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Visting Paris next month--any recommendations for misc stuff?


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Hey peeps,

I'll be in Paris as a part of a course thing--we'll have a few days to ourselves. I'll be hitting most of the big museums etc but was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for solid record shops, music gear places, book/comic shops, jazz clubs, and maybe a good tattoo shop. I'll be looking into some places on my own but if anyone has any personal experience they'd like to share I'd love to hear it! 


Thanks

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It's been a while so I don't remember any of the shops I went to specifically, but Paris is so full of really great shops to go into that you can't go wrong.  Walking along the Champs Elysees is fun, hum the tune ("Oh Champs-Elysees") to yourself, it's a good time.  Paris has a lot of department stores, which is a good place to pick up reprints of some of their vintage comics, like Asterix or Tintin.

 

The French can be a little bit of a jerks to foreigners, but in my experience it wasn't too bad.  Most people in Paris speak English, they just get annoyed when they have to.  It doesn't have to affect your trip, just something I wish someone had told me before after studying French for 6 years, I went up to delicatessen vendor and said, "Je prende  un sandwich au jambon" and he replied, "We don't serve that here, what do you want?"

 

So, buy your sandwiches on the streets, haggle with the street vendors, and buy your wine in half carafes when you're sitting in cafes.

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6 minutes ago, nancy_raygun said:

It's been a while so I don't remember any of the shops I went to specifically, but Paris is so full of really great shops to go into that you can't go wrong.  Walking along the Champs Elysees is fun, hum the tune ("Oh Champs-Elysees") to yourself, it's a good time.  Paris has a lot of department stores, which is a good place to pick up reprints of some of their vintage comics, like Asterix or Tintin.

 

The French can be a little bit of a jerks to foreigners, but in my experience it wasn't too bad.  Most people in Paris speak English, they just get annoyed when they have to.  It doesn't have to affect your trip, just something I wish someone had told me before after studying French for 6 years, I went up to delicatessen vendor and said, "Je prende  un sandwich au jambon" and he replied, "We don't serve that here, what do you want?"

 

So, buy your sandwiches on the streets, haggle with the street vendors, and buy your wine in half carafes when you're sitting in cafes.

Ha! Thank you, this is really helpful. I have half of a semester of French in so it's probably best I don't try. 

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On 2/21/2018 at 6:51 AM, THE_James_Champ said:

Get a picture of the Bag.Online building. Satisfy that old Coheed fan in the back of your head. 

I think that part of me has been forcibly removed from the shame of ex-girlfriends and such but it's certainly an idea

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I studied for 3 month there but I don't remember much anymore.  I mean, I loved it.  The gardens of luxembourg are beautiful, the baguettes for .9 euro are amazing, ficelle de olive (olive bread) is also REALLY good.

 

I went to a small falafel shop in the marais? (the jewish area) that was awesome too.  I only really remember the food lol.  there is SO much site seeing to do that it's impossible to see everything, so I definitely recommend picking out ahead of time and trying to map a plan.  If i remember anything i'll let you know!

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Went with wife to Paris back in 2016. Looked forward to it and was blown away.

My last day there was my favorite. Drove 2 hours each way in a rental car to the Monet house in Giverny. Worth it. Came back and hit up the Catacombs and then Le Petit Baigneur, which is a meal I still dream about.

I would also recommend a day trip to Versailles. You could get there in an hour or less and is probably the most ridiculously opulent place on earth. Day picnic in the garden if you can!

Random experience was Carpe Diem cafe near the massive Les Halles train station. Wife and I enjoyed wine, coffee, and three awesome desserts. One of them was Chocolate Mousse, and the waiter came out with a tub and said it was unlimited and scooped as much as he could into an empty dish. Same waiter was also a DJ with a soundboard and played Drake and Justin Timberlake all night. Dope.

Saw Comeback Kid and Defeater at Petit Bain, which is a venue actually floating on the Siene River. Everything around it is awesome.

All of the crepes.

I'd also recommend Chez Papa and La Relais de L'entrecote.

Was out of my mind there and didn't go record shopping. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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38 minutes ago, GradedOnACurve said:

Went with wife to Paris back in 2016. Looked forward to it and was blown away.

My last day there was my favorite. Drove 2 hours each way in a rental car to the Monet house in Giverny. Worth it. Came back and hit up the Catacombs and then Le Petit Baigneur, which is a meal I still dream about.

I would also recommend a day trip to Versailles. You could get there in an hour or less and is probably the most ridiculously opulent place on earth. Day picnic in the garden if you can!

Random experience was Carpe Diem cafe near the massive Les Halles train station. Wife and I enjoyed wine, coffee, and three awesome desserts. One of them was Chocolate Mousse, and the waiter came out with a tub and said it was unlimited and scooped as much as he could into an empty dish. Same waiter was also a DJ with a soundboard and played Drake and Justin Timberlake all night. Dope.

Saw Comeback Kid and Defeater at Petit Bain, which is a venue actually floating on the Siene River. Everything around it is awesome.

All of the crepes.

I'd also recommend Chez Papa and La Relais de L'entrecote.

Was out of my mind there and didn't go record shopping. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Monet's Garden is definitely high-up on my list. It isn't on our scheduled itinerary but I think I might try and fit it in, same with the Catacombs.  I've been debating on Versailles but if I can fit it in I definitely will! 


I was really hoping to catch a show there but it looks like everyone I'm into will be there about a week after I leave haha

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Watch out for pick pockets and scammers. Especially in the crowded tourist spots.

 

This may sound obvious but I was robbed by an old woman in Barcelona a few years ago (no laughing at the back!). Never saw it coming. 

 

See the flower scam in this link: https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/europe/spain/barcelona-pickpocket-capital-of-the-world

 

Edit: here's the link for France https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/europe/france

Edited by Skacel
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