PARIS, FRANCE

Paris, known as the "city of lights" is truly one of the world's most beautiful cities. To artists, it is the capital of paintings, sculpture, design, decoration, music, theater, fashion and literature. To the French, it is the vibrant, beating heart of their country, the center of everything happening in the government and in business. The river Seine bisects the city and ten of Paris's twenty districtsor Arrondissements are located along the rivers banks. Each arrondissement has a character and a meaning for Parisians and offer an array of Cathedrals, Palaces, Parks and Gardens.The streets of Paris are filled with opportunity to visit scores of famous monuments and landmarks; the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Ste-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Hotel des Invalides to name but a few.

How do I get to your school and get around in Paris?
Paris has two major airports with good connections. The metro is the best way to travel around Paris. Taxis are expensive in Paris.

Our School
Our school is in the 9th arrondisement and only 50 meters from the Metro: Les Grands Boulevards near the famous 'Halls Quarter'. Located in a traditional Parisian street, students will feel as though they are part of daily French culture by mingling with locals and sipping cafe 'Parisian style'.

School Accommodation
Self-Catering Apartments: a choice of single or double rooms, fully equipped kitchens and living areas. Apartments are located within a 25 minutes bus or metro ride from the school. Apartments are not air-conditioned. Linens will be provided for you, please bring you own towels. Apartments are cleaned on a regular basis.

Host Family: choice of single or double rooms with meal options. They are normally located within 25 minutes, bus or metro ride from the school. Linens are provided by your family and will be changed once a week. Bring towels, they will be washed regularly.

Typical Cultural Activities to Expect
City tour, French film evenings; trips to local museums, galleries, parks, the choices are endless! Recent cultural activities: Musee d'Orsay, Opera a la Bastille (relatively new), Chateau de Versailles.

Weekend Day Trips (optional and at additional price)
At the weekend, day trips can be organised to interesting locations in and around Paris through the school.

Prices
Programs in Paris start from $930.00 US for 2 weeks including accommodation and tuition. We have many program options and all year round start dates. If you want more detailed pricing or start date information, we suggest you request a brochure or call us Toll Free within North America at: Tel: 1 888 526 4758 (LANGPLUS) or outside of North America at 416 925 7117.

COUNTRY TIPS
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What is the local currency?
French Francs or "FF"

Are a passport, visa, or vaccinations necessary?
Citizens of the United States and Canada in possession of a valid US or Canadian passport, are not required to obtain a visa for France for a period of up to three months if traveling as a tourist. In case that a stay of more than three but less than six months is intended, a visa is required. If you are a resident of the U.S. but do not hold U.S. citizenship, a visa may be required. Visitors from the U.S./Canada do not need inoculations.

Time Difference
France is on Central European Time, which is 6 hours ahead of American Eastern Time.

Should I bring local currency, traveler's checks or use credit cards?
France is still a very traditional country, so everyone is very happy to accept local currency; after all, who doesn't like cash? But for safety and convenience sake, you might not want to have large amounts of either dollars or local currency on hand and so we would suggest you bring along travelers checks, which are accepted almost everywhere, or major credit cards to obtain cash along the way as needed. Be aware that you will charged a 'service charge' each time you cash travelers checks, so convert enough each time to cover your expenses for several days. In addition, if your traveler's checks are in a foreign currency such as U.S. Dollars, you need to be aware that you will receive a much better exchange rate if they are converted at a bank.

Cash and travelers checks can be exchanged at the official exchange rate of the day at any bank or exchange counter (airports, railway stations, tourist offices--a small commission applies); travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and stores may accept foreign currency but give you a lower rate to cover their handling.

Credit cards are accepted in the major cities. In general, most larger hotels, car rental agencies, and upscale stores in the tourist areas will accept the major credit cards. Be aware, however, that many, restaurants, cafes and stores will only accept cash so be sure to ask in advance.

How much will I spend a day?
This is very difficult to answer and depends on the person, however the prices below should give you a approx. idea. Three-course meal without drink: 55-80FF
Pint of Beer: 40FF
Cafe meal: Burger and fries 48FF

Will my electrical gadgets work?
Most of France has switched to 220-230 volts AC, although a few parts may still run on 110-115 volts. Current alternates at 50 cycles, not the 60 in use in U.S.A. If you are bringing shavers, travel irons, hair dryers or whatever, take along a voltage transformer. Remember the outlet prongs are shaped differently.

