JackGlasser

There are some streets/side-streets possibly in the left bank (st. germain, st.michael area; right bank in central paris-which possibly are the essence of the paris at least I imagined from the movies which are very 'typical'---possibly some of the readers have opinion which I would enjoy reading. I know I left mysel wide open with catch phrases such as very french and typical. So be it. Suggestions welcomed. As well as regarding public bus routes especially at night to see the lights: lets say from just east of the Louvre--to Champs elise-(spelling), arch d'tromphe-trocadero-then effiel tower-back to Louvre area. Thanks

DebitNM

I found this info last year:

1. Balabus, same cost as any bus or métro ride, 1.70€ or a ticket t+. It operates between April and September and covers many of the locations tourists find most appealing. A map is available here:

www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orienter/f_plan.php…

2. Archi-bus, buses which cover specific areas with particular emphasis on the architecture found along its route. Some of the themes offered (a total of 8) are:
a. the area around Montparnasse

b. the area around la Défense

c. the Eole Gardens and La Cour du Maroc Park or the Orgues de Flandre skyscrapers

More information is available here:

http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_24543/archi-bus/

kerouac

Bus line 42 is very popular to see a lot of the sights -- it passes the Champs Elysées and the Eiffel Tower, among other places.

kerouac

Bus line 30 is excellent at night if you want to see the buzz and the flash of the red light district around Pigalle without any of the (low) risk. It continues past the Parc Monceau and on to the Arc de Triomphe. The line ends at Trocadéro just across from the Eiffel Tower.

JackGlasser

Cant find the site for balabus-- link has expired. great ideas

DebitNM

Try:

http://www.ratp.fr/de/ratp/c_22257/balabus/

DebitNM

hmmm - maybe it doesn't exist anymore??
for some other popular bus routes:
http://frenchtraveltips.com/around_p...aris_buses.asp

DebitNM

Bus routes 42 and 69 too.

Christina

The problem with a lot of movie-scene streets is they are not normal, they are being filmed. Which means they are cleaned up and roped off, so normal traffic and people aren't on them.

It really depends what you think of as typically French, also, there is a big difference in small Medieval cobblestone streets and the grand blvds with Hausmann planning.

For the former, some streets on Ile de la Cite are some of the oldest in Paris, that area to the SE of Notre Dame (eg, rue des Ursins). Probably Ile St Louis in general would also fit your fantasies, and rue de la Montagne Ste Genevieve in the Latin qtr, and lots of the Marais, also. But really, could go on there are so many.

The Champs-Elysees is actually unique in urban design, I haven't seen anything like that in any city, although Barcelona kind of comes close.

Ackislander

If you will click on kerouac's name, you will be led to a magic world of today's Paris, much of which looks like Paris has always looked but more ethnically diverse.

Take the 96 bus from St Michel to somewhere on the rue de Turenne.

Near there, I have taken photos in the back streets between, roughly, the Musee Picasso and Republique that could have been taken by Robert Doisneau, including one in which the only car on the street was a Citroen 2CV. I felt like I was in a Woody Allen movie, just in a different decade.

Such places are out there, but they aren't on the Tourist Trail, though they may be just around the corner.

djkbooks

The Balabus runs only on Sundays and does not start until around noon.

You can hardly go wrong with any of the bus routes. Just have a look at the bus routes map if you have specific scenery in mind.

http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orie...ris_geo&fm=gif