48 Hours In: Budget Paris
Jan 20th 2007 | 8:26 am
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48 Hours In: Budget Paris
http://travel.independent.co.uk/europe/article2166983.ece
48 Hours In: Budget Paris
The French capital is the perfect place to escape the gloom of Britain
this month, even if you are uncomfortably close to your credit limit.
Published: 20 January 2007
48 Hours In: Budget Paris 48 Hours In: Budget Paris
WHY GO NOW?
Paris leaves its Christmas decorations on display throughout January,
so you can enjoy enchanting winter views along the Seine, ice-skating
outside the town hall and other seasonal delights - with no purchase
necessary.
TOUCH DOWN
Gare du Nord (1) is the terminus for Eurostar (08705 186 186;
www.eurostar.com) trains from London Waterloo and Ashford. Flights from
most UK airports - including Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester on BA
Connect (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com ), and Heathrow on Air France, BA
and BMI (0870 60 70 555; www.flybmi.com) - arrive at Paris Charles de
Gaulle. The cheap, fast link into town is on the RER (suburban
railway), line B. A €7.70 (£5.50) ticket takes you to Gare du Nord
(1), Chatelet (2), St Michel (3) and Luxembourg (4) stations, with free
connections to anywhere on the Métro.
A few flights arrive at Orly. Take the Orlybus to Denfert-Rochereau in
the 14th arrondissement, which is on the RER line B and two Métro
lines.
GET YOUR BEARINGS
The city is sliced in two by the Seine. The Left Bank (to the south)
was traditionally associated with learning, the Right Bank with
commerce. Over the years, these differences have become blurred with
glitz and wealth on both sides.
Getting around is easy, thanks to the excellent Metro, buses and trams
run by RATP (www.ratp.fr). A single Metro journey ticket costs €1.40
(£1), or you can buy a " Mobilis" day pass for €5.50 (£3.40) that
allows unlimited journeys on all RATP transport. There is a discount
for those under 26 at the weekend.
CHECK IN
With its mix of fleamarket finds and rooms decorated by artists, the
Hôtel Amour (5) at 8 rue Navarin (00 33 1 48 78 31 80;
www.hotelamour.com) in the 9th arrondisement is currently the most
fashionable hotel in town, though deliberately low on facilities.
Doubles start at €120 (£85), with an extra €10 (£7) per person
for breakfast. It also has a buzzy bistro. The Regent's Hôtel (6) at
44 rue Madame (00 33 1 45 48 02 81) is bright and comfortable and very
well located for the Luxembourg gardens and
St-Germain. Some rooms have balconies. Doubles start at €80 (£57)
with an extra €7 (£5) for breakfast. In Montmartre, Le Village (7)
at 20 rue d'Orsel (00 33 1 42 64 22 02; www.villagehostel.fr) is a
hostel recently refurbished with the aim of providing the budget
traveller with "a hotel experience for the price of a hostel". It
boasts an uninterrupted view of the Sacré-Coeur. Doubles start at
€46 (£32), including breakfast.
TAKE A HIKE
Take a simple, cheap and rewarding slice through the Marais. From the
Pompidou Centre (8), head east along rue Rambuteau to the church of
Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux (9) (00 33 1 42 72 09 37; open 10am-noon
and 4-7pm, 10am-noon on Sundays). Close by is the Espace des
Blancs-Manteaux (10) - a market-turned-artspace (00 33 1 44 54 75 79)
that, in February, hosts an exhibition on human rights in literature.
Hop a block north to rue des Francs-Bourgeois and follow it to the
serene, symmetrical Place des Vosges (11). The 17th-century mansion in
the south-east corner at number 6 is the Maison de Victor Hugo (00 33 1
42 72 10 16), where the writer lived in a second-floor apartment from
1832 to 1848 and wrote some of Les Miserables. This fascinating house
opens 10am-5.40pm daily except Monday, admission free - as are the
permanent collections in all the other municipal-run museums.
LUNCH ON THE RUN
Often the best-value gourmet meals are to be had in Paris at lunchtime.
Expect good food but sometimes minimal presentation. Set menus,
scrawled on blackboards brought to the table, cost around €15 (£10)
for two courses, and often including a glass of wine. In the Marais,
you can choose from a wide selection of small brasseries. Le Coude Fou
(12) at 12 rue de Bourg-Tibourg (00 33 1 42 77 15 16) offers a
typically rustic French cuisine. For something lighter, around the
corner in the heart of the Jewish quarter, the delicatessen/restaurant
Chez Marianne (13) at 2 rue des Hospitalières St-Gervais (00 33 1 42
72 18 86) serves hot, fresh falafel and a buffet of Jewish
specialities, either in the restaurant or from the express window.
