marseille
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
ESSENTIALS
avignon
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
aix-en-provence
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
nice
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
ESSENTIALS
monaco
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
BEACHES
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
antibes
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
BEACHES
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
juan-les-pins
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
BEACHES
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
cannes
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
SIGHTS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ESSENTIALS
saint-tropez
ORIENTATION
ACCOMMODATIONS
FOOD
NIGHTLIFE
ARTS AND CULTURE
ESSENTIALS
essentials
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
MONEY
SAFETY AND HEALTH
france 101
CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE
FOOD AND DRINK
Think of a famous idea. Any famous idea. Or for that matter any brushstroke, article of clothing, architectural style, camera technique, great thinker that should have been medicated, or hip reason to brew a Molotov cocktail. If that idea is Western, then it is probably French (or at least hotly contested and contributed to a French intellectual movement). Your first walk around Paris will be defined by a paralyzing level of excitement. Your first party in Monaco might result in a Hangover-esque situation. It’s no secret that young Americans “backpack” through France to lose their virginity and construct their identity at a safe distance from their parents. The successes of James Baldwin, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway suggest that we couldn’t have chosen a better spot; there is a pervading sense in France that everything is here.
Students might go to France to be fashionably disaffected artists in boho-chic corner cafes, but this isn’t the land of berets and baguettes anymore: it’s the land of sustainable energy and the 35-hour work week. As France wrestles with the economic and cultural ramifications of a globalized world, this is also, increasingly, the country of parkour and veil bans, sprawling Chinatowns and the Marie Leonie case of 2004. Nowhere is the cognitive dissonance of these cultural collisions more evident than in Marseille, whose burgeoning Little Algeria encroaches upon the city’s Old World streets. In the midst if these transitions, the most sacred of French traditions remain gloriously preserved—you might eat a lot of kebabs while you’re here, but you can still riot against The Man in the morning and commit adultery by noon.
greatest hits
• “METAL ASPARAGUS” INDEED. Lord knows the Eiffel Tower wasn’t popular at first, but these days the number of people that visits the landmark annually is greater than the entire population of Montana ( EIFFEL TOWER).
• VATICAN-APPROVED T AND A. France might bill itself as a proudly secular country, but when it comes to church-condoned feathers, falsies, and masquerade balls, Nice conveniently becomes a Catholic stronghold again (nice).
• BEND THAT GENDER. Soak up the vibrant gay nightlife in Cannes (cannes).
For details on France map, click here
student life
The trick to a good trip to France is avoiding cliche, so time for some real talk about how you’re going to enjoy Paris. Your art history professor told you to go to the Louvre, and you should, but there’s so much more to see in Paris than the Mona Lisa—and a lot of it is free. Not nearly as morbid as you might think, Cimitière du Père Lachaise is hauntingly beautiful, and the final resting place of Jim Morrison of The Doors. If you’re staying in the “flavorful” Marais, try staying in Maubuisson, a convent-turned-hostel with 3 buildings and breakfast included. Penny-pinching? Try staying somewhere in Canal St-Martin, where prices tend to be a little lower (though you don’t want to be traveling alone at night). We’ll leave it to you to figure out how to ask for your snails on the side, but the best eats in Paris are most definitely in the 8ème.
Though you could probably spend several satisfied lifetimes in Paris, we encourage you to backpack your way through the rest of the country. Tired of living like a dirty, smelly, backpacker and ready to start living like a king? Well, we can’t promise that you’ll be able to do that in the Loire Valley, but you can certainly see the chateaux the kings lived in. Orléans and Tours are major cities of the region, but if you can only hit one make it Tours. If you’re hoping to embrace your inner wino (he’s probably not hiding too far under the surface away), swing by Bordeaux and the surrounding wine country, the viticultural center of the world. Of course, one of the best places in the world to booze and flooze is the Riviera. Don’t blow your savings in Monaco (that is unless you gamble); try to find smaller hot spots in Cannes or Juan-les-Pins instead.
paris
From students who obsess over Derrida’s Of Grammatology to tourists who wonder why the French don’t pronounce half the consonants in each word, everyone enjoys the city where, by decree of law, buildings don’t exceed six stories, pour que tout le monde ait du soleil (so that all have sunshine). Though Parisians may English you (speak in English when you speak in French), this city pulls through for those who let themselves indulge in the sensory snapshots around every corner—the aroma of a boulangerie, the gleam of bronze balconies, the buzz of a good €2 bottle of red, the jolt of the new fave Metro line 14. For all its hyped-up snobbery (and yes, the waiters are judging you), Paris is open to those willing to wander. The truth is, this city will charm and bitchslap you with equal gusto, but don’t get too le tired—by your third or fourth sincere attempt at s’il vous plaît, even the waiters soften up. Stick around long enough, and you’ll be able to tell the foux from the foux de fa fa, the Lavazza from the Illy, and the meta hipster bars from the wanna-be meta hipster bars. Et puis, we’ll see who’s judging whom.
