Paris
Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is one of Europe's largest cities, with 2.2 million people living in the dense, central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area. Located in the north of France on the river Seine, Paris has the well-deserved reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food, and design. Dubbed the City of Light, the City of Love (la Ville Lumière) and Capital of Fashion, it is home to the world's finest and most luxurious fashion designers and fun cosmetics, such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L'Oréal, Clarins, etc. A large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second-highest number of Michelin restaurants in the world (after Tokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks, such as the world's most visited tourist site the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, and Lido, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists annually. Districts[edit]The city of Paris itself is officially divided into 20 districts called arrondissements, numbered from 1 to 20 in a clockwise spiral from the center of the city (which is known as Kilometre Zero and is located at the front of Notre Dame). Arrondissements are named according to their number. You might, for example, stay in the "5th", which would be written as 5e in French. The 12th and 16th arrondissements include large suburban parks, the Bois de Vincennes, and the Bois de Boulogne respectively. You can print your own using our maps. The various tourist information centers and hotels in Polo Paris also provide various city and metro maps for free: they have all the necessary details for a tourist. Each arrondissement has its own unique character and selection of attractions for the traveler:
Beyond central Paris, the outlying suburbs are called Les Banlieues. Schematically, those on the west of Paris (Neuilly-sur-Seine, Boulogne-Billancourt, Saint Cloud, Levallois) are wealthy residential communities. Those to the northeast are poorer communities, often populated by immigrants. Understand[edit]The 105 km² area of the central city is densely packed with more than 2 million inhabitants and free parking is scarce to almost non-existent in any the arrondissements. History[edit]Paris started life as the Celto-Roman settlement of Lutetia on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine currently occupied by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. It takes its present name from the name of the dominant Gallo-Celtic tribe in the region, the Parisii. At least that's what the Romans called them when they showed up in 52 BCE and established their city Lutetia on the left bank of the Seine, in what is now called the "Latin Quarter" in the 5th arrondissement. The Romans held out here for as long as anywhere else in the Western Empire, but, by 508 CE, they were gone, replaced by Clovis of the Franks, who is considered by the French to have been their first king. Clovis' descendants, aka the Carolingians, held onto the expanded Lutetian state for nearly 500 years through Viking raids and other calamities, which finally resulted in a forced move by most of the population back to the islands which had been the center of the original Celtic village. The Capetian Duke of Paris was voted to succeed the last of the Carolingians as King of France, ensuring the city a premier position in the medieval world. Over the next several centuries Paris expanded onto the right bank into what was and is still called le Marais (The Marsh). Quite a few buildings from this time can be seen in the 4th arrondissement. The medieval period also witnessed the founding of the Sorbonne. As the "University of Paris", it became one of the most important centers for learning in Europe -- if not the whole world, for several hundred years. Most of the institutions that still constitute the University are found in the 5th, and 13th arrondissements. In the late 18th century, there was a period of political and social upheaval in France and Europe, during which the French governmental structure, previously a monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent a radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of nationalism, citizenship, and inalienable rights. Notable events during and following the revolution were the storming of the Bastille 4th arrondissements, and the rise and fall of Napoleonic France. Out of the violent turmoil that was the French Revolution, sparked by the still known Passion des Français, emerged enlightened modern-day France. The Paris of today was built long after the Capetian and later the Bourbon Kings of France made their mark on Paris with the Louvre and the Palais Royal, both in the 1st. In the 19th century, Baron von Hausmann set about reconstructing the city, by adding the long straight avenues and replacing many of the then existing medieval houses, with grander and more uniform buildings. New wonders arrived during La Belle Époque, as the Parisian golden age of the late 19th century is known. Gustave Eiffel's famous tower, the first metro lines, most of the parks, and the streetlights (which are partly believed to have given the city its epithet "the city of light") all come from this period. Another source of the epithet comes from Ville Lumière, a reference not only to the revolutionary electrical lighting system implemented in the streets of Paris but also to the prominence and aura of Enlightenment the city gained in that era. The twentieth century was hard on Paris, but thankfully not as hard as it could have been. Hitler's order to burn the city was thankfully ignored by the German General von Choltitz who was quite possibly convinced by a Swedish diplomat that it would be better to surrender and be remembered as the savior of Paris than to be remembered as its destroyer. Following the war, the city recovered quickly at first, but slowed in the 1970s and 1980s when Paris began to experience some of the problems faced by big cities everywhere: pollution, housing shortages, and occasionally failed experiments in urban renewal. During this time, however, Paris enjoyed considerable growth as a multi-cultural city, with new immigrants from all corners of the world, especially La Francophonie, including most of northern and western Africa as well as Vietnam and Laos. These immigrants brought their foods and music, both of which are of prime interest to many travelers. Immigration and multi-culturalism continue in the 21st century with a marked increase in the arrival of people from Latin America, especially Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. In the late 1990s, it was hard to find good Mexican food in Paris, whereas today there are dozens of possibilities from lowly taquerias in the outer arrondissements to nice sit-down restaurants on the boulevards. Meanwhile, Latin music from salsa to samba is all the rage (well, alongside Paris lounge electronica). The 21st century has also seen vast improvements in the general liveability of Paris, with the Mayor's office concentrating on reducing pollution and improving facilities for soft forms of transportation including a huge network of cycle paths, larger pedestrian districts, and newer faster metro lines. Visitors who normally arrive car-less are the beneficiaries of these policies as much as the Parisians themselves are. Climate[edit]
Being located in Western Europe, Paris has a maritime climate with cool winters and warm summers. The moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean helps to temper temperature extremes in much of western Europe, including France. Even in January, the coldest month, temperatures nearly always exceed the freezing point with an average high of 7°C (45°F). Snow is not common in Paris, although it will fall a few times a year. Most of Paris' precipitation comes in the form of light rain year-round. Summers in Paris are warm and humid, with an average high of 25°C (77°F) during the mid-summer months. Occasional heat waves can push temperatures above 35°C (95°F). Spring and fall are normally cool and wet. Spring in Paris is largely unstable, with temperatures ranging from pleasant to quite cold. Short snowfalls can even occur in March. There's even a saying "En avril, ne te decouvre pas d'un fil," which means, "In April, don't take off even a thread." It can still be chilly, with unpredictable gusts and showers. By May, a true thaw is underway, to the delight of all. Still, it can be an extraordinarily rainy month. What to Pack: March brings a slight thaw, but not enough to go sleeveless. You'll still need plenty of warm sweaters, plus waterproof shoes and a jacket. Pack layers, and make sure to keep those waterproof clothes and shoes on hand. Average Temperatures by Month Get in[edit]By plane[edit]Paris is served by three international airports - for more information, including arrival/departure times, check the official sites. Charles de Gaulle International Airport (Roissy)[edit]IATA: CDG. The major hub airport to the northeast of the city. It's notoriously confusing, so allow plenty of time for transfers. There are three terminals: When you arrive at CDG, you should note what terminal you arrived at (2A, 2D, etc.), because when you come back to the airport to depart at the end of your trip, the RER subway train makes two stops at CDG to cover the three terminals, but there are few indications of which airlines are at which terminals. Have a close look at your air ticket to figure out which terminal you are departing from. Air France and associates leave from Terminal 2. The RER B has the airlines serviced by each terminal on a not so obvious chart posted by the door of the train. Terminal 1[edit]
There are quite a few points with power outlets specifically for charging passengers' laptops/mobiles, both down by the food court and by some of the gates. Terminal 2E[edit]VAT Tax refund: First, have your tax refund papers stamped at the tax refund counter in the main terminal area, before you check in with your airline. Although displaying purchase is officially mandatory, it's usually only required for high-priced items. To locate the tax refund counter in the terminal, look for the signs or ask any airline employee for directions. Don't be confused by a single queue splitting between currency exchange and tax refund office: choose tax refund if you prefer euros--while currency exchange refunds only in USD or your national currency, both buy at a robbery rate (and with no rollback to the refund window after you realize the rate). The line can take a long time, except several minutes per customer. At either office, you can also receive a refund for your spouse if you have their passport and refund forms. Duty-free shopping: There are no shops before the security check zone. When you shop in the post-security check zone, it's not genuinely tax-free, as you can receive a tax refund for those purchases as well. Contrary to what one may expect, there is no L'Occitane; cheese is limited to soft sorts (and there are no ripe varieties); wines start at €11 and some popular sorts like Chinon can't be found; the sausage selection is extremely limited. There are no mid-range clothes or shoe stores, only luxury brands. Trains to Paris from CDG[edit]For getting to or from Paris, the RER commuter train, line B, has stations in T3 (from where you can take the free CDGVAL shuttle train to T1) and T2. Trains to Paris leave every 7-8 minutes and stop at Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint-Michel Notre-Dame, Luxembourg, Port-Royal, Denfert-Rochereau and Cité Universitaire. Adult tickets cost €11.45 (May 2023), and for children between 4-9, the fare is €8 each. The train takes around 35 minutes to Gare du Nord and 45min to Denfert-Rochereau, making this the fastest way to get to the city. Tickets can be purchased either through green (sometimes blue) automated ticket vending machines ("Billetterie Ile-de-France") or through the ticket office serviced by transport authority personnel. Engineering works near CDG Terminal-1 and Aulnay-Sois-Bois stations are conducted between 11pm and midnight every day, so you must take a coach (bus) from Terminal 3 to the station where you can take the RER B train to Paris. The fare is included in the train ticket you purchase. If you have a long layover in CDG and want to see the city, it's recommended to purchase a daily pass for €28.50 (May 2023). This will allow you to ride to and from CDG on the RER, as well as unlimited usage of public transportation in Paris. If you are using the machines to purchase the ticket, keep on scrolling down on the screen until you see an option called "Paris Visite" which costs €28.50, and purchase it. This cost equals rides to and from the airport + two metro rides, so if you're planning on using the metro more than twice that day it's totally worth it. The ticket you'll receive is exceptionally small in size, so make sure to keep it in a safe place as it's easy to lose. Trains for Paris usually leave from platforms 11 and 12. Look for signs saying "RER B" or "All trains go to Paris". When using the ticket from and to the airport (as with tickets for the RER commuter trains in general) you have to use it to enter and to exit the train. Always keep the ticket handy as the SNCF officials sometimes check for tickets, and if you are without one you may be fined €40. This means that after you put the ticket into the entry gate and are cleared to pass, you must retrieve the ticket from the machine and keep it with you until you leave the train system including any connections.
