Transcript Away in Paris

Away in Paris
Zoë & Aimèe
Helpful Planning Tips
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Passport is mandatory
(no visa or shots).
Bring photocopies of
your identity papers just
in case. You are
required to have proof
of identity at all times
in France.
Time: Paris uses the 24
Hour clock, it is the
same time up till noon,
then keep going: 13:00,
14:00 and so on. For
anything over 12,
subtract 12 and add
pm.
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Business Hours: Most shops
are open Monday- Saturday
(10:00-19:00) and closed on
Sunday. Many small
markets, bakeries and street
markets are open on
Sunday. On Monday some
businesses are closed until
14:00, and some all day.
Saturdays are like weekends
(but most banks are closed).
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Discounts: Students with
International Student
Identification Cards,
teachers with proper
identification, and youths
under 18 or even 26 often
get discounts-but you have
to ask.
• Voltage: Bring two prong
adapter plug and a
converter. Travel appliances
often have convenient, builtin converters; look for a
voltage switch marked 120V
(U.S) and 240V (Europe).
Money
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Exchange rate:
$1.00 is €0.76 as
of November 28,
2006
Traveler’s check
are a waste of
time!!! Bring your
ATM, credit, debit
and cash as a
backup.
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Omnipresent French
bank machines are
always open for
getting cash in euros.
You’ll need your PIN
code. These machines
are called point
d’argent or
distributeur des
billets (D.A.B)
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Before you go,
verify with your
bank that your
card will work,
and alert them
you’ll be making
withdrawals in
Europe; otherwise
the bank may not
approve
transactions.
Bring two cards
in case one gets
damaged.
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Use a money
belt. Thieves
target tourists.
Visa and
MasterCard
are more
commonly
accepted than
American
Express.
Tipping
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Restaurants & Cafés:
The service charge is
included in the bill, though
it’s customary to tip 5%
extra for good service. If
you order a meal at a
counter, don’t tip.
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Taxis:
Round up. For a typical
ride, round up to the next
euro on the fare. For a
long ride, round to the
nearest €10. If the cab
driver is extra nice, toss in
a little extra. If you feel
like you’ve been driving in
circles or otherwise ripped
off, skip the tip.
Special Services:
Tour guides and Tour-bus
drivers often hold out their
hands for tips; some may tip a
euro or two for a job well
done.
 Hotels:
Tips aren’t required but you
can give a tip to the porter a
euro for carrying your bags or
a few euros in your room at
the end of your stay if you
were satisfied with your maid
service.
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In general, if someone in
the service industry does
a superior job for you, a
tip of a couple of euros is
appropriate… but not
required.
When in doubt of tipping
you may ask your hotelier
or the tourist information
office; they’ll fill you in on
how it’s done on their
turf.
Phone Cards:
1. Télécarte: Can be only used
in public phone booths.
2. Carte à code: Can be used
in public phone boots and in
hotel rooms. Le Ticket de
Téléphone is an example.
 U.S. Calling Cards are a rip off.
You’re likely to pay a $4
connection fee and $3 for the
first minute; if you get an
answering machine, it’ll cost
$7 to talk to nobody.
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Phones
France has a 10 digit
telephone. No area codes. All
Paris numbers start with 01.
 Calling France from U.S. dial
011, then France’s country
code (33) and then drop the
initial 0. Ex) The number: 01
47 05 49 15, from home you
would dial 011 33 1 47 05
49 15.
 To dial out of France, start
with (00), then dial country
code (U.S is 1), then the
number. Ex) The number:
477-771-5555, you would dial
00 1 47 77 71 55 55.
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Typical American cell phones
don’t work in Europe, and
those that do have
horrendous per-minute costs.
 You can buy relatively cheap
cell phones in Europe to make
both international and local
calls.
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For about $120 you can get
a phone with $20 worth of
calls that would work in
the country when you
purchased it.
If you have any questions,
go to a European shop that
sells mobile phones and
ask them. If your on a
You’re never more than a 10minute walk from a Métro
station. The Métro runs daily
from 5:30-00:30 (5:30am12:30pm).
 Be careful for pickpocketers,
thieves spend their day on
the Métro. Be on guard.
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For a week or more stay,
consider the Carte Orange for
about €15, which gives you
free run of the bus and Métro
system for one week, starting
Monday and ending Sunday;
ask for the Carte Orange
hebdomadaire and supply a
passport-size photo.
 When your on the Métro,
insert your ticket in the
automatic turnstile, pass
through, reclaim your ticket,
and keep it until you exit the
system.
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OUR JOURNEY BEGINS
rd
th
January 3 – 6 2007
Day 1:
Morning
Ile de la Cité
Notre-Dame
Latin Quarter
Lunch:
Le Caveau de Palais
Afternoon:
Louvre
Evening:
Seine River
Perfect Hotel & Hostel
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39 rue Rodier 75009 Paris
+33(0)1 42 81 18 86
€29 per night per guest
Double bed, sleeps 2:
shower and toilet in room
(private facilities)
Breakfast included
Free English newspaper
Linen towels included
Free maps
No curfew, no lockout
Free baggage storage
Lift and guest kitchen
Free safety box at desk
Day 2, Morning:
Walk to Arc de Triomphe
Tuileries Garden
Continue touring; next to the
Orsay Museum
Lunch in the Museum
Afternoon:
Rodin Museum
Or visit Versailles
(take the RER suburban train direct from Orsay)
Evening:
Eiffel Tower
Day 3:
Maris Walk
Afternoon:
Picasso
Museum
Evening:
Montmartre
Walk:
Sacré-Coeur
Basilica
Shopping Stores:
Carrousel du Louvre (huge mall)
- 99 rue de Rivoli - 75001 PARIS
 Galeries Lafayette: Department store
- 40, blvd Haussmann, 75009 PARIS
 Azzedine Alaïa: Cutting-Edge Chic
- 18, rue de la Verrerie 75004 PARIS
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Restaurants:
 Au
Bon Accueil (reservations
essential, variety of different
cuisines)
- 14 rue de Monttessuy, Paris,
France
 Iannello (Italian cuisine)
- 17, bd Exelmans, 75116 Paris
 L'Arpège (French cuisine)
- 84 rue de Varenne, Paris
Nightlife
 Moulin
Rouge (Nightclub)
- 82 boulevard de Clichy Paris France 75018
 Le Moloko (Bar & dancing)
- 29 rue Fontaine, Paris France75009
 Diagonal Europa (Cinema)
- 13 rue Victor-Cousin | 5th, Paris, France
Don’t Forget:
While you’re there,
Send a postcard
to…….
…Madame
We’d like to thank…
Google Images
Rick Steves’ Paris 2005 (book)
Frommer’s Paris 2007 (book)
All The Best From France (cd)
http://www.paris-hostel.biz/cheap.html
http://www.virtourist.com/europe/paris/index.html
Thanks!!!