Paris

Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is one of the largest agglomerations in Europe, with 2.2 million people living in the dense (105 km²) central city, 7 million people in the Metropole du Grand Paris (814 km²) and almost 12 million people living in the metropolitan area. In the north of the country on the river Seine, Paris has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design.

Dubbed the City of Light (la Ville Lumière) and Capital of Fashion, it is home to some of the world's finest and most luxurious fashion designers and cosmetics, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L'Oréal, and Clarins. A large part of the city, including the banks of the Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world (after Tokyo, which is much larger) and contains numerous iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Louvre, the Moulin Rouge and the Basilique du Sacré Cœur, making it one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world, with around 14 million tourists annually.

The city of Paris itself is officially divided into 20 districts called arrondissements, numbered from 1 to 20 in a clockwise spiral from the centre of the city (which is known as Kilomètre Zéro and is located at the front of Notre Dame). Arrondissements are named according to their number. You might, for example, stay in the "5th", which would be written as 5e in French. The 12th and 16th arrondissements include large suburban parks, the Bois de Vincennes, and the Bois de Boulogne respectively.

The very best map you can get for Paris is called "Paris Pratique par Arrondissement" which you can buy for about €5 at any news stand. It makes navigating the city easy. The various tourist information centres and hotels in Paris also provide various city and metro maps for free and which contain all the essential details for a tourist.

Each arrondissement has its own unique character and selection of attractions for the traveller:

Beyond Paris, the outlying suburbs are called La Banlieue. Schematically, those to the west of Paris (Neuilly-sur-Seine, Boulogne-Billancourt, Saint Cloud, Levallois, Versailles, Poissy) are wealthy residential communities, even if some more middle class suburbs can be found. Those to the north are poorer communities, usually populated by immigrants. Those to the south are quite diverse, with a mix between rough and poor neigborhoods and very affluent communities. Finally, those to the east are usually lower-middle class mingled with a few upper-middle class communities..

Due to high expectations, a tight schedule, and large crowds and long lines at certain attractions during high season, the city might disappoint some visitors. Foreign visitors who have an idealized view of Paris might be shocked by the typical challenges of visiting any large city; crime, traffic noise, pollution, garbage, and relatively high costs. In the worst case, visitors might experience the Paris syndrome; a psychological state of delusion.

To enjoy the wonders of Paris, make realistic plans. The amounts of attractions and landmarks is overwhelming; visiting only the most famous ones takes more than a week. The city also has more to offer for people who take time for a calm stroll along the backstreets. If your time in the city is short, be selective, and save some attractions for your next visit.

Paris started life as the Celto-Roman settlement of Lutetia on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine now occupied by the Cathédrale de Notre Dame. It takes its present name from the name of the dominant Gallo-Celtic tribe in the region, the Parisii. At least that's what the Romans called them, when they showed up in 52 BCE and established their city Lutetia on the left bank of the Seine, in what is now called the "Latin Quarter" in the 5th arrondissement.

The Romans held out here for as long as anywhere else in the Western Empire, but by 508 CE they were gone, replaced by Clovis of the Franks, who is considered by the French to have been their first king. Clovis' descendants, aka the Carolingians, held onto the expanded Lutetian state for nearly 500 years through Viking raids and other calamities, which finally resulted in a forced move by most of the population back to the islands which had been the centre of the original Celtic village. The Capetian Duke of Paris was voted to succeed the last of the Carolingians as King of France, ensuring the city a premier position in the medieval world. Over the next several centuries Paris expanded onto the right bank into what was and is still called le Marais (The Marsh). Quite a few buildings from this time can be seen in the 4th arrondissement.

The medieval period also witnessed the founding of the Sorbonne. As the "University of Paris", it became one of the most important centres for learning in Europe—if not the whole world, for several hundred years. Most of the institutions that still constitute the University are found in the 5th, and 13th arrondissements.

In the late 18th century, there was a period of political and social upheaval in France and Europe, during which the French governmental structure, previously a monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of nationalism, citizenship, and inalienable rights. Notable events during and following the revolution were the storming of the Bastille 4th arrondissements, and the rise and fall of Napoleonic France. Out of the violent turmoil that was the French Revolution, sparked by the still known Passion des Français, emerged the enlightened modern day France.

The Paris of today was built long after the Capetian and later the Bourbon Kings of France made their mark on Paris with the Louvre and the Palais Royal, both in the 1st. In the 19th century, Baron von Hausmann set about reconstructing the city, by adding the long straight avenues and replacing many of the then existing medieval houses, with grander and more uniform buildings.

New wonders arrived during La Belle Époque, as the Parisian golden age of the late 19th century is known. Gustave Eiffel's famous tower, the first metro lines, most of the parks, and the streetlights (which are partly believed to have given the city its epithet "the city of light") all come from this period. Another source of the epithet comes from Ville Lumière, a reference not only to the revolutionary electrical lighting system implemented in the streets of Paris, but also to the prominence and aura of Enlightenment the city gained in that era.

The twentieth century was hard on Paris, but thankfully not as hard as it could have been. Both world wars took a heavy toll on the city's inhabitants, but at least Hitler's order to burn the city was ignored by the German General von Choltitz, who was quite possibly convinced by a Swedish diplomat that it would be better to surrender and be remembered as the saviour of Paris, rather than its destroyer. Following the war, the city recovered quickly at first, but slowed in the 1970s and 1980s when Paris began to experience some of the problems faced by big cities everywhere: pollution, housing shortages, and occasionally failed experiments in urban renewal.

However, post-war Paris enjoyed considerable growth as a multi-cultural city, with new immigrants from all corners of the world, especially La Francophonie, including most of northern and western Africa as well as Indochina. These immigrants brought their foods and music, both of which are of prime interest for many travellers.

Immigration and multi-culturalism continues in the 21st century with a marked increase in the arrival of people from Latin America, especially Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. In the late 1990s, it was hard to find good Mexican food in Paris, whereas today there are dozens of possibilities from lowly taquerias in the outer arrondissements to nice sit-down restaurants on the boulevards. Meanwhile Latin music from salsa to samba is all the rage (well, alongside Paris lounge electronica).

The 21st century has also seen vast improvements in the general liveability of Paris, with the mayor's office concentrating on reducing pollution and improving facilities for soft forms of transportation including a huge network of cycle paths, larger pedestrian districts and newer faster metro lines. Visitors who normally arrive car-less are the beneficiaries of these policies as much as the Parisians themselves are.

Paris has a maritime climate with cool winters and warm summers. The moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean helps to temper temperature extremes in much of western Europe, including France. Even in January, the coldest month, temperatures nearly always exceed the freezing point with an average high of 7C. Snow is not common in Paris, although it will fall a few times a year. Most of Paris' precipitation comes in the form of light rain year-round.

Summers in Paris are warm and humid, with an average high of 25C during the mid-summer months. Occasional heat waves can push temperatures above 35C.

Spring and fall are normally cool and wet.

First and foremost, French (français) is of course the country's official language. Any native French person will speak French and it helps if you can speak a bit of it. In the parts of the city that tourists frequent the most (Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, Champs-Elysées), the shopkeepers, information booth attendants, and other workers are likely to answer you in English, even if your French is advanced. These workers tend to deal with thousands of foreign-speaking tourists, and responding in English is often faster than repeating themselves in French. This is not the case for the rest of the city.

For most Parisians, English is something they had to study in school, and thus seems a bit of a chore. People helping you out in English are making an extra effort, sometimes a considerable one. Parisians younger than 40 are much more likely to be fluent in English. Immigrants, often working in service jobs, are less likely (often, still struggling to learn French.) If it's your first time in France you will have some problems understanding what people are saying (even with prior education in French). Unlike most language education tapes, real French people often speak at varying speeds (Parisians do tend to speak fast), use slang, and swallow some letters.

When attempting to speak French, do not be offended if people ask you to repeat, or seem not to understand you, as they are not acting out of snobbery. Keep your sense of humour, and if necessary, write down phrases or place names. And remember to speak slowly and clearly. Unless you have an advanced level and can at least sort of understand French movies, you should also assume that it will be difficult for people to understand what you are saying (imagine someone speaking English to you in an indiscernible accent, it's all the same).

When in need of directions what you should do is this: find a younger person, or a person reading some book or magazine in English, who is obviously not in a hurry; say "hello" or "bonjour" (bon-zhor); start by asking if the person speaks English, "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Par-LAY voo on-glay?) even if the person can read something in English, speak slowly and clearly; write down place names if necessary. Smile a lot. Also, carry a map (preferably Paris par Arrondissement); given the complexity of Paris streets it is difficult to explain how to find any particular address in any language, no matter how well you speak it. If anything, the person may have an idea as to the place you are looking for, but may not know exactly where it may be, so the map always helps.

On the other hand you will probably get the cold shoulder if you stop a random person in the métro (like, say, some middle-aged hurried person who has a train to take), fail to greet them and say "where is place X or street Y".

Now, if you speak French, remember two magic phrases : "Excusez-moi de vous déranger" [ex-kuh-zay mwuh duh voo day-rawn-ZHAY] ("Sorry to bother you") and "Pourriez-vous m'aider?" [por-EE-AY voo may-DAY] ("Could you help me?") especially in shops; politeness will work wonders.

