Making scans and copying in Paris

Need to make scans in order to upload documents for the application for CAF or Imagine R? Or do you want to copy documents? Office Depot is a copy and print shop for consumers (similar shops in Paris sometimes work only with businesses). Office Depot has 20 stores in Paris, so you're sure to find one close to your house. Making scans is easy. Just bring a USB stick and an employee will make the scans for you. You'll be done before you know it.

If you click here you'll see an overview of all the stores in Paris.

Practical information
Price

Around € 5 for 20 scans.  

Website

http://magasins.officedepot.fr/fr/ile-de-france/paris (overview of the 20 stores in Paris)

Museum ''Guimet'', the biggest collection of Asian art in Europe

 

Musée Guimet has one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia. Besides impressing you with countless Chinese vases and other masterpieces of porcelain, Musée Guimet will introduce you to art from Mongolia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and other lesser-known cultures.  



The art is put together according to its geographic origins, so you can easily find pieces from your favorite country. On the main floor you will find art from India and Southeast Asia, like Cambodia and Vietnam. On the first floor you will find art from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet and Central Asia. The second floor shows art from China, Korea and Japan. The third floor is entirely dedicated to Chinese art. 

A free audio guide is available in the following languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Less than 10% of the objects have a number for the audio guide, but the information given is valuable. 

 

The museum displays 45.000 objects, but because of the earth tones of the walls, the pottery and the decoration ,the museum is never overwhelming.  

 

Practical information
Address

6 Place d'Iéna, 75116 Paris.
Arrondissement
16^th

Time
Three or four hours.
Price

€ 7.50 (regular price for permanent collection)

€ 8 (regular price for temporary expositions)
€ 9.50 (combined ticket, both permanent collection and temporary expositions)
Free entrance for people younger than 18 years old, European citizens who are younger than 26 years old. Reduced tarif for non-European students.
Visiting hours
10.00 - 18.00 (Wednesday till Monday, closed on Tuesday)
Website
http://www.guimet.fr/fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Iéna (red circle below).

Public transportation in Paris

When it comes to public transportation in Paris, you have the following options: metro, RER, bus and tram. Keep reading for the best bus lines for sightseeing!

Metro
The metro is the most popular choice in Paris when it comes to public transportation.

• The metro runs daily between 05:30 and 00:30. On saturday nights the metro runs until 02:00 in the morning.
• Every metro line is named after the number and the terminus and has its own color. Remembering the color and direction will help you not to get lost.
• There are several metro maps in each metro station. To transfer from one line to another, follow the orange and white ''correspondance'' sign. If it's a big metro station it may take a few minutes to walk to the other metro line.  
• One metro ticket will take you anywhere as long as you do not go out of the system. Stay underground! Keep your ticket during your trip. Sometimes ticket inspectors stand at the exit of a metro station. If you can't show a valid pass or ticket, you will get a fine.
• Metro stations often host small shops that sell magazines and tobacco. You may also come across musicians. Some musicians even enter a metro to sing or play an instrument with the hope you will give them some money after finishing the song. Beggers are also present at almost every metro station. Some sit with their child or dog.   

RER
The RER is a rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. Within the city, the RER functions like the metro, but it is faster as it has fewer stops.  

• The RER runs from 05:30 until 00:30.
• It's a rail system with 5 lines and it connects the city centre of Paris with the suburbs.
• The RER uses the same tickets as the metro and the bus.  
• When you transfer from the metro to the RER, remember that you have to put your canceled ticket in the automatic gates.  

Bus
The bus can be a good alternative to the metro.

• 60 bus lines operate from 06:30 until 20:30. There are a few bus lines that have an evening service until 00:30. Make sure you check in advance at what time the last bus leaves! Furthermore there are 42 night buses operate between 00:30 and 05:30.
• Be aware that many buses have a different schedule on sundays and holidays. Some may not ride at all.
• You can use metro tickets for the bus as well. Use one ticket within Paris. If you exit the bus to transfer to another one, you can use the same ticket within one hour. The Imagine R pass (for students) and Navigo pass (a monthly subscription) are also valid.
• The bus doesn't stop at all points. If you want to get out, press the red button or the bus driver may not stop.   