A safer (but more expensive by a few euros) is to take the alternative public transport run by the same company, the Roissybus, that takes you from CDG Airport directly to the city center (Paris Opera House). If you are getting a Navigo Weekly card this may be worthwhile.}} The Map of CDG connections shows you how you can get there from Paris. There is also a TGV station in T2 for high-speed connections, mostly towards Lille and Brussels, but there are also some trains that head west to eg. Rennes and Nantes, bypassing Paris. By road[edit]Taxis to and from Charles de Gaulle Airport are charged at a flat fare regardless of traffic conditions or time of day; the fares are set at 53€ to the right bank (north of the Seine) and 58€ to the left bank (south of the Seine) Uber are also common (and active as of Dec 2019), and operate for slightly less if you take UberPool. Allow extra time due to distance and congestions are to be expected. Alternatively, the Roissybus service (13.70 €, ignore the prices in the English site, the have yet to be updated) connects all terminals directly to Opéra Garnier in central Paris, but it's subject to traffic jams and rush hour, so it averages 60-90 minutes even on a good day. 350 and 351 now require only one t+ ticket per passenger (1.90 €) and is the cheapest way to reach Paris dispite a longer journey time. The tickets can be purchased at newspaper stands, at ticket machines, or from the driver for a higher price and they need to be validated with a device next to the driver's seat. Night bus services are available on Noctilien lines N140 (1-4am on the hour, 1½ hours) and N143 (midnight-5am on the half-hour, 55 minutes) to/from Gare de l'Est for two t+ tickets, which can be purchased from the driver. Be careful when using buses to get to CDG. There are frequent traffic jams on the motorways leading to the airport - the Air France bus normally may need 50 minutes to get to CDG, but it may take 1½ hours as well. Your best bet for arriving on time with the buses is to take them very early in the morning or during other times when there isn't much traffic. Non-shared (limo service) transfers are also available and can be booked on-line:
Do not get into a taxi which is not clearly marked "taxi," or (when at the airport) is picking up other than at the designated Taxi stands. You may be approached by touts at the baggage claim exit; ignore them and follow the signs to the official queue. Taxi services between CDG and Paris should not exceed the €55 flat fare (plus any reservation fee); scammers will try to charge you €225 or more. Contact[edit]A post office only exists in B and D terminals. However, you can send postcards buying post stamps in a newspaper stand, and dropping them into a postbox (both exist in every terminal). Orly International Airport[edit]IATA: ORY. This airport is southwest of the city, and served by a southern branch of the RER-B line that heads in the direction of Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse (not Robinson). This older international airport is used mainly by Air France for domestic departures, and international departures by European carriers. Orly is roughly 30 min from Paris via the OrlyBus, which departs from Métro Denfert-Rochereau (ligne 4, 6); the price is €9.50. There are buses every 10 minutes from the Orly Sud (Platform 4) and it stops at Orly Ouest on its way to the city. Tickets can be bought at a counter near the baggage claim area or directly at the counter in Platform 4. The tickets need to be validated once on the bus. The Orlyval light rail connects the two terminals to each other and to the RER B line at Antony. It runs every 4-7min and cost €12.20 for transfer to Paris, including connections to central area metro stations. The RER B from Antony runs through Paris to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle. As with Charles de Gaulle, taxis between Paris and Orly Airport are a flat fare: €32 for the left bank (south of the Seine) and €37 for the right bank (north of the Seine). Beauvais (Aéroport de Beauvais Tillé)[edit]IATA: BVA. This airport, a distance north of the city, is a smaller regional airport that is used by some low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and WizzAir. Like many small airports, there is a cartel in operation in the form of the airport-operated shuttle service connecting with the Métro at Porte Maillot station. Buses run even during the small hours of the morning (06:00). Buses leave 20min after each flight arrives, and a few hours before each flight departs. The exact times can be found on the Beauvais Airport website. The journey will take about an hour in good traffic conditions, and costs €17 (or €15,90 if bought online in advance) each way, there is no reduced price for children over the age of 2 years. Alternatively, you can search for a trip on BlaBlaCar.fr, it's usually €6-8.50 and they are pretty abundant. Airline Shuttles[edit]In addition to public transport, Air France operates shuttles (Les Cars Air France) between Charles de Gaulle and Paris (€17), Orly and Paris (€12) and between the two airports (€20). Discounts apply for young/group travelers and online booking. Note that if you have connecting Air France flights that land and depart from different airports, you would still generally need to collect your luggage after landing, catch either the Air France shuttle or a taxi (readily available at all airports) to the other airport, and check-in again. This altogether could take up to 2 hours particularly if traffic is at its worst. It is also common to lose time during disembarking, as passengers often need to get off at the tarmac and get on buses which will bring them to the terminal building. Be sure to have sufficient time between flights to catch your connection. Note that check-in desks usually close 30min before the flight departs, longer if flights are international carriers. If you want to take RER B and catch an early flight, make sure you bring enough change, because you can only buy tickets at the coins-only machines before the counter opens. If you arrive to CDG Airport at night you'll need a Noctilien bus to get to the city center. The bus stops in all three terminals (in terminal 2F it will be the second level in the departure section - it is very difficult to find, but it really exists). The bus leaves every 30min after 12:30 (see timetable). The buses you'll need are N121 and N120; the price is €7. Private Aviation[edit]Located just 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the city center, Paris Le Bourget Airport IATA: LBG is a 24-hour airport dedicated exclusively to private aviation and business jet operations, as well as military and government flights. The busiest executive airport in Europe since 2007, there are 7 private terminals for fast and discrete travel, and companies like Air Charter Advisors [2] and Priority Jet [3] offer access to a variety of aircraft at Le Bourget and around the world for charter, ranging from economical single and twin-engine props to luxury Gulfstreams and business jets. By train[edit]Stations in Paris[edit]Paris is well connected to the rest of Europe by train. There is no central station serving Paris and the six different stations are not connected to each other. You will probably want to know in advance at which station your train is arriving, so as to better choose a hotel and plan for transport within the city. In clockwise order, they are
In your tickets, the prefix Gare de/du/d' may be replaced with Paris- to prevent confusion. So Paris Nord in regional and international tickets means Gare du Nord in Parisian local terms. A possible exception to this is Paris Gare de Lyon which is named in full because, well, Lyon is another city in France where the train goes to, eh?
Types of Trains[edit]
All SNCF, Eurostar, and Thalys tickets can be bought in railway stations, city offices, and travel agencies (the latter with convenience fees). The SNCF website allows you to book and buy tickets up to two months in advance. There are significant discounts if you book weeks ahead. Reduced ticket prices are different for each day and each train and can be used only on the train the reservation is for. Surprisingly, round-trip tickets (aller-retour) with a stay over Saturday night can be cheaper than a single one-way ticket (aller simple). There are a number of different kinds of high speed and regular trains:
Transfer between train stations[edit]From Gare du Nord[edit]
From Gare de l'Est[edit]
From Gare de Lyon[edit]
From Gare Montparnasse[edit]
From Gare de Bercy[edit]For all train stations, either take the free shuttle to Gare de Lyon or Metro line 14 to the same and follow the directions given from Gare de Lyon. By bus[edit]
OUIBUS, part of the French transport network, now offers bus service to London, UK, with service to/fro Victoria terminal.
By car[edit]Several autoroutes (express/motorways) link Paris with the rest of France: A1 and A3 to the north, A5 and A6 to the south, A4 to the east, and A13 and A10 to the west. Not surprisingly, traffic jams are significantly worse during the French school holidays. The multi-lane highway around Paris, called the Périphérique (BP), is probably preferable to driving through the center. Another ring road nearing completion; L'A86 (also A186 and A286) loops around Paris about 10km further out from the Périphérique. A third, incomplete ring road is much further out and called La Francilienne (N104). It's advisable not to drive in the Paris Metro Area. It's better to drive to a suburban train station with a parking lot and then use the train to continue your trip throughout Paris. Most of Paris' roads were created long before the invention of cars. Traffic inside the city tends to be heavy, especially at rush hour; driving, however, may be rather easy and efficient in the evening. Parking is also difficult. Furthermore, the medieval nature of parts of the city's street system makes it very confusing, and traffic will almost never allow one to stop or slow down to get one's bearings. If you are unfamiliar with the streets and still insist on driving in the city, make sure you have a navigator in the passenger seat with you. Paris is currently investing in the systemic removal of existing parking spaces to encourage people to use its available and vast public transportation system. Get around[edit]The best and cheapest way to get around Paris is on foot, and secondly, using the Métro. On foot[edit]Walking in Paris is one of the great pleasures of visiting the City of Light. It is possible to cross the entire city in only a few hours (only if you can somehow keep yourself from stopping at numerous cafés and shops).
