There is enough information here to benefit almost any visitor. Some of it may seem very obvious to experienced visitors, but one purpose of this is to help first time travelers to the “City of Lights”. I can almost guarantee however, that almost any visitor can benefit from much of the information contained here.
This is obviously not a complete guide, just a listing of some suggestions. It does not cover many of Paris’ obvious destinations in detail. Guidebooks can do that, providing far more detailed information. The guidebooks I recommend for Paris are:
- Fodor’s Paris
- Top 10 Paris: DK Eyewitness Guide
- Frommer's France By Day
It’s also very useful to peruse copies of “France Magazine” which contain many recommendations, not only for Paris, but for all of France.
Most visitors to Paris have very limited time. The city is like few others in the world because it offers a bottomless pit of possibilities. To see “everything” in Paris takes months, not days. So it’s important to plan your trip ahead of time and to mark out your route in segments, seeing what you want to see in each sector, rather than jumping from one area to another, which wastes a lot of time.
Get a good map of Paris and circle where you want to go ahead of time. This will keep you on track and will also prevent missing things that were close at hand. The best maps are the plasticized ones which you can circle on with a marker, then erase later. Many paper maps don’t hold up to the pounding. Both Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, two of Paris’ largest department stores, provide good free, coated paper maps of the city that also have a Metro map on them.
If you are spending fewer than five days, other than perhaps taking a trip up to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and its surroundings, your travels should be confined to areas near the Seine, where most major attractions are. There isn’t that much to see in southern Paris and time probably wouldn’t permit you to see things in the upper northeast section of the city or west of the Seine.
Wear good, comfortable shoes. Even taking the Metro and cabs, you can easily walk 3-5 miles a day. On our most recent trip, we walked fifty miles in eight days, according to the pedometer I keep in my pocket (It’s an “Omron GoSmart” for about $30, available at REI, which records steps and mileage. It also keeps a seven day record. It does not have to be clipped on and operates in any position. All you have to do is throw it in your pocket or purse.)
Flying To and From France
If you can go off season, not during the summer or holiday periods, you will find lower airfares. The airfares go up markedly after mid-May. I’ve used Air France and Delta to get to Paris. American also flies there from Philadelphia. I’ve found Air France to be the best, but they don’t seem to fly directly from Philadelphia anymore. Try not to leave from Philadelphia on Sunday nights, when there seem to be runway delays.
You will use Charles DeGaulle Airport (CDG) in Roissy to land and depart. It’s about 45 minutes outside Paris. Guidebooks will tell you about Air France buses you can take into the city or you can take a cab. There is also an RER train which I have not taken. I’m big on going right to the hotel, dropping off bags and getting started.
If you are coming in from someplace else in France or Europe to depart, there is a TGV stop at the airport in Terminal 3. Your plane will probably leave from Terminal 2 however. There is a shuttle train between terminals that also stops near a number of airport hotels. There’s a Sheraton right on the airport grounds, as well as the economical Ibis, and others. The hardest thing is navigating your way through CDG, which is huge and multi-leveled. The signage could also use improvement.
From Philadelphia, planes leave about 6:30-7 PM daily and arrive about 8:30 AM Paris time. (Paris is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.) Planes coming back to the US leave Paris about 1PM and land in Philadelphia about 3:45 PM. It’s often cheaper to fly during the week. If you are staying in Paris, you can easily take a cab back to the airport from your hotel.
If you are coming back to CDG from other places in France or Europe, I would get there later in the day before you leave. You don’t want to chance not being able to get back on time because of train delays, cancellations or strikes (greves) or manifestations (demonstrations). France has quite a few of them.
The most economical option overnight at CDG is the Ibis Hotel. Ibis Hotels are found throughout Europe. They are cheaper, but are often not located exactly where you’d like them to be. The shuttle between terminals stops right near it. Their rooms are clean and small, but well designed, reminiscent of a motor home. There is a cafeteria restaurant downstairs with a buffet breakfast that you can sign up for when you check in. The Ibis is very busy, but the desk personnel are efficient and the lines move right along.
Both coming and going, I would follow the recommendation of being at the airport at least three hours before departure. Some consider this to be overkill, but it’s far better to be in the terminal, seated and ready to go than it is to be rushing around at the last minute, hoping you’ll get through check-in and security on time. They usually start boarding thirty minutes or so before departure, so the wait isn’t as long as it might seem. At CDG, there are also many stores in Terminal 2 to help keep you busy.
If you are visiting the south of France, you can fly to Nice Airport. It's close to Monaco, Cap Ferrat and other points of interest. Flights from CDG to Avignon are good for visiting Provence. The TGV also leaves directly from CDG for both places, as well as for Marseilles and Montpellier.
You can’t bring any water or any other beverages through Security with you. You have to buy it after you’ve passed through the checkpoint. Other travel regulations about liquids, etc. are readily available from the airlines, online or in guidebooks.
Another thing to be mindful of is that security regulations in other countries can be different than ours, so check them ahead of time and pay attention to the posted signs. I found that out the hard way. When I wrote this, US regulations allowed travelers to carry a penknife on board, as long as the blade was no longer than three inches. When I was in Switzerland, I thought it would be fun to get a Swiss Army knife there, so I bought one that served a few functions that I intended to put on my keychain. It cost 19 euros (about $30 US then). I tossed it in my bag. We checked other bags, then went to the security checkpoint. We went right through, but as I was collecting my things, a lady from Security asked me to come over. She rummaged through my bag and there was my dear little penknife, which I had used only once to open a bottle of wine. I told her that I thought the regulations would be the same as ours. She was sympathetic and asked her supervisor who was sitting right in front of her. No dice. I watched her toss it into a barrel with a hole in the top of the lid. She swished it. I just hope someone’s special guy got to keep it. Fat chance.
The Metro
If you are going to be in Paris a while, it’s fun to try out the Metro. If you’re only there for a few days, it’s not worth the learning curve. Just take cabs. Your hotel can call one or you can flag one down.
Use the machines in the Metro stations to get a “carnet” – ten little tickets that are inserted into the entrance gates. Keep the tickets in your wallet and take whatever number out you need for yourself and your fellow travelers to enter. After entering, keep the ticket segregated from the others until you exit, then throw it in the trash as you exit to avoid confusing it with the other still valid tickets.
There are transit police who check tickets for passengers on the Metro and buses. If you don’t have one, the fine is stiff – about 150 euros. I have seen a squad come on a bus while others stand by the two exit doors. There is no escape. I’ve seen them writing people up, so keep your ticket where you can find it.
The Metro does not run all night, so make sure you know how late it is running on any night you are out. While it’s safe, it’s just simpler to take a cab directly back to your hotel or apartment at night, or during rush hour when the Metro cars are packed.
Taxis
Sometimes when you might have to switch to a number of metro stops to get where you want to go, it’s just as easy to call a taxi, or to take one back at the end of a long day. You’ll see plenty of them in most places. Just stick your arm out and flag one down. Read suggestions in guidebooks about getting taxis at night, when rates are higher. Taxis sit outside many hotels, so you can get one there, have one called or hailed for you, or just go to any major hotel and you’ll find them there. Restaurants will also call one for you upon request. I have never had a restaurant refuse that request. Cabs are not that expensive in Paris and it’s good to use them. Few drivers speak English, so it helps to write out where you’re going and show it to the driver. I keep a pack of Post-it Notes with me and use them for that, for writing the name and address of where I want to go, and for other purposes.
Speaking French and The French People
Do not be concerned that you don’t speak French. Most French people appreciate an effort though. Be sure to always say “Bonjour” when entering a restaurant or shop, and “Bonsoir” if it’s after 6PM. It’s considered rude behavior not to. “Merci” (Thank you) is a phrase you should also use frequently. Paris is used to tourists and English is spoken almost everywhere.
Problems With “The French”
You probably have heard comments about the unfriendliness, and sometimes rudeness, of the French. I find virtually no evidence of that. They are more reserved than Americans are generally, and sometimes you may find some waiters curt, but other than that I have been the beneficiary of many acts of kindness in France. I have never observed any act of hostility toward anyone because they are American, nor any reaction whatsoever to our political policies, even when the relationship between President Bush and President Chirac could be described as “chilly”. So don’t be concerned about any of this. Know that you are going to meet many nice people and that you’re going to have a good time.
