From A to Z, the Paris glossary
Auction sales
Drouot , 9 rue Drouot 75009 Paris - tel: 33 1 48 00 20 20
Sothebys
Christies
Batobus
A nice way to transport oneself through Paris: a shuttle-boat service on the Seine operating from may to september from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame with several stops on the way.
Business hours
Most services, shops, and business are open all day from 8 or 9 am to 6.30 or 7.30 pm
Sunday & Monday are standard closing days for shops but many of them tend to open on Monday nowadays.
The standard banking hours are 9 am-4.30pm closed Saturday and Sunday.
Museums basic hours : open between 9 and 10 am and close between 5 and 6 pm, closing day being tuesday or monday.
According to the season the monuments opening hours, usually similar to the museum's ones, can change.
Camping
There is only one camping site within Paris: Bois de Boulogne Camp Site ***
tel: 33 1 45 24 30 00
In the suburb:
- East of Paris Camping du Tremblay tel: 33 1 43 97 43 97
- South of Paris Camping-Caravaning de Choisy le Roi Tel :33 1 48 90 92 30
- West of Paris Camping de Versailles Tel : 33 1 39 51 23 61
Credit Card (lost or stolen).
American Express: Tel : +33 1 47 77 72 00
Diner's Club : Tel : +33 1 49 06 17 50
JCB : Tel : +33 1 42 86 06 01
Master/EuroCard : Tel : +33 145 67 84 84
Visa : Tel : +33 8 36 69 08 80
Currency Exchange
You'll find exchange offices on the Champs Elysées, rue de Rivoli, near the Opera, in Montmartre. Rates and commission vary greatly and "commission-free" agencies may be charging inflated rats, so examine both carefuly before changing your money.
American Express : 11 rue Scribe 75009 Paris - Tel: + 33 1 47 77 77 58
Customs
The Single European Market allows to bring in and take out most things as long as taxes have been paid on them in an EU country and they are for personal consumption. Limits still apply to drink and tobacco bought in duty
free shops: 200 cigarettes, 250g tobacco or 50 cigars; 1 litre spirits or 2 litres sparkling wine and 2 litres table wine; 60ml perfume and 250ml toilet water.
Disabled Travellers
The "Compagnons du voyage" (Travel companion), is a RATP & SNCF service offering travellers with reduced autonomy the possibility to be accompanied in the métro, RER, bus and trains. This service costs 60F/hour in the parisian area.
Information: +33 1 45 83 67 77
For blind people a Braille métro map, obtainable from Association Valentin Haûy ; ask for Guide du Métropolitain et du RER intégral en Braille
Price: 5 euros order to Service des Ventes AVH 5, rue Duroc 75007 Paris
For transport with special vehicles for wheelchairs contact the following companies and associations:
- GIHP: +33 1 41 83 15 15
- AMHAP: +33 1 42 80 40 20
- ASA: +33 1 42 03 61 67
- AIHROP: +33 1 41 29 01 29
- AMP: +33 1 48 58 86 95
Electricity
220V out of double, round pin wall sockets.
Emergency phone numbers
Police: 17.
Ambulance: 15.
Fire: 18.
Events and festivals in Paris
France Miniature
Feel like a giant in a 3h stroll through a true replica of France and its monuments at a scale of 1/30th.
Open from March 15th to Nov 16th.
25, route du Mesnil 78990 Elancourt - Tel: +33 1 30 62 40 79
Guided sightseeing tours
Cityrama
Paris Vision
Lost and Found
Bureau des objets trouvés , 36 rue des Morillons, 75015 Paris - Metro: Convention - Tel: 08 21 00 25 25
Markets
Local markets
Fruits & vegetables, dairy products, sea-food,... have a taste of a typical parisian roots atmosphere ! Weekdays or week-ends, every district has got his own market, here is a mini-selection :
- Marché Mouffetard
On sunday morning along the lower rue Moufetard 5th district. Dont miss this very colourful market, you can even join in the spontaneous choir singing traditional parisian tunes at the corner of rue de l'Arbalète, unless you prefer to sip your coffee at the sunny café-terrace facing it.