Another interesting walk in the city lets you discover the top sights of Montmartre in a few hours. This includes the Sacré-Coeur, Place du Tertre, the Bateau Lavoir, the Moulin de la Galette and all the sights that made Montmartre world famous. The smartest travelers take advantage of the walkability of this city and stay above ground as much as possible. A metro ride of fewer than 2 stops is best avoided since walking will take about the same amount of time and you'll be able to see more of the city. That said, pay attention to the Métro stations that you may pass by on your journey; the Métro network is very dense within the city and the lines are virtually always located directly underneath major boulevards, so if you become lost it is easy to regain your bearings by walking along a major boulevard until you find a Métro station. Despite fines as high as €180 and extensive street cleaning operations, dog droppings persist across the city, so walk with caution. It's always fun to experience the city by foot, and there are numerous walking tours around Paris, whether self-guided (with the help of a guidebook or online guide) or with a touring guide (booked through your travel agency or hotel). The city is best explored on foot, and some of the most marvelous memories you will have of Paris is walking through secret found places. By train[edit]
Keep your ticket or pass with you at all times as you may be checked. Strangely, there's no sign, audio, or message written on the tickets or stations to inform you that it's obligatory to keep the ticket until you go out of the metro. You will be cited and forced to pay on the spot (between 35-50 euros, depending on the officer, they accept credit cards and usually won't speak English) if you do not have a ticket. The most likely spots for being checked are just behind the turnstiles at big Métro stations or during Métro line changes. RATP agents may be present in the Métro stations even on Sunday nights.
Luggage[edit]Visitors with heavy luggage or handicap should find out in advance about the facilities at each station to be used. (Specific online information about elevators and escalators is hard to find. You may have asked at ticket counters at major stations, perhaps tourist information kiosks.) Getting to boarding platforms from street level, or going between platforms to change lines can be difficult even at major intersecting stations at most times, and everywhere during rush hours. It usually involves walking up and down multiple flights of busy stairs. Elevators are seldom seen, many aren't working, and in major outlying stations, any escalator will likely support only exiting to the street level. If you have any lingering concerns about station facilities, check bus routes and timings to find a convenient bus service instead; failing that, use a taxi. Metro Lines[edit]
If you ask the locals about directions, they will answer something like: take line number n toward "end station 1", change at "station", take the line nn toward "end station 2" etc. Commuter lines RER[edit]
The Métro and RER move staggering numbers of people into, out of, and around Paris (6.75 million people per day on average), and most of the time in reasonable comfort. Certain lines, however, are operating at or near capacity, sometimes being so full that you'll have to let one or two trains pass before being able to board. If you can help it, avoid Métro lines 1, 4, 9, & 13 and RER lines A & B during rush hours as these are the most congested lines in the system. Other lines[edit]
You can look up what these codes mean on information panels in the station, but the easiest and fastest way is often to check the information screens along with the platforms. Tip:
Tickets in general[edit]Ile-de-France Mobilités is the transport authority for Paris and its region. It regulates prices and publishes tickets. It coordinates the operation of RATP (Paris métro, buses, and part of the RER), SNCF Transilien, and various other affiliated bus companies. All transport companies in Ile-France (and thus Paris) use the same ticketing system available at the rail, metro stations, and RATP boutiques. As both RATP and SNCF use the same tickets, the only advantage is knowing who the operator is in case of strikes (RATP may strike without SNCF doing so or the other way round). Current fares can be found on their websites. Basically, as you move farther from Paris (into higher zones), tickets get more expensive. Ile-de-France's public transport network is organized around zones. The standard Paris ticket (€1.90 if one ticket is bought) covers zones 1 & 2 for RER and all zones for métro (métro only). If you wish to visit La Défense, you may use a standard ticket (Ticket T+) to use on the métro or purchase a single ticket or use a zones 1 to 3 pass. The paper tickets that you receive from RATP Ticket Machines are very prone to be wiped or corrupted by mobile phones or other devices so be very careful. If your ticket doesn't work then the ticket office may change them for you! Starting June 2019 Ticket T+ will be phased out and replaced by a contactless cardboard ticket, similar to that used in Amsterdam, called Navigo Easy that can be charged with tickets. The price of tickets will remain unchanged (€1.90 single or €1.49 if bought in multiples of ten). These tickets are designed for tourists. Where to buy[edit]Métro stations have both ticket windows and automatic vending machines. The majority of machines do not take notes, only coins or European credit cards with a pin-encoded chip on the front. Therefore, to use either euro bills or a non-European credit card with a magnetic stripe, it is necessary to make the purchase from the ticket window. Be advised that some ticket vending machines do not give change, so use exact change or go to the ticket window. If you look at the vending machines closely, you may find one in the group that takes euro bills and will give change; these machines can be found at major or touristy stations such as Tuileries, Gare de Lyon, or La Défense-Grande Arche. Some larger stations have secondary entrances, where there is no ticket booth. These are labeled voyageurs avec billets (passengers with tickets (only)). Note:
Be aware of ticket touts who used to stay near single vending machines, which have much higher rates for tickets, eg. €7 for a single ride ticket! Single tickets[edit]For the Metro, a single ticket (ticket t+) costs €1.90. A pack of 10 tickets (carnet) can be purchased for €16.90 at any station. Tickets named tarif réduit may be purchased for children under the age of 10 but only in a carnet of 10 for €7.45. (Prices from 16 June 2018) Both tickets are valid for unlimited Metro/RER for 2 hours (without leaving the system) or Bus/Tram transfers for 90 minutes. RER + Métro and Bus + Tram are two separate systems, but they use the same tickets. This means you have to use a new ticket if you transfer from Bus to Metro or vise versa. Once purchased, tickets do not expire. Single tickets can also be purchased on board buses, costing €2.00 and only valid for one trip without transfers. Remember to consider the price for all members of your group/family, including children, which days you are traveling on, and in which zones you will be traveling. Note that carnets are not bound to an individual and the tickets may be given by others. Tourist tickets[edit]Although not as good a deal for adults in most cases as the Mobilis or Navigo, there are also 1-,2-,3- and 5-day tourist passes, called Paris Visite, available, which are a bargain for kids of ages 4-11, starting at €6.00 per day for travel within zones 1-3. Adult tickets start at €12.00. However, unlike the Navigo tickets, these are valid from the moment of purchase and not bound to a fixed day of the week. They may be usefully combined with weekly passes when you arrive, say, on Saturday. Seasonal tickets[edit]A one-day ticket, a weekly pass and a monthly pass are also available. The price varies according to the zones for which the ticket can be used. The cheapest 1-day ticket called Mobilis, is valid for zones 1-2, with a price of €7.50. Once bought, it is necessary to write in the spaces provided on the ticket the date the ticket is being used in European notation of day/month/year (valable le), the last name (nom), and the first name (prénom). Note 1: The Mobilis pass is only valid between 12:00am and 11:59pm on a given calendar day. For example, if you purchase a Mobilis ticket at midday, it is only valid to 11:59pm on the same day. The Mobilis pass is worth 5 tickets from a carnet, or 4 single tickets, therefore can be a good value pass for frequent travelers. Note 2: The Mobilis ticket is not valid for use for travel to/from Charles de Gaulle Airport. For travelers under the age of 26, there is a special ticket (Jeunes 26) that you can purchase for use on the weekends or holidays. The price varies depending on the number of zones you wish to cover (Zones 1-3 is €3.85 and Zones 1-5 is €8.35; there are other zone combinations available as well) and the ticket is good for one day of unlimited usage of the metro, RER, bus, and trams. If you are staying a bit longer, consider the regular weekly or monthly Navigo passes starting at €22.80 for 1-5 zones Navigo Semaine and €75,20 for 1-5 zones Navigo Mois. Note:
Additional Information[edit]
By bicycle[edit]Renting a bike is a very good alternative over driving or using public transport and an excellent way to see the sights. Riding a bike anywhere in the city is far safer for the moderately experienced cyclists than most towns or cities in other countries. The French are very cognisant of cyclists, almost to a point of reverence. A few years ago Paris wasn't the easiest place to get around by bike but that has changed dramatically in recent years. The city government has taken a number of steps in strong support of improving the safety and efficiency of the urban cyclist as well as establishing some separated bike lanes but, even more importantly, instituted a policy of allowing cyclists to share the ample bus lanes on most major boulevards. Paris also has many riversides which are perfect for cycling. The Paris bike network now counts over 150km of either unique or shared lanes for the cyclist. In addition, the narrower, medieval side streets of the central arrondissements make for rather scenic and leisurely cycling, especially during off-peak hours of the day when traffic is lighter. Do remember to bring a good map, since there is no grid plan to speak of and almost all of the smaller streets are one-way. Bike rentals[edit]There are a few different bike rental programs in Paris:
You can find here a map for a 12km route along the Seine using velibs. Cycling and Traffic[edit]While the streets of Paris are generally fairly easy on novice cyclists, there are some streets in the city that should be avoided by those who do not have experience cycling in traffic and the proper mentality for dealing with it. In particular, 'Rue de Rivoli,' 'Boulevard de Sébastopol/Strasbourg,' 'Boulevard Saint-Germain,' 'Avenue de Flandre,' and most of the Quais that run along the river are especially bad during rush hours but are at least somewhat busy at all times. While most of these do have cycle lanes, "sharrows," or other such accommodations, the sheer volume of traffic means that it may be a better idea to take an alternate route through the side streets. Traffic will also be particularly thick on the peripheral 'Boulevards des Maréchaux' (not the Boulevard Périphérique, which lies to the outside; more on this anon), and on main roads that lead to a 'Porte' at the edge of the city (eg: 'Boulevard de la Chapelle' and 'Avenue de la Grande-Armée'). If you find yourself on one of these routes, stick to the bike lanes whenever possible. There is also a great deal of congestion around the main train stations, particularly around Gare du Nord/Gare de l'Est on the 10th, Gare de Lyon on the 12th, and Gare Montparnasse in the 14th. Bus and taxi traffic will be particularly thick in these areas and certain streets may be reserved just for them, so stay alert. There are a few portions of the city that you probably should not cycle unless you are very confident in your abilities to ride in an urban environment. The 'Avenue des Champs-Elysés' and the 'Boulevard Magenta/Boulevard Barbès' axes can be especially hairy, though the latter more because of some inopportunely-placed interruptions in the bike lanes and other non-vehicular obstacles. The area around 'Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad' is well-provisioned with bike lanes, but they are somewhat haphazardly laid out and traffic is very heavy. Also, the city has a number of large roundabouts which, while quite logical once you've got the idea of priorité à droite, are not at all a good idea for the timid or inexperienced. 'Place de l'Etoile' is the most well-known of these, but also be wary around 'Place de la Nation,' 'Place de la Bastille,' and 'Place d'Italie.' If possible, look for an alternate route - in particular, Place de l'Etoile and Place de la Nation have ring roads running around the outside which make for a good bypass route. Finally, there are a few roads in Paris which are entirely forbidden to cyclists, in particular the 'Voie Georges Pompidou' (the high-speed express lanes running along the Seine), the tunnels underneath Les Halles, the Boulevard Périphérique beltway, and certain other ramps, tunnels, and underpasses. These will all be marked with a sign showing a bicycle on a white background, surrounded by a red circle. You can find an excellent map of the bike network called Plan des Itinéraires cyclables at the information center in the Hôtel de Ville. By bus[edit]Since the Métro is primarily structured around a hub-and-spoke model, there are some journeys for which it can be quite inefficient, and in these cases, it is worth seeing if a direct bus route exists, despite the complexity of the bus network. A bus ride is also interesting if you want to see more of the city. The Parisian bus system is quite tourist-friendly. It uses the same single-ride Ticket t+ and Navigo fare system as the Métro, and electronic displays inside each bus tell riders its current position and what stops remain, eliminating a lot of confusion. These same payment devices are also valid in the Noctilien, the night bus. Noctilien route numbers are prefaced with an N on the bus stop signage. Night buses run regularly through the central hub at Chatelet and from the mainline train stations to outlying areas of greater Paris. There is also a circle line connecting the main train stations. It pays to know your Noctilien route ahead of time in case you miss the last Métro home. Women travelers should probably avoid taking the Noctilien on their own to destinations outside Paris. When boarding the bus, you'll have to validate your ticket. If you have a Navigo pass, simply hold it up to one of the purple scanners (usually on a pole near the door) and wait for the tone and the green light. If you're using a single-ride ticket, look for the ticket validating machine, a roughly shoebox-sized device with a few lights on top and a slit for the ticket at the bottom. Insert your ticket in the slot, and wait for it to stamp it and spit it back out. Check for the time stamp, in case the printer is out of ink. As on the Métro, your ticket is proof of payment, so hold on to it until you arrive at your destination lest the transit police fine you for not paying your fare. All-day tickets only need to be validated once. If you don't have any tickets (and there's not a Métro station or Tabac nearby that sells them), you can buy a "ticket de dépannage" directly from the driver; these cost €2 and must be validated immediately. Be aware that you cannot transfer between the Métro and the Bus with a single-ride Ticket t+. However, you can transfer from bus to bus, or between the bus and the tram, within 90 minutes of validating the ticket. The "ticket de dépannage" sold on the bus does not let you make a transfer to another line. Unlike the RER, you do not need special tickets to take the bus outside of the city (for example, line 350 to CDG airport), but you may need to validate several tickets rather than just one (for example, you'll need three t+ tickets to travel between the city and the airport). Another option for travelers who want to see the sights of Paris without a stop on every street corner is the Paris L'Opentour Bus, an open-topped double-decker bus that supplies headsets with the most up to date information on the attractions in Paris. Your ticket is good for four routes ranging in time from 1-2h. Get off when you want, stay as long as you need, get back on the bus, and head for another site. You can purchase tickets at the bus stop. A one-day pass is €31 for adults and €16 for children. A two-day pass is €36 for adults or €19 for children. With children[edit]
By taxi[edit]Taxis are cheaper at night when there are no traffic jams to be expected. There are not as many taxi cabs as one would expect, and sometimes finding a taxi can be challenging. In the daytime, it is not always a good idea to take a taxi, as walking or taking the metro (See: Métro) will be cheaper and, depending on traffic, faster. If you know you will need one to get to the airport, or to a meeting, it is wise to book ahead by phone (see below). Remember if a taxi is near a taxi stand, they're not supposed to pick you up except at the stand where there may be other people in line ahead of you. Taxi stands are usually near train stations, big hotels, hospitals, major intersections, and other points of interest, and are marked with a blue and white "TAXI" sign. Some taxi driver does not accept payment card, they expect cash. Ask before you ride if he/she accepts payment by card.
There are a number of services by which you can call for taxis or make a reservation in advance. The two largest are Taxis G7 and Taxis Bleus:
Taxis net Paris, ☎ +33 6 24 14 15 69, [x].
As in many other cities, a taxi can be difficult to stop; you may have to try several times. When you do get a taxi to stop, the driver will usually roll down his window to ask you where you want to go. If the driver can't (or doesn't want to) go where you want, he might tell you that he's near the end of his workday and can't possibly get you where you want before he has to go off-duty. There is a €6.50 minimum on all taxi journeys mandated by city law, but the meter does not show this amount, which can result in being asked to pay more than the metered amount on short rides. Frequently the taxi driver will not want to drive you all the way to the doorstep but will prefer to let you out a block or so away if there are one or more one-way streets to contend with. Try to look at this as a cost-savings rather than an inconvenience. You should pay while still seated in the cab as in New York and not through the front window London style. The driver will not let you sit in the front seat (unless there are 3 or 4 of you, which is a rare case usually expedited by more money). Taxi drivers come in all types, some nice, some rude, some wanting to chat, some not. Smoking in taxis is generally not allowed, however it might be that the taxi driver himself wants a cigarette in which case the rule might become flexible. To avoid bad surprises, make sure you download Taxibeat, a taxi-hailing app available for iOS and Android that enables you to choose your taxi driver based on user ratings. Unlike radio taxis, the service comes at no extra cost for passengers - but be aware of the approach fare, and drivers associated with Taxibeat tend to offer better value service. (Most speak fluent English, offer free Wi-Fi onboard, etc). Many drivers prefer that you avoid using your mobile phone during the journey; if you do have to, make an apologizing gesture and sound and do make a short call.
If for any reason you wish to file a complaint about a Paris taxi, take note of the taxi's number on the sticker on the lefthand back seat window. Taxi fares to and from Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports are flat-rate: as of June 2021, for Charles de Gaulle a one-way trip will cost 53€ from the right bank (north of the Seine) and 58€ from the left bank (south of the Seine), while for Orly a one-way trip is 32€ for the left bank and 37€ to the right bank. These prices are the same regardless of traffic or time of day, though you might have to pay a modest fee (usually no more than 5€) if you have made a reservation for your trip. But to unknown tourists, they tend to charge the highest e.g. 55€ to the north of the Seine. Uber, Lyft, and Chauffeur Privé car services are also present in Paris. Sometimes Uber or Kapten cost more than the usual taxis. Uber is not anyway cheaper than normal taxi services. Beware of illegal taxis (see the 'Stay Safe' section). Livery or Black Car or Limos- Known as car services or livery cabs, these cars may only be called by phone, are flat rate rather than metered (ask for the fare before getting in), and are not allowed to cruise the street or airports for fares. There are two types of license: the "Grande Remise" that allows the car & driver to pick up & drop off passengers anywhere in France, and the "carte verte" that allows pick-up and drop-off in the department or region where the company is based. The Grande Remise cars have a GR on their front plate. They provide more service than a normal cab. By boat[edit]There are several excellent boat services that make use of the Seine. As well as providing easy, cheap transport to much of central Paris, excellent photo opportunities abound. You can buy a day or 3-day ticket and hop on and off the boat as needed. The boats take a circular route from the Eiffel Tower, down past the Louvre, Notre Dame, botanical gardens then back up the other bank past Musee D'orsay. Batobus offers a regular shuttle service between the main touristic sights (closed in January); other companies such as the famous Bateaux Mouches offer sightseeing cruises. By taking one of these popular tours, you can also enjoy a romantic evening dinner on the Seine. It is a unique chance to enjoy the night sightseeing, with the lights of the Eiffel Tower and other monuments of Paris. By car[edit]In a word: don't. It's generally a very bad idea to rent a car to visit Paris. To reduce noise, air pollution, and trafic deaths, Paris politicians actively attempt to discourage people from using a car. Finding street parking has become exceedingly difficult in all but the most peripheral neighborhoods of the city. This is especially true in areas surrounding points of interest for visitors, since many of these are in areas designed long before cars existed. A majority of Parisian households do not own cars, and many people who move to the city find themselves selling their cars within a month or two. That said, driving may be an option for going to some sights in the suburbs such as Vaux-le-Vicomte castle or the town and chateau of Fontainebleau, or for travelling to other places in France. You may prefer to rent from a location not situated in Paris proper. Traffic rules in Paris are basically the same as elsewhere in France, with the exception of having to yield to incoming traffic on roundabouts. However, driving in dense traffic in Paris and suburbs during commute times, can be especially strenuous. Be prepared for traffic jams, cars changing lanes at short notice, and so on. Another issue is pedestrians, who tend to fearlessly jaywalk more in Paris than in other French cities. Be prepared for pedestrians crossing the street on red, and expect similar adventurous behaviour from cyclists. Remember that even if a pedestrian or cyclist crossed on red, if you hit him, you (in fact, your insurance) will have to bear civil responsibility for the damages, and possibly prosecution for failing to control your vehicle. North American drivers should be warned that in nearly all of downtown Paris there are no lane markings to keep traffic in lines. People drive wherever there is a space and suddenly entering a large roundabout with 9 unmarked lanes of uncontrolled traffic with 13 entrances and exits can be a new experience in terror. Use transit or stay outside the first ring road. Paris has several ring road systems. There is a series of boulevards named after Napoleonic-era generals (Boulevard Masséna, Boulevard Ney, and so forth), and collectively referred to as boulevard des maréchaux. These are normal wide avenues, with traffic lights. Somewhat outside of this boulevard is the boulevard périphérique, a motorway-style ring road. The périphérique intérieur is the inner lanes (going clockwise), the périphérique extérieur the outer lanes (going counter-clockwise). Note that, despite the looks, the périphérique is not an autoroute: the speed limit is 70km/h and, very unusually, incoming traffic has the right of way, at least theoretically (presumably because, otherwise, nobody would be able to enter during rush hour).