It is considered polite to always say "bonjour" (in the day) or "bonsoir" (at night) to employees when entering any type of shop even if you have no intention of buying anything. Upon leaving you should say "merci" to thank the shopkeeper for allowing you to browse and say "bonne journée" (bun zhur-nay) or "bonne soirée" (bun swa-ray) to wish them a good day or evening. "Bonne nuit" is only used when telling someone "goodnight" when going to bed.

The listings below are just some highlights of things that you really should see if you can during your visit to Paris. The complete listings are found on each individual district page (click on the name of the sight).

• Eiffel Tower. No other monument better symbolizes Paris.
• Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. The Arc de Triomphe exudes grandeur and offers a central view of the city.
• Champs-Élysées. Widely regarded to be one of the most recognizable avenues in the world

• Notre Dame Cathedral. Impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Closed indefinitely due to the fire that occurred on 15 April 2019.

• Sacré Coeur. A church perched on top of the highest point in Paris. Behind the church is the artists' area, in front are spectacular views of the whole city.
• Opera Garnier. Masterpiece of theatre architecture of the 19th century built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 housing the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV.

• Catacombes de Paris. Used to store the exhumed bones from the overflowing Paris cemetery. The bones of more than 6 million bodies lie here.
• Grande Arche de la Défense. A modern office-building variant of the Arc de Triomphe.
• Panthéon. Underneath, the final resting place for the great heroes of the French Republic including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie; above, a marvellous view of the city.
• Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Unlike any cemetery in the world. Ornate grave stones, monuments set among tree lined lanes. See the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frédéric Chopin, among many others.
• Sainte-Chapelle. Exquisite stained glass chapel. More beautiful interior than the gloomy Notre Dame Cathedral.

Eiffel Tower. No other monument better symbolizes Paris.

Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile. The Arc de Triomphe exudes grandeur and offers a central view of the city.

Champs-Élysées. Widely regarded to be one of the most recognizable avenues in the world

Notre Dame Cathedral. Impressive [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Closed indefinitely due to the fire that occurred on 15 April 2019.

Sacré Coeur. A church perched on top of the highest point in Paris. Behind the church is the artists' area, in front are spectacular views of the whole city.

Opera Garnier. Masterpiece of theatre architecture of the 19th century built by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 housing the Paris Opera since it was founded by Louis XIV.

Catacombes de Paris. Used to store the exhumed bones from the overflowing Paris cemetery. The bones of more than 6 million bodies lie here.

Grande Arche de la Défense. A modern office-building variant of the Arc de Triomphe.

Panthéon. Underneath, the final resting place for the great heroes of the French Republic including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie; above, a marvellous view of the city.

Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Unlike any cemetery in the world. Ornate grave stones, monuments set among tree lined lanes. See the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frédéric Chopin, among many others.

Sainte-Chapelle. Exquisite stained glass chapel. More beautiful interior than the gloomy Notre Dame Cathedral.

All national museums and monuments are free for all every first Sunday of the month.

• The Louvre. One of the finest museums in the world of art and culture. Home of the Mona Lisa and innumerable others. Enormous building and collection, plan at least two visits.
• Musée d'Orsay. Incredible collection housed in a former railway station. Works by the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) including Monet's "Blue Water Lilies, Renoir's "Bal du moulin de la Galette", van Gogh's "Bedroom in Arles", Whistler's "The Artists Mother", etc.
• Rodin Museum. Collection and archives dedicated to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, in a charming home with garden.
• Picasso Museum. Contains the master's own collection.
• Musée Marmottan-Monet. Over 300 paintings of Claude Monet. Also, the works of Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. "Impression Soleil Levant" by Monet is on display.
• Musée de l'Orangerie. [Jardin des Tuileries] Houses "The Water Lilies" (or "Nymphéas") - a 360 degree depiction of Monet's flower garden at Giverny. Also, impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings by Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Renoir, Rousseau, Soutine, Sisley and others.
• Musée Delacroix. Housed in the home of painter Eugène Delacroix.
• Centre Georges Pompidou. The museum of modern art. The building and adjoining Stravinsky Fountain are attractions in themselves.

• Les Invalides. Very impressive museum of arms and armor from the Middle Ages to today. Also contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Musée National Du Moyen Âge. A medieval museum exhibiting the five "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, housed in a part Roman, part medieval building.
• Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Showcasing eight centuries of French savoir-faire.
• Carnavalet. Museum of Paris history; exhibitions are permanent and free (closed for renovation until end 2019).
• Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie - La Villette. Science museum primarily for children.
• Mémorial de la Shoah. Paris's Holocaust Memorial Museum, in the heart of the Marais on rue Geoffroy l'Asnier. Free Entry, weekly guided tours. Second Sunday of the month there is a free tour in English.
• Jacquemart-Andre Museum. Private collection of French, Italian, Dutch masterpieces in a typical 19th-century mansion.
• 

The Louvre. One of the finest museums in the world of art and culture. Home of the Mona Lisa and innumerable others. Enormous building and collection, plan at least two visits.

Musée d'Orsay. Incredible collection housed in a former railway station. Works by the great artists of the 19th century (1848-1914) including Monet's "Blue Water Lilies, Renoir's "Bal du moulin de la Galette", van Gogh's "Bedroom in Arles", Whistler's "The Artists Mother", etc.

Rodin Museum. Collection and archives dedicated to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, in a charming home with garden.

Picasso Museum. Contains the master's own collection.

Musée Marmottan-Monet. Over 300 paintings of Claude Monet. Also, the works of Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. "Impression Soleil Levant" by Monet is on display.

Musée de l'Orangerie. [Jardin des Tuileries] Houses "The Water Lilies" (or "Nymphéas") - a 360 degree depiction of Monet's flower garden at Giverny. Also, impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings by Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Renoir, Rousseau, Soutine, Sisley and others.

Musée Delacroix. Housed in the home of painter Eugène Delacroix.

Centre Georges Pompidou. The museum of modern art. The building and adjoining Stravinsky Fountain are attractions in themselves.

Les Invalides. Very impressive museum of arms and armor from the Middle Ages to today. Also contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Musée National Du Moyen Âge. A medieval museum exhibiting the five "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, housed in a part Roman, part medieval building.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Showcasing eight centuries of French savoir-faire.

Carnavalet. Museum of Paris history; exhibitions are permanent and free (closed for renovation until end 2019).

Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie - La Villette. Science museum primarily for children.

Mémorial de la Shoah. Paris's Holocaust Memorial Museum, in the heart of the Marais on rue Geoffroy l'Asnier. Free Entry, weekly guided tours. Second Sunday of the month there is a free tour in English.

Jacquemart-Andre Museum. Private collection of French, Italian, Dutch masterpieces in a typical 19th-century mansion.

Planning your visits: several sites have "choke points" that restrict the number of visitors that can flow through. These include: The Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, and the catacombs. To avoid lines, you should start your day by arriving at one of these sites at least 30 minutes before opening time. Otherwise, expect a wait of at least an hour. Most museums and galleries are closed on either Monday or Tuesday. Examples: the Louvre museum is closed on Tuesdays while the Orsay Museum is closed on Mondays. Be sure to check museum closing dates to avoid disappointment! Also, most ticket counters close 30-45 min before final closing.

All national museums are open free of charge on the first Sunday of the month. However, this may mean long lines and crowded exhibits. Keep away from Paris during Easter week due to crowding. People have to queue up at the Eiffel Tower for several hours even early in the morning. However, this wait can be greatly reduced, if fit, by walking the first two levels, then buying an elevator ticket to the top. Entry to the permanent exhibitions at city-run museums is free at all times (admission is charged for temporary exhibitions).

One of the best value and most convenient ways to see the sights of Paris is with the Paris Museum Pass, a pre-paid entry card that allows entry into over 70 museums and monuments around Paris (and the Palace of Versailles) and comes in 2-day (€48), 4-day (€62) and 6-day (€74) denominations (Aug 2016). These are consecutive days. The card allows you to jump lengthy queues, a big plus during tourist season when line can be extensive, and is available from participating museums, tourist offices, FNAC branches and all the main Métro and RER train stations. You will still need to pay to enter most special exhibitions. To avoid waiting in the first long queue to purchase the museum pass, stop to purchase your pass a day or more in advance after mid-day. The pass does not become active until your first museum or site visit when you write your start date. After that, the days covered are consecutive. Do not write your start date until you are certain you will use the pass that day and be careful to use the European date style as indicated on the card: day-month-year.

Also consider the ParisPass, a pre-paid entry card + queue jumping to 60 attractions including the Louvre, The Arc de Triomphe, as well as a river cruise and allows free metro & public transport travel. A cheaper alternative with this new combined pass available since September 2008 is the Paris ComboPass, which comes in Lite/Premium versions.

• French Open. One of the 4 Tennis Grand Slam tournaments. It is scheduled for two weeks from the last Sunday in May. The event, on clay courts, features the world’s top-ranked tennis players.
• Paris Saint-Germain Football Club. Watch football i.e. soccer featuring one of the best football clubs in France. Their stadium, Parc des Princes, has a capacity of 48,583 spectators.
• International Football & Rugby at the Stade de France. France's national stadium has a capacity of 81,338, and also hosts concerts and various events. Some club teams often play here when their home stadium is unavailable.

French Open. One of the 4 Tennis Grand Slam tournaments. It is scheduled for two weeks from the last Sunday in May. The event, on clay courts, features the world’s top-ranked tennis players.

Paris Saint-Germain Football Club. Watch football i.e. soccer featuring one of the best football clubs in France. Their stadium, Parc des Princes, has a capacity of 48,583 spectators.

