Keys to the City
Facts & Fundamentals
Capital of France and center of government, business, and culture.
Population: more than 2 million residents (city), almost 11 million (metropolitan area).
Territory: 436 sq mi (1129 sq km.).
Prominent industries: finance, insurance, manufacturing, exporting, and technology.
France levies a value-added tax of 19.6% on most goods. Non-citizens of the EU can recoup a portion of this tax by filling out a form obtained from the store and filing the request with Customs before leaving France.
Holidays & Business Hours
Businesses are generally open by 9:30am. Offices and museums close at 5pm while shops remain open until 7pm or later. Lunchtime is from noon till 2pm.
On public or national holidays, many offices and businesses close or have truncated hours. During August, the French often take weeks-long vacations, causing businesses (and even tourist attractions) to shut down for an extended period of time.
| January 1 |
New Year's Day |
| Date varies |
Easter Monday |
| May 1 |
Labor Day |
| May 8 |
Liberation Day, or WWII Victory Day |
| Date varies |
Ascension Day |
| Date varies |
Pentecost, or Whit Monday |
| July 14 |
Bastille Day |
| August 15 |
Assumption Day |
| November 1 |
All Saints' Day |
| November 11 |
Armistice Day |
| December 25 |
Christmas |
|
Coming & Going
Air travel into Paris is coordinated at two airports: Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly. To get to town from the airport, consider a taxi (€34-60) or the RER train, whose lines connect the city proper to the suburbs (less than €10). Another option for travel into Paris is a shuttle bus, which costs roughly the same as the RER and takes about the same amount of time.
Making Your Way
Paris lends itself easily to pedestrian traffic, and major tourist sites lie clustered in several central arrondissements. The Metro (subway) boasts abundant stations, easily understood routes, and costs about €2 per trip. It runs from 5:30am till 1:15am daily, although not all individual trains follow this broad schedule. Short-term travelers should inquire about special transportation passes at any Metro station.
News & Views
A few of the most prominent French papers include Libération, Le Figaro, and Le Monde. More specialized publications include La Tribune, Paris: l'Officiel des Spectacles, Le Pariscope, and the International Herald Tribune, an English-language option.
Quirks & Curiosities
France's legal drinking age is 16.
Paris lies in the Central European Time zone (Greenwich Mean Time +1). During the summer, the city – like most of Europe – observes Summer Time, which shifts the clock ahead an hour (and is, for the season, 2 hours ahead of GMT).
Electrical current differs from country to country, necessitating that travelers carry converters and outlet adapters.
A Museums and Monuments Pass gives access to dozens of facilities for a set number of days and can be purchased at any museum or Metro station.
Getting Your Bearings
Main Visitor Center
25-27 rue des Pyramides
Hours: Nov-May Daily 9am-8pm, Nov-Mar Daily 11am-6pm
METRO: Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre
Necessities - Post Offices
Paris's main branch can be found at 52 rue du Louvre in the 1er arrondissement. It's open 24 hours daily.
Common Courtesies
For the most part, all gratuities are included in bills, so you don't have to worry about computing tips, especially in restaurants. However, it's often acceptable to leave a few coins for servers as an added gesture.
Weather
Average temperatures: mid-30s F (2°C) – winter, mid-60s F (18°C) – summer.
Friday:
