I will be arriving in Paris 2 July after a writer%26#39;s conference in Greece (Skiathos). I have read through several posts and have absorbed lots of practical information. Thanks to all who posted their questions and answers.
I will be staying in the 6th at Hotel Aramis St. Germaine on rue Rennes. Has anyone stayed here? I have read mixed reviews in other places.
How convenient is the 6th to the major sites? I%26#39;m also a jazz lover and have copied quite a few locations for this, but am wondering how safe the 6th is for a woman alone at night.
I%26#39;m still confused about the currency situation. How do I get Euros before leaving? I will be using a bank card for most transactions, is this practical in Paris? (I do have a 4-digit code).
Thanks for your help.
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Nearly forgot to ask about the poetry scene in Paris. I know there is a conference going on during the time I will be there. Are open mics popular in Paris. If so, where will I find them?
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How convenient is the 6th to the major sites? I%26#39;m also a jazz lover and have copied quite a few locations for this, but am wondering how safe the 6th is for a woman alone at night.
While Paris isn%26#39;t a dangerous city and if the weather is nice you%26#39;ll see that even at middnight there will be loads of people aroud the 6th. Some people go to the cinema at 10pm and go for food afterwards !
The 6th is as safe as they come.
I%26#39;m still confused about the currency situation. How do I get Euros before leaving?
In Greece? Just get them from any ATM.
%26gt; I will be using a bank card for most transactions, is this practical in Paris? (I do have a 4-digit code).
Believe it or not but in a lot of the wtores I shop in for computer parts, some of the counters don%26#39;t take cash, only card. It%26#39;s the best and easiest way to pay for goods in Paris.
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The 6th district is as safe as can be for a woman, also it is good you picked it up if you love jazz, as it was here that it appeared during the WWII in Paris, in many of the gothic caves underground. The 6th district is quite central, there is also Montaparnasse not very far, which is also very lively. If your card is a visa/Mastercard, then you will have no problem paying basically everywhere and getting euros from ATM%26#39;s.
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As far as poetry goes, there are some readings and open mics around, but they are not projected into July yet. One source is Heather Stimmler-Hall%26#39;s site and calendar:
www.secretsofparis.com/calendar.htm
Heather often has poetry readings and open mic nights noted.
Also, the Centre Culturel Irlandais, near the Pantheon in the 5th, often has writers and poets in for discusson and readings:
www.centreculturelirlandais.com
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To be read with a broad Irish accent: Sure and why wouldn%26#39;t the Centre Culturel Irlandais have visiting writers and poets and such? Isn%26#39;t it ourselves are the most cultured people on the face of the planet and didn%26#39;t we save civilization for the rest of you?
And isn%26#39;t the greatest living poet in the English language an Irishman? And wasn%26#39;t the greatest French writer of the 20th century stage an Irishman too? And wasn%26#39;t the greatest novelist ever to live in France Irish too?
:%26gt;)
rmward1-
If you are thinking of buying a ton of Euros before you go to Greece, don%26#39;t. Just use your ATM card to withdraw cash from your checking account as you would at home. You will be charged a small but invisible commission, and your bank will probably impose a small fee for each withdrawal, so you may want to withdraw more than you normally would in a single transaction if you have a secure place (e.g. a hotel room safe) to store the surplus above your minimum daily %26quot;walking about%26quot; money.
And use credit cards for most of your purchases as the rates on them are slightly better.
But BOTH will be better than buying Euros ahead of time or using Traveler%26#39;s Cheques or anything else.
Do not forget to let your bank and CC issuers know that you will be travelling, or they may block your cards because of the unusual activity. And ask your bank to increase your daily withdrawal limit temporarily.
If you want to have a hundred or two Euros for peace of mind to have when you arrive so you don%26#39;t have to immediately find an ATM your bank should be able to help. You%26#39;ll probably pay a lousy rate, but for a small amount it doesn%26#39;t matter much...
Your hotel location is perfect for you. All of central Paris is really very safe at night. Just use ordinary common sense and you won%26#39;t have any problems. The 6th is both lively and safe, and a great place from which to visit jazz clubs in the evening. Most of them will be within a quite short walk...
Where can we find some of your poetry?
Have a GREAT trip!
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Nearly forgot to ask about the poetry scene in Paris. I know there is a conference going on during the time I will be there. Are open mics popular in Paris. If so, where will I find them?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
I%26#39;m not sure about how much poetry is read there but since you%26#39;re staying in the 6eme, one place you might want to drop by is the CAFE Les EDITEURS-- http://www.lesediteurs.fr/ --located near the ODEON Metro station. There%26#39;s usually always some sort of reading going on at the SHAKESPEARE %26amp; COMPANY book shop-- 37 rue de la Bucherie, 75005 (just in from the quai de Montabello)-- http://shakespeareco.org/ Even if there%26#39;s nothing going on at either, there will certainly be notices and bulletins of reading elsewhere.
As for strolling/walking around the 6eme, for a woman alone at night , you shouldn%26#39;t have any concerns at most hours of the night or day--providing of course that you exercise some basic ommon-sense.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;To be read with a broad Irish accent: Sure and why wouldn%26#39;t the Centre Culturel Irlandais have visiting writers and poets and such? Isn%26#39;t it ourselves are the most cultured people on the face of the planet and didn%26#39;t we save civilization for the rest of you?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
Oy, %26#39;tis true, %26#39;tis true...but%26#39;wasn%26#39;t it the blessed Lord himself who created the drink...to keep the Irish from rulin%26#39; the world?
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Thanks everyone for your information and suggestions, they will surely go a long way in ensuring a nicer vacation. I was really feeling lost about exchanging currency before I leave the states. Thanks a lot for those suggestions.
This is a wonderful site. Kudos to all of you who help so many with your expertise.
IrishRovr, you can read some of my poems here:
http://burningword.com/node/view/607
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