International Football & Rugby at the Stade de France. France's national stadium has a capacity of 81,338, and also hosts concerts and various events. Some club teams often play here when their home stadium is unavailable.

It seems like there's almost always something happening in Paris, with the possible exceptions of the school holidays in August and February, when about half of Parisians are to be found not in Paris, but in the South of France or the Alps respectively. The busiest season is probably the fall, from a week or so after la rentrée scolaire or "back to school" to around Noël (Christmas) theatres, cinemas and concert halls book their fullest schedule of the year.

Good listings of current cultural events in Paris can be found in Pariscope or Officiel des spectacles, weekly magazines listing all concerts, art exhibitions, films, stage plays and museums. Available from all kiosks. Timeout is a good option for tourists, who don't speak french.

Even so, there are a couple of annual events in the winter, starting with a furniture and interior decorating trade fair called Maison & Object in January.

In February le nouvel an chinois (Chinese New Year) is celebrated in Paris as it is in every city with a significant Chinese and Vietnamese population. There are parades in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements and especially in the Quartier Asiatique (Asian Quarter) in the 13th south of Place d'Italie. Also in February is the Six Nations Rugby Tournament which brings together France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.

The first of two Fashion weeks occurs in March: Spring Fashion Week, giving designers a platform to present women’s prêt-à-porter (ready to wear) collections for the following winter.

In June, Rendez-vous au Jardin is an open house for many Parisian gardens, giving you a chance to meet real Parisian gardeners and see their creations. The Fête de la Musique celebrates the summer solstice (21 June) with this city-wide free musical knees-up. Finally on the 26th of June is the Gay Pride parade, featuring probably the most sincere participation by the mayor's office of any such parade on the globe.

The French national holiday Bastille Day on the 14th of July celebrates the storming of the infamous Bastille during the French Revolution. Paris hosts several spectacular events that day of which the best known is the Bastille Parade which is held on the Champs-Élysées at 10:00 and broadcast to pretty much the rest of Europe by television. The entire street will be crowded with spectators so arrive early. The Bastille Day Fireworks is an exceptional treat for travellers lucky enough to be in town on Bastille Day. The Office du Tourisme et des Congress de Paris recommends gathering in or around the champ de Mars, the gardens of the Eiffel Tower.

Also in July, Cinema en Plein Air is the annual outdoor cinema event that takes place at the Parc de la Villette, in the 19th on Europe’s largest inflatable screen. For most of the months of July and August, parts of both banks of the Seine are converted from expressway into an artificial beach for Paris Plages. Also in July the cycling race le Tour de France has a route that varies annually, however it always finishes on the last Sunday of July under the Arc de Triomphe.

On the last full weekend in August, a world-class music festival Rock en Seine draws international rock and pop stars to the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, just west of Paris.

During mid-September DJs and (usually young) fans from across Europe converge on Paris for five or six days of dancing etc. culminating in the Techno parade - a parade whose route traces roughly from Place de la Bastille to the Sorbonne, and around the same time the festival Jazz à la Villette brings some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz from around the world.

In the beginning of autumn the vine harvest fest takes place. The most famous is the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, a food festival around the vine harvest of the Montmartre vineyard.

The Nuit Blanche transforms most of central Paris into a moonlit theme-park for an artsy all-nighter on the first Saturday of October, and Fashion Week returns shortly thereafter showing off Women’s Prêt-à-Porter collections for the following summer; as we've noted winter collections are presented in March.

The third Thursday in November marks the release of Le Beaujolais Nouveau and the beginning of the Christmas season. This evening, the Christmas lights are lit in a ceremony on the Champs-Élysées, often in the presence of hundreds (if not thousands) of people and many dignitaries, including the president of France.

Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive event guides covering concerts, clubs, movies or special events. For theatre, movies and exhibitions pick up the Pariscope and L'officiel du Spectacle, available at newsstands for €0.40. For (especially smaller, alternative) concerts pick up LYLO, a small, free booklet available in some bars and at FNAC. There is no user-friendly online version of these guides.

Paris is considered by many as the birthplace of photography, and while one may debate the correctness of this claim, there is no debate that Paris is today a photographer's dream. The French capital offers a spectacular array of photographic expositions and opportunities to the beginner and the pro alike. It has photogenic monuments (e.g., Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, the obelisk at Concorde, and countless others); architecture (e.g., the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Museum of the Arab World) and urban street scenes (e.g., in the Marais, Montmartre and Belleville). When you tire of taking your own photos, visit one of the many institutions dedicated to photography. At these and other institutions, you can learn the about the rich history of Paris as the place of important developments in photography (e.g., the Daguerrotype) and as the home of many of the trade's great artists (e.g., Robert Doisneau, André Kertész, Eugene Atget and Henri Cartier-Bresson).

• Maison Européene de la Photographie, 5/7 Rue de Fourcy (Metro Saint-Paul, Pont Marie. W-Su 11:00-20:00. Important center for contemporary photography with a large exposition area having three or four major expositions per year dedicated to contemporary photography. Housed in an updated hôtel particulier built in 1706. There is a large library, auditorium and café. Their archive houses over twenty thousand works of art. Admission is free every Wednesday from 17:00 to 20:00. Admission €9.
• Better Paris Photos, 32 Avenue de Suffren, +33 6 74 04 21 84. By appointment, tours last from 4 hours. Better Paris Photos offers instructional tours and workshops that combine hands-on learning of essential photographic techniques with guiding to, and commentary about, the most photogenic spots of Paris. Led by English-speaking photographers and instructors, these tours are open to all skill levels and interest. From €195/half day; €290/full day.

Maison Européene de la Photographie, 5/7 Rue de Fourcy (Metro Saint-Paul, Pont Marie. W-Su 11:00-20:00. Important center for contemporary photography with a large exposition area having three or four major expositions per year dedicated to contemporary photography. Housed in an updated hôtel particulier built in 1706. There is a large library, auditorium and café. Their archive houses over twenty thousand works of art. Admission is free every Wednesday from 17:00 to 20:00. Admission €9.

Better Paris Photos, 32 Avenue de Suffren, +33 6 74 04 21 84. By appointment, tours last from 4 hours. Better Paris Photos offers instructional tours and workshops that combine hands-on learning of essential photographic techniques with guiding to, and commentary about, the most photogenic spots of Paris. Led by English-speaking photographers and instructors, these tours are open to all skill levels and interest. From €195/half day; €290/full day.

The Cinémas of Paris are (or at least should be) the envy of the movie-going world. Of course, like anywhere else you can see big budget first-run films from France and elsewhere. That though, is just the start. During any given week there are at least half-a-dozen film festivals going on, at which you can see the entire works of a given actor or director. Meanwhile there are some older cult films like say, What's new Pussycat or Casino Royal which you can enjoy pretty much any day you wish.

Many non-French movies are subtitled (called "version originale" "VO" or "VOstfr" as opposed to "VF" for version française).

There are any number of ways to find out what's playing, but the most commonly used guide is Pariscope, which you can find at newsstands for €0.70. Meanwhile there are innumerable online guides which have information on "every" cinema in Paris.

The Paris Opera., as well as its associated ballet company, the Paris Opera Ballet, are considered to be among the premier classical performance companies in the world.

If you are under 26, there is a flat rate of €10 for every private theatre of the town every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night. This fare does not apply to public theatres nor opera.

• Cité des enfants in the 19th, a museum for kids within the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, is interactive, fun, and educational. There are two separate sections for the 3-5 set and the 5-12 set. The tots section has simple exhibits designed to be pushed, prodded, and poked. The section for older kids is more sophisticated with scientific experiments and TV studios. Métro Porte de la Villete (7)
• Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th. It would be counted as a travesty not to take your under 10 year old to the Jardin du Luxembourg, long a favourite with Parisian children. With its world famous merry-go-round, a pond for sail boats, a puppet theater, pony rides, chess players, children's playground, it has something for every kid (with comfortable chairs for weary parents thrown in!). The marionettes du Luxembourg, the puppet theatre, stages classic French puppet shows in French but should be easy to understand. There are numerous places for a snack. RER Luxembourg (B) or Métro Odéon (4, 10)
• Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the 19th. Buttes-Chaumont is great for those with children that like to run, climb, and explore. Built on the site of an abandoned quarry, the park is roughly bowl-shaped with a 30-meter-tall peak situated in the middle of a pond at the park's center. There are trails up the rock, caves, waterfalls, a suspension bridge, and a small stone gazebo on the top of the rock with a 360-degree view. There is also a puppet theater and a playground. Métro Buttes-Chaumont (7bis), Botzaris (7bis), or Laumière (5)
• Parc Zoologique in the 12th. This zoo is different because of a 236 foot artificial mountain bang in its center. Take elevators to the top and enjoy the view or watch the mountain goats do their stuff on the sides. Lions, tigers, and everything designed to delight kids can be found in the zoo if the mountain doesn't do it for your kids. RER/Métro Gare d'Austerlitz (5, 10, C)
• The Jardin d'Acclimatation in the 16th has a number of rides, including pint-sized roller coasters suitable for children as young as three years, as well as a mini-zoo and the estimable Musée en Herbe. Métro Les Sablons (1)
• The Parc Floral, in the Bois de Vincennes, has different themed playgrounds, ping pong tables and picnic areas. During winter the entrance is free.

