Destination Wedding in Paris: Theme & Timeline

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If you just got engaged and are considering Paris as a destination wedding site, take a deep breath and consider your theme first: the more details to your theme, the more time you probably need in your timeline.

Raph & John's wedding reception took place at the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel in Paris. Lighting is an often overlooked element in events, but lighting helps set the tone even more than color. What is a beautiful color without the proper lighting to view it by?

Raph & John’s wedding reception took place at the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel in Paris. Lighting is an often overlooked element when planning an event, but lighting helps set the tone even more than color. What is a beautiful color without proper lighting to view it by?

Planning a destination wedding in Paris can be quick or elaborate, depending on what you want. Ask yourself: How do you envision your dream wedding in Paris? Do you want a separate venue for the wedding and reception? A ceremony outside the Eiffel Tower during spring with tourists walking by? In a candle-lit chapel filled with flowers and history? Or perhaps a ceremony and reception on a boat at dusk basking in the glow of the Seine River? All of these questions speak to your theme, and your theme will inform your timeline — how much time you need to pull it all together.

What are the components of a wedding theme? In my view, they are: Time of year, time of day, location, formality, colors, food, music, flowers, lighting (artificial/natural).  If all you want is an outside ceremony on the grounds of Notre Dame with a few close friends and family as witnesses, that can easily be a piece of cake (pun intended) to plan; of course, you can’t rent space outside national monuments (or inside, for that matter), so tourists walking by being their natural selves will be part of the charm. But if you want a ceremony and reception indoors in popular venues, you have to plan for it. Yes, I know: Wedding Planning 101. But in the excitement of getting engaged, it can be hard to remember that many other newly-engaged couples are looking to book the same venues you want. This is why I believe that after asking family and friends for their (un)availability dates to travel to Paris within the next 18 months, booking the ceremony and reception venues should be first on your list.

Here are a few secrets of event planners: You work backwards from the date of the event to coordinate the details of any event, and you never give away your “drop dead date” – the date you need to give your confirmed guest number to the caterer, for example. Instead, ask people you’re inviting to respond by ‘x’ date + 1 week, to give yourself an additional week to contact anyone who hasn’t responded by your drop dead date. This also comes into play when ordering printed material, such as invitations: If you know you want to mail your invitations by a given date, and it takes a printer three weeks to print invitations, then give them a proof at least six weeks in advance; that way, if they’re not printed correctly the first go-around, you can still make your mail-by date.

Just a reminder: Foreigners can’t legally marry in France unless they’ve established temporary residency by living near the wedding locale for 40 consecutive days and can offer proof of this (lease, utility bill) to the city hall. For this series, I’m assuming that you will have a local wedding and possibly a reception before you travel to Paris for your wedding and reception there.

You might have to plan 18 months out if your Paris ceremony venue or reception venue is particularly popular.

As soon as possible, decide on an ideal date or time of year. Do an internet search to understand weather, holidays, and festivals for your selected time of year. Paris all but shuts down during the month of August (they take their vacation time seriously!), and French people don’t generally plan weddings from July 15 – August 31. (Keep in mind July 14 is Bastille Day.)

12 months before
*Set your wedding budget.
*Write up a guest list and a preliminary wedding party attendant list.
*Ask significant people (family, guest list and preliminary wedding party) for (un)availability dates around the time you would like to marry in Paris.
*Visit Paris locations if at all possible to see them as they will be for your wedding.
*Book the ceremony and reception venues.
*Hire a wedding planner if you so desire.
*Research flights to Paris for wedding date.
*Consider creating a wedding website as a communication tool (to upload the program, how to get to the hotel, ceremony venue and reception venue). I would probably also set up a private group on Facebook.

10 months before
*Finalize wedding party attendants.
*Finalize local ceremony date, location, and reception venue if applicable.
*Book all remaining aspects of your theme (flowers, music, food if you need your own caterer).
*Book your photographer.
*Book your “get-away” car or other vehicle.
*Book your flight to Paris with travel insurance.
*Reserve hotel block for you and your guests.

