Suggestions, comments? Send them to me at evan @ trashytravel.com Above, the DJ Booth at Trucmush in Paris,(photo by Saints and Sinners)
Paris-
Dont go to Paris in July or August. Its hot and there is no Air conditioning anyway. Plus its more expensive to fly and the locals all leave in August.
Jim Morrisons Grave is in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France.
Train Info-the english language version of the French National Railway site.
Time out has a free great downloadable paris guide.
Getting around: Paris is cut roughly in half by the Seine. The left and right banks of the river are divided into various neighborhoods such as the Tuileries Quarter, the Champs-Elysees and St- Germain des-Pres. Most locals refer to where they are by arrondissement number, with the area around the Louvre being the first arrondissement and the numbers getting higher as you go further out. *really overheard drunk moment “CRAP, I’m in the 20th!!”
The French high-speed train is called the Regional Express Railway (RER). It’s the fastest and most convenient way to travel from the airports, which are both in the suburbs, and from the city to other parts of the country, and the metro gets you around Paris. You can buy either a ten pack of tickets or if you are there from Monday to Sunday by a weekly Carte Orange.
Where to stay: Paris hotels are expensive, and all but the most exclusive lack a combined private shower and toilet though several of the medium-priced establishments offer private toilets on request. Rooms tend to be small and up multiple flights of narrow, winding steps. The Residence Lord Byron in the Champs-Elysees and the Senateur in St. Germain des-Pres offer affordable,adequate accommodations. *HT-this info is dated
What to eat: If you are on a budget, your best bet is to hit the supermarkets that are all over the place, like the fancy Monoprix, Picard (an all frozen food place), Supermarche G20. You can buy prepacked cold cuts, cheap wine or alcohol and of course, amazing bread and cheese at all of them. While in line, count the people who are buying baguettes. Otherwise, you can live on paninis or crepes that are usually available on streetcorners.
Le Refuge des Fondus -17 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France +33 1 42 55 22 65 Teeny tiny weird fondue restaurant that serves the wine in baby bottles.This restaurant requires anyone sitting along the wall to climb over the table to reach his seat
Dixième Degré – 19 Rue Sainte-Marthe, 75010 Paris, France: +33 1 40 40 04 76 Bistro with occasional live music of varying kinds.
Bouillon Chartier -1896,9th arrondissement classic french restaurant. If you are alone they will seat you with a stranger. 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris, France: +33 1 47 70 86 29
Le Relais de l’Entrecôte-15 Rue Marbeuf · +33 1 49 52 07 17-Famous steak frites with green sauce of shallot and chicken livers. There are several locations, including one in NYC.
Gibus, Live-bar with live small rock and punk shows.-
18, Rue du Faubourg du Temple Paris, France 75011 +33 7 69 14 10 06
18, Rue du Faubourg du Temple Paris, France 75011 +33 7 69 14 10 06
Supersonic- 9, rue Biscornet ,Paris, France 75012 +33 1 49 23 41 90
www.supersonic-club.fr
www.supersonic-club.fr
What to do: Come on, its Paris! Jeez.
Well, okay..of the more obscure attractions
If you are in town for the first Sunday of any month, all museums are FREE that day.
Up by Sacre Couer is a small Salvador Dali museum, The Espace Dali-Montmartre holds largest collection of sculptures by Salvador Dali and a total collection of 330 works.
address: 11, rue Poulbot, 75018 Paris
Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm
There is also an entire museum devoted to Picasso.
And More gallery than museum, the Palais de Tokyo is open usually from noon to midnight and it has a trendy restaurant and bar with djs as part of it. A warning, bring your friends because you won’t meet anyone here.
Palais de Tokyo
13, avenue du Président-Wilson
16th arrondissement, Paris
and the modern art Centre Pompidou – the top 3 floors of a giant habitrail looking building. 75191 Paris cedex 04 , Museum and exhibitions open 11am-9pm
Visit Café des 2 Moulins : 15 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris, France-Featured in the Movie Amelie Daily 8AM–2AM +33 1 42 54 90 50
Eats-
Robert et Louise-Steak, duck confit & snails near the Musée Picasso-64 Rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75003 Paris, France
Live Music-
Black Star – Live Club-6, passage Thiéré , Paris, France 75011
+33 1 55 28 67 72
Point Éphémère -Riverside arts center with indoor outdoor spaces : 200 Quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris, France : +33 1 40 34 02 48
La Mécanique Ondulatoire – 8 Passage Thiéré, 75011 Paris-11E-Arrondissement, France-Til 2 am +33 1 43 55 69 14
La Station–
29 avenue de la Porte d’Aubervilliers, Paris, France 75018
29 avenue de la Porte d’Aubervilliers, Paris, France 75018
La Pointe Lafayette-230 Rue la Fayette, 75010 Paris, France
Pigalle Country Club-59 rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, 75009 Paris.
