From: nico@athena.mit.edu (Nicolas Reinecke)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.french,rec.travel,rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: HELP! PARIS INFO NEEDED!
Date: 16 Aug 92 14:40:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: athena.1992Aug16.144057.18666
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In article <BETSYS.92Aug16020936@ra.cs.umb.edu>, betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz) writes:
|> In article <Bssn96.A9A@news.udel.edu> davidc@brahms.udel.edu (David Casper) writes:
|> 
|> >Paris, France (or nearby).  I have a girlfriend of 3
|> >years who is leaving for France on September 3, 1992
|> >and I am very concerned for her safety...She intends
|>    First, calm down. Paris is a big city, but probably safer
|> than New York or Washington DC. My gut feeling after a month tour 
|> of Europe solo is that a lone woman can expect many more pickup
|> attempts and other approaches by strange men than you get here, but
|> that it is far safer to walk the streets. Try not to get lost at night
|> in a dark alley, but really, it's fairly safe.
|> 
|> >   DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY SAFE AND AFFORDABLE (FOR
|> >   A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE NOT-YET EMPLOYED) PLACE
|> >   TO LIVE IN OR NEAR PARIS, FRANCE?
|>    Try the youth hostels. There's a good list in Let's Go and they 
|> have weekly rates. Not luxurious but full of travelling students many 
|> of whom are job-hunting. Good source of gossip and local information.
|>     Also, remember that in Europe it is VERY COMMON for students to
|> spend six months or a year in another country, as it is cheap for
|> them. There are MILLIONS of students and backpackers floating around,
|> and a LOT of accomodation for them. It is much easier for a traveller
|> to get information and help than it is in the states. Every train
|> station has a change booth, tourist info, and in the big cities a
|> youth hostel/student travel info booth. 
|> 
|> >What can my girlfriend expect to pay for a modest (only
|> >safety and healthy-sanitary conditions are important,
|> >not luxury of any kind) one-room apartment with a
|> >bath or shower?  Are there any less expensive suburbs
|> >surrounding Paris?
|>    That is an unusual accomodation for Europe. It is MUCH MORE common
|> to have single rooms or studios with a shared bath in the hall.
|> Private baths are mostly luxury class. When in Europe, live as the
|> Europeans do. 
|> 
|> >125lbs.  Is this true?  What tips/advice are available
|> >for somehow bringing the correct belongings to survive
|> >for 6 months?  Is it too expensive for me to mail things
|> >to her once she has arrived (does the French government
|> >allow this?)?  How can my girlfriend avoid be taxed on
|> >possesions that she owned BEFORE arriving in France 
|> 
|>     Again, it is really not that big a deal. Dont' bring ANYTHING that
|> you wouldn't bring for a similar move within the states. And then
|> bring half of what you planned. Paris has department stores and
|> groceries and even your favorite American brands. The only thing I
|> noticed was that Europeans don't seem to wear the flourescent "beach
|> style" clothing that is popular here. Colors are a bit calmer. 
|>   Also, nobody is really interested in hassling students about their
|> stuff. Remember they see millions of students....Paris is, well, it's
|> Paris! World center of learning, hundreds of thousands of foreign
|> students in residence. Unless you have more than one of something, or
|> it is a brand new and VERY expensive object, they won't care. If your
|> GF is bringing diamonds, that might be another matter.
|>     The only thing I can think of that you might want to mail are
|> books, and maybe CD's or tapes. There are several big English
|> bookstores in Paris, but the prices ARE high. Ditto for music and for
|> newspapers. Maybe a university will have a library and a book swap...
|> I found myself craving English-language light reading, mysteries and
|> such, and paying full price for them was a shock. Also, if your friend
|> is planning to visit OTHER countries, there's a much bigger selection
|> of English travel information here in the States. With a six-month
|> visit she will definitely have time to travel around! It's only 2
|> hours to Brussels, maybe 5 to Amsterdam or Cologne, and overnight to
|> just-about-anywhere! 
|> 
|> Gosh I'm jealous. I loved Paris! Made me want to change careers just
|> to have an excuse to study there! 
|> 
|> 
|> PS:  mailing stuff out is expensive.... I found out the hard way that
|> sending one 3kg package costs MUCH more than two 2-kg packages.
|> 
|> --
|> System Administrator                  Internet: betsys@cs.umb.edu
|> MACS Dept, UMass/Boston               BITNET:ESCHWARTZ%UMBSKY.DNET@NS.UMB.EDU
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I've cought up with this a little late, but I just wanted to throw in an address
of a very decent hotel in Paris that is (or at least was 12months ago) very cheap
and at a great location. The place is called Hotel Coulaintcourt and it is at the
Rue de Coulaintcourt in the north of Paris right close to the Montmartre. The
area is very safe and there is a metro stop right around the corner. The hotel is
very clean and there is a bistro next to it. The price for a double with bath
used to be around $35 and I'm pretty sure that this time of the year you could
negotiate an even better longer term rate. The best thing to do in Paris for
finding an appartment is trying to get in contact with the Sorbonne, the
University. They have similar housing assistance than here and usually they'll
help you, even if you are not enrolled. Otherwise I also have to admit that I'm
jealous about that trip...

Nico

PS: One more thing: There is a new fad going on in Europe (nothing uncommen to
the US but fairly new in Europe). It is the sublet... (Unbelievable, isn't it?).
There are agencies in Paris that'll get you in touch with people moving out of
town for a limited amount of time and the fee is usually small compared to the
advantages of getting a fully furnished place. Appartments are short in Europe
and people tend not to let go of then very easily, so the appartment market might
turn out to be tough, especially after the summer. But a sublet should be a good
bet. If that is something you want to do, I could call a friend in Paris and ahve
him get you more info. But again, don't worry, she'll not be the only newcomer to
Paris and the odds are that everything will be a lot easier than anticipated.