8 months before
*Get your passports up to date (don’t wait!).
*Start dress shopping, keeping in mind the time of year for your wedding.
*Select your officiant for your Paris wedding and your local wedding.
*Register.

6 months before
*Select your dress or hire a dressmaker to create a custom wedding dress.
*Select shoes, hairstyle, makeup, etc. for the day.
*Select attire for bridal attendants and order.
*Select attire for groom and groomsmen and order.
*Select and purchase wedding rings.
*Select and order invitations and other printed material (program, save-the-date cards, menu), and be sure to order 20% extra for invitations and save-the-date cards for mistakes you make while addressing them, and for late additions.
*Send save-the-date cards with a reminder to get passports up to date as soon as they are printed.

4 months before
*Mail invitations. While an RSVP date of 4 weeks prior to the wedding date is ideal, you have to consider first when the reception venue requires a final count for the reception. If you have to give a final count 4 weeks prior, give yourself at least an additional week for the RSVP date (5 weeks prior) in order to have time to contact anyone who hasn’t RSVP’d. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand that RSPV means “repondez, s’il vous-plait” (respond, please, in French); some seem to think it means “respond if you feel like it.”
*Plan the rehearsal dinner.
*Write your own vows if that is your plan.
*Finalize each ceremony with its respective officiant.
*Shop for local ceremony attire for you and your wedding party.

2 months before
*Confirm delivery of all wedding party attire.
*Ask your dressmaker for advice on how to transport or pack your wedding attire, and whether you can use your own travel steamer to get the wrinkles out.
*Apply for a marriage license.
*Make 2 lists: 1) What you need to take with you on the plane, and 2) what you need to overnight to the hotel. NOTE: I recommend that you overnight EVERYTHING you need for your wedding day (dresses, tuxes, shoes, etc., and several travel steamers). Have it arrive before you get to Paris and pay for an extra night or two (or more) for your hotel room so it can be stored safely. You can’t possibly carry everything you need in carry-on luggage, and what would you do if the airline lost your suitcase with your wedding dress?

6 weeks before
*Contact those who haven’t RSVP’d.
*Shop for welcome bags and their contents to be put in guests’ rooms if applicable.

4 weeks before
*Provide a final head count for your hotel and/or caterer.
*Have your final dress fitting.
*Hold local (legal) wedding and reception.

4 days before
*Overnight wedding attire, printed material, and welcome bags.
*Get manicure/pedicure for you and your bridesmaids.

3 days before
*Depart for Paris!

Upon arrival in Paris
*Unpack wedding attire and hang up.
*Unpack programs to have ready.
*Enjoy your first night in Paris with your fiance.

1 day before
*Steam all wedding attire with your travel steamers.
*Deliver programs to wedding ceremony venue if applicable.
*Rehearse ceremony with wedding party and officiant.
*Finalize shots with photographer.
*Have rehearsal dinner.

Wedding Day
Enjoy!

 

I will be featuring photos of Raph & John’s wedding in Paris for this series (see above). I want to make it clear that I do not know this couple: I selected their photos from an album on Flickr because I love their theme and the photos are available for use under the CCBY 2.0 license. If I married in Paris, I would want a theme somewhat similar to theirs–in terms of colors and formality–though probably on a boat on the Seine River. At night. With all the lights of Paris sparkling around me, my groom, and my guests. That’s just me.

 

Au revoir!

 

Image of Raph & John’s wedding reception (#596) by Agence Tophos, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

When is a ‘Travel Hack’ Unethical?

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Where should consumers draw the line in an era where the tactics are profit-maximizing on both sides?

Source: When is a ‘travel hack’ unethical? – The Washington Post

There are ethical and not-so-ethical methods to secure the best travel deal.

There are ethical and not-so-ethical methods to secure the best travel deal.

Travel hacking is loosely defined as strategies for getting better travel deals. According to the article cited, travel hacking may be legal but not always ethical, especially when the practice involves deception. This post is a summary of the article.

