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ParisTripTips.com
is proud to announce that we
now have
walking tours
available for purchase and
download.
If you
are planning a trip to Paris
soon, SAVE TIME and MONEY
with our
pre-planned walking tours
covering the major interest
sites in Paris. |
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Our next trip to Paris is being planned for
March 18 – March 24, 2007. Stay tuned for more details, or
contact me at
Lesley@paristriptips.com
for more information |
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 July in Paris means hot
weather, the start of summer
vacations, lots of tourists,
the
Tour de France and on
the 14th --
Bastille Day.
It’s a month of festivals
and celebrations, and it’s a
great time to be there. |
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July 1 – July 23, 2006
 The month of July in France is dedicated to
the Tour de France, France’s greatest
sporting event. In bars, in “tabacs”,
everywhere you go in Paris (as in the rest
of France) you see what seems like non-stop
coverage of the Tour. This year promises to
be a very exciting Tour. For the first time
in seven years,
Lance Armstrong is not
competing in the infamous French bike race.
Some people think this will give other long
deserving riders -- such as
Jan Ullrich -- a
chance to win the race.
The Tour kicks off in Strasbourg on July 1,
but if you plan to be in Paris on July 23,
try to get a glimpse of the final stage of
the Tour. The riders do a circuit of the Rue
de Rivoli,
Place de la Concorde and
Champs Elysées eight times before finishing up on
the Champs Elysées. Having seen more than
one Tour finish, I would advise you to grab
a spot along the Rue de Rivoli at the
Tuileries Gardens for the best up-close
views of the riders. One year I could have
touched Lance Armstrong from that position!
If you go further on to the Champs Elysées,
you risk being behind the hordes of people
trying to make their way to the edge of the
sidewalk and you might miss the riders
altogether! Just be sure not to jump into
the street…it’s been known to happen!
If you won’t be in Paris on July 23, be sure
to check out the televised coverage of the
final stage in Paris. You will surely get
some great shots of the City of Light!
For more information on the Tour itself, go
to their official Web site:
http://www.letour.com |
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July 14
 When Revolutionaries stormed the Bastille
prison in Eastern Paris in 1789, it was the
spark that ignited the events to follow in
the French Revolution, and it led to the
birth of Democracy in France. Don’t look for
the Bastille prison today, it was demolished
over 200 years ago! In its place is the
Opéra Bastille, and around it are the fun
neighborhoods of
Le Marais and Oberkampf.
 Bastille Day itself is an all-day event. In
the morning there is a beautiful military
parade that goes down the length of the
Champs-Elysées. During the day, you can go
to the
Comédie Française and see a Molière
play for free! This year they are performing
“Cyrano
de Bergerac” at 2 p.m., no reservations
required!
In the evening head to one of the many fire
houses (“les sapeurs –pompiers”) in Paris
for the traditional dances they hold every
July 14. For a small donation you can dance
the night away as they have in Paris for
decades. Or, head to the Place Dauphine
(directly behind the
Pont Neuf on
Ile de la Cité) and see if you can catch a “boules”
match in progress.
At midnight check out the amazing fireworks
display that go off around the Eiffel Tower.
It’s terribly crowded at the Tower itself,
but you can get a great view from one of
Paris’s many bridges or the
Trocadero,
across the river from the
Eiffel Tower.
Keep in mind that this is a national holiday
and most shops and restaurants will be
closed. |
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Weekends in July
 Head to the Chateau de Vincennes “Parc Floral” for a
free jazz concert. The concerts take place at 3:30
p.m. every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month
of July.
Entry to the park is 4 € but the concert itself is
free.
Metro: Château de Vincennes
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 EVERYWHERE! June 28 marked the beginning of Paris’s six-week sale period. By French law, stores may only have an official
clearance sale twice a year – once in the winter and once in the summer. This year’s dates have been announced: June 28 – August 5. You can save 30 % -
60% off retail prices during this time. If you happen to be in Paris be sure you take advantage of the great sales going on. Just look for the sign
that reads “Les Soldes” and you’re on your way to savings!
