Racing Around Paris

There are two basic rules to remember about Paris:- 1:- The inhabitants are not French but Parisians. The only people that actually like the Parisians are other Parisians. 2:- When walking anywhere in Paris is not to look up but to look down so as to avoid treading in something a poodle or worse left behind.  

The public transport system in Paris is based on a zone system and consists of 5 main forms of transport and is the easiest and cheapest way to get around with most of the main tourist sites within the central zone 1.

1: The suburban trains run by SNCF. These as implied are mostly for commuters and arrive and depart from the main terminus stations and only of use if going well off the beaten tourist track.

2: The regional RER lines which run through Paris. Each RER line is given a letter as these again originate in the suburbs these again will be off little use unless trying to get from one side of the centre to the other quickly or getting to the centre from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

3: The tram network. There are a growing number of tram lines around Paris but as these are around the outskirts of the city centre they probably would not be used.

4: The bus network. Paris has a very large number of bus routes. Those in the city centre tend to get caught up in the traffic jams that occur just about all day every day. Unless you are not in a hurry it is best to avoid the buses.

5: The Metro system. The Paris Metro consists of over a dozen lines that run throughout the centre. Each line is numbered. To use the Metro you need to know two things, the line number you need and the end station for the direction you want to go in. Following the signs at the departure station will get you on the right platform. The Parisians have not really taken to escalators as most stations are entered and exited by stairs.

As most of the main tourist sites are in zone 1 and only require one ticket per journey a Carnet of 10 tickets is a good purchase if only in Paris for a day or two. If there for longer a Paris Visite ticket is available from the main Metro ticket office at Gare du Nord. Both the Carnet and the Paris Visite ticket are available once security is cleared at St Pancras if Eurostar is being used.

Tourist sites

Arc de Triomphe – The arch built to celebrate the French Revolution and the French Victories in the Napoleonic Wars so don’t expect Trafalgar or Waterloo mentioned. Situated in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle it can be reached by subway under the road. If you want the classic photo the vantage is a pedestrian island in the middle of the Champs Elysees however getting to it is about as easy as trying to cross Silverstone during the Grand Prix. The nearest Metro station is Charles de Gaulle – Etoile (Metro lines 1, 2 and 6)

Sacre Coeur – The white church sat on top of the hill of Montmartre reached by either climbing stairs up the hill or by using the funicular railway (included on the Paris Visite). The nearest Metro station is Anvers on line 2. From here just follow the crowds.

Musee du Louvre – Most tourists visit here just to see the Mona Lisa. The rest of the museum tends to be less crowded. Nearest Metro station Palais Royal – Musee du Louvre (lines 1 and 7)

Notre Dame – The main cathedral for Paris famed for the hunchback and its bells! Situated on the Ile de Cite. Nearest Metro station is Cite on line 4

Hotel des Invalides – A military museum and the site of Napoleon’s tomb. Nearest Metro station Invalides (lines 8 and 13)

Tour Montparnasse – An office block with an observation deck on the top with good views over Paris and an alternative to the Tour Eiffel if you want to avoid the crowds. Nearest Metro station is Montparnasse – Bienvenue (lines 4, 6, 12 and 13)

Tour Eiffel – The Paris version of the Blackpool Tower without the ballroom but with huge crowds. If you want to go up to the tower it is best to start here as the queues here get very long very quickly and don’t move very fast. Nearest Metro station is Bir Hakeim on line 6.

If you need to stop for refreshments in Paris most bars having a pricing policy that is based on the distant the waiter has to walk to serve so that tables on pavement terraces are more expensive than those inside. The cheapest option is to sit at the bar as this means the waiter can get on with serving less knowledgeable customers. On no account should you buy a drink at the bar and take it to a table as the waiter gets really upset.

Getting to the ground

The Yves-du-Manoir stadium is in the Colombes suburb of Paris. On match days there are free shuttle buses from Nanterre Prefecture on RER line A and Porte de Champerret on Metro line 3. Most people however use the SNCF train from Gare St Lazare to Gare La Stade from where it is short walk to the ground. The trains run at 01, 16, 31 and 46 minutes past each hour from St Lazare returning at 07, 22, 37 and 52 minutes past each hour.

Drinking decent beer in Paris

For those who want more than just the usual mass produced lagers there are a number of bars selling more varied selections. There is however a number of Brewpubs and a couple of bars attached to a Microbrewery. For those wishing to try them these are the details including a brief description of each.

The Frog and Rostbif - 22 rue St Denis – Nearest Metro station Etienne Marcel on line 4 - very much a British pub in Paris with the brewery in the basement supplying this pub and the latest 2 pubs in the chain.

The Frog and Princess – 9 rue Princesse – Nearest Metro stations, Mabillon on line 10 or St Germaine-des-Pres on line 4 - More of a trendy bar in a backstreet with the brewery at the front of the bar.

The Frog XVI – 110 bis avenue Kleber – Nearest Metro station Trocadero .- More of a gastro pub with sofas and comfy chairs and the brewery down stairs. Handy for Arc de Triomphe.

The Frog at Bercy Village – 25 cour St Emillion – Nearest Metro station Cours St Emillion on line 14. - A split level pub with a traditional bar on the ground floor with a second more French style bar upstairs. The brewery is in the lower bar.

The Frog and British Library – 114 avenue de France – Nearest Metro station Biblotheque Francois Mitterand (Metro line 14 and RER line C. - Very similar to your average Wetherspoons but with faster service situated close to the French National Library. The brewery is next to the bar.

Frog Revolution – 9 rue de la Bastille – Nearest Metro station Bastille (lines 1, 5 and 8) - The second newest in the chain opening late in 2014. Very much a typical French bar just with better beers. No beers are brewed here with all beers supplied from the Frog and Rostbif.

Frog Hop House – 10 rue des Capucines – Nearest Metro station Opera (lines 3, 8, 7 and RER line 8) - A former Irish pub that reopened in January this year as a Frogpub. Still has the same fixtures and fittings as before. Closest to Gare St Lazare.

Brasserie O’neil – 20 rue des Canettes – Nearest Metro station as for the Frog and Princess. - A bar along the lines of the 3 Brasseur chain but actually in the centre of the city. The brewery is in the front of the bar. The food here is very good and the Flammekeuches (Pizzas from Alsace) are worth a visit on their own.

Bon weekend a tous!