How available/costly are laundries and dry cleaners in Paris?

Available, but not cheap. My limited experience is that the work is expertly done, finished by hand and of a much better quality than the typical laundry in the states, but that the prices are as high as "hotel prices" are here, even when you take things to the cleaners yourself.

Pat, I have taken things to "5 à Sec," an interesting play on words, very near the Maubert métro stop. It must be a chain because I noticed at least one other in Paris, but I don't remember where. You can pick your articles up the next day. I think a top-notch job on jeans and a shirt came to about $5. There are quite a few laundromats in the 6th where I usually stay. Boots

Getting a dress shirt laundered will cost you about 16 francs at a neighborhood laundromat. Pretty steep.

I guess "pretty steep" must depend on what you're used to at home, and what exchange rate you are relying on. <BR>Where I live, 16FF currently translates to about $2.20, which in my home city is still a good price for sending out a shirt.

Hi Pat <BR>I just saw your other posting about <BR>having laundry done vs not wanting to overpack. <BR>I am a very big fan of sending out <BR>laundry/drycleaning while I am traveling (or doing the laundry myself) if the trip is longer than just a few days. <BR>I personally have not found the prices charged by smaller hotels to be that outrageous for same-day next-day service, while the rates in large <BR>business-oriented hotels are very high indeed. Even with higher rates, <BR>for me it is a wonderful luxury to have refreshed clothes, particularly if I'm going on to another location--the extra $20 or so doesn't seem so bad when factored into the whole price of my trip, and I'd rather eat wonderful bread and cheese for one meal to make up the difference if I had to.

Laundromats are expensive by U.S. standards (20ff for a small washload) and you're watching clothes slosh around in soapy water instead of seeing Monets or shopping. Dry cleaners and laundries are pretty common in residential neighborhoods, not so much in tourist/business areas. Ask at your hotel, or if you rent an apartment, ask the agent or landlord, for the closest one. Dry cleaning costs are pretty reasonable - don't know about laundries.

Thanks, folks. I hope no one was inconvenienced by posting twice, but someone came on the other topic and suggested helpfully that I post this way. <BR> <BR>Take out doesn't sound too expensive at all, at least not by N.Y. standards. <BR> <BR>Many thanks.

To be specific, there is a dry cleaner & self-service laundromat on Rue Chevert where it intersects Ave. de Tourville, just around the corner from the Ecole Militaire metro stop. Open all hours.

For the sake of comparison: I'm French living in California and find the prices to be the same as in Paris--laundromats or dry cleaners. You will find them more or less everywhere in Paris. Ask your hotel for the closest.