- Marché d'Aligre
A really cosmopolitan market and one of the cheapest in town. Open six days a week (closed Monday), place d'Aligre 75012 Paris.
- Marché Montorgueil
Rue Montorgueil 2nd district, in the heart of Paris (Les Halles), regional products displayed like in the good old days, open daily.
Organic markets
In french, "Marché Bio" for biologique.
- Marché Raspail 6th arr.
At the corner of rue de Vaugirard on saturday morning, a joyful crowd mixing alternative freaks with new-age and/or health-food yuppies...
- Boulevard des Batignolles between nos. 27 & 48, 8th arr. on Sat from 8:30
am
Flea markets
"Chiner" in the "Marché aux Puces" is a popular parisian week-end activity, unearthing antics and all kind of bric-à-brac as well as second-hand clothing. A nice stroll into popular parisian folklore, right outside of Paris city limits,
- St Ouen
From Porte de St Ouen to Porte de Clignancourt 18th arr. Sat. Sun.&Mon. 9am to 6pm.
Fleas are jumping along the boulevard périphérique and way deep into the town of St Ouen. The oldest and most popular flea market of Paris divided in several markets, second-hand or brand new cloth, military surplus in Marché Malik, antics in Marché Serpette and others. A full range of display from scraps to luxurious antiquaries is what characterises St Ouen flea market.
- Montreuil
Sat., Sun.&Mon. 7:30am to 5pm
Exotic fleas, from Africa mostly, old clothes as well as second hand goods of all kind, "les Puces de Montreuil" take you back to the roots of flea market, as St Ouen used to be in the old days.
- Vanves
Sat.&Sun. 8.30am to 1pm.
Real bric à brac, very popular among neighbouring africans, a lot of bargains.
Postal Stamps
Rond-point des Champs-Elysées, 8th arr. Every Thurs., Sat.&Sun. and public holidays from 10am to sunset.
This is where philatelists, postcards and coins collectors, professionals & amateurs display their collections, buy and sell, Rond-point des Champs-Elysées.
Flowers Market
Several flower markets, open Tues.through Sat,the most famous ones are :
. Place Louis Lépine, Ile de la Cité
. Place de la Madeleine
. Place des Ternes
Birds Market
These bird-markets are located pretty close to each other :
. Place Louis Lépine, Ile de la Cité 75004 Paris, next to the flower market, Sun 9am to 7pm
Quai de la Mégisserie 1er arr. (Seine Banks), is made of a series of pets shops open every day.
Books Market
This book market is also an antique one, 87, rue Brancion Paris 75015
Sat & Sun 9:30am-6pm.
Fabric and clothing market
Carreau du temple, rue Perrée 75003 Paris.
A traditional roofed market like one can still find in middle-east with excellent bargains.
Marché St Pierre 75018 Paris
The famous Montmartre store displaying clothing, tapestry and curtain fabric, suiting every wallet.
Movies
The Cinémas of Paris are the envy of the movie-going world. Of course, like anywhere else you can see big budget first-run films.
Many non-French movies are subtitled (called "version originale" or "VO"). Still it's probably a good idea to be sure of a movie having subtitles if your French is not adequate to follow fast conversations.
There are any number of ways to find out what's playing, but the most commonly used guide is online like Allocine, which has information on all cinema in France.
Natural Park
Rural areas represent three quarters of the Ile de France (surrounding area of Paris), to maintain a good ecological balance two parks have been created :
The Parc Naturel Regional du Vexin Francais in the North-west of Paris.
The Parc Naturel Regional de la Haute Vallee de Chevreuse (South-west of Paris).
Omnimax cinema
Seats right at the heart of the image and sounds effects to visit natural
wonders, fly over fantastic landscapes discovering what the human eye is
unable to see.
