mikePA92

Hey all, I am 17 year old guy and will be going to Paris in July with a group from my high school.

I am looking for any suggestions on what to pack/wear to Paris in July, and some fun things to do for teenagers.

Please also let me know any other information you think might be helpful. Thanks!!

TPAYT

A few suggestions:

In-line skating--- They meet at 10pm on Fri. night and skate through the streets of Paris for 3 hours.They have skate guards with the group and it is followed by an ambulance in case of injury. I think they have a day skate also.


Fat Tire Bike tours-----day or night

Segway tours----now that's a different way to see Paris!

Also in July the "beach" should be set up along the Seine.

Street entertainment will be in full swing around Notre Dame and St. Michael, especially after 10 PM.

Christina

hi, Mike, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun. I've been to Paris quite a few times in July, and the temperature can range from mild to very hot. So you never know. You don't say where you are from, but the Paris July weather is fairly similar to New York City, for example. Honestly, young people your age all dress about the same in Europe as you probably do in the US, so wear whatever you might wear if you were going on a HS trip in July to New York or Washington, DC. Paris is usually not as hot or humid as Washington, though, so that's good.

So, I'd take some cargo shorts and at least one pair of long pants (khaki or chinos, something like that, not too hot). For shoes, take some athletic shoes/sneakers, and some serious walking sandals (like Teva or something). I don't know what else you are doing, but maybe one "nicer" pair of slipons or something.

I'd also take a lightweight jacket, something that repels water (rain) would be good.

mikePA92

Wow, excellent responses:

TPAYT, those all sound like nice ideas! The Segway tours sound very exciting, not to mention the skating. I've read some about the beach, but not quite sure what that's all about...

And Christina, firstly, i'm from PENNSYLVANIA. (I've been to NYC in July, too). Thanks for the advice. It's always so hard to know what to pack when you've never been there before. LOL.

I'm eager to see everyone else's ideas/advice too!! Please share!

nytraveler

Teens dress the same all over the world - although French teens do tend to be a little neater.

July will be hot - either moderatly hot or very hot. Make sur eyou have very comfy walking shoes/sneaks - as youwill be walking Miles and miles every day.

Also - do plan on rain - it usually does at some point.

dmd887

You'll have an awesome time. Paris is arguably my favorite city in the entire world. It just has that special something about it.

I went there in August, I was only 20 at the time. Make sure you see all the big sights (i.e Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, take a cruise on the River Seine) but I'm sure your high school group will have that all organized anyway.

They're not very strict about the drinking age over in France at all, so fun things for teenagers to do...go party man!!! Haha....seriously though have a good time.

nytraveler

It's not that they're not strict about the drinking age - it's that they have different drinking ages than in the US.

When we traveled with our step-daughters (14 and 17 the second trip to Paris with them) they were automatically served wine at meals - since this is simply how it's done there. Don;t know the rules about gong into clubs - except that ours went to a teen club one night that served wine - but not I believe, hard liquor.

For practical help - learn how to use the Metro - and some basic polite phrases in French. (Our daughters went off several afternoons on their own - but they both speak decent French.)

kerouac

The drinking age is being tightened in France in 2009. Minors will no longer be allowed to buy alcohol in supermarkets, and it is likely that the age for beer and wine in cafés will be raised from 16 to 18.

The beach operation in Paris (Paris Plages) runs from mid-July to mid-August.

mikePA92

All very interesting replies, everybody. THANK YOU! Keep them coming, please!

My teachers sponsoring the tour says he doesn't mind if we have wine with dinner and such, although he said most kids don't enjoy it, as the wine is served room temperature.

The beach is a nice idea, but we have a pretty full itinerary, so I don't think there will be time for that.

StCirq

<<although he said most kids don't enjoy it, as the wine is served room temperature.>>

How else would you drink it (unless it's white and slightly chilled)? Please tell me he doesn't drink his with ice cubes in it!

I think most young people, my kids included, enjoy walking around the Latin Quarter in the evenings. It's bustling and there are tons of inexpensive places to eat and drink.

Also, I'd go up to the top of the Tour Montparnasse for the most amazing view over the city.

And for cheap eats: Chartier.

For a unique, if touristy, dining/drinking experience: Au Sergeant Le Recruiter.

The street performers outside the Centre Pompidou are always a hit - and the street stalls around its perimeter are a great place for young folks to pick up inexpenesive souveniers.

Have a ball!

mikePA92

StCirq, where are you from? In the U.S. we most always drink our wine chilled!!

