Practical Paris Excerpt by Karen Henrich

Author’s Forward Paris In A Nutshell Top Myths About Paris Top ‘Get Over It’ Things About Paris Best Times Of The Year To Visit Free and/or Cheap How To Choose A Hotel Alternative Accommodation Getting From/To the Airport Before You Come To Paris How To Pack When You First Get To Paris Metro/Buses/RER Paris Museums In A Nutshell About Food & Wine Shopping/Customs/Mail Issues Computers, Internet Access, Calling Home Finding Public Washrooms in Paris Having A Local Experience Some Of Our Favorite Places/Things Useful Links (In Alphabetical Order)

Top Myths About Paris MYTH #1: Paris is really, really expensive. Explanation: In any city of the world, the sky is the limit when it comes to what you can pay for things. Compared to most other major tourist destinations in the world, in fact it is very possible to get by quite cheaply in Paris. Admission costs for museums and attractions are extremely reasonable, public transportation is a downright bargain and many restaurants feature attractively priced set menus. The main staples of life in Paris are plentiful and cheap: baguettes, wine, cheese, fruit and patisserie desserts. Where expenses can add up is having lots of drinks in cafés and bars. But since the café culture is one of the great pleasures of being in Paris, our advice is to once in awhile pay the price, sit back and watch the world go by. MYTH #2: Paris is not safe. Explanation: In general, European cities are safer than North American ones, since guns, gangs, personal property/bank robberies and drugs are not as common. The most common hazard in Paris, particularly for tourists, is pickpockets, who mainly operate in highly populated tourist areas. Parisian pickpocketers are very skilled and usually you would never even know if you were ripped off until much later. They search for easy opportunities to snatch a purse, wallet or cell phone. Simply don't provide these opportunities or make it easy to be a target, and you will be fine. MYTH #3: You can’t wear jeans in Paris. Explanation: We’re puzzled by where this myth originates, possibly because Paris is considered the fashion capital of the world. In fact, jeans are worn everywhere in Paris, by everyone, even Galeries Lafayette sales staff ! While there are frequent sightings of funky and high fashion, Paris on the whole is a casual city. However, Parisians are usually never sloppy and look put together no matter what they wear. Parisians are not known for wearing exercise-type wear out on the street, baggy, floppy shorts or short shorts, unless the latter are worn as a fashion item. These clothing choices will flag you as a tourist, especially if non-stylish, exercise-type white running shoes are worn with them.

Top ‘Get Over It’ Things About Paris Yes, these ‘myths’ are true; prepare yourself to ‘get over it’ before you get here!

GET OVER IT #1 There is very little to no air-conditioning in France. The age of the buildings often prevents modern conveniences like these to be installed. GET OVER IT #3 If an elevator exists in a building, it is likely to be small as in ‘can’t turn around in it,’ or barely able to fit two people comfortably in it. Hotel rooms generally are much smaller than you would expect. Walls may be two-feet thick or paperthin and even the floors and ceiling may not match and may be crooked! GET OVER IT #4 There are very few free public washrooms in Paris in the style that we are used to. In Paris, each washroom will be different and many public washrooms, including those in cafés, can range from really good to crappy. There still exist many ‘Turkish-style’ squatters in Parisian cafés and restaurants. GET OVER IT #9 Service as you probably know it is not the same in Paris. The ‘customer is number one and is always right’ rules don’t follow in Paris so don’t expect to be gushed and fawned over in service situations. GET OVER IT #10 Carnivore-loving Paris is not a good place for vegetarians. Often, if there are vegetarian choices, they are cooked in animal fat, so it’s best to ask this question. Salads and assiettes in Paris are great and offer wonderful vegetarian choices. Non-meat eaters can also enjoy the diverse ethnic cuisine in Paris, offering an array of vegetarian choices.

Best Times Of The Year To Visit While Paris is a spectacularly magnificent, romantic and beautiful city to be in any time of the year, certain times of the year are better than others to visit, as cited below. To help you plan your holiday, we’ve included a list of events that take place in Paris weekly throughout the year followed by a detailed list of popular events for every season. Best Times (Fall): September, October, November Next Best Times (Winter): December, January, February Next Best Times (Spring): March, April, May Least Best (or Worst) Times (Summer): June, July, August

Paris In Fall Fall is a particularly great season to visit, for several reasons. September bursts forth with energy as Parisians return to the city from their extensive summer vacations for the rentrée, after the ghost-town feeling of August when many Parisians retreat to their country vacation homes. The weather, particularly in September, October and November, is usually great; pleasantly warm during the day and cooler in the night, without being burning hot like it can be in summer. Also, the number of tourists has thinned out and prices on hotels, flights etc. are usually reduced. Finally, Paris provides a veritable feast of activities during this time of year, many of which involve food, wine, fashion and culture; read on for the exciting list:

•

Autumn Festival: A number of venues all over Paris host a fourmonth-long arts festival (the largest festival of its kind in the world) which includes dramatic, dance and opera live performances, movies and concerts such as the month-long outdoor jazz festival in the Parc de la Villette. Held throughout the fall, visit http://www.festivalautomne.com/en/programme-liste.php for more information.

