39Vaugirard

So many friends and others interested in traveling to Paris have been calling us to rent our place or to find other rentals and hotels for their summer holiday. Even though the economy is still in the doldrum and they say travel is definitely down, there are still many who are taking advantage of the recession and finding great values in Paris and beyond.

Here are my favorite hotels in the neighborhood in order of preference:

Le Placide

This is probably my favorite. Three blocks away from our apartment. Contemporary Classic. The ultimate boutique hotel on the Left Bank. A former 19th Century private home with just 11 rooms, Hotel Le Placide has the feel of an exclusive private club. In a superb location in the 6th arrondisement just steps from the chic Bon Marche Department Store. Completely recreated and redesigned by Bruno Borrione, of the Philippe Starck design firm, the hotel offers 21st Century style, comfort and luxury. 6 rue Saint Placide, 75006

Hotel Senat This is also lovely, a block away from NE gate of Jardin du Luxumberg. I’ve walked by many times, never stayed there but looks lovely. Contemporary Classic. 10 rue de Vaugirard, 75006.

Hotel Verneuil Near the Quartier Antiquaire. Superb. Traditional elegance. Many interior designers stay here. The search stops here if you want a hotel that’s blushingly romantic, bathed in history, and stylish in a way that weds the past (miles of printed fabrics from France’s old-guard textile houses) to the present (iron cube tables with a deliberately rusted finish). Some of the 26 guest rooms are a bit tight, but with a heart-of-Rive-Gauche location—the Flore and Deux Magots are your local cafés— complaining seems like bad manners. Discreetly housed in a handsome 17th-century building with hand-hewn beams…” noted Travel & Leisure 8, rue de Verneuil, Paris, 75007

Hotel Le St. Gregoire We have stayed here. Charming, so so food, but absolutely quiet, as it used to be a mansion adjacent to the Abbe St. Gregoire. 43 Rue de l’Abbé-Grégoire, 76006.

Hotel Le Sainte Veuve. A little bit off the center of St. Germain in a quiet residential street, but walking distance to everything. French English in feel. 9 rue Sainte-Beuve, 75006

Hotel Le Relais Saint Germain. More traditional French, recently renovated, with one of the best restaurants for breakfast and lunch and dinner. On the border of 6th and 5th arrondisement. Provincial charm. 9, carrefour de l’Odéon 75006

Hotel Des Academies. Another great find. Chez Charlotte housed in the hotel is the newest tea room with the local buzz. More in the university area but wonderful as well. 15, rue de la Grand Chaumiére, 75006

Hotel Montalembert. We’ve stayed here as have many friends. Definitely a name brand, but lives up to the promise. Grand, upscale, and you can’t beat the location and the restaurants within a stone throw of the hotel. Contemporary Classic. 3 rue de Montalembert, 75007

And picking models that reinforce the identity of the hotel.

Le Meurice, the renowned hotel that occupies an 1835 palace across from the Tuileries, unveiled five retro-style bikes in the blue-green shade of the oxidized copper rooftops of the city, with matching helmets and front baskets emblazoned with the hotel’s gold logo. American and British guests in their 30s tend to be the most enthusiastic customers, according to the hotel; Le Meurice’s sister hotel, the Plaza Athénée, opted for zippy red bikes with panniers.

Paris Greeter was set up just so locals can share the Parisian experience. Local guides take you on tours of 2-3 hours and welcome children.

You are coming to Paris and want to live an unusual and exciting experience?
A Paris Greeter will make sure you discover the true Paris, the way Parisians live it and love it!
Paris Greeters are volunteers willing to share their knowledge of Paris in general and a specific neighbourhood in particular. They will take you to unusual and often hidden places, will tell you their history (and story!) and will give you tips on good places to go.

All our volunteers are Paris lovers who like to share the art, tradition and culture of this fascinating city. At the end of the walk, we really want you to have the feeling that you have not only discovered the city but also had an insight into what we call the “Parisian way of life.”

[From ParisianGreeter.org]

This sounds like a wonderful idea since who knows a neighborhood better than someone who lives there. We’ll definitely try it out on our next trip to Paris.

Here I’m sitting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, leafing through a local magazine and I see a dispatch from Paris. What do you know. People barely make US$600 on average here but they aspire to visit Paris.

Don’t we all.

Their recommendations are terrific, and I agree with most of them. And think, I had to go all the way to Cambodia to discover a few things in my own neighborhood. Such is the life of a global nomad.

