Getting ready to book, then a negative Nelly spoiled it... So now I am worried

[LovesTimone]

DH and I have been planning to trip to Paris and to DLP for our 15 year anniversary, and are planning on booking this week. So we were talking to some friends that went last year in Sept... and literally everything she had to say was terrible...I will say the she is a glass half empty kinda person, and can be a...well a drama queen... she said using the metro was a nightmare, and that no one spoke English ( I was well.. you were in France did you try to learn a bit of French before you went? which I am trying to learn some)and that they had to wait in line everywhere, and about the pick pockets, and safety.

The biggest issue I have is about our personal safety and the pick pockets... Please I really need some info and input here..

Oh and the exchange rate and she was on and on about the cell phone and credit card charges... and on and on... I would appreciate any info on how or what is the best way to handle this.

This will our 1st trip to Europe, we have traveled all over the Caribbean and been fine, and really loved it.. So now we are ready to start seeing Europe. When we travel we enjoy seeing the big sites, we do not tour commando style and will have a plan in place before we leave, with tickets to the things we really want to see, and we like to explore as well, and soak everything in...

Oh and by the way... I am a planner.... a serious planner...I am about know before you go... but not unbendable to change up or do something else...

So our plan is just coming together, so here's the rough ..rough draft... We are planning on leaving on a Thursday ( Arrival in Paris on Friday) and returning the following Saturday... So 5 nights in Paris and then 3 nights at DLP -

We more than likely will go with a private car to get us to the hotel, then walking and the metro to get us around everywhere else.. Then using DME to get back to the airport on our last day... Not sure on how to go from the hotel in Paris to DLP hotel... suggestions...

Thanks for any info or input...

 

[Vala]

Well a little bit of French still often is not good enough for some French, I can vouch for that from personal experience. Heavily injured with what turned out to be a torn muscle later, a friend had hauled me up the stairs basically, we arrive at the gate of the Metro station and it's not working. Can't get out. Down the stairs wasn't an option due to my injury. Tried to contact staff through call button. My French is not stellar and it does not get better when I am a sobbing mess. They hung up on me repeatedly and I was yelled at to "speak French!"

Anyway... you already had one Negative Nelly, you do not need a second one.

The Metro is all color coded and very easy to navigate. I've done public transport in most European cities and it's by no means worse than London for example. It's not worse than Los Angeles either, but then again Los Angeles isn't exactly known for their public transport I guess.

Google Paris Visite Pass. That's the transport card that's usually recommended for Paris. It has several options and should cover your stay perfectly.

To get from your hotel in Paris to Disneyland you just use the Metro to get to a RER station. Disneyland can only be reached through RER A, it's the end station of that line. I'd buy a single ticket for that trip and wouldn't bother taking that into account when getting the pass for the other days.

There's credit cards that will charge you a fee if you are paying in a different currency, that is correct. Check with your banks if they do that. If they do maybe look at getting a prepaid card for the trip, though I've been told pretty much all of them charge the fee. It can vary anywhere from 1 percent to 3 percent. Disneyland Paris does not accept the American Disney gift cards, that is an important thing I should add.

What exactly are you planning to use your phones for? Again the Negative Nelly is somewhat correct. Roaming charges can add up and leave a nasty surprise. However, pretty much all hotels, a lot of shops and some train stations have free Wifi. If you use that, that helps. When my friends come over they use a prepaid European SIM card from Amazon or eBay. You'd need to check with your provider if your phone allows that though. European and US phones are slightly different. Most current phones work with both cards, but better safe than without data.

The exchange rate right now is really in favor of the Euro, that is also true. Your trip may be a little bit more expensive than you thought. Currently one Dollar only gets you about 80 Cents.

 

[BadPinkTink]

this seems to me someone who expected everything to be like how it is in America and who then got frustrated and angry and negative when they faced the reality of being in a different country.