•

Villette Jazz Festival: This yearly musical celebration (end of August to September) puts the emphasis on innovative and experimental jazz and features a series of free open-air concerts, which take place at Parc La Villette in the 19th, as well as other venues. Copyright © 2011 Karen Henrich | Page 5

Free and/or Cheap Galeries Lafayette Fashion Show: Held every Friday afternoon at 3 PM on the 7th floor, reservations are required, call 01.48.74.02.30. This is a fullfledged, runway-style fashion show with models and music. Please note that Printemps department store no longer offers a fashion show, therefore the Galeries Lafayette show is usually filled to capacity. It is necessary to book as far in advance as possible. Window-Shopping: Who can be blamed for stopping frequently to gawk slack-jawed at the numerous window displays that show off style, beauty and creativity extraordinaire? The French gawk too and have a fun name for this pleasant past-time, lèche-vitrine, literally ‘licking the windows.’ Metro Ride: Ride Metro Line 6 (which is largely above ground), from beginning to end for a great glimpse of several residential districts of Paris that takes you through parts of the chic 16th (below ground), 15th, 6th, 13th and ends in the 12th. Don’t forget to look out the window between stations Passy and BirHakeim for one of the most spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower and Seine. Also make sure you glimpse the Seine activity from Quai de la Gare to Bercy, a rapidly developing and upcoming area of Paris. Start either at Nation or Charles de Gaulle Etoile stations. Also fun is to peer into the windows of the apartments going by; best to view this at dusk/night when Parisians are home with the lights on and you can catch glimpses of how the apartments are decorated inside. Church Concerts: See Tip No. 2 under section ‘When You First Get to Paris.’ Church concert listings are available in weekly city guides that can be purchased at any newsstand. Some concerts have an admission fee, but many are free. Music in the stunning churches and cathedrals of Paris have outstanding acoustics and can leave you practically weeping, they are so beautiful. The free concerts are every bit as good as the ones you pay for. Our favorite churches for concerts are the stunning St-Eustache and Sacre-Coeur, and many people would consider a visit to Paris incomplete without hearing the grand organ at the Notre-Dame.

When You First Get To Paris #1: Head to a café, order a kir royal or café, be thankful you are in Paris, and chill out of your stressed-out self by doing absolutely nothing other than watching the street life go by (fascinating, fun and liberating). #2: Buy a local events guide and while sitting in the café, plan out your stay. All Parisians consult their favorite weekly guide for the thousands of events happening weekly in Paris. The following guides can be purchased at any newsstand: L’officiel des spectacles: This 0,35 € guide covers one week at a time and comes out every Wed. The guide offers locations and opening times for monuments, markets, gardens and cemeteries; clubs and discos; cinema; concerts; special expositions in museums and galleries; children’s events; a few restaurant listings; television listings; theatre. TIP! In the Concerts section, make sure you check out where and when Church concerts are held, which are absolutely soul-stirring. Church concerts either indicate an admission fee(s) or indicate that they are free (ent. libre). The free concerts are often as good as any you would pay for. TIP! Buy a blessed candle in a candle-holder from one of the churches to take back to your room. Ensure good karma by making sure you pay for the candle, and don’t just take it. Figaroscope: Available for free in every Wed. issue of Le Figaro. The guide features articles and reviews as well as listings for cinema, art exhibitions, musical concerts for all genres, opera/dance and live theatre. Pariscope: This guide covers one week at a time and comes out every Wed. for a cost of 0,40 €. This guide is similar to L’officiel, but has less coverage of Church concerts and it contains more substantial restaurant and music listings. TIP! In the Cinema listings, VO stands for Version Originale, meaning that the movie is not dubbed and is shown in the original language that the movie was made in. TIP! Buy both the L’officiel and Pariscope for the most comprehensive information.

Some Of Our Favorite Places/Things Apps Here are some handy apps that can be downloaded to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to make your travels to Paris and your stay there easier and more fun; here are a few of our favorites: Boucheron Paris: Aside from drooling over the collections, we love the What Time Is It feature that shows the time on a very expensive watch. Chanel: From the opening of the iconic logo to the latest looks, news and store locators, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to have this app. English to French Translator: French phrases by category, spoken by a native French speaker. Just pick the phrase and press play to learn, or have the app do all the French speaking for you. French Holidays: The French word for vacation is les vacances. Notice that this is pluralized because the French take so many holidays. A handy app that helps you plan your holiday around les vacances. Louvre: Amazing app does justice to the most magnificent museum in the world. Metro Paris: Must-have tool that lets you discreetly check the metro map and plan your routes while not flagging you as a tourist. Paris Shopping: Do you want to save time and hassle and hit the ground shopping on your next Paris shopping excursion? This app has done all the work for you: read the shopping guide for particulars on shopping in Paris then review the walks that have been researched and laid out for you by arrondissement, price range (pas cher!, affordable for most, money is no object) and experience (discount shopping, grands magasins, passages, pedestrian streets, residential trendy and street markets). The app price is your first bargain, at .99. There is also a handy French cheat sheet. This will be the only resource you will ever need to shop in Paris and you will want to tell your friends! Click here to order. Copyright ÂŠ 2011 Karen Henrich | Page 8

### Copyright © 2011 Karen Henrich Author Site: http://tapbooks.org/practical-paris/ Cover Photo: Diane Read Photography Cover Design: Brooke Klassen All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-9867375-0-3 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

Published by Chicwalks Media Inc. Our Top Ten Myths About Paris is published in National Geographic’s Best Girlfriends Getaways Worldwide book written by travel authority and author Marybeth Bond