Paris

[Denis]

Short report on the SW scene in the Southeast of Paris
I cruised yesterday afternoon around the Porte Dorée Porte de Vincennes but it was absolutely dead, probably due to the cold weather.
Also very few girls were working in vans in the Bois de Vincennes.
I almost stopped to get serviced by a pretty black near the Pyramid but one guy was faster than me. I was going to go back to work but spotted a Chinese near the statue of Athena (Porte Dorée).
Stopped and asked how much: 30€. We went to a hotel near by (rue Marsoulan). Very good attitude, she was mid 30s not a stunner but the session was pretty good.
Denis

[Saint]

hey guys. thanks. yes, paris is a magnificent city. i think more americans need to be open minded about visiting france. i was amazed that some american wrote on another message board that he found paris "dirty". i found the city immaculately clean. there was no trash in the street. however, you do have to be careful where you walk because there is dogsh*t on the sidewalks. (i guess paris has no pooper scooper laws??).

i did talk to some people that told me about the cheaper rents. i also inquired about property taxes and prices for apartments there. it was amazing that you don't pay much taxes on your houses/apartments. one guy told me he is kicking himself in the ass because he could have bought a 2 bedroom apartment in montmartre a few years ago for like $120,000 and now it is worth maybe $200,000.

you fellas have a world class city. i'm looking forward to returning in may. good luck.

[Getopardo]

Saint,

Congratulations on a great report !

Concerning the cost of living, most French people do find life in Paris pretty expensive too. A big difference with North America could be that one third, at least, of all Paris inhabitants don't pay "normal" rent (they live in lodgings belonging to the State, or to the city).

Again, congratulations.

[Denis]

Saint,
Great Report
You seems to be pretty open minded for an American (joking!)
This is like in every country of the world, if you are nice and try to adapt to the locals, they will be nice to you. The French are not worst than any other.
Of course if you arrive with you Arkansas Teeshirt and want to drink Coke with your Foie Gras, you start with an handicap.
I am glad you enjoyed Paris.

[Saint]

Just got back today. Here is something I wanted to add that I quickly typed up. Hopefully it helps some people thinking about hitting this amazing city!


_______________________

Make sure you get the guidebook called Plan de Paris par Arrondissement. It's a valuable tool for sightseeing and getting around Paris. It's a small book as opposed to many fold-out map type guides. The guide has maps of each neighborhood (arrondissements), and metro and bus routes. You can buy it on Amazon.com or any Barnes and Noble bookstore. I also noticed it in many shops in Paris.

Arriving at the airport:

The airport code for Paris is CDG. There is another airport but if you are coming from the USA you'll be arriving at CDG. I researched the various and cheapest methods of getting from/to the airport. You can take the Metro (RER) into town but it takes some time. I didn't mess around with it. The various shuttles are the quickest and most convenient way to get into town. Most of them all cost around 24 € each way and it's door to door service so they will take you directly to your hotel. I found one company called Blue Van - http://www.airportshuttle.fr The reason I used them as opposed to the many others is because I found out they charge the same in US$ as Euros. You can pay before you leave with your credit card via Paypal.com (I paid $44 US as opposed to $57 with the horrible Euro conversion).

The only semi inconvenient thing is that all the shuttle companies in Paris make you call upon arriving at the airport and then they pick you up. They all say to call from a payphone toll-free but I just called from my cellphone and it worked fine. Make sure to tell them which terminal/gate you are near.

The other cheap alternative is you can take Air France's shuttle bus no matter which airline you fly into. I believe it leaves every 15 minutes and the cost is 12 €. The disadvantage is it doesn't take you door to door so pay attention where your hotel is. Do a search on Google.com under Air France Shuttle and you can find out more info.

Hotels:

There is no shortage of hotels in Paris. Most of the nicer 4 and 5 star hotels are quite pricey though. Be careful as many countries in Europe use a different star system. Many times it is one star level below US standards. So if they say 5 star it's really 4 star; 4 star really 3 star, etc. Go to a site like www.hotels.com and you can get an idea of the price range. Most 4 star US equivalent hotels are at least $150- $300+ tax per night. The further outside of touristy Paris the cheaper it is but keep in mind that taxis are expensive here.