Claire de Circourt has discovered scenic routes by bus that cross Paris’s picturesque neighborhoods. If you have a free afternoon, catch one of the following buses: 

Line 27 Gare St-Lazare / Porte d’Ivry-Claude Regaud
Highlights: Chinatown, Place d’Italie, Jardin du Luxembourg, Saint-Michel.

Line 38 Gare du Nord / Porte d’Orleans
Highlights: Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Pompidou, Gare de l’Est.

Line 63 Porte de la Muette / Gare de Lyon
Highlights: Trocadéro, boulevard St-Germain, Odéon, Gare d’Austerlitz.

Line 68 Place de Clichy / Châtillon-Montrouge
Highlights: Opéra, Musée d’Orsay, Rue de Bac, southern Paris.

Line 95 Porte de Montmartre / Porte de Vanves
Highlights: Montmartre, Louvre, Saint-Germain, Montparnasse.

I have found a few more bus lines that are good choices for sightseeing: 20, 21, 24, 47, 73 and 82. 

Tram
Paris and the inner suburbs are served by four tram lines:

Line T1 connects Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec, parallel to the Paris northern city limit.
Line T2 connects Pont de Bezons with Porte de Versailles via La Défense.
Line T3 is divided into two sections called T3a and T3b.
- T3a connects Boulevard Victor – Pont du Garigliano RER station in the western part of the XV^e arrondissement with Porte de Vincennes metro station in the XII^e arrondissement.
- T3b connects Porte de Vincennes with Porte de la Chapelle in the XVIII^e arrondissement.
Line T4 connects Bondy RER station with Aulnay-sous-Bois station.

With the T+ ticket you can travel by tram.

The best baguette of Paris. A must-eat!

The Prix de la Meilleure Baguette is the dream of every Parisian baker. Who doesn't want to sell the best baguette of Paris? A few years ago, Au 140 in the charming neighborhood Belleville won this prestigious price. Every day, many locals stand line in front of the small bakery to buy a baguette.

I'm also a fan of their pastries.
They sell delicious versions of éclairs for a fair price.  




Practical information
Address
140 Rue de Belleville, 75020 Paris

Arrondissement
20^th   
Price

€ 0.85 for one price-winning baguette. 

Website

http://www.au140.com/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Jourdain (see red circle below).

Finding a (English-speaking) doctor in Paris

Sciences Po requires a medical certificate that proofs you're healthy for students who want to take sports classes. That's why I had to find a doctor in Paris. There are thousands of general practitioners in Paris, but it was extremely difficult to find an affordable doctor that works for an office where they speak English as well.

The system for general practitioners in France is confusing. A GP is either conventionné or not. A médecin généraliste non-conventionné is like a private doctor and he charges you accordingly. He can charge whatever he wants, so don't be surprised if you have to pay € 70 for a short consult. And don't expect your health insurance company to reimburse this money, because these doctors often don't have an agreement with health insurance companies!

You're more likely to get a reimbursement from your health insurance company if you visit a médecin généraliste conventionné. The prices charged by such a GP are fixed. He or she agreed to charge according to a convention (agreement) between the French state and health insurance companies to make sure affordable medical care is available to people. A consult of a GP conventionné should cost € 23. In some cases you may have to pay more, depending on the treatment and the medicines you need. Always make sure you call the office of a GP in advance and ask how much a consult costs! 

To make it even more confusing, some GP's in France are only partly conventionné. I made an appointment with a GP who advertised herself as a conventionné doctor, but she asked € 40 for a consult to give me the medical certificate! A few phone calls later, I found a medical centre with English-speaking staff where I could get the medical certificate for € 23. I saved € 17! For the address of this medical centre, see below.