Cité des enfants in the [[Paris/19th arrondissement|19th]], a museum for kids within the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, is interactive, fun, and educational. There are two separate sections for the 3-5 set and the 5-12 set. The tots section has simple exhibits designed to be pushed, prodded, and poked. The section for older kids is more sophisticated with scientific experiments and TV studios. Métro Porte de la Villete (7)

Jardin du Luxembourg in the [[Paris/6th arrondissement|6th]]. It would be counted as a travesty not to take your under 10 year old to the Jardin du Luxembourg, long a favourite with Parisian children. With its world famous merry-go-round, a pond for sail boats, a puppet theater, pony rides, chess players, children's playground, it has something for every kid (with comfortable chairs for weary parents thrown in!). The marionettes du Luxembourg, the puppet theatre, stages classic French puppet shows in French but should be easy to understand. There are numerous places for a snack. RER Luxembourg (B) or Métro Odéon (4, 10)

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the [[Paris/19th arrondissement|19th]]. Buttes-Chaumont is great for those with children that like to run, climb, and explore. Built on the site of an abandoned quarry, the park is roughly bowl-shaped with a 30-meter-tall peak situated in the middle of a pond at the park's center. There are trails up the rock, caves, waterfalls, a suspension bridge, and a small stone gazebo on the top of the rock with a 360-degree view. There is also a puppet theater and a playground. Métro Buttes-Chaumont (7bis), Botzaris (7bis), or Laumière (5)

Parc Zoologique in the [[Paris/12th arrondissement|12th]]. This zoo is different because of a 236 foot artificial mountain bang in its center. Take elevators to the top and enjoy the view or watch the mountain goats do their stuff on the sides. Lions, tigers, and everything designed to delight kids can be found in the zoo if the mountain doesn't do it for your kids. RER/Métro Gare d'Austerlitz (5, 10, C)

The Jardin d'Acclimatation in the [[Paris/16th arrondissement|16th]] has a number of rides, including pint-sized roller coasters suitable for children as young as three years, as well as a mini-zoo and the estimable Musée en Herbe. Métro Les Sablons (1)

Paris is one of the great fashion centres of the Western world, up there with New York, London, and Milan, making it a shopper's delight. While the Paris fashion scene is constantly evolving, the major shopping centres tend to be the same. High end couture can be found in the 8th arrondisement. In summer, there is nothing better than browsing the boutiques along Canal St-Martin, or strolling along the impressive arcades of the historic Palais-Royal, with beautifully wrapped purchases swinging on each arm.

Le Marais is a mostly Jewish neighborhood, most of the shops in Le Marais are open on Sundays. The stores in this area are intimate, boutique, "Parisian" style clothing stores. You will no doubt find something along each street, and it is always well worth the look.

Other great areas to shop around in are around the area Sèvres Babylone (Métro Line 10 and Line 12). It is in this area you will find the Le Bon Marché 7th, particularly rue de Cherche Midi 6th. The area boasts some of the major fashion houses (Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, etc.) and also has smaller private boutiques with handmade clothing.

In the Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés, you can find a handful of vintage clothing shops, carrying anything from couture early 20th century dresses, to 70s Chanel sunglasses. Walking along Boulevard Saint-Germain, you will find major brands. However, if in search of eclectic finds, opt to walk the northern side of the Boulevard, especially along rue Saint André des Arts, where you can always find a nice café to stop in. The area south of Saint-Germain is just as nice, and comes with a price tag to match.

In the artsy quarters of 1 and 4, there are many bargains to be had, once again, if you are prepared to look. Souvenirs are easily found and can be fairly inexpensive as long as you don't buy from the tourist sites. For cheap books of French connection, try the University/Latin quarter as they sell books in all languages starting from half a euro each.

Paris has 3 main flea markets, all on the outskirts of the central city. The most famous of these is the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen (Porte de Clignancourt) (Clignancourt Flea Market), Métro: Porte de Clignancourt, in the 18th, a haven for lovers of antiques, second-hand goods, and retro fashion. The best days to go are Saturday and Sunday. There are particular times of the week when only antique collectors are allowed into the stalls, and there are also times of the day when the stall owners take their Parisian siesta, and enjoy a leisurely cappuccino for an hour or so. The best times to visit the flea markets are in the spring and summertime, when the area is more vibrant. In and around the metro station, you may find the area a little wild, but still safe.

The Marché aux Puce de Vanves in the 14th arrondissement is open on Saturday and Sunday from 7h-14h. The closes metro station is Porte de Vanves.

Rue de Rome, situated near Gare St. Lazare, is crowded with luthiers, brass and woodwind makers, piano sellers, and sheet music stores. Subway station Europe. The area south of the metro station Pigalle is also packed with music shops (more oriented towards guitars and drums).

For art lovers, be sure to check out Quartier Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which is renowned for its galleries, and it is impossible to turn a street without finding a gallery to cast your glance in. On Fridays, most open until late. Most even have the benefit of bottles of wine so you can wander in with your glass of wine and feel very artistique. Great roads to walk along are rue de Seine, rue Jacob, rue des Beaux Arts, Rue Bonaparte, and Rue Mazarine. Also, be sure to visit the historical district of Montparnasse and quartier Vavin where artists like Modigliani, Gauguin and Zadkine used to work.

Paris is one of Europe's culinary centres, where the haute cuisine has flourished since at least the French revolution. It may however come as a surprise that Paris isn't considered the culinary capital of French cuisine; many people prefer the French cooking found in small rural restaurants, outside of the city, closer to the farms and with their focus on freshness and regional specialities. Even among French cities, Paris has long been considered by the French as second to Lyon for fine dining.

There have been other challenges in the last 20 years or so as restaurateurs in places like San Francisco and Sydney briefly surpassed their Parisian fore bearers, again with an emphasis on freshness of ingredients but also borrowings from other cuisines. Parisian cooks didn't just rest on their laurels during this time, rather they travelled, taught, and studied, and together with Paris's own immigrant communities, have revitalized the restaurant trade. Today you can find hundreds of beautiful restaurants with thoughtful (or just trendy) interior design and well-planned and executed cartes and menus offering a creative mélange of French and exotic foreign cuisines. It's safe to say that Paris is once again catching up with or edging ahead of its Anglophone rivals.

Of course there are also some traditional offerings, and for the budget conscious there are hundreds of traditional bistros, with their sidewalk terraces offering a choice of fairly simple (usually meat centred) meals for reasonable prices.

For the uninitiated, it is unfortunately possible to have a uniformly poor dining experience during a stay in Paris, mainly because many attractions are situated in upscale areas of town, and that mass tourism attracts price gougers. It is frequent to hear of people complaining of very high Parisian prices for poor food and poor service, because they always tried to eat close to major tourist magnets. For good food and great service, try to go eat where the locals eat.

Many restaurants are tiny and have tables close together - square metres are at a premium and understandably restaurateurs need to make the most of limited space. In some cases when the restaurant is crowded, you may have to sit beside strangers at the same table. If that does not appeal to you, go to a more upscale place where you will pay for the extra space.

Trendy restaurants often require reservations weeks, if not months in advance. If you haven't planned far enough ahead, try to get a reservation for lunch which is generally easier and less expensive.

For an easy-to-manage eating budget while in Paris, consider: breakfast or "petit déjeuner" at a restaurant, possibly in your hotel, consisting of some croissants, coffee, and maybe a piece of fruit. Get a 'walking lunch' from one of Paris' many food stands—a panino in the centre of the city, a crepe from a crepe stand, a felafel pita or take-out Chinese in the Marais. Traiteurs serving Chinese and/or Vietnamese food are ubiquitous in the city and good for a cheap lunch and many pâtisseries sell inexpensive coffee and sandwiches. All these are cheap (about the same as breakfast), easy, and allow you to maximize your sightseeing and walking time while enjoying delicious local or ethnic food. For dinner, stroll the streets at dusk and consider a €20-40 prix-fixe menu. This will get you 3 or 4 courses, possibly with wine, and an unhurried, candlelit, magical evening. If you alternate days like this with low-budget, self-guided eating (picnicking, snacking, street food) you will be satisfied without breaking the bank.

If one of the aims of your trip to Paris is to indulge in its fine dining, though, the most cost-effective way to do this is to make the main meal of your day lunch. Virtually all restaurants offer a good prix-fixe deal. By complementing this with a bakery breakfast and a light self-catered dinner, you will be able to experience the best of Parisian food and still stick to a budget.

Budget travellers will be very pleased with the range and quality of products on offer at the open air markets (e.g. the biggest one on Boulevard Richard Lenoir (near the Bastille), Rue Mouffetard, Place Buci, Place de la Madeleine and over the Canal Saint-Martin in the 11th or in any other arrondissement). If your accommodation has cooking facilities you're set, especially for wine and cheese, a decent bottle of French wine will set you back all of about €3-5, while the fairly good stuff starts at around €7. Bottles for less than €3 are not recommended.

The small épiceries which open until late are more expensive than the supermarchés (Casino, Monoprix, Franprix, etc.) For wine, the price difference can be up to €2.

Buy a baguette, some cheese and a good bottle of wine and join the Parisian youth for a pique-nique along the Seine (especially on the Île Saint-Louis) or along the Canal Saint-Martin. The finest food stores are Lafayette Gourmet in the Galeries Lafayette or La Grande Epicerie in the luxury department store Le Bon Marché. They are worth discovering. You will find a large variety of wines there, otherwise try wine stores (cavistes) that are present everywhere in the city, and sell all kind of good French wine that you won't find in a supermarket. The owners usualy know their wines and will be happy to help you choose among their huge selection. Some also sell good food. You can search for one online or ask a local. There are also some "wine supermarkets" such as Nicolas or Le Relais de Bacchus (all over the city) that sell more common wines.

