Local Hero: Yann

September 28th, 2010


Our bloggers find new sources every month. We call them local hero’s, these Parisians that have an intricate knowledge of the city and are willing to share their favourite hangouts with us, often introducing the latest hot spots in town. Stay updated: follow the tips of our local hero’s.

Name: Yann S.

Age: 36’

Profession: Art Director / Journalist

Parisian since: 1992

Favourite club:

- Le Montana: 28, rue Saint-Benoit 75006 Paris. check out the photo’s here

“Just because I live next door and it’ s a hangout for the creative elite. Otherwise…”

Favourite restaurant:

- Le Chateaubriand 129, avenue Parmentier 75011 Paris. +33143574595.

“For a too good food, a trendy crowd and a supernova chef.”

Favourite terrace:

- Café de Flore: 172, boulevard Saint-Germain 75006 Paris

“By essence, le nombril du monde.”

Favourite bar:

- Experimental Cocktail Club: 37, rue Saint-Sauveur 75002 Paris.

“ Risky Cocktails, ghost chandeliers, naughty Paris.”

Favourite museum:

- Rodin Museum: 79, rue de Varenne 75007 Paris

“For its charms following the 4 seasons and for reading a book peacefully in his wild garden in the middle of the city.”

Favourite activity in town:

“Flâner (which means spending hours, talking about nothing and everything at the terrace of Cafe de Flore).”

Favourite trip as a get-away (close to Paris):

“CDG Airport, cause it’s a perfect jet-way for a real get-away.”

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Car Rentals

September 15th, 2010

picture by www.automoblog.net

Before you decide you want to rent a car in Paris, ask yourself a critical question: are you sure you really want to drive in Paris?  The public transport is extremely organised and many day trips outside Paris can also easily reached by train. Most important however: traffic in Paris is hectic (think huge roundabouts with unmarked lanes and if you can find a parking spot, parking your car will cost you a fortune.)

However… if you do plan to go far in la campagne – the rural surroundings – a car could be a good option. To rent a car in France you must be at least 20 years of age and have held a full driving license for at least a year – non-EU licence holders require an international driving permit. Insurance is obligatory, usually personal identification as well. Payment is usually to be made by credit card. Daily rentals start around 40 euro’s, week deals are often more attractive.

Companies including Easycar (often the best deals!) Autorent, Rent-a-Car and Avis rent cars from several pickup points in and around Paris and the city’s main airport.

EasyCar has 4 locations in the centre of town, as well as on the main airports

Autorent, 98 rue de la Convention, 15 ème (45 54 22 45;). Boucicaut. Also, 36 rue Fabert, 7 ème (45 55 12 54) Invalides and 60 rue Gay-Lussac, 5 ème 44 27 01 15) RER B Luxembourg. Open weekdays 8am-7pm, Saturday 8:30am-noon.

Hertz, Carrousel de Louvre (01 47 03 49 12). Louvre. Open on weekdays 8am-7pm, Saturday 8am-1pm and 2-4pm, Sunday 8am-1pm. And 15 other locations throughout town.

Rent-a-Car, 79 rue de Bercy, 12 (01 43 45 98 99) Has 14 locations throughout town.

Open Monday-Saturday 8:30am-noon and 2-6:30pm.

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Storing Luggage

September 15th, 2010


Do you have an early arrival in Paris and do you not like to make your visit a workout by having to carry around your bags before being able to check into your apartment?  Or do you have to check out and your train, bus or plane is not leaving for a while? Well, store your luggage in one of these spots and enjoy Paris as long as you want leaving all your baggage behind.

Luggage in Paris Train Stations:

Lockers are available in Gare du Nord (in the basement level close to the car rental desks), Gare de l’Est and Gare de Lyon. Small, medium and large size lockers cost € 4,50, € 7.00 and € 9,50 euros for 24 hours.  A medium locker will take one backpack or small suitcase, a large locker will take two backpacks or larger suitcases.  There are no facilities for leaving bikes, surfboards or skis.

