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Courtesy of
Paris
Eiffel Tower News and Monument
Paris
Welcome to Paris! This page was designed especially for you who
may visit Paris for the first time. The idea is to give you advices
to acquaint you with the City of Light, and help you prepare for
this exciting trip. Read on!
Prepare
well for a stroll
Once you have settled down in your comfortable hotel room and
are getting ready to take your first stroll, take some time
to dress appropriately.
First, put on a really good pair of walking shoes to feel
comfortable in the Parisian streets. Walking in Paris means stopping
often to look at amazing details and buildings. This constant
stop-and-go will wear you down if you aren't comfy in your shoes.
Visiting the Eiffel Tower means waiting often over 30 minutes
to gain access to the ticket booth, then waiting some more for
the elevator on the way up, and waiting some more for the elevator
on the way down. So to your feet, a pair of good shoes will
make a big difference!
Parisian weather is fickle in springtime and during fall:
what starts out as a great clear day can turn rainy and chilly
in the afternoon. Pack a sweater and a rain breaker if you are
visiting during these seasons. Summer is usually fine (70-85°F),
August is generally hotter (80-95°F). Winter is rainy and cold,
almost as cold as in NYC.
In any case, take your umbrella along, it may become your
best friend -- especially if you intend to take pictures of everything.
Rain and camera lenses don't like each other.
Now that you're dressed and all ready to venture outside, here
are a couple of useful tips:
Avoid
taking a taxi during the day, and notably in the morning until
11:00, and in the late afternoon from 4:00 to 8:00. Streets are
jam-packed during those periods, and seeing the meter run while
you're a sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is a disheartening
experience.
Taxi
fares: taxi meters show your fare and one of three letters:
A, B, or C. If you are within Paris and on the ring outside Paris
(the peripheral boulevard), the A rate applies from 6:00 PM and
8:00 PM, and the B rate turns on from 8:00 PM till 6:00 AM. When
you leave Paris intra-muros, the driver will turn on the B rate
during the day and the C rate from 8:00 PM. If you are far from
Paris, the C rate always applies. You will pay extra for every
luggage you load in the trunk and if you take the cab from an
airport. Don't try to hail a cab in the street too close to a
train station: taxi drivers can't load passengers within a 100-meter
radius from the train stations. Go to the station taxi head instead,
or further away from the station.
French
people do lunch between 12:00 and 1:30 PM, and dinner
between 7:30 and 10:00 PM. If you wish to avoid the crowd, lunch
at 12:00 tops and dine out from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. Restaurants rarely
serve between 2:00 and 6:00 PM.
Having
a drink at the terasse of a sidewalk cafe is a necessary
experience in Paris (skip it between November and March though,except
if weather permits). However, terasse drinks are often charged
premium prices.
Although
they are saddled with a reputation, cafe waiters are not
necessarily rude: they're just in a hurry. So don't take offense
if they are impatient with you. Smile and show them what you want
on the menu. They won't return the smile, but you will get your
order quickly.
In
Parisian restaurants, it is not customary for your waiter
to come back to you once you are served to see if everything is
allright: they assume this is the case. So don't feel you are
ignored: just call the waiter when you wish to have your bread
basket replenished. If you dine out at an expensive restaurant,
waiters will tend your table diligently. Otherwise, it won't be
the case.
Gratuity:
your restaurant/cafe check already includes a 15% gratuity. If
you feel like giving an extra tip to your cafe waiter, leave EUR
1 ($.97) on the table. In a restaurant, you may leave EUR 3-5
($2.7-4.5, more if you are in an expensive place) but again, that's
not expected in either case. Your credit card receipt won't show
any gratuity line.
Armed with these few basic advices, you are ready to conquer
the asphalt. On to places to visit! Travel guide for the lovers
of Paris...Let’s discover Paris with the Parisian eyes!
www.timesofparis.com
SHOP
You can discover all the must-visit shops
in Paris, not only famous brands
but also creator's shops and small concept shops.
EAT
All
the restaurants, bistros and cafés presented here are tested by our
staff
living in Paris. From a casual French to an Upscale one, you can find the best
places to eat in Paris.
SEE
One of the most important things to do in Paris... Sightseeing!
Here you can have the updated information of Parisian
museums and monuments.
Don't forget to check it out before you leave for Paris.
EVENT
Expositions,
Opéra, Concerts, Theaters etc. There are so many things to see in
Paris. Here we introduce our selection of the interesting events for you.
PRACTICAL INFO
How can I buy a Metro ticket? Is it possible to charge the battery of my camera?
How do I get around in Paris?
If you have any of these questions, check our 'Practical
Info'.
It makes your stay in Paris much easier, without any worries.
SPECIAL
Special reports about Paris that you will never find in other sites.
