Tipping questions

Is it conventional in Paris to tip 20% to cabbies, waiters, etc?

I guess what I%26#39;m asking is if we should just follow American guidelines on tipping in Paris.

|||

Definitely not, be aware almost always the tip is included in the check. Usually the check will read at the end %26quot;servis

compris%26quot;,meaning that the tip is included,if not sure you can always ask. At your discretion you can leave a couple euros extra if your very pleased with the service.

Tipping taxi drivers and bellboys its customary, how much?, again

is more or less at your discretion some people will leave the change to next euro others will leave 10% of the metered amount, I personally give the 10%.

Bellboys I will usually give more or less 1 euro/per piece of luggage and maybe one extra euro.

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Is it conventional in Paris to tip 20% to cabbies, waiters, etc? I guess what I%26#39;m asking is if we should just follow American guidelines on tipping in Paris.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

You can certainly do this...and I suspect that it will please Parisian waiters and cab drivers....but it will definitely fall under the general category of %26#39;..over-tipping..%26#39;. By law, all French restaurants, bistrots, cafés already ADD 15% to the bill (one way or another) for service. So Tipping a waiter 20% over and above the amount of the check would be effectively leaving a tip of somewhere in the neighborhood of 38%.

NO tip for the driver is a included in a taxi fare. The conventional wisdom is to tip anywhere from 1 or 2 €uro to 10% of the METERED fare amount (not necessarily the full amount of the total fare including extra passenger or luggage surcharges). But of course you may tip ANY amount, as suits your own personal custom and practice.

There are a couple of other small points that you should also be aware of. At most cafés there is a %26#39;..sliding price scale..%26#39;. You will pay one price for something served standing at the bar; a slightly higher price for the same something served sitiing at an inside table; and a still higher price for the same something served at an outside table. This is common practice. With regards to taxi fares, there is one metered rate charged during the day and a higher metered rate charged at night. It is entirely possible to travel between the same two points in the late afternoon and pay one fare and return along the exact same route in the evening and pay approx 40% MORE for the exact same ride. This isn%26#39;t a %26#39;..tourist rip-off..%26#39; simply a function of the official Parisian taxe fare structure.

|||

Note that there is no separate line-item on a restaurant bill for a %26#39;service charge%26#39; or tip. The 15% is built into the pricing... so if you have a meal and the check comes to 47€, you can pay that and leave satisfied... if you really liked the service, you could %26#39;round up%26#39; and leave 3 euro in the plate. It%26#39;s best to leave the %26#39;extra%26#39; tip in cash when paying by credit card.

|||

Fascinating. Thanks everyone.

|||

If happy with the service I usually tip about 1 euro per person at restaurants. Thats at an everyday restaurant, not some michelin star palace.

Interesting dinner experience at Spoon by Alain Ducasse

Wanted to share my experience at Spoon, a restaurant owned by Alain Ducasse the famous Chef, located near the Champs Elysées. This is the temple of what one can call New Fusion Cuisine.

We were 9, to celebrate a birthday. They prepared a nice table for us and they welcomed us warmly. (usually groups are not always welcomed in fancy restaurants).

We had a terrific glass of Deutz Champagne and it was served with a raddish soup in tiny vodka glasses and small dices of raw cod and herbs inside.

The menu was very original because for each category (starter, main dish and dessert) you choose the main ingredient, then in a list of different sauces then in a list of different vegetables. You can zig zag between the different columns, that%26#39;s fun.

As a starter I had a feef fillet gravelax with lemon mustard condiment. When I saw the plate I was a little disappointed because the fillet was cut in 5 or 6 very small pieces the size of a 2 euros coin. The sauce was also in a tiny vodka glass. But it was really very good and tasty. According to my husband, the hand-made pasta with pistou and marinated poultry was awesome. And the portion was quite big.

Then I had a pan seared tuna with satay sauce and wok sauteed vegetables. Soooo good!! My mother had the lobster, it was incredibly big, lots of flesh and truly excellent.

The wine was an incredible red bourgogne (a santenay). Really delicious. I was a bit drunk at the end of the meal.

Then the dessert : we all chose the top 5 (a selection of 5 desserts). Oh my God, if we had known we would have taken one per couple ! A delicious cheesecake that melts in your mouth, then a chocolate pizza, a chocolate and chestnut cake with orange sauce, a fudgy chocolate cake and I don%26#39;t remember the last one.

