Exploring Paris?

Question

I will be in Strasbourg during July, and I am indubitably going to Paris. However, I'd like to see more of the "real" Paris and avoid overcrowded tourist havens. Any areas worth considering? Also, is it a bad idea to visit during Bastille holiday? Help me out, Rillifane. Lol.

Answer 1

Given the number of tourists who come to Paris every year I'm not so sure that there is a "real" Paris that doesn't include tourists.

People keep asking this question and I'm always a little bit puzzled about how to answer. I'm not a Parisian, I'm a tourist. I may be a tourist who goes there for a month at a time and has done so pretty regularly for more than 30 years but I'm still just a tourist. My real life today is living on my ranch in Texas and years ago it was being the Senior partner in a big city American law firm.

It seems to me that to experience the "real" Paris you have to live there, deal with an obnoxious landlord, slog thru the bureaucracy, hold down a job, carry furniture up to your fifth floor walkup, commute to work at rush hour and otherwise deal with the boring or annoying items of every day real life. I've never done any of that and I can't imagine why you would want to.

But I suppose that what you really mean is "What can i do that isn't something that every tourist does."

So, with that question in mind then try any of these things:

1) Have dinner with an icon of the Hippie era.

Jim Haynes is one of the founders of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and founder of the London Traverse Theatre Company. He started Suck, the sexual freedom newspaper, in Amsterdam in 1969 and taught Media Studies and Sexual Politics at the University of Paris 8.

He throws a dinner party every Sunday night. The crowd will include college professors, artists, the occasional rock star of famous actor. Give him a phone call or send him an email and you'll be invited. Details are on his website at: http://www.jim-haynes.com/index.htm

2) Go Rollerskating

Every Friday night except when there is rain, the City of Paris and the Paris Rollerskating Association organize a skate thru the streets of Paris from about 10 PM till 1 AM. Participants simply gather at the Place D'Italie and then skate a route selected by the orgainizers. it changes every Friday night but they do try to include at least a few well known tourist sights along the way

3) Become a member of the least exclusive club in the world

The Café Metropole Club meets every Thursday after noon. membership is very exclusive...you have to show up. details can be found here: http://www.metropoleparis.com/aclub.html the people who show up are a coolection of expatriates and tourists. A good place to meet some nice people and get some good advice about current events.

Answer 2

Hi, as I'm sure you know, nearly all of Paris will be overcrowded.  I'd reccommend the Latin Quarter and especially Montmartre.  Montmartre's very good if you're interested in music or art ... there's a lot of buskers and street artists and there's a good Dali museum too.  It's a lovely area anyway though even if the bohemian scene isn't your thing.

During Bastille day, Paris is of course very crowded but I like it!  Fighter jets and concorde fly overhead and army tanks and parades go through (Champs-Elysées ... but you can also catch it on other streets leading up to it like Avenue de la Grande Armée).  At night, there is a fireworks display at the Eiffel tower ... you can get a good view from around the Arc de Triomphe.

It depends what you'd prefer but I'd definitely reccommend it!

Have a good time!

Answer 3

This may not be what you want to hear, granted that being in Paris at anytime is better than not being there, but July and August are the two months that Paris is by far less of what the real life in the city is, during the rest of the year.

Less of tourist attraction, more of Parisian life, try:

rue muffdard ( Particularly late at night).

de Marrias ( The Jewish neighborhood, Muse Picasso,..)

Blvd de Italie.

Opera hall (The old one at Metro Opera)

Port Marriot

Tourist Traps, (but if it is your first time, you may still enjoy them a lot, except that they are way too busy in that time of the year):

Chattlet.

Blvd Saint Micheal.

I wish I could be there, even in July.  Hav a lot of fun