The Exchange Rate
Don’t delay a trip because you are concerned about what may be the poor dollar to euro exchange rate. It’s just a cost of doing business. Paris is too important to miss because of that.
Out of the eight times I’ve been to France, only the first time, when they had just made the changeover from francs to euros was the exchange rate decent. If I had waited for things to improve, I would have missed six more trips to France. I have never regretted going. Spend the money and go. You will never regret it. I’ve read that happiness experts have said that far greater satisfaction comes from spending money on memorable experiences than on things. From my perspective, that’s been very true .
When you leave Europe, bring some euros home with you, so you’ll have them when you land next time. You can use them in most countries in Europe, with the exception of Switzerland, which uses Swiss francs. If you go there, I would get some Swiss francs ahead of time, so you have them when you enter Switzerland. Make sure it includes coinage too. In Swiss train stations, the privately operated rest rooms require exact chain.
Credit Cards
If you use an American Express card, you must bring an alternate Visa or Mastercard with you, just like you need to here. All major hotels and restaurants take American Express, but many establishments don’t, so you need to have a backup card(s).
Some cards, such as PenFed and Capital One do not charge the 3% exchange fee on transactions, so if you have a card like that, it can help.
Buses
Metro tickets can also be used on buses. Sometimes it’s fun just to take a bus ride and use it as an inexpensive “Tourmobile”. Avoid rush hours when buses are very crowded. Before you get off the bus, make sure you know where the stop is to catch one back.
Security
For a large city, Paris is very safe if you stay in the main areas. The biggest problem in Europe is not violence, but pickpockets. Keep purses zipped and hold them next to you. Keep wallets in front pockets or inside zipped jacket pockets and carry only a modest amount of cash. In the summer, I also wear “cargo shorts” that have Velcro pocket flaps, front and back, that make a racket when the pockets are opened. Few pickpockets will risk that. I carry my wallet in a front, velcroed pocket on my right thigh, not in the slant side pocket. (Shorts are not well thought of in Paris, although many tourists wear them.)
Credit cards and reserve cash should be kept in a travel belt around your waist and under your clothes. I always carry those things, my passport, rail pass and my return flight information on my person from the time I leave until I get back to the room at the end of the day. Never leave any cash, cameras, computers or other valuables in a hotel room. Larger hotels have room safes, which are not all that secure from what I have read, or you can things leave things at the desk in their safe.. Personally, I always have my camera (now also the phone) with me and never bring a computer either. It makes things a lot simpler.
Time Management
It’s important to discuss with your travel partner what your travel goals are, whether it’s to see as much as you can or just to move along at a very relaxed pace, seeing what you can see. Obviously, that’s a personal choice. I’ve always opted to see as much as I can see. I’m going to be dead for a long time and if I lose some sleep, I’ll get some when I get back.
One way to see more is to get up early and try to get out no later than about 9AM. Leaving at 10AM every day, for example, instead of 9AM, can cost you an hour at day, which may seem insignificant. But over even two weeks, that’s fourteen hours, or about two days worth of touring. That’s a costly option when you’re going to be spending hundreds of euros a day to be there. While naturally everyone needs time to rest, cleanup and sleep, I wouldn’t overdo.
Another approach is to go out for most of the day, return for a late day nap, freshen up, then go out to dinner or elsewhere at night. It’s almost impossible to go day and night for any extended period without pacing yourself to some degree.
If you are taking a longer European trip, the itinerary can also be balanced to allow time to recharge. One of our trips was about forty days. Running around in Paris for eight days was balanced off by taking a one week cruise on the Rhine from Amsterdam through Germany ending in Switzerland where we stayed in Lucerne (Luzern) for six days. Europe takes many trips to see, so just spend whatever time you can and enjoy it.
If you only have a few days to visit Paris or any other large city, you might wish to take some of the guided city tours. They can help you see a lot in a small amount of time.
Breakfast
Breakfast is a whole new experience in France. Forget all the free breakfasts we get in the US from motels and hotels. Something that is almost impossible to find is a full “American breakfast”, like you’d be able to get at any diner here. Hotel breakfasts are often buffets which may offer many of the same things, but I wouldn’t count on it. You still have the option to order from a menu instead, but the buffet is usually far more economical.
In France, in just about any accommodation, breakfast is extra, sometimes a lot extra, up to 20-25 euros per person. More often, probably between 10-15 euros person. If you are staying even for two weeks, breakfasts alone can cost 200-300 euros. Sometimes it’s nice to just walk downstairs and eat, but look for local alternatives outside the hotel. Stop at patisseries or a café for coffee and a croissant. Another option is to pick up some fruit and pastries the day before and have breakfast in your room. Convenience stores like “Casino”(cah-ze-no)and smaller ones, are also located in many areas of Paris where yogurt, water and other beverages can be purchased. French yogurt (yogourt) is far superior to any kind we can get here.
It makes no sense to get up too early because, unlike here, people aren’t at a Wawa equivalent getting coffee at 6 AM. The only thing you see then is the streets getting cleaned. (A cool system. A worker turns water on and it runs down the gutters.) Forget the idea of “coffee to go” too. You can maybe get some from your hotel’s buffet or at a local café, but the idea of asking for one to go at a convenience store or cafe hasn’t caught on. I doubt that it ever will.
Breakfast is a light meal for the French. My speculation is that’s because they eat dinner later, usually between 7:30 and 9PM. Unless you go to a brasserie that has “servis continu” (serves straight through from lunch until closing), it is almost impossible to get a full dinner in a restaurant before 7:30 PM. You might think that you’d never be able to eat dinner at 8:30, but after you’re over there a while, you just fall into it. The fact that it stays light until about 10PM in the summer contributes to that.
Restaurants
There are thousands of restaurants in Paris, and only a limited time to enjoy them, so it’s important to try to make good choices, so you’ll be best able to enjoy the cuisine without being taken to the cleaners. It’s also important to make a reservation in advance, if at all possible. The desk personnel in your hotel are usually glad to call for you and I would ask them as it may help you to get better treatment.
Three sources I’ve used to find restaurants are TripAdvisor.com, mature hotel staff, and fellow travelers. It’s important to not just stop at whatever is closest, especially if you’re not familiar with the restaurant’s pricing. That can sometimes result in a mediocre, but overpriced meal. You can get lucky taking “pot luck” once in a while, but it’s a good idea not to make a habit of it.
One surprising thing to many Americans is seeing dogs (chiens) in restaurants, sometimes being held by their owners while they eat. Something like this would never happen in the US due to health regulations, except for service dogs. You’ll also see dogs, almost invariably small and adorable, being walked. They are uniformly well-behaved. I’ve seen few cats (chat) in France, although I’m sure they have them. French people seem to favor dogs though.
Saving on Food and Water
One way to save on meals is to carry a small foldable bag (sac) with you that can be stored in a back pocket, backpack or purse. Visit some of the outdoor markets and pick up a small baguette, some cheese, pastry, sausage (saucisson) -all kinds including donkey (ane), wine or other beverages. Carry it in the foldable sack, find a nice bench or place in a park and enjoy. When you’re finished, just fold the bag back up and you don’t have anything to carry around with you the rest of the day. (If you travel in other places in France, many towns have a “market day”, which makes the towns more crowded on those days, but more interesting to visit. (St. Remy has a really good one.) Schedules are readily available in guide books and through other sources.)
You’ll need to bring water. It’s far more economical to buy the large bottles (Volvic lemon is my favorite), instead of the standard sized bottles. The large bottle doesn’t cost very much more. Buy your water only in stores, not from street vendors who are only selling water out of tubs. It’s not unheard of for some sellers to get previously used bottles, fill them with regular water, and just tighten the top. In any case, when you buy water, listen for and feel the telltale click that the bottle has been properly sealed.
Another point about water, is the importance of drinking it. I don’t care for water very much. As a result I don’t drink much of it. However, I caused myself a problem in Belgium with dehydration by not drinking enough, and had to make a sudden trip to the hospital in Bruges (Brugge). It can creep up on you, so just drink a reasonable amount of water regularly during meals and in your travels.
If you are renting an apartment, in many areas of Paris, you will find markets and local businesses that sell prepared main courses, vegetables, desserts, etc. for eating in your apartment.
