Paris Guide for Interrailers

Let´s discover Europe

Culture Compass Etwins

An Interrailer´s Guide to Paris

Pic source: http://a54.idata.over-blog.com/1/71/26/12/postcard-3/410---Paris--France.jpg

France

https://www.newlaithes.com/uploads/7/6/4/3/7643581/3112236_orig.jpg

Numbers: France is the largest country in the European Union and the second largest in Europe. The total area is 640.679 km2. The capital is Paris with 2.2 million inhabitants and on the whole France has a population of 67.12 million people. It is the most visited country in the world with about 82 million foreign tourists per year.

Language: The official language is French.

Landscape: France has two mountain ranges: the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east. The Mont Blanc in the French Alps is the tallest mountain within Europe. There are many rivers in France, e.g. the Seine and the Loire. In the north and the west of France, there are low hills and river valleys.

Climate: There are many different climates: Mediterranean in the south and a climate like in Germany in the north.

Industries: Chemical and pharmaceutical industry, tourism, telecommunications, aerospace, nuclear power plants, ship building, construction and civil engineering, automobile production and textiles Agriculture: Wheat, poultry, dairy products, beef and pork, fruit, vegetables, wine Popular sports: Football, tennis, rugby, motorsports, cycling, Religion Christian (mostly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Buddhist 0.5-0.75%, Jewish 0.5-0.75%, other 0.5-1.0%, none 23-28% Numbers are estimated ( CIA World Factbook), as France is a strictly secular country.

France is famous for Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, good food, architecture, artists, museums, fashion and the French Revolution.

Source: Wikipedia, Simple English Wikipedia

Where to stay Checked with the help of booking.com Maison M Paris, 1 Avenue d'Ivry, 75013 Paris,

dorm price 24€ for one night

Cheap in a dorm, but not the best critiques… https://www.maisonmparis.com/ https://www.wander.am/travel/le-kremlin-bicetre-55791/hotels/maison-m-paris-2926741

International Youth Hostel, 10 Rue Trousseau, 75011 Paris,

dorm from 13 € / night

https://www.aijparis.com/ VITO Appartement, 100 Rue de la Chapelle, 75018 Paris

18€ for one night

https://www.chambres-hotes.fr/chambres-hotes_vito-appartement_paris_h1409855.htm

Paris-Low budget 1.Where to eat or shop for food: If you want to go to a cheap restaurant in Paris then you shouldn’t go anywhere close to sights, because this is where the most expensive ones are. Some place for cheap food are for example : Filakia (it’s a restaurant with Greek food). Food prices start at around 8€.

FILAKIA MONTORGUEIL 9, rue Mandar 75002 Paris https://www.filakia.fr/

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oC-rhgivTso/U0VGb0Nu0nI/AAAAAAAAQSg/INC4l-2aZg0/s1600/filakia+restaurant+de+souvlaki+065-001.JPG

https://macarongrenadine.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/filakia-montorgueil-table-vue-d-en-haut.jpg

The Hood Paris, 80 Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris It’s a coffeehouse-bistro with lots of different snacks, breakfast and other food, cheapest around 7€. https://www.thehoodparis.com/

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZW1hAJH4coKK6W1Z_Y7G-nVJNlwOjl0RcyD77zeLebvzr15mC

Pizzeria Popolare, 111 Rue Réaumur, 75002 Paris The cheapest pizza costs around 4€ https://www.bigmammagroup.com/fr/trattorias/pizzeria-popolare

https://i.f1g.fr/media/ext/299x250/scope.lefigaro.fr/static/media/srcimages/photo_huge_lieu_r10130297_4.jpg

There are also bakeries, crêpe stalls, lots of small food shops and well-known international burger chains.

