Survival Tips for Winter Paris 2010 Part I

I had thought I'd better list them down before I'd clean forgotten them all! These are what I had experienced from my trip.

1. You don’t need to fill in any immigration forms when you go into any EU country (Singaporean Passport holders)
2. When it snows, bring a waterproof down parker at all cost!
3. Bring 2 change of clothes, wear one pair of pants/jeans and pack the other.
4. Bring along a slingbag for ez reach.  NEVER use a backpack!
5. If you are not a sandwich person, would advise you to pack abit more cup noodles cos that’s all Paris have to offer for budget travellers.
6. When in Paris, spend the extra effort to get the Navigo Decouverte pass. It will come in handy esp in the winter you can just zip into the Metro for a one stop ride.
7. Choose a hotel within 5 mins walking distance to a Metro station. So much more easier to drop off ur shopping and zip out again for part 2.
8. Try and arrive on a Sunday and recce out the places you want to go and then get the Navigo Decouverte at the same time. Then you can use it immediately on a Monday.
9. The day is super short in Winter, plan to go slow and do one big thing per day.  Lourve-one day, Eiffel Tower-one day etc.  Rest of the time left you can walk around small streets and be surprised by what you can find there.
10. In Dec 2010, quota for detax by LV is one passport-1 wallet, 1 small accessory and 1 handbag.  Chanel is 2 earrings, 2 wallet, 2 necklaces and 2 handbags.
11. Bring your passport when you are shopping cos detaxe is only done with your passport
12. I prefer to do my shopping in department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.  Service there are generally better than standalone boutiques.  If you have to go to the boutiques, try to get the Causasians or the Native Africans to serve you.  Just DON’T find fellow Asians!!!  For some reason or another, their service sucks!!!
13. Pertaining to the abovementioned tips, if looking for a non Asian SA, you MUST say Bonjour to them!! Make a little bit of effort, every Oui will be worth it! And it doesn't hurt to smile lots too
14. Get to the airport 3 hrs before flight take off to do your detax and there may be a looooonnnngggg queue at customs (when I was leaving, there was only 1 person stamping the passport)
15. If you are leaving from Charles de Gaulle T3, good for you.  That is the newest terminal so I would assume shopping to be the best.  If T1, you’d best have ur Starbucks coffee before you go into the restricted area.
16. For detax, always make sure the custom ppl either scan the tax forms (for those handwritten forms ) or chop them (for those typewritten forms ala Printemps)