Seeing The Sights
I’ve presented things to see that I think are of particular note in various sectors of the city. You can easily locate these places on any good map of Paris.
Ile de la Cite
The Ile de la Cite is an island located in the Seine River (“sen”) and is the site of the founding of Paris. A small bridge connects this island to the neighboring Ile St. Louis. The Ile de la Cite has its own Metro stop (Cite).
Notre Dame Cathedral – A renowned architectural masterpiece. You can also go up in the tower, but I never have. The lines are usually very long in the summer. The view up with the gargoyles is described as being spectacular.
Notre Dame Crypt - Go underground at Notre Dame and see the actual piers that held up the original churches erected in that spot, accompanied by other exhibits. It's very interesting and worthwhile.
Deportation Memorial - The Deportation Memorial is located in a small park behind a black wrought iron fence at the rear of Notre Dame across a small street. It is something that can be visited briefly. It commemorates the thousands of Jewish people who were taken by rail cars to death camps. It’s very affecting. No photography is permitted and silence is requested. It's easy to miss it. Most people don't even know it's there.
Palais du Justice – The center for administration of justice is behind the black and gold wrought iron fence. Right in front of it, there is a wide walkway. Next to it on the left, there is a flower market during the week and a bird market on Sundays, both very pleasant.
Concergerie/St. Chapelle – The Conciergerie is a famous prison where Marie Antoinette and others were housed. St. Chapelle has some of the world’s most beautiful stained glass windows, so don’t go when it’s dark or cloudy outside. There is a combination ticket that covers both. (If short on time, I’d see St. Chapelle and skip the Conciergerie.)
Vert du Galant - One of my favorite “weeny” parks. This is the small triangular park at the opposite end of the Ile de la Cite, behind the Conciergerie. You can just sit there and watch the boats split as they go to either side of the Seine. They also keep some of the Seine tour boats right next to it. It's a green and quiet place to get away from the hubbub and the heat. Right across the street behind it is the Place Dauphin. It's a quiet little hideout from the world, with benches and a few restaurants.
Ile St. Louis
Cross over the small bridge behind and to the left of Notre Dame. Berthillon ice cream, the most famous in Paris, is available at a location to your right. Turn right on to the quaint, but touristy, Rue St. Louis. It’s an interesting street with shops and restaurants and a beautiful church on the right.
Paris is frequently demarcated by the Right Bank (Rive Droit) and the Left Bank (Rive Gauche). The Right Bank is above the Seine (Remember the “r” in “right” is the same as the “r” in North.
The Right Bank
The Louvre/ Tulleries Area
The Louvre
Days could be spent in the Louvre, the world’s most famous museum. Guidebooks can provide good information about it. It should not be missed. The Louvre used to be the residence of French kings. There is a glass pyramid in the courtyard of the U-shaped Louvre where you go down an escalator to purchase tickets. Sometimes the line there is very long. Two ways to circumvent it are to take the Metro to the Louvre Metro stop. Walk straight ahead as you exit and it takes you where the people on the escalator are going when they come in down the escalator by the Pyramid. Another entrance is through the “Carousel Shops” entrance on Rue Rivoli on the side of the museum to the left of the Pyramid. It will take you through a shopping mall with restaurants and shops and at the end, when you turn left, to the ticketing area and some specialized shops in the Louvre.
Palais Royale
The Palais Royale is on Rue Rivoli, across and up the street from the side of the Louvre. It is a beautiful building with a restful garden and fountains. It’s a great place to sit
Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois
This is a beautiful church that most people just walk by. It is located at 2 Place de Louvre and was regarded as the parish church of kings and of the Louvre.
The Tulleries
This long, rectangular park goes from the front of the Louvre down to the black and gold obelisk at Place Concorde, the site where thousands were guillotined. From here, look to your left and you’ll see the legislative body of France, the National Assemblee. There is a small amusement park for children on the right side at the beginning of the Tuilleries.
The Orangerie
At the far left end of the Tuilleries is The Orangerie, a refurbished, modest sized art museum that should be a definite stop. It has a fairly small number of paintings, but downstairs are huge circular works of Monet's water lilies covering the walls that are gorgeous. The lines get long later in the day, and there is no shade, so it helps if you get there when it opens.
The Jeu de Paume
A small photography museum across the Tulleries from the Orangerie.
Arc de Triomphe Area
The Champs Elysees
Probably Paris’ best known street, it runs from Place Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. It makes for an interesting stroll, although it’s not as exclusive as it once was. There are five Metro stops from the Place Concorde to the Arc. It ends at what is called Charles DeGaulle Etoile (star) because so many streets intersect there. There is nothing of general interest for visitors west of the Arc.
Bastille Day
If you happen to be in Paris on July 14th, you can take a walk to The Champs Elysee to see the Bastille Day Parade. It’s very interesting to see how the French celebrate their important national holiday and to see the French President wave to you and thousands of others as he/she passes by.
The parade composition, and the behavior of the spectators, is markedly different than ours. No floats, balloons of Garfield or Snoopy, or celebrities waving, but military equipment, soldiers, pompiers(firefighters), gendarmes and the like. There is no yelling and hollering like we have here either. Instead, it’s a very reserved event with polite applause. It might not sound interesting, but it’s very worthwhile to experience it once. One thing that is definitely cool is when the Mirage fighter jets scream overhead trailing blue, white and red contrails to match the colors of the French flag.
Another feature of the day is the Bal Pompiers –“Firefighters Dance”. (http://www.sightseeing-in-paris.com/bal-des-pompiers.php) Firehouses sell tickets to these social events for Bastille Day evening, and the evening before. I’ve been to the parade, but haven’t gone to a Bal Pompiers yet, but it’s on my “to do” list. Fireworks are set off at night at the Eiffel Tower.
Arc de Triomphe
You can get to it by taking an underground passage. The circle there is very dangerous with lots of fast moving traffic. The Arc commemorates famous military victories and generals. You can go to the top for a good view.
Proceeding south toward the Seine, take Avenue George V off of the Etoile Charles DeGaulle and go to the end to the Alma-Marceau Metro stop (Pont D’Alma will be right in front of you.) At this point you will also see a good sized restaurant, the Chez Francis, on the left that has outside and inside tables. Sit out front and you will be looking right at the Eiffel Tower while you are eating lunch or dinner. The food is good, not extraordinary, but it’s a great place to have lunch looking outside on a nice day.
Not to spoil your appetite, but at the left base of the Pont D’Alma is the starting point of the Egouts Tour (the Paris sewers). I haven’t done it yet, but I read that they have signs down there corresponding to some of the sewer scenarios in the text of Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” (my favorite book).
Some of the Seine Boat Cruises also leave from the base of the Pont d’Alma, right across the street from the Chez Francis. It may seem like the ultimate in “touristy”, but hey, that’s what we are J. A great time to take it is when it’s starting to get dark, which in the summer in Paris is about 9 PM. It will be light enough to see on the way down and dark enough to appreciate the lights on the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere on the way back. The Eiffel Tower displays twinkle lights at 9PM for about ten minutes each hour until 1 AM.
Trocadero
This semi-circular shaped building includes the Palais de Chaillot, a Cinema Museum, and a few others. It is directly across the Seine, behind the Eiffel Tower.
Musee Marmottan
Reputed to be one of the best collections of Monet. Since it is across the Seine, and a bit out of the way from other attractions, most tourists never see it. It took me six visits to Paris before I ever saw it. If you are an Impressionist buff, you’ll like it. The building was a former, distinguished residence. It’s a definite taxi ride since it is located a very fair distance south of the Arc.
The museum has no café and there are no restaurants apparent in the immediate area. Crossing the nearby park that you’ll see when you exit the museum to the left, make a left at the main street on the other side of the park and walk down about five or six blocks and you’ll find many restaurants and shops and will be able to hail a cab to get back.
Grand Palais and Petit Palais
These beautiful buildings, near the Arc, contain permanent collections and exhibitions. At the time we went, we saw an Andy Warhol exhibit at the Grand Palais and a William Blake exhibit in the Petit Palais. The buildings are across the street from one another. The Avenue Winston Churchill, just off the Champs Elysees, passes between them. There is a great looking bronze statue of Churchill nearby smoking his traditional cigar.