ORIENTATION
The Seine river (“SEN”) flows from east to west and slices through the middle of Paris, dividing the city into two main sections: the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) to the north, and the Rive Droite (Right Bank) to the south. The two islands in the center of the Seine, the Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis, are both the geographical and historical heart of the city. The rest of Paris proper is divided into 20 arrondissements (districts), which spiral clockwise outward from the center of the city, like a snail shell.
For details on Paris Neighborhoods map, click here
Each arrondissement is usually referred to by an assigned number. For example, the Eiffel Tower is located in the seventh arrondissement of Paris; this district is simply referred to as le septième (“the seventh”), abbreviated 7ème. The city’s first arrondissement is the only one that is not abbreviated by the grammatical form ème; it is known as the premier (“PREM-yay”) and abbreviated 1er.
The city’s organization may sound eminently reasonable, but Paris can be plenty hard to navigate in practice. Just to make things more difficult for travelers, Paris’s most prominent neighborhoods regularly bleed into different arrondissements, and do not
abide by their numerical divisions. The Marais, for example, spans both the 3ème and the 4ème. We have divided our coverage by both neighborhood and arrondissement, to keep our readers in the know.
Île de la Cité and Île St-Louis
Marooned in the middle of the Seine and tethered to the mainland by arched bridges, Île de la Cité is situated at the physical center of Paris. The island hosted Paris’s first ramshackle settlement in 300 BCE, and became the seat of the French monarchy in the 6th century CE when Clovis crowned himself king of the Franks; it remained a hotbed of French political power until Charles V abandoned it in favor of the Louvre in the 14th century. The stunning Notre Dame, as well as the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, ensured that the island would remain a center of Parisian religious, political, and cultural life; unsurprisingly, it is now a major center of tourism. All distances in France are measured from kilomètre zéro, a circular sundial in front of Notre Dame.
Châtelet-Les Halles (1er, 2ème)
Paris’s Châtelet-Les Halles is famous for turning Paris’s pet vices into beloved institutions. Its most famous sight, the Louvre, was home to French kings for four centuries; absolute monarchy has since gone out of fashion, and the bedchambers and dining rooms of the ancien régime palace now house the world’s finest art. The surrounding Jardin des Tuileries was redesigned in 1660 by Louis XIV’s favorite architect, André Le Nôtre, but the Sun King’s prized grounds are now a public park, host to crowds of strolling plebeians like ourselves that Louis probably wouldn’t have touched with a 10 ft. pole. Still, the arrondissement’s legacy of excess is certainly alive and well; we suspect that toilet paper rolls are made of €1000 notes around the Bourse de Valeurs, and the world’s oldest profession reigns supreme along the curbs of rue Saint-Denis. One of Paris’s main tourist hubs, Châtelet-Les Halles is heavily frequented by travelers, locals, and lots of scam artists. Seeing somebody run after a pickpocket is not an uncommon occurence here, so move cautiously and confidently.
The Marais (3ème, 4ème)
Originally all bog—the name “Marais” literally translates to “swamp”—the Marais became remotely liveable in the 13th century, when monks drained the land to provide building space for the Right Bank. With Henry IV’s construction of the glorious Place des Vosges at the beginning of the 17th century, the area ironically became the city’s center of fashionable living; hôtels particuliers built by leading architects and sculptors abounded, as did luxury and scandal. During the Revolution, former royal haunts gave way to slums and tenements. The Jewish population, a presence in the Marais since the 12th century, grew with influxes of immigrants from Russia and North Africa, but suffered tragic losses during the Holocaust. In the 1960s, the Marais was once again revived when it was declared a historic neighborhood. Since then, more than 30 years of gentrification, renovation, and fabulous-ization have restored the Marais to its pre-Revolutionary glory. Rue des Rosiers, in the heart of the 4ème, is still the center of the city’s Jewish population, though the steady influx of hyper-hip clothing stores threatens its existence. The Marais is also unquestionably the center of gay Paris, with its hub at the intersection of rue Sainte-Croix de la Brettonerie and rue Vieille du Temple.
