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In this new series of articles, I will bring to your attention an assortment of such things which you are free to try out then and there. You can also find more data on my Paris guide Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com

Like Church Music?

Every Sunday and on non-worked days, the imposing Saint Roch Church hosts organ concerts from 5:30 to 6:00 PM. There is no entry fee, and the thrill is guaranteed for a good 30 minutes. This venue is known for this event, so show up well before 5:30 PM. The Church is located at 2 impasse Saint Eustache, between the ?Chⴥlet-Les Halles? metro station and the Louvre Museum.

Free Couscous for All

The ?La Cordonnerie? restaurant offers a nice, free couscous to its patrons every Saturday night at 9:00 pm. A simple principle: order a drink (less than 5 euros), and you get the couscous. At that price, it?s a steal. People know it, they flock to the place, and there is very little room available. The restaurant is located at 142 rue Saint Denis, near the ?Etienne Marcel? subway station.

Bagdad Cafe in Paris

There is the arch-famous Bagdad Cafe on Route 66 (I ate there twice, yes!), and there is the much less famous but very lively Bagdad Cafe in Paris. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 9:00 pm the place is taken over by fans of gipsy jazz players (Django Reinhardt style) and French pop singers. Live music and drinks at reasonable prices, what better way to kill an evening? The address is 22 rue au Maire, in the 3rd district, near the ?Arts et Metiers? metro station.

A Park Way Too Often Overlooked

Standing in the middle of the forgotten, off-centered 19th district, the Buttes-Chaumont park rolls out its majectic hills and narrow alleys over thousands of acres. Way too often overlooked by tourists and Parisians alike, the park is a haven of silence and peace. Joggers, strollers, families and lovebirds meet at this unique venue which is dominated by a rocky mound on top of which stands a small gazebo which resembles a Greek temple. An awesome place to spend a Sunday morning. The nearest metro stations are ?Laumiere? and ?Buttes-Chaumont?.

Antique Asia in Paris

The Cernuschi Museum shelters over 12,000 ancient objects of Chinese, Korean and Japanese origins, of which 900 are on permanent display in the beautiful 19th century mansion: from neolithic potteries, to statues and weapons of the 13th century. There is only one other museum in France which can compete with such a wealth of antique Asian art. This museum is worth its weight in gold! To visit it, go to 7 avenue Velasquez, near the ?Villiers? metro station. Don?t go on Mondays, the mansion is closed.

Ah! The joys of visiting Paris in an unconventional way! You can imagine that a city which is 2,000 years old and has 1,000+ years of recorded history offers a lot more than can ever be summarized in writing. Facing such an abundance of things to see, which way should one go? My take (and that of my old pal Vincent Ramelli, who was born in Paris and is a die-hard Parisian) is that Paris is better discovered outside the path traced by the millions of visitors. Not to say that the Louvre Museum must not be part of your itinerary, not at all! But I just happen to think that if you include a detour to a less-well-known place such as those recommended in our Paris travel guide Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com, your stay in the French capital will become all the more interesting. You will have more local-color anecdotes to tell your friends. And your trip will be even more memorable. SO yes, I recommend that you try out new spots and venues, and I will continue suggesting those in further articles. Cheers!

Phil Chavanne
About the Author:
A known author on Paris, Phil Chavanne gives scores of tips and advices on Paris hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing opportunities in his free city guide: http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/walking-in-paris.html

To rest with the terrace of a coffee of pavement in Paris and sipping on a Perrier while the observation of the passers by is a pleasure promise of many travellers themselves to test when they are in Paris. But control comes here, and with him the question: Tip or Not to Tip?

Tip included

The opposite with the dinners and the bars in the USA, the restaurants Parisian and the bars add administrative expenses of 15% to control when they correspond to the top of your account. This is required by law while the French tax authorities as well evaluate their taking away on ends.

Your check clearly shows the administrative expenses of 15% as the load of VAT (distant relative with the tax from sale) also paid with the government. The inclusion of the end of 15% is indicated by the?Service Compris of words?, what means the?Tip included?.

So no extra-tips then?