Taillevent
This is a renowned Michelin rated, French restaurant where reservations well in advance are essential. Take Avenue Friedland off the Etoile CDG, then turn right on to Rue Lammenais, #15. It is easy to walk right by the very simple entrance, denoted only by the restaurant’s name above the entrance. We had an excellent meal and service here.
The General Manager when we went was Jean-Marie Ancher. He was one of the nicest and most gracious restaurateurs I’ve ever met. A perfect gentleman and an all-around nice guy. His English was better than mine. We spoke with him at the table and also for about fifteen minutes when we were leaving, since we were among the last to leave at lunch time.
When making a reservation there ask for a table in the “Salle Boiserie” (woody room), what we would call “paneled”, but it’s gorgeous, far from our typical American impression of paneling. When you enter, you go down a short narrow hall to the first dining area, which is small and pleasant enough (where we ate), but the other room is far nicer. Making a reservation well ahead of time, and eating earlier in the lunch period, may help. We finished up a stay in Paris having lunch here. Their website is www.taillevent.com where you can also make a reservation. (Jean is the distinguished gentleman in the left middle photo standing next to the chef.) The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, but is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Tipping at Restaurants in France
I asked Jean about tipping and he was kind enough to clarify what is proper. I thought who better to ask? He said that in France, by law, that all restaurants have the tip included in the bill. You will note that on some bills that it states this directly by saying “Servis compris” at the bottom. However, the server only receives part of this amount and the house gets the rest of it. So if the service is good, it’s nice to leave extra for the servers. You will see on some bills or credit card receipts however that it does not say servis compris and/or or they have a space for “Tip”. Even when questioned directly, head waiters, concierges or servers may tell you that a tip is not included. Most people want to do the fair thing, but don’t be fooled by those who are being less than forthright. Leave a few euros, small change or nothing in most places and perhaps something more substantial in nicer restaurants if your service was excellent, but don’t feel pressured to do so.
Parc Monceau
Proceed north from the Etoile on Avenue Wagram and go right a short way up to Boulevard de Courcelles. The park is on Rue Courcelles. It’s a beautiful park, my favorite in Paris. It’s surrounded by very fine, multi-storied residences. Few tourists see it because it is off of the usual tourist routes. The Courcelles and Monceau Metro stops are both adjacent to the park.
Musee Jaquemard-Andre
This is a furniture and decorative arts museum on Boulevard Haussmann in the former home of the namesakes. It’s far more interesting than it might sound. They also have a very nice café for lunch with beautiful paintings on the ceiling and a very good gift shop. It was the first meal I had after getting off the plane, the first time I went to Paris. It’s not great, but its serviceable.
Nearby is the Musee Nissim de Camando which I understand is nice also, but which I have not seen. It was closed the day we went, which reminds me to tell you to check your guidebooks for days when museums are closed.
Madeleine/Opera Area
A good hotel in this area is “The Best Western Folkestone” on 9 Rue Castellane, which is a small street running off of Rue Tronchet, which leads right to The Madeleine and has loads of stores and restaurants. Best Westerns and Holiday Inns in France should not be confused with those here in the States. Most of them are more upscale. This one has a three star rating. We’ve stayed here, the place is well run and the rooms are good. Best of all, the location is dynamite. It’s close not only to The Madeleine on one side, but to the Opera Garnier and Boulevard Haussman on the other, and many stores, including Grand Magazins (the big department stores). It’s also near the Gare Lazare (train station), which has been recently refurbished.
The Madeleine
An impressive building, built by Napoleon as a monument to the armies of France, was later dedicated as a church. It’s impressive from the outside and very beautiful inside. It’s design is patterned after the Maison Carre in Nimes, built by the Romans around 16 B.C. It is in almost flawless condition. The Madeleine’s similarity to it is obvious. The streets around it contain lots of shops for candy and “delectables”, including Hediard, where you can also have lunch. It’s very pleasant, but not cheap. The store is well worth visiting in any event, as is Fauchon, and Maille (the mustard store), which is also nearby.
The Elysees Palace
The home of the French president is located several blocks away. It cannot be visited, but you can walk by and look through the driveway entrance and see the site where the French President greets visiting dignitaries.
Opera Garnier
The ideal would be to get tickets and to see something here. It is “drop dead gorgeous” on the outside and inside. Even if there is no event, they have tours daily. It’s a very good one. (Many places in Paris that have tours usually have some in English.) There is a Chagall mural on the ceiling of the theater.
I saw "Giselle" (the ballet) there. It was magnificent. Truly beautiful. We lucked out and got seats dead in the middle of one of the sections that loop the orchestra area. I think around section 54 or 55. They were gorgeous seats. (When we asked at the hotel about getting seats, we were told that it would be "impossible", but my persistent partner asked them to call anyway, and they were the seats we got. It pays to at least ask. The Opera Garnier, named after its architect Charles Garnier, is one of the two opera houses in Paris, the other being the Opera Bastille, which can’t come close to matching the extravagance of the former. One of Paris’ largest Metro interchanges, Opera, is located nearby.
Afterward, we went next door to the Cafe de la Paix (Café of Peace) and looked up at the lighted Opera House from our outside table. What a sight! On a recent trip, my wife and I went inside the Café and had a sandwich and drinks at the bar, and on another occasion, an early dinner (They start serving at 6PM. A real rarity in Paris.) It was very pleasant.
Grand Magasins
Two of Paris’ largest department stores are located on Boulevard Haussmann adjacent to the Opera Garnier: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. It’s fun strolling through them. Galeries Lafayette has a huge stained glass domed ceiling over an open space from top to bottom. It’s spectacular. The Galeries Lafayette Cafeteria is very popular and is a very economical alternative for lunch. It has many varieties of salads, entrees and desserts, as well as beer and wine drawn from taps. The view from the roof is terrific. There’s a small rooftop café up there too. There are many other major stores located along Haussmann, and many shoppers to go along with them.
Montmartre
This area is north of the Opera area and is the highest point in Paris. Its name means “mountain of martyrs” for those who died there, including St. Denis. Legend has it that after St. Denis was beheaded, he picked up his head and carried it to a point a number of miles outside the city where he fell. That site is the location of the Cathedral of St. Denis, where historically many kings of France were crowned and also buried inside the church in elaborate tombs. During uprisings, most of the bodies were taken from the tombs. I found it an interesting place to visit, but it’s not a place to go at night. I wouldn’t wander around there in the day time either. You will notice a number of statues of St. Denis around Paris. You will know it is St. Denis because he will be holding his head in his arms.
Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart)
Sacre Coeur is the large domed church way up on the hill, visible from many places in Paris. It is one of the standard stops for tourists. It is a very nice church inside, but not of the same age of many of Paris’ other churches. The view of Paris from the steps in front of Sacre Coeur is memorable. You can reach it by taking the Metro to the “Abbesses” Metro stop. It is the deepest stop in the Metro system, so use the huge elevator to get up or down. If you have to walk up the steps, you will regret it. When you come out of the station, make a left and walk about fifty yards. You will see a large rectangular patch of green grass on the left leading up to the church. You can take the steps up, but it’s a whole lot easier to just take the funicular that runs up the side. You can use one of your Metro tickets each way or just use cash..
Place du Tertre
This is a square off to the left of Sacre Coeur, surrounded by restaurants and shops, with artists positioned around it selling their paintings, with some doing portraits as well. Continuing down the street there are many other shops and restaurants. It’s criticized as being very touristy, but it’s still fun to see and to wander around.
Rue de Saules
After passing Place du Tertre, you’ll see Rue de Saules coming in from the right. Continuing down the street, which runs sharply downhill, there is Paris’ only vineyard on the right, albeit a small one. Adjacent to it is the famed “Lapin Agile” with a picture of a rabbit on the sign, a club which hosts performers at night. Across the street from it is the Maison Rose Café, a small restaurant. They are both among the most photographed buildings in Paris.
Musee de Montmartre
If you make a right at the corner where Lapin Agile is, this small museum is located on the left. It contains many fine paintings. It doesn’t take long to go through it. Many Impressionists and others painted in Montmartre and their works are featured here.
If you go all the way down the hill on Rue de Saules, you will come to Rue Caulincourt, a busy street with many neighborhood businesses. If you cross the street, and walk down the stairs, you’ll see a multi-level building on the left where I rented a studio for three weeks, #30 I believe it was. The rental was found on VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). The site lists many apartments for rent throughout France and Europe. It makes sense to rent a small studio instead of staying in hotels, if you are planning on staying for more than two weeks. Of course now, there is also AirBNB.)