The last information I would like to give you is that unfortunately most English-speaking doctors in Paris are private. They're special (not many French people speak English well, let alone speak English fluently), so I understand that they want to get paid extra for their language skills. For students or other people with a limited budget, this is a pity. The lists of English-speaking doctors that the American and Canadian embassies provide are therefore not very helpful. Most of them are private doctors. 

Practical information
Address

Centre Médical et Dentaire Opéra

31 Rue de Caumartin, 75009 Paris

Phone number: +33 1 44 51 68 28. When you call the office you can choose between information in French or English and the man who answered the phone was able to speak both languages.

Arrondissement
9^th
Price

€ 23 for a consult. 

Website

http://www.cmopera.fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Havre-Caumartin or Opéra (red circle below).

 

Non-French speakers: getting internet and television in your apartment

UPDATE! It's possible to get a contract with only internet, but in that case the fastest internet you'll have is 8 MB. For most people that's slow. Click here for more information.

Having internet in my Parisian studio was crucial for me, so it was an unhappy surprise when it turned out there was no internet, especially since the landlady had said there was internet. She truly thought there was internet. The previous tenant had never mentioned to her that she couldn't connect.

My next mission was to get an internet connection as fast as possible. I found out that the Orange store at Champs-Elysées has English-speaking employees. Even the technician that was sent to my studio to install internet spoke English. The only thing I didn't like about Orange was that I couldn't get a contract for only internet. I had to get a contract that included internet, television and a fixed phone line. And I don't even have a television in my room, let alone a fixed phone! In the Netherlands you can easily get a contract for only internet. Well, France is not the Netherlands...

Until now I have not found a French telecommunications company where you can get only internet. Because of that, I advice expats and international students to go to Orange. At least you'll be able to explain your problems and wishes in English. Within one or two weeks you'll have the internet connection of your dreams and 200 television channels to choose from. You won't have to miss E!'s Keeping Up With The Kardashians! or National Geographic's The Incredible Dr. Pol (He's Dutch, like me. Did you know?), just because you live in France now. Furthermore you can end the contract whenever you want.

Good luck!  

Practical information
Address

125 Avenue des Champs Élysées, 75008 Paris

Arrondissement
8^th
Price

€ 40 per month for the fastest internet connection that's currently available, 200 television channels and a fixed phone line. There are also cheaper options.

Website

http://lafibre.orange.fr/ 
Metro
The nearest metro station is George V (red circle below).

   

Fun Fact 5

According to French law, no building in Paris can be higher than six floors. The reason for this is that the French believe that everyone has the right to enjoy sunshine.

The most delicious crêpe in Paris

As a native of the Netherlands, the country where you can find the biggest pancakes you will ever see in your life, and as a girl who loves chocolate, I had to try the kind of pancake that the French like to eat the most. A crêpe is thinner than Dutch pancakes and the French like to put Nutella chocolate spread on it. (The Dutch prefer either cheese and ham or traditional syrup or apple, raisins and cinnamon under a cover of white powder sugar.)

I must say I’m a fan of the crêpe! The best crêpe I ate was so hot that the Nutella melted instantly. I had to take small bites in order to avoid burning my tongue. After this amazing first experience, I thought that any small crêperie on the street that sells a crêpe with Nutella for € 3.50 would satisfy my love for thin pancakes with melting hot Nutella. I’m sorry to inform you that this is not the case. You would think that it’s not too hard to put some pancake mix in a pan that is specially designed for making cêpes, to wait until the crêpe is ready and to serve it to the customer. Well, for some street-selling crêperies this was too hard. Twice I got a pancake that was taken out of the pan too early, so the dough was a bit raw.

Therefore I advice you to go the street-selling crêperie that you can find on the right of the Moulin Rouge. If you stand in front of the Moulin Rouge, go to the right and the crêperie in the first street on your left (Rue Lepic, at the corner of the street, close to metro station Blanche) is where you should buy a crêpe.  