For seafood lovers, Paris is a great place to try moules frites (steamed mussels and French fries) (better in fall and winter), oysters, sea snails, and other delicacies. Meat specialties include venison (deer), boar, and other game (especially in the fall and winter hunting season), as well as French favourites such as lamb, veal, beef, and pork.

Eating out in Paris can be expensive. However don't believe people when they say you can't do Paris on the cheap - you can! The key is to stay away from the beaten tracks and the obviously expensive Champs Elysées. Around the lesser visited quarters especially, there are many cheap and yummy restaurants to be found. The area around Fontaine Saint-Michel, the fountain facing Notre Dame is crowded by particularly tasty places to eat, with good ambiance, cheap prices and excellent service, with the advantage of being very centric of many places of interest. The key is to order from the prix-fixe menu, and not off the A la Carte menu unless you want to pay an arm and a leg. In many places a three course meal can be found for about €15. This way you can sample the food cheaply and is usually more "French". Ask for "une carafe d'eau" (oon karaaf doe) to get free tap water.

Paris has the largest number of Kosher restaurants in any European city. Walk up and down Rue des Rosiers to see the variety and choices available from Israeli, Sushi, Italian and others. You will also find a wide assortment of Kosher restaurants in the 9th arrondissement of Paris near the rue Richer and rue Cadet areas. See the district guides for examples. Kosher restaurants and snacks usually display a big orange rectangle on their front, which ensure clients that they are Beth din certified.

For vegetarians, eating traditional French food will require some improvisation, as it is heavily meat-based. That being said, Paris has several excellent vegetarian restaurants, and many non-vegetarian restaurants will provide vegetarian dishes.

When eating in a traditional restaurant, be careful before ordering dishes labelled as "vegetarian". Many French people presume that fish and seafood are vegetarian dishes. This is a widely spread misunderstanding all around the country. Additionally, French people tend to confuse "real" vegetarians with vegans. When explaining that you're a vegetarian that won't eat fish, people will often presume that you won't eat milk or egg-based products.

Look for spots such as Aquarius in the 14th or and Le Grenier de Notre-Dame in the 5th. See the arrondissement pages for more listings. For fast food and snacks, you can always find a vegetarian sandwich or pizza. Even a kebab shop can make you something with just cheese and salad, or perhaps falafel.

There are also lots of Italian, Thai, Indian, and Mezo-American places where you will have little problem. The famous South Indian chain Saravana Bhavan have their branch near Gare Du Nord. In Rue des Rosiers (4th arrondissement) you can get delicious falafel in the many Jewish restaurants. Another place to look for falafel is on Rue Oberkampf (11th arrondissement). Take away falafel usually goes for €5 or less.

Moroccan and Algerian cooking is common in Paris - vegetarian couscous is lovely. Another good option for vegetarians - are traiteurs, particularly around Ledru Rollin (down the road from Bastille) take away food where you can combine a range of different options such as pomme dauphinoise, dolmas, salads, vegetables, nice breads and cheeses and so on.

Lebanese restaurants and snack shops abound as well, offering a number of vegetarian mezze, or small plates. The stand-bys of course are hummas, falafel, and baba-ganouche (caviar d'aubergine). A good place to look for Lebanese is in the pedestrian zone around Les Halles and Beaubourg in the 1st and 4th.

When you are looking for a restaurant in Paris, be wary of those where the staff speak English a bit too readily. These restaurants are usually geared towards tourists. It does make a difference in the staff's service and behaviour whether they expect you to return or not.

Sometimes the advertised fixed price tourist menus (€10-15) are a good deal. If you're interested in the really good and more authentic stuff (and if you have learned some words of French) try one of the small bistros where the French go during lunch time.

The bars scene in Paris really does have something for everyone. From bars which serve drinks in baby bottles, to ultra luxe clubs that require some name dropping, or card (black Amex) showing, and clubs where you can dance like no one's watching, (although they will be). To start your night out right, grab a drink or two in a ubiquitous dive bar, before burning up the dance floor and spreading some cash, at one of the trendy clubs.

• Canal St Martin. Many cozy cafés and other drinking establishments abound around the Canal St Martin in the 10th.
• The Marais. The Marais has a large number of trendier new bars mostly in the 4th and to a lesser extent the 3rd with a few old charmers tossed into the mix. A number of bars and restaurants in the Marais have a decidedly gay crowd, but are usually perfectly friendly to straights as well. Some seem to be more specifically aimed at up-and-coming hetero singles.
• Bastille. There is a very active nightlife zone just to the northeast of Place de Bastille centered around rue de Lappe, rue de la Roquette, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine (especially the amazing Club Barrio Latino) and rue de Charonne in the 11th. Many of the bars closest to Bastille have either a North, Central, or South American theme, with a couple of Aussie places mixed in for good measure, and as you continue up rue de Charonne the cafés have more of a traditionally French but grungy feeling.
• Quartier Latin - Odeon. If you're looking for the nouvelle vague (new wave) style, student and intellectual atmosphere of Paris in the 60s and 70s, you'll find a lot of that (and more hip + chique) places in the quartier Latin and between place Odeon and the Seine. The neighborhood is also home of many small artsy cinemas showing non-mainstream films and classics (check 'Pariscope' or 'l'officiel du spectacle' at any newspaper stand for the weekly programme).
• Rue Mouffetard and environs. The area in the 5th on the south side of the hill topped by the Panthéon has a little bit of everything for the nighthawk, from the classy cafés of Place de la Contrescarpe to an Irish-American dive bar just down the way to a hip, nearly hidden jazz café at the bottom of the hill.
• Châtelet. In some ways the Marais starts here in the 1st between Les Halles and Hôtel de Ville but with between all of the tourists and the venerable Jazz clubs on rue des Lombards the area deserves some special attention.
• Montmartre. You'll find any number of cozy cafés and other drinking establishments all around the Butte Montmartre in the 18th, especially check out rue des Abbesses near the Métro station of the same name.
• Oberkampf-Ménilmontant. If you are wondering where to find the hipsters (bobos for bohemian-bourgeois), then this is where to look. There are several clusters of grungy-hip bars all along rue Oberkampf in the 11th, and stretching well into the 20th up the hill on rue de Ménilmontant. It's almost like being in San Francisco's Haight-Fillmore district.
• Bagnolet. There are a cluster of bar/restaurant/nightclubs along the southern end of the Père Lachaise cemetery in the 20th including probably the best place in Paris for nightly local and touring punk rock.
• Rues des Dames-Batignolles. Another good place to find the grungy-chic crowd is the northern end of the 17th around rue des Dames and rue des Batignolles, and if you decide you want something a little different Montmartre is just around the corner.
• Port de Tolbiac. This previously deserted stretch of the river Seine in the 13th was reborn as a center for nightlife (and Sunday-afternoon-life) a few years ago when an electronic music cooperative opened the Batofar. Nowadays there are a number of boats moored along the same quai, including a boat with a Caribbean theme, and one with an Indian restaurant.
• Saint Germain des Prés. This area has two of the most famous cafés in the world: Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, both catering to the tourists and the snobs who can afford their high prices. This part of the 6th is where the Parisian café scene really started, and there still are hundreds of places to pull up to a table, order a glass, and discuss Sartre deep into the evening.

For individual bar listings see the various Arrondissement pages under Drink.

Of course there are lots of interesting places which are sort of off on their own outside of these clusters, including a few like the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz which are not to be missed in a serious roundup of Parisian drinking, so check out the listings even in those arrondissements we haven't mentioned above.

Some nightclubs in Paris that are worth it: Folies Pigalle (pl. Pigalle, 18th, very trashy, €20), Rex Club (near one of the oldest cinemas on earth, the Grand Rex, house/electro, about €15). You might also want to try Cabaret (Palais Royal), Maison Blanche, le Baron (M Alma-Marceau). Remember when going out to dress to impress, you are in Paris! Torn clothing and sneakers are not accepted. The better you look, the more likely you will get past the random decisions of club bouncers. Also important to remember if male (or in a group of guys) that it will be more difficult to enter clubs; try to always have an equal male/female ratio.

Canal St Martin. Many cozy cafés and other drinking establishments abound around the Canal St Martin in the [[Paris/10th arrondissement|10th]].

The Marais. The Marais has a large number of trendier new bars mostly in the [[Paris/4th arrondissement|4th]] and to a lesser extent the [[Paris/3rd arrondissement|3rd]] with a few old charmers tossed into the mix. A number of bars and restaurants in the Marais have a decidedly gay crowd, but are usually perfectly friendly to straights as well. Some seem to be more specifically aimed at up-and-coming hetero singles.

Bastille. There is a very active nightlife zone just to the northeast of Place de Bastille centered around rue de Lappe, rue de la Roquette, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine (especially the amazing Club Barrio Latino) and rue de Charonne in the [[Paris/11th arrondissement|11th]]. Many of the bars closest to Bastille have either a North, Central, or South American theme, with a couple of Aussie places mixed in for good measure, and as you continue up rue de Charonne the cafés have more of a traditionally French but grungy feeling.

Quartier Latin - Odeon. If you're looking for the nouvelle vague (new wave) style, student and intellectual atmosphere of Paris in the 60s and 70s, you'll find a lot of that (and more hip + chique) places in the quartier Latin and between place Odeon and the Seine. The neighborhood is also home of many small artsy cinemas showing non-mainstream films and classics (check 'Pariscope' or 'l'officiel du spectacle' at any newspaper stand for the weekly programme).

