21

Quick FactsLANGUAGEFrench

TIME3 ½ hours behind IST

CURRENCYEuro (€)

MOBILE PHONESThe cheapest option is to get a SIM card in India from Matrix (www.matrix.in) or Clay Telecom (www.clay.co.in). You can buy a SIM card sans engagement (without contract) from Orange/SFR/Bouygues telecom stores for €5. A call costs 55 cents a minute.

INTERNET ACCESSMost towns have at least one internet cafe. It’s €2–6 per hour. Wi-fi is free in many hotels, train stations and airports.

TOURIST INFORMATIONInformation on sights, activities, transport and special interest holidays in all of France’s regions can be found at the French Government Tourist Office (www.franceguide.com).

Need to Know

When to Go• July & August (high season): Be prepared for queues at big sights and on the road, especially in August. Christmas, New Year and Easter are equally busy.

• Late-December – March: It’s high season in the ski resorts in the French Alps.

• April–June & September (mid-season): Accommodation rates drop in southern France and other traveller hot spots. Spring is best, with its warm temperatures, flowers and abundance of local produce. Visit in autumn to watch the vendange (grape harvest).

• October–March (low season): Lowest prices – up to 50% less than high season. Sights, attractions and restaurants open for fewer days and shorter hours.

First Time in France• Passport: Your passport should be valid for at least six months after your date of entry.

• Visa: You can apply for a visa up to three months before your travel date. The visa fee is €60. Check the embassy (www.ambafrance-in.org) and VFS (www.vfs-france.co.in) websites for up-to-date information on how to go about it and the documents needed, which include proof of accommodation during your stay in France. There is usually a rush for visas in May, June and September.

HEALTH & SAFETY• You can expect high standards of hygiene in most places. Visitors to France can get excellent health care from hospitals/emergency rooms/casualty wards and at a doctor’s office.

• France is generally a safe place to live and travel. Pickpocketing and bag snatching in dense crowds and public places are prevalent in big cities, particularly Paris, Marseille and Nice. Be careful with your belongings.

ADVANCE PLANNING

Three months before • Apply for a visa.

• Book flights and accommodation.

• Book tickets for popular festivals and sporting events.

One month before • Book train tickets via the SNCF website (www.voyages-sncf.com) to get the cheapest fares.

• Arrange car hire: French firms such as ADA (www.ada.fr) or discount brokers such as Auto Europe (www.autoeurope.com) often offer good deals.

Two weeks before• Choose which guided walks and tours you want to do and book if necessary.

• Order euros.

WHAT TO PACK• Plug adaptors, since France uses two-pin European plugs.

For detailed information, see Travellers' Helpdesk on p286

Arc de Triomphe, one of Paris's iconic attractions

Dos and Don’tsGreet everyone. Try to

say bonjour/bonsoir (good morning/evening) when meeting or entering stores, merci for thank you and au revoir when leaving.

Begin by asking parlez-vous anglais? (Do you speak English?) instead of speaking in English directly as the French truly appreciate it when you speak their language.

Take a little something for the host or hostess if you are invited over by a French family.

Keep an eye open for transport strikes when you have to travel from place to place.

Don’t talk or laugh loudly in museums and public places; also explain to your children about being quiet in such places.

Don’t complain about slow service in restaurant. In France, a waiter might take longer purposely since food and drink are believed to be an excuse over which people make conversation.

Don’t be surprised if a French person greets you with a kiss on either cheek. The famous bisous have thrown off many a foreigner.

FOR THE INDIAN TRAVELLER

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p62

p250

p174

p144

p122

p204

LOIRE VALLEY & BURGUNDY Withchâteaux and royal homes, this is another famous wine region.

LYON & THE FRENCH ALPS Mont Blanc beckons with superb vistas,

best of French food.

PROVENCE & THE FRENCH RIVIERA From lavender country, to van Gogh landscapes, and the buzz of Nice.

BORDEAUX & FRENCH BASQUE COUNTRY Heart of France's wine region, giving way to Basque culture in the south.

NORMANDY & BRITTANY The magical Mont St-Michel, historic Bayeux Tapestry and the D-Day beaches.

you to explore.

France at a Glance

PARIS Be seduced by fashion, food, art, culture and the French zest for life.

Marseille

Rouen

Annecy

Tours

Reims

Bordeaux

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Built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower is Paris's most-visited monument

Why Go?Paris has iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Cathédrale de Notre Dame and the beautiful Seine, but you can experience the true magic of the city by strolling down its broad boulevards, past grand buildings, through its many gardens and esplanades, and exploring its backstreets and their bistros.

Getting There & AwayAir: For information on flying to/from Paris, see p289. Paris has two main airports Aéroport Roissy Charles de Gaulle (www.aeroportsdeparis.fr) and Aéroport d’Orly (www.aeroportsdeparis.fr).

Train: High-speed trains to UK, Belgium and north Germany, including the Eurostar to London, leave from the Gare du Nord.

Bus: Eurolines (www.eurolines.fr) runs buses to London and European cities.

Paris

Top 5 Highlights• Eiffel Tower (p68) The iconic landmark that is more Parisian than Paris.

• Champs-Élysées (p69) Paris's most famous boulevard.

• Cathédrale de Notre Dame (p95) Amazing architecture and ambience.

• Musée du Louvre (p71) One of the world’s most famous art museums.

• Montmartre (p74) Relive ooh-la-la Paris in this lively former village.

