If the past two days were leisurely, today was frenzied, even chaotic as journalists try to go from show to show. Thank goodness for the free bus service provided by the Chamber Syndicale.

The tip here: Look for a person holding a little placard that has the Chamber Syndicale logo and the name of the next show. If you take the bus, you are guaranteed to make it to the next show because the rule says that a show cannot start if the official bus has not arrived yet.

Now, that is for the plebeians like us. Others rent town cars or limos to go around the city.

If you miss the bus, you can take the Metro, Paris’ subway system. It’s inexpensive and very reliable, unless there is a national strike going on. Though from experience, the train system has not gone on strike during fashion week. The French take fashion seriously!

The tip here: Make sure you have a map of the city of Paris. It is easy to get lost especially if you don’t speak French, and unfamiliar with the naming conventions of the streets.

You can buy a map from bookstores or newspapers nooks around the city. It cost about 7 euros for a pocket size book.

Before leaving your hotel, make sure that you have the invitations you will need for the day. You cannot enter a show without it because they do check for invitations. Make sure that you have the official calendar booklet provided by the Chamber Syndicale to registered attendees. They are full of information including phone numbers of the attaché de press.

Looking good is part of attending fashion week, but to most attendees, it is still a business trip and taking two pieces of luggage can be a pain. Hence, even before you leave home, you have to plan your wardrobe.

Ever wonder why most people who attend the show wear black? It’s because black is ‘safe’ and quite frankly, if you stick with black, very, very few notice that you are wearing the outfit twice during the course of the week. Easy to mix and match, too!!!

Wear sensible shoes! Those stilettos and high-heels look nice, but going from place to place even in a car can be a killer to your feet. There is always a wait before you can go inside the venue to take your seat. And once again, if you’re wearing 3-inch heels, your feet will be screaming at the end of the day.

To take notes, having a small notebook is handier than having a full size one. Believe me, during a full day at the shows, every ounce you are carrying counts! The less weight to carry, the better your chances are of still being civilized when you go back to your hotel!

As for eating out, there are a lot of good restaurants in Paris. Don’t be scared to try the little holes in the wall. French cuisine is generally good and again, from experience, the little hole in the wall restaurants serve good food also at very much affordable prices, especially with the U.S. dollar very weak against the euro.

And lastly, get some sleep every time you can. Sleep is so precious during fashion week because you are always running on adrenaline. The human body can only take so much punishment. You need to be able to rest and recharge.