WINDOW SHOPPING
Spend the afternoon, but not a fortune, by perusing the windows under
the arcades at the Palais Royal (14). The Galerie de Valois has shops
selling antique books and manuscripts. It is also home to the
Parfumerie Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, the luxury boutique of
the Japanese cosmetics company (00 33 1 49 27 09 09;
www.salons-shiseido.com). Here you can test all the sumptuous creams
and depart smelling beautiful, with no need for plastic. At the Galerie
de Montpensier opposite, you will find the only Marc Jacobs shop in
France (00 33 1 55 35 02 60; www.marcjacobs.com) and the boutique
Didier Ludot (00 33 1 42 96 06 56; www.didierludot.com), which
specialises in vintage designer wear from the era of Audrey Hepburn and
Greta Garbo.
AN APERITIF
Prices can go down as well as up. Walk up Avenue de l'Opéra to the
Footsie bar (15) at 10 rue Daunou (00 33 1 42 60 07 20). This chic
Parisian bar is named after the British FTSE index, and prices its
drinks according to the rise and fall of demand; a cocktail typically
costs €11 (£8). Or continue along the Grands Boulevards towards
Café Brébant (16) at 32 boulevard Poissonnière 9e (00 33 01 47 70 25
55); its happy hour lasts a lot longer than 60 minutes.
DINING WITH THE LOCALS
A former coach drivers' inn, Bouillon Chartier (17) at 7 rue du
Faubourg-Montmartre (00 33 1 47 70 86 29; www.restaurant-chartier.com)
still has the original carriage forecourt and brass luggage rails above
the tables. The food is rough and ready but good value for money: soup
for €2 (£1.40), mains such as trout meuniere for €9.60 (£6.50)
and desserts including peach tart for €4.50 (£3.20). Or suppress
your appetite until late: La Coupole (18) at 102 Boulevard Montparnasse
(00 33 1 43 20 14 20; www.flobrasseries. com/coupoleparis) offers a
two-course menu (starter and main course) for €23.50 (£16) for those
dining after 10.30pm.
SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH
Discover the beautiful church of St-Etienne-du-Mont (19) on place
Ste-Geneviève (00 33 1 43 54 11 79), which has long been intertwined
with Parisian history. Inside you'll find a magnificent Renaissance
rood screen and the ornate tomb of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint
of Paris, who saved the city when besieged by the Huns
in 450. Pascal and Racine are also buried here. It opens 8.45am to noon
(Mass at 9am and 11am) and 2.30-7.45pm.
OUT TO BRUNCH
Brunch is the new Sunday trend in Paris and many restaurants offer a
brunch menu for around €20 (£13.50). Stroll down rue Mouffetard in
the 5e (Métro Cardinal Lemoine) and enjoy the Sunday morning market
produce at the many boucheries, fromageries and charcuteries that line
the cobbled street. At number 138 (20), sit down at one of the large,
convivial wooden tables at Le Pain Quotidien (00 33 1 55 43 91 99;
www.lepainquotidien.com). Order large hunks of bread with pâtés à
tartiner, homemade yoghurts and lots of salad, cheese, boiled eggs,
charcuterie and smoked salmon. The huge portions mean that probably
only a patisserie top-up will be needed to make it through the rest of
the day.
A WALK IN THE PARK
Walk off brunch by heading back towards the Seine and down to the
Jardin des Plantes (21) (00 33 1 40 79 56 01; www.mnhn.fr). Paris'
Botanical Gardens were originally founded as a medicinal herb garden in
1626. They are open from 8am to dusk, September to March, and 7.30am to
8pm the rest of the year, admission free.The National Museum of Natural
History and Paris' Zoo are located within the gardens; both charge an
entrance fee.
CULTURAL AFTERNOON
The museum l'Orangerie (22) (00 33 1 44 77 80 07;
www.musee-orangerie.fr) in the Jardin des Tuileries houses Monet's
grand Nymphéas (water-lilies: eight curved canvasses beautifully
displayed in two oval rooms), plus a collection that includes
Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and Soutine in the basement. The building was
originally constructed as an orangerie for the royal palace. It was
closed in 2000 for refurbishment, which went on to last six years due
to the discovery of a 17th-century wall underneath the original
building. The spectacular new museum is now open to the public
12.30-7pm daily except Tuesdays (with late opening to 9pm on Fridays),
admission €6.50 (£4.40) - or, if you can visit on the first Sunday
of the month, completely free.
Additional research by Jacqueline Cooney
48 Hours In: Budget Paris
The French capital is the perfect place to escape the gloom of Britain
this month, even if you are uncomfortably close to your credit limit.