"La Geode" 26 av Corentin Cariou 75019 Paris - Tel: +33 1 40 15 12 12
Paris Apartment
Situated on the first floor (one floor up) of a charming building with its own lift, this apartment had been completely renovated by us and transformed into a designer studio. Despite being right in the heart of the Paris life (one minute from the Pompidou Centre) it is extremely calm, situated on a paved interior courtyard. The apartment sleeps a maximum of two people.
Phone (Telephone)
To call France from abroad after dialing the international prefix dial 33 then the last nine digits of the requested number (forget about the first zero).
Phone numbers beginning with 0800 are Toll Free and valid only within France.
To call abroad from France dial 00 then the country code
Phone-booth: you can receive calls wherever there is a blue logo with a ringing bell on the phone booth.
Coin boxes being phased out, you better buy phone-cards. They are available in tobacco shops,newspaper-shops and post offices.
Cellular phones owners can buy phone-cards in "France-Telecom" shops and in tobacco shops.
Telegrams: from France to any foreign country,including french territory and departments oversea, dial "green number" (free toll number): 0 800 33 44 11
Interpret on the phone: 72 languages with a maximum delay of 24 hours for rare languages.
Charge:10 euros (according to language required) + taxes/minute + cost of the international communication.
Free Toll from France, Green Number 0 800 25 76 90
From outside of France +33 1 43 90 48 99
Post
In french ask for:"La Poste" or " Le bureau de Poste?"
The postcode's two first numbers designate the French department as written on vehicles licence plates. Paris is a department by itself and is divided in arrondissements (districts), the final or two last numbers are significant of the arrondissement Ex: the XIV th arrondissement becomes 75014 Paris.
Main post-office 52, rue du Louvre, is open 24 hours a day for Telephone and Poste Restante. For this service letters should be addressed (preferably with the surname underlined and in capitals) to Poste Restante, 52, rue du Louvre, 75001 Paris.
Other post offices are open 8am-7pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am-noon on Saturday. Stamps, to avoid queuing, are also for sale in tobacco-shops.
Public holidays
January 1
Easter sunday
Easter monday
Ascension Day (forty days after Easter)
Whitsun (seventh sunday after Easter) plus the monday
May 1
May 8 (Victory Day)
July 14 (Bastille Day)
August 15 (Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
November 1 (All saints'day)
November 11 (1918 Amistice Day)
Christmas Day
Photo of Paris
Robin David
Photo Artistique Paris
Public Transports
Paris is well equipped in public transports. Administered by the state owned company RATP. You can get a map in any metro station. With one single metro ticket you can go anywhere within Paris city limits as long as you don't go out of the station where you are connecting from one line to another. That goes for Metro and RER, the ticket policy on the bus working according to sections. According to the length of your stay you better buy a pass called "Carte Orange" valid for a week or a month which gives you access to different concentrical sections from Paris city-limits towards the far suburb with intermediate sections according to your needs.
- Métro (underground)
- RER : Rapid transit commuting system within Paris and toward the suburb.
- Bus
Information on the phone
Metro, RER, Bus. RATP Information: 08 36 68 20 20
Web: www.ratp.fr
Train SNCF information 08 36 35 35 35
Web: www.sncf.fr
Radios
English programs:
- RFI: broadcast news in English from 4 to 5pm on MW 738 in Ile de France.
- Radio-France Autoroute A1: between Calais and Roissy news every hour and half hour plus traffic news every 10 mn.
Railways
Paris is equipped with 6 major railway stations each one is in charge of a particular area of France.
- Gare Saint Lazare : Normandy.
Métro: "Saint-Lazare" line 3, 12 & 13.
- Gare Montparnasse: Brittany, Atlantic coast and TGV trains to Southwest France.
Métro: "Montparnasse-Bienvenüe" line 4,12 & 13
- Gare du Nord: Northern France, Benelux via Thalys to Bruxelles and Amsterdam.U.K through the Eurostar.
Métro: "Gare du Nord" line 4 & 5. RER: line B & D.
- Gare de l'Est: Eastern France and Germany.
Métro: "Gare de l'Est" line 4,5 & 7.
- Gare de Lyon: South & Southeast of France and Europe.
