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Do and Don’t

  • Tourist places in France is teeming with visitors, thieves seize this opportunity to steal visitor’s properties and belongings. Visitors should always be aware and pay good attention to their personal belongings in all places, especially with the image of the Gulf tourists being rich which makes them more vulnerable to theft than others.
  • Do not use banknotes of great value (500 euros, 200 euros or 100 euros) in shops and markets, because it enables thieves to easily identify you as a target. Also, some shops do not accept this category of banknotes. It is better to use smaller amounts.
  • French shops and restaurants are unfamiliar with Travel checks, these checks should be converted to cash in order to be able to use them. Exchange shops converts travel checks to cash, but it takes a commission in return. It is better to search for branches of the company of the travel checks in France, in order to convert it to cash, and should bring their passport to prove their identity.
  • The level of services in some tourist places might be less than expectations, staffs in cafes and restaurants do not have sufficient time to take care of all customers to the fullest. The drop in the level of service does not necessarily mean specially targeting a customer, but it is a general phenomenon, unfortunately. Visitor should be tactful with all staff, even if service is not at the desired level.
  • Don’t buy travel tickets from ordinary persons selling these tickets at stations, even if they offer a cheaper price. Instead you should buy these tickets either from the automated kiosks or from the station’s Tickets office.
  • Travel tickets must be retained after boarding public transports (metro, bus, train, and tram), security officers of the transport authority make patrols to these public transportation to ensure that the passengers had paid the price for the service, any person without a travel ticket will be fined.
  • It would be better to avoid talking loudly in public places, and not to draw attention with any acts that may provoke negative reactions.
  • During any discussion, in France, you must avoid a situation in which there is prejudice toward other religions' followers, or about homosexuals, Semitism, or any position that could be interpreted as a racist behavior.