Yes 
. You’ll probably find one at the “Monoprix” situated in the lower part of the avenue, on the right when you face the arc de triomphe.
How exciting! What communes and/or vineyards will you guys be visiting?
I think my husband and I need to start seriously planning some vacations. I’ve started seriously studying for the Master of Wine exam (well, the exams that lead up to that exam), and I need to visit all of these fabulous places. I’ve already got a list a mile long.
Have fun and be sure to post a trip report!
Yup, 4 nights booked in Beaune atm, and flexibility to add more if needed.
If you’re not familiar with it, be sure to sample some armagnac. I recommend something under ten years of age, as anything older tastes very strongly of the barrel it was aged in. Keep an eye out for Marie Dufeau bas armagnac–it’s good stuff, and cheap.
Remember that Versailles is closed one day of the week, I forget which one.
Avoid “touristy” restaurants – cafes on the Seine, around major sites – they will overcharge you and treat you shoddily.
Get reservations at the finer restaurants. Good restaurants in Paris are not always much more expensive than bad ones. Ask for local advice or use your guidebook.
Since the food at local grocers, and bigger stores like Monoprix, is very fresh and satisfying, consider eating some of your meals as picnics in parks.
Try the armagnac and stay away from expensive soft drinks.
Devote at least a day to the Louvre.
Rest and don’t put too much on the agenda. While the D’Orsay is smaller and more managable for a day’s outing, anytime spent at the Louvre is worth it. Sacre Cour offers a beautiful panoramic view. Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower is overrated. Spend a day in any one of the beautiful gardens - I’d recommend Jadrin de Luxomburg just up from Notre Dame. And you haven’t lived until you’ve walked to the middle of the Champs Elysees to take a picture of the Arc de Triomphe on a Saturday night.
Pack light. If you decide to catch a flight to any other place while over there (and purchase the tickets there), there are different weight/bag restrictions than in the US. My bag of beautiful shoes put us over the limit and cost essentially another seat on the plane when we went onto Rome after Paris.
As others have said, call your credit card company; keep a little cash on you; watch out for pickpockets; and depending on what time of day you hit the subway and the length between stops, a hankie with your favorite perfume on it isn’t a bad thing.
I got my adapter at a travel store and while a tad costly, it worked fine. I don’t know if they would be cheaper there.
I’m just back from a trip that included three days in France–Nice, Arles, and Cannes.
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Call your credit card company. Also: ask them if there’s a change for “international purchases.” Since I last went out of the US, my company has begun charging 3% for purchases outside the US.
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There were hairdryers in 2 of 3 hotels.
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A little bad French goes a long way, despite anything you may have heard about the French not appreciating it–they do, and it’s polite.
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Consider a day trip to Provence. It’s very accessible from Paris on the high speed train. If you do take trains, ask at the ticket counter whether a reservation is required. We needed to pay for reserved seats above and beyond our Eurail pass on some trips.
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If you’re not flying back to the US directly (e.g., if you have a stopover in another country where you’ll collect your checked luggage), you may be able to shop in Duty Free, carry liquids on the non-US flight segment, then pack it in your checked luggage. In other airports (e.g., Vancouver), you may be able to go through Duty Free before checking your luggage, thus enabling you to check your purchases that are not permitted on the flight.
Have a great time! The weather is lovely.
I’ll second that
Really my last post was a tad unkind.
You’ll like French bread and coffee and…Hmmmm …right
My Visa and MC don’t have chips. No problem with them ever except when the computer is down somewhere.
Nobody mentioned the Sacre Coeur. I can’t really look at it, the view keeps pulling me away.
and food and art and architecture and pretty much everything except perhapse the French
Ugh! Thanks for this tip - I called all credit card companies, and they all do this. According to them, it’s straight from Visa/Mastercard, so there’s nothing you can do about it.
Bloody money grubbers. It’s not enough that they gouge you for interest, they have to grab some arbitrary fee as well.
I found that traveler’s checks were my most economical move. I scouted around my hotel in a downtown tourist area and found a money exchange that gave a good rate with no fee and just changed a couple hundred dollars to euros there. If you exchange at an airpOrt or hotel, do some comparison shopping first. We had to change some money in Heathrow because we were arriving in France late, and lost $17 in the process as compared to the rates in France.