Rex Club– 5 Bd Poissonnière, 75002 Paris, France
Le P’tit Garage Rock n Roll Bar-63 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France
Tiki related-
Lone Palm – 21 Rue Keller, 75011 Paris, France +33 1 48 06 03 95
Le Tiki Lounge -26 Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011 Paris, France +33 1 55 28 57 72
Dirty Dick – 10 Rue Frochot, 75009 Paris, France +33 1 48 78 74 58
Other bars-
La Liberté-196 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris +33 1 43 72 11 18-dive bar
Le Pick Clops-16 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004 Paris, France
Le Black Dog– 26 Rue des Lombards, 75004 Paris, France
Nightlife: I spent a lot of my time in Paris hanging out with Parisians hanging out at English pubs such as the Bombedier, which is across from the Pantheon. 2, Place du Panthéon , 75005 Paris The Bartenders at these places usually speak English and there are a lot of these pubs.
Bars and clubs-this info is from hipstertravels own trip to Paris in 2005-newer reader submitted info follows-
Of the types of places of the more Hipstery variety, there are not many.
Concert and CO lists many music shows but it is all in french.
Trucmush is a small bar with a table that is a sink, a table that is a bathtub and a dj booth that is a car. See pic above. Its on a street that looks deserted before you get there. (still there as of 7/2017)
Around the Corner from the Pantheon is Le Piano Vache, which looks like CBGBs mated with an irish pub. Its a student hang out too.
8 Rue Laplace, 75005, paris.
One place that was recommended that I didn’t make it to was Pop In
105, Rue Amelot , 75011 Paris which is just a bar that tends to play indie music. (Still there as of 7/2017)
One other place I didn’t get to hit, Planète Mars, 21 rue Keller, 11th . Mº Ledru-Rollin. 6.30pm-2am Mon-Sat. Near the Bastille, “a space-age bar, funky cocktails abound, and drink prices defy inflation. Add to this DJs in a little corner spinning everything from funk to Northern Soul to 1980s disco and back again.”
My favorite place in Paris was Le Truskel, which looks like an Irish bar on the outside but on the inside is hipster chic, with a back dance room, flyers for past dj events by all the latest bands du jour and a secret downstairs that doesn’t open until late. This bar is open til 5 am and doesn’t get started until at least midnight.
User submitted Paris info-(updated May 2007)
Cool clubs :
Underground, for hipsters who are broke : les 9 billards (belleville) 164 rue st maur, every Friday evening
For butches and lipstick lesbians : the Pulp (at grand boulevards)
An after hours for prostitutes and home made crossgender people : chez carmen (rue vivienne, 9°) real fun at the beak of dawn, with an inexpensive juke box
GAMBETTA CLUB, 104 rue de Bagnolet, 75020 Paris, 01 43 70 52 01 Some good shows there recently. (added 9/10)
Other spots.
Dr Feelgood Rock bar -34 Rue Keller, 75011 Paris, France +33 9 82 21 07 08
Le Fumoir is a clubby place across the street from the Louvre. Its cigar bar ambience, bare wood floor and Art Deco fittings get a stylish crowd. -this place is not cheap
Le Fumoir, 6, rue de l’Amiral-de-Coligny; (33-1) 42.92.00.24. No
cover. Drinks are around 9 euro.
The Metro problem: trying to hail a taxi at 4 a.m. in Paris is impossible and the metro stops running at 1 am, but you have to be on the train by 12:30 or you are stuck.
Shopping-
The best shopping deals happen at the many flea markets around Paris. Also there are citywide sales at virtually every store in Paris in January and late June
Also, for unique Paris souvenirs, check out the handmade shirts of Saints and Sinners.
Amusement Parks-
For a slightly different take on Disney, check out Disneyland Paris. Actually, this park looks great, but they ruined Space Mountain, making it a corkscrew coaster. Ouch.
