Tips for first time travellers to Paris?

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spydee

Hoping that these hints help! If you're there for over four days--rent an apartment--the best way to feel a part of the city! We stayed in the same place for two years paying $300/week! LOTSA' sites online for "Vacation rentals Paris;" don't expect the place to be exactly like its internet description/photos though, but guaranteed to be an adventure!

Hotel Tiquitonne: 6, rue Tiquetonne PHONE: 01 42 36 94 58; Metro: Etienne Marcel (was 47 euro per night for two; no tv/phone in room; not fancy; no breakfast--amazing price/neighborhood/metro access/fun breakfast restaurant across the street--make sure to walk down to Rue Montorgueil--great market street); right bank; very conveniently located http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d235613-Reviews-Tiquetonne-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Grand Hotel d'OrÃ©e: 201 Avenue Daumesnil; PHONE: (33) 0 1 43 43 66 89; Metro: Porte d'OrÃ©e--a really nice & charming hotel for not much money (70 euro/night double w/private bathroom/shower); metro right out the front door; fun, quiet, safe, pretty, interesting neighborhood; only drawback is that it's on the outskirts of Paris (probaly 15 minutes to center by metro). http://www.grand-hotel-dore.com/paris/ ; http://www.grand-hotel-dore.com/paris/http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d603072-Reviews-Grand_Hotel_Dore-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Hotel de La Sorbonne: 6, rue Victor Cousin; (right across the street from the Sorbonne; near my favorite neighborhood and metro stop(Place St. Michel) or metro: Cluny/Sorbonne; lotsa' action; a good 3 1/2 blocks from nearest metro; very left bank; more upscale than Tiquetonne. http://www.hotelsorbonne.com/ http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d302989-Reviews-Hotel_de_la_Sorbonne-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Au Vin des Rues: 21 rue Boulard; metro: Denfert-Rochereau; Thursday dinner no earlier than 9 PM; great accordian music (old French songs--by 10:30 everbody's singing; some crying); amazing southwest red wine (brouilly, chenas, etc.); We're hoping that the old white blousey clad patron has returned (he lost a brother & son in the same week and disappeared perhaps indefinately) as he certainly added to the fun & ambience, but if he's there, try not to get into politics with him--he's brutal("The poorest American is richer than the richest Frenchman", etc.)

Galeries LaFayette: 40 blvd. Haussman; metro: ChaussÃ©e d'Antin; you must go and shop! Don't miss the Food Hall--amazing gourmet shopping--food to go, wine, champagne! Buy a picnic! (in lower level--I think under Men's clothes)

La Samaritaine: 19 Rue de la Monnaie; metro: Pont Neuf; OR Printemps de la Maison: 64, boulevard Haussmann; metro: Havre Caumartin; both fancy department stores with terrace restaurants (cafeteria/ snack bar style) with amazing (FREE) 360 degree views of Paris! Buy a coffe or cheap wine & enjoy!

Musee d'Orsay: 1, rue de Bellechasse; metro: Solferino Musee d'Orsay; the absolute greatest and most wonderful museum in Paris--Impressionists (Also--of course the Louvre; also the Marmottan: 2, rue Louis Boilly; Metro: La Muette(mostly Monet; cool neighborhood/park), the Musee aux Arts et Metiers: 60, rue RÃ©aumur; Metro: Arts et Metiers or RÃ©aumur(history of science/engineering--amazing and amazingly done), the Musee Rodin: 77 rue de Varenne; Metro:Varenne (mostly Rodin, but check out the amazing work of his spurned student, Camille Claudet!) and the Musee Picasso: rue de Thorigny; MÃ©tro : Filles du Calvaire ou Saint-Paul (mostly Picasso! But also his art collection, showing what inspired him)

Paris Story: 11 Bis rue Scribe (a little hard to find--next to American Express); Metro: Opera; a little touristy, but it's a good way to painlessly skim Paris' history and sights--multimedia presentation (with English headphones)

The huge Flea market (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) at Porte de Clignancourt is always fun and sports everything from 2 euro Paris tee shirts to fake Yves St. Laurent bags to priceless antiques (got my wedding ring here--1/2 block from where Edith Piaf got her start--check out the wonderful Piaf sounding voice of Nathalie Cohen here--her CD's 30 euro, but worth it!--Chez Lousette(or something pretty darned close!))

