The smell in the subway? The mysterious echoes of the middle Ages. French writers also worked on the way to his capital, and long for a first visit to Paris you’re already in love with him through the efforts of Dumas, Hugo, Zola and Balzac. Add to this the desire to unravel the mystery of French women, to smell the fresh croissants in the morning, to see with your own eyes in the capital of fashion and luxury. And here’s a ticket to Paris already purchased, and the risk to fall in love with this city grows a hundred times.
Interesting tours by locals in Paris
Olga Zaitseva lives in Paris for four mountain, every year falling in love with this city more and more. In this article she tells about the picturesque streets, where you should stroll, and interesting cafes and bars, serving the best coffees and cocktails, and the places hidden from the tourist routes.
Which district to choose for living
Officially Paris is divided into twenty districts. Each of them has its own characteristics. Fifteenth and sixteenth, for example, is a very quiet and respectable, close to the Eiffel tower (she is in the seventh). Young people prefer fun Belleville between the tenth, eleventh, nineteenth, and twentieth districts. In the eighteenth — Montmartre, but there is relatively cheap housing (by Paris standards), so many students and visitors. Another student’s district — fifth, but he is already more calm, because there is the Pantheon and the Sorbonne. The thirteenth is a modern architecture and Chinatown, and the fourteenth liberal, with naletom Breton culture. Fourth is the Marais, the medieval streets, but many new and modern places. Well, the first is, of course, the Louvre.
Hotels:
2* hotel The Loft Boutique Hostel — 1 550 rubles/night;
3* hotel Porte de Versailles Hotel — accommodation from 4 662 rubles/day;
the 3* hotel Kyriad Paris 18 — accommodation from 5 801 rubles/day;
hotel 4* Déclic Hotel — accommodation from 5 810 rubles/day;
hotel 4* Hotel Paris Boulogne accommodation from 7 904 rubles/day;
the 5* hotel Crowne Plaza — accommodation from 9 489 rubles/day;
hotel 5* Best Western Premier Opéra Liège — accommodation from 12 060 rubles/day;
Where to eat
Before you go to a restaurant in Paris, you should know:
- The account is less than ten, and sometimes fifteen euros is often impossible to pay by card — cash only.
- If you decide to go to a bar, remember that Parisian youth hanging out usually on Thursdays, so that institutions will be crowded, but it will be fun.
- Coffee at the bar is cheaper than on the terrace, the menu is usually indicated. At the bar, by the way, is interesting — you can chat with the Barista, which often is the owner of the cafe.
- Water in French restaurants give for free, only it is necessary to specify that you want water from the tap, not bottled.
- Leave a tip is optional, but the French usually leave one Euro.
- Well, if you see a menu of all languages of the world, most likely, the locals are not eating.
Coffee
Hand on heart, to say that coffee in Paris is not high. French people prefer espresso, and generally not pretentious. But yet a few worthwhile places to eat.
Café Kitsune (Jardin du Palais Royal, 51 Galerie de Montpensier) is a small café located in the garden of the Palais Royal.
Average bill: 5 euros
La Caféothèque de Paris (52 Rue de l’hôtel de ville) — delicious coffee and beautiful place, which is gradually becoming becoming very fashionable.
Average check: € 13
Historic restaurants (where, as in Paris, to enter this category)
Polidor (41 Rue Monsieur le Prince) — restaurant of the famous film “Midnight in Paris”, where the hero finds himself in the twenties of the last century and met with Hemingway. Only the film is now in its place a Laundry, but in reality, the restaurant still exists, and its interior has not changed for almost a hundred years.
Average bill: 11-20 €
Les Deux Magots (6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés) cafes of Bohemian Paris. Here liked to visit Oscar Wilde, albert Camus, Pablo Picasso.
Average check: 30-40 euros
Café du Commerce (51, rue du Commerce) is a restaurant in the style of art Deco. First, there was a shop women’s dresses, then the workers ‘ canteen, and now this well-known restaurant with tables on three floors under a glass roof where you can try authentic French cuisine.
Average check: € 20
Le Grand Véfour (17 Rue de Beaujolais, 75001) — center of social and political life of Paris and the nineteenth-century arcades of the Palais Royal.
Average bill: 100 euros per dinner and € 300 for dinner.
Le Procope (13 Rue de l’ancienne Comédie) is the oldest café in Paris, his time here was going all philosophers and writers. And here first began to serve ice cream!
Average check: € 35
Bars on the roofs
La Perruche (2 rue du Havre or short — roof Printemps) — probably the best view of Paris from the site of the recently opened bar and restaurant.
Average bill: 40-50 Euro
Bar Perchoir du Marais (33 Rue de la Verrerie) — should be ready for a half-hour queue, but in the end you will get a unique view of the city hall and the Eiffel tower in addition to tasty cocktails.
