Newsletter #86: October 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:

* The Budget Issue
* Airport News
* The Cheapest Ride between Paris and the Airports
* Thomas’ Tip: Get a Carnet of Airport RER Tickets
* Getting Around Europe on the
* The Other Sightseeing Bus for €1.60
* Paris Bus Transfers Now Possible
* New Paris Metro Pass for Tourists
* Free Music Concerts
* Free Culture
* Cheap Culture: Discount Cinema
* Heather’s Top Budget Eats: Under €15
* Custom Couture at Affordable Prices
* Help Others
* Food Shopping Prices in Paris
* Parisian Budget Hotels
* The Coolest New Budget Hotel in Paris
* Fractional Apartment Ownership
* An Independent DVD/Bookshop Worth a Visit
* Parisian Neighborhood Blogs
* Heather’s East Coast American Tour
* Where to find Naughty Paris
* Gold in Them Archives

* The Budget Issue *

We’ve been enjoying a lovely Indian summer in Paris, crisp and sunny, and the launch of the “Naughty Paris Guide” has been a much-appreciated distraction from the worldwide “crise économique.” Of course, it would be impossible to ignore the upcoming US elections. “So who is going to win?” the French keep asking me. I give my best Parisian shrug and assure them I’ve mailed in my absentee ballot. Everyone does what little we can do and hope it makes a difference for the greater good. So this issue of Secrets of Paris will focus on how to make your Euros go further, whether you’re living in Paris or just in town for a visit. If any of you have favorite money-saving tips you’d like to share, send them to me at secretsofparis@gmail.com. – Heather

* Airport News *

The first place you see when you arrive, the last when you go, the Paris airports can be confusing and frustrating. But there have been improvements. For those living in Paris, you can now reserve and prepay for your short or long-term parking place in advance at a reduced rate (and reduced stress levels the day of your flight). With “Devises Express” you can also reserve foreign currency in advance and pick it up at the airport, and with an additional €4.50 fee guarantee the same buy-back rate for any leftovers (ha!) when you return. See the Aeroports de Paris website for more info.

If you have an old guidebook, or a badly updated one, you may think that you have to get one of the slow shuttle busses between the different terminals at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle, a tedious affair which used to take up to a half hour in traffic. But now there is a light-rail called the CDGVal (like OrlyVal between the West and South terminals at Orly Airport) which does a loop between the terminals, parking, the “Roissypole” (RER to Paris and TGV) in just 8 minutes. And it’s free. Here’s a great website for getting around Roissy-CDG: EasyCDG.com

* The Cheapest Ride between Paris and the Airports *

As for getting in and out of the airports, the dirt cheapest way to get into Paris from Roissy-CDG is the RER B at €8.40 (includes metro transfer within Paris). Downside? The stairs. Ugh. Runner up is the RoissyBus at €8.60, but you’ll have to get a metro (€1.60) or taxi (usually under €10 in Paris) from the RoissyBus stop at Opéra to your hotel. This is still much cheaper than the €60 average taxi ride. As for getting to and from Orly, the dead cheapest way is €3.20, by taking the RATP Bus 183 (€1.60) to the Porte de Choisy metro station (where you’ll need another metro ticket for €1.60). Again, it’s slow and there are stairs. Runner up is taking an airport shuttle to RER-C Pont de Rungis–Aéroport d'Orly, which have several stops on the Left Bank for €6.10; but there are those stairs again and you’ll still need to change to taxi or metro if the RER doesn’t stop near your hotel. Reserve one of the many airport shuttles for the cheapest door-to-door service.

* Thomas’ Tip: Get a Carnet of Airport RER Tickets *

My friend Thomas came through Paris again today. He used to live here, and now lives in Berlin, but he comes through Paris every few months. I asked what his favorite “Budget Paris” tip would be, and he suggested the RER airport “carnet” of ten tickets. I didn’t even know this existed. It’s not mentioned on the RATP website. When you buy tickets from the automated machines in Paris, you’ll need to scroll down PAST the single airport ticket and you’ll see Carnet Aeroport: €67.20. This is a great deal, because each ticket is €6.72 instead of €8.40 when purchased individually. And they don’t expire, even if the rate goes up. And you won’t have to stand in the huge line at the airport next time you arrive in Paris with a ticket already in hand. If you live in Paris or come and go on the RER to and from the airports regularly, it’s the best way to save money.

