First time in Paris

Paris is not only famous Louvre or Eiffel Tower, whose description is in every guide-book to this fantastic city. However, any trip is not just a romanticism, but and usual banal human needs which have to be satisfied. Of course, if you come to Paris, being included in a governmental delegation, all your problems will be solved by special servicemen. And if you are an ordinary traveler (plus, it's your first visit to Paris), you exactly need information on some city services.

• How to get to Paris from airports
• Transportation in Paris
• Rental cars in Paris
• Food
• Alcohol
• Paris night life (clubs, discotheques)
• Medical assistance
• Stolen & police
• Public WC
• Electricity networks
• English-French phrase-book

Located 23 kilometers from the city. Every 15-20 minutes (working time: 5:40 – 23:00) a special Air France bus leaves the airport and delivers its passengers to Porte Maillot, Etoile/Place Charles de Gaulle or Gare Montparnasse. Also buses of this airline company run to Orly Airport. Besides you can get to Paris center by train running until 23:00. RoissyBus connects Roissy Terminal and Opera station. Bus departure interval is 25 minutes, time on a route: 5:45 – 23:00.

Orly Airport. This airport is 24 kilometers to the south from Paris. Air France bus is available from 5:40 to 23:00 and departures every 15-20 minutes. OrlyBus delivers passengers to Denfert-Rochereau station (Mеtro/RER); interval – 15 minutes. JetBus - to Villejuif Louis Aragon station. OrlyVal – to Antony station (RER).

Beauvais Airport. Scheduled bus to Porte Maillot metro station. It's 1 hour and 20 minutes and you're in Paris.

Paris Visit tickets allow to travel wherever and whenever you like. One-way ticket - 1,7 Euro.

Subway (Métro de Paris). Parisian subway works from 5:30 to 00:30. Fare: price of a single ticket is 1,7 Euro.

Buses. The evident drawback – traffic during the rush hour just drags. The tickets are sold at a driver; one-way ticket is 1,7 Euro. Paris Visit tickets are valid for buses.

Trams. Nowadays there are four lines (T1, T2, T3, T4), this is much less than subway, RER and buses.

Taxi. Taxi ranks in Paris are marked with a blue road sign “TAXIS”. One a taxi company: G7 0147394739.

River bus. It is not just a transportation, this is a pleasant and enthralling tour on Seine when you will discover a history of Paris, because the ticket allows you to leave a ship and come up back unlimitedly during a day.

Bicycles.Everyone may rent a bicycle in every district of Paris.

Electric cars. You can also rent an electric car, there are special parking places in the city.

How to get to Parisian Disneyland. The most easy way to get to the most popular amusement park is to use RER trains and go to station Marne-la-Vallée / Chessy. * There is not a bus connection with Paris.

This will be effective and reasonable if you are going to visit sights outside Paris. In the city it's best for you to use a public transport. Remember to belt up - fines in Europe are rather high. Night underground parking will take about 20-30 Euro. Returning the car to fill a fuel tank up to an initial level.

Paris bakeries. Paris is famous around the world by its croissants and other baked goods and Paris bakeries (boulangerie) can be called the real boutiques in this field. In principle, every district has its own “usual” bakeries, but there are also truly cult places.

Public catering. Cafes and restaurants in Paris are located at any corner, so you will not be hungry in any case.  It's important to remember that a lunch time there  - 12:00-15:00, so if you're late, be ready to know that the kitchen doesn't work and you will have to wait until six of the evening. One more attribute of Paris restaurants – small table, and it's impossible to use them for some dishes. Traditional dishes (in small bistros) could not be called masterpieces of cookery, but food is rather tasty. The average bill per one person without drinks is about 30 Euro, in some quarters (e.g. the 16th district) and chic restaurants prices are more high. As well, consider the fact that the biggest part of Parisians and waiters does not speak English, so some training of a finger language will be useful :-)

Many food shops and supermarkets in Paris offer alcoholic beverages until 10 of the evening. Medium and large stores follow this rule, and small shops (usually shops of Arab owners) on the skirts of the city sell “laughing” drinks throughout the day and night. Though, be attentive – you can buy unlicensed products. Night clubs and discotheques sell alcoholic beverages until 5:30.

The most modern of them are “Club 79”, “Bataclan”, “La Scala”, “Rex Club”, youth discotheque “Locomotive”. There are exclusive ones like “Castel” or “Rits Club”, to get where very difficult if you are not a show-business 'star' or a millionaire - in short, private clubs for the élite. “Le Balajo”, “Folies' Clubbing” and “Elysee Montmartre” are also popular. Remember about famous Paris cabarets “Moulin Rouge”, “Lido”, “Folies Bergères”, “Crazy Horse”, “Paradis Lathen». In Paris there are clubs for gays and lesbians. The biggest one is “Queen”. From time to time gay-parties are organized in the discotheque “Locomotive” and “Elysee Montmartre”, lesbians spend the time at “3W” bar. Usually entrance price for Paris clubs and discotheques is 20-30 Euro.

Everyone can be in a situation when competent medical assistance abroad is needed. First of all follow the instructions of your medical insurance document. And if you need an urgent help in Paris – call the number “15”.

Safe areas – 1-9 and 14 - middle of the 17th Paris districts. Here the most popular tourist sights are situated. Other part of the city is considered more criminogenic and you have to be more attentive and careful. Moreover, wherever you go, don't provoke anyone for aggression by your behavior, don't play street games like thimblerig and others.

Very upset situation, and if you met this – go to the closest police department without delay to make a record of evidence, on which base the police will investigate the crime. The next step – call to the Embassy of your country or to the office of the country representing yours in France.

In this case call to the consulate of your country, and its specialists will be sent to the police department to render legal assistance.

Paris, as other big cities, has a public lavatory network, which located near main tourist sights, at big avenues, close to public buildings, at some metro stations. Before Paris public WCs were paid, but since 2012 all of them became free.

Europlug. Tourists from the USA and some other countries should to remember that Europe has another electricity networks standards. So, to keep your electrical appliances functional, acquire adapters for wall outlets.

Unfortunately, Frenchmen are not connoisseurs of foreign languages, so be ready to meet some complications. To make your communication more easy we offer you a moderate phrasebook, comprising the most common expressions and phrases.