I got ENGAGED in Paris, should you?

My very first visit to Europe started in Paris in 2023, and let me tell you, it did not go according to plan.

We landed at Charles de Gaulle exhausted after a long flight with no air conditioning. We hadn’t eaten properly on the plane and were dreaming of fresh French pastries and a relaxed evening in the city. Instead, we arrived in central Paris only to find most shops and bakeries already closed for the evening. We couldn’t get a table anywhere decent, and hunger quickly turned into full-blown crankiness.

We wandered around, eventually grabbing some crepes from a street vendor just to hold us over. By then, we decided to head to the Eiffel Tower, wait for it to light up, and then call it a night at our hotel. What we didn’t realize? In summer, the sun doesn’t set in Paris until close to 10 or 11 p.m.! We were standing there, tired, jet-lagged, and arguing over nothing while the sky stayed stubbornly bright.

Food helped a little, but the jet lag made everything feel ten times worse. Eventually, we gave up and plopped down on the lawn in front of the tower to people-watch and wait for the magic.

That’s when we noticed something sinister happening every 15 minutes or so.

A man would suddenly kneel down and propose to his girlfriend. As soon as the ring appeared, a crowd of “well-wishers” — all men — would swarm the happy couple. They’d clap, cheer, and enthusiastically offer flowers and bottles of champagne as “congratulations.”

If the couple stuck around, the scammers would encourage them to open the champagne or smell the flowers. The moment they did… the mood changed. The “free gifts” suddenly came with an extortionate price tag, and the group would bully and pressure the couple until they paid up.

We watched this play out multiple times. It was cleverly orchestrated — the fake proposals created the perfect distraction and emotional moment for the scam to unfold. That night taught us an important lesson early: Don’t be a victim of the “free gift” scam.

This is a classic trick seen at tourist hotspots around the world (not just Paris). Someone hands you something — a rose, a bracelet, a flower, or in this case, champagne or a “congratulatory” gift — and then aggressively demands payment, often way above any reasonable price. The key is to never accept anything offered to you on the street, no matter how friendly or romantic the situation seems. A firm “Non, merci” and keep walking is your best defense.

We survived our chaotic first night in Paris, finally saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle (which was worth the wait), and laughed about it later. But that experience made us much more aware and street-smart for the rest of the trip.

If you’re heading to Paris (or any big tourist city), remember:

• Plan your first evening meal carefully — especially after a long flight.

• Check sunset times in summer; it stays light much later than you might expect.

• Stay vigilant around major attractions like the Eiffel Tower — scams often hide behind “romantic” or “helpful” moments.

  
  

Travel smart, stay safe, and don’t let the scammers ruin your Paris dreams!