They offered to us 2 scoops of bubble gum and tagada (a famous strawberry candy) ice creams just to taste them. Reminded me of when I was 10.

For the birthday, they came with a giant meringue with a candle on top. And we had a giant meringue for each one of us!!

Just before leaving, they brought for each couple, a paper bag with home made cookies inside to take away.

We were absolutely full!!!

Truly a great experience, very good food, very nice staff. Pricey of course (200 euros per couple with champagne and wine) but worth it. And I had the opportunity to see a famous French singer for real, Marc Lavoine (youpi !) with his beautiful wife (yikes !).

|||

sounds wonderful! Spoon was recommended to me on my last trip, and I was sorry I didn%26#39;t get there....now I%26#39;m even more sorry I have only one day in Paris, Saturday.

|||

My wife and I and two of our friends had a similarily fun experience at Spoon a few years back.

Now that you mention them, I remember the meringues and the cookies. It sounds like they are still getting it right.

|||

Anneparis, makes me hungry just to read your post. Ever thought of becoming a food writer for one of the French/Parisian newspapers ?

|||

How easy was it to make a reservation and how far in advance should we try to do so?

Thanks

|||

We were very lucky and made the reservation one day in advance. But if you don%26#39;t want to take any risk you can reserve one or two weeks in advance.

By the way, the web address is : www.spoon.tm.fr

|||

yum

|||

Is this restaurant related to %26quot;spoon food and wine%26quot;?

Les

|||

Les,

Yes, it is actually %26quot;Spoon food and wine%26quot;.

And I forgot to say 2 important things :

the restaurant is quite small and there is a large window in a wall that allows us to see the kitchen. I love to watch the Chef and his helpers preparing the meals, and the kitchen was incredibly clean.

2nd very important thing : this restaurant is entirely NON SMOKING.

|||

Marc Lavoine, quelle chance!!!!!!!!And the food too, of course, but Marc Lavoine!!

|||

LOL Raphy, and I can tell you he looks really terrific. I had seen him on stage 2 years ago, but there I could almost touch him !

Well, maybe in another life...

Monmarte seems like the perfect place to live while in...

does anyone have any good recommendations for Apartment rentals in Monmarte? :)

|||

Be very careful.... there are some stinker apartments, especially if you think the price is a deal...

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k26039…

|||

Absolutely! www.perfectlyparis.com specializes in Montmartre. My husband and I have rented 2 of the 19 apartments listed, Villa des Platanes in 2003 and Prestigious Junot just last month (would have gone back to the VDP, but it was booked already.) Manager, Gail Boisclair is terrific to deal with before and during your trip. And you are right, Montmartre IS the perfect place to live while in Paris. Bon voyage.

|||

Sorry but don%26#39;t think Montmartre is great to live. The very top of the hill is very picturesque but can get noisy as very touristy, and far away from the metro so not very practical to move around Paris, not so convenient to carry food suplies all the way up to your appartment. Don%26#39;t get me wrong, Montmartre is an absolute delight to visit one half-day but personnally i wouldn%26#39;t live there. Some places at the bottom of the hill can get seedy at night so it depends on the location.

|||

We%26#39;re fans of Montmartre, mainly because we love the un-burnished Paris and we like to be around kids/families/neighborhood life. We%26#39;ve lived in apart-hotels for as long as 2 months there and we%26#39;ve grown to love the place. It can be noisy, somewhat chaotic (to the American eye), and less-than-model-Frommers (from a tourist%26#39;s eye). The Amelie-craze has begun to wear-off so the quarter is almost normal again.

The crusty parts are around Square Willette at the base of the park in front of Sacre Coeur, Blvd Clichy and Blvd de Rochechouart. Even one block away from them consists mostly of family-centric neighborhoods.

If you concentrate on the area between metro La Fourche (the Cimetiere de Montmartre), Metro Jules Joffrin (Mairie de XVIIIeme), and the Sacre Coeur, you%26#39;ll be in an area that is very much %26quot;old Paris%26quot;. It%26#39;s not a polished tourist destination. If that works for you, then you%26#39;ll probably grow to love Montmartre.

|||

I would not stay in Monmarte! I do not feel comfortable walking in the evening there or at one or two of the Metros there.