Unfortunately the Gare Montparnasse, Gare St Lazare, Gare d’Austerlitz no longer offer luggage storage.

We also received reports of travellers that stored their luggage in a hotel without staying there but offering a tip of 5 euro.

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Cruisin’ around – Paris Bus Tours

September 15th, 2010

picture by www.travelsignposts.com
The “hop on, hop off” sightseeing busses offer a good compromise between a guided bus tour and your independence. Embark upon the open deck or inside the double-deckers and hop off once a stop is made at a place of your interest. For a small extra charge you can extend the validation of your ticket by an extra day or two. Between the stops the headphones will provide you with running commentary in your chosen language. A bus tour helps you get the most out of a short visit by giving you a good overview.

The red-and-white buses of Les Cars Rouges offers a set route of 2 hours and 15 minutes, which stops at nine locations in the city center: Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musée d’Orsay, Opéra/Galeries Lafayette Department Store, Champs-Elysées/Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais/Trocadero. A two-day adults pass costs €24 and can be purchased on the bus, but you get a 10% discount if you order online

L’OpenTour is slightly more expensive than Les Cars Rouges but covers a more complete overview of Paris by offering four sightseeing routes:

“Paris Grand Tour” (2 hours and 15 minutes, comparable with Les Cars Rouges)

“Bastille-Bercy,” (one hour, includes stops at Centre Pompidou, the Marais district, the Ile Saint Louis and Picasso Museum.)

“Montmartre-Grands Boulevards,” (one hour, includes stops at Sacre Coeur basilica, the Moulin Rouge cabaret, the Saint-Martin canal area and Grands Magasins, Paris classic department stores.)

“Montparnasse-Saint Germain” (one hour, includes stops at the Latin Quarter, Montparnasse and the Invalides)

A single pass gives you access to all four routes (as many times as you like). A one-day adult pass costs €29, and a two-day pass costs €32. Tickets can be bought on the bus or ordered online.

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Cruisin’ around – Paris Boat Tours

September 15th, 2010

picture by www.bateaux-mouches.fr


A visit to Paris is not complete without romantic boat tour on the Seine that is lined with old quays and historical bridges. A living film passes by at a pleasant pace with an informative commentary while you are enjoying lunch, dinner. It’s a quick and relaxing way to get an overview of the city as many famous sites – such the Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, the Eiffel Tower – can be viewed from the boat:

We recommend boat tour company Bateaux Mouches, an institution in Paris, that has been in operation for over 60 years,. They have a wide array of tours on offer: from an informative tour to a romantic lunch and dinner cruise or even an on-board show.

Boarding at Pont de l’Alma, 8th arrondissement (Metro Alma-Marceau, Line 9, or RER C Pont de l’Alma). Prices range from € 4 (children under 12) to € 10 for adults for a standard tour, till up to € 135 for the most exclusive package.

Other options:

Bateaux Parisiens- boarding near the Eiffel Tower

Vedettes du Ponf-Neuf – boarding near the Notre Dame

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Paris – Getting around

August 20th, 2010

Metro

Paris has one of the best metro networks in the world. If coming by airplane use this network to have yourself transported into the heart of the city within 20 minutes. If staying for a couple of days and planning to go around by public transport we advise you to by a Paris Visite Travel Card

The Paris Visite travel card is valid for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days in zones 1-3 or 1-6 (Please note: each day begins at 05:30 and ends at 05:30 the following day).

Depending on which zones you select, Paris Visite allows you to travel on:

  • metro lines;
  • RER lines (RATP and SNCF);
  • Ile-de-France bus lines (RATP and OPTILE), except those circulating on Jetbus, Allobus Roissy CDG, tourist excursion and Air France networks;
  • the Orlyval line (linking Orly Airport to the RER B);
  • the Montmartre funicular.

