How to be a local in Paris in 4 steps
So, I was in Paris for not even a whole year, but all of seven months. In this post, I talk about how I carried myself like a local in such a short amount of time.
Know the language
I can’t stress this enough. One of the key ways of assimilating yourself in Paris in no time at all is knowing French. The reason this is a sure-fire way to get you used to being a local is because no matter where you are from, if you know French, you will feel like one of the French. I am a brown girl, but not once was I an outsider, since Ile de France is highly diverse, having more than just Caucasian citizens. Even in Paris, where you would think that people should be speaking English well, knowing French will allow you to experience the place on a different level. The French are not bilingual by nature, and no one is going to bat an eye if you can speak French, whether it’s fluent or not.
If you’re interested in learning more about day to day French used in Paris, I have an informative post on it here.
Pro tip: In case someone tries to tell you “hey! This is actually how you’re supposed to be doing this specific thing that you’ve never heard of before!” just pretend that you don’t understand French. They’re going to be annoyed, but forgive you, probably muttering “anglophones…” under their breath.
Dress the part
Paris gets millions and millions of tourists every year, so much so that its residents have the superpower of sniffing them out and treating them a little differently. This happens especially in warmer months when the city is riddled with new, excited foreigners wanting to play into every stereotype. This means not trying too hard with your outfits – the French are more of a “casual chic” kind – and definitely no berets. If you are carrying a camera, generally appearing lost, and looking like you came straight out of a Californian beach, bam! Not a local.
Pro Tip: I had my camera with me a lot of the times I was trotting around Paris, and I would still get stopped and be asked for directions. If you must take pictures, keep the camera in your hand rather than slinging it around your shoulders while walking – it gives you a sense of confidence like you’re not in an entirely new place.
Prepare your journeys in advance
If you just got out of the plane and you’re determined to look like you’re from there immediately, memorize where you have to be before you get on metros, RER, or the bus. The transport system is easy enough to understand in the Parisian region. But once you get on a train and your eyes are just glued to the map, you definitely don’t know your way around.
When you’re sitting on the folded chairs on a train or a metro near the doors, it’s common courtesy to stand up when commuters get on and the compartment gets super crowded. (I’m looking at you, stop Chatelet-Les Halles). Wait for people to get off at a stop and then get on, on any transport. Read on your journeys and keep your bag close to you (theft is a huge problem in Paris!) but not so close that you look like you’re fearing for your life.
Pro Tip: One of the ways of feeling like you belong there is to get on the metros right when the alarm sounds to indicate that the doors are closing soon. There is no greater thrill than running down the stairs while the metro is just about to leave and making a dash to get in it, as though you’re so busy that you can’t waste four more minutes waiting for the next one to arrive. Do this, of course, at your own risk.
Don’t be loud
Paris can be tough if you’re loud as a person, like me. The French, in general, are not a loud bunch – the only ones I had heard being loud on the streets or while commuting are teenagers. While I was significantly jealous of them and their lack of regard for others because they’re just brimming with youthfulness (I’m 24, close to breaking all of my joints already), I got used to the locals speaking softly or not at all while travelling, eating, walking down the streets or basking in the sun in a park. Sometimes, when I talked on the phone with friends or family in a public place, they complained that they couldn’t hear me – absolutely unheard of.
Pro-Tip: To speak softly, take the volume of your voice down much lower than you think you should. You might sound like you’re talking like a mouse to yourself, but your neighbours can hear you much more clearly than you imagine.
How to seem like a local can’t really be defined in four steps, just know that when you radiate confidence, others will mirror the same. Once you’re planning to be in Paris for the long term, you’ll look the part eventually. I was once was standing in line to go to a popular restaurant, and the waiter was talking to those waiting to ask how many seats he needed reserve for them. I was alone as my friend wasn’t there yet, and he asked me “vous êtes combien?” (“How many are you?”), then moved on to take one look at the white couple behind me, who were silent, and asked in English, “How many?”
I was ecstatic.
