Sunday, November 26, 2017

[Travel/ Food Guide] Itinerary to Paris (巴黎), France (法国) 2017.

Paris, the capital of France needs no further introduction. It is a fashion-leading metropolitan in Europe; it's art and culinary scenes are equally exciting as well. Many couples travel there due to the romantic spots available in the city; the place is also ideal for one to experience the French culture. English is widely spoken at most tourist attractions but it can be a challenge for those running small businesses (ie: cafes). Having Google Translator downloaded in your phone would be handy. The official currency is Euro (). The city has good public transport system with Trains being one of the widely used, followed by buses. During the trip, we used the Paris Metro Tickets heavily in which we bought them in a package of 10 tickets at discounted rate of €14.90; if bought separately, each ticket costs €1.90. The ticket covers metro, trains, trams and buses within Zone 1 and 2; so if your itinerary revolves city center, this ticket will come in handy. More information can be found here



Cafe Le Mistral
Address: 401 Rue Des Pyrenees, 75020, Paris, France.
Business Hours: 6 am to 1 am. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: +33 01 46 36 98 20
Set Dinner is €21
Prices are nett
Station: Metro Line 2 La Chapelle


Charcuterie


Escargot


Steak & Fries


Beef Tartare


Duck Confit


Cheese


Creme Brulee (additional €3)


Sauvignon (€4)

Short walk from Metro La Chapelle (Line 2) is Cafe Le Mistral, a humble French restaurant nestled in a quiet neighborhood. Manned by an old French couple, the place exudes a sense of welcoming. The menu is completely French and the servers could barely speak English but that explains how authentic and non-touristy the place is. We had the 3-course dinner priced at €21, the menu consisted some of the major highlights of French cuisine- Escargot, Charcuterie, Beef Tartare, Duck Confit and Creme Brulee. Most of the dishes did not disappoint, a great opportunity for us to sample some of the famous dishes in French cuisine. 


Arc de Triomphe
Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle, 75008, Paris, France.
Opening Hours: 10 am to 11 pm. Opens Daily.
Website: http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/
Admission: €8 per adult
Station: RER Line A Station Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile/ Metro Lines 1, 2 and 6 Station Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile


Another famous monument in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe was built in the 19th century to honor those who have fought and died during the Napoleon wars. The 50 meter tall monument overlooks the bustling Champs-Elysees; there is a museum but you need to pay for the entrance fee. Most would just take a photo of the facade (which we did). It's also wise to arrange your shopping trip to Champs-Elysees since the monument is just merely 10 minutes walk away from the shopping district. 

Eiffel Tower
Address: Parc du Champ de Mars, 75007, Paris, France.
Opening Hours: 9 am to 12:30 pm from mid June to September/ 9 am to 11:45 pm for the rest of the year
Website: http://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Admission: €17 (elevator)
Station: RER Line C Champs de Mars/ Metro Line 6, 8 and 9- Trocadero, Ecole Militaire or Bir-Hakeim


The iconic symbol of Paris- Eiffel Tower needs no further introduction. The 300 meter tall building sits at one corner of Champs de Mars Paris, it is also the tallest building at Paris. Visitors from all over the world to Paris will never miss the opportunity to take a photo with the iconic tower. 

Musee du Louvre 
Address: 99 Rue de Rivoli, 75001, Paris, France.
Opening Hours: 9 am to 6 pm on every Monday, Thursday and weekends; 9 am to 9:45 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. Closed on Tuesdays.
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/en
Admission: €15 per adult (free if purely taking photos outside)
Station: Metro Line 1 Louvre-Rivoli


The world's largest art museum, Musee du Louvre displays a great amount of the world's famous artworks, notable ones include Mona Lisa Smile, Venus de Milo etc. If you are just have a look at the buildings without entering the museum, the admission is free but the entrance ticket to the museum is subject to a fee. The place is extremely huge and would take some time to explore every corner.