Why do it? Price seems to be best when you choose the home base of the airline, and the U.S. dollar is always the most expensive option.

Ethical Strategies

1. Look online for hotel rates, then call a hotel to negotiate a better rate. No problem, no deception involved here.

2. Clearing your web browser’s cookies before going onto a travel site. The site won’t know you’ve been looking to book travel arrangements and will therefore be more likely to give you a good rate. Again, this is thought to be ethical because it doesn’t involve deception.

Probably Unethical

1. Using a different country other than your own on an airline’s website. Airline websites are multi-lingual and multi-currency. If you change your country (after first deleting cookies, no doubt) on an airline’s website, you might get a better deal. Unfortunately, if an airline figures out what you did, they might not honor the ticket.

2. Using a “hidden city” airline ticket to finish a flight at a stopover instead of the true destination. This can save you a lot of money, but it violates airlines’ fare rules. If you used a travel agent to book your trip, finishing a flight at a stopover could get the travel agent in trouble — the article doesn’t cite how — and it could lead to higher fares across the board: airlines will have figured out what travelers are doing and raise their rates to make sure there is no benefit to this practice.

3. Changing your IP address to a different country. Different countries have different local economies and standards of living. Should a traveler in one country pay the same rate for airfare as a U.S. citizen, who probably has a higher standard of living?

4. Using the title “Dr.” when you’re a Ph.D. because it might get you preferential treatment. This one is up for grabs. On one hand, people feel entitled to use a title they’ve earned; on the other, I’m not sure what “preferential” treatment someone might get because an airline crew thinks they are a medical doctor. As an experienced traveler, I’ve never seen a call for “all doctors can board now,” nor have I ever witnessed a flight attendant saying anything like, “Since you’re a doctor, we’d like you to have a better meal than everyone else.” (Yes, I’m being facetious. That’s the point.) In fact, the only time I’ve ever heard a flight crew use the term “doctor” on board is when a traveler has been sick and the crew has asked if there is a doctor on board the flight. One word of caution: If you’re a Ph.D. and you use the title “Dr.” liberally, don’t be surprised if you find yourself in a situation where a member of a flight crew asks, “But I thought you were a doctor?”

All travelers want to get the best deal. My one suggestion to ask yourself: If an airline found out how you got your deal, would they honor it?

Au revoir!

 

Image of plane landing by Modes Rodriguez, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Destination Wedding in Paris: Should You Hire a Wedding Planner?

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Are you good with details? Do you have time to be on the phone with vendors in Paris during their work hours? If not, you might want to consider hiring a wedding planner.

Bridal couples strolling the streets in Paris usually look pretty calm. Did someone plan their wedding for them?

Bridal couples strolling the streets in Paris usually look pretty calm. Did someone plan their wedding for them?

Planning a wedding — any wedding — is hard work. You decide on a wedding date, a theme, a guest list, your wedding attendants and attire, ceremony and reception venues, flowers, music. It’s a lot to pull together. Now, consider the headache those details might give you and multiply it by 10: for those not detail-oriented, this is what you might face if you’re planning a destination wedding in Paris, given the distance and time and language differences. Perhaps you should consider hiring a wedding planner and let them have headaches for you. Here is information on three destination wedding planning services.

1. Destination Weddings.com. According to their website, Destination Weddings.com has planned over 20,000 destination weddings and is an award-winning, Certified Destination Wedding Specialist. They’ve planned weddings in 100 regions and 42 countries. What I really like about them is that you can talk to a live human being during the planning process and they offer 24/7 emergency travel support. Your wedding dress didn’t arrive at your destination? Your flower vendor has shown up with the wrong flowers? They give you someone to contact to handle those details.

To get started, you create your profile by providing information like your name, how many guests you expect, your wedding date (even approximate), and the destinations you’re considering. They assign you a wedding planner suited to your needs.

