Paris with Scott

Recent Observations Visiting Paris

by PwS | Feb 6, 2019 | Churches, Food, History, Travel, Trip Planning

Each trip to Paris brings new insights into traveling. Both for traveling in general and for traveling specifically to Paris. This recent January trip was perfect! How could it not be? It is Paris, after all. Here are my recent observations from Paris.

We were greeted with snow, then with rain on and off for a few days. The nights were chilly with low clouds, but then the sun shone through at times making the city sparkle. Generally, the weather does not affect my enjoyment of Paris, but it does determine how to pack and how to plan.

In addition to all of the information on traveling to Paris on this site, such as this packing list, here are a few recent observations. Also, a little tattle on myself for not following my own suggestions!

Work on Paris Sidewalk — Interesting observation – work on the sidewalk.

Map and Guidebook for Traveling

I forgot a map of Paris!!! And, a guidebook. I always bring them. Not this time. I completely forgot them while I was trying to get the dog to camp before starting to pack (so she wouldn’t be stressed). I always pack the night before or the day of the flight (not suggested), but I have always done it that way. As the trip approaches, I usually make a pile of things to put in my suitcase. But this time, I just forgot a map and guidebook. It is on the list I use to pack – but I misplaced my list the day before leaving! Not a good idea. Keep your list for packing with your suitcase!

Hotel Choices

In Paris, we stayed in a more reasonably priced hotel so that we could splurge on a few specials. Like the day trip to the Normandy D-Day Beaches, a show at the Lido, a food tour of the Marais, and of course, a special ride with Champagne in Guillaume’s Citroën DS!!

Taxis and Ride Hailing Services

G7 is a taxi service in Paris. A little while back, I downloaded the G7 app. It was terrific. It is quick and easy to enter the destination. Meaning no fumbling with using the wrong number in French or mispronouncing street names – all while the taxi driver speaks faster and faster French to you. Besides, it explained, in English, what kind of car was coming with contact information. Then, I could see the car on its way with an estimated time of arrival and more. Just like popular ride sharing apps.

One of my friends tried Uber and it was a 30 minute wait. Same when I tried it. In the past it has worked well, but not so great this time. Do not know the reasons why, but it is great to have options. Also, if you link the G7 app to a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign exchange fee, even better. (Lyft is not in Paris yet.)

Paris Métro

The Métro is always easy and super-efficient transport. As you work your way through the underground maze, make sure to look for the signs leading you in the right direction at each intersection. And, double check yourself each time. I missed a sign at one cross path, but Jennifer caught it. Of course, it wouldn’t have been terrible, but catching the right one saved time and kept us on track to our next destination.

Metro Chatelet Station — Fast and efficient transport.

Read more on getting around in Paris here.

Map App

Without my hard copy of a map, I used a map application on my phone a couple of times. I needed to confirm we were going in the correct direction. (I felt like I was cheating, but it was pretty useful!)

Credit Cards

Although I advised my bank that I would be in France ahead of time, I still got a fraud call after using my debit card. Plus, I wasted time and had a lot of aggravation talking to a fraud person who was not really connected to my local bank. The big banks did not have these problems. And of course, American Express already knows you are there (somehow??) and knows you are spending money – so no problems with AmEx.

Poncho in Your Satchel

It rained on this visit, but it is Paris, so who really cares? I had ponchos in my satchel for everyone. One time it was really raining hard by Parisian standards so I broke out the ponchos. BUT, make sure the poncho in the little bitty sack from the drugstore is big enough to fit over you!!! Each of us had on a coat, some with sweaters underneath, and I was carrying my satchel. None of the ponchos fit over me. Another was so flimsy, and the wind was so strong, that it was constantly being turned inside out! Anyway, I was glad to have a little cover, but will be restocking with a little higher quality and checking the sizes before purchasing more.

Hiking Boots – Who Knew?

I was very happy that I brought lightweight, waterproof, hiking boots. I have never thought of bringing hiking boots to Paris before. But, it is lots of walking, sometimes on cobblestones, sometimes in the rain, and sometimes with a little slush on the ground. They were excellent. I even wore them when it wasn’t raining. So, I was very happy to have them.