Complaining that no one spoke English is a very common misconception. English is taught in school as a second language and most people are bi lingual. HOWEVER you are in their country and the language of the country is French. If you as an American tourist arrive in France and make no effort what so ever to even say Bonjour, then of course you will be met by apathy and ignored and given the cold shoulder. Think about it, in America, many people take issue with Mexicans or other immigrants not speaking English. Then Americans go to France and complain no one speaks English, the sense of entitlement is astounding!

Personal safety in France is no different to personal safety in your home city or when you are in New York or LA or Chicago or New Orleans or Dallas. I guess what they are alluding to is drug use, the gangs of pick pockets and pan handlers and homelesss. Oh wait did I just describe the Tenderloin area in San Francisco or Skid Row in LA, or Harlem in New York, or Paris or London or Dublin??? Be vigilant, be aware, research the areas online, men dont have your wallet or phone in your back pocket, women wear a cross body bag, dont leave valuables unattended, use a hidden money belt under your clothes, dont walk around with a camera around your neck.

Yes you will get charged data roaming charges. This is normal, and I guess your friend did not do any research and had no clue and just thought her phone charges would be the same in America. Its EXACTLY the same for me as a European in America. I get charged huge data roaming charges, so when I am in America I turn off data roaming and just use the free WiFi. This again to me is another case of entitlement, expecting how things are in America to be the same in a different country. Do your research on data roaming charges for your phone network. There may be an international plan or you may want to do as I do and not use data and just use free wifi.

and again with credit card charges, again a lack of research on your friends part, again more entitlement thinking well we dont get charged in America so why are they charging us all these fees in France. Do your research on your banks international charges. I get the same charges when I use my European cards in America, so I uses a prepaid card which I load with money before I leave Europe and I use cash.

Public transport in Europe is a regular normal thing, Europe is not as car centric or car dependant as America.

Basically I see it as not so much a negative nelly but someone who did no research and is a typical American brash tourist with a huge sense of entitlement who just expected France to be the same as America. Is it any wonder they have such a negative view.

 

[LovesTimone]

this seems to me someone who expected everything to be like how it is in America and who then got frustrated and angry and negative when they faced the reality of being in a different country.

Complaining that no one spoke English is a very common misconception. English is taught in school as a second language and most people are bi lingual. HOWEVER you are in their country and the language of the country is French. If you as an American tourist arrive in France and make no effort what so ever to even say Bonjour, then of course you will be met by apathy and ignored and given the cold shoulder. Think about it, in America, many people take issue with Mexicans or other immigrants not speaking English. Then Americans go to France and complain no one speaks English, the sense of entitlement is astounding!

Personal safety in France is no different to personal safety in your home city or when you are in New York or LA or Chicago or New Orleans or Dallas. I guess what they are alluding to is drug use, the gangs of pick pockets and pan handlers and homelesss. Oh wait did I just describe the Tenderloin area in San Francisco or Skid Row in LA, or Harlem in New York, or Paris or London or Dublin??? Be vigilant, be aware, research the areas online, men dont have your wallet or phone in your back pocket, women wear a cross body bag, dont leave valuables unattended, use a hidden money belt under your clothes, dont walk around with a camera around your neck.

Yes you will get charged data roaming charges. This is normal, and I guess your friend did not do any research and had no clue and just thought her phone charges would be the same in America. Its EXACTLY the same for me as a European in America. I get charged huge data roaming charges, so when I am in America I turn off data roaming and just use the free WiFi. This again to me is another case of entitlement, expecting how things are in America to be the same in a different country. Do your research on data roaming charges for your phone network. There may be an international plan or you may want to do as I do and not use data and just use free wifi.

and again with credit card charges, again a lack of research on your friends part, again more entitlement thinking well we dont get charged in America so why are they charging us all these fees in France. Do your research on your banks international charges. I get the same charges when I use my European cards in America, so I uses a prepaid card which I load with money before I leave Europe and I use cash.

Public transport in Europe is a regular normal thing, Europe is not as car centric or car dependant as America.

Basically I see it as not so much a negative nelly but someone who did no research and is a typical American brash tourist with a huge sense of entitlement who just expected France to be the same as America. Is it any wonder they have such a negative view.