By scooter or motorbike[edit]Paris is an incredibly open city, with its many 'grande boulevards' and monuments with large open spaces around them. This makes for a city perfect to be explored and viewed from on a scooter. A lot of people think it is a dangerous city to ride a scooter or motorbike and when you're sitting in a corner café watching, it may look that way but, in reality, it is actually quite a safe city because the drivers are very conscious of one another, a trait that drivers certainly do not have in some other countries of the world! There are so many scooters in Paris, for so long, that when people learn to drive here they learn to drive amongst the scooters. The French do drive quite fast, but they respect one another and it is rare that a driver will suddenly change lanes or swing to the other side of the road without signaling. When you're driving a scooter or motorbike in Paris you can expect to be able to 'lane-split' between the rows of cars waiting in traffic and go straight to the front of the lights. For parking, there are plenty of 'Deux Roues' (two-wheel) parking all over the city. Do be careful parking on the footpath though, especially on shopping streets or around monuments. A few well-known Vespa Tour companies propose scooter rentals and tours of Paris. It can be a good way to get a vision of the city in a day. A great thing to do if you just stay a few days in Paris:
On skates[edit]Paris is one of the best cities for skating. This is due to the large, smooth surfaces offered by both the pavements and the roads. Skating on the pavement is legal all around Central Paris (zone 1) and its suburbs (zones 2+). See our Do section below for more information. Still, bear in mind the historical aspect of Paris. Some surfaces might switch over to cobblestones, especially when entering junctions. Also, some cycle lanes have raised dividers, separating them from car lanes. These might be too narrow for skating while joining the car lanes might also be unwise. Talk[edit]First and foremost, French (le français) is of course the country's official language. Any native French person will speak French and it helps if you can speak a bit of it. In the parts of the city that tourists frequent the most (Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, Champs-Elysées), the shopkeepers, information booth attendants, and other workers are likely to answer you in English, even if your French is advanced. These workers tend to deal with thousands of foreign tourists, and responding in English is often faster than repeating themselves in French. This is not the case for the rest of the city.
For most Parisians, English is something they had to study in school, and thus seems a bit of a chore. People helping you out in English are making an extra effort, sometimes a considerable one. Parisians younger than 40 are more likely to be competent in English. Immigrants, often working in service jobs, are less likely (often, still struggling to learn French.) If it's your first time in France you will have some problems understanding what people are saying (even with prior education in French). Unlike most language education tapes, French people often speak fast, use slang and swallow some letters. When attempting to speak French, do not be offended if people ask you to repeat, or seem not to understand you, as they are not acting out of snobbery. Keep your sense of humor, and if necessary, write down phrases or place names. And remember to speak slowly and clearly. Unless you have an advanced level and can at least sort of understand French movies, you should also assume that it will be difficult for people to understand what you are saying (imagine someone speaking English to you in an indiscernible accent, it's all the same). When in need of directions what you should do is this: find a younger person or someone reading a book or magazine in English, who is obviously not in a hurry; say "hello" or "bonjour" (bon-zhor); start by asking if the person speaks English, "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Par-LAY voo on-glay?) even if the person can read something in English, speak slowly and clearly; write down place names if necessary. Smile a lot. Also, carry a map (preferably Paris par Arrondissement); given the complexity of Paris streets, it is difficult to explain how to find any particular address in any language, no matter how well you speak it. If anything, the person may have an idea as to the place you are looking for, but may not know exactly where it may be, so the map always helps. On the other hand, you will probably get the cold shoulder if you stop someone in the métro (such as a middle-aged hurried person who has a train to catch), fail to greet them, and simply say "where is place X or street Y". If you speak French, remember two magic phrases : "Excusez-moi de vous déranger" [ex-kuh-zay mwuh duh voo day-rawn-ZHAY] ("Sorry to bother you") and "Pourriez-vous m'aider?" [por-EE-AY voo may-DAY] ("Could you help me?") especially in shops; politeness will work wonders. See[edit]One of the best value and most convenient ways to see the sights of Paris is with the Paris Museum Pass, a pre-paid entry card that allows entry into over 70 museums and monuments around Paris (and the Palace of Versailles) and comes in 2-day (€48), 4-day (€62) and 6-day (€74) denominations. Note these are 'consecutive' days. The card allows you to jump lengthy queues, a big plus during tourist season when lines can be extensive and is available from participating museums, tourist offices, Fnac branches, and all the main Métro and RER train stations. You will still need to pay to enter most special exhibitions. To avoid waiting in the first long queue to purchase the Museum Pass, stop to purchase your pass a day or more in advance after mid-day. The pass does not become active until your first museum or site visit when you write your start date. After that, the days covered are consecutive. Do not write your start date until you are certain you will use the pass that day and be careful to use the usual European date style as indicated on the card: day/month/year. Also consider
Planning your visits: Several sites have "choke points" that restrict the number of visitors that can flow through. These include The Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, The Catacombs, and the steps to climb to the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral. To avoid queues, you should start your day by arriving at one of these sites at least 30 minutes before opening time. Otherwise, expect a wait of at least an hour. Most museums and galleries are closed on either Monday or Tuesday. Examples: The Louvre museum is closed on Tuesdays while the Orsay museum is closed on Mondays. Be sure to check museum closing dates to avoid disappointment. Also, most ticket counters close 30-45min before final closing. All national museums are open free of charge on the first Sunday of the month. However, this may mean long queues and crowded exhibits. Keep away from Paris during Easter week due to crowding. People have to queue up at the Eiffel Tower for several hours even early in the morning. However, this wait can be greatly reduced, if fit, by walking the first two levels, then buying an elevator ticket to the top. Entry to the permanent exhibitions at city-run museums is free at all times (admission is charged for temporary exhibitions). These listings are just some highlights of things that you really should see if you can during your visit to Paris. The complete listings are found on each individual district page (follow the link in parenthesis). Good listings of current cultural events in Paris can be found in 'Pariscope' or 'Officiel des spectacles', weekly magazines listing all concerts, art exhibitions, films, stage plays, and museums. Available from all kiosks.
Landmarks[edit]
Museums and galleries[edit]All national museums et monuments are free for all every first Sunday of the month. Most public museums, as well as many public monuments (such as the Arc de Triomphe or the towers of Notre-Dame), are also free for citizens of the European Union or long-term residents (over three months) if they are under 26 years old.
