LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

Any recommendations, getting around by taxi and metro (prices and where to get tickets etc)
Any info appreciated
Cheers

Fullonloon

Metro very easy and safe to use, take care in the evening though. Walking is probably the safest method in the evening. Don't buy any beer in the gardens as it's v.expensive half pint of froth. Do go up the E.Tower, and find a decent restaurant before you get out there, as there are loads of crap toursit ones. Don't take your car. Apart from that > have fun.

caz1562

be very wary of pickpockets, i had my wallet removed in a restaurant, money stolen and wallet replaced back in jacket. well gutted

I agree, walking is cool around Paris, best way to see this beautiful city. Enjoy it

Claudius

Metro is easy and cheap.

Try this site to find a decent restaurant: www.viamichelin.com

It's the official Michelin Restaurant guide (independant and anonymous) web site. Anything with over 2 forks is good, from a star onwards you get very good food, 2 is exceptional, 3 world class.

DONT ask people if they speak English, they will say no even if they do because they dont speak it well. Shout louder, I promise it works

carpet

full of french peeps !!

great place apart from that though !

careful with the taxi's - only get the official ones, the 'radio-cabs' are horrific prices

oh yeh DONT go to the Moulin Rouge - its cack !

Alpine

Use the metro for getting around, much easier than London Underground. Go to the ticket window and ask for a carnet.. They will give you 10 tickets for the metro I seem to remember about 4 quid. You use a ticket to get through the barrier and it's taken away by the machine when it's done. Couldn't be easier..

Do watch out for less well populated areas at night the roller blades can come up on you very fast and quietly... IMHO no worse than London though.. Must do the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de triomphe

Have a good time and don't be afraid to have a go at French.. when they hear how bad you are they change to near perfect English..

chiark

Nothing really to add, other than get a map.

Metro is excellent, but as has already been said a walk is just beautiful, especially as the sun sets over l'Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees.

There's so many "must see"s it's impossible to know what to recommend. Boat trip down the seine is worthwhile. Eiffel tower is OK. Sacre-coeur and Monmatre are definitely worth the walk, as is all the artist's quarter around there. Louvre. Oh, I dunno, there's loads. Plus enjoy the atmosphere. I grabbed a beer on the Champs Elysees at a cheap cafe right at the top and watched the world busy themselves buy. Very relaxing.

chiark

Have to agree with Alpine too. Do try to speak French. Even if you think you're pretty fluent at French, you will find a near perfect English accent replying to what you thought was your damn fine French accent.

Strange thing is, the person in a queue behind you who does not speak a word of French will find that the person who just served you has forgotten *every* word of English and will only speak French. I have seen that happen more than once now

father_jack

If you fancy a posh restaurant - go to La Coupole in Montparnasse.
Best snails I've ever had

Claudius

Do they do frog legs as well?

father_jack

Les gronuilles ? Mais oui.

It's the real deal that place - there was a 70 year old lady wearing shades and Chanel with a poodle on her lap in the at teh next table in the restaurant.

Claudius

Oh wow! That's the REAL DEAL! LOL! It doesnt get any "better" ...

father_jack

So what do you do when you get to a foreign country - find the nearest McDonalds

LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the replies, bobbins at french, let the missus do the talking.
Where do you think is the best hotel location for sightseeing (near tower, centre, champs elysees etc)

Dave T-S

Father Jack
LOL - yep, no wonder the British were voted the worst tourists..

BTW, frogs legs are tres bon!!

[Edited by Dave T-S - 7/23/2002 1:40:02 PM]

father_jack

Yep - tastes just like alligator - which in turn tastes like chicken

Lee - we stayed at the Hotel Solferino last time - next door to the Musee D'Orsay (south bank), one street back from the Seine and really central. It's only 2 star so rooms are equivalent to nice B&B spec here.
But it's clean, friendly, does a nice breakfast and at £60 a night for the room, it's a bargain for that location.
Seek on google and ye will find it.

LeeMac

iTrader: (1)

Cheers, weighing up various hotels now

Toerag

Be warned, the Louvre takes ages to go round! I went there with the ex and went in at 2pm as it's cheaper and the queues are shorter and we only really had time to see half of it in 2.5 hours!

motorman

For my sins I work in Paris about 8/9days a month and agree with much that has been said above. Best way to get around is definitely metro or walking, taxis take too long to get anywhere and are too expensive. Definitely don't take the car you'll spend all day in traffic / looking for somewhere to park and the Parisiens always park by Braille.

Generally the nearer you get to the Champs Elysees the more you'll pay for hotels / restaurents (speaking from experience as the office is a very short walk from the Arc). 3 Star hotels are usually adequate and cost £60 to £90 per night for anything more up-market budget £150 to £250.

Totally agree with Chiark if you try to speak French, however bad you will normally receive a reply in good English, if you speak English initially no one will claim to understand.

Above all else enjoy your visit, plenty of sights to see and if all else fails you can sit in a pavement cafe people watching.

Jon

Jerome

Useful phrase for bars:

Un grande Kronenbourg sieze-cent sioxante quatre s'il vous plais.

The standard Kronie is like making love in boat...

Fullonloon

I thought it was making love in a canoe :-)