The Lamarck-Caulincourt Metro stop is a few blocks away. It was obviously a good location for seeing Montmartre. There are many good restaurants, places to buy food and pastry and a convenience store in the area. After you’re there a while, you almost feel like a resident. Several blocks above Rue Caulincourt is Rue Ordener, near the Jules Joffrey Metro stop. On the way, you will pass through a very large and active market, especially in the evening when people are coming back from work to buy things for dinner. This area is a bit out of the mainstream, but having the Metro nearby enables you to visit many other places in Paris from there. It also gives you a much better idea of what it’s like to live in a neighborhood.
Marche de Puces Saint Ouen - (Flea Market)
This is the largest flea market in Paris. It operates on Saturdays and Sundays and it’s huge. Take the Metro to the Porte de Saint Ouen stop. (A “porte” is the location of a former gate to the city, so once you go past them and the Periphique (the beltway), you have left Paris. You will very likely ride on the Periphique for a little while when you are traveling to and from CDG Airport.)
All this market needs is a tent over it, because it’s a real circus. Don’t worry about how to find it. As soon as you come out of the Metro, there will be street vendors all over the place. Just follow straight ahead and you will come into the main area of the market on the left. It’s a good place to really be on the lookout for pickpockets. I would not plan on eating here, except for some of the vendors who may be selling snack style food. I’d plan any restaurant meals elsewhere, unless you have a highly reliable recommendation. If you have the time and like flea markets, it’s a good thing to see – once. I’ve been there twice and it was once too many. Guidebooks also list other Paris flea markets.
Parc de Buttes Chaumont/ Parc Belleville/ Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise
These are located in the far northeastern section of Paris. Few tourists visit them because of time limitations, but if you have the time they are good to see.
Parc de Butte Chaumont is a pretty, undulating park with bridges, a tower and a lake. It’s a great place for a walk.
Parc Belleville is south of there and is very small. It’s on a downward slant and lots of people sit on the grass and enjoy the view of Paris, which is terrific.
Pere Lachaise Cimetiere
Paris has a number of cemeteries with many famous people buried, or housed, but this one is the most famous by far. It’s a very interesting place to visit and to wander around in. You need a good map of grave locations though because it’s big enough that you wouldn’t be likely to find many of the famous ones just meandering on your own. Maps can be found at nearby stores or in guidebooks. Some of the street signs in the cemetery are missing, which doesn’t help matters.
Some of the graves need better attention too. It is shameful for the City of Paris to allow some of them to remain in the condition they’re in. It’s interesting to see where Haussman, the architect of Paris and its wide boulevards, Edith Piaf, Colette, Rossini and many others made their final stops. Jim Morrison’s grave is probably one of the most visited sites. The tombstones are very interestingly designed and make it worthwhile to visit for that reason alone.
French cemeteries are fascinating generally. They often have photos of the deceased on the gravestones and many of them use permanent, colored ceramic flowers on them. In your travels, you’ll notice “Pompe Funebre” establishments who sell them.
Pere Lachaise is also a famous place in French history. In the 1870’s, some of the Communards, who were revolting against the Parisian government in the shadow of the Prussian-French War, were taken and shot against a now infamous wall in the cemetery. About 20,000 others were also summarily executed, and thousands of others were injured or deported to New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Edith Piaf Museum
There is a museum dedicated to the famous chanteuse located in a home in this area, operated by a true aficionado. Check for times. I have never been here, but I’ve seen it on television and read that it’s a very good place.
Les Halles /Pompidou Museum Area
Les Halles
Les Halles is worth seeing, just for the three ring circus character of it. It is the busiest mall I ever saw, particularly on a Friday night. Kids everywhere. It’s a good place not to spend a whole lot of time, unless you’re into malls and shopping, especially at night. Les Halles used to be the location for the Paris food distribution center, but after it became outdated, it was moved to the suburbs (Rungis) and modernized. The Les Halles area was then rehabilitated.
The real attraction here is Saint Eustache, the beautiful church that sits right next to Les Halles. The Chatelet Metro stop is here. It has connections to many different lines and is one of the city’s busiest Metro stations. Les Halles is also another nearby Metro stop, next to the Paris Bourse, the French equivalent of the New York Stock Exchange.
Musee Pompidou (Beaubourg)
The museum was named for a former French president, Georges Pompidou. It’s good if you like modern art, and even if you don’t. The exterior of the building is ultra modern and arresting. There’s always loads of activity out front. Make sure to see the pond to the right of the Pompidou that has many colorful contraptions in it.
A good nearby restaurant is “Le Hangar”. It’s small, so a reservation might be a good idea. Go behind the Pompidou, turn left, then make an immediate right into the Impasse Berthaud. (An “impasse” is a dead end street.) You will walk right into the front of the restaurant.
A few feet away on the left is the Musee de Poupee, the doll museum, which can be visited in a short amount of time. They have all kinds of dolls and also a special exhibit. Guess what the special exhibit was the day we went? Barbie dolls. Of all the things we could have seen. Nevertheless, even that was interesting. Also right here is The Anne Frank Garden, a very small commemorative park.
The Hotel de Ville Area
Hotel de Ville
Farther down Rue Rivoli (a street that runs along the side of the Louvre) is the Hotel de Ville, Paris’ City Hall. It is a beautiful building, longer and larger than Philadelphia’s City Hall, but the similarity of their architecture is striking. A pond is created out front for ice skating in the winter. It was also the backdrop for Robert Doisneau’s classic 1950 black and white photo “Le Basier” (“The Kiss”, alternately also called “Le Bisou”) showing a man bending his love slightly back to give her a kiss. The Hotel de Ville also has an exhibit area with an entrance on Rue Rivoli for various exhibitions. I’ve seen two of them, one about “avocats” (lawyers, not avocados J) and the other about photos of athletes. The exhibits are popular, so it’s good to go early to avoid lines. It’s free of charge.
BHV (Bazaar Hotel de Ville)
This is another of Paris’ large department stores located across the street from the Hotel de Ville. Of particular note is their famed hardware department located in the basement. It’s like a basement version of Home Depot. The store also carries more fashionable merchandise on the floors above.
St.Paul/St. Louis Church (St. Paul Metro stop)
A beautiful church farther down Rue Rivoli which turns into Rue St. Antoine.
Place des Vosges
Cross over Rue St. Antoine, go up Rue de Turenne and turn left (I think). This is a gorgeous, square park with terrific looking, colonnaded buildings with shops and residences in them. It’s something not to be missed. It’s perfect for sitting, relaxing and people watching. If you buy something at a market or obtain fixings for lunch, it’s a great place to eat it. There are also many interesting shops and restaurants in the immediate area.
The Victor Hugo House
Hugo’s house is located at 6 Place des Vosges and is well worth a stop. It would take less than an hour. Hugo is the renowned author of “Les Miserables”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, and other classic works. Reading “Les Miserables” is one of the best things I’ve ever done – twice. If you haven’t read it already, I hope you get a chance to someday. You’ll find that it differs in a number of respects from the famous musical.
When Notre Dame had fallen into a state of terrible disrepair, Hugo led the effort to restore it. He was also forced to go into exile on the island of Guernsey in England because of his opposition to the policies of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III, nephew of the famed Emperor, Napoleon I)
Hugo was a highly admired figure in France. When he died in 1885, more than two million people were said to have joined his funeral procession from the Arc de Triomphe to the Pantheon, his final resting place, where he rests along with Alexandre Dumas, Emile Zola, Louis Braille, Madame and Pierre Curie, and other true luminaries of France. The New York Times in its fascinating news article (available online under a search for “Victor Hugo funeral”) stated that six orations were given at the Arc before the procession started and that hotels were so full that 30,000 people slept in the streets the night before.
Musee Carnavelet
This museum is a real sleeper. I can almost guarantee that you have never spoken to anyone who has visited it, but it’s a real find. It’s located a few blocks from the Place des Vosges. It is the museum of the history of Paris and has terrific exhibits. Unfortunately for many, the descriptions are only in French, but it’s so good that it does little to detract from it. I highly recommend it.