Napoleon's tomb is awesome...Place des Invalides, 7e; MÃ©tro: Latour-Maubourg, Varenne, or Invalides

Club Houdon: 5 Rue des Abbesses; metro: Pigalle(the old red light district); great jazz on Friday & Saturday nights--after 9:30

L'Epi Dupin: 11, rue Dupin; metro: SÃ¨vres Babylone; 01 42 22 64 56; great (a little more expensive) food; reservation almost required http://www.economist.com/cities/displayobject.cfm?obj_id=1575462&city_id=PAR

Monsieur Lapin: 11 rue Raymond-Losserand; metro: GaÃ®tÃ©; one of the few restaurants open Sundays--lunch and dinner, fun, good lunch spot; a little pricey; good rabbit (lapin!) http://www.restaurants.com/World/WReviewPage.asp?Country=FR&City=Paris&RefNo=33-0143202139open

Polidor: 41, rue Monsieur-le-Prince; Metro: Odeon and Chartier: 7, rue de Faubourg Montmatre; Metro: Grands Boulevards, are both great inexpensive restaurants with good French cooking, large shared tables and an eclectic mix of folks (lotsa' starving students!)

Chocolaterie(you guessed it): La Mere De Famille; 35 fbg Montmartre; metro: Le Peletier; also Rue Cler; metro: Ecole Militaire; (just don't touch anything! You'll get your hand slapped! ask!)

Do an evening boat trip (like Bateaux Mouches)--there are expensive dinner ones and cheaper non-dinner ones--walk up & down the Seine by the Trocadero/Eiffel tower to compare prices. Seeing the Paris monuments lit up from the Seine is an experience NOT to be missed nor forgotten!

Wine tasting at all of the L'Ecluse wine bars (We like the one near Place Saint Michel (15 Quai des Grands Augustins; Metro: St. Michel) is fun--lotsa' great French wine by the glass. For a less modern/more authentic experince, check out "Aux Negotiants" in the 18th (81 Rue de Mont-Cenis; Metro: Jules Joffrin). Do not miss--must I repeat? Do not miss the samblee aux framboises!

La Chapelle is amazing, but don't pay to visit! Instead buy a ticket for a concert there and soak in the amazing stained glass windows--seated, without pushing crowds and surrounded by beautiful music--sunset is especially nice! There seem to be regular concerts featuring Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons." Find info in the cheap 40 Euro cent "magazine" "Pariscope" or "Officielles des Spectacles". Ticket entrance is through security into courtyard(as if you were going to visit Sainte-Chapelle)AND concert entrance is 1/2 block from this entrance toward the right bank.

Cafe sit--take your postcards and pens, order a coffee and a croissant (or a glass of wine (check prices first!)) and write your cards as you watch the people go by!

You absolutely MUST go by metro--it's fantastically cheap and easy. They say that you can get anywhere in Paris within 3 blocks of a metro stop. (BUT make sure that you're on it by midnight as lines start closing then.) We always get a three or five day pass (Paris Visite)--you're required to insert those little photo booth photos into the ticket case, but i've never seen anyone check....there are photo booths in the various stations, but it might be easier to just cut out a photo (1 x 2 inches or so) and bring it with you. http://www.parisvisite.tm.fr/english/parisvisite/welcome.html

You'll do much better in Paris if you AT LEAST say "s'il vous plait" and "merci"! ALWAYS "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir Madame or Monsieur" as you enter ANYWHERE and "Au Revoir" or "Bon Soir Monsier or Madame" as you leave ANYWHERE. Your experience will be amazingly better if you remember to treat the French like cats, not dogs. They are slow to warm; they don't come to you with tails wagging, but rather may watch you warily from afar. But once they know that you think that they and their culture are the greatest thing since sliced bread, they do warm up--and amazing friendliness can follow.

For planning & finding out of the way addresses, you will need a very good Paris & metro map (a fantastic bookstore for same and more is Gilbert Jeune at Metro Place Saint Michel), although good neighborhood & metro maps are also posted at all metro stations. At all of the metros there are great "Plans des Quartier"--large easy to read maps of the neighborhood you're in. The book stores have neat little map books--we like a blue one, "Paris par Arrondissement." Coming out of the metro is worse than a gopher outta' its hole--no sense of direction. We tend to pick a landmark on the map,like a church or a park, and then navigate from there--"away from the park" or "towards the church."

Bon voyage!