Getting around:

My goal was not to take any taxi's at all. I technically managed to do that since I couldn't find an available taxi on several nights while out and about. For a city the size of Paris there aren't too many taxi's. During the day there is no problem but at night, especially on the weekends it was difficult to flag down a taxi. There are various spots where people literally wait in line for a taxi. The lines can get long for taxi's that don't come too often.

One night in Bastille I was with my girl and we needed two seperate taxi's. She kind of joked around that maybe we would have to walk home. Only the joke was on me because she wasn't kidding around. We walked around for a while and even at 2 AM it was difficult to find a taxi. We walked to a hotel and there was one taxi that she took. She didn't want to take a taxi believe it or not because she said they all scam people. I didn't see any alternative. I gave her 30 € and she didn't want to take any money from me. I stuffed it in her pocket though and then I had to find my own taxi.

I went back to this long line and there was some French guy asking people in line if they wanted a ride. I guess he was just some dude that owned a car. Some people would tell him their location and he turned his nose and said no so I guess it was not far enough. He asked me and I told him I was staying near the Eiffel Tower. I asked the price and he said 20 €. I didn't even try to negotiate. I was tired from walking around all night with my girl and it was cold out.

The traffic believe it or not was horrible even at 2 AM! On the way home I saw several lines of people waiting for traffic and I felt relieved to have a ride home. He made several attempts to talk to me but I couldn't understand him. I bought Pimsleur French before the trip but only listened to 9 lessons. Those 9 lessons helped though. I was bored so I called my friend Starfe on my cellphone and we had a good chat.

Keep in mind the Metro stops after midnight. That's the reason I couldn't use it late at night.

The French People:

Forget the preconceived notion that French hate Americans before coming here. Almost every dude at one time or another has said, "I hate the French" or "the French hate us Americans" . Hell, I've said it before and I kind of used it as an excuse for never visiting France. Sure, the French are pussies when it comes to many Global issues but we as Americans tend to over generalize. The plain truth of the matter is that the majority of Americans have never been to France or even know anyone from France.

People say, "the French are rude", which may be true but I didn't experience this phenomenon. Maybe part of the reason why is because I at least made an effort to be open minded. I took the time and effort to learn at least the words for please, thank you, good morning, goodnight, how much is that, do you speak/understand English, I am American, Mr./Miss/Mrs. ,I don't understand French, can you please help me, where is ___, and some numbers and other various phrases. Always try to speak some French (even if it sucks) when you encounter someone or enter a restaurant, club or store. It will go a long way.

Never be an "ugly American" or become loud or obnoxious. Don't let yourself get upset by something. Make sure you don't wear clothing that is considered offensive or just plain tacky/ugly. On many international adventures I see guys dressed like slobs or wearing T-shirts that say the city they are from in bold lettering. (Example: ARKANSAS!!! ). The French and Europeans in general tend to dress better and the girls especially will treat you better if you're dressed nicer.

Exchanging Money:

The best rates typically can be found by using your ATM card but I've always believe Cash is king when traveling and usually just exchange some. I did change some at my hotel and I got a bad rate as I fully expected. I got 72 € for $100 US which would be a rate of about 1.39 € : 1 $US. The official banking rate is 1.28.

Note: Be careful where you change your money! I typically never exchange money at those exchange window places in touristy areas. On a weekend the banks weren't open and my driver told me there was a good spot with a good exchange rate near the area where we were at. I was not paying attention and I didn't notice there were 3 places where he was talking about. I went to the wrong one. I did look at the rate and it said 1.38 which was bad but ok with me. Most countries must display if they charge a commission but I didn't ask since my driver said this place had a good rate. Upon exchanging $100 US she only gave me back 51 €. I was shocked! I asked her where the rest of my money is and she gave me a receipt that showed they charged a commission of about 20 € !!! I asked for my money back but she said it was too late.

When I got back to my driver I told him and he was so upset. I guess he was talking about another place a block down. I think he was more upset than I was. We went to this place and true to his word it was a good exchange rate of 78€ per $100 US. ALWAYS ask if they charge a commission and more importantly ask them if you exchange $100 US how much you will get back in Euros when it's all said and done.

