Isn't it hard navigating Paris on your own? You've heard that they will not speak anything but French, that the waiters are rude and the store keepers are impolite. It's really not true. Paris is a big city, and its citizens sometimes have that "big city attitude".... people are hurried and may seem a bit brusque, but if you remember some of the simple rules of travel, you'll do ok.
First thing you need to remember is to bring your sense of adventure and understand the differences. The French are more reserved than most Americans. They may not be as short to smile at strangers, but with a little effort on your part you will find friendly, helpful Parisians.
Second, whenever you open your mouth, attempt to say a few words in French. Saying hello, please and thank you in French will go a long way. They will appreciate it. Try to say it with a French accent... you probably won't succeed, but this will win you friends too. And they will probably ask if you would prefer to speak English.
OK, now that we have gotten you past your fear of people problems when navigating Paris, let us talk about physically getting around.
First thing, be sure to bring good walking shoes. You will be doing lots of walking... with the sights and the atmosphere of Paris, you will be looking around thinking, "This is Paris and I'm finally here!"
But you don't want to walk aimlessly, so let us look at the geography of Paris. Many Paris locations are described as being either left-bank, or right bank. What does that mean? To get real basic... the River Seine cuts Paris pretty much in half. So the Left Bank is more or less to the south of the River Seine. (Look at a map of Paris... it is mostly the bottom half.) The Right Bank is to the north of the river. (So, the top half of the map.. right?)
Old Paris hands will tell you, "Oh, I stayed in the 6th Arrondissement." Or the 16th (a wealthy neighborhood on the Right Bank near the Bois de Boulogne) or the 1st (the center of Paris where the Louvre and Palais Royal are) or whatever.
The arrondissements are the districts that the city is split into. There are 20 of them. You really do not need to know them for navigating Paris. You'll see them on addresses and they are marked on maps but you do not need to know them to get around.... though you may wish to find out which arrondissement you decide to stay in so you can say to your friends, "Oh WE stayed in the 7th!" (You would then have stayed near the Eiffel Tower and the Musee d'Orsay.)
You will want to walk and walk but to see more of the views, you cannot walk everywhere. Take the Metro to the next neighborhood and start walking again. You will soon know where your landmarks are and they will help you get your directions.
You can also use the Paris bus system and taxis to get around or take a ambling bateau on the Seine to see the sights. However you get around, you will soon find that navigating Paris is not all that difficult.
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