One of my favorite things to say is "Oh la la" and I say it quite often in Paris....
As the song goes "I love Paris in the springtime!" I even love it in the autumn and winter... I even like it quite a lot in the summer in spite of the crowds of tourists and heat. To tell you the truth I've never felt like a tourist in Paris I've always felt at home. I've been to Paris dozens of times and each trip has been a new experience filled with new discoveries and friendships. I mentioned previously in Customs And Intimidation a little about customs and perhaps etiquette is not the right phrase but more of a standard of behavior that has served me well in my visits.
So to start off... you are at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport with your luggage and hopefully a reservation for a room at a hotel or an apartment in Paris.( I really can't give any hotel advice as I've only been a registered guest at Hotel Lutetia and is currently closed for renovations) I've slept or spent the night at many others (because when I was single I made friends very easily sometimes) The best way to get there is by the express train from CDG to the Gare du Nord station in Paris. If you take an express RER train it should take you about 20 minutes or so... if you take a Metro train it will make more stops and you will get into the city in about 35 minutes. You can buy tickets at the airport or any Metro or RER station. ( Briefly RER is the Reseau Express Regionale and is the regional train for the area and the Metro is the Metropolitan Railway or subway as most of the line runs underground) You can find them looking for these symbols...
Perhaps one of the most important things to know is that you can get around Paris easily by walking and using the Metro system but it's very important to understand the way the city is designed in that Paris is divided into 20 Arrondissements (districts or neighborhoods) and further divided into quarters as seen below--- and the second most important thing when deciding on a hotel is that you need to carefully consider if you want to be in a prime location or want accommodations outside the heart of the city that are less expensive.
Directly above are the four quarters of Arrondissement 1. Understanding this fundamental difference in the way the city is laid out will make navigating it much easier I suggest you acquire a simple map of the city before your trip; it's also important to understand what side of the river (Seine) you are on--- the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) and Right Bank (Rive Droite) very simply the Right Bank is very chic and elegant and luxurious and The Left Bank is known as the Parisians Paris as it is more casual and free spirited.... I'm going to briefly explain a little bit about each part of the city and some of the things I like about each... but it's important for you to know I'm not going give many recommendations of places to go and things to do because I tend to go for a lot of outdoor activities(weather permitting) and museums and frankly my shopping excursions have shifted as I've gotten older from fashion to culinary goods and instruments and books and fabric... but once and a while I come across a little frock I can't resist.
Arrondissement
- This is the heart of Paris and is home to many historical buildings including The Louvre, Jardins Tuileries and the Place Vendome and Palais Royal. I alway start and end any trip to Paris with a stroll through here...
Place De La Concorde
- This is the business district and stock exchange as well as the garment district, it's not the most exciting part of the city but it's safe and accommodations are reasonably priced. If you are looking to buy fabric be mindful of the signs that say Vente En Gros (Wholesale Only) if you can circumnavigate that be sure you have cash to pay.
- & 4. The Marais is Gay-Friendly and artistic and has a wonderful Jewish quarter with great shops and restaurants... I highly recommend a visit to Musee Picasso. The heart of Medieval Paris... here you find Notre Dame, St. Chappele and the National Museum of Art this area flows into the Place des Vosges considered the most beautiful square in Europe... filled with wonderful shops and restaurants.
5. This part of The Left Bank is known as The Latin Quarter because once the students and professors at Universite de Sorbonne spoke Latin. It's still considered the intellectual center of Paris and has an eclectic collection of shops, clubs and restaurants and L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts. If you think about this from a fashion point of view Yves Saint Laurent went Rive Gauche in 1966 with his more affordable ready-to-wear line and many others followed; you may find the ambience on rue de Grenelle is generally a bit warmer than the other side of the river.
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| Rue Mouffetard |
6. Germain de Pres This area is close to Luxembourg Gardens and offers food aficionados wonderful food shops and cafes.
7. Invalides... the question I'm most often asked is where is the Eiffel Tour or LeTour Eiffel as it's referred to in Paris can be found here.
8. Champs Elysees... Here is where the Fashionistas from around the world go to find the finest, most luxurious hotels, clothing, jewelry perfume and restaurants in what is called Promenade Golden Triangle--- If you are intimidated by the area (I've heard many people express this; just remember to look and act the part or keep in mind that many of the Couture fashion houses have smaller user friendly boutiques selling ready-to-wear on Rue de Faubourg-Saint Honore. On the other side of Champs Elysee are fast food restaurants and shops catering to tourists. If you are looking for a bite to eat I suggest the smaller streets off Champs Elysees.