There are too many better areas in the 5Er, 6Er and the 7Er (are my favorite also up in the 13 Er by Place d%26#39; Italie) . Most of the apartment rentals do not have lifts. You can shop at the cheap grocery there called %26quot;Ed%26#39;s%26quot;.

|||

I love the area - one of my favorite places in Paris. Some areas are noisy, and if you’re only experience is the Moulin Rouge and the s e x shops I can see why you might not like it (but I still don%26#39;t find it scary). There are many, many streets full of pretty shops, lovely homes, and fantastic cafes that are perfectly charming.

And I love all the stairs! My legs look fantastic after just a week in the area - I love all the running around. I’ve had good experiences going to bars and meeting new friends there – on my last trip I meet a really nice guy (and Englishman working in Paris) who had a terrific apartment way up on the hill – I got the impression it was all very trendy based on the people I meet and the places I shopped and ate at. If I were to move to Paris I would want to live there too – but, given how it is very block to block – I would want to see any apartment first.

|||

Look for rue Lamarck, rue Caulaincourt, rue Custine etc. on the other side of the %26quot;mont%26quot;. It is more residential and very pleasant.

It has fewer metros than other areas of Paris but if you are on line 12, you are all set.

I love it there... even though I live elsewhere.

|||

One of my very best friends lives near the Abbesses metro stop. I go to his place almost daily when I%26#39;m visiting Paris. It%26#39;s a really great neighborhood, but for visiting the city it is a bit out there. If you%26#39;re tired at the end of the day, you will have a long metro ride home and then probably will have many stairs to climb to get to your apartment.

I agree that I would visit there but not stay there.

Les

|||

Any thoughts on the streets around St. Pierre and rue de Steinkerque? Would you feel comfortable using the Mo: Anvers during the daytime and early evening. :Probably not out later than 9:00 p.m? Found a nice apartment there that suits my needs from a reputable rental group.

|||

Ilovegardening, i would feel comfortable about using the Anvers metro during the day but THERE ARE pickpockets inside and around that metro station. Also i do not like it at night. Also the Line 2 for Anvers is not practical, better use the Abbesses metro station for line 12 that will take you to the center. Line 2 oblige you to change to go to the center.

Flea / Food Markets

I%26#39;d like to visit flea markets in Paris. Any suggestions? Where is a good place to pick up picnic food?

|||

There%26#39;s the marche aux puces in the 20th, but it%26#39;s quite a ways out, and you aren%26#39;t staying long so you might not want to spend a lot of time there...

There are outdoor food markets in just about every neighborhood. Where are you staying?

Les

|||

I think the best one, hands down, is Vanves. It is only on week-end mornings, everyone shutting down by lunch time. It is reached by metro, and is near the Porte de Vanves metro stop. It is, by the way, mostly professionals, not a flea market in the way Americans think of them, but you can still find some good buys. Keep your eyes open for %26quot;vide greniers%26quot; signs in various neighborhoods for real flea markets which are also only on week-ends.

|||

Another vote for Porte de Vanves.

|||

Food - you could do worse than a quick wander round your nearest supermarket. Franprix, G20 - you can pick up paté, rillettes, slices of ham, cheeses, fruit ... if you want to speak to someone then Monoprix will have all of the above but alos a Deli counter.

%26quot;Traiteur%26quot; offer a variety of %26#39;ready to eat%26#39; food as well but the cost can mount fairly quickly as you get carried away.

Then of course there are food markets throughout the city (every morning except Monday). Ask at your hotel to find out when / where your nearest is.

|||

I agree with the responses above, but which market is right for you really depends on what you%26#39;re looking for. St-Ouen is definitely high-end antiques with the occasional bargain, while Vanves is more collectibles with the occasional treasure. I go both St-Ouen and Vanves everytime I%26#39;m in Paris, and I always buy in both markets. If you use the search function for %26quot;puces%26quot;, you will find a rather lengthy guide to the flea markets that I wrote a few months ago.

CeeJay and lpennin, please drop me an email at truffaut6@wanadoo.fr. I%26#39;d like to talk to you about somthing %26quot;off-line.%26quot;

Very Discouraged... with trying to find a hotel...