Cheap supermarkets are for example: 1. Franprix, which is almost in every neighborhood and cheap 2. Carrefour, which is also very cheap and good, supper and hyper markets 3. Monoprix, also inexpensive

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR8V0ewdut2GkQDsuLLrjwDBcn77p6M1BcIws-DrMV3ArUBrBJY

https://www.magazinulprogresiv.ro/sites/default/files/article/images/carrefour-city-paris.jpg http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/2013/10/02/PHO5d4c0252-2b56-11e3-b434-7e7a3f9df7fa-805x453.jpg

Paris What to do and what to see o o o o o  o o o o

the Eiffel tower: If you are under 24, then the price for the first and second floor is 5€, for the lift to the second floor is 8€, for the kombi ticket is 9,50€ and for the lift to the top is 12,50€ the Louvre: The date I chose was the 20th of June. The ticket for the individual visitor for one person costs 17€.

Notre-Dame cathedral: The normal price is 10€. If you are younger than 26 years old and not a national of a Member State of the European Union, the price is reduced to 8€. the palace of Versailles: One passport costs 20€. If you want to see the musical garden or the musical fountain shows, you have to pay 7€ more.

Sacre-Coeur: The entrance is free! the Camp de Loges, a sports complex “La Cigale”: a concert hall , price depends on what you want to see there The Canal Saint Martin the Cimetière du Père Lachaise : a graveyard with the tombs of many famous people Shopping: Instead of visiting the Camps-Élysées, visit shopping neighborhoods like the North Marais, Paris's covered passages or the Puces de St-Ouen https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-15/10-things-not-to-do-in-paris https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/paris/shopping/marche-aux-puces-de-st-ouen/a/poi-sho/372567/1323143)

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/14/03/9114030209b2feffe107995d8da7bd0d.png

Paris Getting around Public transport in Paris:  Métro (métro)  RER (regional trains to the wider area and the airports)  bus  taxi  Vespa / scooter  bikes  Vespa taxi / scooter taxi

http://lajmi.net//wp-content/uploads/2016/06/metro-paris-640x358.jpg https://www.travelingturks.com/wp-content/uploads/paris-metro.jpg

The basic Métro ticket costs €1,90. A carnet of 10 tickets costs €14,90 from vending machines near the turnstiles in Métro stations. You can go anywhere within the city of Paris on the Métro and RER networks, and you can transfer between lines--or between the Métro and the RER--on the same ticket.

Tickets are issued by RATP, the transportation authority for the Paris. You can also use T+ tickets on buses and trams, but you can't transfer between the Métro/RER and buses or trams on the same ticket.

Some examples: From the VITO Appartement to Sacre-Coeur: Walk one minute to the “Porte de la Chapelle” and buy a ticket for the metro for 1,90€. Get out of the metro at “Abesses” and walk nine minutes to Sacre-Coeur. to “La Cigale”: You can take a cab or ride a bike on the bicycle path. There are two subway lines (12 and 2) and three bus lines (30, 54, 60) to the Louvre: There are three lines for the metro (1, 7, 14) and ten bus lines. If you want to, you can use one of the four bike-sharing stations. to the palace of Versailles: There are three train stations close to the palace of Versailles. to Sacre-Coeur: There are two subway lines leading to Sacre-Coeur. You can also park your car nearby.

Map of the Metro

Online: http://www.parisinfo.de/metro-plan-karte.htm

Budget planning: Extra: Cheap guided tours in Paris cost around 40 â‚Ź.

QUOTED from: https://www.pariscityvision.com/en/paris/paris-metro: 14 lines for the Paris metro Ligne 1 : the oldest line of the network, it now serves the capital from east to west. From La Défense to the Château de Vincennes, passing by the Champs Elysées, Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. This line stops at the important monuments and squares in Paris. Today, over 700,000 commuters use this line every day.

Ligne 2 : this line will lead you across the network’s zone 1 from Porte Dauphine to the west of the capital to Nation in the east throughout the right bank of the Seine. This is the line to take to get to Sacré Coeur Basilica. The line 2 will also take you to the Arc de Triomphe: and Père Lachaise cemetery where many French celebrities are buried.

Ligne 3 : serves the capital’s right bank from Pont de Levallois in zone 2 to Gallieni just after Porte de Bagnolet in the east of Paris.

