Paris In May Solo
 

I'll be in Paris next week. This is my second visit, I speak virtually no French (just a few key phrases) and I'm both excited and frighted. I do have an English/French translator and with time I can read a little. Anyone else who is going to be there next week? Any hints on a middle-aged woman out at night in Paris? I'd like to visit a jazz club or two. How difficult and expensive can it be to catch a cab? Thanks.

Well, cabs are simple. You find a taxi rank rather than waving one down on the street. Yhey are indicated on many maps or your hotel can tell you where to find one. It will help a lot if you neatly write down where you want to go before you get in because your pronunciation may not be all that great and the driver may not speak English well.

I was in Paris last week, solo, and visited a jazz club in the 5th called Le Petit Journal. It's on Blvd St. Michel across from Luxembourg Gardens. Good music starting at 9 pm, sitting solo to enjoy it not an issue at all. No cover charge but Euro 17 for your first drink then the prices drop down to Euro 9 or 10. They have a website, I'm sure.

There's a good restaurant near there called Restaurant Perraudin where the staff speaks English and is accomodating to solo diners. They've always taken good care of me. www.restaurant-perraudin.com. Their house wine is so good.

Hope you have a great trip.

Cabs aren't unusually expensive in Paris compared to any other major city I've been in, so expect the usual. They aren't dirt cheap, of course, you may pay $10 to get across town (or more, depending on traffic and time of day, rates go up at night).

You can get taxis outside some of the major hotels, also, but if you aren't at your hotel (and they can call one for you), you do have to look for a taxi queue and the blue TAXI sign at certain locations (major squares and "places", outside train stations, etc.). Some maps like Streetwise mark them, which is useful. There will be one not too far away in the real central area, but I will admit there are not always taxis at them in all locations. Ifr you are going to jazz clubs, you should be in a an area where you won't have trouble getting one, I imagine.

There is always a taxi rank at Metro station entrances. If you stop in a metro station and ask for a Plan du Bus, it will have all of the bus routes and metro stations. Most helpful