Tips for a first timer in Paris
 

My wife and I will be in Paris for 3 months this Fall or next Spring. It will be her first time. I have been several times but mostly on business. Aside from her guide books I'd like to show her a list of things to see if you can help me out. Very adventurous, likes to try new restaurants, art lover. Tall order but any chance for a good pool membership? We try to swim daily and want to continue but not a big deal. I appreciate any comments.

Thanks
Ben

Google piscines municipal for public swimming pools in Paris

Like here is a list of 39 that do accept the public at certain times - for a flat fee per time I think.

https://translate.google.com/transla...is&prev=search

Do not tip in restaurants more than some small change you get back on the bill plate as Service is it seems always included at 15 or even 20% added on to your bill. Americans leaving big tips drive some French crazy.

Do you know yet what part of the city you will be living in?

Some the less popular places that I like are L'Orangerie for the huge Monet canvases; Musee Marmottan small, lovely museum with lots of Impressionistic art; St Denis, the burial place of French kings.

I highly recommend "From Paris to the Past" by Ina Caro --a book full of day trips by train from Paris and the historical significance of the town recommended.

Take a look at Paris by Mouth for restaurants (and reviews) grouped by arrondisement. They do wonderful food tours, as well. John Talbott also gives goo advice on restaurants.

http://parisbymouth.com/

http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/

David Lebovitz also has a great blog to follow....pastry chef living in Paris.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

I could go on and on....

joinusinfrance.com has a worthwhile podcast. Over 100 shows and lots of topics!

The municipal pools are your only option, unless you want to pay for an expensive membership to a private gym, which will have a much smaller swimming pool.

You have to pay attention to the days and times when the general public is allowed to swim, since the rest of the time is given over to school groups and aquagym classes. Make sure to follow regulations regarding swim wear - everyone wears a bonnet, men have to wear Speedo-type suits, bring your own towels and toiletries and a 1 EU coin for each storage cabinet. Showers are separate (men / women), there are free changing cabins, and the pools are reasonably well-maintained. Since you'll be here awhile, you might want to invest in a monthly pass, which is cheaper - but cannot be used in every municipal pool.

Buy the book Friend or Foe by Polly Platt for your wife to read. It offers some tips for avoiding being rude to the French. It's available on amazon.

budgie smugglers are a must

as far as pools go: Pontoise is extra special, and so is the Josephine Baker pool, in the right season. Stuff about speedos and bonnet have already been said. Staff will definitely mind whether you have these: if you don't, bonnets are on sale in vending machines in the pool itself.

the cool thing about staying for 3 months is that you can take your time doing "the sights" and have ample time for city living, which, in Paris, is very very agreeable. Explore your quartier, establish a regular tabac or cafe for coffee, for apero, for late night drinks. See if there are local cinemas that show the stuff you want (there's a surprising number of those), frequent markets etc.

Also, try to join social gatherings, even if they are for expats, you'll get good tips on where the interesting things take place

Here is a good one:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-in-paris.cfm

Be sure to explore the outer arrondissements of the city. Not everything interesting is in the center of town or anywhere near the Seine.

Thank you for all your suggestions. Do you have any input on which arrondissements to consider? We don't have to be right in the tourist area since we will be there for 3 months but still want to be relatively close to the museums, cafes and perhaps a park or garden.

If you're looking for a very nice pool - Piscine Keller is enormous and has a retractable roof when the weather's nice - I'd recommend staying somewhere in the 15th or 14th, if you want to swim frequently. The Metro makes getting here easy.

You are never very far away from any of the things you mentioned. Normally, it's 15 mins by Metro to get around town. Paris is very small - most of the tourist sites are contained within a 2 x 1.5 km rectangle - so you can easily walk to most places.

Download a map of Paris and a Metro map and you'll see what I mean.

14th/15th would be my choice too