Rue Mouffetard and environs. The area in the [[Paris/5th arrondissement|5th]] on the south side of the hill topped by the Panthéon has a little bit of everything for the nighthawk, from the classy cafés of Place de la Contrescarpe to an Irish-American dive bar just down the way to a hip, nearly hidden jazz café at the bottom of the hill.

Châtelet. In some ways the Marais starts here in the [[Paris/1st arrondissement|1st]] between Les Halles and Hôtel de Ville but with between all of the tourists and the venerable Jazz clubs on rue des Lombards the area deserves some special attention.

Montmartre. You'll find any number of cozy cafés and other drinking establishments all around the Butte Montmartre in the [[Paris/18th arrondissement|18th]], especially check out rue des Abbesses near the Métro station of the same name.

Oberkampf-Ménilmontant. If you are wondering where to find the hipsters (bobos for bohemian-bourgeois), then this is where to look. There are several clusters of grungy-hip bars all along rue Oberkampf in the [[Paris/11th arrondissement|11th]], and stretching well into the [[Paris/20th arrondissement|20th]] up the hill on rue de Ménilmontant. It's almost like being in [[San Francisco]]'s [[San Francisco/Haight-Fillmore District|Haight-Fillmore]] district.

Bagnolet. There are a cluster of bar/restaurant/nightclubs along the southern end of the Père Lachaise cemetery in the [[Paris/20th arrondissement|20th]] including probably the best place in Paris for nightly local and touring punk rock.

Rues des Dames-Batignolles. Another good place to find the grungy-chic crowd is the northern end of the [[Paris/17th arrondissement|17th]] around rue des Dames and rue des Batignolles, and if you decide you want something a little different Montmartre is just around the corner.

Port de Tolbiac. This previously deserted stretch of the river Seine in the [[Paris/13th arrondissement|13th]] was reborn as a center for nightlife (and Sunday-afternoon-life) a few years ago when an electronic music cooperative opened the Batofar. Nowadays there are a number of boats moored along the same quai, including a boat with a Caribbean theme, and one with an Indian restaurant.

Saint Germain des Prés. This area has two of the most famous cafés in the world: Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, both catering to the tourists and the snobs who can afford their high prices. This part of the [[Paris/6th arrondissement|6th]] is where the Parisian café scene really started, and there still are hundreds of places to pull up to a table, order a glass, and discuss Sartre deep into the evening.

Despite what many naysayers might say or believe, Paris is still a relatively safe city. This does not stop it from being plagued by petty crime, especially pickpocketing, and muggings. Scams, of which there are many, are also prevalent, though the police are slowly cracking down on them. While not common, purse snatchings do happen. Violent crime is rare, but has been on the rise in recent years. Watch yourself at ATMs and other places where your cash may be visible. Keep your money and your wallet in your front pockets, and avoid ATMs that are open to the outside, especially at night.

Several of the outer suburbs of the metropolitan area (commonly referred to as the banlieues) such as La Courneuve, Saint-Denis, and Pantin are notoriously dangerous and 'rough' by western standards, and you should be cautious when visiting these places.

The police can be reached by phone by dialing 17. Not all police officers speak English, but those found around touristy areas almost always will. They are usually friendly and perfectly approachable should you have to.

The métro and RER are also a popular place for pickpockets. Hold things tightly and be aware of your surroundings. While trains are usually crowded, if someone is insisting and hovers over you, they are probably going through your pockets. It is important to know that a majority of these belong to a gang. These gangs usually use young children as young as seven, with groups of them going around the metro stations pickpocketing tourists and locals alike. If there is a group of three or more suspicious looking people, be careful of your belongings. This is a notable occurence on Métro line 13 and the RER B.

Common tactics are two of them blocking you as you try to board the subway, with two behind you quickly going through your bag. Seconds before the doors close, the two jump off, leaving you on the metro without even realizing what has happened. Take note of what locals do. If someone warns you to be careful, there are probably some suspicious types hoping to steal from you. Also be aware that phone-snatching is the most reported crime, and avoid using your cellphone on metro platforms and in the metro itself.

Pickpockets are active on the rail link (RER B) from Charles de Gaulle airport to downtown Paris, which passes through the poor suburbs of Seine-Saint Denis. Try to take the trains which are nonstop between the airport and Paris proper (Gare du Nord) - EKLI/EKIL from Paris to CDG and KRIN/KROL from CDG to Paris. These are faster and are less crowded than the alternative.

There have also been problems with thieves physically fighting people in order to steal their belongings. The most common targets are those with suitcases and backpacks, i.e. tourists. Thieves usually coin their acts with the closing of the doors. Newer trains have cameras everywhere, and thieves are much less likely to use them. Otherwise, stow luggage on the racks above the seat (which is not possible in newer trains) and hold on to your bags so no one can grab them and then run out. You are much less likely of being a victim if the train is crowded with locals headed to work, usually at rush hour.

The train conductors are widely aware of these crimes and will usually wait a few seconds to leave the station after the doors have closed, just in case thieves have quickly jumped off with belongings. There are also emergency cords that one can pull if willing to chase after the attackers. People will usually be helpful and gladly call the police if you do not have a cell phone.

Pickpockets are most likely to be found working at crowded tourists hotspots, so keep your wallet and phone in your front pockets and hold your backpack tightly when in a crowd.

A common place for phone/camera/wallet snatching is in tourist friendly dining areas scattered all over Paris where exposed outdoor tables are commonly right on busy sidewalks. Common practice by many Western tourists is to leave an aforementioned item of value on the table (most commonly a smartphone) in front of them. Some of the criminals, working in groups of three to five people, approach your table and shove what appears to be a survey directly under your nose thus blocking your view of your valuable. While the gang members are yelling in a foreign language another one will slip a hand below your view and take your item of value from the table. This occurs very quickly (less than five seconds) and the perpetrators disappear around the corner just as quick as they arrived.

Key landmarks like the Louvre or the Eiffel tower have been plagued with gangs of pickpockets, which typically operate in groups of about five. As many as half a dozen of these gangs may be active at a particularly famous, crowded venue at any one time; occasionally there are fights between rival gangs of thieves. Asian visitors are often targeted due to a presumption that they are visiting from affluent nations. Venue staff have complained of being spat at, threatened, abused or assaulted by pickpocketing gangs; the Louvre closed briefly in 2013 (as did the Eiffel tower in 2015) due to worker protests of unsafe conditions due to criminal activity. Token attempts to deploy more police have not solved the problems.

At Sacré-Cœur, there are many men who will try to tie strings or bracelets on your finger (often called "string muggers"). Not only will they demand an obscene fee for the cheap trinkets (usually over 15€), they will also try to pickpocket you or threaten you with force if you do not give them money. They are usually only at the base of the monument and can be avoided by taking the Funicular of Montmartre. Otherwise, you can quickly walk past them and ignore them, though they will readily grab people's arms and have even been known to target children of tourists. Yelling at them may cause unwanted attention and cause them to back off, but be careful. Sacré-Cœur appears to be the only area where they congregate, but they have been sighted also near the Eiffel Tower.

Besides them, you will notice many people walking around with cheap trinkets at touristic areas, especially the Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, and Louvre Museum. They are generally not rude, but buying things from them is illegal and hurts small businesses. Of course, they bolt at the sight of the police, and you may end up in the middle of a stampede!

Be careful around Barbès-Rochechouart and the bars near Moulin Rouge. A very common clip joint trick is played here which might cost you up to €500. The agents standing outside will force you to enter a bar and just have a look for 5 minutes. The moment you order a drink (about 5€), a girl will approach you and start talking generally, and leave in 10–15 minutes. After a harmless conversation with the girls when you request a bill, you will encounter a charge of say €200-500 as 'service fees' for the services rendered by the girl! In case you resist paying, the bouncers will start intimidating you to try to extract money from your wallet. In such cases, threaten them that you are calling the police and informing the local embassy. Try to buy some time and start creating a ruckus. However, do not try to start a fight with the bouncers. This trick is common to many European big cities.

One scam involves a "helpful" local buying a ticket for you. Normally, tourists buy 1-day, 3-day or longer Paris Visite passes. They would tell you that your single trip ticket has expired and bring you to the ticketing machine to purchase day passes. Then they would select the 3 day pass for adults (even though you may be a student) and deliberately show you the price on the screen. Everything else is in French so you would not understand a thing. They would proceed to purchase with a credit card and while entering the PIN code, get you to turn your back on them. They then sneakily change the ticket to a single trip ticket and ask for payment for a 3-day ticket from you. Unsuspecting tourists would pay the full sum thinking it is a 1-day or 3-day pass when it is only a useless ticket. Buy the tickets yourself to avoid situations like these, as machines are available in English and other languages. If you feel threatened, call the police and don't physically handle the ticket if they forcibly purchase without your agreement.

Another common scam is found along the banks of the Seine river and involves a ring. This involves thieves "finding" a ring which they give to you. They then ask you if you own it. When you say no, they insist you keep it, saying it goes against their religion or they cannot wear rings. A few moments later, they ask you for money to buy something to eat, eventually following you and becoming more annoying. You can either yell at them or steer them towards an area where there are likely to be police present, at which point they will quickly run away.

