I haven't been in Paris in about a year, but it's hard to believe gypsies are that aggressive that t

Has anyone hired a taxi to do the night tour of hte lights inParis outer banks north carolina vacation rentals as suggested by Rick Steeves, outer banks north carolina vacation rentals rather than doing a bus tour? Also, I have heard that the gypsies in Paris are quite aggressive and there have been incidents with injuries reported on American tourists. outer banks north carolina vacation rentals Does anyone have any updated info on this? This would impact profoundly on carrying an ipad, crossing the touristic bridges, etc. Thank you
Which bridges do you mean; which are the touristic bridges as opposed to the bridges used by Parisians? Why carry an ipad? Are you on your way to your hotel/apartment? How would anyone know you have an ipad in your bag?
I think hiring a taxi for an hour to see Paris by night would a ridiculous waste of money. I'm sure there are Parisian taxi drivers outer banks north carolina vacation rentals who know Paris well, but they're not tour guides, and there are myriad ways to see Paris on other, cheaper modes of transport. outer banks north carolina vacation rentals I wouldn't do that in any city in the world, least of all Paris, which has excellent public transportation, including outer banks north carolina vacation rentals lots of boat possibilities. With a bit of research ahead of time and a guidebook, you should be able to figure out what you're looking at, and if you're on a boat cruise, for example, you'll be told.
As for "gypsies," every European outer banks north carolina vacation rentals city has them, and as far as I know they don't just prey on Americans, and I've not heard of any incidents of injuries. I know one person's experience isn't really relevant in this context, but in 100+ trips to Paris, I've never had a problem. If you look like you know what you're doing, they leave you alone. The absolute last thing I'd be concerned about in visiting Paris is an injury from an encounter with gypsies. I'm far more likely to have such a problem here in DC.
I'm not sure what particular lights this is supposed to be about. The Eiffel Tower has a light show on the hour every hour after dark that you can see from any good vantage point that you can reach by ordinary public transport. I'm not aware of any other special illuminations that would require a tour.
If you can make a deal with a cabbie who speaks your language well-enough to describe where he (never have seen a female cabbie) will take you for a good price, go for it. We actually became pals with a driver in Palermo and made a deal for his off-duty times. He saved us much time and stress. We were lucky that way--it might not work out for others.
As for gypsies, only once in a handful of trips were we ever in close quarters with a panhandler of any kind. I yelled "NO" and gave her a little (truly, little) shove away from my dear hub whom she approached with determination in her eyes. She was just too close. Others, never.
In Paris, we have had stolen: 1) a rolled up picture of a drawing that stood up in the back of a tote bag hub had over his shoulder; 2) a neck pillow that I had attached outer banks north carolina vacation rentals to the outside of my rolling suitcase. Nothing else in any of our travels to Italy and France over course of 15+ years.
I think it's a good idea. Years ago in December, my husband was finishing up a meeting near l'Arc de Triomphe, and took a taxi (unusual for us if not coming into town from CDG) to meet him for dinner. We were staying in the 6th, so my driver naturally took me up the Champs Elysee. I absolutely adored the ride. So pretty. So TDudette's idea to make a deal with the driver outer banks north carolina vacation rentals appeals to me.
I often recommend public bus routes, particularly outer banks north carolina vacation rentals Line 42, as cheap sightseeing during the day. I hate the Hop On/Hop Off headphone/loudspeaker deal. If I find what I posted in the past, I'll get it up here. It took me a long while to appreciate that buses may take time in traffic outer banks north carolina vacation rentals but don't involve miles of correspondences
TDudette--My outer banks north carolina vacation rentals gypsy experience is about the same as yours, outer banks north carolina vacation rentals and it happened last year. Two teens were waiving petitions in my face, speaking nonsense very rapidly, on a bridge near the le de la Cit . When they refused to back off, I took my tote pack, ready to swing it, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Va t'en!" (Get away from me!).
Husband who speaks outer banks north carolina vacation rentals zero French, said, "What she said." They ran off. A French man passing us said he knew there was a policeman stationed up ahead and he'd report it. Later on we saw police cornering similar teens in a clothing shop.
Our daughter living in Paris said that these gypsy action was huge for around two straight weeks in the 7th. Hoards would enter corner stores, Starbucks, etc and generally steal goods or pickpocket everyone with distraction. But after two weeks, they seemed to be gone for the rest of her stay.