Les Deux Savoies Brasserie
Address: 23 Bis, Bld Diderot, 75012, Paris, France.
Business Hours:
Contact Number: +33 01  43 43 29 59
Set Dinner is €18.80
Prices are nett


Herring with Potatoes


Salad


Steak and Fries (€22.80)


Salmon Fillet with Dijon Mustard and Ratatouille


Pear Pie


Fruits

Eating out at France would require good patience, expect a meal to span over at least 2 hours... from starters to desserts. On our way back from Marche d'Aligre, we stopped by Les Deux Savoies Brasserie for dinner. Like most restaurants in France, set dinner is offered. We had the 3-course dinner for €18.80 and started with Herring. It was nothing close to the one I had in Amsterdam, it was briny but lacked the seafood sweetness. Salmon was alright but my travel partners seemed to enjoy the Ratatouille a lot. The Pear Pie served hot was utter crap, we disliked the mushy texture with an acidic after taste. The Fruits were merely canned fruits, not fresh ones. We regretted for not choosing Creme Brulee. The ala-carte order... Steak & Fries was good on the other hand. It was beautifully cooked and carefully seasoned. 


La Vallee Village- Designer Outlet 
Address: 3 Cours de la Garonne, 77700, Serris, France.
Business Hours: 10 am to 7 pm. Opens Daily.
Website: https://www.lavalleevillage.com/en/home/
Station: RER Line A4 to Marne-la-Vallee-Chessy-Parcs Disney
Free Admission


It's no secret that Paris is a fashion-leading city and the shopping mecca for fashionistas. La Vallee Outlet, the de-facto premium outlet at Paris is definitely one of the must-visit places for the shopaholics. There are many brands housed under La Vallee Village but if you are concerned about breaking the bank, more affordable brands can be found at Val d'Europe, a shopping mall sitting right next to the designer outlet. The usual train tickets are not usable here so you will need to purchase additional train tickets (La Vallee is located in Zone 5) at €7.10 one way (€14.20 return). The journey takes approximately 40 minutes. Please note that there is a minimum purchase for tax refund at France, which is €175 in a single receipt, any purchases less than €175 in a single receipt are not entitled for tax refund. 

Longchamp is probably the busiest outlet of all, the brand is known for its colorful nylon bags and I am sure Malaysians are not new to this name. For your bench marking purposes, a standard Longchamp tote bag (medium + long handle) is approximately €50-60. There are some occasional promotions, I've managed to grab one Beige colored Longchamp Tote (large with long handle) at €55. For leather totes, they are priced at around €290. 

Michael Kors and Coach are decently priced here, though cheaper than Malaysia, they are best to purchase in the US. Handbags can range from €100 to €300, you may get better rates for promotional items though. 


Loius Vuitton (LV) is not here but Gucci is. Handbags are typically €800 and above so they are not really a good bargain and the designs are typically off-season. Burberry has better deals compared to the rest, promotional items go as low as €399. We saw something similar in Bicester Village (London) selling at £399, it makes more sense to buy in La Vallee due to the difference in currency conversions. 

For the gentlemen, Fred Perry is available here. There is no Fred Perry outlet at Bicester Village so if you are keen to buy this brand, please do it here. The standard Polo T-shirt is selling at €50. Same goes for Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste and Paul Smith. Hugo Boss is selling €59 however.

Marche d'Aligre
Address: Place d'Aligre, 75012, Paris, France.
Opening Hours: 9 am to 12:30 pm (both indoor and outdoor), 4 pm to 7:30 pm (indoor). 9 am to 1 pm on Sundays. Closed on Mondays.
Station: Metro Line 8 Ledru-Rollin


The best way to experience the local food culture is to visit the local market. Marche d'Aligre is one of the markets in central Paris that offers such opportunity. There are plenty to see and to try here but pick your timing right. There were delays in our plan and we ended up at the place late in evening (close to 7 pm). Some shops were closed by then. Fruits (both fresh and preserved) and Cheeses are amongst the famous items here. Visit in the mornings for the flea market and if time permits, drop by Boulangerie Bo (a stone's throw distance away) for some delicious French desserts. 

Have Fun Exploring Paris! 

3 comments:

  1. Gay Paree'!!! No macarons? Ladurée? Escargot?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Give me cheese and I'm a happpy aunty :
    Escargot always make me think f garden snail , yucks >_<

    ReplyDelete