Well, small additional-inclines is always appreciated naturally. It is the mark which you were satisfied with the manner you were been useful by your waiter (`garçon ‘ in Orphie-wire French and pronounced ` ‘ with the ` on ‘ resembled in the ` cornant ‘ not as in the son of ` ‘). It is a kind of a ` thank you ‘ for noting. But you are under any engagement here.

Small additional-inclines are also appreciated because they rayent your pockets of waiter?s directly, with the difference of the load of end of 15% which is usually corresponded to the top to the end of the day, and is divided among all the waiters. In some bars the owner can even maintain the totality or the part of the load of end. The French law does not require indeed that administrative expenses be distributed to the waiters. Thus your waiter could not even see a tenth of dollar of him.

But again, you paid your rights by paying your cheque, and you are under any engagement with the additional tip.

How much should you extra tip?

The average additional end goes from a couple of the tenth of dollar of Euro for a nonalcoholic beverage or a coffee, with the euros of a couple for a whole meal. A hot manner to express your satisfaction is to add 5 – 10% with all control. Other side, it is not any engagement with you, and there is no overall rule in the respect with this percentage.

How do you tip elsewhere?

In much of case, the ends are a valid supplement of income for their recipients.

Drivers of taxi of catch for example: the average wages of a driver of taxi used by a company of cabin are about?1,400 per month, which in Paris east more or less equivalent to wages $2.500 in NYC. These types put in a few 10 hours per day. A few years ago, they were accustomed to working 14-15 hours per day, 6 days per week, to make more income. The French law the interdict to make so much today. Thus they appreciate your end all the manner: 5-10% of your price is a good guiding principle.

With the theatre, incline the usher of injury: a couple of the euros is very well with the théatre of the $opéra [ these injuries are also paid on the programs of evening where they are sold ], of the hundreds of 50 euros is good with the film theatres. Years ago, the ushers of injury were not even paid by operators of film theatre. They lived on ends only. Even if they are on wages today, it is doubtful they gain more than the minimum wage.

At your hotel, your luggage handler will appreciate one euro per bag.

To the expensive restaurants, to go traditional in concert, and with the disco musics, the injuries of coat take usually care of your business. Tip them one euro by great article when you seek your coats.

With the museum, you can leave a couple of the euros to your guide if you pass by a guided excursion.

In summary

They are directives based on the experiment and the habit. They are by no means a uniform code of conduct. These councils are also applicable elsewhere in France. In other French areas, where the level the life is lower than in Paris, of the ends are interpreted much like marks generosity.

In the final analysis, to tip is right that: a sign of your generosity and your appreciation of the level of the service which you have right receipt.

Oh mon Dieu! Not all of us visiting Paris have the wherewithal to spend $1000 on this irresistible couture blouse, or the all-time favorite little black dress. Let us be realistic: going on a shopping spree in Paris can be hard on our finance. Fashionistas of the world, let’s sin no more, and shop smartly from now on!

Expensive? A matter of area, mostly

Those of you who visited Paris already know that from a shopper’s perspective, the city is divided in broad sections where stores of the same trade tend to congregate. A mosaic of many colors, tastes, and price ranges.

Say, you are on the Boulevard Saint Germain, in the upper part of the Saint Germain des Prés district. Designer clothing stores, sidewalk cafés and restaurants abound in this area. Draw nearer the river Seine and your footsteps lead you where the art galleries cluster together. Walk a bit to the east, towards rue de Buci, the clothing stores become less expensive.

From Saint-Germain, walk up the Rue de Rennes, towards the Montparnasse area. You’ll be crossing the Rue Du Four where even more expensive clothiers line up the facades. But continue on to the Saint Sulpice metro station, around which many clothing stores offer cheaper garments and accessories.

Sales season in Paris

In another area of the city, not too far from the old Opera house, the Boulevard Haussmann became the homestead of the department stores over a century ago. The Printemps store was built there in 1865, followed closely by the Galeries Lafayette, in 1893. Department stores are not unlike Ali Baba’s treasure cave: clothes, shoes, jewelry, watches, accessories, perfumes spread on a five-story high, gigantic floor space.

Department stores offer a very convenient way of shopping for fashion: thousands of upscale items can be found over acres of floor space. This includes apparel, accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, watches, shoes, and other goodies. A great selection, but bargains are far and between except during the sales seasons.