When packing for your Paris trip be sure you leave
room in your suitcase! |
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Culture Bière
65 Ave. des Champs-Elysées
75008
 While in Paris you will drink more than your fair
share of wine. Sometimes you just want a good beer.
Most brasseries and cafés will offer a “pression” of
Stella Artois or Kronenbourg, but to get a great
variety of beer, head to this new address on the
Champs-Elysées.
Much more sleek and sophisticated than your average
bar or brasserie, Culture Bière serves up 18
different beers on tap, ranging in price from 2 –
9.50 €. The place serves simple yet good food at
relatively low prices, has an outdoor terrace for
great people-watching, and even has a souvenir shop
for a memento or two. It’s getting good reviews and
its location can’t be beat, right on the
Champs-Elysées.
For more information, visit their Web site at
http://www.culturebiere.com |
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Les Allobroges
71 Rue des Grands-Champs
75020
Metro: Maraichers
Tel: 01 43 73 40 00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, holidays, August 3 – 27
Price: Menu at 18 € for lunch and 26 and 33 € for
dinner
This restaurant may be far from the beaten path, but
it’s a bargain hunter’s dream. Not only will you eat
well here, you will do so for a fraction of the
price at other restaurants of this caliber. The chef
has created a warm and cozy dining room, with
bright, cheery fabrics and especially friendly
staff. They serve traditional French fare, from foie
gras to duck to scallops. They even have a
vegetarian menu, which is difficult to come by in
Paris. If you want something special where you won’t
find fellow tourists, this is the place for you. |
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Hotel Henri IV Rive Gauche
9-11, rue Saint-Jacques, 75005
Metro: Cluny-La Sorbonne or Maubert-Mutualité
Tel: 01-46-33-20-20
Fax: 01-46-33-90-90
Web site:
http://www.henri-paris-hotel.com/
Rates:
Single 149€,
Double 167 €,
Triple 188 €
Taxe de séjour 0.90€ per person/day
Cards:
Breakfast: 11 €
 So many tourists decide they want to stay somewhere
central while visiting Paris. They choose the
Latin
Quarter for this very reason, but with all the
available hotels it is hard to choose. The Hotel
Henri IV Rive Gauche is the answer to their prayers!
This hotel is a real gem. It could not be better
located, just steps from
Notre Dame in the center of
Paris. Views of rooms on the street side face the
St. Séverin Church, those on the courtyard have
views of the rooftops of Paris. The hotel is very
quiet in spite of its very central location in the
Latin Quarter. Beautifully decorated with tasteful
furnishings and colors, there is a mix of 17th
century era and modern décor here. The rooms are
spotless and modern. To top it all off, the staff is
very pleasant and helpful. For all these reasons the
hotel seems to be perpetually booked, so be sure to
plan ahead. A reasonably priced hotel of this
caliber is hard to come by in central Paris!
(Modern amenities including internet connection,
hair dryers and even air conditioning.)
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Le Musée du Quai Branly
37, quai Branly - portail Debilly,
75007 Paris
Metro: Iéna (line 9), Alma-Marceau (line 9),
Pont de l’Alma (RER C), Bir Hakeim (line 6).
Tél : 01 56 61 70 00
Open Tuesday - Sunday 10 - 6:30 p.m.
Evening hours on Thursday until 10:00
Price: 8€50, free for 18 and under
Web Homepage
 June 23, 2006 marks the grand opening of the
Musee
du Quai Branly, a museum dedicated to art from
Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It pays
homage to the people of these parts of the world who
have suffered from centuries of Western domination.
A $295 million project, this is the first new
museum to open in Paris since 1986. The museum is
located just in front of the Eiffel Tower, on the
banks of the Seine. The goal of the museum is to
treat non-Western art with the same level of respect
and importance as Western art. It’s currently the
hottest ticket in town, so when you are visiting the
Eiffel Tower why not make a special stop to see what
it’s all about!
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