Practical information
Address
At the corner of Rue Lepic, on the right of the Moulin Rouge, 75018 Paris

Arrondissement

18th

Price

€3.50 for one pancake with Nutella chocolate spread.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Blanche (red circle below).    

Cheap, but good restaurants in Paris

One of the things I love about living in Paris is the endless choice of good restaurants. Often you can dine out for a reasonable price. It takes time and effort to find an affordable restaurant that serves delicious food, but reading this blog item will save you time, so go and invite your friends for dinner!

If you want to eat traditional French food, take the metro to Saint Michel and walk in less than a minute to Rue de la Harpe. This street is a short walk from the famous Notre Dame and in the middle of the Quartier Latin, known for its student life. Here you will find restaurants that serve authentic French food for a price that at first will make you think that there is a fly in the ointment. Several restaurants offer a three-course meal for only € 10. Drinks are not included in the price. Here are examples of three-course meals that cost € 10:

French grated onion soup, duck with orange sauce and potatoes, chocolate mousse.

Salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, grilled chicken with fresh French fries, apple pie.

French mussels, fish with French butter sauce, vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce.

 

Most restaurants around Rue de la Harpe offer three-course meals for € 12 and € 16 as well. If you pay a little bit more you'll have more choice or you can choose more expensive dishes, like rabbit.

 

If you don’t like traditional French food, try one of the following cuisines that can be found in the same neighborhood: Spanish, Italian, Georgian (read my blog item on this restaurant), Chinese, Thai, Lebanese etc.

 

Bon appétit!  

 

Practical information
Address
Rue de la Harpe, 75005 Paris

Arrondissement

5th

Price

€10 for a three-course meal. Drinks are not included in the price.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Saint Michel (red circle below).

 

Supermarkets in Paris

In France there are two kinds of supermarkets. A supermarché is what comes up in most people's mind when they think of a supermarket. A hypermarché is a gigantic store that combines a supermarket and a department store. Besides food and drinks you can buy e.g. clothes, books, kitchen equipment, suitcases, office supplies and computers at hypermarchés. 

The following supermarché chains can be found at different locations in Paris:

Lidl
Lidl is the cheapest supermarket in Paris. Besides food and drinks, you can buy detergents and toiletries at Lidl. The disadvantage of Lidl is the lack of choice. You can buy three
different kinds of soap. That's it. However, soap costs € 0.80 at Lidl, whereas you would
pay € 1.50 at other stores. Another example is olive oil, which costs € 2.75 at Lidl and
€ 3.85 at some other stores. And a fresh pain au chocolat costs only € 0.35. If you want to
save money, I advice you to try to find what you're looking for at Lidl. If you can't find it there, go somewhere else.

DIA
DIA is a Spanish discount supermarket chain that has 90 stores in Paris. You're more likely to find a DIA in your neighborhood than a Lidl, the other discount supermarket chain. The difference with Lidl is that DIA comes up with great, but temporary (!) discounts, while Lidl has mostly fixed prices. DIA is slightly more expensive than Lidl, but sells a wider range of products. To give you an idea of the prices: 1 kilo of nectarines costs € 1.99, one lemon costs € 0.59 and a bottle of sugar free lemonade costs € 2.09. DIA's cheese is € 0.50 more expensive than Lidl's cheese.  

Carrefour City
Carrefour is a chain with both supermarchés (called ''Carrefour City'') and hypermarchés. Carrefour City can be found everywhere in Paris. In most cases it's a small store with a limited amount of products. Unlike Lidl, this is not reflected in the price. Carrefour City is the most expensive supermarket in Paris. You pay for the convenience of having a quality supermarket nearby, even if you live within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. If you don't want to spend too much money on groceries I advice you to look for another supermarket.