Girls and the Nightlife Scene:

There are many high-end dial a date escorts but I didn't partake this trip. I got lucky and met a normal girl. The circumstances of this meeting are actually funny. Often times before hitting a new city I'll do a search on Yahoo or MSN under profiles and email some girls and ask them what the hip clubs are at the moment. Several emailed me back giving me the names. One girl emailed me back some names of places she wanted to hit but hadn't since she was relatively new to Paris too and didn't have many friends there. I quickly invited her to meet up and was surprised when she said Ok. I had a great time with her. Like many things in life you have to put forth an effort to obtain results.

I did see a few girls in my hotel bar. It isn't obvious but you'll see that they will make eye contact and if you go to talk to them it will become clear that they can be a paid companion if you want. I talked to this Ukranian girl that spoke good English and was dressed impeccably. I guess the hotel has a policy of letting them in if they are dressed nice?? I'm not sure. I think this girl knew someone working at the hotel. I saw her 2 nights in a row. The 2nd night I stopped on my way up to my room and had a drink with her and joked around. I asked her about the "scene" and she said that many girls go to nicer hotels lobby bars to pick up tourists. My hotel was a giant hotel. It was formally the Nikko hotel. Many of the guests were Asian and Europeans.

This is probably you're best bet for picking up a girl. I wasn't in the mood to pay 300 € (which is the rate she hinted at) since I'm going to Costa Rica this weekend and London in a few weeks.

As I mentioned there are some strip clubs near the Moulin Rouge but stay away! These are all reported rip offs. Those Indian dudes I saw looked like someone hit them with a 2X4 with the look on their faces having paid 600 €. I told them I would have refused to pay that and asked to call the police. It appeared they didn't travel much and I wanted to quickly get away from them after I heard they foolishly paid that much.

I walked by the Crazy Horse which I was told had a good show but again I was in no mood to get teasted or pay a high price.


Conclusion:

I found the prices for most things to be more expensive than most places. Paris isn't a cheap city. What is especially difficult to believe is that Parisians don't seem to earn more than their European counterparts even though the city is more expensive. I'm not sure how they can afford to live there.

Bottled water and a can of soda in most touristy areas is 3 € (almost $4 US). When I told my driver how expensive I found things he said that you can buy things cheaper at grocery stores but I explained to him that tourists don't have time to go to these places or can find them easily. He agreed. This guy was really cool.

Paris is a great walking city. You must explore Paris by foot. It's a good idea to take a mini tour of the city one afternoon or morning to get a good idea of the layout. I did this one day then walked around on my own after that. The wonderful thing is that you can just follow the River up and you can see so many wonderful areas. It's an easy way and you can't get lost this way.

Paris is a melting pot of different races. I found it funny that several times people said that they thought I lived here. When I asked them why they just said that I didn't look like a tourist which really puzzled me. Even my driver said that I could pass for a local student. Maybe it was the way I was dressed or just my attitude. I'm not sure. There is no 'typical Paris look'. Unless you are dressed horribly "American" you won't be singled out as a tourist.

I found the restaurants to be quite good. There are many higher end restaurants but there are also some affordable restaurants too. You don't have to spend a lot of money dining if you don't want to. I did treat myself to one good restaurant each day. There are many neighborhood eating establishments in Bastille. I liked Bastille and it looked like a cool area to stay in. It's not too close to many touristy stuff but it's easy to get here with the Metro. DEFINITELY stop and have a hot chocolate at a place called Angelina. It was an orgasmic experience and they had lines out the door.

Parisians are a very proud people. Some might consider them arrogant but I didn't find this to be true. I would be very proud if I lived there. They are quite fortunate to live in such a beautiful city. I asked my driver one day if he realizes how lucky he is to live here. He said it's easy to forget after living here so long and seeing these sites day after day. I would move to Paris in a New York second if I could earn a good salary there.

People talk about how expensive Europe is. Generally this is true after hitting it a few times in only a few months. I'm also headed back there next month, again in March and again with Kick Stand in May. Keep in mind though many important things don't cost alot. It doesn't cost anything to walk around and see the sites. (Granted they might have a high admission to get in).