Musee Picasso
Further up Rue de Turenne is the Picasso Museum. I don’t care for Picasso, so I didn’t like it very much. My companion liked his work, but didn’t like the museum either, but if you’re a Picasso fan, you might enjoy it. Since then though, the museum has been completely redone.
Before you visit Paris, it’s really important to review one of the good guidebooks and find out about dozens of other museums in the city. The French have museums for almost anything you can imagine. Some of them, over two hundred, may be of great interest to you.
The Bastille/Opera Bastille
Continuing out Rue St. Antoine, you will come to the Bastille Monument. Don't look for the Bastille itself. It was destroyed long ago. The Opera Bastille is located there. I’ve never seen an event there, but I don’t care for the architecture of the building. It certainly lacks the elegance of the Opera Garnier. You may wish to check event calendars before you go so you can obtain tickets for events that interest you. Each opera house holds different kinds of events. The summer schedules are comparatively sparse.
The Left Bank
Eiffel Tower Area
La Tour Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower designed by Louis Eiffel was reviled when it was first built, but today it is one of the world’s most famous monuments and a symbol of Paris. Elevators will take you to the second and third levels. I’ve only been up there once to the second level. From the ground, it doesn’t look very high at all. When you get up there, it seems far higher, in part probably because the height of buildings in Paris are set at far lower levels. I’ve heard that being on the third level, things really look miniscule. Someday, I’m going up there for a special occasion. There is a famous restaurant, Jules Verne, located on the second level. There is also a cafe at the first level. There have been many changes in security and ticketing since I’ve been there.
The grassy area in front of the Eiffel Tower is called the Champs de Mar. Battles have been fought on it. It has also been used as a training ground. At the far end of the Champs de Mar is Ecole Militaire, the French equivalent of West Point.
I’d recommend not staying in any areas south of the Eiffel Tower, even though the prices of accommodations might be less. You would pay for it with inconvenience and lost time. There is not much of tourist interest south of there.
The “Rue Cler”(clair) neighborhood is very close to the Eiffel Tower. It's a good place for first time visitors. Easy access to everything, but less culture shock than staying in some other areas of Paris. Rue Cler has a supermarket, pharmacy (denoted by a green cross), patisseries, restaurants, shops, and the Rue Cler open market. The Ecole Militaire Metro stop is very close, at the intersection of La Motte Picquet and Avenue Bosquet.
I stayed twice at “The Hotel Relais Bosquet” on Rue Champ de Mar, and on another occasion the “Hotel Le Tourville” on Rue de Tourville, which is almost along side of the Ecole Militaire. (I preferred the former. It’s very popular, so reservations for it should be made well in advance. The rooms are nicely decorated, but fairly small, but that’s typical for many rooms in Paris.)
Hotel des Invalides
The Invalides is the large rotund, gold domed building that is visible from many areas of the city. It was built by Napoleon as a home for war veterans. His body is buried here, being returned from the island of St. Helena, off the west coast of Africa, where he died in 1821. He was exiled there by the British after losing the Battle of Waterloo. Other famous generals are entombed there. It also serves as a military museum. It is interesting and worth a one-time visit.
The Rodin Museum
Next to the Invalides is The Rodin Museum. This is a much larger version of the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. It is a really special place to visit and the grounds are beautiful.
The Assemblee Nationale
This is the location of France’s legislative body. It’s a gorgeous building.
Musee D’Orsay
Along with the Louvre, the Musee D’Orsay is one of the pre-eminent art museums in Paris and should be on anyone’s list to visit. It’s next to the Seine and is right across the river from the Louvre.
The museum can get very crowded and the line can be very long, so it helps to obtain your tickets in advance online, or to get a Paris Museum Pass, in which case you can bypass the line (Check guidebooks for details). I would recommend going as soon as the museum opens to avoid some of the crowd.
The first thing to do upon entering is to go to the right to the dining room and make a reservation for lunch. It’s a beautiful room with a gorgeous ceiling. It is a large room and when it’s full it can get noisy, but the food is decent and the price is reasonable. It’s just a pleasant place to have lunch without having to leave the building. If you wait to go there when you’re hungry, without having a reservation, you will waste time having to wait in line.
I had a very noisy incident one of the times I was eating there. A server placed a metal condiment tray next to me on our table, part of which I discovered later, was only partially on the table. I picked up something from it a few minutes later, and the whole tray and the glass bottles on it came crashing down on the marble floor and made a tremendous racket throughout the room. A very genteel, elderly lady next to us had glass go under her feet. The servers had to get down on their hands and knees to pick up many pieces. I apologized to the lady, but she just motioned to me as if to say that she knew it wasn’t my fault. The staff was equally gracious. So mind your condiments.J There is also a cafe upstairs, next to a famous clock with a huge face, for snack style eating.
The museum was a former train station, which is easy to envision when you look out over the ground floor which contains many beautiful sculptures. A former waiting room has been turned into a ballroom which I have not seen.
One of the other floors houses the finest collection of Impressionist art in the world. Almost at every turn you will see familiar paintings that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. I would go through as much of the museum as possible because there are masterpieces on other floors too.
Speaking of floors, in France, what we call the “first floor” is designated as “O”. The second floor is “1”, and so on. A basement level is “-1”. It’s good to keep this in mind if you are renting an apartment that might be advertised as the “2nd floor.”You might think, “That’s not bad.” When you get there though, you find that it’s really three floors up and discover there’s no elevator either ):
Saint Germain des Pres Area
Saint Germain des Pres Church
Visit the church via the “Saint Germain” Metro stop or by the” Mabillon” Metro stop. Adjacent to the church are two renowned cafes, frequently by great writers of the past, Deux Magots and Café Flore.
A fairly short walk down Boulevard Saint Germain is Au Charpentiers, a well-known and very popular restaurant with Parisians. (It’s on 2 Rue Mabillon, a small street that angles sharply off of Boulevard Saint Germain to the right. I’ve been there three times. You won’t find many tourists there. A reservation is necessary. It’s good to go during the week to get the best flavor of it. The tables are close together, the food’s good and the prices are reasonable. It’s very close to the Place Des Vogses also.
Saint Sulpice Church
Just below St. Germain des Pres is Saint Sulpice, better known today as one of the sites used in the filming of “The DaVinci Code”. It was a well known destination long before the book and movie. It is the largest church in Paris, Notre Dame included.
Bon Marche
The closest Metro stop is “Sevres-Babylone”. A very pretty and popular Parisian department store located in a good shopping area. Adjacent to it is an outstanding, and extremely busy, food emporium, which is fascinating to see. Unfortunately, there is no place in there to eat what you might buy, so you’d have to take it to the nearest park, which I think might be Luxembourg Garden.
Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (St. Catherine Laboure Shrine)
This is a chapel honored by Catholics as the site of three apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1830. It is located on the street that runs along the side of Bon Marche. While this site is of greatest interest to Catholics, many people just walking by would find it interesting to stop in for a few minutes. It’s a pleasant, but not antique, church. St. Catherine’s body lies in state here. There’s also a gift shop selling all sorts of religious articles at the inside entrance. There is a Mass during the week at noon, which is packed, during which time tourists can’t walk around in the church. The gift shop also closes for lunch immediately after Mass, so if you want to buy anything, leave time to get it before you go into the church. The nuns will bless articles if you ask them.
Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden)
This is the largest park in Paris, frequented by many. It has a large pond where people often sail small boats. There are many places to sit and have lunch, to take a nap or to just rest up. The French Senate Building, constructed by Marie de Medici, is also located in the park.
There is a large, rest room in the park near to one of the entrances. This public rest room, like many others in France, are staffed by a “gardian” and there is a modest charge to use the rest room. American tourists find this a very strange practice, but such rest rooms are kept clean by the gardians, so it’s worth the price.
Another anomaly by American standards is that in department stores, cafes and restaurants, there are often common areas for sinks that are used both by women and men. In the train station in Zurich, for example, a commercial vendor operates the rest room facilities. Two Swiss francs per visit – and they don’t accept euros either. The facilities were immaculately clean. There was a separate area for toilets, used by men and women, a common sink area, and a separate area for men’s urinals. As I was washing my hands, I noticed a guy using a urinal. There was a young woman, spraying and cleaning the urinals right next to him. Neither of them thought anything of it. Just a head’s up so you can be prepared for cultural differences in the practical necessities of life as a European tourist.