The Triangle is easy to follow because it consists of three main streets; Montaigne, rue Francois 1 er and Avenue George V. The Metro stop is Alma-Marceau. If you want to take a boat ride on the Seine the Bateaux Mouches is about five minutes from the Metro stop.
9. Opera is a juxtaposition of the most elegant and tawdry elements found in Paris, here you will find Moulin Rouge, Palais Garnier and the Paris Opera House... be sure to visit Garnier for the over the top decor and the painted Chagall ceiling.
10. Republique here there are restaurants and shops that line the canal St. Martin and the streets are car free Saturday afternoon and evening and all day Sunday. Here you will find the two train stations that you may use at some point during your stay; Gar du Nord (RER) and Gar de l'Est (Metro).
11. Bastille was once a very drab neighborhood but it's been revived and becoming quite popular as it's very safe and a less expensive choice for living quarters and accommodations than other areas of the city.
12. Bercy has been revitalized and it's the new and trendy area and some are calling it the "New Saint-Germain" (to give you an idea it's about a 10 minute metro ride on the #14 from the center of the city.
13. Bibliotheque de France is mostly residential but has the Montparnasse tower, Cite Universitaire and some lovely shops and restaurants.
14 & 15 is Montparnasse and it's a lovely residential neighborhood but has little to offer a visitor or tourist.
16. Passy is another wonderful mostly residential part of town but has beautiful boulevards and parks and you can get a fabulous view of Le Tour Eiffel from Place de Trocadero---
17. Batignoles again is mostly residential.
18. Montmarte is everything you have ever heard, it's somewhat bohemian and known as a favorite of artists, authors and musicians,... there are a lot of fun shops (I've found interesting fabric and unusual buttons here) It was also the only time I've ever had my pocket picked... it's very crowded so mind your valuables and enjoy the fun.
19. La Villette is a wonderful ethnically diverse part of the city where the the Museum of Science and Industry is located.... there are loads of wonderful African and Middle Eastern shops and restaurants and sometimes in nice weather fairs and street bazaars selling spices and interesting kitchen gadgets.
20. Menilmontant is another ethnically and culturally diverse area and if you want to visit the Pere Lachaise Cemetery you can see where Oscar Wilde. Isadora Duncan. Collette, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrisaon have been laid to rest and I recommend you buy a map or take a tour to save time.
OK there you have it... but I'll let you in on a few secrets... If you want to go to the Louvre Museum, buy a guided tour ahead of time and skip the long line. (because there always is a line) If you are want to buy last years fashions at fraction of the price discount stores exist off the beaten path I have bought Courreges in a shop in Les Halles and Azzedine Alaia had a place in the 7th arrondissement near the Solferino Metro stop and in the 14th arrondissement; Cacharrel Stock was near the Alesia Metro stop;I'm sure others still exist I just have not sought them out recently. Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and Le Bon Marche will give you a 10% discount if you show them a foreign passport and they have wonderful kitchen and culinary departments as well as renowned gourmet- food halls. And last but by no means least there is a world renowned flea market at Porte de Clignancourt/Saint-Ouen that attracts antique dealers from all over the world. Friday (supposedly for dealers only) and Saturday starting at the crack of dawn are comprised of 10 markets with countless stalls in each that go from top condition gallery quality to shabby memorabilia. If you are going by train it's about a 15-20 minute walk from the Clignancourt station on the outskirts of Paris. If you are driving by car go early because parking is limited. Don't be put off when you get there as the start is mostly used clothing... you have to pass through this part of the market to get to the good sections... some people are flexible with prices and some of the higher end stalls except credit cards but I recommend you come carrying a wad of cash because it's easier to bargain that way.
I also recommend going to Versailles as it's only about an hour from Paris--- honestly If I spent a year in Paris I still don't think I could experience everything it has to offer and each time I go back I always find something new and exciting--- I have to confess I've also used Paris as the starting and/or ending point for other travel itineraries...
Paris to Deauville--- 2 hours
Paris to Cannes--- 6 hours
Paris to Brussels--- 2 hours
Paris to London--- 2 hours+
Paris to Amsterdam --- 3 1/2 hours
I once made the mistake of going to Megeve to ski by going through Paris and taking the train to Megeve and it took longer than the flight from New York. If you want to go to Megeve go via Geneva.
Nobody has ever sang it better than Josephine Baker... "Jai deux amours, mon pays et Paris!"
On Paris I agree with Ernest Hemingway... There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who visits differs from any others... and it truly is "A Movable Feast"!
Bon Voyage... See you next week!