Deyrolle, the 170 year old establishment on rue du Bac (near Blvd. St. Germain) that is the most extraordinary taxidermy shop, a realm of French institution. Deyrolle.com,

Sennelier, debuted in 1887, by a passionate chemist Guastave Sennelier, is located across from the Louvre and nearby l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts. It is an atelier of all things colors, pigments, and creations, for any palette created by an artist. 3, Quai Voltaire.

Galerie Martine Gossieaux, opened in 1992, has regular exhibitions of graphic artists of international fame: Savignac “affichiste”, Sempé, Steig, Chaval, André François, Ronald Searle, Benoît and Pierre Le Tan.They are all regular collaborators for different and important magazines around the world, such as “New Yorker”. 56, rue de l’Université.

Hotel Verneuil, has almost the perfect location, in the quartier antiquaire, right on the boundaries of sixiéme and septiéme arrondisements. The hotel is blushingly romantic, bathed in history and discreetly housed in a handsome 17th century building, and stylish in a way that weds the past (miles of printed fabrics from France’s old-guard textile houses) to the present (iron cube tables with a deliberately rusted finish). Some of the 26 guest rooms are a bit tight, but Flore and Deux Magots are your local cafés— complaining seems like bad manners. 8, rue de Verneuil.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, is a must on a gourmet’s list. With a restaurant empire all over the world (Las Vegas, Macao, London, Tokyo, New York, and Monaco), Joel Robuchon this is chef and his Atelier is no ordinary dining experience. It’s a Michelin-star restaurant, in the Hotel du Port Royal, on rue Montalembert, in the tony septiéme. It’s a open kitchen concept, with only 36 seats, with tapa size beautiful food. No reservations are taken, so be strategic and get there early for a seat at the counter. It’s a favorite sport of chic Parisians to time a table just right. 5, rue de Montalembert, corner of rue de Bac.

La Hune, is an artist’s art bookstore. This place is part of the history of St. Germain des Prés with the likes of Max Ernst, André Breton and many other artists through the decades who have come to hang out here as well as Café de Flore which is next door. 170, Boulevard St Germain.

Astier et Villate, is the haute emporium of all that is beautiful about maison et objets of French china and things for the house. 173, rue St. Honoré.

Coton Doux, is a must if you’re stocking up on the most beautifully made, fantastic colors and design, in men’s shirts and pajamas. Boutiques throughout Paris. 68, rue Mazarine is in the neighborhood.

Leave it to the Cambodians in the know to reveal Paris to me.

And, in counterpoint to the previous post on top 5 things to do is this short list of under-rated or under-visited Paris attractiions. I can vouch for the Musée Carnavalet and the Palais Tokyo. I’d add the Arènes de Lutece Roman ampitheatre in the Fifth. Paris is definitely more than just the Louvre, Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

Des Photographies – Collection of Vintage Photographs
Musee Carnavalet – Paris art, architecture, and history displays.
Palais de Tokyo – Avant garde art museum.
Ancien Cloitre Quater – Unique neighborhood.
Pointe Éphémère – Hip hang out.
www.GoGoParis.com – Paris happenings.

[From Off The Beaten Path in Paris France | Murray On Travel]

As Murray on travel says, take your time. Don’t rush. It’s a shame to go to Paris and not slow down enough to get a feel of the rhythm of Parisian life.

Yes, I still get this question, and it is sometimes from people who have always avoided Paris, preferring the comforts (uh-hmmm) of Germany and London. Now they have an afternoon “stuck” in the capitol, or maybe 24 hours. What should they do? I’d love to hear your list.

Tops on my list used to be a climb to the top of La Samaritaine (sadly, no more) to the free observation deck where you could see all of Paris (like in that famous Willy Ronis photo), guided by a painted tile chart of the names of all the distinctive landmarks on view below.

Now, I’d have to replace that with a climb to either the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame (almost always long lines), or the Eiffel Tower (also long lines).

As for my top five, here’s what I would do:

1. Visit Notre Dame and climb to the top if there are no lines. Spend a good amount of time looking at the doors to the church and the depiction of judgment day. This may be enough inducement to buy a candle on the inside.

