I (almost) got robbed in Paris...

🇫🇷 Paris Travel News 🇫🇷

🤩 FYI, the Louvre is FREE the first Friday night of the month (except for July and August) - you still need to book online.

🎟 April 1st is the annual reopening of Giverny, the famous garden of Claude Monet. Be sure to book your ticket in advance and see Monet’s paintings at the Musée d’Orsay first.

🖼 The Mona Lisa will get its own room in the Louvre, and admission will be charged separately.

Bonjour Reader,

So, we can all make mistakes, even the most seasoned travelers – me included.

Despite living in Paris for more than twenty years and having already had my handbag stolen once, it almost happened to me again recently. Ugh.

I’d just got back from holiday and was having brunch with a friend in this great café on the edge of Montmartre. I’d hung my handbag on the back of my chair and this very normal looking guy almost slid it into his “shopping bag”. I know to be more careful than this, but my head was in the clouds…

That being said, Paris is a pretty safe city, as long as you stay aware and know the possible issues that could come. You should be all set thanks to this week’s Paris Postcard which includes:

⚠️ How to steer clear of the worst Paris scams
✅ Common mistakes we can help you avoid
😍 Tours that are *actually* worth your money and time
☕️ Amazing non-touristy cafés (where you shouldn’t run into pickpockets!)
🏩 Our best advice to read BEFORE booking your Paris hotel

Allons-y! ⬇️

❌ 9 biggest scams in Paris & how to avoid them

As I mentioned above, Paris is a pretty safe place, but like any major city, there are some scammers out there. Knowing the types of tricksters you might run into can help a lot, so I’ve brought together the biggest Parisian scams in this article, and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

Read it and you’ll already be one step ahead of most tourists 😎

But scams aren’t the only things that can ruin your dream Paris trip. There are some key mistakes that I sadly see tourists making over and over again…

But not you, not on my watch 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️

Let our Paris expert Amelia tell you what first-time visitors to Paris ALWAYS mess up, and how you can avoid joining the club. From French language faux pas to packing conundrums, this is what NOT TO DO in Paris.

And if you’d like to know what we actually recommend doing in Paris, keep on reading ⬇️

🍫 Paris's best wines, pastries, chocolates and more - how to try them all 🍷
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With such limited time in Paris, it can be VERY hard to work out how you'll explore every interesting area, and how you'll try all of the French pastries, delicacies and, of course, the wines and cheeses. How do you do it all? 🤨

The answer— book a food tour 🥐🍫🍷

Devour Tours do incredible food tours around the city, helping you explore the most interesting areas while trying the best dishes, pastries, chocolates, wines and more. You'll visit a mix of traditional and contemporary bistros, patisseries, creperies and more, with your expert guide telling you fascinating stories along the way.

If you love your sweets, definitely book onto the Pastry and Chocolate Tour. Prefer wine and cheese? Snag a spot on Montmartre Like a Local. Or eat and drink your way around the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank Food Tour.

Head to the Devour Tours site to book your tour in Paris (and beyond— they're across Europe and the US!)

⚡️ Other helpful advice for your Paris trip

🏩 Important things to know before booking your Paris hotel - some really useful Paris hotel advice for you and some tips that can make a HUGE difference in your selection process.

☕️ 10 best non-touristy cafes to visit in Paris - avoid the tourist traps and overly-hyped venues by visiting some of these instead.

💸 Top budget hacks to use when visiting Paris - so you only spend that hard-earned cash on the stuff that really matters to you.

❓Question of the week

We know many of you come to Paris to shop (we don’t blame you, the shopping scene here is amazing!! 🤩) and visiting the flea markets is quite the Parisian experience. You can find a list of our favorite Parisian flea markets in this article.

Your turn now: what question do you have? Reply to this email and we might answer your question on here next week 😉

What’s Paris’s most common nickname? 🤔

We'll share the correct answer in next week's newsletter 🤫