AboutPatrick Robichaud Expertise I travel to Paris each year and I'm well acquainted with restaurants, shops, hotels and the general layout of the arrondissements. I frequently create itineraries for my friends, including what to pack, how to travel, etc. I also frequent many out of the way places that are not in a lot of tour books, but that should NOT be missed.
Experience I visit France each March and stay for two weeks, living in an apartment. I frequent most non-tourist restaurants, bars and socialize with a lot of locals. I have very honest opinions...because I love this city and wish to dispell the misinformation that is out there regarding Paris and its citizens
Publications Overland Park Sun Newspaper, Kansas City Star, The Pitch
Education/Credentials French degree. Currently work as Marketing manager in a Fortune 100 Telecommunications company
Question QUESTION: Hi Patrick, I am traveling to Paris with three female friends at the end of October this year for 5 days only. I am coming from New Zealand and my friends from Australia. We will be going to Turkey and Prague pre Paris and heading home after Paris. We are staying in the Lafayette district and I am wondering about suitable clothing for the season? Also any recommendations about local eateries and shopping in the Lafayette and surounding areas? I am very excited about our trip, many thanks for your generosity in providing information. Jacqui
ANSWER: Hi Jacqui -
Lovely time to be in Paris. I will be there about a month before you. Where are you staying? What is the Hotel?
What do you like to do? Museums? Churches? I have a list of my must see sights, but would like to know what you really want to see. When you say Lafayette area, are you referring to the Galerie Lafayette area?
More than happy to help. My list of places to eat and see is pretty extensive, so I can provide if that helps.
Patrick
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QUESTION: Thank you Patrick for you prompt reply. Things I like, eat in quaint local cafe, we are staying I believe close to Moulin Rouge (for which we have tickets,) in the Galerie Lafayette area. We are all in our 50's like to be entertained, not likely to be returning to Paris in the near future. So I am looking for the things that give one lasting memories of the beauty and culture of Paris. We plan to use the open top buses for at least one day. We don't like the "bus full of tourists" travel. Have been backpacking in several countries but this trip is a little more comfortable, although i think our hotel is likely to be 3 star. Modern art galleries, Mosaic /sculpture, Streets to walk to experience the lively Parisians. We are on the go, colorful, fun loving people. Any suggestions you make will be greatly appreciated. We thank you. Jacqui
ANSWER: Jacqui - I am not ignoring you. I've been called out of town due to family emergency. I will respond to your questions before the end of the week.
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QUESTION: Thank you Patrick, I like forward to hearing from you when you have time.
Thank you
Jacqui
Answer Jacqui - Sorry for the delay. I am having some family emergencies and was called out of town.
I'm going to suggest taking a look at this list I provide to people looking to go to Paris. I think it's pretty comprehensive.
Musee Carnavalet 23 Rue de Sevigne, 3rd http://www.carnavalet.paris.fr/ . This is the museum of the history of Paris. I love this museum .
Sainte Chappelle 4, boulevard du Palais, http://www.paris-paris-paris.com/paris_directory/monuments/sainte_chapelle_in_pa... . A MUST ! Simply the beautiful church in Europe. The entire main floor is stained glass.
Père LaChaise 16, rue du Repos http://www.pere-lachaise.com/ . Cemetery. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Largest collection of outdoor sculpture anywhere. Parisiens use this cemetery for strolling on nice days. Contrary to belief, Jim Morrison of the doors is NOT buried here. His headstone is…his body was moved to an undisclosed location. Lots of famous people buried here (Chopin, Rousseau, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison of the Doors). Do NOT miss the monuments to those French citizens who perished in concentration camps during WWII
Deyrolle 46 Rue du Bac, 7th http://www.deyrolle.com/magazine/ . Taxidermy shop in operation since 1832. Great artwork and beautiful collection
The Catacombs of Paris 1, avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 14th http://www.quovadimus.org/paris/cat/thumb.html. Can be kind of creepy, but fascinating….collection of bones from Paris cemeteries from the 17th and 18th century. Simply amazing.
Restaurants/Chocolate and other good things to eat
La Tartine 24, rue de Rivoli, 4th Oldest wine bar in Paris – Great selections, fun!
Au Petit Fer a Cheval 30 rue Vieille du Temple, 4th
Great local hangout. People watching is superb.
Camille 24 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4th Great blanquette de veau, really good soup (potage) and seared leeks.
Ma Bourgogne 19, place de Vosges, 4th One of the oldest cafes in Paris. Good steak au poivre and fun for breakfast
Chez Omar 47, rue de Bretagne, 3rd Couscous restaurant. Very fun and very very crowded. CHEAP!!!