Paris cobblestones — Look what hiking boots can be good for….

Walk a Mile

Jennifer left her iPhone connected to internet service the entire time. And, if it is correct, we walked 7-8 miles each day. I was really surprised by that number! If it was a long way to dinner, we took a taxi. Most of this was really just walking in the day from Métro stops and in and around neighborhoods and a few museums. No wonder Parisians are fit looking!

Now, THIS is an Observation

Kohei Nawa, Throne — Absolutely off-the-hook-incredible. An eye-popper that is perfectly suited for the Louvre and I.M. Pei’s Pyramid. Kohei Nawa’s, *Throne*.

Kohei Nawa, Throne; at night — At night it glistens. Lusciousness. Kohei Nawa’s, *Throne*.

And, one more….

Kohei Nawa, Throne; from the window of the Louvre — Cannot get enough of this. From the windows of the Louvre, no less.

Know When to Rest ‘Em

Everyone else took a rest in the afternoon, but I went to see more and walk around more. I have a hard time sitting still in Paris. However, the important part of this is that they NEEDED a rest so that the rest of their day would be enjoyable. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN TO REST. On this trip, I was fortunate to need only about 15 minutes with my feet up before changing clothes for dinner. And, for all the places we ate dinner, I wore jeans, collared shirt and a sports jacket. Also, an outer coat and scarf for traveling to and from dinner.

Louvre Museum Shop Moved

The Louvre moved its ticket stations from right under the pyramid into the space where the gift shop used to be. Now, the museum shop is on the same underground level as before, but two parts, one either side of the wide hall leading to the inverted pyramid. It still has all of the great books, interesting gifts and walls of post cards.

Angelina on rue de Rivoli

Angelina has an outpost on the rue de Rivoli, next door to Hotel Le Meurice. The line was about 75 people long waiting to get in on a drizzly and cold afternoon. (Hint: Go to Café de Flore, instead. Or try practically any café with seating and you may be surprised by the hot chocolate.)

Stand Up Cafés Disappearing?

Cafés where one stands at the bar and orders coffee and a croissant in the morning seem to be fewer and farther between. Don’t know for sure, but we were having trouble finding them so we could duck in quickly for a shot of espresso. Will have to research more on this and be more observant. Maybe it is only the tourist areas that are filled with to-go shops.

Walk and Drink and Eat

Meanwhile on the streets of Paris, more and more Parisians seem to be walking around with cups of coffee in their hands. Quelle horreur! That is so un-Parisian to walk on the street and drink coffee. And, certainly completely unacceptable to eat while walking. Neither of these used to ever be seen.

Exercise Fanatics – In Style

Exercise in Style — Look – there is one down at the bottom right.
All the others were so fast they ran out of the photo.

Another interesting observation is that more and more joggers are all over the place – another sight that used to never be seen. They thought I was from the moon when I jogged in the mornings back in the 90s. Of course, Parisians have on matching running outfits (not just shorts and t-shirts) so they look good while jogging. The runners are everywhere, especially through the gardens and along the quais of the Seine.

January = Fashion Weeks

No wonder the hotels were not at a deep discount in January. Paris Fashion Week, both womens’ and mens’ are in January. Back-to-back. And, mens fashion week was happening when we were there. Another time to put on the calendar to check before booking.

Organ Concerts

Saint Severin Grand Organ — Grand Organ at Saint-Séverin.

Organ concerts at historic churches are an absolute must. They only last an hour and you don’t have to stay for the whole thing. They are a great opportunity to see magnificent architecture, and the sound from the organs can rattle your bones and the rafters. I saw/heard them at Saint-Sulpice, Saint Séverin and Saint Eustache. (I wrote more on awe-inspiring churches here.)

All incredible, but Saint Eustache may be a little more fun because the keyboard is on the ground floor. That means you can see the organist perform while listening to the music. At the others, the keyboard and the organist are way up by the pipes. At the end of the performance, they kind of peep out from the organ for their final applause. Choir organs, which are also beautiful, are played during many church services. But do not mistake them for the grand organs. The grand organs are the ones where you see the massive pipes above the main doors to the church.