OP Here,

I have on my list to things to research,1) international calling added to my current plan, or another friend suggested that we get a throw-away phone with just international calling for the time that we are gone? Not really sure how this would work. 2) Credit card charges, DH think with our Amex there aren't those fees but we are going to check it out. 3) Metro pass 4) some type of money belt.

As far as public transportation, we have used the subway in NYC and been over to some of the boroughs and up to Harlem without really worrying, just using good judgment and being aware of our surroundings. She just made it sound terrible, but if it like NYC we will be just fine.

We have been planning this trip for a while now, and I have been practicing and learning French... On Christmas eve we had dinner at Chefs of France, and I did fairly well ordering and reading the menu, my problem is with the cadence, tone and that most French words really don't use the ending of the letters, but I am getting better. The server and even the hostess was happy to help me with it... I really want to learn.

Also I want to know what I should be leaning toward in packing for our trip... I'm sure I won't be a chic as most are in France ... but I certainly don't want to look like a tourist, I see enough of that here, as I live in Winter Garden which is basically in WDW backyard. Don't get me wrong we love the tourist, but this is the home of fashion so I want to look at least acceptable..

 

[BadPinkTink]

@LovesTimone you sound like you have the right attitude and are doing things right. You have just been put in the wrong headspace by this friend. Stop worrying, everything will be fine

Clothes wise Europeans mostly wear clothes which have small or very inconspicuous branding. In Disneyland Paris the majority of people dont wear Disney branded clothes. You wont see people Disney Bounding or wearing pin lanyards.

Baseball or trucker hats are only worn by teenagers, dont wear oversized sneakers. Dont have a camera around your neck, dont walk around with paper maps. Dont have a fannypack. Ponchos are fine in Disneyland Paris, but out and about in Paris use a light rain jacket or umbrella. Dont wear tshirts/ sweater/ hoodies/ carry bags which you have bought in the tourist shops when you are in that place, ie dont wear a souvenir tshirt which says Paris / The Eiffel Tower on it when you are in Paris.

 

[Donalyn]

Don't let the Negative Nelly ruin your trip.

The French - in general, I thought that they were very pleasant. People helped us when the Metro had an issue and we didn't understand what was being said on the loud speaker. Waiters in non-tourist areas were very nice, when about all that I can say in French is ham and cheese, hello and thank you. We had one language run in with a Metro ticket booth person (she wanted exact change and I didn't have it), and even then someone else tried to help us.

The Metro - it is great, color coded, easy to follow. I preferred the London system, but the Paris system it very easy and you are never very far from a station. And you can just walk for hours and see the history all around you.

Do your research, be smart safety wise, and have a wonderful anniversary trip!

 

[Vala]

The throwaway phone would be the recommendation I would have given if your phone plan doesn't allow you to use other SIM cards. Just get a cheap phone without a contract in Target or someplace like that and buy a European SIM card on eBay. I did that for my first US trips. You can get the cards on eBay or Amazon easily.

Maybe the Negative Nellie was getting worried because there's been a lot of signs warning about pickpockets appearing in the last 2 years in the Metro. If you haven't ever seen that before it could probably scare you very much. But in the almost 15 years we've been going I only ever encountered one pickpocket incident, and that was of a friend's co-worker who got hit in Val D'Europe shopping mall.

 

[olafLover]

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[LovesTimone]

OP here,

Thanks so much for all the advice, but the more I learn the more questions I have... , I'm sure that I will be on here a lot with more and more questions...
So with that please keep advice and knowledge coming...

 

[BadPinkTink]

I didnt spot that about Amex but yes its mainly Visa and Mastercard which are accepted here in Europe. I only know Amex, American Express and Diners Club from my own travels to America, we dont use them here in Europe. Also now that we are taling about bank cards, Europe is becoming more and more a cashless society. All bank cards are chip and pin and now in UK and Ireland and I'm sure the rest of Europe too are introducing contactless cards.

