Paris is also a hub for international traffic to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Most likely you'll be getting to Paris by plane. The culture's sense of style and aesthetics are present in the design and advertising. The cars and signs are new. A lot of people smoke.
Luggage carts are free.
Instantly, you'll notice that the racial and ethnic mix indigenous to France is different than that in London or Amsterdam. The vestiges of France's colonial history are present in the make up of its people. If you're flying into Paris from North America on a regular scheduled flight, you'll most likely be arriving at Roissy in the early morning. The sounds of Roissy announcements and the strong wafts of expresso coffee are details that you will pleasantly recognize upon each return. After passing through immigrations, nabbing one of the numerous and free baggage carts, and claiming your baggage, you proceed past the customs zone, where you are faced with the choice of whether or not to make a customs declaration.