* Getting Around Europe on the Cheap *

There are many low-cost airlines in Europe which go to every obscure little town on the Continent and the UK/Ireland. Besides easyJet.com and Ryanair (who currently have €0 fares, you just pay taxes; I found a €30 RT flight to Venice this week), there are also several companies who sell their tickets through Air France, such as CityJet, BritAir, and Régional. The monopoly of trains means there are no busses that go between major French cities, but you can take the Euroline Bus from Paris to other European cities – slow, but cheap, and you get to see the countryside (sample RT fare from Paris to London is €38. It’s an 8-hour ride including the ferry crossing.

Speaking of ferries, if you’re driving between Europe’s mainland and different islands (UK, Ireland, Corsica, Sardinia, The Canaries, etc.), the best way to find the lowest fare is through Direct Ferries, which compare rates on all of the major ferry operators. For railway tickets, Americans should buy through RailEurope before leaving home.

* The Other Sightseeing Bus for €1.60 *

If you want to see Paris by bus, you could ride on one of the double-decker tourist buses for about €25, or you can ride the Balabus on Sundays (and holidays) for the price of a regular city bus ticket. It goes from the Gare de Lyon to La Défense on a scenic loop past all of the major monuments (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Champs Elysées, Louvre, etc.). It’s great for being lazy and seeing eberything from the window of the bus; less convenient if you want to hop on/hop off, since you’ll need a new ticket each time, but at €1.60 per ticket (less if you’re smart enough to buy a carnet of ten in advance at a metro station for €11.40). Note: if you go all of the way to the Arche de la Défense, you’re technically in the ‘burbs and will need one extra ticket. The zones are clearly marked; get off at the Arc de Triomphe if you want to save.

* Paris Bus Transfers Now Possible *

The single metro/bus/tram tickets, called “Ticket+” have always been good for multiple metro transfers as long as you don’t exit the system, but now you can also transfer on buses for up to 90 minutes (not roundtrip unless you’re clever enough to figure out a different bus route on the way home). It’s still not good for bus to metro transfers, and you need to buy the tickets in a metro station (get the “carnet” of ten tickets at €11.40), since the tickets sold on the bus for €1.60 each are strangely not good for transfers. I have no idea why.

* New Paris Metro Pass for Tourists *

The old Carte Orange weekly and monthly passes that were oh-so-convenient for tourists staying in Paris long-term were replaced by the Carte Navigo last year. In the beginning, these micro-chipped cards with integrated ID photo had to be ordered and delivered to your home, and payable through your French bank account. Not handy, nor intended, for tourists. But now there is the “Carte Navigo Decouverte,” available at any metro ticket window and in some “tabacs”. The price for the card itself is €5 (you can keep and reuse this indefinitely), plus the subscription for weekly service (€16.80, valid Monday-Sunday) or monthly service (€55.10, beginning the 1^st of the month) service. Be sure to immediately attach a passport sized photo and sign your name. This magnetic swipe card allows you to zoom through the turnstiles and can be kept for years, just recharge it at any purple kiosk in the metro stations. Visitors can also purchase the one-day “Mobilis” card for €5.80 for unlimited travel on any given day. The only benefit to the overpriced “Paris Visit” card is that they start on the day you purchase them, unlike the Navigo which starts on Monday or the beginning of the month. For more info in French visit RATP’s site or the excellent site in English, Paris By Train.

* Free Music Concerts *

I gave a tour to a couple last week who told me that the Mozart Requiem choir they saw at the Eglise Madeleine was so bad that they walked out before the end. And they had paid for tickets. Not cool. There are plenty of Parisian churches that have free recitals and concerts, such as the lovely Eglise St-Roch (corner of Rue St-Roch and Rue St-Honoré, 1^st, M° Tuileries). Concerts are most Tuesdays, 12:30-1:15pm. Upcoming concerts include Russian Balalaika (Oct 21), Mozart on violin and spinet (Nov 18), Baroque French organ (Nov 23), guitar trio doing Bach and Johnson (Dec 2) and traditional Gregorian chant (Dec 16). There are often free organ concerts on Sunday afternoons at St-Eustache (1^st, Les Halles), St-Paul-St-Louis (4^th, Marais), Notre-Dame (4th) and St-Sulpice (6th). Simply check the signs by the door for “Récital d'orgue”. For classical music, the Louvre often has free classical concerts (click on “Auditorium”).

