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Rick Steves' Paris

Updates since the 2008 guidebook:

General Information

As part of new smoking restrictions, Parisian restaurants and cafés are now smoke-free (unless they have a completely sealed smoking room). Lighting up while sitting outside at a sidewalk table is still okay.

The Carte Orange Métro/bus pass has been replaced by the rechargeable Passe Navigo card. The new pass also requires a passport-size photo, and can be purchased at major Métro stations.

Here's how it works: You buy a chip-embedded card (€5 one-time cost), then "load" a weekly value onto it; this gives you free run of the bus and Métro system for one week, starting Monday and ending Sunday. At the Métro/bus turnstile, you simply scan your Navigo card to enter, and you're on your way.

The total cost is €21.50 (€5 for the card plus €16.50 for the weekly pass) — slightly cheaper than two 10-ticket carnets (which is enough for most travelers staying a week). Given that the Passe Navigo expires on Sunday night, isn't transferable, and requires a photo, most readers will be better off with buying carnets of 10 tickets as needed (€11.10). If you do want the pass, ask for "Passe Navigo Découverte hebdomadaire" (pahs nah-vee-go day-koo-vairt ehb-doh-mah-dair) and supply a small postage-stamp-size photo of yourself (bring your own, or use the €4 photo booths available in major Métro stations). A month-long version costs about €54 — request a Passe Navigo mensuelle (mahn-soo-ehl, good from the first day of the month to the last, also requires photo). The pass covers only central Paris. You can pay more for passes covering regional destinations (such as Versailles), but for most visitors, this is a bad value. Instead, buy individual tickets for longer-distance destinations.

Orientation

Private guide Elisabeth Van Hest has a new email address: elisa.guide@gmail.com (€175/half-day, €260/day, tel. 01 43 41 47 31).

Thierry Gauduchon is a terrific local guide well-worth his fee (tel. 01 56 98 10 82, mobile 06 19 07 30 77, tgauduchon@aol.com).

Sights

At the Louvre, the Venus de Milo, tired of her old digs in the Denon wing, has moved to the Sully wing.

Note that the Paris Museum Pass now covers the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette, but does not cover the gardens on fountain spectacle weekends, or audioguides. The Royal Opera House will supposedly be closed in 2008. The rest of the palace and grounds should be open throughout the complex's continued renovation. As it undergoes its lengthy renovation, be prepared for future changes.

Hotels

The email for the Hotel Prince is paris@hotel-prince.com.

The email for the Hôtel Royal Phare is hotel-royalphare@wanadoo.fr.

The Hôtel des Médicis has been sold and is closed for renovation until spring 2009.

Grand Hôtel Lévêque has new prices and the Wi-Fi has not been installed yet (S-€67, Db-€97-130 depending on views, Tb-€140) and a €9 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet (29 rue Cler, tel. 01 47 05 49 15, fax 01 45 50 49 36, www.hotel-leveque.com, info@hotel-leveque.com).

Breakfast is not included in room prices at the République Hôtel. Breakfast is optional and is €8 per person (31 rue Albert Thomas, tel. 01 42 39 19 03, fax 01 42 39 22 66, www.republiquehotel.com, info@republiquehotel.com).

Eating

The Altitude 95 restaurant at the Eiffel Tower now charges €65 for its dinner menu and €36 for lunch. They also have a new website, www.restaurants-toureiffel.com.

If you crave Italian food and you’re sleeping in the rue Cler area, try La Casa Campana. The gentle owners recently moved to Paris from southern Italy, bringing their tasty and unspoiled cuisine with them. The handmade raviolis are bellisimo (menus from €20, open daily, near other recommended restaurants at 20 rue de l’Exposition, tel. 01 45 51 37 71).

Transportation Connections

There is no longer a night train between Paris and Switzerland.

A new private shuttle service will meet your party at your gate (inside the terminal) at Paris airports, and offers discounted rates to Rick Steves readers (mention Rick Steves discount when booking, reserve at least 3 days in advance). Roundtrip prices between Charles de Gaulle Airport or Orly Airport and the Paris city center are €120 for 1-2 people, €130 for 3 people, €140 for 4 people, €155 for 5 people, €175 for 6 people, €200 for 7 people, €220 for 8 people. Between Beauvais Airport and Paris, roundtrip prices are €240 for 1-4 people, €260 for 5-6 people, and €280 for 7-8 people. For more information, see www.privatecar.pariswebservices.com.

Ticket prices have changed for Eurostar Chunnel trains (between London-Paris and London-Brussels). For Passholders, Seniors, and Youths, each of these categories will now offer several different prices. For each train departure, the lowest prices in each category will sell out first. For instance, instead of paying $75 for a one-way Passholder ticket in second class, Passholder fares will be offered at $77, $117, or $135 one-way in second class. For more information, see www.ricksteves.com/eurostar.

Expect some construction headaches at Charles de Gaulle Airport as it undergoes major renovations.

Near Paris

Renovation is complete at the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s hideaway at Versailles, and the building is now entirely open to visitors.

At Chartres Cathedral, the venerated 2,000-year-old "veil" of Mary — said to be the gown she wore when she gave birth to Jesus — is once again on display, behind bulletproof glass. Renovation is complete at the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s hideaway at Versailles, and the building is now entirely open to visitors.