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Pick-Pockets Paris
190 Reviews The view from Monmartre/ Sacre Couer is overwhelming, stunning, but so is the pick pockets in this section of town. I was travelling with a large group of women, there were about forty of us, but pick...
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Dangerous Areas Nice
11 Reviews 3 friends and I were sitting at the beach, minding our own business when some crazy North African fellow came over and wrongly accoused us of being gay. After many attempts at befriending him and...
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Stony beaches Nice
9 Reviews Though the Baie des Anges looks picture postcard perfect from the viewpoint of the Chateau, close up, don't expect a sandy beach!. Nice beaches are pebbles - "galets" - and stones. Hard underfoot, you...
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Beggars and Aggressive Vendors Paris
109 Reviews There are many beggars in Paris. Many operate round the churches, and other tourist destinations. Apparently in Paris it is illegal for the beggars to approach people, they risk imprisonment if they...
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Pickpockets Nice
14 Reviews Keep your valuables close and be alert for pickpockets. Be aware of any person who is bumping into you, coming up too close, wants to stop and talk to you. But although you should be alert, don't be...
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Safety Paris
56 Reviews This along with my other warning about traffic can not be stressed enough. If you are crossing a street that has traffic going in both directions, observe the lights very carefully. They may not be...
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Tourists Nice
5 Reviews Nice seemed like a great place to celebrate my 18th with my other two female friends....NOT. Don't get fooled by the overall exterior appearance of Nice. It's a beautiful and vibrant place to visit,...
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Métro & Trains Paris
100 Reviews It's a good idea to check to make sure your train is operating as usual on the day you plan to take it to CDG or Orly. I have listed two websites where you can check...
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Dog Droppings Nice
5 Reviews The Nicois love their little dogs. They cosset them, they dress them in coats in Winter, they walk them constantly, they pop them in shoulder bags on excursions, and those little dogs are very...
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Long Lines and Queues Paris
21 Reviews Most of what I do in Paris involves little or no queuing, so I can't speak from personal experience, but I have recently come to realize that for some people the queuing situation in Paris can be a...
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Driving & Drivers Paris
58 Reviews Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, the catchy title of the 1992 bestseller by John Gray, succinctly expresses an ancient dilemma. What--if anything--do men's and women's brains do...
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Toilets Paris
20 Reviews FYI, since 2006 (February 15) Public Toilets are free in Paris. Sanisette (public toilets / closets like) are pretty clean but decade old. Since begin of this year, brand new toilets are replacing...
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Parlez-Vous Anglais? Paris
19 Reviews The sterotype of rude Parisians is just not true if you try and use a little French. I only speak a rudimentary amount but I did try to speak French first. In almost all cases I was rewarded with a...
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Food, Dangerous Food... Paris
18 Reviews When traveling in Paris it would be wise to bring your own bottled water if possible. Soft drinks and water are expensive, often costing 5euro per bottle. Having spent a fortune to stay hydrated while...
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Taxis Paris
18 Reviews i too have had the same thing happen with paris shuttle, are flight was late and the ride had left, i was told to find a taxi thats it, and that my card would be credited right then, then i asked...
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Money Matters Paris
23 Reviews While wandering around the park next to the Eiffel Tower my friend and I were approached by mulitple women collecting monetary donations for one cause or another. Some scams are easy to spot, but...
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Dog Souvenirs Paris
20 Reviews If you have a dog in Paris, you'd better clean up after it, otherwise they'll fine you 183 Euros (if they catch you). This poster on the garbage truck reads: "Pas de ça chez vous? Paris c'est chez...
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Labour Strikes (Greves) Paris
12 Reviews We were in Paris in November of 2007 during a transport strike that lasted at least a week. We were surprised to discover that busses and metro and RER were still running though some lines were quite...
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In the Paris subways, pick pockets are a problem, so do not carry a purse that can easily be snatched and never put your money, credit cards, wallet, or passport in back pockets. Always keep them in your front pocket.
Wanting to spend as much time as I could in Chartres, I went down to my nearest Metro stop very early one Sunday morning to catch the first train from Paris to Chartres. I found I was the only woman waiting on the platform. There weren't many other travellers that time of day and they were all men. I felt rather vulnerable. Nothing happened, but I don't think I would ever travel so early on a Sunday morning again. When travelling, it's easy to forget what day of the week it is and so it completely skipped my mind that, while 7am on a weekday is sure to be busy in a metro station, 7am on a Sunday is exactly the opposite of busy. Everyone was home alseep or walking to church except me and the few fellas waiting with me.
