Paris For Dummies

Enjoy the sights in the City of Light Stroll the Champs-Elysées, visit the top of the Eiffel Tower, or linger in a cozy café. Take in the theater, a symphony, or dance the night away. Enjoy gourmet French cuisine or a picnic in the park. Savor a café au lait or a glass of Beaujolais. Go power shopping or bargain hunting. With this guide, you're ready for your exciting trip. Bon voyage! Open the book and find: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn't miss —and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Lots of detailed maps

Paris at a Glance
Taking in all the Spectacular Sights
For most people, the real reason tvisit Paris is tsee those quintessentially French attractions for which the city has come tbe known. Are the sights really as great as returning travelers say? Yes, yes, and yes. The Eiffel Tower continues tgrace the city skyline with its lacy presence. Tcelebrate the Millenium year, it was rigged tsparkle with twinkling lights for ten minutes once an hour; you can still see this beautiful light display throughout 2001. Notre-Dame is now the original ivory color its builders intended-centuries worth of dirt has been cleaned off. The Louvre has even more exhibits-in fact, you can see its new primitive art exposition near the Denon Wing until 2004 when the Musée Branly is scheduled topen and take over that collection. Take a tour boat down the Seine, and see the towers of Notre-Dame highlighted against the sky as lights from bridges older than the United States cast reflections in the water. Or watch the sunset from one of the footbridges across the Seine. Consult Chapters 16 and 17 for the best sights tsee and things tdin Paris.
Wining and Dining and Wining Some More
Parisians are on an eternal quest for the perfect meal and make a pastime of sharing that information with their friends. And what wonderful meals they have tchoose from! In the last decade, the city has seen the rise of baby bistros-restaurants opened by celebrity chefs that offer simpler and less expensive meals than those served at their deluxe establishments. Even the talented young apprentices of these celebrity chefs have opened their own restaurants.
Paris dining runs the gamut, from ultra-fancy high cuisine thearty home cooking-and all fabulous. Dine under the stained glass ceiling at Bofinger-Paris's quintessential belle-epoque brasserie-while waiters in long aprons deftly make a fuss over you. Or nurse a drink at Brasserie Lipp, where author Ernest Hemingway penned many a short story. You soon find that you aren't just sitting down ta meal, but entering the life of a thriving city. Chapters 13, 14, and 15 give you the lowdown on Paris dining, including the addresses of some of the best restaurants, and tell you how tfill up quickly when you don't have time for a three-course meal.
Introducing Ground Zerfor High Fashion
Shopping in Paris has never been better. A recent upswing in France's economy has seen many new stores open and others expand. Paris has a well-deserved reputation as a bastion of over-the-top luxury; all you have tdis head for the 8th arrondisement (district, abbreviated 8e) tsee why. At the same time, the young and trendy are heading tthe Sentier area in the third arrondisement (3e) for the season's funkiest looks at lower prices. At press time, a strong dollar and a falling Eurmeant that the city was much more affordable for non-European Union visitors. Chapter 19 tells you all you need tknow about shopping in Paris.
Sampling Culture, Both Day and Night
Paris is a great place tpursue culture-the recent multimillion dollar renovations of the Opéra Garnier and the Châtelet, home tThéâtre Musical de Paris, are just some examples of the interest residents take in enlightening themselves. Even if your French is rusty or not up tpar, you have alternatives tFrench-language plays with many avant-garde productions and English-language theater. See Chapters 22 and 23 for more info.
Painting the Town at Clubs and Cabarets
Paris is an ongoing party, and you find that each neighborhood makes a different contribution tthe nightlife scene. The Marais is the center of gay clubs and bars as well as some of the best dance clubs; the Bastille attracts bohemian types and clubgoers. The side streets of the Champs-Elysées are home tupscale bars and discos, and a new generation of trendsetters is turning Pigalle inta rock music lovers' paradise. Jazz lovers find it easy tclub-hop around Les Halles or on the Left Bank. The naughty can-can dancers are still drawing the crowds at the Lido, Crazy Horse Saloon, and Moulin Rouge clubs, though the torch singers that made these clubs famous have given way tglitzy light shows, special effects, and recorded music. One thing hasn't changed: flesh is plentiful and on display everywhere. Chapters 23 and 24 tells you how tdance the night away or catch a show.
Going Green in the Parks and Gardens
From flowers tplants tcity views tpuppet shows tpony rides and museums-Paris has parks for every taste and interest. Whichever parks you decide tvisit, you can relax in the beauty and serenity of planted gardens, splashing fountains, and arrow-straight paths-and kids love them. Chapter 17 steers you toward the best green spaces in town. Stunning beauty doesn't stop at the city limits, either; in Chapter 21 you find side trips like Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Giverny that offer their own sprawling splendor.

