Contents at a Glance Introduction .......................................................1 Part I: Introducing Paris .....................................7 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Paris ........................................9 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Paris ............................................17 Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go ...................................................32 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 ...............................77 Chapter 8: Arriving and Getting Oriented ....................................79 Chapter 9: Checking in at Paris’s Best Hotels ............................101 Chapter 10: Dining and Snacking in Paris ..................................134 Part IV: Exploring Paris ..................................187 Chapter 11: Discovering Paris’s Best Attractions .....................189 Chapter 12: Shopping the Local Stores ......................................246 Chapter 13: Following an Itinerary ..............................................280 Chapter 14: Going Beyond Paris: Five Day Trips ......................287 Part V: Living It Up After Dark: Paris Nightlife ...........................................307 Chapter 15: Applauding the Cultural Scene ...............................309 Chapter 16: Hitting the Clubs and Bars ......................................318 Part VI: The Part of Tens ................................329 Chapter 17: Ten (or So) Hidden Corners of Paris .....................331 Chapter 18: Ten Great Places for a Picnic ..................................334 AppendixCOPYRIGHTED A: Quick Concierge .........................338MATERIAL Appendix B: A Glossary of French Words and Phrases ................................................348 Index ............................................................354 002_9780470881507-ftoc.indd2_9780470881507-ftoc.indd viivii 22/23/11/23/11 33:02:02 PMPM Maps at a Glance Paris at a Glance ........................................................................................10 Paris Neighborhoods ................................................................................82 Hotels in the Heart of the Right Bank (1–4, 8–12, and 16–18) ............108 Hotels in the Heart of the Left Bank (5–7 and 13–14) .........................112 Restaurants on the Right Bank ..............................................................142 Restaurants on the Left Bank .................................................................146 Light Meals in the Heart of the Right Bank ..........................................164 Light Meals in the Heart of the Left Bank .............................................166 Paris’s Top Attractions ...........................................................................190 Notre-Dame de Paris ...............................................................................195 The Louvre ...............................................................................................205 Père-Lachaise Cemetery .........................................................................210 More Fun Things to Do in Paris .............................................................214 Paris Shopping .........................................................................................248 Day Trips from Paris ...............................................................................289 Versailles ..................................................................................................291 Fontainebleau...........................................................................................295 Notre-Dame de Chartres .........................................................................299 002_9780470881507-ftoc.indd2_9780470881507-ftoc.indd viiiviii 22/23/11/23/11 33:02:02 PMPM Table of Contents Introduction .........................................................................1 About This Book .....................................................................1 Conventions Used in This Book ............................................2 Foolish Assumptions ..............................................................3 How This Book Is Organized .................................................3 Part I: Introducing Paris ...............................................3 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris ............................3 Part III: Settling into Paris ............................................4 Part IV: Exploring Paris ................................................4 Part V: Living It Up After Dark: Paris Nightlife ..........4 Part VI: The Part of Tens ..............................................4 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........................................................................12 The Best Sights ......................................................................13 The Best Parks and Gardens ...............................................14 The Best Shopping ................................................................15 The Best of Culture ...............................................................16 The Best Clubs ......................................................................16 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Paris ...........................17 History 101: The Main Events ..............................................17 The ancient times .......................................................17 Revolutionary Paris ....................................................18 The era of Napoléons .................................................18 Modern Paris ...............................................................19 Building Blocks: Local Architecture ...................................20 A Taste of Paris: The Local Cuisine ....................................23 A glossary good enough to eat..................................23 Salivating over French cooking .................................26 Words to the Wise: The Local Language ............................28 Background Check: Books and Movies ..............................29 Books ............................................................................29 Movies ..........................................................................30 002_9780470881507-ftoc.indd2_9780470881507-ftoc.indd ixix 22/23/11/23/11 33:02:02 PMPM x Paris For Dummies, 6th Edition Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go ...................................32 Revealing the Secret of the Seasons ...................................32 Paris in the springtime ...............................................33 Paris is a beach ...........................................................33 Fabulous festive fall ....................................................33 Winter wonderland .....................................................34 A Paris Calendar ....................................................................34 January .........................................................................34 February .......................................................................35 March ...........................................................................35 April ..............................................................................36 May ...............................................................................36 June ..............................................................................37 July and August ...........................................................38 September ....................................................................39 October ........................................................................39 November ....................................................................40 December .....................................................................40 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris ..................41 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money .................................43 Planning Your Budget ...........................................................43 Cutting Costs .........................................................................45 Accommodations ........................................................45 Transportation ............................................................46 Restaurants..................................................................46 Attractions, shopping, and nightlife .........................47 Handling Money ....................................................................48 Converting to euros ....................................................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