 

 

Monoprix
Monoprix is somewhere in between a supermarché and a hypermarché. It combines food retailing with hardware, clothing, household items and gifts, but the stores are not as massive as the hypermarchés and can therefore be found in every arrondissement. In case you don't want to leave your house you can even buy Monoprix's products online and have it sent to your house. Monoprix is not a discount supermarket. The prices are similar to Carrefour City. People with a limited budget are better off going to Lidl or DIA, unless they need a dish brush or other household products.   

 

Franprix
There are regular sized and small stores of Franprix in Paris. In general, Franprix charges less for products that you could also find at Carrefour City and Monoprix. Lidl and DIA are cheaper though. A white baguette costs € 1.00, 3 big bananas cost € 1.40 and you pay € 2.25 for chorizo (100 gram).   

There are only two hypermarché chains that can be visited by metro. Most hypermarchés  are situated outside Paris, because the hypermarché chains are not allowed to have a store in the city centre due to the size of the store.  

Carrefour
Carrefour is a chain with both supermarchés (called ''Carrefour City'') and hypermarchés (called ''Carrefour Auteuil'', named after the neighborhood). The Carrefour hypermarché that can be visited by metro is situated in the 16th arrondissement. Carrefour is one of the more expensive stores, but the quality of the products is excellent.  

Practical information
Address

3 Avenue du Général Sarrail, 75016 Paris

Arrondissement
16^th

Website

http://www.carrefour.fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Michel-Ange Molitor (red circle below).

 

 

 

Auchan
Auchan is cheaper than Carrefour. The food and drinks are more expensive than at Lidl and DIA, but at Auchan you have an endless choice of products. There is even a salad bar. To be more specific about the price differences between Auchan and Carrefour I'll give you an example. The cheapest plastic bin at Carrefour cost me € 7.50. One day later I found a similar plastic bin at Auchan for € 2.50. I regretted buying the plastic bin at Carrefour! Also, Auchan is a lot bigger than the Carrefour hypermarché. 
 

Practical information
Address

26 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 93170 Bagnolet
Arrondissement
20^th
Website
http://www.auchan.fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Gallieni (red circle below).

 

 

''Poilâne'', the best bakery in Paris

Thanks to the Poilâne family, the traditional French sourdough bread has stood the test of time. After World War II, the white baguette (which was brought to France from Austria in the 19th century) became more and more popular and ousted the French sourdough bread. Lionel Poilâne, son of a baker, resisted the trend of baking baguettes and he kept baking sourdough bread according to old French traditions. Nowadays, the bread is sold under the name Miche Poilâne. The Poilâne empire has three stores in Paris, two stores in London and its bread is sold in 1500 stores and served in 1000 restaurants in e.g. Brussels and Tokyo. American celebrities like Steven Spielberg and Johnny Depp order bread from Poilâne regularly.   

In 2002, Lionel Poilâne and his wife died tragically in a helicopter accident. Their daughter Apollonia, at that time only eighteen years old, took over the business and expanded the Poilâne empire while studying economics at the presitigious Harvard University in Boston, USA. She flew often between Boston and Paris in order to do so.

Besides the Miche Poilâne bread, you can now buy pastries, cookies, marmelade and cutlery at the stores.
If you ask me, going to the Poilâne bakery and eating Miche Poilâne bread is an absolute must if you are in Paris!

Practical information
Address

38 rue Debelleyme, Paris 75003 (3^rd)
8 Rue du Cherche-Midi, Paris 75006 (6^th)
49 Boulevard de Grenelle, Paris 75015 (15^th) 

Arrondissement
3^rd , 6^th and 15^th   
Price

€ 4.45 for half a Miche Poilâne bread (1 kilo), which is enough for two people for two days.  

Website

http://www.poilane.com/index.php
Metro
The nearest metro stations are Filles du Calvaire (3^rd), Saint-Sulpice and Sèvres-Babylone (6^th) or Dupleix  (15^th) .