2. Walk from there to the Louvre, at least walking through the courtyard and seeing the I.M. Pei pyramid. If you have time, pop in and see three things: the signature Winged Victory of Samothrace sculpture, the Venus de Milo, and the Mona Lisa. At least, you can say you saw them, though you’ll spend more time jockeying for position among the tourists than in getting a good view (time that could have been spent seeing the other thousands of pieces that any other museum would build their entire collection around)

3. Take a subway from la Place de la Concorde to the George V metro stop, and walk the three or four blocks up to the Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe. This should give you a little taste of the Champs-Elysees. Have coffee or hot chocolate at La Duree (#75) , or lunch at Fouquet’s (#99)

4. From the Etoile, take the subway to the metro Passy, and walk down through the enormous stairway of the Palais de Trocadero until you cross the bridge over the Seine to get to the Eiffel Tower. Stand around here a few minutes deciding whether to brave the crowds and go up, which is well worth the wait.

3. Finally, end the day with a subway ride up to Montmartre and see the city by night, taking in a walk around the Sacre Coeur and the view of Paris laid out below you. Sigh, and try to imagine how could have skipped visiting this greatest of all cities for so long.

What are your “five tops.” A simple list is fine…

If only the US were advanced as Europe: great subway systems, Velib bikes, the latest mobile phones, universal healthcare, satellite TV that is truly global, and surprisingly more and more free flowing WIFI (or “wee-fee” as it’s pronounced in France). While in the US, Starbucks is just announcing a few hours of WIFI with purchase after years of that T-Mobile racket, and hotels are still gouging us for $10 plus for a few radio waves, many cafes and hotels in Paris let the WIFI run wild, run free. And that’s as it should be. Increasingly, the world depends on interconnectivity. Who can afford to be away from work, family or personal obligations for even a few days without knowing of when and where to find a connection. Here are a few tips to make sure you are internet-satisfied when traveling.

1. Many many cafes have free wifi allowing you to indulge in an afternoon coffee along with your internet. Try the cafe at the intersection of the rue de Buci and the rue Mazarine, which has outdoor tables. Watch for “Free Internet” or “internet gratuit” signs to guide your cafe choices, especially if you want a quick connection with a Treo, Blackberry or iPhone. Kids feel like an ice cream? All Haagen-Dazs Paris locations are WIFI enabled.

2. Be careful with hotel and apartment rental listings. Many still say, “internet connection,” when what they really mean is that the telephone has an input jack for a dial-up connection. In this case, you’ll need a modem and a local dial-up number (does AOL still have these?) This solution is almost completely useless for most Americans.

3. Look for hotels with free internet, like the Hotel Villa d’Estrees, which has free wifi, using a card system. They hand out the cards for free. Given the state of American tourism, don’t be afraid to ask for free internet when you’re booking, if there is a charge at your chosen hotel.

4. Look for apartment rentals with free internet or wifi. Many private rental apartments, including ours, come with unlimited wifi access. Additionally, many of these data plans come with free telephone service to the United States, which can be a real money-saver. Note, if you don’t have free telephone, apply for a Skype account before you go. You can use Skype for literally pennies a minute, and for free to another Skype user. It’s very simple to use.

5. Be very careful using your mobile phone’s data roaming plan while overseas. The iPhone, especially, uses up enormous amounts of data as it provides up to the minute weather, pedestrian google maps, or web searches while you stand waiting for your spouse at another shoe store. While the phone companies are amazingly understanding about reducing some of these shocking charges (way over a few thousand dollars in many cases), it’s better to be forewarned. Turn off the automatic email downloading and don’t use the other web services unless you are in a free WIFI zone.

If you happen to be in France this year for the 14th, or just have an interest in revolutions, here’s a good “revolutionary” walking tour that starts in our favorite neighborhood and ends at the Madeleine. That makes it a “bonne trotte” as the French would say, but doable in good shoes and with a good walking partner.

I’d also recommend
Seven Ages of Paris, my favorite history book on Paris.

To understand France and the French, you need to get to grips with the Revolution. As July 14 approaches, Anthony Peregrine transports us to a Paris where the tumbrils still roll.

Start your tour in Rue St André-des-Arts, which remains as narrow and dense as it was at the time of the Revolution
This year, as you will have noticed, is the 40th anniversary of 1968. You will have noticed particularly if you have been in France recently. There they have treated the riotous events of May 1968 as if they were of Earth-shattering import. Oh dear. As revolutions go, May 1968 was playtime – and so inflated with self-importance that you feel like slapping it.

So let us ignore 1968 and turn instead to the real French Revolution, the one of 1789: the one that overthrew an absolute monarchy, turned France upside down and set the template for revolutions (and totalitarianism) to come. In consuming most of its leading perpetrators, and thousands of others, the 1789 revolution was also an early indication of the disparity between abstract theory and human reality – and of the blood that most often fills the gap.

[From Paris: Back to the Bastille - Telegraph]