The latter are a tightly regulated business in France. There are two sales seasons, winter and summer. Their starting dates are a matter of administrative decrees, and each of the two seasons last six weeks only. The Parisian winter sales season starts at the end of January, the summer one begins in late June.

Designer depot bargains

But outside the sales seasons, shoppers looking for bargain-basement prices and irresistible clearances must look elsewhere. It is my experience that the best bargain prices on clothing offered in Paris are found at designer depots.

Though it has become a brand name in North America, a designer depot is in fact a form of commerce. People like you and me bring in clothes we don’t want to wear anymore, and get a little money from the shop owner who will resell our garments for a little more money to other people.

I can hear your blasé comments: “Tcha! Consignment stores! Thrift shops!…” Well, in Paris, designer depots aren’t exactly your regular Salvation Army-type stores. Not at all.

Parisian designer depots are usually owned and managed by ladies with a flair for fashion. A number of them have a professional experience in the fashion industry, and if invited to do so, most of them can tell you right away which dress fits you well…. and which skirt makes you look like you dressed with a potato bag.

In ‘designer depot”, there is the magic word ‘designer’. Parisian designer depots offer designer and couture clothes at deep, deep, deep discounts. And mind you, clothes in quasi perfect condition. Clothes worn only once. Well, maybe twice.

If you come to them with your regular hoodies, or your last season tennis shoes, or your mall-shopped polo shirt for that matter, do not expect to be welcomed. Expect rejection with a disapproving stare instead.

That’s the address, silly!

Now not all designer depots were created equal, and where you go shopping for practically-perfect-in-every-way designer clothes is the true measure of your inside knowledge of the city.

I would like to recommend you three ‘petites adresses’ [the French for 'best-kept-secret places'] I selected amongst a host of others.

For those of you, ladies, who like the classic look, ‘Priscilla’ is the shop for you. Priscilla is lady who owns the place. She reveres such signature names as Yves Saint Laurent, Max Mara, Kenzo, Chistian Dior, and Sonya Rykiel. Her prices range from ?60 for a skirt, to ?75 for a jacket, to ?130 for a lady’s suit. Priscilla advises you to rummage around, and come to her place with an open mind. The shop is located at 4 rue Mouton- Duvernet, in the 14 th district. The nearest metro station is Mouton-Duvernet. Its opening hours are between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Monday, and between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm from Tuesday to Saturday with a one-hour break at 1:30 pm.

My next address, ‘Le Jupon Rouge’, is situated at 9 rue de Rochechouart in the 9th district. The owner, Tania, describes here designer depot as “colorful, ethnic but not hippie, and certainly not classical in style”. Tania offers a selection of up and coming French designers such as Bali Barret (a fencing-style vest for €45, cashmere blend cardigans for €45 to €100) and Vanessa Bruno (wool jackets, €90). She also carries more established signatures such as Agnès B (her signature black jacket is offered at €50), and vintage Ungaro blouses for €45. Ladies looking for shoes can fall for pairs of Stephane Kelian low-cut Cuban boots (€100), Repetto ballerina shoes (€40), or vintage low-heel horse-riding boots (€40-70). Tania opens her doors from Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm with a one-hour lunch break at 1:30 pm.

In a totally different style, Griff-Troc is the designer depot you need to lose yourself into when you want to go chic-chic-chic. The owner, Beatrice, chose to specialize in perennial, classic basics in perfect condition. Chic has a heftier price tag, of course, but on the upside Griff-Troc offers brand names for 15-30% of boutique prices. On the shelves at the time I wrote this article, Beatrice had a Chanel suit for €1000 (vs. €5000 at Chanel’s), a brand-new Chloe bag for €800 (instead of €1200), several astounding evening dresses priced between €1200 and €1500 (Chloe, Dior, D&G, Valentino), and Hermès silk scarfs on offer for only €150. She maintains a full selection of bags, jewels, and fragrances. Chic classic never dies, who cares about whether your Chanel suit is this season’s or not? The busy boutique is located in the posh section of the 17 th district, at 119 Boulevard Malesherbes. The nearest metro stations are Villiers and Monceau. Its opening hours are between 10:30 am and 7:00 pm, from Monday to Saturday.

