Paris We like to travel, but we've only been to Paris twice. Unfortunately we haven't ventured outside of Paris, except to Versailes. This is a very personal view, full of our opinions -- you may not agree with all of them. We'll list only the places we've really liked. Dave & Rita Curbow This will always be a work in progress. We hope you find it helpful. Last update July 2, 2000. Table Of Contents Language Barrier? Hotels Food Things To Do Getting Around   Language Barrier? We don't speak French, so we were a bit concerned before embarking on our first trip to Paris in 1995. We found the stories about Parisians being rude to be complete rubbish. We had no difficulty finding people who would assist us, and would do it in English -- provided we were polite and first asked for help in French. We learned two phrases -- "Pardon, parley parlez-vous anglis, s'il vous plait?" ("Pardon me, can you speak English, please?") and "Merci beaucoup" ("Thank you very much"). Americans are often too informal, so the first thing to remember is to always greet whoever you are about to speak to with either "Bonjour Madam", or "Bonjour Monsieur". Hotels We've only stayed in two hotels in Paris, both of which we recommend. Grand Hotel Leveque is clean and pleasant, although the rooms are a bit small. It's in a quiet area of the Left Bank. It is located about 4 blocks from the River Seine, a few more blocks to the Eiffel Tower. The street, really a pedestrian way, is an upscale marketplace during the day. Some of the best food and wine shops are on this street. I've been told that the wineshop next door is excellent. In the morning the shops put display cases in the street and it becomes a bustling area. In the evening, the street is nearly deserted and very quiet.Unfortunately it isn't near a Metro station so you'll often want to take a taxi. (Visited 1997) 29, rue Cler 75007 Paris Tel: 01-47-05-49-15 Fax: 01-45-50-49-36 Hotel Bastille Speria was found via the book "Cheap Sleeps in Paris". The rooms were a bit small, but like Grand Hotel Leveque, everyting was clean and pleasant. It is located near the infamous Bastill prison that was torn down during the French Revolution. That's also the name of the Metro stop, two blocks away. This neighborhood is more lively in the evening than Rue Cler. For example, next door is a famous bistro, and the Paris Opera is two blocks away. (Visited 1995) 1 Rue De La Bastille Tel: 33-1-42-72-04-01 Fax: 32-1-72-56-38 Restaurants We never had a bad meal in Paris. Still, we really only have one recommendation -- a small, family-operated one we've visited several times over the years. It's not fancy food, but good quality and well prepared. Although the owners don't speak English (and we don't speak French), we've always gotten good food and great service. We always carry a menu translator. One evening we were struggling to decipher the menu and the owner saw us. She came over and borrowed the book, flipped thru the book for a moment then pointed to the paragraphs describing the dish. Other friends have visited this and confirmed they like it too. L 'Ecume 25 Boulevard Henri IV Tel: 42.72.39.85 Located between the Bastile and the river. Things To Do River Cruise -- If you're in Paris you must take a cruise on the River Seine. Batteaux-Mouches runs a large fleet of tour boats docked at Pont De L'Alma. They have dinner cruises, but we've never tried them because they seem very expensive. (Besides, how good can food be when served for 200 people on a moving boat!) We've taken the standard daylight tour a couple of times. It's very pretty, but a bit disconcerting to hear the same short bits of sightseeing narration repeated in 4 languages for every principal sight along the river. Of course you'll go to the Eiffel Tower. Be aware that there are often long waits, and once you get to the mid-level platform you'll want to hang around a while. Expect to spend at least half a day here. If you pay extra you can go to the very top, but Rita says the view isn't as good -- I didn't want to go any higher than the main platform! Walking around Paris is one of my favorite ways of relaxing. Walking along the river on Sunday has the added benefit of small stands selling used books, etc. The Louve Museum is similiar to the British Museum, big, full of tourists and exhausting. Don't try to see everything in one day! The gardens just ourside the museum are a wonderful place to relax. Dave hanging around the entrance to the Louvre One of the many famous statues inside. It's rather breathtaking to chance upon this at the top of the stairs! << More later...>> Getting Around The Paris Metro (subway) is a good way to get around. There's lots of stops, so one always seems nearby. However, you often find there's a long distance between the street and the platform. We've had limited experience with Paris taxis, but we can't recommend them. They don't compare favorably with London's taxis -- the best we've ever experienced. I'm sure if we spoke French we'd have had better experiences.   Back to Dave & Rita Curbow's Travel Page Copyright (c) 2000, 2002 by David and Rita Curbow. All Rights Reserved.