How much should I tip?
Taxi drivers: Tip 10 % to 15% of the amount marked on the meter.
Restaurant waiters: Service is normally included in the bill. If not, leave an extra 10 to 15 % of the total amount.

What is the best way to phone home?
There are numerous public phones around France, which use mainly phone cards and/or coins. All these phones can be used for both local and long distance phone calls. Phone cards can be purchased in tobacco shops, post offices, and France TTlTcom stores; the tTlTcarte is now necessary for nearly all public telephones. Each card has either 50 or 120 "units", and cost roughly 40F and 96F respectively. It is also possible to find cards of 25 units (20F) but these are very rare. You'll notice that on the front/left side, they have a microchip; a "puce". This chip keeps track of the number of units left after each telephone call. To call abroad from France: first dial 00, then the country's code and then your number.

It is also smart to obtain an overseas phone card (they are usually free-of-charge) from your long distance carrier, such as MCI, AT&T or Sprint. MCI's Worldphone Program, for example, lets you phone the US/Canada from France or any other European countries at greatly reduced rates from what you would pay from the regular hotel charge. The long distance carrier will give you a special number to call when placing your call.

What major holidays are there in France?
January 1st, Easter, Easter Monday, Ascension Thursday, May 1st Labor Day , May 8th (End of world war II), Whit Monday, July 14th (Bastille Day), August 15th, November 1st, November 11th and Christmas. On those days, banks, shops and almost everything else will be closed, including the school.

What are the opening hours?
Most shops and business open around 9 am., close for lunch at noon and re-open around 2 p.m., staying open till around 7pm in the summer and 6pm in the winter. Banks are normally open from 9 am to noon and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.

How do you get there from here?
Roissy/Charles de Gaulle Airport: 23 kilometers north east of Paris near the village of Roissy-en-France is Charles de Gaulle airport. The largest airport serving Paris. Orly Airport: South of Paris (14 kilometers) near the town of Orly is Orly Airport.

How do I get around Paris?
Metro: The metro is the best way to travel around Paris, Individual Métro tickets are 8FF; packet of 10 tickets (a Carnet) is slightly more reasonable ( approx. 67 Francs) and a monthly card is, (approx. 230 FF). Taxi: Taxis are located near metro/train stations, 3-person max. Taxis are expensive in Paris (approx.3-6 FF per km).

What is the weather like?
The average annual temperature and precipitation for Paris is 11.7 C (53.0 F), and 641.6mm (25.2 inches) respectively.

THINGS TO SEE IN PARIS
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Sites in and around Paris
Tour Eiffel: In 1889, when the Tour Eiffel was completed, it was the tallest building in the world at 300m.
Notre-Dame: The Gothic majesty of the cathedral of Notre-Dame dominates both the Seine and the ecclesiastical history of Paris. Begun in 1160, it was finished a century and a half later.
Conciergerie: The building dates from the Middle ages, when it was an administration office of the Crown, but is most famous for its days as a prison.
Sainte Chapelle: Built in 1246, it housed the holy relics only for a short while before they were transferred to Notre-Dame.
Musee du Louvre: Perhaps one of the greatest museums in the world and certainly one of the largest. If you were to spend FIVE minutes looking at each object and work of art from the time the museum opened to the time it closed, it would take you almost a decade to see it all.
Arc de Triomphe: The largest triumphal arch in the world. Commissioned by Napoleon in honor of his Grande Army and its 128 victorious battles.
Basilique du Sacre-Coeur: The vaguely Byzantine-Romanesque church atop the "mount of Martyrs" in the northern part of the city is not as immediately familiar as the Eiffel Tower but it is the romantic symbol of Paris.
Musee d'Orsay: Once a railroad station, it now houses an outstanding collection of 19th century art that displayed in 80 galleries.
Centre Pompidou: The full name of this gigantic, futuristic arts center is Center National d'art et de Culture Georges Pomidou, and it has become almost as famous as the Eiffel tower.

Of course there are always the:
*Numerous Parks and Gardens (Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg)
*Concert Halls
*Libraries
*Jazz bars (Caveau de la Huchette, Trois Mailletz)
And finally....
*Excursions:Chateau de Versailles, Cathedrale de Chartres