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Top 11 Tourist Mistakes in Paris
Mistake #2: Arriving in high seasonWhen planning your trip, consider these tourism statistics:
Of course, sometimes it's fun to be in a crowd. We once arrived in Paris on May 1 (an important national holiday in France), and we spent a pleasant evening strolling around the Latin Quarter among other couples who were walking hand in hand while clutching tiny bouquets of muguet (Lily of the Valley), France's traditional May Day flower. The next day, the crowds were gone, and we could go nearly anywhere we wanted without standing in line. Next page: Mistake #3: Staying in the wrong arrondissement About the author:
After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Paris for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post. For more information, see About our site, press clippings, and reader testimonials.
1st inset photo copyright © thehague. |
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And
guess what: A significant percentage of those visitors arrive from June through
August. Figures from the Paris Tourism and Convention Office show nearly 2.5
million overnight visits by leisure travelers in July, compared to about 1.75 million
per month in shoulder season (April-May, September-October) and barely over a
million in January or February.
By
arriving out of season and avoiding holiday periods like the week before Easter,
you'll escape long lines at the leading museums and tourist attractions, you'll
find it easier to get tables in restaurants, and you'll probably pay less for
your hotel room or vacation apartment.
Durant Imboden