The Pantheon
The Pantheon is located near the Rue Moffetard and St.Sulpice area. It’s a great stop. Many tourists don’t visit here, but they really miss something when they don’t. When you go in, there are huge paintings on the walls of the impressive edifice providing a thumbnail view of major figures and events in French history: St. Genevieve, St. Joan of Arc, Charlemagne, Pepin and lots of other heavy hitters. Downstairs are the tombs of the famous: Madame and Pierre Curie, Victor Hugo and many others. It’s clean and bright, but austere. Not in the least bit creepy. It’s pretty neat. The admission to the Pantheon is very modest.
St. Etienne (Stephen) du Mont
It’s a beautiful church, outside and in, and is the burial place of Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. It’s down the street from the Pantheon on the right.
Rue Moffetard and Place Monge
These are very interesting areas to walk through with lots of interesting shops, produce markets and restaurants. Nearby is the world famous Sorbonne, part of the University of Paris system. The whole area is very popular with students and is what first comes to mind when you hear people speaking of the “Left Bank”. This area was a hotbed of activity during the famous “1968 Student Riots”, which actually started in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris.
Jardin de Plante
This is a large and pleasant garden that’s not as shady as Luxembourg Garden. A zoo is located here, as well as Paris’ Natural History Museum. (Paris' main zoo is located in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern edge of the city. The much larger Bois de Boulogne is located on the western edge.)
Institute du Monde Arabe
I’ve passed this beautiful and distinctive museum, but have not visited it. It is supposed to have a beautiful view of the city from their café and also is a stop sometimes made for tea.
Southern Paris
Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower)
This is Paris’ tallest building. It’s easily visible from many parts of the city because it’s far higher than any other building. There was great criticism when it was built because it was said not to be in keeping with the architecture of the rest of the city. The famous line about it was: “Where is the best view in Paris?” Answer: “Inside the Tour Montparnasse, because if you’re up in it, you don’t have to look at it.” The Gare Montparnasse is located across the street.
The building is interesting to see if you are in the area and also for another reason. There is a restaurant on one of the top floors, Ciel du Paris (The Paris Sky). A prior reservation should be made. We had lunch there. The food was good and the view is unmatched. If you sit at a middle table in front, either on the floor level, or on the raised area of the room, you will look directly ahead to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mar in the distance. To the right is the gold-domed Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon is entombed. To the left, you’ll see the aerial balloon in the Parc Citroen, where they have rides similar to Philadelphia’s “Zoo Balloon”.
Pasteur Institute
The Institute is located at 28 Rue Doctor Roux, within walking distance of the Gare Montparnasse. Tours are available in English. It would be of particular interest to anyone with a scientific background and also to some who have little, including me. I thought the tour was interesting.
Parc Citroen
This is an open park featuring a flat area of individual, grouped fountains that shoot up water. Children like to run through it. The Parc was located on the site of a former Citroen auto factory. Citroen donated the land to the city. It’s pleasant enough, but not something to go out of the way to see. It’s located in the far southwestern corner of the city near the Seine.
Things to See Outside of Paris
Versailles and Giverny are the two most popular stops outside Paris for visitors.
Versailles and Grand and Petit Trianon
I haven’t been to the last two, but they look pretty in photos. They are separate tours. I have seen the palace and the grounds twice. It’s very impressive. They renovated the Hall of Mirrors, site of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I.
Versailles is about thirty-five minutes from Paris. It can get very crowded. I went there both times on a guided tour. You will see them listed online (“Paris Tours” is one of the ones I took. They have a variety of day tours to other locations too, including Normandy). On all tours, you are picked up at your hotel by a small bus or van. On the Versailles tour, they take you in without waiting in line, provide a guided tour, and allow for time to visit the grounds and the fountains, which are stunning. They also have evening events.
The Versailles tour takes about half a day. It’s about 100 euros per person which, includes admission. (It may seem like quite a bit, but it saves a lot of time and eliminates having to stand in line to get in.) The alternative is to take a local RER train from Paris to the Versailles Gare (train station). When exiting the Gare, turn right and go down to the main street, which is not far. Turn left and walk a fairly short distance and you will walk right into the black and gold gates of Versailles. There are many shops and restaurants back on the main street. I would strongly recommend not going to Versailles on weekends when it’s very crowded. If you are going to make any jaunts outside Paris, this and Giverny should be the ones.
Giverny
“Giverny” is the name used to describe Monet’s House and Garden. It can be reached on an organized tour or you can take a train to Vernon, which necessitates taking two trains I think. From there, you’ll need to take a bus or taxi to Monet’s House. The house is interesting and the gardens are beautiful. It’s a very worthwhile stop, especially for photographers.
Nearby, and often missed, is The American Museum which you can walk to easily from Giverny. I saw an Edward Hopper exhibit there. They also have a pleasant, casual café there for lunch. You would need about six hours round trip to see both, including travel time out and back.
Fontainebleau
This is a day trip by the time you get out there, take a tour, eat, walk the grounds and visit stores. The palace is beautiful and the wooded grounds are pleasant to walk around. I envisioned it as being out in the country, which historically I’m sure it was. Now, it’s an enclave, with many shops and restaurants across the street from the entrance.
La Defense
This is the last stop on one of the Metro lines. It’s best to go there during the work week when it's active. Lots of modernistic buildings and restaurants. The view from the top of the La Defense monument is expansive. It looks down toward the Arc de Triomphe and to Place Concorde, with all three being in perfect alignment. It's a little walk around and a fun stop. The purpose of La Defense was to have tall office buildings taken out of central Paris, and placed into a nearby Paris suburb, so that there wouldn’t be any further repetitions of the Tour Montparnasse inside Paris’ city limits. For anyone with limited time, this stop can easily be skipped.
Other Destinations
The Cathedral at Chartres
The stained glass windows are renowned. It’s a train ride of about an hour or so south of Paris. I’ve never seen it.
Disneyland Paris
Located east of Paris, it’s mainly an attraction for the French. I’ve only run into one American couple who
had intentions to go. Probably a combination of lack of time when visiting Paris and also that many US tourists have already been to either Disney World or Disneyland here.
Trains in France
The Metro operates principally within the city of Paris. RER trains run to the suburbs.
Longer distances between French and other European cities are the province of the SCNF, which also operates the TGV (Tran Grande Vitesse – “high speed train”). If you are planning to travel by train in Europe, you may obtain information through RailEurope.com, which provides schedule information, pricing, ticketing, and the sale of rail passes. A rail pass is only available to tourists and must be obtained here before you leave the US.
The Rail Pass provides for travel through three, four or five countries, or for all of Europe that is on the system. You purchase a certain number of days and have unlimited travel available on the days you use it. The pass has small boxes where you write the date you are using it. Don’t fill it in until you are actually on the train because if you can’t take a train you intend that day for unforeseen reasons, you will have lost the use of that day. The conductor comes along once you are on the train and checks your pass and sometimes your passport as well. There are a number of discounts available.
Incidentally, if you have any questions for the conductors, you’d better ask them while they’re there. Afterward, they can’t be found. Wherever it is they go, it would be a good place to send people who are in the Witness Protection Program, because no one could find them.
There are first and second class rail passes available, but the difference in cost is so minimal that it always makes sense to obtain a first class pass. When trains come into the station, you’ll see that they have a “1” or a “2” on them, designating the classes. All TGV trains are first class by definition.
Having the pass entitles you to be on the train, but it does not guarantee you a seat. For that, you must make a separate “seat reservation”, which is an additional expense. Seat reservations, as well as the rail pass, can be purchased on line.
There are only so many seats available using rail passes, so if the train happens to be crowded, you may not be able to use your pass, unless you already have a seat reservation. Of course, you can always pay for a regular priced ticket, if there are any of those seats still available. Believe me, if you do, it will give you a new appreciation for the rail pass and for the importance of making a seat reservation well in advance. Many trains are crowded and the TGV’s are packed.