More shopping tips to come

I will come back to you with other names and addresses in future articles on this topic. I personally enjoy shopping these boutiques, and based on the number of smartly dressed women I spot there, I am not alone in the belief that such bargains cannot be let pass. Till then, I salute all unrepentant fashion shoppers!

About the author:
Phil Chavanne has written numerous articles on Parisian best-kept-secrets. His free travel guide offers many tips and advices to help you experience Paris to the fullest on your next trip to the French capital. Http://www.Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com also gives you ways to save on booking a Paris hotel.

Finding your cafe terrace

I will start with an obvious spot: the sidewalk cafe terrace. There are thousands of such in Paris, and lovebirds are a common sight there. The cafe terrace is an enjoyable spot in more than one way. First, they offer a nice resting spot. Second, they make an ideal observatory. The streets become an aquarium, passer-bys are the fish, and you two become the observers. Third, sit down at a terrace where other couples are smooching, and you are part of a community setting a good example to the rest of the world. For all we need is love!

One of my favorite cafes is ‘Les Chevaux de Marly’, inside the Louvre Museum, facing the wing where the Da Vinci Code movie was filmed. Les Chevaux de Marly isn’t your typical sidewalk cafes; the place reeks history, and even when you sit outside you are well protected against the elements thanks to the stone parapet.

Now if you are a die-hard fan of the Latin Quarter, and the St Germain des Pres area, you will certainly want to sit at the terrace of ‘Les Deux Magots’ (A Pair of Old Bachelors). French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and his wife, writer Simone de Beauvoir, used to hole up there in the 50s. Rather large and well protected by a long awning, the terrace is a great spot to observe the foot traffic moving along the busy Boulevard St Germain. The atmosphere inside the cafe has kept some of its mid-20th century flavor. A tad on the expensive side, but history and a great view have a price, haven’t they?

More suggestions? Check out the following areas, you’ll find nice cafes: ‘Butte aux Cailles’ (in the 13th district), ‘Place de la Contrescarpe’ (in the 5th district), ‘Place des Abbesses’ (on the Montmartre Hill), and the perennial cafe facing the Pont St Louis, on Ile St Louis, near Quai de Bourbon.

Cool streets to roam

I always advise my friends who take the trip to Paris to discover the city on foot. Walking is the absolute best way to enjoy sightseeing in Paris. And ‘look up’ must be your operative word. Don’t just look at eye level: raise your eyes, and observe what’s above. The ‘upper floor’ scenery is worth it.

For romancing the love of your life, certain places have these very special qualities which will set them apart in your memories of togetherness. I will tell you about three for now, and there will be more to come.

Atop my list, ‘Place Furstemberg’. From the plaza of the St Germain Church, walk toward the Seine and Rue Bonaparte. Turn right into Rue de l’Abbaye. Follow the street to the first short alley on your left. Turn and you end up on ‘Place Furstemberg’. French painter Eugene Delacroix had his studio there, and this makes an interesting spot to visit during daytime. But ‘Place Furstemberg’ takes a whole other atmosphere at night. It is quiet, isolated, and sort of private. The nearby abbey lends it a historical feel. Sitting under the trees, the wooden benches welcome eternal lovers.

My second pick would be the steep flights of stairs leading up to the top of the Montmartre Hill, and the quaint streets below ‘Place du Tertre’. Here again, you would be well inspired to discover the hill during the day, and come back to it in the evening. Montmartre is one of the last areas in Paris to have retained their ‘olden days’ feel. Strolling around the hill at night gives you a whiff of what Paris was like in the late 1800s. Most definitely one of the very best spots to roam hand in hand, stealing a kiss here and there under the quiet glow of the street lights.

As a final destination for this short trip, let me take you to the park located at the tip of ‘Ile de la Cite’. This is the largest of the two islands, and the small park named ‘Square du Vert Galant’ takes its name from King Henri the 4th, a womanizer in his own right (‘Galant’ alludes to his reputation as a smooth talker, and ‘Vert’ means the guy was ‘always ready to fire’). Walk to the ‘Pont Neuf’ bridge, go down the flight of stairs opening behind Henri’s statue, and you will wind up on the wharf. There, lined with century-old trees, the park offers a magnificent view of the river Seine and the Louvre Museum. I recommend discovering the spot together during daytime. It is also the port of call of a boat tour operator. Seize this opportunity to boat upstream and downstream. Don’t forget to bring an extra sweater, the temperature at water level is chillier.