* Free Culture *

As most guidebooks point out, there is much to see and do for free in Paris. All of the municipal museums are free, the monuments can be admired without riding up inside them (ahem), and there are often free music, cinema, and art festivals. You could check with the Tourism Office when you arrive to find out what’s going on around town for free at any given moment.

* Cheap Culture: Discount Cinema *

When it’s not free, it’s pretty darned cheap. Even the movies are getting cheaper, and there are always interesting movies playing at the more obscure theatres in Paris.Tickets at Gaumont cinemas are only €3.50 on Wednesdays, and now you can get a free loyalty card “carte de fidélité” where you gain points with each visit for free tickets, including a free ticket on your birthday.

* Heather’s Top Budget Eats: Under €15 *

I added eight new budget dining reviews (€15 or less) on the Secrets of Paris Resource Guide. Some of them are old faves of mine I’ve been keeping to myself, but in this time of tight purse strings, well, we all have to make sacrifices for the common good, lol!

* Custom Couture at Affordable Prices *
Have you been searching for the perfect dress? You know what you’re looking for, but can never quite find exactly what you want? You may be surprised to find out that you can have your dream dress custom made for the same price as buying one off the rack. An artist works with you to sketch your dress, then a seamstress helps you choose the fabrics and creates the gown to your exact measurements. For more information (French only, for the moment), check out Alina Giori.

* Help Others *

Do you own an empty apartment in Paris that you’d like to rent out for a good cause (and for a price, of course), consider joining the association “Louez Solidaire et Sans Risque” sponsored the Mairie de Paris. The City will rent it out to those in need of emergency housing. You get a deduction of 30% on French taxes and a guarantee of paid rent and finding your flat in good condition. Visit the site or call the N° vert: 0 800 50 05 45.

* Food Shopping Prices in Paris *

Food prices in Paris has gone up in the past year. Parisians grumble about the price of a baguette more often than the price of gasoline. How to save? In the world of groceries, L’Epicerie du Bon Marché at the top of the Parisian food chain. I believe the discount chain Ed may be at the bottom. Monoprix hovers around the high end, with the shops like Franprix, G20, and Casino hovering in the middle ground (in price as well as quality and selection). The Champion and Carrefour hypermarkets can have good deals, but are often not found in the center of Paris. I’m lucky to have a huge one across the street at the “Italie 2” commercial center.

Still, like most typical Parisians, I get my fresh produce, cheese, and meat at my neighborhood open-air market, where prices vary depending on the stand. There are generally more expensive stands in affluent neighborhoods, so shopping at the Passy market in the 16^th will most definitely cost more than shopping at the Aligre market in the 12^th. And it doesn’t necessarily mean the quality is better, since now you can find gourmet and/or organic “bio” stands everywhere. Finally, there are the ethnic markets, like Tang Frères supermarket in Chinatown (13^th) and the African and North African shops in Belleville (19^th/20^th), which can have a lot of the same foods for half the price as the French markets. I buy all of my British foods at the Indian supermarkets around the Gare du Nord (10^th), such as tea, cookies, and hot mango chutney (well, it’s a British brand!). Most people will go wherever is convenient, but sometime in times of tight purse strings, it's worth it to make the trek across town.

* Parisian Budget Hotels *

Already booked your flight to Paris before checking the hotel prices? I feel your pain. So do most of the city’s hotels, who haven’t raised their prices from last year. My favorite website for finding safe, clean and well-located hotels in Paris for under €175 is still Eurocheapo.com (disclaimer: yes, I did write many of the Paris reviews, so you may recognize my “voice” in there; no, I don’t get a commission).