Good luck!

[Saint]

Hi all. I've been in Paris the past few days. I know I've said it before about other cities but this is a world class city. It's truly amazing! All of you that live in Paris are truly lucky to be able to wake up to some of those sights. It's also THE most romantic city in the world. Wow! The first few days were rainy and dreary but the sun came out yesterday and today and it's been beautiful! (It was cold last night though).

The hobby scene as reported is pretty much dead. I'll post more when I get back. I hooked up with a normal girl that is beautiful, smart, funny and all around cool girl. I think she'll meet me in Nice for my March trip and I might come back to Paris next month. I hit the jackpot. She's from Romania and is fluent in English.

I noticed there are some upscale escorts working some nicer hotel bars. I'm staying in a nice hotel near the Eiffel Tower and on Friday night I was kind of solicited. Price was steep at 300 Euros for I think a short time session so I passed. She was a pretty girl from Ukraine. I walked down their red light district near the Moulin Rouge. Tons of strip club type places and XXX porn shops. I just walked and avoided the hawkers pleas to come in. I did talk to a group of Indian dudes that were tourists. They told me they got pulled into some strip club and girls were all over them. The manager brought over a "complimentary" bottle of champagne but when they got up to leave 15 minutes later they demanded 600 Euros!!! Be careful and avoid these clubs.

The normal clubs are cool! Hit Les Etoiles, Les Bains Douches (long lines - beautiful people come here...if you're not young, dressed well, hip they won't let you in), and Le Reservoir. Also, there was a new club I think called Caberet that was hip.

I walked around for 4 hours last night with my girl. Very, very very romantic city. It was the Chinese New Year week and they celebrated with a parade in the street and the Eiffel Tower was red last night with lights.

Bring your wallet though. EVERYTHING here is expensive! Expect to pay about $200 a night for a 4 star hotel. I'm staying at a hotel a 7 minute walk from the Eiffel Tower. It's a true 4 star hotel. I paid an extra 100 Euros to get a view of the Eiffel Tower. I'm on the 29th floor. (Get a room on 20th floor or higher to get an unobstructed view of the Tower). Bottled water and Pepsi's are 3 Euros on the street!

Taxi's are very difficult to find at night. Especially on the weekends. Unbelieveable. I got done with dinner close to 2 AM with my girl and there were amazingly long lines for taxi's and none to be found. We ended up eating in Bastille and it's too far to walk to my hotel. Luckily some dude asked me if I wanted a ride to my hotel. I asked how much and he said 20 Euros. I thought it was steep but it was probably a bargain. Took a while to get home since there was so much traffic at 2 AM!

Most of the French dudes I am meeting aren't into French girls. They are dating Eastern Europeans or Japanese or Asian girls.

EVERYONE should hit Paris at least once in their lives. For those that don't believe in God you will once you see the view from the Montmartre. Amazing! Go up there at sunset.

Learn some French as many people don't speak English. The younger crowd seems to speak some English. Americans need to readjust their thinking when it comes to France. Many Americans say, "I hate the French and the French hate Americans," but I don't find this true. The fact of the matter is that most Americans have never even been to France nor know any French people personally. I found most French to be friendly. In the clubs when the girls hear me speaking English they have been very warm. Don't be an ugly loud American. I do find the French a bit structured like the Swiss. They aren't as cold as people in Switzerland but they aren't as friendly as the Italians.

I've encountered no crime whatsoever and each night I've been walking past 2 AM. Be careful though. My girl said that 3 young guys tried to mug her once. She just screamed and they ran off. She was surprised since this was attempted in a residential area.

Anyway, this is probably boring you all since there is little to no hobby info. I'll see if that girl is in the lobby tonight again in my hotel. . I saw her the last two nights. Life is good.

Saint

[F Manat]

Does someone know where to get a BBBJ or even better BBBJ + CIM in Paris?

Thanks

[Brian]

Something very rare in Paris,beautiful escort girls,speaking english and under 250/hour.

http://www.lovelynewgirls.com

My favourites are Adina and Loana and they are best togheter.