Average bill: 50 euros
Beautiful terraces
Café de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain) — here is the Bohemian of Paris.
Average check: € 17
Au Vieux Paris d’arcole (24 Rue Chanoinesse) café on the island cité, two steps away from Notre Dame, which changes its decor every season.
Average bill: 40 euros
Le Saint Regis (6 Rue Jean du Bellay) cafe with red and black terraces on the island of St. Louis.
Average check: € 25
And just a list of good places
Breakfast and brunch:
- Le Hibou (16 Carrefour de l’odéon). Average bill: 40-50 euros.
- Claus (14 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau or 2 Rue Clément). Average bill: 30 euros.
- Coutume Café (47 Rue de Babylone). Average bill: 8-10 euros.
Lunch:
- L’as du fallafel (32-34 Rue des Rosiers) — best falafel in town. Average bill: 4-10 euros.
- Chez Mademoiselle (16 Rue Charlemagne). Average bill: 40 euros.
Dinner:
- Loup (44, rue du Louvre). Average check: 20-40 euros.
- La Brasserie d Aumont (10, Place de la Concorde) — the restaurant is hidden from prying eyes at the Hôtel de Crillion. Better to book a table in advance. Average bill: 70-100 euros.
- Bistrot François Félix (9, rue Boissy d’anglais). Average bill: 11-20 euros.
- L’auberge Dab (161, avenue Malakoff) — mainly seafood. Average check: 20-40 euros.
What to look for (non-touristy routes, atmospheric place)
First climb of the Eiffel tower, then go to the Louvre, be sure to take a picture of the Mona Lisa, then — Notre Dame de Paris, sacré Coeur and arc de Triomphe…
Joke! The list you saw is probably in every guide book, and these attractions are really worth a visit, but need not be limited only to them.
Paris is a city that is not vanity. To see everything in two hours, quickly run through the main iconic places you can, but then you will not see the real Paris.
In Paris you need to walk. Without a goal, without a map. Easy to get lost in the narrow streets of the Marais or stroll slowly along the wide Haussmann boulevards, climb the hill of Montmartre, to reach hypstercom canal San Martin.
And here are some specific places:
Church of Sainte Chapelle (8 Boulevard du Palais) is the most beautiful Church of Paris, though not the biggest.
— The Belleville market (Marché de Belleville, Boulevard de Belleville), and any other market encountered in your way — Parisians love to buy fresh vegetables and fruits in the markets, and they can be found on unfashionable old carts. The markets are full of colors and flavors, and friendly vendors who will happily recommend something local and unique, and may give it a try.
Flea market (for example, Brocante du Val de Grâce, 330 Rue Saint-Jacques) — another variety of markets less popular in France. Here you can find unusual Souvenirs or just admire the Antiques.
Street Crémeux — probably the most picturesque streets of Paris. It may even seem that you are not in Paris but in a small fabulous village — colorful houses, the cobblestones, flowers in pots. Over photos for Instagram — here!
What to do
In summer, stroll through the Tuileries or the Luxembourg gardens. Everywhere chairs, sit down with a Cup of coffee and a book, surely you will some Parisians. Just relax and observe the life around, the cute elderly couples on a romantic walk with the students after school, for businesspeople in their lunch break.
Or take a stroll along the quays of the Seine. In the warm season here is full of life! Parisians picnics, dancing tango, street musicians play, artists organize exhibitions.
In winter or in bad weather, go to the museums. First and foremost, of course, to the Louvre, but need not be limited to the route from Mona Lisa to the Venus de Milo. Better go, for example, in the Egyptian hall. The kids will love it, because there is not just placed silent exhibits you learn how to read kanji!
And the Marais is a Museum of magic and fairground art (Musée de la Magie 11 Rue Saint-Paul). There you can see the old mechanical toys that entertained the visitors of fairs in the nineteenth century, and learn the secrets of magicians, and then see the real magic.
Children will be interested to go and in the city of science and industry (Cité des sciences et de l’industrie; 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou) or the Palace of discovery (Palais de la découverte; Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt) where you can not only view the exhibits but also the whole try it yourself and see in action the laws of physics and natural phenomena.
By the way, entrance to almost all museums are free the first Sunday of each month.
And when you have already made a selfie of yourself on rue Crémeux, is to make a panoramic photo of Paris from one of the lookouts! Free can climb to the roof of Galeries Lafayette, with views to the Opera and the Eiffel tower. The original panorama is obtained from the tower of Notre Dame Cathedral and the tower of Saint Jacques. In the past hard to get — it is quite often happens is closed to visitors, but if you are lucky and it is open, it will be a unique experience!