Paris, St.Denis, and Stud IDs
 

Hi. Am visiting Paris in a month and am going with my 3 HS aged daughters. I see occasionally that it is a good idea for them to have a "student ID" but their HS doesn't issue IDs. They have their drivers licences, passports, and their military dependant IDs. Is there anything else someone would recommend i do?
2nd question: There are some French websites which are poorly translated into English suggesting that the St-Denis area is a happening place for young people but most tour guidebooks say nothing. What's up there other than a big Basillica?

The discounts in Paris seemed more related to age than to student status. In many museums, kids under 18 get in free. My kids never had a student ID when they were under 18 and got into the museums for free.

I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say that the St. Denis area is a happening place for young people, but I don't really think town of St. Denis is what is being recommended. If you cite the French websites you saw, maybe someone here could take a look and translate for you.

Thanks, anyone else have any experience with the St Denis area (on the north side of Paris)

We visited St. Denis -- the town and the basilica -- in October 2005. The town is a nondescript place undergoing a renovation in its central area. We should advise you that St. Denis at that time was a center for car-burning and rioting after dark. Although I am not aware of any disturbances since last fall, I would recommend you go there only during daylight hours. The basilica is a fascinating collection of royal tombs; be sure to rent the English-language audio guide.

I visited the St. Denis town and basilica in November 2004 and March 2005. I did not notice anything remotely suggesting it was a "happening place for young people." Both times, I was glad to return to Paris before dark.

In March, the basilica was terribly cold. Dress appropriately. The audio tour is very good.

Woody

I think you must have made some mistake about St Denis being a happening place for young people. Even the young people who live there don't particularly like it that much (see news reports). It does have a soccer stadium, but this has got to be wrong. The basilica there is interesting, and I enjoyed visiting the museum in the convent.

I don't think a student ID is going to be of much use, as museums free entries are related to age, not being a student. Some places that do have special student discounts have them solely for EU or French students.

Student ID is of hardly any use in Paris; they need not bring any. They just need regular identification (passport, etc.).

There are no "happening places" outside the Paris city limits, and while Paris itself is generally safe, many of the suburbs are far less so. The most lively area for young adults right now in Paris is said to be around the Bastille; I don't do clubs and bars myself, but this is what I've been told.

<I think you must have made some mistake about St Denis being a happening place for young people.>

Obviously . . .:)
Thanks for the input - d

Interesting double case of cultural misunderstanding:

1) Saint Denis: there are two Saint-Denis in the Paris area. One is the suburb with the basilica (and the stadium) bla bla bla - which BTW was no way "the center" of the violence in November, it's way too traditionally urbanised for that. The other is the rue and porte Saint-Denis, a street in the Les Halles/Sentier district in Paris that used to be a hub for downtown prostitution, and is now struggling to be a hip place. There is a long way to go, though... S*x shops and cheap places for flashy clothes are still pretty much the norm on rue Saint-Denis.

2) Student. In the States, a "student" is somebody in the school system, from 1st grade to PhD. In France, a "student" (étudiant) is only a college student. A HS student is a "lycéen", and in general is not allowed "étudiant" discounts. Now, don't ask me why...