La Fontaine Gourmand 11, rue Charlot Very small, very neighborhoodish place. 20 seats. Escargots with potatoes is amazing. Great place for duck confit salad
L’as du Falafel 34 Rue des Rosiers, 4th If you like falafel, this is the place. Best deal for lunch in Paris
A deux pas de trois 101 rue Vieille du Temple, 4th Very small with decent lunch
L’ambrosie 9, place de Vosges If you want to splurge, do it here. http://www.ambroisie-placedesvosges.com/
La Dome du Marais 53 bis, rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4th One of my favorites. Completely old world French and VERY reasonable
Bofinger 7, rue de la Bastille, 11th Not my favorite place. I don’t like the service, but the interior is gorgeous. It’s in a lot of guidebooks, but the service is snotty and you’re usually put in a back room with other Americans
Café Charbon 109, rue Oberkampf Love this place. Great ambiance
Le Petit Chatelet 39, rue de Bucherie,5th Small, intimate. All meats cooked on fireplace in dining room. Great views of Notre Dame. http://secret-paris.blogspot.com/2007/12/le-petit-chatelet-fireplace-nice-food.h...
Goumard 9 Rue Duphot, 1st Good seafood…but expensive
L’Ardoise 28, rud du Mont-Thabor, 1st Get the crab tart and white asparagus!!
Willi’s Wine Bar 13, rue des Petit Champs Great place to meet people and have a drink. Amazingly good wine selection
Harry’s NY bar 5, rue Danou Best bloody mary in Paris. SANK ROO DER NEW (Their address written for English speakers…it’s on their matchbooks)
Le Rouge –Gorge 8, rue St. Paul, 4th Fun wine bar
La Petite Scierie 60, rue St Louis en l’ile I love this little neighborhood. The Foie gras boutique is a must stop every year for me. NY Times article highlighted this area http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/travel/23dayout.html
La Grande Epicerie 38 Rue de Sèvres http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/. Fantastic food market behind Au Bon Marche department store
L’etoile d’or 30, rue Fontaine, 9th A special trip here is worth it. Beautiful chocolate shop with a very “interesting” proprietress. Only shop in France authorized to sell Bernachon chocolates. Chocolates from all over France. Denise Acabo is a treat!
Pierre Herme 72, rue Bonaparte Pastry shop - The Macarons are amazing. Some flavors are patented. http://www.pierreherme.com/index.cgi?&cwsid=0417ph551FCE59ph0146820
Auberge de Clou 30 avenue Trudaine, 9th Great restaurant. Amazingly inventive and very good food
E. Dehillerin 18 et 20, rue Coquillière, 1st This is MECCA for cooks. All kinds of beautiful French cookware http://www.e-dehillerin.fr/en/index.php
Sans Sanz 49, rue de Faubourg St Antoine, 11th Jazz club. Great music and they serve food. Not too expensive
Balajo 9, rue de Lappe, 11th Jazz club. Older, less juvenile crowd
For first timers…
GETTING THERE:
If you are coming from USA, try and avoid New York, Atlanta or Chicago as stops on my flight to Paris. NWA is good from Kansas City, as it usually offers a great fare and you fly through Detroit or Cincinnati. (Meaning, you don’t have long delays or crazy connections )
Take about 100 Euros in cash to get you through the airport and taxi. Don’t take Traveler’s Cheques. You get a bad rate of return and ATMs are plentiful
If you have Bank of America, you get a better deal on ATMs through BNP (Banc Nationale de Paris)
GETTING FROM AIRPORT TO HOTEL:
Taxis are everywhere to take you to the city. Some people aren’t comfortable taking the Metro, as it is a PRIME spot for pickpockets…especially when they know you are traveling…a taxi will cost you about $45-50. Luggage is around $2 a suitcase…but the Metro is really easy and cheap
Be prepared for some heart-stopping driving. Paris drivers appear to be former Formula One drivers. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to drive in Paris…unless you have a death wish
Paris rules forbid more than 3 passengers to a taxi. So if you’re with a group, don’t try to force yourself into the cab
You cannot flag a taxi down. You can only get a taxi at specified stands. Saturday night is not a night to have to wait for a taxi. There is a good bet you’ll be waiting for 2+ hours…especially around the Champs d’Elysees.
Do not take a taxi unless it has a white “Taxi” sign on the top. There are gypsy cabs around that will cost you a fortune.
HOTEL:
I would suggest a hotel somewhere in the 3rd or 4th district. It's a great area of the city and very close to a lot of sites. I regularly stay in apartments, but the Hotel Jeanne d'arc and Hotel Castix are both moderately priced and have good reviews from friends.
In this area, you'll be in walking distance of some of my "MUST SEE" sites, including: the Louvre, the Seine, the Picasso Museum, the Carnavalet, Notre Dame, Ile St-Louis, Hotel de Ville and many other sites.