Hi all.. I have spent numerous hours looking for a hotel in teh Saint Germaine area between 75-120 euros. I finally fell in love with St Thomas Daquin so I booked it and thought okay now only 4 more cities to book hotels.. Then they wrote back and said... sorry we are booked. I checked for availability on their website and it said it had rooms available.

Any other suggestions... I want to be near St Germaine street. Walking distance... I am ready to give up!!!

|||

I havent stayed here but have read good things about it on TA:

http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com/

Its very close to Blvd St Germaine.

|||

-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-

TripAdvisor staff removed this post either because the author requested it, or because it did not meet TripAdvisor's forum guidelines.

To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.

Removed on: 10:13 pm, October 12, 2005


|||

www.hotel-lalouisiane.net/index_eng.html

This hotel is on Rue de Seine. Very nice location in St. Germaine de Pres

|||

Thank you guys soo much... I am sure you can imagine how important it is to have the most wonderful exoerience in paris. Especially since I am going with my love and it is my first time...I will check the hotels suggested and let you know....

Thanks again.

|||

I second MorganB, I stayed in Familia Hotel about a year ago, super nice location, rooms are ok in size towards the small size but for the price that%26#39;s usually the best you can manage. I wouldn%26#39;t take the breakfast rate, though.

|||

When is your trip?

Les

|||

the 26th-30th... Maybe I shouldnt worry so much.. I need a break lol...

|||

Lisa,

Last week I had a nice couple from Texas at my cooking class and they were staying at Hotel des Mines, close to Luxembourg metro station, that means not far from Bd Saint Michel and Bd Saint Germain. It is a 2 star hotel, you should give a try.

www.hotel-desmines-paris.com/english/main.htm

|||

I just returned from a stay at the Hotel Rive Gauche. It wasn%26#39;t fancy but clean and comfortable. The location was unbeatable--2 blocks from St. Germain, one block from the Seine and the Louvre, several RER and metro stops within a short distance, plenty of cafes close by and lots of shopping. www.hotelrivegauche.com

Good luck!

|||

I%26quot;d keep trying. I do know that it%26#39;s hard to get a room in September and October because of numerous %26quot;salons%26quot; occurring at the time. You may have to up your pricerange???

Have you tried the Galileo Hotel near the Champs Elysees? www.galileohotel.com

It%26#39;s a really nice place and not very pricey...

Les

Best way from Rue Cler neighborhood to De Gaulle airport?

We are travelling to Paris next month and are curious as to the best way to get from the Rue Cler neighborhood to De Gaulle. I assume the subway/train would be best, but thought I should ask. Thanks, in advance for your assistance.

|||

%26quot;Best%26quot; means: cheaper, faster, more comfortable ????

Taxis could be more convenient... specially with luggage.

|||

Good question. I want the least expensive, relatively convenient option (i.e. less than a two hour journey). We have minimal luggage. Thanks. - John

|||

I have taken taxis from CDG into the 5th and

6th and back to CDG. For me that is the best

way.

I am noit lugging suitcases, dealing with

stairs, crowded RER or Metro.

Yes, a taxi is more expensive.

What%26#39;s the price tag on missing your flight ?

This is based on 5 trips to Paris, the 5th

one last month.

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;I want the least expensive, relatively convenient option (i.e. less than a two hour journey). We have minimal luggage%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

Provided you have no personal mobility issues, then the RER %26#39;B-3%26#39; train from one of the two stations at CDG to SAINT MICHEL Notre Dame (one way fare 8 €...approx. 30 mins.) then either swtich to a RER %26#39;C%26#39; ligne trian to either INVALIDES or PONT de l%26#39;ALMA and then walk the several blocks to your hotel or take a taxi. If taxi is your prefered option then though it may cost an extra couple of €uro, you may be better off skipping the onward RER%26#39;C%26#39; train and simply taking the escalators up from the train platforms to street level at the Saint Michel-Notre Dame and taking a cab from the regular taxi stand there (appros. 6-7 €) to your hotel.