Paris For Dummies®, 6th Edition 5 About the Author 7 Dedication 7 Author’s Acknowledgments 7 Contents at a Glance 9 Maps at a Glance 10 Table of Contents 11 Introduction 19 About This Book 19 Conventions Used in This Book 20 Foolish Assumptions 21 How This Book Is Organized 21 Icons Used in This Book 23 Where to Go from Here 24 Part I: Introducing Paris 25 Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Paris 27 The Best Accommodations 30 The Best Food 30 The Best Sights 31 The Best Parks and Gardens 32 The Best Shopping 33 The Best of Culture 34 The Best Clubs 34 Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Paris 35 History 101: The Main Events 35 Building Blocks: Local Architecture 38 A Taste of Paris: The Local Cuisine 41 Words to the Wise: The Local Language 46 Background Check: Books and Movies 47 Chapter 3: Deciding When to Go 50 Revealing the Secret of the Seasons 50 A Paris Calendar 52 Part II: Planning Your Trip to Paris 59 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money 61 Planning Your Budget 61 Cutting Costs 63 Handling Money 66 Dealing with a Lost or Stolen Wallet 67 Chapter 5: Getting to Paris 69 Flying to Paris 69 Arriving by Other Means 72 Joining an Escorted Tour 74 Choosing a Package Tour 75 Chapter 6: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests 77 Taking the Family Along 77 Making Age Work for You: Tips for Seniors 80 Accessing Paris: Advice for Travelers with Disabilities 80 Following the Rainbow: Resources for Gay and Lesbian Travelers 83 Chapter 7: Taking Care of the Remaining Details 85 Getting a Passport 85 Why Not to Rent a Car in Paris 87 Playing It Safe with Travel and Medical Insurance 89 Staying Healthy when You Travel 90 Staying Connected by Cellphone or E-mail 91 Accessing the Internet Away from Home 92 Keeping Up with Airline Security Measures 93 Part III: Settling into Paris 95 Chapter 8: Arriving and Getting Oriented 97 Navigating Your Way through Passport Control and Customs 97 Making Your Way to Your Hotel 98 Figuring Out the Neighborhoods 104 Finding Information after You Arrive 109 Getting around Paris 110 Chapter 9: Checking in at Paris’s Best Hotels 119 Getting to Know Your Options 120 Finding the Best Room at the Best Rate 121 Arriving without a Reservation 124 Paris’s Best Hotels 125 Index of Accommodations by Neighborhood 149 Index of Accommodations by Price 150 Chapter 10: Dining and Snacking in Paris 152 Getting the Dish on the Local Scene 153 Trimming the Fat from Your Budget 158 Paris’s Best Restaurants 159 Dining and Snacking on the Go 181 Index of Establishments by Neighborhood 198 Index of Establishments by Cuisine 199 Index of Establishments by Price 201 Part IV: Exploring Paris 205 Chapter 11: Discovering Paris’s Best Attractions 207 Paris’s Top Sights 207 More Fun Things to See and Do 231 Paris’s Bridges 258 Paris by Guided Tour 258 Chapter 12: Shopping the Local Stores 264 Surveying the Scene 264 Checking Out the Big Names 271 Taking It to the Street (Markets) 274 Scoring Bargains in Paris 275 Hitting the Great Shopping Neighborhoods 277 Shopping in Paris from A(ntiques) to W(ine) 282 Chapter 13: Following an Itinerary 298 Making the Most of Paris in Three Days 298 Planning a Five-Day Visit 300 A Walking Tour through the Marais 300 Take a Stroll through a Parisian Village 302 Chapter 14: Going Beyond Paris: Five Day Trips 305 The Château de Versailles 305 The Palais de Fontainebleau 312 The Cathedral at Chartres 315 Disneyland Paris 319 Monet’s Gardens at Giverny 321 Part V: Living It Up After Dark: Paris Nightlife 325 Chapter 15: Applauding the Cultural Scene 327 Getting the Inside Scoop 327 Finding Out What’s Playing and Getting Tickets 329 Raising the Curtain on the Performing Arts 330 Chapter 16: Hitting the Clubs and Bars 336 Hot Spots for Cool Jazz 336 Rockin’ Out to Live Music 337 Glam and Glitz in the Club and Lounge Scene 339 Nightlife in Gay Paree 341 Kicking Back with Classy Cocktails 344 Spending an Evening at a French Cabaret 345 Part VI: The Part of Tens 347 Chapter 17: Ten (or So) Hidden Corners of Paris 349 Beauty in an Ugly Place 349 Jardin de la Vallée Suisse 350 La Maison Normande 350 La Pagode 350 Le Jardin Alpin 350 Les Arènes de Lutèce 351 Les Villas du Danube 351 Odd Sculpture at the Place Marcel-Aymé 351 Saint-Denis Holds His Head 351 Chapter 18: Ten Great Places for a Picnic 352 Bois de Boulogne 352 Bois de Vincennes 352 Jardin du Luxembourg 353 Les Champs de Mars 353 Parc de Belleville 353 Parc de la Villette 354 Parc des Buttes-Chaumont 354 Parc Monceau 354 Pont des Arts 355 Square du Vert Galant 355 Appendix A: Quick Concierge 356 Fast Facts 356 Where to Get More Information 363 Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites 363 Appendix B: A Glossary of French Words and Phrases 366 Index 372 A travel guide to Paris that includes information on trip planning, restaurants and accommodations, shopping, and best attractions; with five day trips from the city, places to see Paris without the lines, and a glossary of French words and phrases