Published: 20 January 2007
48 Hours In: Budget Paris 48 Hours In: Budget Paris
WHY GO NOW?
Paris leaves its Christmas decorations on display throughout January,
so you can enjoy enchanting winter views along the Seine, ice-skating
outside the town hall and other seasonal delights - with no purchase
necessary.
TOUCH DOWN
Gare du Nord (1) is the terminus for Eurostar (08705 186 186;
www.eurostar.com) trains from London Waterloo and Ashford. Flights from
most UK airports - including Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester on BA
Connect (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com ), and Heathrow on Air France, BA
and BMI (0870 60 70 555; www.flybmi.com) - arrive at Paris Charles de
Gaulle. The cheap, fast link into town is on the RER (suburban
railway), line B. A €7.70 (£5.50) ticket takes you to Gare du Nord
(1), Chatelet (2), St Michel (3) and Luxembourg (4) stations, with free
connections to anywhere on the Métro.
A few flights arrive at Orly. Take the Orlybus to Denfert-Rochereau in
the 14th arrondissement, which is on the RER line B and two Métro
lines.
GET YOUR BEARINGS
The city is sliced in two by the Seine. The Left Bank (to the south)
was traditionally associated with learning, the Right Bank with
commerce. Over the years, these differences have become blurred with
glitz and wealth on both sides.
Getting around is easy, thanks to the excellent Metro, buses and trams
run by RATP (www.ratp.fr). A single Metro journey ticket costs €1.40
(£1), or you can buy a " Mobilis" day pass for €5.50 (£3.40) that
allows unlimited journeys on all RATP transport. There is a discount
for those under 26 at the weekend.
CHECK IN
With its mix of fleamarket finds and rooms decorated by artists, the
Hôtel Amour (5) at 8 rue Navarin (00 33 1 48 78 31 80;
www.hotelamour.com) in the 9th arrondisement is currently the most
fashionable hotel in town, though deliberately low on facilities.
Doubles start at €120 (£85), with an extra €10 (£7) per person
for breakfast. It also has a buzzy bistro. The Regent's Hôtel (6) at
44 rue Madame (00 33 1 45 48 02 81) is bright and comfortable and very
well located for the Luxembourg gardens and
St-Germain. Some rooms have balconies. Doubles start at €80 (£57)
with an extra €7 (£5) for breakfast. In Montmartre, Le Village (7)
at 20 rue d'Orsel (00 33 1 42 64 22 02; www.villagehostel.fr) is a
hostel recently refurbished with the aim of providing the budget
traveller with "a hotel experience for the price of a hostel". It
boasts an uninterrupted view of the Sacré-Coeur. Doubles start at
€46 (£32), including breakfast.
TAKE A HIKE
Take a simple, cheap and rewarding slice through the Marais. From the
Pompidou Centre (8), head east along rue Rambuteau to the church of
Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux (9) (00 33 1 42 72 09 37; open 10am-noon
and 4-7pm, 10am-noon on Sundays). Close by is the Espace des
Blancs-Manteaux (10) - a market-turned-artspace (00 33 1 44 54 75 79)
that, in February, hosts an exhibition on human rights in literature.
Hop a block north to rue des Francs-Bourgeois and follow it to the
serene, symmetrical Place des Vosges (11). The 17th-century mansion in
the south-east corner at number 6 is the Maison de Victor Hugo (00 33 1
42 72 10 16), where the writer lived in a second-floor apartment from
1832 to 1848 and wrote some of Les Miserables. This fascinating house
opens 10am-5.40pm daily except Monday, admission free - as are the
permanent collections in all the other municipal-run museums.
LUNCH ON THE RUN
Often the best-value gourmet meals are to be had in Paris at lunchtime.
Expect good food but sometimes minimal presentation. Set menus,
scrawled on blackboards brought to the table, cost around €15 (£10)
for two courses, and often including a glass of wine. In the Marais,
you can choose from a wide selection of small brasseries. Le Coude Fou
(12) at 12 rue de Bourg-Tibourg (00 33 1 42 77 15 16) offers a
typically rustic French cuisine. For something lighter, around the
corner in the heart of the Jewish quarter, the delicatessen/restaurant
Chez Marianne (13) at 2 rue des Hospitalières St-Gervais (00 33 1 42
72 18 86) serves hot, fresh falafel and a buffet of Jewish
specialities, either in the restaurant or from the express window.
