We've finally booked our plane and hotel in Paris for first 7 days in July and we're starting to get excited about our first trip there. We've been told and have read how wonderful it is to picnic in Paris and sense that there is no problem taking a bottle of wine and drinking it in park or on a bench along the river, etc?

Re laundry...we want to travel light as possible (our total stay will be about 12 days - 5 outside Paris) and so must do laundry. We'll be in the 9thA. at the Paris Eiffel Park (mainly because it has a/c)- so will be looking for a laundromat around there...or perhaps its best when we get into the Normandy region. Just wondered if laudromats are plentiful?

Thanks to this message board, we've been able to put our plans together -- so thanks all!

Laundromats are not necessarily plentiful outside Paris. When I researched laundromats for our trip in Normandy and Brittany, the only one we found along our route was in Dinan (and apparently mentioned in Rick Steves). Your hotel in Paris should know where there are laundromats in the neighborhood. Once outside Paris, it might be best to know which towns you will be in and look up in the Yellow Pages on the web laundromats for these towns.

There are a few laundromats on rue de Grenelle and around rue Cler and off of rue Dominic.
Now remember, when in Paris Drink Wine while you Do Laundry

Outside Paris, ask at the local tourism office. Not only will they know where the nearest laundromat is, but they may mark it on a map for you (or take you outside and point).

M

Rick Steves' books ALWAYS seem to have good laundromat suggestions...and also find out if your hotel will do a load for you. Sometimes it's worth it (and always much less expensive that it costs to have laundry done in US hotels). Nothing like coming back to your room after a day of adventures and having clean laundry folded on your bed.

I would think you might have more luck finding a laundromat in Paris than somewhere in Normandy, but that's just a guess. It's not easy to find them in small towns, of course.

For best advice, maybe you can clear up where you are actually staying. The Eiffel Park hotel is not in the 9th, it's in the 7th just west of Champ de Mars park near rue St Dominique and the Eiffel Tower (as the name would suggest). It looks nice enough. Maybe there are two hotels with similar names -- is your hotel on rue Amelie?

There is a laundromat on rue Amelie I think!
As well as on rue Exhibition, where the World Cafe cyber cafe is located.

Sorry! that is rue l'Exposition..

Thanks everyone for the good info on doing laundry in Paris. I like the idea of the hotel doing this service while we're out enjoying ourselves. Also, Christina, you are right...it is the 7th, not 9th -- and Scarlet - yes, its on Amelie -- so with a laundry and a hotel with a/c -- we'll have the basics. Thanks to you all!

Ifyou haven't found it already try www.pagesjaunes.fr ("yellow pages" in French) It is in French or English (click on picture of British flag) "Lauderette" in "Paris 7" turned up these two listings:

Laverie Amélie
9 r Amélie 75007 PARIS 01 45 55 97 51



Redon Blanc Service
2 r Comète 75007 PARIS 01 45 51 02 87

But the website is fun with photos and maps of what must be every address in Paris (and some other French cities too).

You'll have no problems finding laundromats in Paris. The tricky part is understanding the directions on the machine and instruction for purchasing detergent, both, of course, in French!

A nice restaurant that makes (among other things) good fish stew- Le Petit Nicois (10 rue Amelie)