Do[edit]
Events[edit]It seems like there's almost always something happening in Paris, with the possible exceptions of the school holidays in February and August, when about half of Parisians are to be found not in Paris, but in the Alps or the South or the West of France respectively. The busiest season is probably the autumn, from a week or so after la rentrée scolaire or "back to school" to around Noël (Christmas) theatres, cinemas and concert halls book their fullest schedule of the year. Even so, there are a couple of annual events in the winter, starting with a furniture and interior decorating trade fair called Maison & Object in January. In February le nouvel an chinois (Chinese New Year) is celebrated in Paris as it is in every city with a significant Chinese population. There are parades in the 3rd,4th and 20th arrondissements and especially in the Chinatown in the 13th south of Place d'Italie which is not only Chinese but also present Asian organizations, Martial Arts clubs, and strangely, Brazilian culture-based groups. Also in February is the Six Nations Rugby Tournament which brings together France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy, so expect to see strong guys in kilts in the streets. If sport is not your thing, the Salon international de l'Agriculture (International farming fair/festival)allow you to huge animals indoors (bulls, cows, goats, and pigs from every corner of the country) and to taste the best regional products, such as wine, cheese, delicatessen, honey, spices... Each region of France, including exotic overseas territories, presents at least one stand, and often several. The former President of the Republic Jacques Chirac use to appear each year on national TV when visiting this fair. Last but not least, 14th February is a world-recognized Valentine's Day and there is no place more romantic than Paris. One of the spots worth visiting is Square des Abbesses in Montmarte-La Chapelle to check out Le Mur des Je T’Aime (The 'I love you' Wall), a concept piece of contemporary art which is an idea of Claire Kito and Frédéric Baron. It's a 40m² wall covered with inscriptions of the words ‘I love you’ in 250 languages, with red splashes which form a heart when pieced together. The first of two Fashion weeks occurs in March: Spring Fashion Week, giving designers a platform to present women’s prêt-à-porter, ready to wear, collections for the following winter. The French Tennis Open in which the world’s top players battle it out on a clay court runs during two weeks starting on the last Sunday in May. By the time it's done in June, a whole range of festivities startup. Rendez-vous au Jardin is an open house for many Parisian gardens, giving you a chance to meet Parisian gardeners and see their creations. The Fête de la Musique celebrates the summer solstice (21 June) with this city-wide free musical knees-up. Amateur bands are allowed to play at least until 1am everywhere in the city, and sometimes later. (Well, they don't exactly have an authorization, but...) If Rock (of any style) is always heavily represented, every style of music including Hip-Hop, electro, traditional, classical, jazz, and gospel can be found. Finally on the last Saturday of June is the Gay Pride parade, featuring probably the most sincere participation by the mayor's office of any such parade on the globe. The most important music festival happens between the end of June and the beginning of July: "Solidays". Each year, the program tends to be more impressive, featuring many new bands almost unknown and international stars as well, so many people wait until the program is released and then rush to get a ticket as soon as possible. Besides, this 3-day festival is dedicated to the fight against AIDS, is based on volunteering, and deals a lot with AIDS prevention. The French national holiday La Fête Nationale - commonly referred by non-French citizens as Bastille Day - on 14 July celebrates the storming of the infamous Bastille during the French Revolution. Paris hosts several spectacular events that day of which the best known is the Bastille Parade which is held on the Champs-Élysées at 10:00 and broadcast on television to most of the rest of Europe. It involves the French army in shiny dress uniforms, tanks, and usually an acrobatic show from the Patrouille de France, highly skilled jet pilots similar at the British Red Arrows. The entire street will be crowded with spectators so arrive early. The Bastille Day Fireworks is an exceptional treat for travelers lucky enough to be in the city on Bastille Day. The Office du Tourisme et des Congress de Paris recommends gathering in or around the champs du Mars, the gardens of the Eiffel Tower. However, you don't need to be so close to enjoy the show, as Paris contains many elevated spots such as the Montparnasse tower, the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre and Parc de Belleville's belvedere. Also in July, Cinema en Plein Air is the annual outdoor cinema event that takes place at the Parc de la Villette, in the 9th on Europe’s largest inflatable screen. For most of July and August, parts of both banks of the Seine are converted from expressway into an artificial beach for Paris Plage. Also in July the cycling race le Tour de France has a route that varies annually, however it always finishes on the last Sunday of July under the Arc de Triomphe. On the last full weekend in August, a world-class music festival Rock en Seine draws international rock and pop stars to barges on the Seine near moored off of the 8th. During mid-September DJs and (usually young) fans from across Europe converge on Paris for five or six days of dancing etc. culminating in the Techno parade - a parade whose route traces roughly from Pl. de Bastille to the Sorbonne, and around the same time the festival Jazz à la Villette [5] brings some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz from around the world. At the same period, a very famous festival takes place, more pop-rock oriented, called "Fête de l'Huma", which stands for "Fête de l'Humanité", from the name of the newspaper which organizes it. The newspaper is clearly communist-oriented, but the festival is nowadays without any real political etiquette, as the public goes there only to enjoy the music. The program is a bit more French-oriented than Solidays, but each year (since 1930!) surprises are to be expected. The Nuit Blanche transforms most of central Paris into a moonlit theme-park for an artsy all-nighter on the first Saturday of October, and Fashion Week returns shortly thereafter showing off Women’s Prêt-à-Porter collections for the following summer; as we've noted winter collections are presented in March. The third Thursday in November marks the release of Le Beaujolais Nouveau and the beginning of the Christmas season. This evening, the Christmas lights are lit in a ceremony on the Champs-Élysées, often in the presence of hundreds (if not thousands) of people and many dignitaries, including the president of France. For information on theatre, movies and exhibitions pick up the 'Pariscope' and 'L'officiel du Spectacle' which is available at newsstands for €0.40. For (especially smaller, alternative) concerts pick up LYLO, which is also a small, free booklet available in some bars and at FNAC. Burning Womxn is a feminist festival occurring in early mid of June. There're concerts, art, exhibitions, conferences, performances and tattoo art. [6]. Photography[edit]Paris is considered by many as the birthplace of photography, and while one may debate the correctness of this claim, there is no debate that Paris is today a photographer's dream. The French capital offers a spectacular array of photographic opportunities to the beginner and the pro alike. It has photogenic monuments (e.g., Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, the obelisk at Concorde, and countless others); architecture (the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Museum of the Arab World, to name just a few) and urban street scenes (e.g., in the Marais, Montmartre, and Belleville). When you tire of taking your own photos, visit one of the many institutions dedicated to photography (e.g., the European Museum of Photography, the Jeu de Paume Museum, or the Henri Cartier Bresson Foundation). At these and other institutions, you can learn about the rich history of Paris as the place of important developments in photography (e.g., the Daguerrotype) and as the home of many of the trade's great artists (e.g., Robert Doisneau, André Kertész, Eugene Atget and Henri Cartier
Movies[edit]The Cinémas of Paris are (or at least should be) the envy of the movie-going world. Of course, like anywhere else, you can see big-budget first-run films from France and elsewhere. That thought is just the start. During any given week there are at least half-a-dozen film festivals going on, at which you can see the entire works of a given actor or director. Meanwhile, there are some older cult films like say, What's new Pussycat or Casino Royal which you can enjoy pretty much any day you wish. Many non-French movies are subtitled (called "version originale" "VO" or "VOstfr" as opposed to "VF" for version francaise). There are a number of ways to find out what's playing, but the most commonly used guide is Pariscope, which you can find at newsstands for €0.40. Meanwhile, there are innumerable online guides that have information on "every" cinema in Paris. Tours[edit]For those who want to meet actual Parisians in addition to exploring major landmarks, there are a few options: in 2010 a group of locals started a new service, "See Paris with a Parisian". You join 90-minute walking tours. The guides show you city landmarks (and the stories and anecdotes that go with them), but they also engage their visitors on life in Paris. Another alternative is Anto's Paris, which offers bike rides using the public bike system, Velib' (so you can keep biking on your own after the ride) and night outs so you can discover the Parisian nightlife with a Parisian. You chat with a Parisian, you "decode" the city, and you learn from an insider about local events and festivals, about where to shop, good places to eat or drink, secret places locals keep to themselves, etc.
With children[edit]
Adult entertainment[edit]Cabaret shows[edit]Cabarets are traditional shows in Paris. They provide entertainment, often towards adult audiences, with singers and dancers or burlesque entertainers. The most famous ones are at the Moulin Rouge, the Lido, the Crazy Horse, and the Paradis Latin. They fill up quickly so you might want to book before. The tickets usually cost from €80 to €200, depending on if you have dinner before the show.
Gambling[edit]Although Paris is better known for romance and food than gambling, Paris has a thriving gambling industry, with poker being by far the most popular. The legal age to gamble is 18. Commercial sex[edit]Starting April 2016, France banned prostitution. Clients who pay for sex will be fined €1500 the first and €3000 the second time. However, you might find adult entertainements at some places across the city. Rue Saint-Denis and the well-named Rue de la Gaîté are famous thanks to their adult theaters and other shows oriented towards warned audiences. Learn[edit]It should go without saying that Paris is a good place to learn French.
Paris is the seat of other places to learn about a variety of topics.
Culinary[edit]How better to get to know a culture than to learn the ins and outs of its native cuisine. After sampling your fair share of Macarons and Magret de Canard around Paris, you might enjoy taking an afternoon to learn how to make these delicacies yourself and take the recipes home with you. While there are many cooking schools around Paris, only a few offer classes in English.