Ligne 4 : this was the first line to cross Paris from north to south. During construction, the engineers had to be creative to go under the Seine river. Starting at Porte de Clignancourt, it runs to Mairie de Montrouge south of the city.

Ligne 5 : starting at Bobigny in zone 3, this line goes to Porte d’Italie via the east of the city, and stops at the Gare du Nord and the Gare d’Austerlitz.

Ligne 6 : this line service the city’s left bank. Leaving from the Arc de Triomphe at Charles de Gaulle Etoile, it will take you to Nation. Taking the line 6 will let you stop off at the Eiffel Tower as well as Denfert Rochereau for the Catacombs.

Ligne 7 : from La Corneuve in zone 3, the line 7 continues to Mairie d’Ivry via the center of the capital. In particular, it stops at the Louvre as well as Paris’s largest station: Châtelet-les Halles.

Ligne 8 : this is the network’s second longest line. Starting at Balard in zone 1, it heads up to the right bank of the Seine. It stops at the Grands Boulevards and then heads back south to Créteil in zone 3.

Ligne 9 : starting at Pont de Sèvres in zone 2, this line crosses the Seine’s right bank. You can take this line to go the Eiffel Tower, Trocadero and the Pont de l’Alma. It also stops at the Grands Boulevards and the major department stores.

Ligne 10 : starting in zone 2 at the Pont de Saint-Cloud station, the line crosses the left bank of the city to reach the Gare d'Austerlitz. It serves the 6th arrondissement and the chic Saint Germain des Prés district which is well worth a visit.

Ligne 11 : shorter than most other lines, line 11 starts at Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement and goes to Mairie des Lilas, passing by Boulevard de la République and the Belleville district.

Ligne 12 : from the south of the Paris metropolitan area, starting from Mairie d'Issy, line 12 crosses the left bank to arrive at Aubervilliers. Extended over time, it now allows you to go to Montmartre by stopping at Abbesses. This line also takes you to the sublime Musée d'Orsay.

Ligne 13 : this is the longest and one of the most notorious line of the Paris metro network and also the busiest. Starting at Châtillon Montrouge to the south of Paris, it goes as far as Saint Denis and Asnières Genevilliers. You can take this line to go to the Champs Elysees or the Stade de France.

Ligne 14 : the Paris metro’s newest line, it is also the one that serves the fewest stations, giving you a fast ride. From Saint Lazare on the right bank, it runs along the Seine to Olympiades. This line will take you to the Gare de Lyon or Bercy quickly.

Our trip to Paris We planned our trip to Paris and we thought about where we would stay and how much money we would spend. Here are the questions we have oriented ourselves on and our answers to them: How many nights?

2 Where?

In the Maison M Paris for 48€ (24€ per night) Food per day?

A cheap restaurant with pizza and salads, from 4€ to 16 €, and supermarkets Public transport?

Métro: The price for a ticket for a day depends on the zone you choose. There are four prices from 7,50€ to 17,80€.

But if you take the t+ ticket you only have to pay 1,90 € for bus and metro.

Entrance fees?

We chose to go to the Eiffel tower and use the lift to the second floor for 8€.

A ticket for the palace of Versailles costs 20€.

A ticket for the Notre-Dame cathedral costs 10 €.

A ticket for the Louvre costs 17€.

All of the other places we wanted to check out are free!

Budget without extras: 103,90 €

A day in Paris If you want to stay somewhere, without spending too much money, you can stay in the International Youth Hostel. The prices start from 13€. You can have your breakfast there, or you can go to the bakery “Blé sucré”, the closest bakery to the hostel. Then it’s time to start the day.

http://20littlecities.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/blesucreparis12blog.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvis or.com/media/photo-s/12/02/a2/58/img-20171127-000135-254.jpg

For your first activity you can visit the cemetery “Père Lachaise”. It is only a 24-minute walk from the hostel. The atmosphere must be great while the sun is rising in the background.

And there aren’t many people visiting the cemetery in the morning hours.

Père Lachaise, which was opened in 1804. is located in the 20th arrondissement and became famous as the first garden cemetery. More than 3.5 million visitors per year wander around its alleys.