On all TGV’s, seat reservations are required. You can’t even get on the TGV without one. The TGV’s go to major destinations such as Strasbourg, Avignon, Nice, Marseille, Montpellier and Bordeaux. The TGV is a great time saver. You can travel from Paris to Nice, all the way to the Mediterranean, in about five and a half hours. Once it gets out into the country, which doesn’t take long outside the cities, it really flies. Once you hear the characteristic “Thwump!!” when two TGV’s pass each other about five feet apart, you’ll never forget it. It comes when you least expect it. It’s also over in no time, as you might imagine, with two trains passing each other at about 160 mph.
It’s a cool ride that features beautiful farms, villages and churches in the distance, abandoned castles, and cows, and in mid to late June and early July, unforgettable huge fields of sunflowers and some red poppies. The train is also a good place for a nap. But don’t get so comfy that you miss your stop. Put someone on guard duty J.
France is a whole lot bigger than it looks on maps of Europe. I didn’t realize it until I started traveling around the country. In land area, France is larger than any US state, except Alaska. It is slightly larger than Texas.
The trains don’t stay in the stations very long, so you have to get on and get off quickly. Watch the signboard in the terminal to see what “Voie” (track) your train will be leaving on. That’s usually posted about 15-20 minutes before the train arrives. Two things you don’t want to see on the train board are “Retard”(Late) and “Annulle”(Cancelled).
The board will not always list your destination by name, so you need to know what the final destination of the train is. For example, if you are going to Lille, but the final stop is Bruxelles(Brussels), the board will say Bruxelles, not Lille. As long as the train number is the same, you’ll be ok. When in doubt, go to “Information” and ask. Expect a line. Alternatively, you can also ask a conductor on the platform.
It’s a good idea to scope out where the track is before the train comes in. Some stations have track locations upstairs, downstairs, and off to the side. This can really be a problem when you are coming into an unfamiliar station and only have ten minutes to make a connection to another train. I’d try to leave a minimum of twenty minutes for connection time in larger stations if possible. In smaller stations, it’s easy to just come into the terminal, glance at the board and find your track location.
When you are waiting for your train on the platform, look for the “Composition de Train” sign. It is usually on a rectangular lighted display in orange. It shows a dotted replication of the train and which car will stop at which of the lettered locations shown above on the platform. For example, if your seat reservation shows that you are in Voiture (Car) 5, that may correspond to location “R” on the platform. Just go to where you see the “R” sign above, and your car will stop right there. This eliminates the problems of passengers running up and down the platform when their train arrives looking for their car. (“Voiture” in French means a car in a train, and also an automobile.)
Two things to remember are to:
- Ensure that you are on the right train (always ask a conductor or other passengers if you’re not sure)
- As long as you know you are on the right train, get on some car on your train, even if you can’t find your correct car right away. You can make adjustments later if you have to after the train leaves the station.
The trains are usually very punctual, so if you’re not there on time, you’re probably going to miss your train. You also have to be ready to exit promptly when the train stops too. It helps to get your luggage about ten minutes ahead of your scheduled stop time and take it to the exit area of the train, so you can just get off when it stops. Also, many times your train may be going on to other stops after yours, so if your mind wanders, you can wind up being on your way to the next stop, which could be a long way away.
Carrying a lot of baggage, or very large bags, is a gigantic disadvantage when riding trains, so it makes a lot of sense to limit what you bring. Some travelers treat going to France, and other places in Europe, like going to a third world country. Whatever we have at home, you can usually find where you are going. One notable exception is deodorant soap. It is impossible to find. I’d bring a bar a week along, particularly in the summer, to combat “clamminess”. Another thing that the French don't deal in are any "low-fat" products. It doesn't seem to hurt them much. Only about 15% of French people are overweight.
The storage space for baggage on trains is very limited, especially on the TGV. The overhead racks can hold nothing more than a narrow briefcase. Sometimes the baggage rack is located at the front of the car, sometimes it’s in the middle and sometimes in the rear, usually no more than two total. Rest assuredly, that neither of them will be close to where you’re sitting, and that they will be loaded. It’s a real pest.
Provence
If you go to Avignon, a popular destination area in the south of France, the Avignon TGV station is about six miles outside Avignon. If you want to go into the city itself, which is a good place to visit, there is a “navette”, a small bus that runs back and forth between the TGV station and the train station in the city. They also rent cars right at the TGV station (“Location Voiture”).
Avignon is the most popular jumping off point for those wishing to visit Provence, one of France’s loveliest areas. The villages, cuisine, markets, and the lavender there (late June-July) are just the best. (“Lavender maps” are readily available online suggesting routes and villages for seeing lavender. Places not to miss: Sault (“sew”), Gordes, the Abbaye de Senanque and loads of other. Guidebooks, as well as online articles, provide many recommendations.)
If you visit Provence, be careful of the sun and wear sun block. It can get very hot and the sun is intense. Remember, that you wouldn’t be that far from North Africa. I wore sun block on my face every day and still got a real dose. My forehead looked like an alligator. I went to the local pharmacy and they gave me stuff that helped quite a bit. Every visitor to France should visit a pharmacy. They are very helpful and what they sell is priced very well. You wouldn’t confuse them with Walgreen’s or Rite-Aid though. They are usually far smaller and have only a few products displayed. They keep all the rest in drawers behind the counter.
Laundry
If you are staying for any length of time, you’ll need to wash clothes. You can only get so far doing hand washing in the sink and the tub. Sending laundry out through your hotel is an expensive proposition. Usually there is a local laundry or dry cleaner (nettoyage sec) nearby. It has to be planned to some degree because you have to leave long enough to pick off what you dropped off, leaving some slack in case there is a problem.
When we were in Toulouse, as luck would have it, there was a laundry right across the street from our hotel. I loaded up the bags the lady gave me and dropped them off in late afternoon and had everything back the next morning, squeaky clean and folded. It was a dream. What a place! I could have kissed the lady. It was also extremely reasonable. I would not waste valuable travel time doing your own laundry in a laundromat. I tried it once. They are not tourist friendly. Ever try to read washer and dryer instructions in French? If I were you, I’d pass on it. Stay away from dishwashers too. They use special detergent.
The True Cost of Traveling in Europe
Regardless of what your head tells you about how much you’re spending, it can be more than you think. Everyone knows that sometimes the dollar to euro conversion rate isn’t good, but it’s easy to forget that when you’re in the throes of spending. It’s very easy to think that one hundred euros is “about the same” as one hundred dollars. After a nice meal you might think, “a hundred euros for that, that’s not bad.” When the rubber hits the road is when you get your credit card bill at home and it shows that it costs one hundred and thirty-one dollars (US).
Another consideration is that all credit cards, except currently Capital One and PenFed as far as I know, add on a conversion fee of about 3% for converting euro charges into dollars. That’s of course in addition to the exchange rate.
When obtaining euros, always try to plan ahead and use ATM’s to get your euros. Happily, almost none of them charge an ATM fee, although your own bank might. I would always try to use an ATM when the bank itself is open, in case you have a problem with the machine or it eats your card.
It’s best to presume that banks are going to be open Monday through Friday from 10AM-3PM. It’s also good to know national holidays where you are going because the banks, and often stores or some museums, might be closed on those days too, as The Guttenburg Museum in Mainz was on an Ascension Thursday. Pentecost is a holiday in France. Don’t use hotels, restaurants or money exchange operations to change your money. It’s a much more expensive option.
One final thing about euros, take some home with you. That way you'll have some to get you started when you go back to Europe again :)
Have a great time on your trip to France!
(Please feel free to copy this or e-mail it to anyone you wish.)
When I traveled, my stay in Paris for four days was eliminated by trouble with the plane, so instead of four days in London, followed by four days in Paris, was interrupted by a 20 minute stop in Heathrow where we couldn't download our luggage, an aborted landing (we were about 100 feet off the ground when we aborted) in Paris and a late-night arrival in Frankfurt where we got our luggage for a four-day stay in the dark cold of winter.
I always traveled on a shoestring, only drank coffee, hot tea or soft drinks out of a can or bottle, ate the local food and learned as I went, avoiding high-priced entreaties and scams. I found that staying in the homes of locals beat staying in a hotel by miles.
The first thing that Americans seem to want to do is travel to Europe. I guess it's because of their heritage. I prefer exotic and Third World countries for their cultural richness and cheap thrills. Occasionally, natural and ancient wonders to behold. But I can see the lure of Paris by the list of things to see that you provided. We have a great affinity with the French, even though most of us do not speak or understand the language.
Ron