8 things to do in Paris that aren't total tourist traps

Climbing the Eiffel Tower, seeing the brushstrokes on Da Vincis Mona Lisa, tearing apart a baguette and drinking wine straight out of the bottle on the Seinethe images of a trip to Paris are clear to anyone who has only seen the City of Light in guidebooks and movies. And yet, real functioning, tourist-saturated cities are rarely as they appear on the big screen or glossy pages. Just as with any major city, Paris, though packed with inexplicable charm, is laden with tourist traps. "Being a tourist isn't inherently a bad thingthe city welcomes them!" said ex-pat and current Parisian Lindsey Tramuta, author of "The New Paris." She said she diligently avoids any restaurant hawking a menu in several languages, wont buy souvenirs from peddlers outside major tourist sites, knows to avoid the waste-of-meal dinners on the exclusively-for-tourists Seine River Cruises, and admits that the Mona Lisa "is perhaps the most disappointing and over-hyped piece of art in any museum." Stop wasting your precious time in Paris pushing past selfie sticks to get a view of something arbitrarily famous and enjoy the sights and tastes that make the French capital truly worth visit. Indulge in an "escargot" (or many) at Du Pain et Des IdesArguably the best boulangerie in all of Paris, this corner side bakery is known to locals, who can be spotted buying meat and produce from a roving cart outside, or stopping by with little ones before or after school, and tourists, who wouldnt miss a trip to this saccharine mainstay during any stop in Paristaking an Uber over a just-long-enough-layover at CDG to stock up on baked goods here isnt an unheard of idea. The escargots, snail-free yet snail-shaped flaky pastries twisted with a variety of fruity, nutty or cheesy fillings are a must. Order at least an extra to tote along with you in a brown paper bag for a snack later in the day. Eat "non-French" food Most tourists come to France to well, eat French food and fulfill fantasies of epic cheese-pulls over French onion soup and spooning up steaming cocottes of coq au vin. And although a French culinary overload is never necessarily a bad idea, avoid nearly all tourists by heading to a super casual Chinese Traiteur (egg rolls for a euro!), fighting for a table at the popular hand-pulled noodle spot Les Pates Vivantes or checking out a trendy world cuisine hotspot, like the recently opened Kanna Tanna. Dine at Bouillon PigalleTramuta recommended this recently-renovated restaurant with "the same high energy and low prices as a traditional Bouillon but far better products and better service."Skip the tourist-packed Le Bouillon Chartier and opt for affordable and well-executed French classics like ufs mayo, pt en crote, poireau vinaigrette, and pot au feu at this trendy Bouillon just down the block from the Moulin Rouge. See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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