Work[edit]Work in Paris, especially for non-EEA/Swiss citizens, entails a very long and arduous process. Unless you possess one of a number of in-demand skills, it will almost certainly be necessary to obtain a job offer from a French employer before arriving. Your employer, for their part, will have to have the offer approved by the relevant governmental authorities, as well. If you opt for unreported work, such as babysitting, you need not fret about going through the process to obtain a Carte de séjour, ie a formal visitor's identity card. However, if you do choose a change in location, it is advisable to obtain a Carte de séjour prior to finding any job whatsoever, as the process can be longer than expected. Note however that a Carte de séjour is often necessary to open a bank account and the like, and by extension for accomplishing any number of other tasks involved in modern life, so unless you're very comfortable transacting everything in cash you should probably bite the bullet and keep things on the up-and-up. Job listings, as anywhere, can be found in local magazines and newspapers. Another great place to look for jobs is online, whether using a Job Search Engine such as Monster or Indeed ; LinkedIn is also a good solution to find jobs nowadays. Remember, the city of Paris has a huge network of immigrants coming and going, and it is always great to tap into that network. The city holds a great abundance of work ready to be found, even if it feels nerve-wracking at first. Buy[edit]Paris is one of the great fashion centers of the Western world, up there with New York, London, and Milan, making it a shopper's delight. While the Paris fashion scene is constantly evolving, the major shopping centers tend to be the same. High-end couture can be found in the 8th arrondissement. In summer, there is nothing better than browsing the boutiques along Canal St-Martin or strolling along the impressive arcades of the historic Palais-Royal, with beautifully wrapped purchases swinging on each arm. A good note about Le Marais is that as it is a mostly Jewish neighborhood, most of the shops in Le Marais are open on Sundays. The stores in this area are intimate, boutique, "Parisian" style clothing stores. You will no doubt find something along each street, and it is always well worth the look. Other great areas to shop around are the area Sèvres Babylone (Métro Line 10 and Line 12). It is in this area you will find the Le Bon Marché 7th, particularly rue du Cherche Midi 6th. The area boasts some of the major fashion houses (Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, etc) and also has smaller private boutiques with handmade clothing. In the Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés, you can find a handful of vintage clothing shops, carrying anything from couture early 20th-century dresses, to 70s Chanel sunglasses. Walking along Boulevard Saint-Germain, you will find major brands. However, if in search of eclectic finds, opt to walk the northern side of the Boulevard, especially along rue Saint André des Arts, where you can always find a nice café to stop in. The area south of Saint-Germain is just as nice and comes with a price tag to match. In the artsy quarters of 1 and 4, there are many bargains to be had, once again, if you are prepared to look. Souvenirs are easily found and can be fairly inexpensive as long as you don't buy from the tourist sites. For cheap books of French connection, try the University/Latin quarter as they sell books in all languages starting from half a euro each. Flea Markets[edit]Paris has three main flea markets, located on the outskirts of the central city. The most famous of these is the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen (Porte de Clignancourt) (Clignancourt Flea Market), Métro: Porte de Clignancourt, just across the Périphérique from the 18th, a haven for lovers of antiques, second-hand goods and retro fashion. The best days to go are Saturday and Sunday. Note that there are particular times of the week when only antique collectors are allowed into the stalls, and there are also times of the day when the stall owners take their Parisian Siesta and enjoy a leisurely cappuccino for an hour or so. The best times to visit the flea markets are in the spring and summertime when the area is more vibrant. In and around the metro station, you may find the area a little wild but still safe. A very attractive antiques market in the Marche aux puces de Saint-Ouen is the "Marche Dauphine" on 138 rue des Rosiers,Saint-Ouen. This market is covered so you can go there by all weather and you'll find a large selection of goods, as many as 200 dealers under the same roof. The biggest store of vintage luggage is there selling fabulous vintage Louis Vuitton and Goyard trunks as well as aviation furniture, 1930's ocean liner wardrobes, and fabulous chandeliers. In this market, there are specialized jewelers, classic French antique dealers, paintings dealers, and textile dealers. It's the most versatile market inside the flea market. Musical Instruments[edit]Rue de Rome, situated near Gare St. Lazare, is crowded with luthiers, brass and woodwind makers, piano sellers, and sheet music stores. Métro: Europe (Ligne 3). The area south of the metro station Pigalle is also packed with music shops (more oriented towards guitars and drums). Artwork[edit]For art lovers, be sure to check out Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which is renowned for its galleries, and it is impossible to turn a street without finding a gallery to cast your glance in. On Fridays, most are open until late. Most even have the benefit of bottles of wine so you can wander in with your glass of wine and feel very artistique. Great roads to walk along are rue de Seine, rue Jacob, rue des Beaux Arts, Rue Bonaparte, and Rue Mazarine. Also, be sure to visit the historical district of Montparnasse and quartier Vavin where painters like Modigliani, Gauguin, and Zadkine used to work. Eat[edit]
The restaurant trade began here just over 220 years ago and continues to thrive. It may, however, come as a surprise that Paris isn't considered the culinary capital of France; rather some people prefer the French cooking found in small rural restaurants, outside of the city, closer to the farms, and with their focus on freshness and regional specialties. Even amongst French cities, Paris has long been considered by some people as second to Lyon for fine dining. There have been other challenges in the last 20 years or so as restaurateurs in places like San Francisco and Sydney briefly surpassed their Parisian forebears - again with an emphasis on freshness of ingredients, but also borrowings from other cuisines. Parisian cooks didn't just rest on their laurels during this time, rather they traveled, taught, and studied and together with Paris's own immigrant communities, have revitalized the restaurant trade. Today you can find hundreds of beautiful restaurants with thoughtful (or just trendy) interior design and well-planned and executed cartes and menus offering a creative mélange of French and exotic foreign cuisines. It's safe to say that Paris is once again catching up with or edging ahead of its Anglophone rivals. Of course, there are also some traditional offerings and for the budget-conscious, there are hundreds of traditional bistros, with their pavement terraces offering a choice of fairly simple (usually meat-centered) meals for reasonable prices. For the uninitiated, it is, unfortunately, possible to have a uniformly poor dining experience during a stay in Paris, mainly because many attractions are situated in upmarket areas of town and that mass tourism attracts price gougers. It is frequent to hear of people complaining of very high Parisian prices for poor food and poor service because they always tried to eat close to major tourist magnets. For good food and great service, try to go eat where the locals eat, away from tourist attractions. Many restaurants are tiny and have tables close together - space is at a premium and understandably restaurateurs need to make the most of limited space. In some cases when the restaurant is crowded, you may have to sit beside strangers at the same table. If that does not appeal to you, go to a more upmarket place where you will pay for the extra space. Trendy restaurants often require reservations weeks, if not months in advance. If you haven't planned far enough ahead, try to get a reservation for lunch which is generally easier and less expensive. For an easy-to-manage eating budget while in Paris, consider:
If one of the aims of your trip to Paris is to indulge in its fine dining, though, the most cost-effective way to do this is to make the main meal of your day lunch. Virtually all restaurants offer a good prix-fixe deal. By complementing this with a bakery breakfast and a light self-catered dinner, you will be able to experience the best of Parisian food and still stick to a budget. Be warned that many restaurants like the rest of France close during August for the holidays. Be sure to check out the website of your restaurant of choice or to give them a call. Self catering[edit]Budget travelers will be very pleased with the range and quality of products on offer at the open-air markets (e.g. the biggest one on Boul Richard Lenoir (near the Bastille), Rue Mouffetard, Place Buci, Place de la Madeleine, and over the Canal Saint-Martin in the 11th or in any other arrondissement). If your accommodation has cooking facilities you're set, especially for wine and cheese, a decent bottle of French wine will set you back all of about €3-5, while the fairly good stuff starts at around €7. Bottles for less than €3 will be drinkable but rather rough; bottles of less than €1.50 are not recommended. Keep in mind that the small épiceries which open until late are more expensive than the supermarchés (Casino, Monoprix, Franprix, etc). For wine, the price difference can be up to €2. Buy a baguette, some cheese, and a good bottle of wine and join the Parisian youth for a pique-nique along the Seine (especially on the Île Saint-Louis) or along the Canal Saint-Martin. The finest food stores are Lafayette Gourmet in the Galeries Lafayette or La Grande Epicerie in the luxury department store Le Bon Marché. They are worth discovering. You will find a large variety of wines there, otherwise, try wine stores such as Nicolas or Le Relais de Bacchus (all over the city). Some specialities[edit]For seafood lovers, Paris is a great place to try moules frites (steamed mussels and French fries) (better in fall and winter), oysters, sea snails, and other delicacies. Meat specialties include venison (deer), boar, and other game (especially in the fall and winter hunting season), as well as French favorites such as lamb, veal, beef, and pork. Prices[edit]Eating out in Paris can be expensive. However, don't believe people when they say you can't do Paris on the cheap - you can! The key is to stay away from the beaten tracks and the obviously expensive Champs Elysées. Around the lesser visited quarters especially, there are many cheap and yummy restaurants to be found. The key is to order from the prix-fixe menu, and not off the A la Carte menu unless you want to pay an arm and a leg. In many places, a three-course meal can be found for about €15. This way you can sample the food cheaply and is usually more "French". Ask for "une carafe d'eau" (oon karaaf doe) to get free tap water. Halal dining[edit]Lots of Halal restaurants are scattered all over Paris; from Pakistan cuisine to Indian naan bread, Moroccan, Indonesian, Lebanese, Turkish baklawa to even fried chicken - all can be found in many Halal restaurants. Champs Elysées has some restaurants towards the arc, the rest are scattered all over the city. A simple Google search would find many. Japanese cuisine[edit]There is a Japanese district in the 1st arrondissement centered around rue Sainte Anne where you'll find many authentic Japanese restaurants. Kosher dining[edit]Paris has the largest number of Kosher restaurants in any European city. Walk up and down Rue des Rosiers to see the variety and choices available from Israeli, Sushi, Italian, and others. See the district guides for examples. Vegetarian dining[edit]For vegetarians, eating traditional French food will require some improvisation, as it is heavily meat-based. That being said, Paris has several excellent vegetarian restaurants. Look for spots such as Aquarius in the 14th, and Le Grenier de Notre-Dame in the 5th, or La Victoire Suprême du Coeur in the 1st just to name a few. See the arrondissement pages for more listings. For fast food and snacks, you can always find a vegetarian sandwich or pizza. Even a kebab shop can make you something with just cheese and salad, or perhaps falafel. There are also lots of Italian, Thai, Indian, and Mezo-American places where you will have a little problem. The famous South Indian chain Saravana Bhavan have their branch near Gare Du Nord. In Rue des Rosiers (4th arrondissement) you can get delicious falafel in the many Jewish restaurants. Another place to look for falafel is on Rue Oberkampf (11th arrondissement). Takeaway falafel usually goes for €5 or less. Moroccan and Algerian cooking is common in Paris - vegetarian couscous is lovely. Another good option for vegetarians - is traiteurs, particularly around Ledru Rollin (down the road from Bastille) take away food where you can combine a range of different options such as pomme dauphinoise, dolmas, salads, vegetables, nice bread and cheeses and so on. Lebanese restaurants and snack shops abound as well, offering a number of vegetarian mezze, or small plates. The stand-bys of course are hummas, falafel, and baba-ganouche (caviar d'aubergine). A good place to look for Lebanese is in the pedestrian zone around Les Halles and Beaubourg in the 1st and 4th. Tourists and locals[edit]When you are looking for a restaurant in Paris, be wary of those where the staff speaks English a bit too readily. These restaurants are usually - but not always - geared towards tourists. It does make a difference in the staff's service and behavior whether they expect you to return or not. If a restaurant advertises that it has menus in several different languages, this is often not a good sign. Sometimes the advertised fixed price tourist menus (€10-15) are a good deal. If you're interested in the really good and more authentic stuff (and if you have learned some words of French) try one of the small bistros where the French go during lunchtime. Drink[edit]The bar scene in Paris really does have something for everyone, from bars that serve drinks in baby bottles to ultra-luxe clubs that require some name dropping or card (black Amex) showing, and clubs where you can dance like no one's watching (although they will be). To start your night out right, grab a drink or two in a ubiquitous dive bar before burning up the dance floor and spreading some cash at one of the trendy clubs.