If you intend working or living in France make sure you bring all the paperwork you might ever need. Bureaucracy in France can be a bit of a nightmare in my opinion, and even simple stuff like depositing money or getting your money from a bank can be stressful. When I was working in Angouleme I tried opening an account in the BNP next door and it took me all afternoon. Even though the lady knew me well as she was a regular in the pub! BNP still has 10 Francs belonging to me, I gave up trying to withdraw them when I was leaving that summer as it was so much hassle.
Rather a warning than a danger tip here.In beautiful Carcassonne, outside "La Cite' Camping", there's a footpath leading to the fortified city perched on the hilltop. This path is followed for most of its part by a water stream which is home to a rodent population. These could be mistakingly taken for huge rats but they are instead cute "Nutria" (Myocastor Coypu) individuals, native of South America but introduced and raised about a century ago in Europe and other continents for their prized fur. Fugitives started colonies now present in many European countries and the decline of demend for their fur made them free animals for good. Harmless to humans, they are considered an invasive specie with consistently growing populations. Similar to the muskrat (Ondatra Zibethicus), the Nutria is an inoffensive vegetarian rodent with nocturnal habits. In Carcassonne I had the joy of seeing them...
Well in Paris i have only had one bad pick pocketing experience. Be careful of people offering to draw a picture of you and insisting that you have beautiful eyes etc. This is simply a trap for a partner in crime to come up from behind and steal all your valuables from your bag or pockets. It nearly happened to me...
When visiting France, particularly major cities (as for most big cities in the world I guess) you need to keep things like your wallet and handbag secure at all times - don't become a victim of pickpocketing (the way I was in Paris, June 2006)I was extremely all the time - but be aware that pickpockets in Paris sometimes work in pairs, and they're pros who can steal your wallet (especially on the metro and in darkened churches) without you even being aware of it - they know all the tricks.
Our guide was very careful when driving our van in the mountains. The roads are very narrow, and often in poor shape from the snow that covers it in the winter. But another danger is that there are often herds of sheep or cows standing in the middle of the road. They seem to think they own the road and often have no inclination to move just because a car or van comes along. If herders are with them, they will try to get them off the road. If the cows are alone as were these cows, you may have to herd them yourself.
While driving back from France to the UK, I was unlucky enough to break down. I had breakdown cover, so I thought everything would be OK! Firstly, the French authorities will not allow British assistance on their motorways! so a local garage had to take my car. The following day, the diagnosis was a blown cylinder head gasket, & to cut a long story short, it would cost much more to repair or try to get the car home to repair, than the car was worth! so I had to scrap it? Yes my car was getting on a bit, but I have since heard of the same thing happening to someone with a brand new car, when they had a mild front end impact, so be careful!My breakdown cover & insurance was with Direct line, who have been more than helpful, but they will only cover you up to the market value of your car, in my case that was not enough!
The standard of driving has improved greatly of the past few years , this is due to the hard crack down on drivers by the police.On the spot fines are very heavy for speeding offences , and you will be escorted to the cash point to get the money , or you vehicle will be impounded.persistant offenders could have their vehicles crushed! You have been warned .
The Fog is a typical thing, typical quality, typical problem for this region, Rennes is the capital of its region La Bretgane!so facing fog is not a very unusual thing, actually the unusual thing there is the good weather!
Four Seasons George V Paris Paris
5 Reviews and 556 Opinions The Four Seasons George V is truly one of the world's great hotels. I really, really love to stay...
Palais de la Mediterranee Nice
3 Reviews and 674 Opinions The hotel was amazing, right on the beach. It was very clean and the rooms were of excellent...
Hotel Gutenberg Strasbourg
1 Review and 183 Opinions I toured Alsace by bicycle in mid-September, 2008. After the group ride was over, I stayed for 3...
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Q: Dear all, Does anyone knows whether it is possible to get a phone sim card in France for use during a short term/traveller stay...
A: get it at any mobile phone provider Bouygues, SFR or Orange. I use Orange. very easy http://agence.orange.fr/search?query=paris&st_like%5BSERVICES%5D%5B%5D=%25 have...
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