Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [300]
Items lost on the metro are held by station agents ( 3246; 7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun) before being sent to the Bureau des Objets Trouvés. Anything found on trains or stations is taken to the lost-property office (usually attached to the left-luggage office) of the relevant station. Phone enquiries (in French) are possible:
Gare d’Austerlitz ( 01 53 60 71 98)
Gare de l’Est ( 01 40 18 88 73)
Gare de Lyon ( 01 53 33 67 22)
Gare du Nord ( 01 55 31 58 40)
Gare Montparnasse ( 01 40 48 14 24)
Gare St-Lazare ( 01 53 42 05 57)
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HOLIDAYS
There is at least one public holiday a month in France and, in some years, up to four in the month of May alone. Be aware, though, that unlike in the USA or UK, where public holidays usually fall on (or are shifted to) a Monday, in France a jour férié (public holiday) is celebrated strictly on the day on which it falls. Thus if May Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, no provision is made for an extra day off.
The following holidays are observed in Paris:
New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An) 1 January
Easter Sunday & Monday (Pâques & Lundi de Pâques) Late March/April
May Day (Fête du Travail) 1 May
Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945) 8 May
Ascension Thursday (L’Ascension) May (celebrated on the 40th day after Easter)
Pentecost/Whit Sunday & Whit Monday (Pentecôte & Lundi de Pentecôte) Mid-May to mid-June (Seventh Sunday and Monday after Easter)
Bastille Day/National Day (Fête Nationale) 14 July
Assumption Day (L’Assomption) 15 August
All Saints’ Day (La Toussaint) 1 November
Armistice Day/Remembrance Day (Le Onze Novembre) 11 November
Christmas (Noël) 25 December
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INSURANCE
A travel insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problems is a good idea. There is a wide variety of policies available, so check the small print. EU citizens on public-health insurance schemes should note that they’re generally covered by reciprocal arrangements in France.
You may prefer a policy which pays doctors or hospitals directly rather than you having to pay on the spot and then claim it back later. If you have to claim later make sure you keep all documentation. Ensure that your policy covers ambulances or an emergency flight home.
Paying for your airline ticket with a credit card often provides limited travel accident insurance, and you may be able to reclaim the payment if the operator doesn’t deliver. Ask your credit card company what it’s prepared to cover.
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INTERNET ACCESS
Paris has a surfeit of internet cafés. Among the biggest, best and/or most central:
Baby Connect (Map; 01 40 62 98 00; 56 rue de Babylone, 7e; per 15/30/60min €1/2/4; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; St-François Xavier) Very near La Pagode cinema.
Cyber Cube (Map; 01 56 80 08 08; www.cybercube.fr; 9 rue d’Odessa, 14e; per 15/30min €1/2, per 5/10hr €30/40; 10am-10pm; Montparnasse Bienvenüe) One of three branches; expensive but convenient to Gare Montparnasse.
Cyber Latin (Map; 01 42 22 89 35; 35bis rue de Fleurus, 6e; per 15/30/60min €1.25/2.25/4, per 5/10/20hr €17/34/56; 9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 11.30am-7.30pm Sat; St-Placide) Just west of the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Cyber Squ@re (Map; 01 48 87 82 36; info@cybersquare-paris.com; 1 place de la République; per 5/15/30/60min €0.75/2.30/3.80/6, per 10/20hr €45/76; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; République) This small but convivial place on two levels is entered from passage Vendôme.
Manga Square (Map; 28 blvd de Sébastopol, 4e; per 1hr €3, per 5/10 hr €15/27.50; 1-10pm; Les Halles) Groovy cyber café in a shop selling Japanese comic books.
Milk (Map; 0 820 00 10 00; www.milklub.com; 17 rue Soufflot, 5e; daytime per 1/2/3/5hr €4/7/9/12, night time per 3/10hr €6/13; 24hr; Luxembourg) This branch of a minichain of seven internet cafés, including a big Les Halles branch (Map; 31 blvd de Sébastopol, 1er; 24hr; Les Halles),