Internet & Mail in Paris

Internet & Mail

Almost all hotels in Paris, save for the resolutely old-fashioned, have a tiny Internet kiosk that guests can use for free or for a fee. There are also several Internet cafés that can provide more services and offer competitive rates. XS Arena Internet (43 bv. Sebastopol, Châtelet, 75001. 01-40-13-06-51. www.xsarena.com. 17 rue Soufflot, Quartier Latin, 75005. 01-43-54-55-55), usually full of young gamers, is open daily, 24-hours. La Baguenaude (30 rue Grande Truanderie, Châtelet, 75001. 01-40-26-27-74. www.baguenaude-cafe.com) is smaller and has shorter opening hours, but more specialized equipment, including scanners, CD burners, and color printers. Cyber Cube (12 rue Daval, Bastille, 75011. 01-49-29-67-67. www.cybercube.fr) is open daily, 10 AM-10 PM, with rates by the minute.

If you bring your laptop with you, be sure to be prepared with adaptors and foreign access numbers for your home ISP. Wireless Internet access is more and more common in Paris, particularly in hotels and cafés, although not always for free.

Post offices, or PTT, are found in every neighborhood and are recognizable by a yellow and blue la poste sign. They are usually open weekdays 8 AM-7 PM, Saturday 8 AM-noon, but the main Paris post office (52 rue du Louvre, 1er) is open 24 hours, seven days a week. For a memorable souvenir, get your postcards stamped at the post office inside the Louvre Museum or the Eiffel Tower (on the first level).