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Contents at a Glance

Introduction...... 1 Part I: Introducing ...... 7 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Paris ...... 9 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Paris ...... 19 Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go ...... 31 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris ...... 41 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money ...... 43 Chapter 5: Getting to Paris ...... 51 Chapter 6: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests...... 59 Chapter 7: Taking Care of the Remaining Details ...... 67 Part III: Settling into Paris ...... 79 Chapter 8: Arriving and Getting Oriented ...... 81 Chapter 9: Checking in at Paris’s Best Hotels ...... 104 Chapter 10: Dining and Snacking in Paris...... 135 Part IV: Exploring Paris ...... 185 Chapter 11: Discovering Paris’s Best Attractions ...... 187 Chapter 12: Shopping the Local Stores...... 241 Chapter 13: Following an Itinerary ...... 269 Chapter 14: Going Beyond Paris: Five Day-Trips...... 276 Part V: Living It Up after Dark: Paris Nightlife ...... 295 Chapter 15: Applauding the Cultural Scene ...... 297 Chapter 16: Hitting the Clubs and Bars ...... 305 Part VI: The Part of Tens...... 315 Chapter 17: Ten Things to Do in Bad Weather...... 317 Chapter 18: Ten Places to See Paris — COPYRIGHTEDWithout the Lines ...... 320 MATERIAL Chapter 19: Ten Plus Great Places for a Picnic ...... 323 Part VII: The Appendixes ...... 327 Appendix A: Quick Concierge ...... 329 Appendix B: A Glossary of French Words and Phrases ....341 Index...... 347 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page x 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xi

Maps at a Glance

Paris at a Glance ...... 10 Paris Neighborhoods...... 88 Hotels in the Heart of the Right Bank (1-4, 8-12, & 16-18)...... 110 Hotels in the Heart of the Left Bank (5-7 & 13-14) ...... 114 Restaurants on the Right Bank ...... 142 Restaurants on the Left Bank...... 144 Light Meals in the Heart of the Right Bank...... 164 Light Meals in the Heart of the Left Bank ...... 166 Paris’s Top Attractions ...... 188 Notre-Dame de Paris ...... 192 The ...... 201 Père-Lachaise Cemetery ...... 208 More Fun Things to Do in Paris ...... 212 Paris Shopping ...... 242 Day-Trips from Paris ...... 277 Versailles...... 279 Fontainebleau...... 283 Notre-Dame de Chartres ...... 285 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xii 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xiii

Table of Contents

Introduction...... 1 About This Book...... 2 Conventions Used in This Book ...... 2 Foolish Assumptions ...... 3 How This Book Is Organized...... 4 Part I: Introducing Paris ...... 4 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris ...... 4 Part III: Settling into Paris ...... 4 Part IV: Exploring Paris ...... 5 Part V: Living It Up after Dark: Paris Nightlife ...... 5 Part VI: The Part of Tens...... 5 Part VII: The Appendixes ...... 5 Icons Used in This Book...... 5 Where to Go from Here...... 6 Part I: Introducing Paris ...... 7 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Paris ...... 9 The Best Accommodations...... 12 The Best Food...... 13 The Best Sights...... 14 The Best Parks and Gardens...... 15 The Best Shopping ...... 16 The Best of Culture ...... 17 The Best Clubs...... 17 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Paris ...... 19 History 101: The Main Events...... 19 Building Blocks: Local Architecture ...... 21 A Taste of Paris: The Local Cuisine...... 23 A glossary good enough to eat...... 24 Salivating over French cooking ...... 26 Words to the Wise: The Local Language ...... 28 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xiv

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Background Check: Recommended Books and Movies ...... 29 Books...... 29 Movies ...... 30 Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go ...... 31 Revealing the Secret of the Seasons ...... 31 Singing in spring...... 31 Wandering through summer...... 32 Featuring fall...... 32 Coasting through winter ...... 33 Perusing a Calendar of Events: A Paris Calendar ...... 33 January...... 33 February...... 34 March...... 35 April ...... 35 May ...... 36 June...... 36 July and August...... 37 September...... 38 October ...... 38 November...... 38 December...... 39 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris...... 41 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money...... 43 Planning Your Budget ...... 43 Cutting Costs ...... 45 Handling Money...... 48 Converting to euro...... 48 Pulling out your plastic: Using credit cards .....49 Going the way of the dinosaur: The extinction of traveler’s checks ...... 49 Dealing with a Lost or Stolen Wallet ...... 49 Chapter 5: Getting to Paris...... 51 Flying to Paris ...... 51 Getting the best deal on your airfare ...... 53 Booking your ticket online...... 54 Arriving by Other Means...... 55 Joining an Escorted Tour ...... 56 Choosing a Package Tour ...... 57 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xv