The most common scam (besides pickpocketing) that has taken over Paris by storm since June 2011 involves women coming up to tourists with pledge sheets. They pretend to be deaf people collecting money for one charity or another. Once you are distracted with the petition, an accomplice pickpockets you and takes your belongings. In addition, once you sign, they point to a thing that reads "minimum ten euro donation." While they may at first insist on this, shaking your head and walking away will usually make them pester someone else. Otherwise, simply waving them off and a loud no should make them give up. If they are in a large group, as is common, be careful of your belongings! This is a ploy to pickpocket you as you are surrounded by them. At this point, yelling for the police will make them disperse quickly. This is most commonly found around major tourist sites, but has also been a problem at Gare du Nord, though this has gotten much better.

Never bet money on a 3-card game as you will always lose. This trick is played by con artists on some of the bridges on River Seine near the Eiffel Tower.

It is a good idea to steer clear of the suburb of Seine Saint-Denis, as this suburb is known for its gangs and poverty, though there is of little interest to a tourists anyway (except the Basilique de Saint-Denis, but that is located near a métro station). You may want to avoid walking alone at night in the 18th and 19th arrondissements as well, as these can be a little shady at night. There is a large problem with youths from the depressed suburbs causing trouble with the police. If locals are moving away, it is most likely from a confrontation. While these groups rarely target people besides the police, be careful. Walk away from a situation that could lead to fights or worse.

In general, remember to be aware of pickpockets, as they act by trying to distract you. Avoid showing off expensive phones or a lot of money in public transportation or in open areas. Put your things in a money belt or your front pockets, but never in the back pockets.

Beware if you are obviously Jewish, for example if you wear a kippa/yarmulke. Many people who are easily recognisable as Jewish have faced harassment or worse, primarily from that subset of Muslims from within and outside the Paris area who have violent feelings toward Jews. As a result, many of the local Jews no longer wear identifiably Jewish clothing or symbols (such as Star of David pendants) while walking on the street or taking public transportation. The French government is taking this threat very seriously, and in 2015 assigned thousands of soldiers to guard places throughout France that are considered likely to be in possible danger from terrorists, but there is only so much that can be done to protect people from violence on the street, so consider taking the advice of local Jews regarding your behavior. For example, if you wear a kippa, consider wearing it under a hat that is not identifiably Jewish, or if you find it unacceptable to be in a place where your appearance might put you in danger, consider postponing your trip or going elsewhere.

Parisians have a reputation for being egocentric, rude and arrogant. While this is often only an inaccurate stereotype, the best way to get along in Paris still is to be on your best behavior, acting like someone who is "bien élevé" (well brought up). It will make getting about considerably easier.

Parisians' abrupt exteriors will rapidly evaporate if you display some basic courtesies. A simple "Bonjour, Madame" when entering a shop, for example, or "Excusez-moi" when trying to get someone's attention, are very important; say "Pardon" or better "je suis désolé" if you bump into someone accidentally or make other mistakes. If you speak French or are using a phrasebook remember to always use the vous form when addressing someone you don't know; this may transform the surliest shop assistant into a smiling helper or the grumpiest inhabitant to a helpful citizen. Courtesy is extremely important in France (where the worst insult is to call someone "mal élevé", or "badly brought up").

If you only learn one long phrase in French a good one would be "Excusez-moi de vous déranger, monsieur/madame, auriez-vous la gentillesse de m'aider?" (pardon me for bothering you, sir/madam, would you have the kindness to help me?) - this level of extreme politeness is about the closest one can come to a magic wand for unlocking Parisian hospitality. If you know some French, try it! But remember, too, that Parisians have places to go and things to do, so if they have no time and don't answer you, don't take it personally. Many Parisians, given time, will go out of their way to help, especially if you make an effort to speak their language and act polite to them.

Most foreigners tend to ignore two basic rules of courtesy in tube and train transport in Paris. If the car is full and you're sitting on a folding seat, you should consider standing up. If you stand next to the door, you are expected to get down to the platform at a stop so that people inside can find their way out. Once they have got out, you can go back. However, don't always expect that others will do the same for you and, if the train is full, get ready to get down with enough time in advance. In a corridor, when pushing a door, you are expected to hold it for the next person, so that it won't close abruptly. This rule is strictly observed in the tube, and quite commonly everywhere else.

In addition, if you are traveling to or from the airport or train station and have luggage with you, make certain that you are not blocking the aisles in the train by leaving your bags on the floor. The RER B (which links both Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports to the city) has luggage racks above the seats (on the newer trains, there are no such racks above the seats, but racks dedicated to luggage in between some seats); it is best to use them so you do not block the path of a local who is getting off the train before the airport stop. On the métro and especially in the RER, don't take up extra seats with your luggage. There are luggage racks and spaces between the seats.

There are hefty fines for littering in Paris, especially with dog droppings (often you'll find free plastic bags dispensers around parks or playgrounds).

One helpful thing about having official and numbered districts in Paris is that you can easily tell which arrondissement an address is in by its postal code, and can easily come up with the postal code for a Paris address if you know its arrondissement. The rule is just pre-pend 750 or 7500 to the front of the arrondissement number, with 75001 being the postal code for the 1st and 75011 being the postal code for the 11th, and so on. The 16th has two postal codes, 75016 for the portion south of Rue de Passy and 75116 to the north; all other arrondissements only have one postal code.

Phone cards are available from most "tabacs" but make sure you know where you can use them when you buy them, as some places still sell the cartes cabines which are hard to use as cabines are rare.

The city of Paris provides free Internet access via 400 Wi-Fi access points throughout the city, including many public parks. Look for the network called "PARIS_WI-FI_" (followed by some digits) on your laptop or PDA.

Other options include Starbucks, which is free. There is also McDonald's, Columbus Café, and certain Indiana Café locations. There is also the Wistro network which independent coffee chains offer. You can search by arrondissement. In general, a large number of cafés and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi. If you see in the list of available networks FreeWifi, Free is the name of a provider and not a free network service.

Famous for its status as "fashion capital", Paris isn't as conservative in dress as one might think. Parisians will tolerate all kinds of clothes as long as they're worn "avec style" (with style). That's why men do not usually wear shorts shorter than above the knee outside of sporting events: it is not considered indecent but may stand out from the locals; shorts are for "schoolboys and football players" only.

• Adria Airways, 94 r Saint Lazare 75009. M-F 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:00.
• Air France, 30 av Léon Gaumont 75985, +33 36 54.
• Air France Agence Opéra, 49 av Opéra 75002, +33 36 54.
• Air France Agence Jardin du Luxembourg, 4 pl Edmond Rostand 75006, +33 36 54.
• Air Tahiti Nui, 28 bd St Germain 75005, +33 825 02 42 02.
• Croatia Airlines, Roissypôle Le Dôme Bât1 r de la Haye Tremblay en France BP 18913 95731 ROISSY CH DE GAULLE CEDEX, +33 1 48 16 40 00.
• Delta Air Lines, 2 r Robert Esnault Pelterie 75007, +33 892 702 609.
• Finnair (Compagnie Aérienne de Finlande), Roissy Terminal 2D 95715 ROISSY CDG CEDEX, +33 821 025 111.
• LOT Polish Airlines, 27 r Quatre Septembre 75002, +33 800 10 12 24. open from Mon to Sun.
• Qatar Airways, 7 r Vignon 75008, +33 1 55 27 80 80.
• Royal Jordanian airlines, 38 avenue des Champs Elysees Paris - 75008.
• Royal Air Maroc, 38 av Opéra 75002, +33 820 821 821.
• Royal Brunei Airlines, 4 r Fbg Montmartre 75009, +33 826 95 31 21.´
• Ryanair, Aéroport Beauvais - Tillé, +33 892 68 20 64.
• Saudi Arabian Airlines (Lignes Aériennes de l'Arabie Saoudite), 34 av George V 75008, +33 820 20 05 05.
• Singapore Airlines, 43 r Boissière 75116, +33 821 230 380.
• Srilankan Airlines, 113 r Réaumur 75002, +33 1 42 97 43 44.
• Syrian Arab Airlines, 1 r Auber 75009, +33 1 47 42 11 06.
• TAM Airlines, 50 Ter r Malte 75011, +33 1 53 75 20 00.
• TAP Portugal, +33 820 319 320.
• Turkish Airlines, 8 Place de l’Opera 75009, +33 1 56 69 44 90. 09:30-17:30.
• Vietnam Airlines, 49 Avenue des Champs Élysées 75008, +33 1 44 55 39 90.

Adria Airways, 94 r Saint Lazare 75009. M-F 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:00.

Air France, 30 av Léon Gaumont 75985, +33 36 54.

Air France Agence Opéra, 49 av Opéra 75002, +33 36 54.

Air France Agence Jardin du Luxembourg, 4 pl Edmond Rostand 75006, +33 36 54.

Air Tahiti Nui, 28 bd St Germain 75005, +33 825 02 42 02.

Croatia Airlines, Roissypôle Le Dôme Bât1 r de la Haye Tremblay en France BP 18913 95731 ROISSY CH DE GAULLE CEDEX, +33 1 48 16 40 00.

Delta Air Lines, 2 r Robert Esnault Pelterie 75007, +33 892 702 609.

Finnair (Compagnie Aérienne de Finlande), Roissy Terminal 2D 95715 ROISSY CDG CEDEX, +33 821 025 111.

LOT Polish Airlines, 27 r Quatre Septembre 75002, +33 800 10 12 24. open from Mon to Sun.

Qatar Airways, 7 r Vignon 75008, +33 1 55 27 80 80.

