Paris: Last Minute Questions
 

I'll be leaving for Paris this Friday, and I have a few last minute questions that I hope you can help me with.

1. Wine bottle opener. Since I'm not planning to check in any luggage and therefore cannot bring a swiss army knife w/ me to Paris, how am I going to open the wine for say a picnic? Could I ask the shop where I purchase the wine to open it for me? Or is there a convenient shop where I could buy a bottle opener? How do you do this?

2. What arrodisements are in zones 1 and 2 covered by the Carte Orange? Does it go to 13th, etc.? Not sure I need the CO at all, as I'll be in 4th and could walk quite a bit.

3. How does the museum pass work? Do they stamp your pass on the day you use it, not the day you buy it, right?

4. What to do on a rainy day in Paris? The weather forecast indicates that it's going to rain on Sat. the day I arrive. :( I cannot activate my 5-day museum pass yet, as Sunday is a national holiday and everything is closed. I cannot use it until Monday. Any suggestions? Someone in this forum suggested penciling in the start day? Is this dangerous? I don't know want to get in trouble over there. But it would be great if I could climb Notre Dame and see the crypt or something not too hard-cored the weekend before the pass period starts. :)

Thanks for your help!

1. Sure, ask if it's a wine shop & they will open it for you. But if you're at a grocery, corner store, Monoprix, it might be easier to purchase your own corkscrew. I have done both. Also some European whites have screw tops (this is not a sign of bad wine like it might be in the US, simply because the wine will be drunk sooner than later).

3. The first time you use your Museum Card, the agent (at whichever museum) will write the date on the card.

4. There are many museums and sights that are NOT on the Museum Card list, so you can visit those on that rainy Saturday.

My husband purchased a really nice corkscrew as his souvenir from a beautiful wine shop close to our hotel in the 6th. We then had one to use on the trip and a fond memory now everytime we use it at home.

Paris is a big city. You'll easily be able to find stores that sell corkscrews!
The museum personnel know all the tricks. You won't get away with pencilling in the date and then erasing it.
As for a rainy Saturday, just pay for whatever facility you ended up going to that day. The real advantage of a museum pass for most people is that it saves time, not money.

I think the museums mark your card, they aren't stupid.

However, if you can afford a trip to Paris, you can afford to pay to go into a museum or monument on that day without resorting to fraud and trying to avoid paying an entry fee by cheating and lying. I don't think an ethical person would do what you are suggesting.

You could visit some churches on Saturday (Notre Dame, St. Sulpice, St. Germaine, etc.) and do some shopping. Saturday would be a good day to get your corkscrew. One of my favorite museums, the Marmatton, is not on the museum pass so if you plan to go there, Saturday would be a good day.

JC98: Two weeks ago, before we left for Paris, I tracked several websites, most which called for rain most days of our visit and snow for our arrival. It was cold when we arrived, but no snow, and no rain for the next five days.

Our hotel suggested a place around the corner to buy a corkscrew.

The museum pass saved us from standing in line about an hour each day. Lines at the Louvre, d'Orsay, and Picasso were especially long. The pass gets dated when you start using it.

Enjoy your trip!

I rarely have time in Paris that doesn't include some rain, so except for a real downpour I don't let rain change my plans much. Obviously indoor attractions like museums and churches are good choices for rainy weather.

The advice of the Marmottan on your Saturday is good.
Even on the Sunday holiday, the Eiffel Tower should be open and some of the other attractions might be. Not all museums and such close on all holidays.
Try checking paris.org for the Calendar, or else check individual websites for the Louvre, Ste Chapelle, Orsay, other popular attractions.

I've yet to buy a transport pass in Paris. I do walk a lot, and buy a carnet (bunch of 10 tickets) which gets me on the metro, buses, or RER within Paris when I want to ride.

You can take a corkscrew from home.
I use those called "bartender's friend", its a lever/pull thingy, one just has to break off the little knife part (if one's corkscrew has one) that would slice open the capsule..tin foil.

A great museum, the Carnalvalet is not on the Museum pass network... its free.
Good Saturday entertainment but Paris in the rain, sort of gloomy and blue-ish is still beautiful.

JC98 said he will not be checking luggage, I doubt the corkscrew will be allowed in a carryon

I'll bet wine stores sell them anyway

Definitely a Monoprix, or a "cheap stuff" store (look for a large display of plastic containers, etc. on the sidewalk) for a corkscrew. A zone 1 and 2 Carte d'Orange will take you anywhere within the Paris city limits, on Metro or bus. With a small folding umbrella (see Monoprix-cheap stuff store) there is nothing you can't do on a rainy day in Paris.

