I went to France this past July on a program with Experiment in International Living. I spent four days in Paris, two weeks with a family in Nantes, two days in Normandy, and one week biking around Brittany. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Based on my travels with a group of eight other teenagers, I have compiled a list of tips of what to do and what not to do when in France. I hope you find these tips helpful.

• Do not carry a backpack during the day. When walking around the city, it can be very nerve-wracking to wear a backpack. You never know when someone might unzip your backpack, reach in and steal something valuable, especially on the subway when you are sometimes forced to squish against the other passengers when it’s crowded.  My group leader once had a valuable wallet stolen from her backpack, although it luckily did not have much money in it. Also, at most museums, you are forced to check your backpack, which is not inconvenient, but I know that I would rather have my bag with me in case I needed to get anything from it. Bags like purses, are okay and better than backpacks. Still, someone can drive by on a scooter, grab your bag, and ride off before you know what happened. I almost saw this occur when I was walking down the street and a man rode by and bumped against another man’s grocery bags. The best solution for a bag is one that goes over the shoulder. It feels secure and you can get a relatively small bag that can still hold everything you need. You do not have to check it at museums and you can always hold onto it.
• Do not bring electronics on the trip, or at least do not use them around the city. Although it might be fun to listen to an iPod while walking around, it is rude to other people if the volume is too loud, you start lip-syncing or singing, or you cannot hear when other people are trying to talk to you. When listening to an iPod, you will seem more interested in the music than in the wonderful city you are in. Regarding cell phones, you might want to bring one with you on the trip and then leave it at the hotel in a safe compartment of your suitcase so that when you return home, you can call and make arrangements to your next destination. Some cell phones do work in Europe, but wouldn’t it be nicer for your friend or relative to receive a postcard with your account of the trip with a cool picture on the front rather than a text message? Just like iPods, it can seem rude to be occupied with a phone while walking instead of taking in the beautiful city. It is much better to leave  the electronics at the hotel and only use them during the plane ride, at night, or back home.
• Do buy a phone card from a kiosque or a tabac. The best ones cost 7.50 to 10 euros. Make sure you ask for one that can be used to call the United States. The question to ask is: «Avez-vous une carte téléphone pour téléphoner les Etats-Unis?» They can be easy to use as long as you read the directions. Make sure you use the numéro gratuit that is in green and is four digits. One girl on my trip used the local Paris number and ended up having to pay about 16 euros for the hotel telephone bill. The green number will not cost you anything if you use it at the hotel or at a telephone booth. After you type in the four digits, you will hear a voice, and then type in the special code that you have to scratch off with a coin. After the voice speaks again, type in 1-01 (for the U.S.) and the 10 digit number of the telephone you want to reach.  You have a certain amount of minutes to talk and the phone will be cut off if you exceed the number, but having a card is good because it limits you from spending too much time on the phone. So call your close relatives and friends, but not every day.
• Do walk around the city. Walking gives you a better feel of city life. It is fun to walk around and see all the different shops and vendors on the street. Walking around Paris is really enjoyable and you should take the time to enjoy all the sights and sounds. Make sure you are wearing sneakers around the city. Flip-flops have the potential to break and can also make your feet hurt after walking around all day.
• Do experience the culture. Eat the food and speak the language (or at least try). I had never eaten snails before I went, but I knew that they were a French delicacy, and so I decided I had to try them. They were actually good, as long as you did not look at them for too long. It is a good idea to buy a small French phrasebook (and read it and use it). The French love it when you try to speak their language, although a fair number of Parisians can also speak some English. On the plane ride home, the steward was pleased when I said poulet instead of chicken when he asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner. The French take pride in their food and their language, so when in France, do what the French do.
• Do check the weather. Dress for the day, not the morning. A lot of the mornings in Paris were cold and icky, but as the day went on, it sometimes turned out to be a beautiful day. One day I was stuck wearing jeans when it was very warm and I was not as comfortable as I could have been.
• Do go to the museums. Check the hours and prices because most museums offer free admission to people under 21, which is fantastique! I barely ever, if not never, paid for a ticket to a museum. My favorite museums were the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay, which shows artwork for its beauty. The museums have a lot of artwork on display, but make sure to hit the most memorable, such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the paintings by Monet. Another museum to consider is the Pompidou. This one is more of a modern art museum, which is not my personal favorite. I would not recommend it as a museum for young kids. I went to an exhibit on art and religion and most of the artwork was very disturbing to me. It depends on your personal preference. If you prefer beauty, I would suggest the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay, but if you prefer analyzing paintings and trying to find the deeper meaning of why the artist created them, then I would recommend going to the Pompidou.