Thanks for sharing the ideas! I'm guessing there is most always street entertainment? It sounds as if there is alot fun, entertaining stuff to do.

StCirq

I live in the US and have a home in France where I spend a lot of time. We drink white wine slightly chilled in both countries - red wine never chilled in either country (it would be sacrilege IMO to chill most red wines - OK, perhaps a young Chinon).

sf7307

Have to agree with St.Cirq....red wine should be served just slightly below room temp, but much &quot;warmer&quot; than it would be if refrigerated (assuming your room isn't 80 deg.F), white wine slightly chilled. (Mike, you're only 17 -- you <i>shouldn't</i> know the proper temperatures for serving wine )

carly1

Well, Bastille Day is a HUGE celebration on July 14. Then there's the Paris Cinema Film Festival through July 12.

Temperatures are cool, mid-'60sF, but it's been a bit hotter the last couple of years.

RAINY! Bring a portable umbrella, too. (I got something called a &quot;purse umbrella&quot; from Target, it actually fit in my front pocket!)

If you're planning on staying in an apartment, I'd go with http://www.welcome2france.com. We've rented from them numerous times. Great properties, affordable, luxurious, good service, etc.

have fun!

mikePA92

I'll be arriving in Paris on July 15, to avoid all the Bastille Day commotion!

My group will be staying in a hotel, although as of yet, i'm not sure in which one we'll be staying.

kerouac

Wine in a carafe, even red wine, is very often chilled in the summer -- but sometimes it isn't. Times have changed. The most commonly chilled wine is ros&eacute;, however.

Bottled red wine is rarely chilled, but I would imagine that a teenage group would go mostly for the wine in carafes, of only due to purchasing power.

Don't forget, however, that Paris is the #1 tourist city in the world and no waiter will bat an eye if you ask for ice cubes with your wine. (In the south of France, it is even quite common.)

Christina

hey, Mike, I have relatives in Pittsburgh and am from Ohio. So you will have an idea of the weather as it will be like Philadelphia, that area.

A lot of my relatives do drink red wine chilled, unfortunately. My sister drinks all red wine chilled. I think teens aren't really into wine much, I think it takes a while to acquire the taste for that, for some reason. But Paris has lots of good beer to try, so they might like that -- try Stella Artois. You can get draft beer, big glasses, for reasonable prices. I like rose chilled (which teens might like as it is not very strong-flavored) and pinot noir just a bit cooler than some huskier reds.

There is also usually a lot of street stuff going on on the parvis of Notre Dame (that's the big cobblestone square in front). A lot of rollerbladers or skateboarders do their thing there.

I've been to Paris probably at least six times in July, and I must disagree with the person above who says it is typically cool or in the 60s F. huh?.... sometimes at night it may be, and sometimes in the day time, but that isn't the typical average day time temperature in July, it is usually hotter than that. Even twenty years ago, when I first went in July and it seemed to be cooler in the summer than now, it wasn't that cool in the day time for most of July. I'd just check the weather report on Yahoo or something in the weeks just before going to get an idea (although it can change suddenly, of course). You could maybe take some kind of pullover sweater and a thin waterproof windbreaker or something, that's what I was thinking.

The Paris &quot;beach&quot; isn't really a beach, they truck in sand and put it along the river in certain areas just east of Notre Dame. It's like a big sand box IMO. But it is casual and fun, and there can be some music or things going on around there.

I often stay in MOntparnasse, and there are a couple cafes there that seem to cater to young people, including teens. So if you are on your own any, or can drag along the adults, you might get off at the Vavin metro stop and then just walk in the block or two to the west of there (along blvd Montparnasse) nd check out some sidewalk cafes and which one you might be comfortable at. One is right next to the Select, as I recall (the Select is a little older crowd).

Seamus

What part of PA, Mike?

There are podcast walking tours you can download to your mp3 covering various neighborhoods. Google for them, or if you have no luck I will dig in my files to find the URL.

mikePA92

Seamus, i'm about 20mi north of Pittsburgh; western Pennsylvania.

And Christina, very nice post! TY!

mikePA92

Now, about the HOTEL:

Becuase i'll be touring Paris through a travel company, i'm unsure of the hotel i'll be staying in (obviously nothing too fancy), but I was wondering how most hotel rooms are. Like, do they provide towels, etc. in the bathrooms? Are there simple toiletries (soap, shampoo, and the like)? What stuff should I bring with me?