Jet Lag

For jet lag, I kind of tried the “not eating on the flights” way of thinking. On the way to Paris, the meal on the plane leaving Atlanta was at about the time I would normally have dinner, so I ate. I did not eat again until lunch in Paris at Cafe Nouvelle Saint Marie. On the way back, I ate a baguette sandwich at the airport terminal that I had bought near the hotel. Then, not again until dinner in Atlanta. Generally, my jetlag is really bad coming back from Paris. But this time, it was practically non-existent. Will try the not eating on flights again in a few months and report back.

A Few More Visual Observations

Postcard wall at Picasso Museum — Wall of postcards at the Picasso Museum; don’t forget the ones you left at home.

Sainte-Chapelle door locks on the interior — Door locks on Sainte-Chapelle – keeping the faithful in?

Samothrace Winged Victory from Afar — And, YES, Audrey, Paris IS ALWAYS a good idea!

Métro Instructions

by PwS | May 2, 2018 | Paris, Travel, Trip Planning

Remember the number one rule in Métro Instructions. If you are confused or think you are lost, get out at the next stop, move to the side out of the way of the passing people and get your bearings. You may be going the right direction, but it is okay to confirm and get back on. It will only be a few minutes until the next Métro comes along and it will not cost any more money.

If you have gone the wrong direction, cross over to the other side and get back on. Then, you will be going the right direction. The Métro in Paris is one of the simplest in the world. The line you are riding goes and comes only one way – back and forth. You determine the direction by looking at the names of the stops at the ends of the line. Board the Métro going in the direction that stops at the station you need.

General Métro Instructions:

Find the Métro stop that is nearest to the place you want to visit.
Find that stop on the Métro map and determine the color of the line that stop is on.
Follow that color towards the left and learn the name of the station at the end of the line.
Then, follow the color back to the right and learn the name at the end of the line in that direction.
Put those two names together and you have the name of your Métro line.
If you want, verify the color of the line and the line number. I think that is two more things to try to remember. Meaning two more things I could easily forget. So, I focus only on the beginning and ending stations.
Find yourself on your map and see if you are close to a stop on that line. If so, great.
If not, find a stop that is near where you are and then go to that entrance.
Buy a ticket. Look for the signs listing the stops, and the ending point for the direction you are going.
Go to the platform and catch the train.
Get out at your stop and exit the station. A map of the area (plan du quartier) is near the exit and you can get your bearings.

Simple Métro Example

(No transfer needed to get to my destination.)

I want to get a crêpe with Nutella next to the entrance to the Tuilleries at the Place de la Concorde (Could something be better?)
I pull out my Métro map and find “Concorde.” (There are several exits at Place de la Concorde. But no matter which one I actually exit, I will find myself climbing up the steps very close to where they guillotined many poor souls.)
I look toward my right hand and see the end stop is “Château de Vincennes.” (And I note the line is yellow and it is Line 1.)
I look toward my left hand and see the end stop is “La Défense.”
Therefore, the name of the Métro line I am looking for is “La Défense/Château de Vincennes.”
I am at the Arc de Triomphe. So, I look on the map and find that the closest Métro stop to me is “Charles de Gaulle Étoile”
“Charles de Gaulle Étoile” is in yellow and I see that it is also a stop on the “La Défense/Château de Vincennes” line. So, it is a direct route.
I find the Métro entrance on the sidewalk side of the Arc de Triomphe. I enter the Métro station, buy a ticket at the machine or from the ticket seller and go through the turnstile.
I look for the signs close to the ceiling or on the wall for “La Défense/Château de Vincennes. I find a sign that points it out to me.
Then I look on the sign for the direction of “Château de Vincennes”.
I take the steps at the sign “Château de Vincennes” and then find myself at a platform.
The train comes and I get on.
The train begins moving, I look up toward the ceiling of the Métro and find the same route map that was on my pocket map. I see “Charles de Gaulle Étoile” and then I see the next stop is supposed to be “George V.”
The Métro starts to slow down and the wall tiles state “Argentine.”
Uh-OH!!!!! That isn’t going the right direction!!!!!!!! What do I do???????
Get off the train.
Find a sign that states “La Défense/Château de Vincennes.” Then, find the sign that states “Château de Vincennes.” (Many times this is up the steps over the tracks and down again so you get the train going the opposite direction.)
Go down to the platform for the train going towards “Château de Vincennes.”
The train comes and I get on.
The train begins moving, I look up toward the ceiling of the Métro and find the same route map that was on my pocket map. I see the next stop should be “Charles de Gaulle Étoile” (back where I started – all of 5 minutes later).
The Métro starts to slow down and the wall tiles state “Charles de Gaulle Étoile” – I am going in the right direction – yippee!
We pass a few more stops and then, “Concorde” – right on the money!!
I exit (same feeling as when I was coming into Paris – for me this is each time I exit a Métro station).
I find myself by the Crillon Hotel. Not perfect, but the city is, so who cares?
I walk towards the Tuilleries. The gardens have huge gates and a crêpe stand by the entrance.
Could it have been any better???? Maybe if I didn’t take the first train going the wrong direction, but so what? I am here. I order my crêpe. I sit and look one way toward the Arc de Triomphe and the other way toward the Louvre. Incredible!