Christmas lights of the department store, visit typical Parisian apartements,
interview of the creators...
DIARY
This is a kind of personal diary of Paris made by our staff. Updated often.
PARIS SEEN BY
Shots of Paris taken by our staff. You can discover many various views of this
charming town.
Paris
monuments and hallmarks
| The
Eiffel Tower |
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This world-famous landmark was built for the Universal
Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centenary of the
French Revolution. It stands 1050 ft high. Admission (elevator
to the top) is EUR 9.90 for adults, EUR 5.30 for children
under 12. Opening hours: Jan 1-Jun 13: 9:30am-11pm daily
(stairs: 9:30am-6pm); Jan 14-Aug 31: 9am-midnight daily.
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| Notre
Dame Cathedral |
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Work on the Hunchback's gothic home began in 1163 AD and
was completed circa 1345 AD. The house of God can accommodate
over 6,000 worshippers. Admission in the Cathedral is
free, going to the towers costs about EUR 6. No elevator,
people with a heart condition should abstain. Opening
hours: 8:00AM-6:45PM daily. Towers: 9:30AM-6:45PM daily.
Masses: 8AM, 9AM, 12AM, 6:45PM.
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| Champs
Elysees and the Arch of Triumph
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The Champs Elysees avenue probably only deserves its nickname
of "most beautiful avenue in the world" for its lower
section, starting Place de la Concorde and ending at Grand
Palais. The rest of the avenue mainly features overpriced
shops and restaurants - with a few exceptions in the side
streets. Walk to the Arch of Triumph, at the top of the
avenue, and visit the 50-meter high structure built to
commemorate Napoleon's victories. Admission is about EUR
6, and free for children under 12. Opening hours: 9:30AM-11:00PM
daily from April to October, and 10:00AM-11:00PM daily
from Nov-March.
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| Montmartre
and the Church of the Sacred Heart
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The Romano-Byzantine basilica crowns the Montmartre hill.
Its construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914.
Admission is free, except for the crypt and dome (about
EUR 5). For a fun ride, go to the Anvers metro station,
walk to "Rue Tardieu" and take the "funiculaire" (a one-car
train which brings you almost to the top of the hill).
Montmartre itself used to be a village outside Paris.
The hill is famous for its architectural landmarks, its
artistic life, and more recently, for 'Amelie'. It counts
no less than 7 museums!
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| Invalides |
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Its building started in 1671 under the reign of King Louis
the XIVth, and about 30 years later. From its inception,
the place was designed to serve as a home to impoverished
soldiers and wounded veterans of the French army. It comprises
the veteran hospital itself, a church, several museums,
and the tomb of Napoleon I. Admission is EUR 6 for adults,
and free for children under 12. Opening hours: October
to March 31: 10AM-4:45PM, April-September 30: 10AM-5:45PM
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Saint
Germain des Pres / Latin Quarter |
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Even
today this quarter is associated with the existentialism
of the 1950's, with Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir
writing at the Cafe Flore, and with Boris Vian and Raymond
Queneau. The "invasion" (over the past 30 years)
of luxury boutiques is replacing the book stores and cinemas
from this aera, although a historical preservation association
has now been created to preserve that which still remains.
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| Place
des Vosges |
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Its construction started in the early XVIIth century under
Henri IV. It was completed in 1612. Initially named 'Royal
Square', it was renamed 'Place des Vosges' by Napoleon
I as an homage to the inhabitants of the Vosges region
who had been particularly quick to pay their taxes. The
square is remarkable both by its style (it is lined with
36 buildings, all dating from Henri IV) and by its shops
and its little park where Parisians like to loaf on sunny
Sundays.
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Find more comments on Paris landmarks and monuments at http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/ discover-paris.html
and http://www.monument-paris.com/monument-selection.htm
Paris offers a number of interesting itineraries for strollers.
You can follow the waterways (river Seine, St Martin Canal, river Bièvre) or the 17-km long
railway transformed into a most surprising walkway hung some 50 feet above the hustle-bustle
of the city. You can also spend some quality time in any of
the large public parks which the city counts (Luxembourg, Buttes-Chaumont,
Montsouris, Georges Brassens), discover the gardens of the 14th district, or else decide to
learn live history and architecture in areas like St-Sulpice
and St Germain-des-Prés.
A
lively and interesting city
This is but a glimpse of the many places you will want to visit
during your stay in Paris. Guests of the hotel are offered a
Complimentary Pass to the Members Only section
of the Paris Eiffel Tower News website, which features a lot
more information on Paris.
The Complimentary Pass can be retrieved from the Thank You page
which displays after your reservation request has been received
by the hotel.
The hotel personnel wishes to be of service to you during your
stay in Paris.
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