I always suggest the first day to get your bearings from Notre Dame. It sits on Ile de la Cite in the middle of the Seine and the numbers of houses run based on the distance from the Seine. Additionally, you can see most of the city from this spot and determine direction, landmarks, etc. From there, walk to Sainte Chappelle, the "jewel" of Paris. This is a site NOT to be missed...especially on a sunny day. It is a place I visit every year when I'm in Paris. Additionally, it's a great place to hear concerts.
From there, I would go to the Carnavalet (This is the Paris History museum...another one of my favorites.) Don't forget to stop in a Cafe for coffee or some wine. (La Tartine on Rue de Rivoli is a great spot.) You might want to get a GOOD map of Paris and a museum pass to help you understand layout and sites.
Take a look as this site...it will help you prepare: http://www.parisinfo.com/
APARTMENTS :
Depending upon size, apartments can be very economical, and you get more room, a bigger bathroom and you live like a local
www.cyberrentals.com; www.vrbo.com
DINING TIPS:
Don’t expect “jump to it service” anywhere…except in places where they want you out. The French believe that once you have a table, it should be yours for as long as you want and service can be, how should I say it, “lingering”.
The French do not drink “alcohol” prior to dinner. They drink a glass of white wine or a “kir” (white wine and crème de cassis) as an aperitif. If you want to offend the waiter, the maitre d’ and the chef, order a big fat martini before dinner.
If you order dessert and coffee at the same time, the wait person will bring you the dessert first and the coffee last. This is the French way. Don’t argue.
There really is no such thing as coffee to go, although Starbucks has infiltrated the Café set. The French believe coffee is meant to be drunk sitting at a table outside or standing at the bar (or “zinc”…pronounced “ZANK”). It is cheaper standing at the bar, but there is nothing in the world like lingering at a café outside…(in all kinds of weather). The French have portable heaters in every café so it is always comfortable to sit outside. The waiter will bring you the drinks and leave a little slip of paper as a bill. If you pay immediately, he will tear the paper a bit to show you’ve paid. “un express” is an expresso and “café crème” is a delicious concoction of ½ espresso and ½ hot cream. It does wonders in the morning
Tipping is included on all checks. Leaving a few coins is considered good manners.
When you want the bill, catch your server’s eye and say “ Monsier (or madame), l’addition, s’il vous plait” (Lah dish-shon, sill voo play) DO NOT call the waiter ‘garcon’ as some people would have you believe. It is demeaning. Literally, you are saying “boy”.
Unless you are intimately acquainted with a young lady, never use the term mademoiselle. It is not used. Madame is fine.
The French eat bread, butter and jam for breakfast. They believe eggs are for lunch and for quiche. Eggs will most likely be included in a “English breakfast”..but that immediately labels you a tourist.
For some reason, ice is considered dearer than gold. You practically have to beg for it. “Avec des glacons” (avec day glah-son) should get you some when you order a drink
Always say “s’il vous plait” when asking for something. It is common courtesy and considered polite.
o Good phrases for dining:
Water, please – “Une carafe d’eau sans gaz, s’il vous plait” (une cah-raf doe sans gahz, sill voo play). This is tap water. If you do not ask for “sans gaz” you will get Perrier and charged for it.
More bread – Encore du pain, s’il vous plait » (on-core due pahn, sill voo play)
The French are very polite. Always say “bonjour Monsier/Madame” when you walk into someplace and “Au revoir, merci” (or-vwah, mare-si) when you leave, even if you can’t see anyone.
Remember, the French use military time. If you speak some French and want to make reservations for, say, 7:00 PM, the time would be dix-neuf heures (literally, 19 hours)…although, at 7:00PM, you’d have the restaurant to yourself. The French eat late.
GOOD TO KNOW – (what the guidebooks don’t tell you)
If you take the Metro, always keep you metro ticket until you are outside your destination station…especially at night. There are Metro guards who wait at the top of the steps at the exits and will ask to see your tickets. If you do not have one, you will be fined. It’s expensive. Around $ 20-25 dollars, and you must pay IMMEDIATELY, or be jailed.
Most people will speak English if you are polite. If you yell and gesture, they will only become more indignant. “je ne parle pas le francais” (jshern parl pah ler fron-say) is a always helpful. It means I don’t speak French.
Don’t forget, Paris is a big city. People are not rude, they are just in a hurry. I have had nothing but amazing interactions with Parisians
While romantic, I would stay away from the Montmartre area after sunset. I, personally, found this area bit dicey in front of the famous “Moulin Rouge” (adult book/video shops)
If you’re at an open air market and shopping for foodstuffs, do NOT touch the food. Let the vendor help you. It is considered horrible manners to just pick up the food.
When you pay for something in a store, place your money on the counter. Do not hold your hand out for the change, but rather wait for the change to be placed on the counter (or if you’re in a Tabac, on the change holder)
