In March I will head to Paris to work for a few months as a breather from academic life (since it seems grad school is next on my agenda).
I will likely work there as a bartender to keep away from the dread 9-to-5. I have no place to live yet, and know nobody in Paris. However, the company providing the work permit (Council Travel) assures me that jobs and apartments are located by 95% of people within a week. My French is pretty fluent, and I spent a week in Paris a couple summers ago when I backpacked Europe.
So my question: have any Dopers out there done anything like this before, and if so do you have any tips? How much money should I have to start out with? Things I should check out (other than the tourist crap)? Problems I might encounter? Any help will be greatly appreciated!
have a paris dopefest to make some european friends?
Paris is quite expensive to live in compared to the rest of France, so take a lot of money to get started…you can always put it back in the bank if you don’t need it…
Sorry I can’t be more help, but I only visit it (the tourist stuff should keep you busy for a few months or longer if you like museums…I seem to remember something about it taking you 6 months to see the pictures in the louvre, even if you only spent 30seconds with each & didn’t eat etc…).
Well, if you ever feel the need for some decent food just hop on the Channel Tunnel.
Last I heard, the whole accommodation thing was getting harder and more expensive. If it’s anything like barwork in London, accommodation is usually included but I doubt that it’s as certain in Paris.
I imagine that’s going to be the big problem until it’s sorted and I’d take what the Agency says with a large pinch of salt.
Maybe a little research on the Frech versions of Yahoo, AltaVista, ODP, etc ?
Paris can be very expensive for tourists, but as a student living there I learned a lot of tricks to save $$. You will certainly learn these same tricks shortly after you begin feeling that you are getting ripped off every time you take your wallet out. My advice:
Don’t eat in cafes unless you are well outside the touristy areas. Eating out is really, really expensive in Paris relative to some other European cities. I used to just grab a sandwich from the bakery for lunch every day and eat in a park.
If you want to drink at cafes, drink at the bar. You will have to stand, but beer is usually nearly half the price, plus you will meet many more locals this way.
The problem with the above suggestions is that Paris can be rainy and cold in the springtime, which will make you seek out indoor places to hang. In that case I recommend staying for a very long time wherever you go because you pay a lot just for the privilege of sitting down.
Where to live: It will cost a bundle to live in the center of Paris (duh). I lived in the 20th arrondisement which has very cheap rent (at least compared to NYC!). It is a very ethnically diverse area and an interesting place to live. If you are a woman, be careful with certain neighborhoods–make sure you feel safe there at night before moving in. I found Paris to be somewhat intimidating as a woman (I got harassed a LOT even though I dressed like the French).
Things to do:
Definitely check out the Marche aux Puces (flea market) at Cligancourt. It’s only on certain days, but there’s tons of cool stuff.
Go to the Musee Rodin. My favorite museum in Paris–go on a sunny day and read a book in the outdoor garden.
For a picnic go to Buttes aux Chaumont in the 20th arr. It is a really weird park with all kinds of manmade “natural” structures, but it is as far as I know the only place you can actually sit on the grass in all of Paris.
There is (at least there was when I lived there 6 years ago) a great little magazine that has tons of accomodation listings: France-USA Contacts. You can find it in lots of places – cafes, tourist agencies, university lounges. It also gives a lot of good info on how to get around, what to see, fun cheap stuff to do, and also has lots of job listings.
You can also try looking in the lounges of the dorms at the Cité Universitaire in the 14th. You can just walk in to the lobbies of many of them during the day; you don’t have to actually live there. Lots of people post notices on the bulletin boards, so you might find something. Take the RER blue line to Cité Universitaire, walk cross Boulevard Jourdan, and you will see the dorms. The American one is just about right across the street from the RER, and the rest are clustered all around there.
Paris is very expensive, but after a while your perception of money will change. 10FF to them (which is about $1.80) is the “same” as about $0.50 to Americans – that is, it’s almost like throwaway money. You see some little sticker or something for 10FF and you will think, “Oh, that’s cheap,” when you’d never spend $1.80 on the same thing in the U.S. 50FF (really = ~$9.00) is the “same” as about $4.50. You’ll be shocked to see cans of soda selling for nearly $5.00 in the touristy sections, when you could get the same thing for 5-6FF if you walk a few blocks away.
I lived in Paris, as a sort of wetback, for ten years. Some good suggestions in the previous posts.
For accomodation, check the American Church: Quai d’Orsay, Metro Invalides; accommodations and shares are listed daily on the bulletin board in the basement. Rentals are extremely tight at the moment, but keep trying and you’ll find something.
The weekly classifieds in J’Annonce may provide some leads as well. 20ff at any newsstand.
Also check France-USA Contacts, as another post mentioned, but their listings tend to be rather high-end. Here is their web site:
If you are looking for a bartending job, your bet bet is one of the Irish or English-style pubs. There are several around Chatelet. Also check out Rue Oberkampf, as there are a number of hip places there.
To get around, buy weekly or monthly metro passes; you will save at least 30% over the cost of individual tickets. You need only a small passport-type photo; ask for a *Carte Orange[/] at any metro ticket booth (this is a free ID card with a holder for the ticket), then a coupon semaine or coupon mensuel.
You might consider getting a bike instead; cycling is more practical than it was a few years ago, as the city has begun installing bikeways on major streets. Even beat-up used machines run around $150US, however.
Best of luck; while it can be stressful starting out, Paris is an extremely pleasant place to live once you know your way around.