The only thing I didn’t like when I did research for this post was that when I called and asked them how they can provide their services 100% free…the customer service person didn’t want to answer my question! One would think this would be straightforward: are their services free or aren’t they? Turns out you pay $50 to get started and the fee is recouped by being applied to services paid for; Destination Weddings.com is paid a commission from those services. You don’t have to use their Preferred Partners (hotels and the like) to take advantage of their service, but they do have a Preferred Partner Perks program in which you can get value-added amenities.

Destination Weddings.com
Phone: 1-888-536-1923, Monday – Thursday, 9:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M., EST
Friday, 9:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M., EST
(This is if you want to speak someone up front.)

2. Perfect Paris Wedding.com. The company is owned by a Parisian named Claire Bay. She is not only a wedding planner but also a celebrant (someone who conducts weddings). She also works with two other celebrants.

Perfect Paris Wedding offers three packages: 1) Eiffel Tower Wedding (outdoors); 2) Notre Dame Wedding (outdoors); and 3) Paris Chateau Wedding (indoors). (Note: Paris Chateau is a specific place and was once owned by Louis XV.) In addition to ceremony photos, the outdoor packages include a 2-hour chauffeur-driven photo-tour around Paris with a professional photographer; you have your photo taken at sites such as Place de la Concorde and Trocadero (near the Eiffel Tower).

The Paris Chateau Wedding package includes ceremony photos, a shoot in the chateau and grounds, plus a photo session around the Louvre.

The standard price for the outdoor packages is 2,600 euros (with a conversion rate of $1.08 to 1 euro, that’s $2,808.00); for the indoor Paris Chateau package it’s 3,950 euros ($4,266.00). Included in the standard package:

*Symbolic Ceremony
* Commemorative Wedding Certificate
* Luxury Wedding Vehicle & Chauffeur
* Professional Photographer
*Bride’s bouquet, hair & make-up

You can also add extras.

The site is easy to navigate. You complete a form to get a quote, which is not binding. As a test, I selected the Paris Chateau package, with a wedding date of Saturday, June 11, 2016 (dates are input in European style, DD/MM/YY), 20 guests, a tailor-made ceremony (extra for 150 euros), a half-bottle of champagne for a wedding toast (extra 50 euros), a Day-of bilingual coordinator (extra 350 euros), with a departure date 1 week from wedding date. My quote: 4,500 euros ($4,860.00).

Perfect Paris Wedding.com
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M., Central European Time
A phone number is not offered on the site for questions.

3. Wedding Light Events.com. Wedding Light Events.com offers luxury wedding planning and other services; for an elopement of just a wedding couple, they suggest a budget of 5,000 euros ($5,400.00 with current conversion rate), and for 50 guests they suggest 25,000 euros ($27,000). They believe in making your event unique rather than offer every couple the same package.

According to their site, an elopement package of (presumably) 5,000 euros includes:

*Officiant
*Ceremony location
*Professional Photographer – Olivier Lalin, whose work has appeared in The New York Times
*Restaurant reservations
*Planning fees

Oddly, after “restaurant reservations” there is an “etc.” If ever there is a time to be exact, this is it.

Their venue selections are as follows:

*Paris Outdoors – at Paris landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Pont de Alexandre III, the Louvre
*Luxury Hotels – such as Shangri-La, Hotel de Vendome, and Hotel de Crillon
*Chappelle Expiatoire – a beautiful chapel commissioned by Louis XVIII
*Riding Along the Seine – in a boat on the Seine River

The company recommends at least 12 months to plan a wedding, 18 months if you want a popular ceremony or reception venue. For smaller events, such as a couple-only elopement, they can probably take you last minute.

To get started, you complete an easy form requesting your name and contact information, general time period for event, number of guests, and specific needs; you can request a time for a conversation via telephone or Skype. (The site does not offer a phone number to call.) You can also contact them by email: info@weddinglightevents.com.

Hope this helps. My Destination Wedding in Paris series will continue next Friday with a post about developing your wedding timeline.

 

Au revoir!

