7 Things I Hate About Living in Paris

Ahhhh, Paris.

The city of love, lights, and all things exquisite. It’s a dream come true for many, but it’s not all rainbows and butterflies for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love living in Paris. There are countless reasons why it’s one of the best cities in the world.

But there are also a few things that I really can’t stand about it.

1. It’s dirty

The pictures of Paris that people see online and in the media is not at all what Paris actually looks like.

Many parts of the city are incredibly dirty, and it’s not rare to see people openly smoking on the street or spitting on the ground.

And sometimes, even peeing on the sidewalk.

There is also no shortage of rats to be found in the streets here in Paris, mostly just in the subway tracks like in most big cities.

The touristy neighborhoods and areas with famous attractions are far better looked after and look completely different than other places in the city – which is usually the image of Paris that is shown on TV.

Paris as a whole is very beautiful indeed, but there is definitely more to it than meets the eye.

⚡ Related read: Where to Stay in Paris (10 Best Neighborhoods & Hotels)

2. The people are rude

Parisians are not always the friendliest people. In my experience, they can be quite rude and dismissive, especially if they’re in a hurry.

One of the biggest mistakes I made on my first time in Paris was thinking that people would be mostly friendly and welcoming.

I’ve had people bump into me on purpose or cut in front of me in line, and not once has anyone said sorry.

Though most people here will not go out of their way to be rude or hurtful to you, they won’t exactly go out of their way to be nice either. It’s just the way Parisians are and you eventually learn to deal with it.

3. The cost of living is high

Paris is definitely not the most affordable city in France to live in – it’s actually quite expensive. Unless you’re wealthy, it can be really tough to afford to live here.

Rent, food, transportation, and other basic necessities are all much more expensive here than in most other places in Europe. If you like to eat out often like me, you can easily plan to spend at least €20 per meal (without drinks).

This can be really tough on your wallet, especially if you’re not used to spending a lot of money.

Rent prices are also super high. And even though there are rules on legally how much landlords can charge for rent per square meter, the rules aren’t respected and apartments here often can go for almost double what they’re actually worth.

⚡ Related read: Paris cost of living: How much I spend as an international student

Because Paris is such a popular city to move to, landlords know they can easily find someone who is willing to pay those exorbitant rent prices.

There are obviously ways to save money and not spend so much money while living here, but as a city in general it’s pretty expensive. If you’re not careful with your spending, it’s easy to quickly spend your entire paycheck in just a few days.

4. Paris can be dangerous

Paris is not always a safe city.

As beautiful as the city is, it has some not-so-beautiful (and even downright unsafe) areas that should be avoided.

Though it’s not as dangerous as some other places in the world, there are certain areas that you should avoid if you don’t want to be robbed or mugged.

The subway system can also be quite dangerous, especially at night. There have been several cases of people being attacked or assaulted on the subway, so it’s always best to be aware of your surroundings and not to travel alone at night.

Paris is also notorious for pickpocketing and robberies, and lots of scams and petty crimes – usually targeted at tourists.

Because of this, you feel like you always have to be on high alert when going out in Paris. It can be extremely stressful always having to look over your shoulder, and I never really feel like I can be 100% relaxed here like I can in other cities.

⚡ Related read: How to Navigate the Paris Metro Like A Local

5. It’s depressing

As beautiful of a city as Paris is, living here can be quite depressing. The weather is usually quite gloomy, and the city just has this overall sad feeling to it.

There are always homeless people on the streets, and many buildings and areas are in disrepair.

The news here is also always negative, and it’s not uncommon for people to be protesting or marching in the streets about something.

It can be really tough to be surrounded by so much sadness and negativity all the time, and it’s not uncommon for people to feel quite down after living here for a while.

Paris is also sort of a concrete jungle, and although there are some parks around the city, there’s not much access to nature and greenery.

Though, these are some common problems that you may face in any big city around the world and aren’t only specific to Paris.

6. Paris is not very accessible 

Paris is obviously a very old city, and due to this, most of the buildings have been preserved and remain in their natural state with lots of stairs and no elevators.

This can make it difficult for people who have difficulty walking or carrying heavy things, as a lot of the attractions here are located in the heart of the city and are quite far away from each other.

If you’re not able to walk or climb a lot of stairs, Paris can be quite challenging to navigate.

Though some of the metro stations are equipped with escalators or elevators, there are a lot of stations that have none. In these instances, you’re forced to take the stairs, which can be quite difficult if you have a lot of luggage or are not in very good shape.

This is also super inconvenient when traveling by metro to and from the airport with suitcases, because it makes you an easy target for being robbed since your hands are full (this actually happened to me once!)

⚡ Related read: The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Paris for the First Time

7. The French are always on strike

Strikes in Paris are not at all uncommon.

In fact, they seem to happen on a monthly basis. Public transportation workers go on strike all the time in Paris, and it can be really difficult to get around.

This can be really frustrating if you’re trying to get somewhere and the metro or buses are on strike, because there’s usually no way to know in advance whether or not they will be working.

This also makes it difficult to make any long-term plans, as you never really know when something is going to happen that will prevent you from being able to get to where you need to go.

This is not just specific to Paris – this happens commonly throughout all of France on a regular basis. But it’s definitely more common and has the most impact in Paris.

Despite all of these things, I still love living in Paris.

It’s a beautiful city with a lot to offer, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. These are just some of the things that I’ve come to dislike about living here, but there are also many things that I love.

Even though it can be quite difficult at times, Paris is still my home and I’m grateful to be able to call it that.

PLANNING A TRIP TO PARIS?Grab a copy of my FREE Paris travel guide!

This 10-page Paris travel guide includes:

• Practical tips for visiting Paris
• The best foods to eat in Paris
• The best restaurants in Paris (my top picks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
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• The best (and worst) places to stay in Paris, including my top picks for hotels in each area

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