Americans get annoyed with me here on Dis boards when I talk about chip and pin cards. For me on a day to day basis, everything is chip and pin. Buy cinema or event tickets online and collect them with a chip and pin ticket at the self service machine or with the chip and pin machine at the will call desk. At restaurants they bring a chip and pin machine to the table. Buy transport, rail or bus tickets and yes, collect them at the self service machine or with the chip and pin machine at the will call desk. And so much more that I dont even think about. Americans here on Dis argue with me that they mange just fine without a chip and pin card, but again to me its another case of American tourists and their sense of entitlement, expecting the American way to be the only way.

 

[afan]

You can find plenty of credit card options that don't charge a foreign transaction fee which is probably what you friend was referring to. As for the chip and pin, Barclay has chip and pin cards and is what I'll be using on our trip in May for anything that requires a true one. Though I also read it does sometimes work to use a card with a chip, like most in the US now have, and then when it asks for the pin you just hit enter without putting the pin in. I think that's what it was, since I have a chip and pin I didn't worry too much about how that one would work.

 

[tennisfan]

Disneyland Paris will accept American express, but other shops in France its rare. They might change eventually as more businesses the UK have started to accept it

 

[LovesTimone]

Disneyland Paris will accept American express, but other shops in France its rare. They might change eventually as more businesses the UK have started to accept it

Thanks so much for this info...We were planning on using AMEX, for metro tickets, excursions/museums, restaurants ( Eiffel tower and Moulin Rogue) , tickets for the parks and using inside the parks. For shops and café and such, we were thinking about using cash, can we use US currency or should we just plan on exchanging for the euro? We are going to look into a Visa or Master card now to do sure we are covered.

I have thought of another couple of question...

Tipping... Our friends ( not the negative nelly) told us... you don't tip in Europe, except for the bell man at the hotel or porters at the airport. Is this correct? Please any info on this is so much appreciated.

Restrooms - the negative nelly said, that everywhere you pay for using the restroom, as well as for toilet tissue. She said that she took roll of toilet paper out the hotel so she would not have to pay for it... I knew that in some areas that you pay for the restroom... Its really not a big deal if we have pay or not, but I want to be prepared... and if there is a price range what is it? and how do you pay for it? I know this sounds strange to ask such questions, but I need to know so that we can look like we know what we are doing...

 

[LovesTimone]

You can find plenty of credit card options that don't charge a foreign transaction fee which is probably what you friend was referring to. As for the chip and pin, Barclay has chip and pin cards and is what I'll be using on our trip in May for anything that requires a true one. Though I also read it does sometimes work to use a card with a chip, like most in the US now have, and then when it asks for the pin you just hit enter without putting the pin in. I think that's what it was, since I have a chip and pin I didn't worry too much about how that one would work.

What exactly is a chip and pin - I was thinking is was a CC with the chip? or is it something completely different?

 

[zavandor]

To get from your hotel in Paris to Disneyland you just use the Metro to get to a RER station. Disneyland can only be reached through RER A, it's the end station of that line.

RER A has multiple branches so not all trains end to Disneyland Paris. However it will be clearly indicated on the platform and each train has a name printed on the front: all trains with a name starting with Q end in Disneyland Paris.

 

[afan]

What exactly is a chip and pin - I was thinking is was a CC with the chip? or is it something completely different?

You can see the chip on the front of the card. It's what you enter in the pads instead of swiping. You'll probably want to google chip and pin card and international travel to familiarize yourself with it more.

 

[olafLover]

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[Vala]

RER A has multiple branches so not all trains end to Disneyland Paris. However it will be clearly indicated on the platform and each train has a name printed on the front: all trains with a name starting with Q end in Disneyland Paris.

Okay, it's the end station of the only part of the line going there. That's what I meant to say. I always read the location indicated when a train goes in personally.

Thanks so much for this info...We were planning on using AMEX, for metro tickets, excursions/museums, restaurants ( Eiffel tower and Moulin Rogue) , tickets for the parks and using inside the parks. For shops and café and such, we were thinking about using cash, can we use US currency or should we just plan on exchanging for the euro? We are going to look into a Visa or Master card now to do sure we are covered.

I have thought of another couple of question...