There are regular cons, too. My same tote backpack "weapon" was opened (empty water bottle, broken outer banks north carolina vacation rentals umbrella, rain poncho, gum wrappers, probably used tissues)in a con-artist "stall" method in the Metro a few years back. Guy in a suit with a briefcase goes ahead me in the machine, stops abruptly, and says, "Il ne marche pas", making outer banks north carolina vacation rentals me back out and bump into a guy behind me, also in a suit. I get onto the train, and my daughter notices the pack has been unzipped.
As to the ipad stuff--the daughter who lived in Paris bought a really strong big purse she could carry her MacBook Pro in when she traveled daily via Metro (two stops) to and from school. She kept it crisscrossed her chest when nearing Metro. No personal hassles in four months.
Those city vibes were turned off, though, at a "students only" mixer. Someone lifted her cellphone in the time it took to turn her head. It was a cheapie, but she was pretty miffed that she might know the person who did it.
I think that's a really dumb idea. Do you have any idea how much a taxi for an hour costs in Paris (and at night time when the rates are higher?). I noticed Rick left that little item out. I suspect it might cost around 50 to 100 euro.
I haven't been in Paris in about a year, but it's hard to believe gypsies are that aggressive that there is a big problem with actual physical attacks. I'm not saying it is impossible, but usually they beg or pickpocket. Some can be aggressive verbally if they aren't happy with you and what you do or say to them (or don't give them), but I wouldn't worry about physical outer banks north carolina vacation rentals thefts too much. I would worry about pickpocketing or other careless behavior with your belongings, and whatever you do, please do not engage in conversation with them or do dumb things like tak anything from them.
I rarely have any interaction with them as I won't have anything to do with them and won't talk to them, I mainly just see them begging outer banks north carolina vacation rentals in the metro or other places (and I do see them try to scam tourists in popular places, tourists who are dumb enough to talk to them or answer their stupid questions, such as "does anyone here speak English" while they walk along a crowded area full of tourists). The tourists who interact with them or do stupid things have the most problems.
A literal swarm invaded the 7th's Starbucks last year. One of the workers there was reacted quickly--she outer banks north carolina vacation rentals locked the doors and immediately called the police. My daughter body checked two teens that were doing a similar act at her local corner store (her Coca Lite purchase was on the house for quite some time). But as she said, the "swarm" mode of the 7th was gone in two weeks. We didn't see any activity when we visited her there later on.
Approaching people on bridges with petitions outer banks north carolina vacation rentals on clipboards was apparently the new thing last year too. I think I took them by surprise when I a) knew that they were speaking utter nonsense and thus totally ignored them, walking straight ahead and b) then was determined that they had to accept outer banks north carolina vacation rentals my bodily boundaries.
I know that in Washington, there is an hourly rate for taxis that is very reasonable (around $50, with 15-minute increments) so it can be an economical way to tour the monuments at your own pace, especially for those who have trouble climbing on and off a bus or for a family of four, when nighttime monuments bus tours are upwards of $30/person.
Of course, the monuments route in Washington is less spread out than the highlights of Paris are, and if there's no set hourly rate you could be at the mercy of the cabbie. But for some visitors, it may be an idea worth looking into.
Taking a Seine cruise on the Vedettes de Pont Neuf seems a much better idea to me. If you leave at dusk, you can see the lights coming on all over Paris. And it is a lot less expensive and a lot easier to see than from a taxi.
thanks. the rick steeves description is a suggested itinarary. I read recently of tripadvisor about two senior aged new yorkers being mugged recently on the ponte neurf (they wrote about it). A collegue of mine just back fromParis mentioned that when you see these gypsies to cross the street and avoid them since they are quite physical. Definetly the boat tour will be first for a night outing.
I just don't "get" the whole "lights in Paris" thing, as PatrickLondon mentioned. No matter where you are in Paris at night, unless in some far-out arrondissement where most tourists won't be, you can see all the illuminated buildings, and in many places can spot at least or actually see the Eiffel Tower illuminated, as well as anything else that's lit up. I guess I'm just not getting the concept. Driving around in a taxi to see things "lit up" seems really odd to me.
And I don't get the comparison to DC, either. I live here in DC, and there's nothing special at all about the monuments at night, and I'd never take a taxi around the city to see them. We have a decent metro system, and there are Peddicabs that will haul you around outer banks north carolina vacation rentals to see whatever you want to see for a fraction of the price of a taxi. The Peddicabs aren't even allowed to quote a fare - they just rely on "tips," so if you offer then $20 to take you around all the monuments, you've got a better bargain - and a far better view - than from inside a taxi anyway.
I would be hesitant to do this taxi drive - unless you knew that the driver was interested outer banks north carolina vacation rentals in providing some sort of commentary as to what you were seeing. I would organize this through the hotel concierg