Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [231]
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FOOTBALL
Paris’ magnificent Stade de France (tickets €20 to €100), north of the centre in St-Denis, is where France’s home matches kick off.
The city’s only top-division football team, Paris-St-Germain ( 01 47 43 71 71; www.psg.fr), wears red and blue and plays its home games at the 48,500-seat Parc des Princes (Map; 32 75, 01 47 43 72 56; www.leparcdesprinces.fr; 24 rue du Commandant Guilbaud, 16e; tickets €20-80; box office 9am-7pm Mon-Fri & 3hr before match; Porte de St-Cloud), built in 1970.
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RUGBY
When at home Paris-based team Stade Français CASG ( 01 40 71 71 00; www.stade.fr) plays north at the small Stade Jean Bouin (Map; 01 46 51 00 75; 26 av du Général Sarrail, 16e; tickets €5-35; box office 11am-2pm & 3-7pm Tue-Fri, 2-7pm Mon & Sat; Exelmans) and occasionally at the Stade de France. The finals of the Championnat de France de Rugby take place in late May and early June.
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TENNIS
By far the glitziest annual sporting event in Paris is the French Open, the second of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, held on clay at the 16,500-seatStade Roland Garros (Map; box office 08 25 16 75 16, from abroad +33 1 47 43 52 52; www.rolandgarros.com, in French; 2 av Gordon Bennett, 16e; Porte d’Auteuil) in the Bois de Boulogne from late May to mid-June. Tickets are expensive and like gold dust; they go on sale mid-November and bookings must be made by March. One week prior to the competition (on the first day of the qualifiers), remaining tickets are sold from the box office ( 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) at the entrance to the stadium.
The top indoor tournament is the Paris Tennis Open, usually held in late October or early November at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (Map; 01 40 02 60 60, box office 08 92 39 01 00; www.bercy.fr, in French; 8 blvd de Bercy, 12e; Bercy).
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CYCLING
Joining the tens of thousands of spectators along the av des Champs-Élysées to watch the final leg of the world’s most prestigious cycling race, the three-week Tour de France (www.letour.fr), is a must for those in Paris towards the end of July.
The 3000km-long route changes each year, but three things remain constant: the inclusion of the Alps, the Pyrenees and, since 1974, the race finish on av des Champs-Élysées. The final day varies from year to year but is usually the 3rd or 4th Sunday in July, with the race finishing some time in the afternoon. If you want to see this exciting event, find a spot at the barricades before noon.
Track cycling, a sport at which France excels, is held in the velodrome of the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (Map; 01 40 02 60 60; www.bercy.fr, in French; 8 blvd de Bercy, 12e; Bercy).
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HORSE RACING
Spend a cheap afternoon relaxing at the races with Parisians of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. The easiest racecourse to get to is Hippodrome d’Auteuil (Map; 01 40 71 47 47; www.france-galop.com; Champ de Courses d’Auteuil, Bois de Boulogne, 16e; Porte d’Auteuil), host to steeplechases six times a month from February to late June or early July, and early September to early December. Standing on the lawn in the middle of the track is free, but a seat in the stands costs €3 or €4 (under 18s free).
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GAY & LESBIAN PARIS EATING
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EATING
DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
LOUVRE & LES HALLES
MARAIS & BASTILLE
SLEEPING
FURTHER RESOURCES
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top picks
Centre Gai et Lesbien de Paris Île de France
Villa Papillon