PARIS
Survival Guide
Arrival & transport
Paris’ main airport is Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle (top picture) (+33 1 48 62 22 80; www.paris-cdg.com), some 20 miles north-east of the centre.
It’s a 40-minute journey by RER (suburban rail) train (¤8/£5.70) to the Gare du Nord, Paris’ main station and terminus for Eurostar services from London. The other airport, Orly (+33 1 49 75 15 15), is 10 miles south of town. The Orlyrail train (¤6/£4.25) links with Pont de Rungis on the RER C line. A single ticket on the extensive central Metro is ¤1.50 (£1), a carnet of 10 ¤11 (£7.80).
Hotels
A good mid-range option is the Hotel Brighton (218 Rue de Rivoli; +33 1 47 03 61 61 ;¤170/£120). The Hotel Chopin (10 Boulevard Montmartre; +33 1 47 70 58 10; ¤90/£65) is a low-cost favourite. Same-day hotel reservations can be made in person at the tourist office, Carrousel du Louvre, 99 Rue de Rivoli (08 26 16 66 66).
Eating & drinking
Paris is traditionally regarded as the world’sgastronomic capital and the choice is vast – as can be the prices. Many
neighbourhood locals will do a reasonably-priced plat du jour at lunchtime. Try a Belle Epoque brasserie such as Bofinger (pictured second bottom) (5-7 Rue de la Bastille; +33 1 42 72 87 82). A perennial and historic cheapie, providing the classic Parisian experience, is Chartier (7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre; +33 1 47 70 86 29).
Paris is a night-time city with a bar on every corner. Check out the Rue Oberkampf area, where the Cafe Charbon (109 Rue Oberkampf) is the landmark venue. The Marais area contains many options, including the late-opening Lizard Lounge (18 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg). De La Ville Cafe (34 Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle) is the best of the new crop of venues in the 9th arrondissement – run by the same team as the Charbon.
Daytime entertainment
Start queueing early to scale the Eiffel Tower. Notre-Dame cathedral is free to enter – climb the towers to fully appreciate this Gothic masterpiece. The other must-see is the Louvre, which includes the Mona Lisa among its art treasures. Perhaps the best way for the first-time visitor to take in the city is to ride on the Batobus, a “hop on, hop off” boat that connects major tourist sights along the Seine. A day pass is ¤11 (£7.80).
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