 

 

Image of Bridal Couple with Moms by Dustin Diaz, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

 

Traveling in 2016? Make a Resolution Not To Make This List

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Expedia released their first ever Hotel Etiquette Study, which details the Top 10 Most Annoying Guests. Can you guess who is Most Annoying? (Hint: “Little Jimmy can scream in the halls all he wants. We pay good money to stay here!”)

Source: Annoying hotel guests make Expedia’s list. We know who you are. – The Washington Post

Hotel hallways are NOT the place to allow your kids to train for the 100-yard dash.

Hotel hallways are NOT the place to allow your kids to train for the 100-yard dash.

Ahhhh, traveling. So exciting to see how people from other countries live. Take in the sites, sip Cappuccino, have new experiences. Unfortunately, those new experiences often include contact with other, less-than-well-mannered guests at your hotel. Expedia recently conducted a survey to find out which behaviors bothered hotel guests the most. Hopefully, the survey will give at least some travelers something to think about the next time they pack their bags (that is, those who need to read it). Here are the Top 10 Most Annoying Guests, counting down:

10. Elevator Chatterbox. Have you heard the term “elevator speech”? It’s a thirty-second (the typical time one spends in an elevator) summary about yourself and what you can do for an organization. Candidates put a lot of thought into their elevator speeches when they’re looking for a job; it might just get them a foot in the door. When you’re on vacation (or, in European terms, “on holiday”), riding an elevator with persons unknown, it is not the time to practice that elevator speech; rather, it’s the time to practice restraint. No one wants to hear the details of your life. And if someone doesn’t speak your language, it’s just noise.

9. Business Bar Boozer. All dressed up with nowhere to go, the Business Bar Boozer hangs around the bar whenever he or she isn’t busy with that Important Meeting or Conference taking place in the hotel. Why not: 1) read a book, or, 2) just drink something non-alcoholic? Business attire does not make drunkenness more attractive.

8. Hot Tub Canoodlers. I’ve never understood this one. A couple is on vacation at a hotel, and they choose to show way more Public Displays of Affection in a hot tub than they’d want their own children to see — why not just go to your room? You’ve paid for it!

7. The Loudly Amorous. Well. Perhaps the Hot Tub Canoodlers decided to go their room after all. Keep it down, please. The walls aren’t that thick!

6. Poolside Partyers. This is probably the most dangerous category, since drinking alcohol around a pool can cause a person to slip and hit their head with catastrophic consequences. In addition, Poolside Partyers are often just plain loud: playing in the water, calling out, laughing. Sounds of life, right? Other people have lives, too. Keep the noise down.

5. Bickerers. This is probably the saddest category: people on vacation spend it by arguing the entire time? It’s not just a downer for the people involved, but for everyone around them. Perhaps next time the money for vacation would be better spent on a couples’ therapist.

4. In-Room Revelers. As already mentioned in #7, hotel room walls might not be as thick as you imagine, so having an after-party in your room at 1:00 A.M. may not be the best idea. Sure, you’ve paid for your room, but here’s the kicker: So has everyone else. And they paid for peaceful sleep.

There are other ways of defining oneself besides complaining.

There are other ways of defining oneself besides complaining.

3. Complainers. This isn’t about letting the front desk know you found bed bugs in your room. A Complainer is like a leaky faucet: No matter how much you tend to it, it never stops. Complainers are never satisfied. Please. So you only got three towels instead of your usual four — do you really need it?

2. Hallway Hellraisers. Hotels are known for having long, wide hallways. Unfortunately, many people see these hallways as their personal space for letting others know how happy they are to be on vacation — or, better yet, as the place to allow their kids to train for the 100 yard dash. Guess what? Fellow guests are behind many of the doors you walk by (or in the kids’ case, run by). Be an angel and keep quiet as you walk back and forth to the elevator.

And the winner is………..

1. Inattentive Parents. Sixty-seven percent of more than 1,000 participants said parents have allowed their children to run down halls, destroy plants, kick furniture, and slam doors in hotels. What these parents don’t understand is that their children are likely to grow up to be guests #2 – #10. Good manners start with you, parents. As the song says:

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by…
Teach your children well…
And know they love you.

 

Au revoir!

 

Image of Hotel Hallway by Sebastian Lange, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Complainer by Dushan Wegner, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Lyrics of “Teach Your Children,” by Graham Nash, recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, 1970. Copyright Sony/ATV Music Publishing, LLC.

 

 

 

 

Terrorist Attacks in Paris: What Visitors Need to Know

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Following the tragic terrorist attacks of November 13th in Paris, France, About Travel offers specific information and advice for tourists and visitors.

Source: Terrorist Attacks in Paris: What Visitors Need to Know

The Eiffel Tower is lit in France's flag colors of blue, white and red in memory of those slain on Friday, November 13, 2015.

The Eiffel Tower is lit in France’s flag colors of blue, white and red in memory of those slain on Friday, November 13, 2015.

Here is some information and advice from About Travel about traveling to Paris at the present time. I have summarized some points and copied other points in their entirety. If you have any questions about traveling to Paris, please complete my “Contact Elsa” form, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Attacks: Main Facts
Summarizes the where and when of the attacks, police raids and investigation. Most of the attacks occurred in the 10th and 11th arroundissements, not far from the Charlie Hebdo offices.

The Aftermath in Paris: Shock and Mourning
French President Francois Hollande issued a statement in which he called the attacks “an act of absolute barbarism” and promised that “France will be ruthless in its response to [ISIS].”

But he also called for national unity and for “cool heads,” warning against intolerance or divisiveness following the attacks.

In addition, he designated three days of national mourning, so all city and state museums, schools, and public places were closed over the weekend following the attacks.

Tributes, Memorials & City Initiatives
From Monday, November 16 through Wednesday, November 18 the Eiffel Tower will be illuminated with the colors of the French flag — blue, white and red — in memory of the victims.

The city’s Latin motto “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur” — which translates to “Tossed, But Not Sunk” — is on banners all around the city, including the Eiffel Tower.

Getting In and Out of Paris/France
France’s borders have not been closed. Security has been tightened at airports, train stations, and ferry launch points, so expect significant delays.

Companies including Eurostar, EasyJet, Ryanair, Air France, and British Airways have offered free exchanges on tickets for travelers who elected not to travel to or from Paris on the day following the attacks. Call their helplines for more information.

Metro and Public Transportation
All metro, bus, and RER lines in Paris are currently running normally, with the exception of the Oberkampf metro station (line 5) which is closed, and the station St Denis (line 13), closed for security reasons due to a police raid underway in the suburb.

Closures Around the City and Bolstered Security Measures 
During the weekend following the attacks, all city and state-run museums and cultural attractions, including the Louvre, the Palace at Versailles, and the Eiffel Tower, were closed for three days of national mourning.

The Eiffel Tower is again open on Wednesday the 18th of November, after closing for security reasons on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, November 18th, all municipal and state museums and monuments were re-opened, except for the Arc de Triomphe which has not yet announced a re-opening date.

Disneyland Paris also re-opened its doors on Wednesday after a four-day closure. The Versailles palace re-opened on Tuesday, November 17th under tightened security.

Other public city events, including the annual Christmas markets and holiday lights ceremonies, were canceled in the week after the attacks. The holiday markets, including the biggest on the Champs-Elysees, were mostly open as of Wednesday, November 18th. The lit ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde is also now open.

However, holiday lights ceremonies were postponed or cancelled around the city in the week after the attacks, including the largest lights display scheduled to kick off on the Champs Elysees, which has been postponed until further notice. Check back for updates on whether those will go forward.

In addition, many stores, shops, restaurants and bars across the capital were closed over the weekend following the attacks, in observance of national mourning. These private businesses have been re-opening at their owners’ discretion. Call ahead to verify re-opening dates and times.

For more information on current closures and re-openings of popular attractions, monuments, and museums, see this page at the Paris Tourist Office.

