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RE: O/T Paris - Motorcycles & other vehicles
Posted by : Saltysnax (82.26.117.186) 
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On Friday 06/04/12 at 04:58:54
Hi JJ, hope you enjoy Paris. Tips are:
Take a camera and photograph motorcycling, then when home crop the pictures, it makes all the difference.
I nearly died over there when I sat down at a cafe for a beer, looked at the prices, between 8 to 11 euros a 500ml (pint less a bit). Needless to say got up and walked away. Wine and coffee at cafes is expensive too, 8 euros for 500ml of wine and 5 euros for a coffee. Supermarkets best place to buy alcohol. Make sandwiches instead of buying stuff. This can save enough money to buy something out and have it as a treat.
Don't mess with the coppers they are armed to the teeth. You can tell the difference between the police and the gendarmes, police smile, gendarmes don't.
Trains and metro are good. We bought ten tickets for 12.70 euros, each ticket valid for one journey however long, can be used on metro and mainline trains with in the Paris area. Get metro and rail map from internet or tourist office. Don't be suprised if you see men dressed in black carrying sticks, handcuffs and handguns on their belts, walking through the train carriages. They are the SNCF police and all that applies to gendarmes apply to them.
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Go on the Batobus. This is the river bus that goes around Paris on the river. It stops at all the touristy places and goes round and round all day. You can buy a ticket for the whole loop and jump on and off to suit yourself.
As is the case anywhere, but especially in strange cities where lots of people are in a small place - beware of thieves, pickpockets and ne'er do wells. We were accosted by a dark swarthy man trying to force a gold ring on to us. He then said it was his ex wife's and he wanted us to have the ring so he could have some money to buy a sandwich as he was hungry. We offered him a sandwich and he didn't want it. So it's a quick Foxtrot Oscar to you mate and this was confirmed by a local girl who told us that the ring was probably stolen and the nicked goods are sold off to unsuspecting public/visitors. It's a criminal gang activity apparently.
Go for a ride in a TucTuc (cross between a Vespa and a rickshaw, powered by a 400cc engine). Not cheap but a blast up the Champs Elysey in one was a hoot.
Get a good comfortable backpack if you are carrying stuff around all day. I bought a new one before I went as my old one was uncomfortable. I got one which cost 32 quid. Well, I chipped them 10% in the shop when I bought it so it only stands me at £28.80 but the money it saved in water (1 euro for 500ml bottle in the hot weather at end of March) and food, it has paid for itself already.
Le Menu. Cafes and restaurants have a board outside with Menu at different amounts of euros, some maybe 11, 16, 21 euros. Some menus are two courses some are three courses. Go for the cheap one and you'll get a three course nosh for a bit more than a tenner. The higher priced menus are just a greater choice of the food available, it is all the same food.
Enjoy the place, it really is an international city full of tourists and visitors from all over the place. Parisians are a friendly welcoming bunch and are eager to help if asked. We asked a policeman about using the trains and was our ticket ok for the trip and he was very helpful.
There are loads of motorbikes over there being used by so many types of people it is truly amazing sight, but I only saw one C type Honda stepthrough. Maybe a Paris bimble one day but for sure you'd need some local help or we'd all split up at the Arc de Triomph never to be seen again.
Hope this helps.
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