Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [5]
Litre of bottled mineral water: from €0.70 (supermarket), €1 (corner shop)
Pint of local beer: from €6.50 (€5 at happy hour)
Pop music CD: €13 to €18
Street snack: from €2.50 (basic crêpe or galette)
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INTERNET RESOURCES
Wi-fi is widely available at midrange and top-end hotels in Paris (sometimes for free but more usually for something like €5 per one-off connection) and occasionally in public spaces such as train stations and tourist offices. For a list of almost 100 free-access wi-fi cafés in Paris, visit www.cafes-wifi.com (in French).
If you don’t have a laptop or wi-fi access, don’t fret: Paris is awash with internet cafés with their own computers, and you’ll probably find at least one in your immediate neighbourhood.
In terms of websites to consult before you go, Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) is a good start for many of the city’s more useful links. The following English-language websites are useful when wanting learn more about Paris (and France).
Expatica (www.expatica.com) Lifestyle website for internationals living in countries worldwide, including France, with regularly updated news, features and blogs.
French Government Tourism Office (www.francetourism.com) Official tourism site with all manner of information on and about travel in France, with lots and lots on Paris too.
Go Go Paris! Culture! (www.gogoparis.com) Clubs, hangouts, art gigs, dance around town, eat and drink – everything a culture vulture living in Paris needs.
Mairie de Paris (www.paris.fr) Your primary source of information about Paris, with everything from opening times and what’s on to the latest statistics direct from the Hôtel de Ville.
Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.parisinfo.com) The official site of the Office de Tourisme et de Congrès – the city’s tourist office – is super, with more links than you’ll ever need.
Paris Digest (www.parisdigest.com) Useful site for making pretravel arrangements and for its forum.
Paris Pages (www.paris.org) Has good links to museums and cultural events.
Paris Woman (www.pariswoman.com) Deals with news and issues and events affecting expatriate women in Paris.
RATP (www.ratp.com) This invaluable (and easy to use) website from the city’s transport network will help you negotiate your way around town.
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ADVANCE PLANNING
A couple of months before you go Try to book your accommodation months ahead, especially if it’s high season and you want to stay in a boutique hotel like the Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais, a ‘find’ such as the Hôtel Jeanne d’Arc or some place offering exceptional value for money like the Hôtel du Champ-du-Mars. Take a look at some of the ‘what’s on’ websites listed on opposite or the entertainment magazines Pariscope and L’Officiel des Spectacles Click here.
A month before you go If you’re interested in serious fine dining at places like Le Grand Véfour Click here or the Casa Olympe and there’s more than one of you, book a table now. Now is also the time to visit the Fnac and/or Virgin Megastore websites Click here to get seats for a big-ticket concert, musical or play.
Two weeks before you go Blockbuster exhibitions at venues such as the Grand Palais or Centre Pompidou – or even a visit to the Louvre – can be booked in advance via Fnac or Virgin Megastore for a modest fee. Sign up for an email newsletter via Expatica (opposite) and read some up-to-date blogs.
A day or two before you go Make sure your bookings are in order and you’ve followed all the instructions outlined in this chapter.
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BLOGS
If there’s one country in Europe where blogging is a national pastime (so that’s what they do outside their 35-hour work week) it’s France. The underbelly of what French people think right now, the French blogosphere is gargantuan, with everyone and everything from streets and metro stops to bands, bars and the president having their own blog. For an informative overview (did