Troubles Encountered During My Trip to France and How to Deal with Them: A Guide for a Safe and Enjoyable Journey

A trip to France is a dream experience for many people,
but unexpected troubles can occur.

In this article, I’ll share specific troubles I experienced and how to handle them.

For those planning to visit France,
I aim to provide useful information to help you enjoy a safe and pleasant trip.
Let’s learn how to prevent troubles before they happen based on these real experiences.

Target Audience

• Travelers planning a trip to France
• People who have experienced travel troubles in the past

What You’ll Get from This Article

• Real examples of troubles encountered during a trip to France
• Things to be careful about to avoid troubles

Collection of Trouble Cases

Many of these troubles were my own responsibility,
but I hope you’ll find them helpful as examples of
the kinds of difficulties you might encounter.

1. Encountering Aggressive Street Vendors

I encountered this at Montmartre Hill in France.
Tourist spots are filled with vendors,
and some of them can be quite aggressive in trying to make you buy things.

Details of the Trouble

Someone tried to force handmade accessories (probably friendship bracelets) on me.
The vendor was blocking the path, which made it even worse.

They called out to me, forcefully grabbed my arm,
and tried to put the accessory on me.

I desperately shook off their arm and escaped the trouble.
If they manage to put the accessory on you, they’ll find some excuse to make you buy it.

Countermeasures

• Know local scam tactics: Get information about common vendor tactics beforehand.
• Be firm in your refusal: Firmly refuse unwanted goods or services. It’s important to shake them off, even if it seems a bit rough.

2. Misunderstanding the Meeting Point for the Seine River Cruise

This was completely my fault.

Details of the Trouble

I had a reservation for a Seine River cruise,
but there was a discrepancy between the meeting point shown on Google Maps and the actual location,
which took extra time to reach.

I had to dash to make it on time.

Countermeasures

• Check the official website: It’s important to verify the meeting point not just on Google Maps but also on the official website. It’s crucial to also check images of surrounding landmarks.
• Allow extra time: Leave early when heading to meeting points to handle unexpected issues.

3. Shopping at Monoprix and Getting Caught in a Shoplifting Check

Supermarkets in Paris (like Monoprix) are affordable and quite convenient for travelers.
There was a shoplifting check at the entrance/exit of the supermarket,
and unfortunately, I got caught in it (despite not shoplifting…).

Details of the Trouble

After paying for my items at the register and putting them in a bag,
I headed towards the exit where shoplifting checks were being conducted.

They used some kind of detector, and when it reacted to something,
they would scan the barcode of the items again
to verify that they had been purchased.

Even though I had clearly purchased the items,
I was told to go back to the register and return one of the products…
(It was a confusing situation that made no sense to me)

After returning one product that I had supposedly purchased, I headed back to the exit.
I triggered the detector again, but this time they said something like "It’s fine now" and let me out.

This trouble was particularly difficult to deal with without being able to speak the local language well.

※ After returning to Japan, I realized that
a security tag was still attached to the eco bag I had bought as a souvenir. The staff must have forgotten to remove it at checkout. This was probably the cause…

Countermeasures

• Prepare before shopping: When shopping in foreign supermarkets, it’s important to understand local payment methods and checkout procedures.
• Keep your receipt: It’s important to keep your receipt after purchase. It can be helpful if an alarm goes off or if you need to return items.
• Make sure security tags are removed: Don’t forget this. If you’re unsure, ask the staff.

4. Troubles with Rental Bicycles

Rental bicycles are great for sightseeing in Paris.
I used Velib.

Velib Official Website

Details of the Trouble

Confusion when Renting

It took quite a long time (about an hour) for my first use of Velib.
To use Velib, you need to enter information on the display attached to the bicycle, but with well-used bicycles, the buttons might not respond or the display might show strange things.

In fact, many bicycles were broken, and it took time to find one that worked properly.

Also, I was confused with the initial registration on the app, which I should have completed in advance.

360° Camera Mounted on the Bicycle Disappeared

A camera I had mounted on the bicycle to capture the scenery
disappeared at some point.

All I can say is to be careful about this…

Countermeasures

• Set up the app before your trip: Rather than doing it after arriving, register in advance and check the fee structure and usage method to save time.
• Choose a bicycle in good condition: Check the condition of the bicycle before renting, and if it seems unresponsive, don’t use it.
• Secure your valuables: Securely fasten valuables and make sure they don’t move, or keep them on your person. Be especially careful not to lose things while moving.

5. Unable to File a Loss Report at the Police Station

This relates to the lost camera story from earlier.
To receive coverage from my credit card’s property damage insurance, I needed a certificate of loss.

This had to be issued at a local police station.

Details of the Trouble

I went to the police station around 9:00 PM,
but they completely refused to help me.

I thought I could communicate by speaking English…
but asking "Can I speak English…?" was a mistake.

They only told me to "Come back tomorrow after 9:00 AM. Otherwise, we can’t help you (implying they didn’t have English speakers available)."

I couldn’t accomplish my goal.

They said something like "English!!, tomorrow 9 am only!!!!!!!"
quite forcefully…

Since I was scheduled to move to another country the next day, I gave up on getting the loss certificate.

Countermeasures

• Negotiate in the local language: This is obvious, but… I should have used my phone’s translation feature and persistently negotiated in French.
• Maintain a strong resolve: Partly because I was mentally exhausted from all the troubles, I was overwhelmed by the police officer’s demeanor and gave up. Maintain a strong resolve to accomplish your goal.

6. Delay for Bus Meeting Time at Mont Saint-Michel

This was also my fault, but I’m noting it as a warning.
There’s quite a distance between the bus stop for Mont Saint-Michel tours
and Mont Saint-Michel itself.

Details of the Trouble

After finishing my tour of Mont Saint-Michel,
I trusted the time estimate on the map when returning to the bus meeting point,
which resulted in it taking much longer than expected.

What was supposed to be a 20-minute walk actually took 40-50 minutes at a run,
and I was late for the bus meeting time.
(The tour bus waited for me. I’m really grateful for that.)

Reading the map accurately, it seems I needed to account for
the 20-minute walk + the time to reach the bus parking area.

On the way there, I used the shuttle bus to Mont Saint-Michel,
but it was a mistake to walk back to the tour bus stop.

Countermeasures

• Research in advance: I should have dropped a pin on Google Maps for the meeting point and checked the time required.
• Allow extra time: It’s important to allow extra time when traveling in tourist areas and head to meeting points early. This is the key.

Summary

A trip to France is a wonderful experience, but troubles are part of it.

There were many troubles, but they are also good memories.

Use the experiences and countermeasures shared in this article
to enjoy a comfortable trip.

Advance preparation and flexible responses lead to successful travel.

I’ve summarized my actual travel itinerary below.
Please take a look at this as well.

https://gonkunblog.com/goto-europe-france-italy-greece/2177/#rtoc-15