You can also by single tickets  for  € 1,70 (t+tickets)  that allow you to travel by public transport for 90 minutes between the first and last validation. Please note: it is not possible to make metro/bus, metro/tram, RER/bus and RER/tram connections using the same t+ ticket. Purchasing a book of  10 t+ tickets saves allows you to save 27% on the price of buying 10 individual tickets.

Enjoy the ease of this system where not a single building is further than 500 meters from a metro station. Maps are available at every station and are very simple to read.

For more information on the public transport in Paris check: http://www.ratp.info

(Surprisingly enough the French have even translated their sites into English.)

Bicycle

However, if you prefer to remain above ground, Paris has created a very appealing alternative: Les Velib. Or, in plain English, a bicycle plan. The system works so that you can take a bike from any station you choose and deposit it in any other station of your choice. This is an ideal way of discovering Paris using the elaborate network of bicycle paths throughout the city, often following extraordinary routes. Paths along the river Seine are absolutely breathtaking.

Bicycle Plan: www.velib.paris.fr

Another alternative is to hire your own bike or scooter for a number of days.  Below a list of bike and scooter rentals:

Left Bank Scooters‎ – Vespa hire

Location: Passage Jean Nicot, 75007 Paris, France‎

Telephone: 06 82 70 13 82‎

Paris Bike Tour

Location: 38 Rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris, France‎

Telephone: 01 42 74 22 14‎

Paris Bike Company (guided tours of the Parisien countryside)

Location: 56 rue Gallieni, 92240 Malakoff, France‎

Telephone: 09 53 35 84 77‎

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Parking in Paris

August 20th, 2010

On-street parking in Paris costs around € 3,- per hour or € 20-25 per day in the numerous car parks that can be booked in advance (!) on the very informative internet site of Parking in Paris. Simply click on the type of car you are driving and the arrondisement (neighbourhood) you’re staying in, and you you’ll be directed to the process of booking.

www.parkingsdeparis.com/EN/car-reservation-map.php

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Paris: Some facts and figures

August 20th, 2010


The city of Paris is over two millenniums old and is situated upon the river Seine. It is divided into sections North and South of the Seine, more commonly known as the Rive Droite (Right Bank) and Rive Gauche (Left Bank), respectively. The city, which French people often describe as being shaped like a snail shell, is broken into 20 districts or arrondissements. The first arrondissement is at the very center of the city, near the Seine River. Subsequent arrondissements spiral out clockwise away from the center. You can easily find out what arrondissement you’re in by looking for street plaques on corner buildings. The arrondissement number is indicated above the street’s name.

Paris’ current structure can be appointed to Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Between 1852 and 1870 he was given command by Napoleon III to modernise this largely medieval city. Irregular, narrow and dirty roads and alleyways gave way to long straight, wide boulevards. Haussmann’s boulevards established the foundation of what is today the popular representation of the French capital around the world. A rational structure of these boulevards created sightlines reaching even beyond the city’s limits and giving the city it’s grandeur for which it is still renowned to this day.

Some Facts:

  • Population: Approximately 2.2 million people (3.6% of total French population)
  • Average yearly high temperature: 16 degrees C (60.8 degrees F)
  • Average yearly low temperature: 9 degrees C (48.2 degrees F)
  • Average visitors per year: Over 25 million
  • High tourist season: July and August
  • Time zone: Paris is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 9 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.
  • Currency: Euros (Universal Currency Converter)
  • Paris is the political, cultural, and intellectual capital of France.
  • Elevation: 27 meters (90 feet above sea level)
  • Surface Area: 105 square km. (41 square miles)
  • The Seine river cuts through the city center East to West. The Marne river flows through suburbs east of Paris.

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Emergencies – D’URGENCE!