5 6FOR THE INDIAN TRAVELLER

87

Paris North 1 Day

Highlights1 Day1 Eiffel Tower 2 Arc de Triomphe

& Champs-Élysées

3 Place de la Concorde

4 Place Vendôme5 Jardin des

Tuileries 6 Musée du Louvre7 Galeries

Lafayette

Begin your day with a picnic breakfast on the lawns of Champ de Mars, in the shadow of the iconic Eiffel Tower. A closer look and a ride up the tower is a must. Then head to place Charles de Gaulle, the world's largest roundabout, at the centre of which stands the Arc de Triomphe (p69). A dozen roads radiate out, including the Champs-Élysées (p69) which you can follow to the place de la Concorde with its landmark obelisk. Check out the colonnaded buildings around place Vendôme, before making your way through the Jardin des Tuileries, one of Paris's many beautiful gardens, to the Musée du Louvre where you can smile at Mona Lisa. Take a metro from the museum to catch a bit of shopping and maybe a fashion show at the megastore Galeries Lafayette (p73).

This modernistic Pyramid du Louvre, built in 1989 is the main entrance to the Musée du Louvre

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9 10

Le Boudoir Modern French €€€%01 43 59 25 29; www.brasserieleboudoir.com; 25 rue du Colisée, 8e; lunch/dinner menu €19/50; lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Tue–Sat; mSt-Philippe du Roule or Franklin D Roosevelt Spread across two floors, the quirky salons here – Marie Antoinette, Palme d’Or and the Red Room – are individual works of art. The menu runs from upscale bistro to more adventurous creations such as grilled tandoori scallops and saffron rice with mango.

Le Hide French, Bistro €€%01 45 74 15 81; www.lehide.fr; 10 rue du Général Lanrezac, 17e; menus €22 & €29; lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat; mCharles de Gaulle–Étoile A tiny neighbourhood bistro (seating 33 people) serving scrumptious traditional French fare: snails, baked shoulder of lamb, monkfish in lemon butter. Reserve well in advance.

Café Marly Cafe €€€%01 46 26 06 60; cour Napoléon du Louvre, 93 rue de Rivoli, 1er; mains €20–30; 8am–2am; mPalais Royal–Musée du Louvre This classic venue facing the Louvre’s inner courtyard serves contemporary French fare throughout the day under the palace colonnades. Views of the glass pyramid are priceless.

Le Petit Mâchon Lyonnais €€%01 42 60 08 06; 158 rue St-Honoré, 1er; starters €7–12.50,

5 EatingThe big-name chefs and trendy bistros and cafes popular with tourists are all here, along with small restaurants scattered in the back streets where locals dine.

Bistrot du French, Sommelier Bistro €€€%01 42 65 24 85; www.bistrotdusommelier.com; 97 bd Haussmann, 8e; lunch menu €33, incl wine €43, dinner menus €65–110; Mon–Fri; mSt-Augustin If you’re as serious about wine as you are about food, dine here. Indeed the whole point of this attractive eatery is to match wine with food, aided by one of the world’s leading sommeliers, Philippe Faure-Brac.

INDRA €€%33 01 42 25 00 32; www.restaurant-indra.com; 10 rue du Commandant Rivière, 8e; menu €40; noon–2.30 pm and 7.30pm–11.15pm, Mon–Sat; closed Sun and lunch Sat Regarded as Paris’s best Indian restaurant, Indra has been consistently listed in the Michelin Guide. Visit for a taste of Indian gastronomy à la France.

SANTOOR €€%33 01 42 56 32 65; www.restaurant-indien-santoor.fr; 30 rue Marbeuf, 8e; price: 50€ and above; noon–2.30 pm and 7.30pm–11.30pm Mon–Sun; closed Sun lunch Located just off Champs-Élysées, Santoor has been serving tourists and locals delicious Indian fare for over 20 years. Tandoori dishes are the restaurant’s speciality.

GANDHI €€%33 01 42 60 59 60; www.gandhi.fr/gandhi.htm; 66, rue Ste Anne, 2e; Price: 60€ and above; 11pm–3pm and 6.30pm–11pm Mon–Sun Rediscover the tastes of north India in famous Mumbai chef Kuldeep Singh’s kitchen. Sit back in the elegant dining room adorned with Indian paintings while feasting on sublimely spiced Indian food.

LE DISHNY %01 40 05 18 36 ; http://dishny.fr; 212, rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 10e; mains €6–13, menus €7 (lunch only), €9 & €16; 12pm–2.30 pm and 7.30pm–11.30pm Mon–Sun Popular with the French Indophiles who dine out at Indian restaurants occasionally Dishny is among the best. It is located in the Indian quarter opposite Gare du Nord. Try south Indian dishes like dosas and you won’t be disappointed.

SARAVANA BHAVAN %01 40 05 01 01; www.saravanabhavan.com; 170 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 10e; Price: 15€ and above; 12pm–2.30 pm and 7.30pm–11.30pm Mon–Sun For a true taste of home, head to all-vegetarian south Indian Saravana Bhavan. A part of the Indian chain, you will feel quite nostalgic here. The reasonably priced menu is the same as that served in India and also tastes almost as authentic.

KRISHNA BHAVAN %01 42 05 78 43; 24 rue Cail, 10e; Price: 15€ and above; 12pm–2.30 pm and 7.30pm–11.30pm Mon–Sun Copious quantities, rapid service and delicious cuisine are the reasons why this is one of the busiest restaurants in the La Chapelle neighbourhood.

Many informal restaurants such as this operate in the back lanes of Paris

Indian Restaurants

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