can try:

Coq au vin
Cassoulet
Duck confit
Ratatouille

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Trying To Do It All in One Weekend

Unfortunately, you can’t see everything Paris offers in one weekend, so don’t try it. Paris might be one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations, but it will take multiple weekend visits to truly see it all.

Don’t make the silly mistake of forcing too much into each day. Instead, prioritize exploring fewer attractions so you can fully explore each location and enjoy your visit more.

If you try to do too much, you’ll easily miss some of the city’s best places and quickly tire yourself out.

Some of the best things about visiting Paris are enjoying strolls along the river, admiring the breathtaking architecture, and tucking into delicious cuisine. You can’t do those things if you’re in a rush and tired.

Only Visiting the Most Popular Attractions

It would also be a big mistake to only visit the most popular attractions during your first time in Paris. One of the best things about Paris is that it has something for every kind of traveler. Therefore, don’t feel you must only visit the most famous attractions.

There is more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, so consider visiting lesser-known attractions too. Besides, visiting the city’s hidden gems usually lets you escape the larger crowds at the more famous attractions.

Here are some of Paris’ best hidden-gem attractions you might want to add to your itinerary:

Le Mur des Je T’aime
Rue Crémieux
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
La Petite Ceinture

Falling Victim to Tourist Scams and Pickpockets

Falling victim to tourist scams and pickpockets is a mistake that can quickly ruin your city break. Although Paris is generally safe for tourists, crime exists, like in any European capital city.

Two main things tourists should be wary of are tourist scams and pickpockets. A popular tourist scam in Paris is strangers giving travelers what appears to be free gifts. This scam sees scammers try to hand tourists free bracelets and roses.

When a traveler takes the gift, the scammer will try to get them to pay for it. To avoid pickpockets, be attentive in tourist hotspots and large crowds and avoid flashing expensive belongings like your phone.

Queuing For the Eiffel Tower

One of the most common mistakes first-time visitors make when visiting Paris is queuing for the Eiffel Tower. We’re not telling you not to see the Eiffel Tower; you absolutely should. Instead, we’re telling you to visit in a way that prevents you from waiting for hours.

Arguably, the biggest mistake you could make is arriving at the Eiffel Tower at midday without a ticket. In this instance, you’ll likely be waiting long to purchase a ticket and access the tower. You can avoid long queues by arriving before the tower opens at 9:00 am.

Better yet, you can purchase a skip-the-line ticket in advance online and dodge the queues altogether.

Not Learning Basic French

An easy mistake to make in Paris is assuming everyone speaks English. While most people in the French capital can speak English, the French have a reputation for only speaking their language. I have been in situations in France where someone has refused to speak English even though they can.

That said, learning some basic French is an excellent idea. You don’t have to be fluent, but knowing the basics will help you get by. Furthermore, it will show the local people that you’re at least trying to communicate in their language.

Here are some basic words you should learn before your trip:

Bonjour – Hello
Au revoir – Goodbye
S’il vous plaît – Please
Merci – Thank you
Parles-vous anglais? – Do you speak English?

Always Taking the Metro

The Paris Metro is one of the quickest and most practical ways to get around the city, but we don’t recommend taking it all the time.

Tourists should never underestimate how walkable Paris is. You can easily walk between most of the city’s famous tourist attractions.

Furthermore, walking around the city allows you to see more of the city’s breathtaking beauty. For context, the walk between the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe only takes 30 minutes, crosses the scenic River Seine, and passes Musée Yves Saint Laurent.

Walking also lets you dodge the rush hour traffic on the metro, which can see large crowds fill platforms and the trains. You may also discover some hidden gems along the way.