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Chapter 6: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests...... 59 Taking the Family Along ...... 59 Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors...... 61 Accessing Paris: Advice for Travelers with Disabilities ...... 62 Following the Rainbow: Resources for Gay and Lesbian Travelers...... 65 Chapter 7: Taking Care of the Remaining Details...... 67 Getting a Passport...... 67 Applying for a U.S. passport...... 67 Applying for other passports ...... 68 Renting a Car in Paris — Not ...... 69 Playing It Safe with Travel and Medical Insurance ...... 70 Staying Healthy When You Travel...... 72 Staying Connected by Cellphone or E-mail...... 73 Accessing the Internet Away from Home ...... 74 Keeping Up with Airline Security Measures ...... 76 Part III: Settling into Paris ...... 79 Chapter 8: Arriving and Getting Oriented...... 81 Navigating Your Way through Passport Control and Customs ...... 81 Making Your Way to Your Hotel ...... 82 If you fly into Charles de Gaulle ...... 83 If you fly into Orly ...... 86 Figuring Out the Neighborhoods...... 87 On the Right Bank ...... 90 On the Left Bank...... 92 Finding Information after You Arrive...... 93 Getting Around Paris ...... 94 By Métro...... 94 By bus...... 98 By taxi...... 99 By car...... 102 By bicycle...... 102 Paris à pied (On foot) ...... 103 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xvi

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Chapter 9: Checking in at Paris’s Best Hotels.....104 Getting to Know Your Options...... 105 Finding the Best Room at the Best Rate...... 106 Finding the best rate...... 106 Surfing the Web for hotel deals...... 108 Arriving Without a Reservation...... 109 Paris’s Best Hotels...... 109 Paris’s Runner-Up Hotels ...... 132 Index of Accommodations by Neighborhood...... 133 Index of Accommodations by Price...... 134 Chapter 10: Dining and Snacking in Paris ...... 135 Getting the Dish on the Local Scene...... 136 Making reservations for dinner...... 136 Dressing to dine ...... 136 Knowing the difference between a cafe and a bistro...... 136 Understanding the order of a meal...... 138 Trimming the Fat from Your Budget...... 140 Paris’s Best Restaurants...... 140 Dining and Snacking on the Go...... 163 Partaking of Paris street food...... 163 Snacking on sandwiches ...... 168 Choosing cafeterias and restaurant chains ...... 168 Assembling a picnic, Parisian style ...... 169 Watching the world go by at a cafe...... 172 Steeping and sipping at a tea salon (Salons de thé) ...... 175 A heady mix of wine bars...... 176 Getting the scoop on Paris ice cream...... 179 Index of Establishments by Neighborhood...... 179 Index of Establishments by Cuisine...... 181 Index of Establishments by Price...... 183 Part IV: Exploring Paris ...... 185 Chapter 11: Discovering Paris’s Best Attractions...... 187 Paris’s Top Sights ...... 187 More Fun Things to See and Do...... 210 Especially for kids...... 210 Especially for teens...... 216 Especially for history buffs...... 218 Especially for art lovers ...... 222 Especially for the literary ...... 226 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xvii