Royal Jordanian airlines, 38 avenue des Champs Elysees Paris - 75008.

Royal Air Maroc, 38 av Opéra 75002, +33 820 821 821.

Royal Brunei Airlines, 4 r Fbg Montmartre 75009, +33 826 95 31 21.´

Ryanair, Aéroport Beauvais - Tillé, +33 892 68 20 64.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Lignes Aériennes de l'Arabie Saoudite), 34 av George V 75008, +33 820 20 05 05.

Singapore Airlines, 43 r Boissière 75116, +33 821 230 380.

Srilankan Airlines, 113 r Réaumur 75002, +33 1 42 97 43 44.

Syrian Arab Airlines, 1 r Auber 75009, +33 1 47 42 11 06.

TAM Airlines, 50 Ter r Malte 75011, +33 1 53 75 20 00.

TAP Portugal, +33 820 319 320.

Turkish Airlines, 8 Place de l’Opera 75009, +33 1 56 69 44 90. 09:30-17:30.

Vietnam Airlines, 49 Avenue des Champs Élysées 75008, +33 1 44 55 39 90.

• Australia Australia, 4, rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris, +33 1 40 59 33 00.
• Austria Austria, 6, rue Fabert 75007 Paris / consular office at 17, avenue de Villars, 75007 Paris, +33 1 40 63 30 63, +33 1 40 63 30 90 (consular office).
• Burundi Burundi, 10-12, rue de l'Orme, Quartier d'Amérique, 75019 Paris, +33 1 45 20 60 61. M–Th 09:00–13:00 14:00–17:00, F 09:00–13:00.
• Canada Canada, 35, avenue Montaigne,75008 Paris, +33 1 44 43 29 02.
• China China, 111, avenue George V, 75008 Paris / consular office at 20, rue Washington 75008 Paris, +33 1 49 52 19 50, +33 1 47 36 77 90 (consular office).
• Egypt Egypt, 56, avenue d'Iéna, 75116 Paris, +33 1 53678830. 09:30-17:30.
• Ethiopia Ethiopia, 35, avenue Charles Floquet, Quartier du Gros-Caillou, 75007 Paris (near Eiffel Tower, La Motte-Picquet-Grenelle metro station, +33 1 47 83 25 05. M–Tu Th–F 9:00–13:00 14:00-17:00, W 9:00–13:00 14:00–16:00 (visa request deposit on morning, withdrawal on afternoon).
• Finland Finland, place de Finlande, 75007 Paris, +33 1 44 18 19 20. M-F 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:15.
• Greece Greece, 17, rue Auguste Vacquerie, 75016 Paris, +33 1 47 23 72 28, +33 1 47 23 98 92 (emergencies).
• India India, 13-15 Rue Alfred Dehodencq, 75016 Paris (Nearest Metro is Pont de l'Alma, +33 1 40 50 70 70. For emergency related to passport or other distress, Indians can call +33 1 64 83 40 063
• Indonesia Indonesia, 47, rue Cortambert, 75116 Paris (Nearest Metro is La Muette on Line 9, +33 1 45 03 07 60. 0900 to 1730 hours.
• Japan Japan, 7, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris, +33 1 48 88 62 00.
• Madagascar Madagascar, 4, avenue Raphaël, 75016 Paris, +33 1 45 04 62 11.
• Netherlands The Netherlands, Rue Eblé 7-9, 75007 Paris, +33 1 40 62 33 00. Mo-Fr 9AM-5PM.
• Philippines Philippines, 45, rue du Ranelagh / 4, Hameau de Boulainvilliers, +33 1 44 14 57 00.
• Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, 5, avenue Hoche 75008 Paris / consulate at 29, rue des Graviers, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, +33 1 56 79 40 00.
• Spain Spain, 22, Avenue Marceau.- 75008 Paris, +33 1 47 23 59 55. M-F 09:00-13:30, 15:00-18:00.
• the Republic of China Taiwan, 78, rue de l'Université, 75008 Paris, +33 1 44 39 88 20.
• South Korea South Korea, 125, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, +33 01 47 53 01 01.
• Turkey Turkey, 16, avenue de Lamballe, 75016 Paris / consulate at 44, rue de Sèvres, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, +33 1 47 12 30 30. 08:30 -13:00.
• the United Kingdom United Kingdom, 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75008 Paris, +33 1 44 51 31 00.
• the United States United States, 2, avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, +33 1 43 12 22 22.
• Vietnam Vietnam, 62, rue Boileau, 75016 Paris, +33 1 44 14 64 00.

Australia Australia, 4, rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris, +33 1 40 59 33 00.

Austria Austria, 6, rue Fabert 75007 Paris / consular office at 17, avenue de Villars, 75007 Paris, +33 1 40 63 30 63, +33 1 40 63 30 90 (consular office).

Burundi Burundi, 10-12, rue de l'Orme, Quartier d'Amérique, 75019 Paris, +33 1 45 20 60 61. M–Th 09:00–13:00 14:00–17:00, F 09:00–13:00.

Canada Canada, 35, avenue Montaigne,75008 Paris, +33 1 44 43 29 02.

China China, 111, avenue George V, 75008 Paris / consular office at 20, rue Washington 75008 Paris, +33 1 49 52 19 50, +33 1 47 36 77 90 (consular office).

Egypt Egypt, 56, avenue d'Iéna, 75116 Paris, +33 1 53678830. 09:30-17:30.

Ethiopia Ethiopia, 35, avenue Charles Floquet, Quartier du Gros-Caillou, 75007 Paris (near Eiffel Tower, La Motte-Picquet-Grenelle metro station, +33 1 47 83 25 05. M–Tu Th–F 9:00–13:00 14:00-17:00, W 9:00–13:00 14:00–16:00 (visa request deposit on morning, withdrawal on afternoon).

Finland Finland, place de Finlande, 75007 Paris, +33 1 44 18 19 20. M-F 09:00-13:00, 14:00-17:15.

Greece Greece, 17, rue Auguste Vacquerie, 75016 Paris, +33 1 47 23 72 28, +33 1 47 23 98 92 (emergencies).

India India, 13-15 Rue Alfred Dehodencq, 75016 Paris (Nearest Metro is Pont de l'Alma, +33 1 40 50 70 70. For emergency related to passport or other distress, Indians can call +33 1 64 83 40 063

Indonesia Indonesia, 47, rue Cortambert, 75116 Paris (Nearest Metro is La Muette on Line 9, +33 1 45 03 07 60. 0900 to 1730 hours.

Japan Japan, 7, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris, +33 1 48 88 62 00.

Madagascar Madagascar, 4, avenue Raphaël, 75016 Paris, +33 1 45 04 62 11.

Netherlands The Netherlands, Rue Eblé 7-9, 75007 Paris, +33 1 40 62 33 00. Mo-Fr 9AM-5PM.

Philippines Philippines, 45, rue du Ranelagh / 4, Hameau de Boulainvilliers, +33 1 44 14 57 00.

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, 5, avenue Hoche 75008 Paris / consulate at 29, rue des Graviers, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine, +33 1 56 79 40 00.

Spain Spain, 22, Avenue Marceau.- 75008 Paris, +33 1 47 23 59 55. M-F 09:00-13:30, 15:00-18:00.

the Republic of China Taiwan, 78, rue de l'Université, 75008 Paris, +33 1 44 39 88 20.

South Korea South Korea, 125, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, +33 01 47 53 01 01.

Turkey Turkey, 16, avenue de Lamballe, 75016 Paris / consulate at 44, rue de Sèvres, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, +33 1 47 12 30 30. 08:30 -13:00.

the United Kingdom United Kingdom, 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75008 Paris, +33 1 44 51 31 00.

the United States United States, 2, avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris, +33 1 43 12 22 22.

Vietnam Vietnam, 62, rue Boileau, 75016 Paris, +33 1 44 14 64 00.

• Chantilly - Wonderful 17th-century palace and gardens (and the birthplace of whipped cream). 25 min train ride from Gare du Nord
• Chartres - The 12th-century cathedral of Notre Dame at Chartres is one of the highlights of Gothic architecture. 60-min train ride from Gare Montparnasse
• Disneyland Paris - In the suburb of Marne-la-Vallée, to the east of Paris, from where it can be reached by car, train, RER, or bus (the train/RER is probably your best bet).
• Fontainebleau - A lovely historic town south of Paris (55.5 km or 35 mi). A favourite weekend getaway for Parisians, it is renowned for its large and scenic forest, and for its château. 35 min train ride from Gare de Lyon
• Giverny - The inspirational house and gardens of the Impressionist painter Claude Monet are but a day-trip away. The gardens and its flowers are the most interesting part of the visit, so avoid rainy days.
• Lille - By bus 3½ hr (€5)
• The Loire Valley - a beautiful wine-making stretch of the river Loire that is chock full of renaissance châteaux, including Chambord, as well as medieval cities such as Blois, Orléans and Tours. Trains take 1–2½ hours from Gare Montparnasse and Gare d'Austerlitz.
• The Orient Express, which historically ran Paris-Istanbul, has been partially recreated as a seasonal luxury tourist train, but tickets are not cheap.
• Saint-Denis - On the northern edge of the metropolis, site of the Stade de France and St Denis Abbey, burial place of French royalty.
• Versailles - On the southwestern edge of Paris, the site of the Sun King Louis XIV's magnificent palace. 20-40 min train ride by RER (line C) from central Paris.