How to Maneuver in Paris Without Speaking French

In any language, she's a beauty.

If you have dreamed of seeing Paris but scratched it off your list due to the language barrier, think again. It is possible to successfully vacation in Paris without being fluent in French. It is necessary, however, to prepare in advance to compensate for your lack of language skills. Here are some basic things for which to plan.

Things You'll Need

• A good guidebook
• An English to French Dictionary

Instructions

Getting Around

1. 

   Take the train. Paris has a remarkable public transportation system; make use of it. Trying to drive in a city where you don't speak the language is just plain foolish. There isn't a single place you would want to visit in Paris that cannot be reached by the Metro. It runs frequently, it's clean and it's cost effective. If you are going to be in town for a week, buy a "Carte Orange" which allows you unlimited train access for a week. You will need to communicate which day you want the pass to start, and which zones you want it to cover. If you cannot speak any French, look these phrases up in a guidebook and write them on a paper and hand them to the ticket agent. The agent may speak English, and will be more likely to help you when they see you have attempted to learn the French phrases. Check out a guide or website with the most used phrases.

2. 

   Learn the words for a few preferred food items. Although some restaurants offer menus in English, the majority do not. It would be wise to learn a few major food names before you travel just to give you an idea of what you are ordering. For instance, "fromage" is cheese, and "bouef" is beef. That way if you see a few familiar words, you have a general idea of the base of this dish even if you can't read the entire descriptions. If you are feeling adventurous, just order the prix-fixe menu, which is a daily special that normally combines several predetermined items. This way you can try some new foods and not worry about what exactly you are ordering. If you absolutely have to know exactly what you are ordering, order from a bakery or store with a display case so you can view the items in advance.

3. 

   Buy a museum pass on-line before leaving home. If you want to visit several museums in Paris and don't want the hassle of attempting to buy tickets for several locations in limited French, you can purchase a museum pass on-line before you leave home. This pass covers over 50 museums in the city, so most likely any museum on your list is covered by your pass. See a complete listing on the website linked below.

4. 

   Stay at Disneyland Paris. If you do not speak any French and believe you would be uncomfortable staying in a hotel where you cannot communicate, Disneyland Paris is a 30 minute train ride away from the city and English speaking staff members are available in all of their hotels and restaurants.Trains leave for the city every 1/2 hour all day, so getting to and from the city is a breeze.

5. 

   Buy an Eyewitness Travel Guide of Paris. There are many great tour guides on the market, but none that can help you with a language barrier better than the Eyewitness Travel Guide. Because it has photos of everything it helps you recognize what you are looking for, and you can also point out the locations you are trying to find to passers by, and they can point you in the right direction.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn as much French as you can before you travel.

• Many Parisians do speak English and may be persuaded to speak it if you ask them with a smile and ask in French.

• Make sure to study and learn money denominations before you travel so you know which coins and bills represent which amounts.

• Don't avoid seeing Paris because you can't speak the language.

• Don't be rude and expect people to speak English. It's France. They speak French there.

• Don't miss the last train at night unless you are prepared to be able to ask for and pay for a cab.

Resources

• Carte Orange
• Eyewitness Guide to Paris
• Paris Museum Pass
• Disneyland Paris
• Survival Phrases in French- The Basics