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Especially for nature lovers...... 229 Houses of the holy ...... 232 Paris’s Bridges ...... 235 Paris by Guided Tour...... 236 Embarking on a bus ...... 236 Touring by boat...... 237 Horsing around — a guided tour at two horsepower...... 238 Walking your way across Paris...... 238 Seeing Paris by bike...... 239 Chapter 12: Shopping the Local Stores ...... 241 Surveying the Scene...... 241 Getting the VAT back ...... 245 Getting your goodies through Customs...... 246 Checking Out the Big Names ...... 247 Taking It to the Street (Markets) ...... 250 Scoring Bargains in Paris...... 250 Hitting the Great Shopping Neighborhoods ...... 253 The land of luxe: The 8e...... 253 Arty and individual: The 3e and 4e...... 254 BCBG chic: The 6e...... 254 Young and branché: The 2e...... 255 Shopping in Paris from A(ntiques) to W(ine)...... 257 Antiques ...... 257 Bookstores...... 257 Ceramics, china, and glass...... 258 Clothing for children ...... 259 Clothing for men ...... 259 Clothing for teens and the young at heart...... 260 Clothing for women ...... 261 Crafts ...... 263 Food...... 263 Gifts and jewelry ...... 264 Home and housewares ...... 266 Toys ...... 267 Wine...... 268 Chapter 13: Following an Itinerary...... 269 Making the Most of Paris in Three Days...... 269 Planning a Five-Day Visit ...... 271 Doing Paris in Just One Day! ...... 271 Playing in Paris with the Family ...... 274 Taking a magical history tour: Version 1 ...... 274 Sampling science, slides, and stalagmites: Version 2...... 274 Picnicking through the parks: Version 3...... 275 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xviii

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Chapter 14: Going Beyond Paris: Five Day-Trips ...... 276 The Château de Versailles...... 276 Getting there...... 278 Exploring Versailles ...... 279 Dining options ...... 282 The Palais de Fontainebleau...... 282 Getting there...... 282 Exploring Fontainebleau ...... 282 Dining options ...... 284 The Cathedral at Chartres ...... 284 Getting there...... 285 Exploring the cathedral...... 286 Dining options ...... 287 ...... 288 Getting there...... 288 Exploring the park ...... 289 Staying at Disneyland ...... 290 Monet’s Gardens at Giverny...... 290 Getting there...... 291 Exploring the gardens ...... 291 Dining options ...... 292 Part V: Living It Up after Dark: Paris Nightlife...... 295 Chapter 15: Applauding the Cultural Scene ...... 297 Getting the Inside Scoop ...... 297 Finding Out What’s Playing and Getting Tickets...... 299 Raising the Curtain on the Performing Arts ...... 300 Attending the theater ...... 300 Seeking English-language theater ...... 302 Listening to classical music and the symphony...... 302 Enjoying opera and ballet ...... 303 Chapter 16: Hitting the Clubs and Bars...... 305 Hot Spots for Cool Jazz...... 305 Listening to Live Music...... 306 Shaking Your Groove Thing at the Best Dance Clubs...... 307 Stepping Out: The Gay and Lesbian Scene ...... 309 Kicking Back with Classy Cocktails...... 311 Spending an Evening at a French Cabaret...... 312 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xix

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Part VI: The Part of Tens...... 315 Chapter 17: Ten Things to Do in Bad Weather.....317 Spending Money at a Shopping Arcade...... 317 Visiting a Smaller Museum...... 317 Watching a Movie in V.O...... 318 Sitting Beneath the Awning of a Café...... 318 Strolling in the Jardin des Plantes...... 318 Waiting in Short Lines at the and the ...... 318 Getting into the Catacombes ...... 319 Indulging in a Long and Leisurely Lunch ...... 319 Shopping ’til You Tombez...... 319 Taking a Boat Ride...... 319 Chapter 18: Ten Places to See Paris — Without the Lines...... 320 Galeries Lafayette...... 320 La Madeleine...... 320 Panthéon ...... 321 Parc de Belleville...... 321 ...... 321 Restaurant Georges at the Centre Georges Pompidou ...... 321 Sacré Coeur...... 322 Samaritaine ...... 322 Tour ...... 322 The Towers at Notre Dame ...... 322 Chapter 19: Ten Plus Great Places for a Picnic...... 323 Banks of the Seine near the Musée de Sculpture en Plein Air ...... 323 ...... 324 ...... 324 Jardin des Tuileries...... 324 ...... 324 Parc de Belleville...... 325 Parc de la Villette ...... 325 Parc des Buttes-Chaumont...... 325 Parc du ...... 326 ...... 326 Square du Vert Galant...... 326 02_576305 ftoc.qxd 2/10/05 8:55 PM Page xx

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Part VII: The Appendixes...... 327 Appendix A: Quick Concierge ...... 329 Fast Facts: Paris...... 329 Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites ...... 336 Where to Get More Information ...... 337 Tourist offices...... 337 Surfing the Web ...... 338 Hitting the books...... 339 Appendix B: A Glossary of French Words and Phrases...... 341 Index...... 347