August 20th, 2010

In the unfortunate case of an emergency, here are some useful numbers:

For emergency                                                                       112 (available throughout Europe)

Ambulance/paramedics                                                      15

Police (Secours)                                                                     17

Fire (Pompiers)                                                                      18

Medical assistance (SOS Médecins)                               +33 (0)1.47.07.77.77

Pharmacy assistance (SOS Pharmacies)                       +33 (0)1.45.00.35.00

Dental assistance (SOS Dentistes)                                  +33 (0)1.43.37.51.00

English-language crisis line (SOS Help)                       +33 (0)1.46.21.46.46

24-hour pharmacy (Dhéry Pharmacy)                            +33 (0)1.42.25.49.95

24-hour auto breakdown service (SOS Dépannage)    +33 (0)1.47.07.99.99

All emergency numbers can be reached from pay phones, without the use of a phone card or money.

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Arriving in Paris

August 20th, 2010

Reaching the centre of Paris is a relatively simple task. A renowned network of metro lines, train lines and roadways ease the visitor into the hub of the capital of France.

Planes

Arriving by plane you will either arrive at Charles de Gaulle or Orly. Charles de Gaulle, 25 km to the north of the city, is the larger of the two and accommodates most of the international and intercontinental flights, while Orly houses mostly domestic flights and flights from low-cost carriers. Orly lies 20km south of the city.

From Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle International Airport ( CDG )

  • RER line B offers a fast direct link to central Paris in about 35 minutes. One way fares are about €7.75.
  • Air France express bus services take between 45 and 60 minutes and cost between €10 and €12. Depending on your hotel location, you may pick the bus routes accordingly. Route 4 drop-offs are: Gare de Lyon, Gare MontParnasse, Route 2: Porte Maillot, and Etoile (Arc de Triomphe).
  • A taxi is likely to take between 40 minutes and an hour, depending on destination but allow longer at peak times as traffic can be very busy. Expect to pay around €40-€60.
  • Rental car transportation through many major agencies is available directly within CDG Terminals 1 and 2, but be aware that traffic congestion and limited parking is common within central Paris.

From Orly:

  • There is no direct rail link but the ADP shuttle bus links the SNCF (national rail network) train to Gare d’Austerlitz where connections can be made to the Metro and RER. One way bus and train tickets vary between €5.50 and €10.
  • The Orlyval shuttle bus provides a link to RER line B at Anthony station with connections to central Paris and Charles de Gaulle Airport.
  • A taxi will take between 40 and 60 minutes, depending on destination and traffic and is likely to cost between €35 and €50.

Railway Stations

France arguably has the best railway network in Europe. High-speed TGV trains provide links to all major French cities and other operators including Eurostar and Thalys run direct services to England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Gare d’Austerlitz

  • Trains run to central France, the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees.
  • RER C and Metro lines 5 and 10 stop at Gare d’Austerlitz

Gare de l’Est

  • Trains run to eastern France, Germany and Switzerland.
  • The station is also the Paris stopping point for the Venice Simplon Orient Express between London and Rome.
  • Metro lines 4, 5 and 7 stop at Gare de l’Est , the nearest RER station is Magenta (Line E) five minutes walk away.

Gare de Lyon

  • Trains run to South Eastern France and Switzerland.
  • RER line A and D, together with Metro lines 1 and 14 stop at Gare de Lyon.

Gare Montparnasse

  • Trains to West and South West France.
  • Metro lines 4, 6 12 and 13 call at Montparnasse-Bienvenue. No RER lines stop here.

Gare du Nord

  • TGV trains serve Northern France including Lille and Calais. International services by Eurostar and Thalys run to London, Brussels, The Hague, Amsterdam and Cologne.
  • Passengers travelling to London via Eurostar must pass through customs and be in possession of a valid passport.
  • Metro lines 4 and 5 together with RER lines B and D call at the station.

Gare St Lazare

  • Trains serve  Normandy
  • RER line E runs from Haussmann Saint Lazare and Metro Lines 3, 12, 13 and 14 call at the station.

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