Tipping... Our friends ( not the negative nelly) told us... you don't tip in Europe, except for the bell man at the hotel or porters at the airport. Is this correct? Please any info on this is so much appreciated.

Restrooms - the negative nelly said, that everywhere you pay for using the restroom, as well as for toilet tissue. She said that she took roll of toilet paper out the hotel so she would not have to pay for it... I knew that in some areas that you pay for the restroom... Its really not a big deal if we have pay or not, but I want to be prepared... and if there is a price range what is it? and how do you pay for it? I know this sounds strange to ask such questions, but I need to know so that we can look like we know what we are doing...

Amex for the Metro tickets might be a problem if I recall correctly. I don't know if the in person ticket sellers accept Amex, but at least when one of my friends tried a couple of years ago I am 90 percent sure the machines did not.

No, tipping is not that common. For large parties in the restaurants like Walt we still usually tip, but it's not expected as in the US. Just as an example: I once gave a 25 percent tip to a CM at a character meal because she had been really nice and came over to take pictures for me and everything. I felt she really deserved it. She still remembers me and calls me by name 5 years later.

Paying for toilet paper?! I'm beginning to wonder where exactly your Negative Nellie was vacationing. No charge for toilet paper, and if a toilet does cost money it's normally 50 Cents usually like it's been posted. Cash in coins. Normally a human being is around and there's just a little bowl or something similar where you put the money in. I'm not sure if this has reached the Metro yet, but a few rest stations on the motorway have turnstiles now where you put the money in.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Thanks so much for this info...We were planning on using AMEX, for metro tickets, excursions/museums, restaurants ( Eiffel tower and Moulin Rogue) , tickets for the parks and using inside the parks.

All of these will need a chip and pin card. Your current Amex chip and swipe card will not work. In Europe the cards are put into a reader and a pin code is entered.


As you can see in the photo the reader machine is wireless. In restaurants use, they bring this machine to the table, at shops, excursions, museums, this machine is in a holder at the ticket desk.


This is a photo of the Paris metro ticket machine. You can see the chip and pin payment system in the bottom right corner. Same system, insert your Visa or Mastercard, and key in your pin number.

For shops and café and such, we were thinking about using cash, can we use US currency or should we just plan on exchanging for the euro?

This just baffles me, you are going to a different country, you need to use their currency, not your own. You can buy Euros from your own bank or from a money exchange. You can also get Euros cash from any ATM in France, BUT you will need a chip and pin card.

Tipping... Our friends ( not the negative nelly) told us... you don't tip in Europe, except for the bell man at the hotel or porters at the airport. Is this correct? Please any info on this is so much appreciated.

This is correct. As a European I can never get my head around the American tipping, as in Europe tipping is something we do to reward when a person has given service above and beyond their job description. In Europe we do not tip to top up peoples wages. In restaurants I may or may not tip, depending on the service. If I do tip, its usually a round up, if the bill came to €34.80, I would round up to €40. I rarely tip taxis, bar staff, tour guides etc etc

Restrooms - the negative nelly said, that everywhere you pay for using the restroom, as well as for toilet tissue. She said that she took roll of toilet paper out the hotel so she would not have to pay for it... I knew that in some areas that you pay for the restroom... Its really not a big deal if we have pay or not, but I want to be prepared... and if there is a price range what is it? and how do you pay for it? I know this sounds strange to ask such questions, but I need to know so that we can look like we know what we are doing...

It depends on location but as a rule yes, expect to pay in train stations, shopping malls and on street public toilets. There is usually a coin operated turnstile. You insert 20 cent, 30 cent or 50 cent Euro coins ( not American coins) into the front and when the correct amount is you can enter. There is no charge to exit. They usually only accept correct change so there may or may not be a change machine located nearby



Some places may just have an honour system, where you put the money into a container and there are no gates.

Toilets in restaurants, bars usually have no charge. Toilets in museums and venues may or may not have a charge. I have never heard of a charge for toilet paper.

 

[C3PO]

A tip from me. If you have an idea of what sort of places you plan to visit, check their websites. They'll usually state what forms of payment they accept, as well as which credit cards.