Frommers ShortCuts - Paris Shopping

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About the Authors

Joseph Alexiou works as a freelance journalist, and he is the author of Paris For Dummies. His work has appeared in the New York Press, the New York Observer, and Paper magazine. He holds an MS from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and he lives in Brooklyn.

Lily Heise has been living in Paris for more than 10 years, having studied art in both Italy and France. She has extensive experience in the travel and culture sectors, from trip planning to leading tours and from exhibit curatorship to teaching film studies. She regularly reports on Paris culture news and events for local and international online and print publications. She lives in Montmartre and spends her free time exploring offbeat Paris and visiting the latest art exhibits.

Sophie Nellis came to Paris for a summer adventure in 2007. Four years later, she is still here. After completing an undergraduate degree in English Literature and History at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, her love affair with Paris led her to a Masters in Paris Studies at the University of Paris in London (ULIP). Here she specialized in 19th- and 20th-century Paris and wrote a dissertation on the history of Algerian immigration in Paris. She currently lives in Belleville and divides her time among writing, teaching, translating, and leading walking tours of Paris.

Kate van den Boogert is founding editor of the popular Paris blog gogoparis.com, an insiders guide to fashion, food, arts, gigs, and gossip in the French capital. Kate moved to Paris from Melbourne in 2000.

Meg Zimbeck is a food and travel writer and the Founding Editor of Paris by Mouth (www.parisbymouth.com), an online resource about eating and drinking in Paris with contributions from some of the most respected food and wine writers living in Paris. Originally from Kansas City (followed by Chicago and Boston), Meg has been based in Paris for years and has contributed to Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, Budget Travel, BlackBook, and Hemispheres.

Barbra Austin is a food writer, a pastry chef, and the Assistant Editor of Paris by Mouth. She conducted extensive research and wrote a dozen listings for the dining chapter.

Frommers Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system . In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).

In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:

special finds those places only insiders know about

fun facts details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun

kids best bets for kids and advice for the whole family

special moments those experiences that memories are made of

overrated places or experiences not worth your time or money

insider tips great ways to save time and money

great values where to get the best deals

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:

AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa

DC Diners Club MC MasterCard

Travel Resources at Frommers.com

Frommers travel resources dont end with this guide. Frommers website, www.frommers.com, has travel information on more than 4,000 destinations. We update features regularly, giving you access to the most current trip-planning information and the best airfare, lodging, and car-rental bargains. You can also listen to podcasts, connect with other Frommers.com members through our active-reader forums, share your travel photos, read blogs from guidebook editors and fellow travelers, and much more.

The Best of Paris

By Kate van den Boogert & Meg Zimbeck

Paris is unique in that it is a major global cityhome to more than 10 million people in the greater regionyet it manages to synthesize the rhythms of village life with those of a cosmopolitan world capital. Although the city is a center of European commerce, many shops are closed on Sundays, leaving time for lazy brunches or shopping excursions at a local market. Paris is the capital of fashion, art, and people-watching; a city where Chanel-clad ladies walk poodles along grand boulevards; a place where the waiters might be rude but the food is dlicieux . Paris is all of that and more. Your love affair begins once you look beyond the Eiffel Tower, explore the back streets, and make Paris your own.

Things to Do Comfy shoes are essential for this city of a thousand walks, landscaped gardens, and cavernous galleries. Reserve your ticket for speedy access to the Louvre, which sidles up to the sculpture-dotted Jardin des Tuileries. Across the Seine on the Left Bank, take your pick from Impressionist hangout Muse dOrsay, Notre-Dames Gothic grandeur and Muse Rodin s Kiss sculpture. Okay, you really cant leave without seeing Paris light up from the Eiffel Tower, open till midnight.

Restaurants & Dining Good food is a birthright and its appreciation a rite of passage in Paris, where a mealsometimes even coffeecan last hours. For a memorable splurge, book one of the citys opulent three-star palace restaurants, like Le Plaza Athene or LAstrance, or book ahead for a table at one of the trendy bistronomiques that combine gastronomy with bistro pricing Frenchie, Le Chateaubriand, Rino, and Spring are all hot right now.