The museums of the City of Paris are always free (like Carnavalet, and if you have Rick Steves guidebook to Paris his tour in there of this museum is quite good). Others in this group include:

Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris

Musée Cognacq-Jay

Maison de Balzac

Maison de Victor Hugo

Maison de Proust

Musée Edith Piaf

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (o.k. a cemetary is not a museum, but like one)

Cimetière de Montemartre

Cimetière de Montparnasse

Citè de la Musique (at la Vilette - sp?)

also try "Paris for Free" website http://www.reidsguides.com/eff/paris/eff_paris_af.html

Enjoy Paris!

Cool! Thanks, all, for your helpful advice. I'll buy the corkscrew and even umbrella out there and brave the rain to see whatever I can. I've heard Paris is supposed to be even more charming in the rain. See, I'm from SoCal, so when it rains here, our life comes to a screeching halt. :)

Another concern I have is carrying a jacket w/ me all the time, as I may be running around all day and won't come back to the hotel until late at night. Not sure it looks appropriate if I tie it around my waist? It's too big to be stuffed into my backpack. Wish I had bought a Northface nuptse jacket that can be compressed into a little pouch. Too late for that now.

Ah, #1, a question after my own heart. The first purchase my husband and I made when we arrived in Paris was a <b>tire-bouchon</b> at the Monoprix department store, one of which can be found on nearly every other Parisian street corner. Known as &quot;wine bottle opener&quot; in English. Looks exactly like the ones we have at home, and costs the same. A very handy first purchase to make (our got a huge work out, let me tell you.)

Rainy days in Paris were absolutely <i>made</i> for sitting at a sidewalk table drinking coffee, wine, or beer.

On Saturday, climb the Eiffel Tower. How about a ride out to Vincennes Castle on the M&eacute;tro?

If you use the M&eacute;tro or bus more than 14 times from Monday through Sunday, a Carte Orange for &euro;15.40 is your best bet. Don't ever walk if you can ride - your time is precious.

JC:

It was cold and drizzling the day we arrived in Paris. We put on our boots and went for a long walk. One of our fondest memories is the oh-so-hot ham and cheese crepe we bought from a sidewalk vendor. We stood under our dripping umbrellas, watching the crowds in Lux Gardens, savoring every luscious bite. Our first French &quot;meal&quot;.

In other words, you don't have to really plan differently because of the rain. In fact, you may recover from jet lag faster if you spend some time outdoors that day. Take waterproof shoes/boots and an umbrella...Paris awaits!

We did mean to bring a wine opener as we did check our luggage. But we did indeed forget.

However, as we would buy a bottle at Nicolas or some other place on our way back to the hotel, we found that stopping at the reception desk on our way back to the room, and politely asking for an opener..voila, we had one...opened the bottle, re-corked it, went to our room, had some wine, put the remainder in the fridge in our hotel room and we were not missing anything...except the ability to take a small bottle on a picnic in the middle of the day. :-)

Enjoy,
Jean

Hi JC:

We arived in Paris on a Saturday morning after an overnight flight from Canada (actually 2 Saturdays ago now).

After a snooze we went over to the Eiffel Tower (as its not on the Museum Pass, so no sense wasting 'pass time' there) as we thought that would be 'mindless' enough (vs museums) to start Paris off with. Also, before our 'Museum Pass' kicked in we did a &quot;touristy&quot; day of markets (Marche aus Puces St-Ouen de Clinancourt) &amp; walking through Montmartre (including climbing to the top of Sacre-Coeur).

BTW - since you have the 5-day musuem pass, I'd recommend using 3-parcial (half or less) days at the Louvre, as its too overwhelming to do in 1 day (&amp; the museum pass allows for multiple enteries).

We'd purchased a 1-day Louvre ticket &amp; a 3-day museum pass, as we thought we'd dedicate a day to the Louvre &amp; that was cheaper than 1-day on the 3 or 5 day Museum Pass. We'd started first thing in the morning and by mid-afternoon our 'minds were numb' (which appeared to be common). So we actually went back on the Wednesday evening (with the Museum Pass, as Wed is the only weeknight evening its open). If (when) we go back we'd though 2-mornings &amp; the Wed evening at the Louvre (with the 5-day pass) would allow us to to see more &amp; better appreciate what we did see. And that would still leave lots of time on the Museum Pass to hit the other sites.

Hope this helps,

Z