Paris Overview - September 2013

I was fortunate to travel to Paris, France recently with a good friend from college. He was visiting Paris to attend a friend's wedding, and we split an apartment to do some sightseeing. The experience was impressive as always and will be split into multiple postings to focus on the various aspects of my trip. This first section is a general overview of Paris. Make sure to see all the pages:

- Paris Overview
- Paris Landmarks
- French Food
- Versailles
- Normandy / Omaha Beach
- Champagne

This was our apartment in Paris. I rented the place from Vacations in Paris an American company that rents apartments while traveling. If you are staying more than a few nights, it is an excellent option. The  one bedroom apartment had a tiny kitchen and a huge bathroom, plus Wi-Fi and cable TV. I should note that telecommunications are dirt cheap in France. You can get full cable TV, super fast Internet, home phone, and unlimited mobile for about $50/month.

The apartment is located at 49 rue Levis in the 17th district of Paris. It is an upscale residential neighborhood with no tourists, but only a short distance from all the sights using the city's Metro and RER system. Below is my first YouTube video of the street:

As you can see, the street is full of locals shopping and enjoying the day. It was awesome to experience this each morning and evening as we came and went at the apartment. There were several cafes, bakeries, and a supermarket which provided too much good food. Paris is very clean and safe walking around even at night. The area has few landmarks and was very quiet after dark which made for a nice escape.

Parc Monceau is a city park near the apartment in Paris. The park was very beautiful and full of locals enjoying any excuse to walk around outside. There were joggers, old people on benches, kids playing on the merry-go-round, and a small cafe selling all sorts of junk food. All the parks in Paris even have free Wi-Fi service so you can check your email while walking the dog!

We spent a lot of time underground on the Paris Metro. It is the very best way to travel the city and connects nearly all the famous landmarks with every part of the region. The system is somewhat complicated since it consists of several independent lines with completely different platforms and trains. You do need to walk a bit for some connections. However, the system was almost always fast with connecting trains arriving quickly and impressive turnarounds during rush periods.

Shopping is always fun for me. The local Monoprix supermarket had a wide range of French foods and was the source of many meals and snacks. I always recommend visiting them to see what real locals are eating and how they shop. The store is typical of a urban setting, but included a lot of dairy and snack foods. It is fun to see American brands in the store too.

Paris is the city of light and is one of the most romantic places I've visited. The residents truly love their city and everything about their lives. It was refreshing to be in such a relaxed setting where people take the time to appreciate everything. With so many opportunities to relax and enjoy, one must work hard to still see all the equally impressive sights in and around Paris. I will discuss those in other posts. Please, grab a coffee and croissant and enjoy the pictures below.