Tourists In Paris Should Beware Of Unruly Line Etiquette On Their Next French Vacation

Something you may notice about Paris is that, despite the leisurely cafe culture, it is still a busy city. This concrete jungle features miles of metro (subway) tracks, bus routes, and multi-lane roundabouts. People in business clothes speed walk along the streets as sounds of traffic become part of the overall ambiance. While you won't find a single stop sign in Paris, all this human and vehicle traffic still moves fairly well and orderly. However, there is a major aspect of this big city life that has a much less seamless flow in Paris: queuing up in lines.

Parisians tend not to worry about line order or speed when waiting for things like public transportation, checkout counters, banks, or even post offices. The unclear procedure in customer service flow might surprise people from other countries who are used to more strict social protocols. As a tourist, instead of getting frustrated over not knowing who is next in line because people seem to be standing around randomly, plan ahead to allow yourself extra time. Perhaps also use essential words and phrases, like "s'il vous plait" (please) and "Je peux?" (I can? or "may I?") to ask if you can take your turn at the checkout counter.

Tourists trying to get around in Paris will especially need to understand Paris' lack of line rules when it comes to metros and buses. Getting on or off these modes of transportation has no rhyme or reason. Parisians do not generally wait until passengers have stepped off before trying to get on themselves. While some Americans might make a polite gesture and say "after you" to a fellow traveler, Parisians tackle the task at hand more boldly and get on or off the mode of transport without decorum. Be sure that you are not so polite that you end up missing your chance to step on board.

Major tourist attractions in Paris are somewhat of an exception to the city's lack of line use. Places like the Louvre and other big museums sometimes have long entrance lines, creating a different line-related nuisance for tourists. See if you can buy tickets in advance for the popular places you want to visit. This will help you bypass long or confusing, disorderly lines and help ease "overtourism," an ever-present issue for Parisians.