Frommer's Portable Paris 2005

194 Pages·2004·3.019 MB·English

by  Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

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P O R T A B L E
Paris
2005
by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince
Here’s what critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price
ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
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01_573640 ffirs.qxd 10/20/04 9:36 PM Page i
P O R T A B L E
Paris
2005
by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince
Here’s what critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price
ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
01_573640 ffirs.qxd 10/20/04 9:36 PM Page ii
Published by:
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5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
List of Maps iv
1 Planning Your Trip to Paris 1
1 Visitor Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
2 Entry Requirements & Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Destination Paris: Red-Alert Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
3 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
4 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource . . . . . . . . . . . .7
5 Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
6 Tours:Packages,Escorted & Special Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
2 Getting to Know the City of Light 18
1 Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Arrondissements in Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Discount Transit Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Fast Facts: Paris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
3 Where to Stay 37
1 On the Right Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
2 On the Left Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
4 Where to Dine 69
1 Food for Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Dining Savoir-Faire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
2 On the Right Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
3 On the Left Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
4 The Top Cafes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
5 Exploring Paris 112
1 Sightseeing Suggestions for the First-Timer . . . . . . . . . . . .112
2 The Top Attractions:From the Arc de Triomphe
to the Tour Eiffel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Frommer’s Favorite Paris Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
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Some Louvre Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
3 The Major Museums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
4 The Important Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
5 Architectural & Historic Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
6 Parks & Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
7 Cemeteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
8 Paris Underground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
9 Neighborhood Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
10 Organized Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
11 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
6 Paris After Dark 161
1 The Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161
2 The Club & Music Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
3 Bars,Pubs & Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172
4 Gay & Lesbian Bars & Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Index 179
General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Accommodations Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Restaurant Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184
List of Maps
Paris at a Glance 20 Restaurants in the Heart of
Hotels in the Heart of the the Right Bank 74
Right Bank (1–2, 4, 9, Restaurants in the Heart
11–12 & 18e) 38 of the Left Bank 98
Hotels Near the Champs- Top Paris Attractions 116
Elysees (8-16e) 51
Notre-Dame de Paris 119
Hotels in the Heart of the
The Louvre 125
Left Bank (5-6e) 56
Père-Lachaise Cemetery 146
Hotels Near the Eiffel Tower
Ile de la Cité & Ile St-Louis
(7e) 65
151
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ANINVITATIONTOTHEREADER
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels,
restaurants, shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us
about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in
upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we’d
love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Portable Paris 2005
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
ANADDITIONALNOTE
Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—
and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call
ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors,
and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while
traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to
stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras,
purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
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FROMMER’SSTARRATINGS,ICONS& ABBREVIATIONS
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked
for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating
system.In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions
to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly.
Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three
stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are
rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star
(highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars
(must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature iconsthat
point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that
separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:
Finds Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun Fact Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their
trips more fun
Kids Best bets for kids and advice for the whole family
Moments Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Overrated Places or experiences not worth your time or money
Tips Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Value Great values—where to get the best deals
The following abbreviationsare used forcredit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard
FROMMERS.COM
Now that you have the guidebook to a great trip, visit our website at www.
frommers.com for travel information on more than 3,000 destinations.
With features updated regularly, we give you instant access to the most cur-
rent trip-planning information available. At Frommers.com, you’ll also find
the best prices on airfares, accommodations, and car rentals—and you can
even book travel online through our travel booking partners. At Frommers.
com, you’ll also find the following:
•Online updates to our most popular guidebooks
•Vacation sweepstakes and contest giveaways
•Newsletter highlighting the hottest travel trends
•Online travel message boards with featured travel discussions
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1
Planning Your Trip to Paris
T
his chapter provides the nuts-and-bolts details you need before set-
ting off for Paris—everything from information sources to money
matters to the major airlines and how to save money on your flight.
1 Visitor Information
TOURIST OFFICES
Your best source of information is the FrenchGovernment Tourist
Office, which you can reach at the following addresses:
IN THE UNITED STATES 444 Madison Ave., 16th Floor, New
York, NY 10022 (& 212/838-7800; fax [phone]); 676 N.
Michigan Ave., Suite 3214, Chicago, IL 60611 (&312/751-7800;
fax [phone]); 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 715, Beverly Hills,
CA 90212 (&310/271-6665;fax [phone]). To request addi-
tional information call Info Franceat &410/286-8310.
IN CANADA Maison de la France/French Government Tourist
Office, 1981 av. McGill College, Suite 490, Montreal, H3A 2W9
(&514/876-9881;fax [phone]).
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM Maison de la France/French Gov-
ernment Tourist Office, 178 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9AL (&and
fax [phone]).
IN AUSTRALIA French Tourist Bureau, 25 Bligh St., Sydney,
NSW 2000 (&02/9231-5244;fax [phone]).
WEBSITES
The French Government Tourist Office’s home on the Internet is at
www.franceguide.com, or www.francetourism.com.
2 Entry Requirements & Customs
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All non-French nationals need a valid passport to enter France
(check its expiration date). The French government no longer requires
visas for U.S. citizens,provided they’re staying less than 90 days. For
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2 CHAPTER 1 . PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO PARIS
Destination Paris:Red-Alert Checklist
•If you purchased traveler’s checks, have you recorded
the check numbers, and stored the documentation sep-
arately from the checks?
•Did you stop the newspaper and mail delivery, and
leave a set of keys with someone reliable?
•Did you pack your camera and an extra set of camera
batteries, and purchase enough film? If you packed film
in your checked baggage, did you invest in protective
pouches to shield film from airport X-rays?
•Do you have a safe, accessible place to store money?
•Did you bring your ID cards that could entitle you to
discounts, such as AAA and AARP cards, student IDs,
and so on?
•Did you bring emergency drug prescriptions and extra
glasses and/or contact lenses?
•Did you find out your daily ATM withdrawal limit?
•Do you have your credit card pin numbers? Is there a
daily withdrawal limit on credit card cash advances?
•If you have an e-ticket, do you have documentation?
•Did you leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at
home?
•Do you have the measurements for those people you
plan to buy clothes for on your trip?
•Do you have the address and phone number of your
country’s embassy with you?
longer stays, they must apply for a long-term visa, residence card, or
temporary-stay visa. Each requires proof of income or a viable means
of support in France and a legitimate purpose for remaining in the
country. Applications are available from the Consulate Section of the
French Embassy, 4101 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington, DC 20007
(&202/944-6000), or from the Visa Section of the French Con-
sulate, 934 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10021 (& 212/606-3680).
Visas are required for students planning to study in France even if the
stay is less than 90 days.
Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan,
and European Union countries do not need visas.