Paris culture, Paris entertainment,
Paris museums, Paris info, Paris art, where to stay in Paris,
what to see and do in Paris, eating and drinking in Paris,
magic shows in Paris
Welcome
to/Bienvenue a Paris-magic.co.uk, a special website giving
you advice and recommendations for a magical experience in
Paris
Paris is one of the biggest cities in Europe,
with a population of something over 2 million in the city
itself and around 12 million in what we might call Greater
Paris. It’s a densely populated city, with those 2 million
people living in an area of approximately 41 square miles.
As the only city in France with a population
of more than one million, Paris dominates the country economically,
politically and culturally.
In terms of how much you can cover in a day,
however, Paris is compact – and generally pretty flat
– so you can do a great deal on foot. See Getting
around Paris for more information about this.
The currency used in France is the euro (€).
The banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100,
200, and 500 euros, although the latter two are not very common.
Even 100 euros is approximately 70 pounds, so I rarely have
many of those.
The coins are 2 euros, 1 euro and then 1,
2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents. There are (obviously) 100 cents
in a euro.
You can use this currency converter to find
out the most up-to-date exchange rate:
In general, Paris is not as expensive as
you might expect. I was pleasantly surprised several times
by the very reasonable prices, though one or two places buck
the trend and charge way over the odds. You need to be careful
and not just go into the first bar or restaurant you come
to (prices are displayed outside) and be prepared to splurge
very occasionally on something you really want (for example,
some juice at Le Double Fond).
Generally, alcohol is less expensive than
we British are accustomed to, while soft drinks may be more
so, depending where you go. See Food
& drink in Paris for more information about food and
drink prices.
In France, a restaurant bill will automatically
include 15% service charge and you are neither obliged nor
expected to leave any more. However, if you have received
excellent service, you may wish to leave an extra 2 or 3 euros.
Most
shops are open from 9am (sometimes 10) till 7pm. Smaller shops
close for lunch, any time between 12 and 3pm, but most places
stay open all day. Food shops may open earlier and supermarkets
are generally open till 8pm.
Most shops are closed on Sundays and some
on Mondays too. Museums are generally open on Sundays but
may be closed on Mondays (or sometimes Tuesdays).
Occasionally, you may find a shop or museum
closing earlier than advertised (for example, in your guide
book). My advice is to do the things that are most important
to you early in your stay, just in case.
Yes, most Parisians speak English to one
level or another. However, if you’ve got any French
inside you over from your schooldays, I would recommend you
drag it out (and, ideally, polish it up a bit before you go).
It’s more polite if we Brits don’t
always expect everyone else to speak our language. Also, you’ll
make a much better impression and not be written off as ‘just
another tourist’ if you can demonstrate some knowledge
of French, or at least a willingness to try.
On the other hand, you may well encounter
the reverse problem - that of people answering your best French
effort in English. I hate it when this happens to me and all
I can suggest is that you plough on in French as long as possible.
Generally, they mean to be helpful and to facilitate communication,
and there may be times when you feel relieved that you don’t
have to struggle in French.
Paris is a safe city and you are extremely
unlikely to be the victim of any violence. The main danger
is petty theft and you do need to be careful to avoid this.
Particularly on the metro and on the RER line B between Charles
de Gaulle airport and the city, thieves are on the lookout
for unsuspecting tourists making stealing easy.
Take sensible precautions, such as not carrying
too much cash and dividing what cash you’ve got into
separate wallets and pockets, and you should be fine. If you
carry a backpack, as I always do, keep some money in your
pocket and the rest at the bottom of your sack, so that it
can’t be easily reached by the person behind you in
a crowded train.
As in the UK, if you are vigilant and don’t
flaunt your valuables, you will almost certainly have no problem
at all.
Paris
is not in the south of France and does not have the Mediterranean
climate. However, you can expect it to be warmer than it is
in the UK. Spring is very pleasant (as is well known) and
summer can be uncomfortably hot. Autumn is pleasant again
and winter is generally mild, although it does sometimes snow.
Be prepared for the odd shower of rain whenever you are there
but rain doesn’t mean it will be cold.
As you might expect in one of the world capitals
of fashion, Parisians are style-conscious and dress well.
While it’s fine to wear casual clothes, you may feel
out of place and conspicuous if you’re actually scruffy
and you may be turned away from some establishments if you’re
wearing shorts or inappropriate attire.
Do wear comfortable shoes because you may
be doing a lot of walking.
There is an enormous number of internet and
WiFi cafés in Paris and the chances are that your hotel
will also have internet access you can use. In many places,
including the hotel, you may have to pay for the privilege
and sometimes quite a lot.
If you’re bringing a laptop, you may
find www.cafes-wifi.com
helpful. This unusual website tells you where you can find
free WiFi in Paris. Click on the link and then click on the
map to see tous les hotspots WiFi gratuits
de Paris (all the free WiFi hotspots in Paris).
You can buy stamps (timbres)
at most tobacconists, so don’t worry if you can’t
seem to find a post office.
When you’re posting your cards in one
of the yellow postboxes, be sure to put them in the correct
slot – ie, the one for national and international, rather
than local post. (You want Étranger
– abroad.)
The Seine flows roughly west through Paris
and the banks are named from the perspective of looking downriver.
The Left Bank, la Rive Gauche, is therefore the southern side.
(See Getting around Paris
for a map.)
One practical thing you’ll need is
a European
plug adaptor for your electrical items.
If you’ve got some over from your last
trip to Europe, bring change in euros because you need coins
for the ticket machines (see Getting
to Paris).
It’s useful to have a guide
book or, at the very least, a map.
I would also suggest you bring a French
dictionary, in case you get stuck.
If you’re a magician, bring a couple
of tricks that you can perform, as far as possible, in French.
This will go down well if you find yourself in a crowd of
Parisian magicians. See Speaking
French for a bit of magic vocabulary.
Beyond these functional items, I recommend
you bring a couple of good books to read, both for the journeys
and for in-between times.
To reinforce the atmosphere of Paris magic,
you might like to read something with a Parisian theme or
a novel
about magic/a magician. I haven’t yet found a book
that covers both of these themes but I’ll let you know
if and when I do. (If you find one before I do, please let
me know.) The closest one is probably The
Magician’s Wife.
Almost
French: A New Life in Paris
by Sarah Turnbull
A well written, contemporary account of the
Australian author’s experience of settling into Paris.
Both funny and serious, this book teaches you a lot about
Parisian culture and the difficulties of expat life.
The journalist Janet Flanner was one of the
ladies who frequented Natalie Clifford Barney’s literary
salon, along with Dolly Wilde (see above). This book is a
collection of her letters, containing gossip about all sorts
of interesting people, including Ernest Hemingway (see above),
Pablo Picasso and Marlene Dietrich.
Paris
is in the central north of France, only 212 miles (341 km)
from London.
Most
shops are open from 9am (sometimes 10) till 7pm. Smaller shops
close for lunch, any time between 12 and 3pm, but most places
stay open all day. Food shops may open earlier and supermarkets
are generally open till 8pm.
Paris
is not in the south of France and does not have the Mediterranean
climate. However, you can expect it to be warmer than it is
in the UK. Spring is very pleasant (as is well known) and
summer can be uncomfortably hot. Autumn is pleasant again
and winter is generally mild, although it does sometimes snow.
Be prepared for the odd shower of rain whenever you are there
but rain doesn’t mean it will be cold.
Almost
French: A New Life in Paris
Truly
Wilde: The Story of Dolly Wilde, Oscar's Unusual Niece