Latin Quarter and St-Germain (5ème, 6ème)
The Latin Quarter and St-Germain tend to be two of Paris’s primary tourist neighborhoods. From the hustle and bustle of the predatory cafes around St-Michel to the residential areas around Cardinal Lemoine and Jussieu, the schmoozy galleries of Odéon to the best museums Paris has to offer (Musée de Cluny, Musée Delacroix), the fifth and sixth arrondissements truly have it all. They’re also eminently walkable. Don’t head underground during the day; you’ll only encounter pickpockets, scammers, crowds, and—in the summertime—sweaty Metro rides.
Invalides (7ème)
With tourist attractions and museums at every corner, the 7ème bustles with activity, but could use some personality. French military prowess (stop laughing, that’s not nice) is celebrated at Invalides, Ecole Militaire, and Champ de Mars, while the nation’s artistic legacy is shown full force at the Musée d’Orsay and the Quai Voltaire. Formerly one of Paris’s most elegant residential districts, the neighborhood is now home to many of the city’s embassies. The Tour Eiffel appropriately towers over it all, securing the area as one of the most popular destinations.
Champs-Élysées (8ème)
If the Champs-Élysées were a supermodel, it would have been forced to retire for being well past its prime. The arrondissement was synonymous with fashion throughout the 19th century, and the boulevards here are still lined with the vast mansions, expensive shops, and grandiose monuments that keep the tourists coming. But the sense of sophistication and progress has since been dampened by charmless boutiques, office buildings, and car dealerships; these areas are comatose after dark. Only the Champs itself throbs late into the night, thanks to its unparalleled nightclubs and droves of tourists. A stroll along Avenue Montaigne, rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, or around the Madeleine will give a taste of what life in Paris is like for the excessively rich. While low prices usually mean low quality here—particularly for accommodations—there are a few good restaurants and many great museums. The northern part of the neighborhood, near the Parc Monceau, is a lovely and less-touristed area for walking.
Opéra (9ème)
The 9th arrondissement is (surprise, surprise) best known for the Opéra National Garnier, a magnificent structure steeped in history that is difficult to top in terms of architectural triumph and OCD attention to detail. While the Opéra National is the 9ème’s crown jewel, the area is more aptly characterized by a juxtaposition of opposing worlds: this area is home to both one of Paris’s chic shopping districts on the Grands Boulevards and the anything-but-classy Pigalle, encompassing the red light district and a sickening amount of shops catering to tourists. A residential neighborhood is just a stone’s throw away, with the St. Georges Metro at its center, as is the beautiful Moreau Museum, housed in the famous painter’s former home. A couple of days in the Opéra will probably leave you thinking that it’s among the most bizarre city neighborhoods in the world. One comes to learn that the comfortable coexistence of opposing worlds is très French.
Canal St-Martin and Surrounds (10ème)
The Canal St-Martin, i.e., the 10th arrondissement, is undeniably one of the sketchier neighborhoods in Paris. During the day as well as at night, you have to constantly watch your back for pickpockets, muggers, and swaying drunks. That being said, the neighborhood boasts some fantastic restaurants around the Canal St.-Martin, and some great hotel deals around Gare du Nord. The Canal is kind of like a mini-Seine; it’s smaller, less touristed, and has just as much trash in it. It becomes a more peaceful area on Sundays, when cars are barred from the streets that run alongside the water.
Bastille (11ème, 12ème)
As its name attests, the Bastille (bah-steel) area is most famous for hosting the Revolution’s kick-off at its prison on July 14, 1789. Hundreds of years later, the French still storm this neighborhood nightly in search of the latest cocktail, culinary innovation, and up-and-coming artist. Five Metro lines converge at République and three at Bastille, making the Bastille district a transport hub and mammoth center of action—the hangout of the young and fun (and frequently drunk). The 1989 opening of the glassy Opéra Bastille on the bicentennial of the Revolution was supposed to breathe new cultural life into the area, but the party atmosphere has yet to give way to galleries and string quartets. Today, with numerous bars along rue de Lappe, manifold dining options on rue de la Roquette and rue JP Timbaud, and young designer boutiques, the Bastille is a great area for unwinding after a day at the museums.
Butte-aux-Cailles and Chinatown (13ème)
The 13ème may have served as the setting of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, but these days you’re more likely to see a postmodern performance of Les Miz than any fashionably starving children. Though Butte-aux-Cailles was once one of Paris’s poorest arron
dissements, the arrival of the high-speed Metro line and the ZAC Paris Rive Gauche redevelopment project have since transformed the neighborhood into a dynamic community and colorful hub of food and culture. Butte-aux-Cailles attracts a young, artsy crowd that lovingly tags the walls with graffiti. Across the way, Chinatown stretches across multiple Metro stops, and is defined by a unique cultural hybridization rarely seen among immigrant enclaves, in both Paris and beyond.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 49