Rillifane

A nice central hotel, upscale but not outrageously expensive is the Hotel Left Bank St. Germain. Take a look at their website and see what you think. http://www.paris-paris.com/hotel_left-bank_saint-germain.php

There was a time when I could say that it was impossbile to get a bad meal in Paris but those days are long gone. Still, the standard of cooking is very high even in little very ordinary little places. Generally, if you stay away from any place that makes a point of saying "We speak English" or "English menus!" or which claims to serve someething other than French food (especially places that claim to sell Texas chili) you'll eat well.

French eating establishments are required by law to post their prices where they can be viewed before entering. Take the time to peruse the offerings and figure out what is what and check the prices to avoid surprises. By selecting what you want before you enter you also avoid the problem of feeling pressured to order and asking for something that turns out to be outside of your culinary comfort zone.

In French the menu is called "la carte" while the term menu (or formula) refers to a fixed price meal with limited choices but which is usally good value for the money. In some cases the choice is on the "menu" is non-existant so be sure, if you want the menu to ask for the "carte" because asking for the "menu" may result in your being served the day's special.

In French the "entree" is what you probably call the "starter" while the "plat" is the main course.

I have little use for tours but the exception is the little boat rides up the Seine which help you orient yourself to the city.

You needn't be much concerned about language in Paris. You will find that almost everyone in the hospitality industry speaks at least some English. This is, after all, one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world.

What you want to say is "Je suis australien. Je parle francais seulement un peu"

Carly Jacks

I have been 2 times. I stayed in St. Germain district and it is very convenient to alot of things. It is near to the L'Odeon Metro and the hotel I stayed has a shuttle from airport to hotel (which is easier to navigate when first arriving rather than trying to figure everything out and juggle luggage and get past jet lag!
http://www.filfranck.com/Hotel_de_l_odeon_paris_france.htm
I just found this site with wonderful eateries, including the famous Angelina's for their hot chocolate and pastries.
http://www.gallagherstravels.com/international_places/France/story002/
train info:
http://www.pariswelcome.net/metro/metro-paris.htm
and wherever you stay, pick up a copy of 'Where" magazine in the hotel lobby!!! It will tell you EVERYTHING from restaurants, sightseeing, musueums, etc etc.
Have a great time!

dany

WOW, paris is a beautiful city and I hope you enjoy it. I have always found the Mercure Terminus Est to be a beautiful hotel. It is a little out of the city center, but the metro station is located directly across the street. It has metro lines 5,4, and 7, which are very versitile. If you purchase a metro pass, you save alot of money and there is also a discount guide to many locations, like the Pantheon. It also has a discount on many tours. If it is your first time in Paris, I would suggest taking a guided tour on the 1st day and then just going back to the sites that you liked the most. But, if you have a good guidebook, and you know exactly the places you want to visit, you shouldnt need to take a tour. But, I have to recommend a Seine River Cruise. They normally embark right by the Notre Dame, and they go all the way up, around Ile de la Cite and down towards the Eifel Tower.

Eating: If you want to dine in Paris, you can go for 5 star restaurants. But in the area called the Latin Quarter, they have restaurants with restaurants courses at a set price. For about 15 Euros a person can have an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. Sometimes a can of soda will be included.

If you have any other questions, or you want some ideas of where to visit, feel free to go to my profile and e-mail me.

You dont really have to say "I don't speak much French." You can just say "Parlevou le Anglais."(spelled out Phonetically) "Do you speak English."

*danny*

Jon

I have just answered your Monaco question and I can also give you good advice for this question.

I stayed in Paris for 3 nights last April with my fiancee and I stayed Hotel Elysees Mermoz and it cost 165 euro or $275 aus per night, ask for top floor room you will get a small balcony and you will be able to see the tip of the Eiffel tower. also the hotel is just off the Champ De Elise road with the Arc De Triomphe at the end of the road, the hotel is perfect location and the sight seeing bus and metro is at the end of the road. I do not speak french is - J'ai ne pas Francais. its sounds like jay na pa francais. Hope I have been some help to you.