[Member #1263]

Does any one know if there is still some street action near to Champs Ellyese? I was there a couple of months back and saw some hot young babes around. Also some of these french escorts have their apartments near by.

[Merlin Magician]

Priamos,

The only way you can tell if a Romany W/G is telling you lies, is that her mouth is moving. Had you asked her if she was Turkish or Greek, she probably would have claimed either, also.

Nearly all countries around and north of Greece and Turkey and Iraq and up through Slovakia have large populations of Romany people.

In the Czech Republic, on the average, they are considered as inferior Black people.

I still like Chinese girls best, but only when I can't find an Aussie Sheila.

[Priamos]

Merlin,

Oh, ^#$%$^!! I hadn't though of that, but you are right, of course. I have talked to some of the girls in Bd. Strasbourg and they assured me they were Romanian (no, not Roma, RomaNIAN). I was surprised to find them darker skinned, and dressing somewhat more sloppily, than your average Romanian person, and I also noticed that some of them spoke Turkish (yes really!) to their pimps -- but, hey, there's a Turkish minority in Romania. But, there you go: it also accounts for the aggressive bargaining habits AND the gold teeth that many of them, even the younger ones, sport.

Thanks for opening my eyes to this simple fact.

Priamos

[Merlin Magician]

Priamos,

What you call "Romanians" are actually "Romani" gypsys. Romani is an ancient culture (also, FYI, a similar culture is the "Travellers," Irish and English white gypsys), not a nationality. They can be from any country, especially the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, the Balkans, or Bulgaria and including Romania.

However, I think the Chinese girls are cuter and much better to deal with.

[Say My Name]

I am looking for suggestions or reviews. I want to find a GFE in Paris, but I do not speak French. I was hoping to stay under the 300 per hour that the escorts request, but without additional info, I will be forced to pay that. I have been to the swinger's clubs, but that isnt for me and usually not GFE. Without further info, I am looking at Taste of Heaven or Emmanuelle escorts. Does anyone have info on these, or even better, info on something better than these?

I will post my results when I return to the states.

[Priamos]

To Getopardo,

You're painting a somewhat too gloomy picture of central Paris. (BTW, central Paris is where I live.) Much more interesting than rue St. Denis, if you're into quick and dirty sex, that is, are the nearby areas around the metro stations Strasbourg-St.Denis and Republique, as well as the boulevard that connects the two.

The action is dominated by Romanian and Chinese women (also a few French ones of Algerian origins). The Romanians are younger than their colleagues, but they are also the ones that are by far the most prone to trickery. The Chinese women are generally past their prime (30-50 y.o.) but much more likely to make an effort beyond the call of duty. - So here's the big question: does one go for youth or effort?

The minimum price is 30 euros for one pop, and most of the Chinese women stick to this price. Romanians and Arabs often try at 40-50 euros but can be negotiated down on a slow night. To this add around 30 euros to pay for a room in a nearby shabby hotel. In the case of the Chinese you are well adviced to add a gratuity of 10-20 euros upfront; it establishes a "bond of gratitude" (very important in their culture) which brings a GFE within reach. The Romanians will probably ask for extra money by themselves; paying up makes no difference whatsoever to their attitude.

The Romanian/Arab women are found around metro St.Denis and in Boulevard Strasbourg which connects the metro station with the Gare de l'Est railway station. The Chinese women are found around metro St.Denis (the only place where the two groups mix) and on the road leading from there to Place de la Republique. Identifying the working girls (there are also many bona fide expats in the neighbourhood -- don't insult them!) is pretty easy. The Romanians usually quite demonstrative and pushy. The Chinese women are a bit more discrete, and you need to look out for married couples and college girls who also roam the streets. However, if you meet one or two Chinese women who are no longer of university age just give them a second look. If they return it, there you go, they are working.

[Getopardo]

To Murilloa,

Unfortunately, you'll probably be disappointed if you go through ru de Budapest.
Rue Saint Denis is a little better, but a little only.

French officials are presently congratulating themselves because SW have left the heart of Paris. SW have now moved to the "boulevard des maréchaux", but there are definitely fewer of them.