For individual bar listings see the various Arrondissement pages under Get around. Of course, there are lots of interesting places which are sort of off on their own outside of these clusters, including a few like the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz which are not to be missed in a serious roundup of Parisian drinking, so check out the listings even in those arrondissements we haven't mentioned above. Some nightclubs in Paris that are worth it: Folies Pigalle (pl. Pigalle, 18th, very trashy, €20), Rex Club (near one of the oldest cinemas on earth, the Grand Rex, house/electro, about €15). You might also want to try Cabaret (Palais Royal), Maison Blanche, le Baron (M Alma-Marceau). Remember when going out to dress to impress, you are in Paris! Torn clothing and sneakers are not accepted. The better you look, the more likely you will get past the random decisions of club bouncers. Also important to remember if male (or in a group of guys) that it will be more difficult to enter clubs; try to always have an equal male/female ratio. Sleep[edit]Paris hotels, almost without regard to category or price, observe high and low seasons. These differ slightly from one hotel to another, but usually, the high season roughly corresponds to late spring and summer, and possibly a couple of weeks around the Christmas season. Be aware that when a hotel is listed in any guide or website this will eventually make it a bit harder to get a room at that hotel. That means that you will probably need to book ahead, especially in the high season. However, if they don't have a room they sometimes know another place close by that does have a room available. When two people are traveling together it can be a much better deal to find a hotel room than to get 2 hostel beds. More privacy for less money. For individual hotel, listings see the various Arrondissement pages. For those who are staying for a while renting a furnished apartment might be a more comfortable and money-saving option. Furnished apartments differ considerably in quality, so it is important to choose carefully. There are a huge number of websites in the business of helping you find one, but most charge a steep commission of 10% or more. Be aware that some agencies, which seem very flexible, actually do not abide by French law and do not carefully select the landlords and apartments they offer for rent. There are a certain number of guarantees, which are required in France before renting an apartment, and an insurance policy, which aims at protecting the tenants during their stay. Stay safe[edit]Paris is considered as a quite safe city. You can wander in almost every district with a very low risk of mugging. However, some areas are safer than others. Paris is generally considered to be one of the safer cities in Europe and a very safe one to visit, and most travelers will not run into any problems. The biggest problem one may face while in Paris is pickpockets and scammers, of which there are many. Many perpetrators aim to be undetected, so direct confrontation and muggings are uncommon. Violent crime is very rare, especially in the city center. The most common targets are those with suitcases and backpacks, i.e. tourists. They are also likely to be found at any area with large crowds, such as train stations and large department stores. In order to stay safe, make sure your belongings are always safe. The police can be reached by phone by dialing 17. Not all police officers speak English, but those found around main attractions areas usually do. The police pride themselves on being approachable and professional and will be more than willing to help you. Respect[edit]Paris has, in some respects, an atmosphere closer to that of New York than to that of a European city; which is to say, hurried, and businesslike. Parisians have, among the French too, a reputation for being rude and arrogant. Some of their reputation for brusqueness may stem from the fact that they are constantly surrounded by tourists, who can sometimes themselves seem rude and demanding. Remember that most people you'll encounter in the street are not from the tourism industry and are probably on their way to or from work or business. This is not to say that Parisians are in fact, by nature, rude. On the contrary: there are a considerable number of rules defining what is rude and what is polite in Parisian interpersonal relationships; if anything, the Parisians are more polite than most. Thus, the best way to get along in Paris is to be on your best behavior, acting like someone who is "bien élevé" (well brought up) will make getting about considerably easier. Parisians' abrupt exteriors will rapidly evaporate if you display some basic courtesies. A simple "Bonjour, Madame" when entering a shop, for example, or "Excusez-moi" when trying to get someone's attention, is very important; say "Pardon" or better "je suis désolé" if you bump into someone accidentally or make other mistakes; if you speak French or are using a phrasebook remember to always use the vous form when addressing someone you don't know, may transform the surliest shop assistant into a smiling helper or the grumpiest inhabitant to a helpful citizen. Courtesy is extremely important in France (where the worst insult is to call someone "mal élevé", or "badly brought up"). If you only learn one long phrase in French a good one would be "Excusez-moi de vous déranger, monsieur/madame, auriez-vous la gentillesse de m'aider?" (pardon me for bothering you, sir/madam, would you have the kindness to help me?) - this level of extreme politeness is about the closest one can come to a magic wand for unlocking Parisian hospitality. If you know some French, try it! In addition, if you are traveling to or from the airport or train station and have luggage with you, make certain that you are not blocking the aisles in the train by leaving your bags on the floor. The RER B (which links both Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports to the city) has luggage racks above the seats; it is best to use them so you do not block the path of a local who is getting off the train before the airport stop. On the Métro and especially in the RER, please don't take up extra seats with your luggage. There are luggage racks and spaces between the seats. Also, note that use of the folding seats on the Métro is not permitted during peak hours. Be aware that there are hefty fines for littering in Paris, especially with dog droppings; however, enforcement is quite lax in some areas. Contact[edit]One helpful thing about having official and numbered districts in Paris is that you can easily tell which arrondissement an address is in by its postal code, and can easily come up with the postal code for a Paris address if you know its arrondissement. The rule is just pre-pend 750 or 7500 to the front of the arrondissement number, with 75001 being the postal code for the 1st and 75011 being the postal code for the 11th, and so on. The 16th has two postal codes, 75016 for the portion south of Rue de Passy and 75116 to the north; all other arrondissements only have one postal code. Phone cards are available from most "Tabacs" but make sure you know where you can use them when you buy them, as some places still sell the cartes cabines which are hard to use as cabines are rare. The city of Paris provides free Internet access via 400 Wi-Fi access points throughout the city, including many public parks. Look for the network called 'Orange' on your laptop or PDA device. Other options include Starbucks, which is often free. There is also McDonald's, Columbus Café, and certain Indiana Café locations. There is also the Wistro network, which independent coffee chains offer. You can rent a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot (4G/LTE) for a short-term period at a reasonable price. Some companies provide unlimited internet for the duration you need in Paris (from 5€ per day). It is delivered to your hotel or at the airport. A good solution to stay connected, and place international calls with your favorite Apps. INSIDR Paris has also recently launched a new service aimed at foreign travelers (from 6€ per day). They provide a smartphone rental service that includes unlimited calls, 4G data, and a WI-FI Hotspot. The phone itself is also a complete digital guide, with maps of Paris, self-guided walks in the city, and real-time access to a community of locals to ask questions and get advice. LEBARA SIM cards are easy to procure, very cheap, and come with generous data allowances. €29 will get you a sim card, 3 GB of data, and unlimited calls to other Lebara phones. (as of July 2015. Shops selling these SIMs are all around most train stations in Paris). If you are staying for some time in Paris it is advisable to buy a prepaid SIM card for your phone so that incoming calls are free. Additionally, French businesses and individuals are unlikely to want to call an international number to get a hold of you as there will be a stiff charge to them. Most service providers such as (Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom) supply SIM cards in shops, but be aware that the credit expires very quickly when you do not top-up. If you want to sort out your phone before you leave, LeFrenchMobile provides a prepaid service for foreigners coming to France. You do not always need identification at the point-of-purchase but you need to behave your personal details (including an address - your hotel address will do) at hand to activate a SIM service, even on prepaid lines. Cope[edit]Although known as the fashion capital, Paris is actually quite conservative in dress. So if you go out in bright colors expect to be stared at. Dressing this way in certain arrondissements, such as 9th and 18th, may attract unwanted attention. Also, be aware that men in France (and men in Europe more generally) do not usually wear shorts shorter than above the knee outside of sporting events. It is not considered indecent but may stand out from the locals; shorts are for "schoolboys and football (soccer) players" only. Lost property[edit]The Parisian police préfecture runs Europe's largest lost property service. Public transport and tourist attractions generally hold onto objects for five days before handing them in. Remember to bring identification and any relevant information (IMEI for phones, taxi number, etc.). You may have to pay a charge of €11.
Airlines[edit]
Embassies[edit]
Get out[edit]
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