Official Security Advisories 
As this went to press, no advisories against visiting Paris or the rest of France have been issued by the embassies and consulates of English-speaking countries. However, they do advise caution and vigilance.

The American Embassy in Paris published the following advisory to U.S. nationals visiting France on their official website: ” We strongly urge U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security, including limiting their movements to essential activity. U.S. citizens are encouraged to monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.”  You can read the rest of their advice, including on how to register with the Embassy during your stay (recommended), at their official website.

To find your own embassy or consulate and any safety advisories published there, see this page.

Is it Safe to Visit Paris? Should I Cancel my Trip? 
Personal safety is a highly, well, personal issue, and I can’t offer any hard-and-fast advice on what nervous or anxious travelers should do. It’s entirely normal to feel some apprehension after these events. Consider these points before canceling your trip to Paris.

Security is probably at its highest ever at the moment. 
Despite what you might be reading or seeing on certain cable news outlets, France does take security very seriously, and officials have successfully intercepted and foiled many attacks in the past.

Moreover, following this recent tragedy, Paris is being patrolled by unprecedented numbers of police and military personnel, especially in crowded areas, public transport, and places frequented by tourists, including monuments, museums, markets and large shopping centers. Your risks are probably lower than usual due to these heightened precautions. While government officials acknowledge that more attacks are possible, they are showing extreme vigilance and working their very best to protect the city, its residents, and its visitors.

Read related: How to Stay Safe in Paris: Top Tips
[Elsa’s Note: With the exception of the section included here, all others are a refresher, such as protect yourself against pickpockets.] Especially when traveling alone, avoid areas around metro Les Halles, Chatelet, Gare du Nord and Stalingrad late at night or when the streets appear less than crowded. While generally safe, these areas have at times been known to harbor gang activity or to be the site of hate crimes. In addition, avoid traveling to the Northern Paris suburbs of Saint-Denis, Aubervilliers, Saint-Ouen, etc. after dark. Visitors to the above-mentioned areas may also take precautions by keeping a low profile and by refraining from wearing highly visible jewelry or clothing that identify them as members of a religion or political movement. As this goes to press, antisemitic and other hate crimes have been on the rise in the Paris region, but have largely been perpetrated outside the city walls.

We live in a world of complex risks, and we take those risks constantly. 
Just as you can’t guarantee that getting in your car for your morning commute to work won’t result in a car crash, or that you won’t be a victim of random gun violence at a supermarket, travel carries a degree of risk. The rather sobering truth is that terrorism knows few to no borders in our age: to fear Paris over any other major metropolis is to completely misunderstand how terrorists operate.

Life in Paris must go on…and without your help, it won’t. 
Paris is the number-one tourist destination in the world. The city needs, above all, to heal and rebound from this terrible tragedy, but without the help of tourists who contribute largely to its economic health and vibrancy, it’s not likely to succeed.

 

Vive la France. 

 

Image of Eiffel Tower lit up in blue, white and red by Yann Caradec, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Images of Memorial at French Embassy by Elsa L. Fridl. “Peace for Paris” by Jackman Chlu, Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Material adapted from an About Travel email dated November 17, 2015. No copyright infringement is intended. The author only means to share important safety information with travelers.

 

20 Biggest Travel Mistakes

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This traveler is already a victim of CNN's #1 Biggest Travel Mistakes (Overpacking). Will she also suffer from #6 (Not tightening shampoo caps...all the way)?

This traveler is already a victim of CNN’s #1 Biggest Travel Mistakes (Overpacking). Will she also suffer from #6 (Not tightening shampoo caps…all the way)?

The CNN Travel staff put together a list of what they consider the 20 biggest travel mistakes their own people have made — and in some cases, continue to make.  The list is hilarious, though you might find yourself gritting your teeth and saying, That is SO true.

Which one is your favorite? Mine is #10. Read it for yourself. Do you agree?

Source: 20 biggest travel mistakes

 

Au Revoir!