Tourist Traps in Paris – Street Artists

Tourist Traps in Paris: Street Artists

When you hear about tourist traps, you don’t normally think about something that street artists fitting that bill. When you are walking through Paris you will run into these performers quite a bit and there are some who are absolutely looking to lure you into a trap.

Montmarte

This place is a kind of artist’s conclave that can seem quite charming and fun to visit at first blush. The problem is that over the years, the place has turned into a kind of tourist trap with artists who tend to be a bit too pushy. Stories of these artists beginning to sketch a person’s portrait without their consent have become all too popular. These people tend not to fit the bill of the starving artist either. Many of these people have managed to fill their working hours with drawings and earning enough to go on golfing trips when they aren’t skimming from tourists. Worst of all, the talented artists that used to make up Montmarte have been replaced by grifters who may not be all that talented at all but will charge quite a bit of money for the work they do. Montmarte has become a place you should only visit if you are truly prepared for what you will find.

Place du Tertre

Place du Tertre is actually a shopping district that is loaded with wonderful Parisian shops and cafes for those who are taking in the sites to just sit and watch. The problem is that because this area is so highly trafficked, there has been an influx of street artists that will stalk and hunt down people they’ve tabbed as tourists. These street artists will follow people around and hound them until they agree to have their picture sketched. Sometimes they’ll do this by claiming that if they don’t like the sketch, they don’t have to pay for it. Then once the picture is done, they will act quite offended if it turns out the person who had the drawing done of them doesn’t want to pay the ridiculousy high price tag. Because visitors are trying to enjoy their day, they’ll usually pay the money in order to get rid of the artist. In this way, the tourist trap has taken full shape.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about Street Artists.