Paris Vacation Tips

F.A.Q

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		Arrondissements Age restriction Currency weather Emergency number Taxi Electricity	Traveling at night in Paris Tax refunds Transportations Tips Mail all night Right Bank-Left Bank	Parisian events Paris City of Lights Museum opening time Sales in Paris Free admission, good deals Green Paris


Arrondissements	Paris is a compact city, divided into 20 arrondissements. It's very easy to get around by bus and métro. The 1st arrondissement begins at the Louvre and spiral out clockwise from 1 throught 20.

Age restriction	You must be over 18 years old in order to drive and drink alcohol.

Currency :	Since 2002 the official currency in France is the Euro. You can follow the rates on the website : http://www.xe.com/ucc/

What will be the weather like during my stay ?	If you arrive in few weeks or days you can check this website you'll find a 10 days forecast. http://www.weather.com/activities/travel/businesstraveler/weather/tenday.html?locid=FRXX0076

Emergency numbers :	Police : 17 Fire department (Sapeurs-pompiers) 18 Ambulance (Samu) 15 Emergency from a mobile dial 112

Taxi :	Inside Paris average price ride will be between 6 to 12 euros (a 5 euros minimum charge is asked). The price can change if there's a busy traffic, but usually at night the price is reasonable. For ride from or to the airports we advise you to use public transportation or to go thru one of our partners who charge a flat rate for the ride (see the details). (Parisian cab fares depend on the time and area and the price goes up when you are in the suburbs to 1 euro per kilometer + luggage fee).

Tax refunds :	Non-EU residents can claim a refund (around 12%) on VAT if they spend over 175 euros in any one day and if they live outside the EU more than 6 months per year. In shops ask for a "Bordereau de vente à l'exportation" and have it stamped by customs when you leave. Detaxe DOES NOT cover : food, drink, antiques, services or works of Art.

Transportations :	The public system consists of Buses, Metro (subway) and RER (suburban express railway which is connected to the metro inside Paris). Paris and its suburbs are divided into 8 zones. Zone 1 and 2 cover Paris. Unlimited metro cards are available as well as unlimited museum passes.

Tips :	A service charge of 15% is included in your bill in restaurants, bars and cafés, but it's polite to round up the total amount and to leave a cash tip of 1 or 2 euros or more for a meal (of course depending on the quality of the service you received).

Electricity	In France electricity runs on 220V. For US 110V appliances you will need a transformer that you can find in shops like Darty, BHV, Fnac

Traveling at night in Paris	If you missed the last Metro (between 00.40 am and 1 am) or you’re too early for the first one at 6 am and don't want to catch a cav. There is a night bus network (Noctambus) consisting of 18 lines starting from the Place du Châtelet and heading out in different directions to the suburbs. (up to 30km from Paris, direction Paris-suburbs). This service is available every day, including Sunday and public holidays, from approximately 1 am to 5.30 am with a departure every 30 minutes.

Paris City of Lights	A total of 276 monuments, hotels, churches, fountains, bridges and canals light up in Paris every night.

Museum opening time	Museums are open from 9 or 10am until 5 or 6pm. Others open later and close at 8 or 9pm. Closing day is most usually Monday or Tuesday, with a few exceptions. Some are even open 7 days a week, such as some of the major monuments which can even be visited as late as 11pm or midnight. Opening times tend to be longer during high season. On public holidays – in particular, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December – many museums and monuments are closed.

Sales in Paris	Twice a year and lasting a month: after Christmas (January /February) and at the beginning of the summer (June/July).

Free admission and good deals	The majority of national museums and monuments are free all the time for under-18s, and on the first Sunday of the month, for everyone, depending on the time of year. The permanent collections of the Paris City museums are also free for everyone, all year round.

Green Paris	With over 400 parks and gardens, Paris earns its name as the greenest capital in Europe. The small ones are known as “squares”, the medium-sized ones are “jardins” and the bigger ones are “parcs”, not forgetting the two “bois” (woods) on either side of Paris. Sporting a rich variety of trees from near and far, and banks of flowers and shrubs of every colour under the sun, the green spaces of Paris can be reached easily and conveniently by metro or bus. You will come across statues and interesting pieces of sculpture, lakes and fountains. In the summer, pavilions and lawns welcome jazz bands, world or classical music for sharing pleasant times. For children: play areas, pony rides and swings and roundabouts are their exclusive domain.

Mail at night	At night, you can send mail and parcels only at the central Louvre post office. No cash transactions or money transfers however. 52, rue du Louvre 75001 PARIS / Subway : Etienne Marcel

Right and Left Bank	Paris is divided by the Seine into 2 parts (the Right and the Left Bank). When you look on a Paris map, you'll see the Right bank at the top of the map and the Left Bank is below. It's very easy to pass from one side to the other side thanks to the numerous bridges.