WINDOW SHOPPING
Spend the afternoon, but not a fortune, by perusing the windows under
the arcades at the Palais Royal (14). The Galerie de Valois has shops
selling antique books and manuscripts. It is also home to the
Parfumerie Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, the luxury boutique of
the Japanese cosmetics company (00 33 1 49 27 09 09;
www.salons-shiseido.com). Here you can test all the sumptuous creams
and depart smelling beautiful, with no need for plastic. At the Galerie
de Montpensier opposite, you will find the only Marc Jacobs shop in
France (00 33 1 55 35 02 60; www.marcjacobs.com) and the boutique
Didier Ludot (00 33 1 42 96 06 56; www.didierludot.com), which
specialises in vintage designer wear from the era of Audrey Hepburn and
Greta Garbo.
AN APERITIF
Prices can go down as well as up. Walk up Avenue de l'Opéra to the
Footsie bar (15) at 10 rue Daunou (00 33 1 42 60 07 20). This chic
Parisian bar is named after the British FTSE index, and prices its
drinks according to the rise and fall of demand; a cocktail typically
costs €11 (£8). Or continue along the Grands Boulevards towards
Café Brébant (16) at 32 boulevard Poissonnière 9e (00 33 01 47 70 25
55); its happy hour lasts a lot longer than 60 minutes.
DINING WITH THE LOCALS
A former coach drivers' inn, Bouillon Chartier (17) at 7 rue du
Faubourg-Montmartre (00 33 1 47 70 86 29; www.restaurant-chartier.com)
still has the original carriage forecourt and brass luggage rails above
the tables. The food is rough and ready but good value for money: soup
for €2 (£1.40), mains such as trout meuniere for €9.60 (£6.50)
and desserts including peach tart for €4.50 (£3.20). Or suppress
your appetite until late: La Coupole (18) at 102 Boulevard Montparnasse
(00 33 1 43 20 14 20; www.flobrasseries. com/coupoleparis) offers a
two-course menu (starter and main course) for €23.50 (£16) for those
dining after 10.30pm.
SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH
Discover the beautiful church of St-Etienne-du-Mont (19) on place
Ste-Geneviève (00 33 1 43 54 11 79), which has long been intertwined
with Parisian history. Inside you'll find a magnificent Renaissance
rood screen and the ornate tomb of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint
of Paris, who saved the city when besieged by the Huns
in 450. Pascal and Racine are also buried here. It opens 8.45am to noon
(Mass at 9am and 11am) and 2.30-7.45pm.
OUT TO BRUNCH
Brunch is the new Sunday trend in Paris and many restaurants offer a
brunch menu for around €20 (£13.50). Stroll down rue Mouffetard in
the 5e (Métro Cardinal Lemoine) and enjoy the Sunday morning market
produce at the many boucheries, fromageries and charcuteries that line
the cobbled street. At number 138 (20), sit down at one of the large,
convivial wooden tables at Le Pain Quotidien (00 33 1 55 43 91 99;
www.lepainquotidien.com). Order large hunks of bread with pâtés à
tartiner, homemade yoghurts and lots of salad, cheese, boiled eggs,
charcuterie and smoked salmon. The huge portions mean that probably
only a patisserie top-up will be needed to make it through the rest of
the day.
A WALK IN THE PARK
Walk off brunch by heading back towards the Seine and down to the
Jardin des Plantes (21) (00 33 1 40 79 56 01; www.mnhn.fr). Paris'
Botanical Gardens were originally founded as a medicinal herb garden in
1626. They are open from 8am to dusk, September to March, and 7.30am to
8pm the rest of the year, admission free.The National Museum of Natural
History and Paris' Zoo are located within the gardens; both charge an
entrance fee.
CULTURAL AFTERNOON
The museum l'Orangerie (22) (00 33 1 44 77 80 07;
www.musee-orangerie.fr) in the Jardin des Tuileries houses Monet's
grand Nymphéas (water-lilies: eight curved canvasses beautifully
displayed in two oval rooms), plus a collection that includes
Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and Soutine in the basement. The building was
originally constructed as an orangerie for the royal palace. It was
closed in 2000 for refurbishment, which went on to last six years due
to the discovery of a 17th-century wall underneath the original
building. The spectacular new museum is now open to the public
12.30-7pm daily except Tuesdays (with late opening to 9pm on Fridays),
admission €6.50 (£4.40) - or, if you can visit on the first Sunday
of the month, completely free.
Additional research by Jacqueline Cooney
Jan 21st 2007 | 5:08 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 48 Hours In: Budget Paris
Looking for all the cheap flights to France in one place? Try our
geo-coded multi airport search, www.mytravelsearch.net. Check flights
and hotels as well.
Regards,
Per
geo-coded multi airport search, www.mytravelsearch.net. Check flights
and hotels as well.
Regards,
Per