Difficult Métro Example

(A joke – no Métro instructions are difficult! This includes a transfer.)

Still looking for my crêpe with Nutella next to the entrance to the Tuilleries at the Place de la Concorde.
I find “Concorde” on the Métro map. (At many Métro stops there are multiple exits, but all relatively close. At this stop, there are several exits, but no matter which one I actually exit, I will find myself climbing up the steps very near where they guillotined many poor souls.)
I look to the right and see the end stop is “Château de Vincennes.” (And, I note the line is yellow and it is Line 1.)
I look to the left and see the end stop is “La Défense.”
Therefore, the name of the Métro line I am looking for is “La Défense/Château de Vincennes.”
I am at Place Victor Hugo, so I look on the map and find that the closest Métro stop to me is “Victor Hugo.”
“Victor Hugo” is on the blue line and Line 2.
So I follow the blue line – keep looking, it is all the way to the right – and see the end is “Nation.”
I look to the left and see the end is “Porte Dauphine.”
The Métro I am looking for is yellow but I see that they share a common stop, “Charles de Gaulle Étoile.” So, that will be my stop to change trains.
I see that if I get on the “Porte Dauphine/Nation” line going in the direction of “Nation” I can go one stop, change trains and then be on my way to Place de la Concorde.
I find the Métro entrance on the sidewalk of Place Victor Hugo and enter the Métro station, buy a ticket at the machine or from the ticket seller and go through the turnstile.
I look for the sign for “Nation” (this is a relatively small station and it only has two directions, “Nation” and “Porte Dauphine”.
I find the sign for “Nation.”
I take the steps down and then find myself at a platform.
The train comes and I get on.
The train begins moving, I look up toward the ceiling of the Métro and find the same route map that was on my pocket map. I see the next stop is supposed to be “Charles de Gaulle Étoile.”
The Métro starts to slow down and the wall tiles state “Charles de Gaulle Étoile.” This is my stop.
I get out and then look for signs with, “La Défense/Château de Vincennes.” This is a larger station, so there will be multiple signs for other lines. Find the sign for “Château de Vincennes.”
Go down to the platform for the train going towards “Château de Vincennes.”
The train comes and I get on.
The train begins moving, I look up toward the ceiling of the Métro and find the same route map that was on my pocket map – it is in yellow. I see the next stop should be “George V”.
The Métro starts to slow down and the wall tiles state “George V” – it is the right direction – yippee!
We pass a few more stops and then, “Concorde” – right on the money!!
Get off the train and exit the station (same feeling as when I was coming into Paris – this is really each time you exit a Métro station).
I find myself by the Crillon Hotel. Not perfect, but the city is perfect so who cares.
I walk towards the Tuilleries – the gardens have huge gates and a crêpe stand by the entrance.
Could it have been any better???? I am here. I order my crêpe. I sit and look one way toward the Arc de Triomphe and the other way toward the Louvre. Incredible.

For everything you want to know, and in English, take a look at https://www.ratp.fr/en to find maps, timetables, user guides and an easy to use trip planner.

Still want more? Visit the absolutely amazing site, ParisByTrain.

And, Métro workers can go on strike, so it is good to know other ways of getting around Paris.