More romantic places

I love a good romance, and I would love to contribute to yours in my own way. So I’ll write more about these special Parisian spots in further installments to this series. Meanwhile, you will find more resources on the website Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News (see ‘About the Author’ section in this page). Till then, I wish your couple to grow even stronger.

About the Author:
Phil Chavanne lived in Paris for 30 years and wants travelers to benefit from his knowledge of the city. Find his writings in the free tourism guide, http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/walking-in-paris.html . Discover the not-so-well-known Parisian spots and have the best time in Paris.

Berlin public transport system includes buses, trams, underground trains (U-Bahn) and railway (S-Bahn). The system is managed by the BVG Company ? the Berlin ? Brandenburg public transport system. As for the means of transport, they are available all over the city starting from 4.30 am and till 12.30 pm daily (except for 62 night buses as well as U-9 and U-12 metro stations).

To get to the required destination, you will have to buy a BVG ticket (Einzelfahrschein) that costs 2.20 to 3.30 Euros and is valid for all the directions, including changes, for two hours. If you want a ticket for 24 hours that will help you get to any part of the city, it will cost you approximately 5.60 ? 6.50 Euros. However, only in buses can you buy standard tickets straight away. For other modes of transport you should buy them in advance. And mind that the tickets have to be kept till the end your trip; otherwise you will be charged a 40 Euros fine for the unpaid journey. Also, if you have a 12 or 24-hour ticket, do not forget to punch it at the red punch machine, many of which can be found in buses and at metro stations.

If you stay at Berlin is more than three days long, buying a 19 Euros Berlin-Potsdam Welcome Card would be a reasonable decision. The card gives you an opportunity to use all means of public transport at Berlin and Brandenburg for 72 hours. In addition to this, buying such a card would be profitable as you get a free entrance or a 50 % discount when visiting museums and the city?s cultural attractions as well as a 25 % discount when visiting theatres. The card is sold in almost all the hotels, information centers and the kiosks where they sell public transport tickets. If a grown up who owns such card travels with 1, 2 or 3 children below 13 years old, the kids can make their trip or get to the cultural place free of charge.

To make a sightseeing tour, you can use two of the local bus lines. Number 218 goes from the Theodor-Heuss-Platz metro station, which is not far from the radio tower, and finishes its way at the Wannsee station whereas the 216 bus sets off at the Wannsee station and has the Pfaueninsel as its last point of destination.

You might also want to use a taxi. There are a lot of them found all around the city, especially in the city centre. To catch a taxi, you will have to pay 2.50 Euros while a phone order will cost additional 1.55 Euros. Then you will pay for the length of your trip. For instance, 1 kilometre way along the city costs approximately 1.50 Euros (depending on the daytime as well). The longer the trip, the cheaper is your 1 kilometre. If you do not know how to order a taxi, hotel and restaurant workers can do that for you.

Several famous car-rent companies have their representative offices in Berlin (for instance, Hertz и Avis). Though, we may advise you not to use a car in the city as you are likely to get into traffic jam or will not manage to find a parking place. At the same time, there are a lot of parking places in Berlin ? for instance, many hotels offer their own parking spaces. Some parkings are opened 24 hours a day, especially when it comes to the city centre. The rates are from 3 Euros and higher.

Many German car drivers get really annoyed with the fact that it is impossible to turn left when you are going along the road, as there are metal barriers and tram lines found there. At the same time, road signs tell you that the only way you can drive is ahead. Therefore those, who want to turn left, actually have to turn right and drive around the block before they get to the road they need.

Traveling along the traffic-loaded Berlin on a bicycle is not a pleasant occupation. However, you can take a bicycle and make a journey around the suburbs and forests nearby. To get outside the city with your bicycle, you can use S-Bahn or U-Bahn trains. At the same time, you are not allowed to ride a bicycle at rush hours: till 9 am and 2 pm ? 5.30 pm Monday ? Friday. While riding a bicycle, keep within the special bicycle zone than is marked red.
To reserve a room at Berlin hotel, please visit Berlin Hotels Reservation Service