* The Coolest New Budget Hotel in Paris *

One of my favorite new budget hotels that’s not listed on the site is Mama Shelter (109 rue Bagnolet, 20^th). It’s unlike any other Parisian hotel – and I’ve seen a lot! Built from scratch (rare in Paris, where most hotels have to keep the original façade) over five years, it is a huge, contemporary hotel with 172 rooms. But don’t expect cookie-cutter chain style. The design was done by Philippe Starck, a friend of the owner M. Trigano, whose father founded the Club Med empire. They wanted to do to hotels what jeans did to fashion: make cheap into cool. It is cool: a huge ground floor lounge space open to the public also serves as a restaurant and bar with huge communal tables and a long wooden terrace overlooking the old Petit Ceinture railway. There are electric scooters and cars to rent, Star Wars masks and other fun toys on sale in the lobby, and scribbled on the chalk board walls is the schedule of live indie bands playing at the popular Fleche d’Or club across the street (the hotel owns that, too, to control the noise). Rooms are cheap, starting at €79, with suites that have immense outdoor balconies a maximum of €275. Each room has a mini-kitchen, iMacs, 5-star bedding, Kheil’s bath products, and picture windows that let in the light. So what’s the down side? Well, it’s on the edge of Paris that most tourists would never see, where artists, musicians and a mix of longtime locals and recent immigrants live side by side. It’s close to Père Lachaise cemetery, convenient to the Roissy-CDG airport, and there are several metro and bus lines nearby. Feeling adventurous? Give it a try, I think you’ll like it. ;)

* Fractional Apartment Ownership *

Economic crisis aside, some of you are still dreaming of owning a piece of Parisian real estate. And even though the Dollar is gaining on the Euro again (whew!), it’s still one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Can’t afford a whole Parisian apartment? Buy a fraction of one. Here is the flat of an American friend of mine (well, you’d want me to have visited it in person, right?) in the Marais, beautifully redone. I’d buy a piece myself if I had somewhere else to go the other 11 months, lol!

* An Independent DVD/Bookshop Worth a Visit *

Hors-Circuits (4 rue de Nemours, 11^th, M° Parmentier ou Oberkampf) is a noteworthy independent DVD and bookshop with a great selection of rare and cult films and books, enthusiastic and helpful staff, and many events with filmmakers and authors. You can either rent or buy a wide range of movies from all over the world: classics, experimental, documentaries, short or animation movies.

* Parisian Neighborhood Blogs *

Practice your French and learn something new about Parisian neighborhoods like the Marais, St-Sulpice, or the Butte aux Cailles . There are also blogs that focus on the Public Transport and Old Paris. Or find events and shops by neighborhood at eVous.

* Heather’s East Coast American Tour *

Can’t come to Paris? Then I’ll bring Paris to you! In a week I’ll be flying to Boston for the first leg of my Naughty Paris Guide Tour, followed by New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC. If you’re in town, do join me at one of the informal Happy Hour events I’ll be hosting in each city for cocktails, canapés, and copies of “Naughty Paris” at the special price of $25 (retail €25/$39, selling at Amazon for $29). For more information check out the Events page at www.NaughtyParisGuide.com or visit the Naughty Paris FaceBook Group. Spread the word and send your friends. I hope to finally meet some of you in person!

* Where to find Naughty Paris *

You can now find Naughty Paris at American and Canadian bookstores (just ask if you don’t see it, they can usually get a copy faster than Amazon can send it), at every major online bookseller, and in Paris at Brentano’s, WH Smith, Abbey Bookshop, George V Four Seasons Gift Shop, The Five Hotel, Yoba Boutique, and the Yoba Luxury Lingerie stand at Printemps Haussmann. For more info, visit the Naughty Paris Guide website.

* Gold in Them Archives! *
Browse the Secrets of Paris Archives for more money saving tips!

Comments

[David Henry]

I enjoyed looking at the vivrelemarais.typepad.fr site, and indeed bookmarked it, but I do wish to point out they have something of a reactionary tone, noticeable at least a bit in all the articles on their home page, but especially as concerns their article on Fabien Breuvart, the photographer who has his shop at the Marché des Enfants Rouges. Their article makes me want to go visit him again. I posted my reaction to the article on their site.

[Richard]

Wonder-filled blog ...

[Gerard Simonet]

I'm happy to reply to David Henry.
I dont' really know if we are reactionary or not. When it comes to deciding whether an attitude is appropriate or not, you can hardly refer to everyone's own judgement. What is good, what is bad, nice or horrible ? We have to address this dilemma everyday and decide for an attitude that raise a minimum of criticism from our readers.
We have chosen to stick to the law, which is an unquestionnable reference. Unauthorized posters and graffitis on the walls of the city (especially in the Marais which is a protected and safeguarded area) are forbidden regardless to their intrinsic value.
This is why we may appear as "conservative"
Please note, in any case, that we have nothing of an ayatollah. Most of the time, when we report situations, we do it with a humourous tone which is all but aggressive.
Please continue to read our posts.
Best regards