Some of its most visited tombs are those of Oscar Wilde, Abelard and Heloise, Chopin, Colette, Gertrude Stein, Honoré de Balzac, Jim Morrison, and Molière - among many others. https://www.parismalanders.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/09/Cimetiere-Friedhof-Pere-Lachaise-in-Paris.jpg

If you are hungry now, you can go back to the International Youth Hostel. There are different cafés or restaurants around it.

One of them is the bistro “Le bistrot du peintre”.

After your lunch, you can go to the church “SacréCoeur de Montmartre” by using the metro. It only takes a small walk to the station “Ledru-Rollin”.

After 33 minutes, you arrive at the station “Chateaux rouge”.

After a second short walk you arrive at “Sacré-Coeur”. The entrance is free. You only have to pay if you want to enter the dome and the crypt. Inside the apsis is a big mosaic, made by Luc-Olivier Merson. You can also see the impressive organ, which was made in 1898.

http://www.paris-france.me.uk/wpimages/wpea430822_06.png

There are different shops close to “Sacré-Coeur”. One of them is a clothing store, where they sell reduced clothing from a brand named “A.P.C”. It´s only a four-minute walk from “SacréCoeur”. There is also a book store, where you can buy books or stationary, for example letter paper. You can also find a post office and a supermarket nearby.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5689077335_53dc7223b7_z.jpg https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8527/8505310982_7c3f389b44_b.jpg https://s3-media4.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/wUfSks2DnzijfeXPy2EQ3Q/o.jpg

It’s time to return to the hostel by using the metro again. Maybe you bought something from a bakery you want to eat for dinner. But the hostel has microwaves you can use. If you want, you can warm something up in them. After you finished your dinner, it’s time to get some sleep. It was a long day after all.

http://don.komarechka.com/wp-content/gallery/europe-july-28-2009/_mg_1321.jpg

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris, "Our Lady of Paris") is a French Romantic/Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831 Plot The story is set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI. The gypsy Esmeralda (born as Agnes) captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire, but especially Quasimodo and his guardian Archdeacon Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his obsessive lust for Esmeralda and the rules of Notre Dame Cathedral. He orders Quasimodo to kidnap her, but Quasimodo is captured by Phoebus and his guards, who save Esmeralda. Gringoire, who attempted to help Esmeralda but was knocked out by Quasimodo, is about to be hanged by beggars when Esmeralda saves him by agreeing to marry him for four years.

The following day, Quasimodo is sentenced to be flogged and turned on the pillory for two hours, followed by another hour's public exposure. He calls for water. Esmeralda, seeing his thirst, approaches the public stocks and offers him a drink of water. It saves him, and she captures his heart.

Later, Esmeralda is arrested and charged with the attempted murder of Phoebus, whom Frollo actually attempted to kill in jealousy after seeing him trying to seduce Esmeralda. She is sentenced to death by hanging. As she is being led to the gallows, Quasimodo swings down by the bell rope of Notre-Dame and carries her off to the cathedral, temporarily protecting her – under the law of sanctuary – from arrest.

Frollo later informs Gringoire that the Court of Parlement has voted to remove Esmeralda's right to the sanctuary so she can no longer seek shelter in the Cathedral and will be taken away to be killed. Clopin, the leader of the Gypsies, hears the news from Gringoire and rallies the citizens of Paris to charge the cathedral and rescue Esmeralda.

When Quasimodo sees the Gypsies, he assumes they are there to hurt Esmeralda, so he drives them off. Likewise, he thinks the King's men want to rescue her, and tries to help them find her. She is rescued by Frollo and Gringoire. But after yet another failed attempt to win her love, Frollo betrays Esmeralda by handing her to the troops and watches while she is being hanged. When Frollo laughs during Esmeralda's hanging, Quasimodo pushes him from the height of Notre Dame to his death. Quasimodo goes to the cemetery, hugs Esmeralda's body, and dies of starvation with her. Years later they are discovered and, while trying to separate them, Quasimodo's bones turn to dust.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre-Dame