Though I%26#39;m a big fan of the RER %26#39;B%26#39; train FROM CDG; for some reason, it doesn%26#39;t seem to %26#39;work%26#39; as well for us returning TO CDG. For this we have our hotel contact an airport shuttle van service the day before and make arrangements for a shuttle pick-up at our hotel.

|||

Thanks for the excellent advice. Do you have any idea how much it costs roughly for a shuttle service or taxi to the airport?

|||

It should be around E40-50 for a taxi from rue Cler

to CDG.

|||

%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Do you have any idea how much it costs roughly for a shuttle service or taxi to the airport?%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

A TAXI PARISIEN from the regular rank outside of your CDG arrival terminal building will run 40-50 €uro. One of the airport shuttle van services will run somewhere between 15-23 €uro (depending on whether a round-trip or one-way reservation and the number of persons in your party.

So that you won%26#39;t think it an %26quot;..annoyed..%26#39; response to an oft repeated and responded to question( that some dam fools think should be ignored rather than offer a lead to a wealth of information)...this is one of those times when you should use the SEARCH feature of this forum to gather all (and more) information on the various modes of airport transfer (what they are, how they work, what they cost, pros vs cons, authoratative resources, etc). Use %26#39;,,CDG to PARIS..%26quot; or %26#39;..AIRPORT TRANSFERS..%26#39; as your search criteria. Do this and you will be as prepared as any can be to deal with the matter and any contingencies which might arise.

Hotel du Loiret - in the Marias

Has anyone stayed at the Hotel du Loiret, a small hotel in the Marais at 8 rue des Mauvais Garçons. I can not find a trip advisor review on it - but on several other sites there is mention of the hotel - saying it is cheap, clean and basic. Does anyone have any specific knowledge??

|||

Hotel LE Loiret:

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d236574…

|||

Travelnutty - the link you gave is to a differant hotel at a differant address. I am looking for info on Hotel du Loiret, a small hotel in the Marais at 8 rue des Mauvais Garçons.

|||

My bad - I%26#39;ll try harder !

|||

www.jack-travel.com has descriptive information:

Grand Hotel du Loiret

8 rue des Mauvais Garcons

tel 0148877700

%26quot;...Small but tall, situated across the street from the Hotel de Ville in the center of the Marais, it calls itself %26#39;grand%26#39; but something of an overstatement as this modest hotel is in the aptly named street of naughty boys. Small rooms, but those on the 5th and 6th floors have been renovated. All the renovated with telephone, TV, and windows to the street. The prices are low because the hotel doesn%26#39;t have an elevator. This small fact (it may not seem so trivial when you%26#39;re lugging your bags up six flights of stairs) keeps the rates down and keeps the cheapos coming. its seven floors provide only 28 rooms. The seventh floor rewards the climbers with romantic sloped ceilings and amazing views out to the Hotel de Ville and central Paris. Book well in advance, as the rooms go fast. Prices 35 Eur for a single, 40 for a double and 75 Euros for a triple...%26quot;

Rick Steves says:

%26quot;Grand Hôtel du Loiret** is centrally-located, spartan, and basic, though the rooms are better than you might think...%26quot;

…cityvox.com/hotels_paris/…Profil-Place

- - has comments but all in French or Italian...from what I can make out, they%26#39;re favorable.

|||

In le Marais, there is also another cheap hotel where I stayed called Hotel du Marais, 2 star hotel with very good rates! Very clean, nice staff, well-located because there are bus connections and a metro stop nearby!

http://www.paris-hotel-marais.com

Have a nice trip!

|||

Just came back from Paris and I stayed at Hotel Loiret. Yes it was hard to find a review, because the reviews for both hotels of the same name were lumped in together. (The other Loiret is on rue Bons Enfants closer to Palais Royal).

I would recommend this hotel. Since the review listed, they have completed their rennovations and now have an elevator. It goes up to the sixth floor, so you would have to walk up one floor if you are on seven.

The rooms are nice and the ones with bath have new bathrooms (but they are VERY tiny!). My friend stayed in a room with bath for 60 euros/night. I chose a bath down the hall for 45 euros/night. It was fine sharing the bathroom. I never had a problem getting in. My room was one down from it and there was a timed light switch right outside my door so attending to business even at night was no problem. My room did have a small separate tiled area that had a sink.

The view from my friends room was just of the street and the other building but from my room I could see Notre Dame, Hotel de Ville and the Pompedu Centre. I LOVED it! I would sit on my tiny balcony at night and just listen and watch the people go by.

This is a great area to stay in. You are just steps from the metro, great restaurants and super shopping.

If you haven%26#39;t gone on your trip yet, consider this hotel.

PS. I%26#39;m from Canada too.