Bruce T

In some restaurants, there is a "prix fixe" selection meaning that the complete lunch/dinner -- a salad or entree (appetizer dish in the US), main dish and dessert are sold for one fixed price. Sometimes, you get to choose between 2 main dishes or 3 desserts for the fixed price. Many times you'll see the words "service comprise" which means tip included (in other words, no tip necessary). By law, French restaurants must post a menu with prices by the front door and if you order food, they must provide a "carafe d'eau" (carafe of water) for free. Another hint: avoid restaurants right next to major tourist attractions-- prices will be high and quality might suffer bc the cooks assume ppl will come just bc they are close to a tourist attraction. Food is very expensive there and you can save some money by buying groceries for a few meals (and the groceries taste great!). In many supermarkets, you can get cooked food or prepared foods from a deli section for less than eating out. "un comme ca" (aagh come sah) -- that one is a convenient way to pick out pastries. A crash course in French (either purchased at your local bookstore or a classroom course) can be a big help. But by all means, enjoy your trip!

Timour

Paris if full with 3 and 4 star hotles. You can go to the one that I stayed in for a week. It is called Hotel Concorde Montparnasse. It's cozy, and the staff talks in English. It is on Commandant Mouchotte Street. Or just say to the driver "Place De Catalogne", or just tell him to drive you to Le Miridian Hotel, it's on the same street as this hotle. And the location is good. There are two underground train stations near it. There are maps in the hotle too, both for Paris and the metro. E-mail: montparnasse@concorde-hotels.com

Now food, don't eat ANYTHING you don't know what it is. You can go to Google, and click on Language tools, and translate all the foods from English to French so you know what to pick. One meal coasts between 8 to 15 euros.

If you take a Taxi with luggage, take it with you on the back seat, because it will coast more if you put it in the back.

Paris is so large and full of great places that you can't see everything. It took me a whole day just to go to Louvre. Another tip: Don't go on a tour around the Louvre, that way you will pay like 50 or 60 euros for nothing. Just pay 12 euros per an adult person and get in, but believe me, you can't see everything there.

You can also go to "Galeries Lafayette" it's like a very big mall, you can find everything there. BUT take your passport, so you can get your money back from the taxes, you can save alot of money this way, don't wait to take them in the airport, they will only give you half the money there.
BUT be sure to go to the right Lafayette, there are two, one near Louvre, and one near the hotle. the one near Louvre is better, and bigger.

You can visit the highest building in Paris, it is also near your hotle, and right next to the hotle. It's called "Tour Montparnasse." Tour means tower in French so Tower Eiffel is called Tour Eiffle.

Tip: Go to the Eiffel Tower at night, NOT at morning. The line is longer in the mornings. And it is pretteir at night. At 12 or 11 pm the tower starts to sparkle.

the metro: buy 10 tickets at once, so you don't hav to buy 2 each time you go there, it will coast 11 euros i think.

You can visit Musee D,Orsay. It's really cool, u've got to go there.

And u say I'm Australian, I don't speak much French like this: "Je suis Australienne, je ne parle pas bien franÃ§ais."
You say it: Je swi australien, je ne parl pa bia fransÃ©.

Tropicales

I've been to Paris years ago but I attached a link of hotels in Paris because I don't remember the name of the hotel we stayed at. I went with a group who organized that part. But there's a Holiday Inn in Paris. You might be comfortable with that.

But walk down the Champs-Elysees, go up the Eiffel Tower and take a ride on the carousel that is a the bottom of the Tower....very romantic.
See the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and any of the botanical gardens. But see the links for more attractions.

There are many restaurants (and great shopping) along the Champs-Elysees that you will enjoy. And where you stay, you will most likely find bakeries all along the streets. Go to these places for breakfast and just enjoy their freshly baked goods early in the morning with a fabulous cafe au lait.
Oh, one thing you've got to do is go to the McDonald's in Paris lol.......the last time I was there their combo meals came with a choice of espresso coffee, wine or beer! and the gentleman who served put dark chocolates on the tray lol...kind of fun. Just at least to say you had wine or espresso with your burger...haha

Here's your french translation:
Je suis australien et je ne parle pas le beaucoup de franÃ§ais.

One little tip...even if you can't speak French, just try your best as you seem to be doing. The French really appreciate it when you try to speak their language.

Bon voyage!!

lilacmickey

I have visited Paris 3 or 4 times, pick a hotel near a metro stop, buy a 3 day train/metro ticket when you arrive, get a good guide book and you can get around yourself. We do not speak any french and have not found it a great hindrance in Paris. The latin quarter is a good place to stay, plenty of restaurants, we stayed near sacre ceour and there was not a lot around that area. For a special trip book before you go a dinner trip on the seine, it was so special and the food was fabulous.

Red Hat

Don't eat the dumplings. They look like bird tirds.

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