1. Don’t be safe, be dangerous! (No, we don’t mean walk in dark, unsafe areas.) But try to use your high-school French, talk to strangers in restaurants, walk in the rain and enjoy being in the most beautiful city in the world. If your friend cannot go with you, go alone. Enjoy being alive!
2. Try the unusual food you don’t think you’ll like. When will you have another chance? Don’t worry if things are different than you are used to—this is the point of travel.
3. Walk a lot. Paris is the ultimate walking town. Take the metro too, and don’t be shy about asking nicely for directions. Stop often for tea or coffee in a sidewalk café. Do not try to see everything; rather, enjoy a few lovely treats each day.
4. Don’t get too ambitious with restaurants. You don’t need to go to very fashionable or famous places each night; these you can find in London and New York. What you can’t find anywhere else are the quintessentially French bistros and brasseries and the places that specialize in a particular region of France. Also try some ethnic food in Paris. Mix it up a bit and you’ll enjoy the flavors of Paris.
5. If you see a gorgeous scarf or a uniquely French item, buy it! Otherwise you’ll regret it when you arrive home. And above all, do not wear shorts, running shoes, silly T-shirts or baseball hats. Ma cherie, this is never done in Paris.
6. Mind your p’s and q’s! Say “Bonjour, Madame” (or “Monsieur”) before you ask a question, and always say “Bonne journée” (Have a nice day) when you leave a store or restaurant, and then “Au revoir” (Good-bye). That extra touch is sincerely appreciated.
Now there is an expression I loathe. “To Do Paris”. I wrote a blog post about it here:
http://www.travelcrunch.co.uk/2009/08/08/i-did-prague/
That said your post content is very good, some great advice for anyone visiting Paris.
My top tips would be to avoid looking like a lost tourist and attracting unwanted attention: Study a street map and the Metro on-line before you go; print off a full colour A4 map of the Metro and work our some journeys in advance, writing down stations, line Nos. and colours in a tiny notebook and keep this in your pocket.
Wear your most comfortable footwear and have at least two pairs available, your feet and legs WILL be aching after a few days of pavement walking and a change of shoes helps.
Use a lightweight shoulder bag that has a top zip and a strap that you can wear across your body with the bag under your arm. This allows quick and easy access to your purse for Metro tickets, and is the safest way to carry your bag once on board as often they are crowded and there is standing room only.