• Do go see the famous sights. They are spectacular! The famous monuments are what most people know about the city, so people are always interested to know that you saw them. Although it is popular to go up the Eiffel Tower, there is a very long line that can take hours to get through. Instead, go up to the top of the Arc de Triumph. You do have to climb up a long circular staircase, but it offers a good view of the Eiffel Tower and the city.
• Do take pictures of your trip so you can remember it. Take pictures with yourself in them so you have proof that you went there. Make sure you delete the photos that you do not want during your trip so you can make sure you have room for the pictures you want to keep. You do not need every picture you take. On my trip, I took more than 1,000 pictures. When I made my scrapbook, I used about 80 of the best ones. Still, taking pictures is a great way to remember to the trip when you look back on it later.
• Do buy and send postcards. Postcards are great to send to your relatives and friends. Do not buy the ones that cost one euro each. Shop along the Seine during the day and you can find the same postcards for 20 cents. I bought 15 postcards for 2.50 euros. When you buy stamps at the post office, there are two kinds: ones for the United States and ones for Europe, so make sure you specify how many you want and for what destination. It is best to pick the postcards that have pictures of the places you went to so you can tell the person you send it to about your experience there. Postcards are a great way to tell people about your trip.
• Do buy souvenirs, but make sure you have room to take them home in your suitcase or other bag. Don’t buy souvenirs for the sake of buying them because they’re cool. A good thing to ask yourself is if you will really get your money’s worth by buying the item. Buy them for a certain reason, purpose, or place. After you buy them, you should not feel like you spent your money on something you shouldn’t have bought and might, in reality, never use. I bought pictures at the Musee d’Orsay of Monet’s water lilies and Degas’ ballerinas. They are framed in my room, so when I look at them, I remember my trip and the museum. I also bought some clothes, including a t-shirt and a dress, so that way I could wear them anytime and remember being on the trip. I also suggest buying souvenirs for other people, too. Buy them something that they can really use and appreciate. I know my mom likes scented soap, so I bought her lemon soap. I know my dad likes to read, so I gave him a bookmark from Normandy.
• Do not pack your entire wardrobe. There are laundromats around the city where you can do your laundry, but make sure you check the prices. Bring at least a week’s worth of outfits and a few nice clothes for special occasions. The more you pack, the heavier it gets, so watch your suitcase’s weight. There will most likely be times when you have to pull your suitcase around and up stairs. In one hotel I stayed in, the elevator went up to the fifth floor and I was staying on the sixth. Buy a light suitcase. I bought a new one of a good size but which was also 30% lighter than other suitcases because it is made with aluminum and velcro. I could then put more items into it and it wouldn’t be as heavy as another suitcase. Also, there are limits on the weight of your suitcase. If it is over fifty pounds, you have to pay extra airline fees, so be careful. One way to check the weight of your luggage is to weigh yourself, then weigh yourself while holding the luggage, and then subtract the two numbers, which will give you a number that is the weight of your suitcase.  Make sure you leave a little room for souvenirs. Even though your suitcase seems to be full, when you stand it up, there is some room left.  Make sure you put the heavy stuff at the bottom of the suitcase and your clothes at the top so they don’t get squished. Make sure you put bottles of shampoo and other liquids in plastic bags because you never know when they might explode or leak.
• Do take a night plane. It’s helpful to try and sleep a bit on the plane to make it easier to adjust to the time difference. When I flew in to France, I was able to sleep for a few hours on the plane, which was good, because I had a full day ahead when I landed.
• Don’t stay up too late. Sometimes my group would stay up until one, two, or three in the morning, which I did not like because by the time we got back to the hotel, I was really tired and could barely even get ready for bed. Then, in the morning, we would sleep in later and sometimes not even start the day until lunchtime. Especially when adjusting to the time difference, it is best to go to bed at a decent hour.
• Do keep up with the news and current events. The best newspaper to buy is the International Herald Tribune. I bought it every day if I got the chance. I didn’t read every single article, but I did read the ones that sounded interesting. I liked it because it wasn’t a big newspaper and each section was one to two pages, so it was pretty concise. It only costs 2.50 euros. I was a little sad when I got back to the U.S. because I couldn’t buy the Tribune anymore.