Lyon, France
Walibi Rhône-Alpes, F-38630 LES AVENIERES (France)
33/474.33.89.00-a Six Flags Owned Park. 45 minutes from Lyon.
Metz, France
WALIBI SCHTROUMPF, Voie Romaine, F-57280 MAIZIERES LES METZ -33/387.51.90.52.-a Six Flags owned Park, possibly smurf themed?
WALIBI AQUITAINE, Toulouse-Bordeaux, France-Large water/theme park owned by six flags.
Popnews for Paris Concerts
Someones not quite current compiled paris links page
Clubs-
Trabendo-all sites in french!
Parisbouge club site
Record shops-
PARIS
Record Shops-
Born Bad Records-11 rue Saint Sabin
Paris, France 75011 +33 9 53 07 84 58
Record Shop and Label
Born Bad Records-11 rue Saint Sabin
Paris, France 75011 +33 9 53 07 84 58
Record Shop and Label
Rough Trade 30 Rue de Charonne, 11th, 40216162
Like Rough Trade in London. Just like Rough Trade in London, in fact.
le Shop 3 rue d’Argout 75002, Metro Etienne Marcel, 0140289594
Clothes shop with a small, but fashionable, record stall.
CROCODISC -Record store in Paris, France 42 Rue des Écoles, 75005 Paris, France: +33 1 43 54 47 95
Patate Records (57, rue de Charonne, Paris 11)
Le Silence de la Rue (39, rue Faidherbe Paris
Worthy Chocolate Shops in Paris
(From the NY TIMES-12/15/2004)
Angelina, 226, rue de Rivoli; (33-1) 42.60.82.00, First Arrondissement. Métro: Tuileries. For Hot Chocolate. This place is mainly a coffee shop.
La Charlotte de l’Isle, 24, rue St.-Louis en l’Île, Fourth; (33-1) 43.54.25.83. Métro: Pont Marie, Cité. Also a cafe with amazing hot chocolate.
Michel Chaudun, 149, rue de l’Université, Seventh; (33-1) 47.53.74.40. Métro: Invalides, La Tour Maubourg.- On a quiet street, this store is more whimsical than the other stores on this list, making chocolate in all kinds of shapes from Gargoyles to Drills?
Christian Constant, 37, rue d’Assas, Sixth; (33-1) 53.63.15.15. Métro: Rennes, St.-Placide. boutique and tearoom offers four different hot chocolates, described with adjectives like onctueux, cremeux and parfumé and Bitter Plus. THe best hot chocolate.
Pierre Hermé, 72, rue Bonaparte, Sixth; (33-1) 43.54.47.77. Métro: St.-Sulpice.widely considered the greatest pastry chef in the world, some of the most interesting chocolate in town introducing new chocolates every season.
Jean-Paul Hévin, 231, rue St.-Honoré, First; (33-1) 55.35.35.96. Métro: Concorde, Opera, Tuileries. tearoom where you can get salads and sandwiches,. Try a Longchamp, a signature pastry involving chocolate praliné, hazelnut biscuit, meringue, chocolate and almonds. For other boutique locations, www.jphevin.com.
La Maison du Chocolat, 8, boulevard de la Madeleine, Ninth; (331) 47.42.86.52. Métro: Madeleine. For other boutique locations, www.lamaisonduchocolat.com. (also in New York City)
Octave, 138, rue Mouffetard, Fifth; (33-1) 45.35.20.56. Métro: Censier/Daubenton. For amazing chocolate ice cream.
Bordeaux, France
CLUBS
SAINT-EX-SAInt-eX -live music & drinks, Bordeaux, Aquitaine
France
Clermont-Ferrand, France
Live Music-
The Baraka Club – 12 Avenue Carnot, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France-disco with occasional live music
Lille, FR.
Live Music
Monk’s café-3 rue Nicolas Leblanc, Lille, FR.
+33 3 20 00 00 31
Nancy, France
Live Music-
915 kaffe – 22 Rue Saint-Dizier, 54000 Nancy, France +33 6 73 91 26 02-Club where rock bands like Nashville Pussy play.
Nice, FR
Live Music-
Le Volume – 6 Rue Defly, 06000 Nice, France +33 4 93 26 75 20
Nimes, FR
Festival-
Saint Etienne, France
Live Music-
Thunderbird Lounge 242-? 8 Rue Denis Escoffier, 42000 Saint-Étienne, France : +33 4 77 33 54 96 Great line up of rock and punk bands