| Welcome to Paris! Parisian weathe r is fickle in springtime and during fall: what starts out as a great clear day can turn rainy and chilly in the afternoon. Pack a sweater and a rain breaker if you are visiting during these seasons. Summer is usually fine (70-85°F), August is generally hotter (80-95°F). Winter is rainy and cold, almost as cold as in NYC. In any case, take your umbrella along, it may become your best friend -- especially if you intend to take pictures of everything. Rain and camera lenses don't like each other. Street-savvy tips Now that you're dressed and all ready to venture outside, here are a couple of useful tips: · Avoid taking a taxi during the day , and notably in the morning until 11:00, and in the late afternoon from 4:00 to 8:00. Streets are jam-packed during those periods, and seeing the meter run while you're a sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is a disheartening experience. · Gratuity : your restaurant/cafe check already includes a 15% gratuity. If you feel like giving an extra tip to your cafe waiter, leave EUR 1 ($.97) on the table. In a restaurant, you may leave EUR 3-5 ($2.7-4.5, more if you are in an expensive place) but again, that's not expected in either case. Your credit card receipt won't show any gratuity line. |