Métro: "Gare de Lyon" line 1. RER: line A & D.
- Gare d'Austerlitz: Loire Valley, and ordinary trains to Southwest France,
Spain and Portugal.
Métro: "Gare d'Austerlitz" line 5 & 10. RER line C.
Rentals
- Bicycle
- Bike' n Roller Tel : 01 44 07 35 89
Paris a velo c'est sympa Tel: 33 1 48 87 60 01
Paris Bike Tel: 33 1 43 27 13 84
Paris-velo Tel: 33 1 43 37 59 22
* Roller skates :
- Bike' n Roller Tel : 01 44 07 35 89
- Franscoop Tel : 01 47 00 68 43
- Cellular Phone and office equipment for rent: Euro Exaphone tel: 33 1 44 09 77 78
- Cellular phone: Rent a Cell : Tel : 33 1 53 93 78 00
- Limousine
International Limousines Tel : 33 1 53 81 14 14
Prestige Limousines Tel : 33 1 42 50 81 81
Executive Car Carey Limousine Tel : 33 1 42 65 54 20
- Home Rental Service : 116, av.des Champs Elysees 75008 Paris - Tel : 33 1 44 21 82 38
Smoking
Since January 1, 2008, smoking is strictly prohibited in all public buildings and in all cafés, restaurants, clubs and hotels in France.
Taxes
Don't forget to collect your shopping bills and fill the appropriate form at the airport's custom office to get your taxes refunded.
Tourist Office
The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau main office, situated rue de Pyramides, will provide you with maps, information and brochures, as well as a hotel reservation service, a ticket office (for exhibitions, shows, leisure, parks...), some hints on trips and a shop.
Main office: 25 rue des Pyramides 75001 Paris.
Metro Opera or Pyramides - Tel : 08 92 68 30 00.
Other offices : 11 rue Scribe 75009 Paris, Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon, Porte de Versailles, Anvers metro station
Travel Agency
Organise your trips in Paris and France with Windward Islands Travel .
+ 33 4 93 38 12 14. info@windward-islands.travel
Visa
Citizens of EU countries, the US, Canada, New Zealand, Finland Norway and Sweden do not need any sort of visa to enter France , and can stay for up to ninety days. All other passport holders must obtain a visa before arrival in France from French Consulates in their country.
Weather
Average temperature per season
Maxi Mini
January to March 59F / 15°c 54F / 12°c
March to May 70F / 21°c 54F / 12°c
June to August 83F / 28°c 57F / 14°c
September to November 61F / 16°c 43F / 6°c
Youth Hostels
Within Paris city limits:
- Jules Ferry: 8 bd Jules Ferry 75011 Paris - Tel: 33 (0)1 43 57 55 60
- D'Artagnan: 80 rue Vitrule 75020 - Tel: 33 (0)1 40 32 34 56
Bordering Paris city:
- Cité des Sciences
24, rue des Sept Arpents 93310 Le Pre St Gervais - tel: 33 (0)1 48 43 24 11
- Léo Lagrange
107 rue Martre 92110 Clichy - tel: 33 (0)1 41 27 26 90
*Independent youth hostels:
In the Marais the association "Les Maisons Internationales de la Jeunesse et des Etudiants" has refurbished three nice old houses offering now modern comfort in centuries old stone houses. From 18 to 35 years old. Maximum length of stay: 1 week.
tel: 33 1 42 74 23 45.
- Hostel Fauconnier 11, rue du Fauconnier 75004 Paris (M°: St Paul).
- Hostel Fourcy 6, rue de Fourcy 75004 Paris (M° : St Paul).
- Hostel Maubuisson 12, rue des Barres 75004 Paris (M° : Hotel de Ville).
Zoo
Parc zoologique de Paris, 53, avenue St-Maurice - 75012 Paris - Tel : 01 44 75 20 10
How to come: M° : Porte Doree, Saint-Mande Tourelle. Bus : 46 - 86 - 325
Hours: From 9am to 6pm.
Rates: 8 €, Kids: 5 €.