Paris Business City Guide: practical information
Weather in Paris is generally temperate, but July and August can be sweltering. Locals cope by abandoning city, so expect restaurant and shop closures. Rain common in winter. Public transportation can be spotty in May due to strikes. Low violent crime rate, though pickpockets (often groups of young people) are active in the metro and around tourist sites.

Many Parisians speak English, but vastly prefer French. Try it if you can and don’t take it personally when they correct you. Stamps and payphone cards available from tobacco shops (tabacs). The post office (La Poste) is a good place to exchange money. Museums commonly closed Monday or Tuesday.

Paris Tourist Office: 127 ave des Champs Elysées (8th, M° George V). Open daily 9am–8pm. Tel: 08 92 68 31 12, www.paris-info.com.

Paris taxis & rentals

Taxis
Les Taxis Bleus
08-25 16 10 10

Taxis G7
01-47 39 47 39

Taxi Parisiens
06-82 87 56 85

Rental cars
Avis
01-47 66 55 80

Hertz
08-25 86 18 61

National
01-48 62 65 81

Good to know

Business hours
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. Shops have more erratic hours. Difficult to reach some businesses by phone between noon–2pm.

Money
Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) widely accepted. Cards without "smart chips" must be swiped. ATMs easily accessible.

Electricity
Standard European 220-240V, 50-cycle AC voltage. Standard European 2-pin plugs; overseas visitors will need an adaptor.

Time
GMT+1. Daylight saving adds one hour in summer (GMT+2).

Public holidays
All Saints’ Day (1 Nov 2003), Armistice Day (11 Nov 2003), Christmas (25 Dec 2003), New Year’s Day (1 Jan 2004), Easter Monday (12 Apr 2004), Labour Day (1 May 2004), Liberation Day (8 May 2004), Ascension Day (20 May 2004), Whit Monday (31 May 2004), Bastille Day (14 Jul 2004), Assumption (15 Aug 2004).

Further reading
Pariscope (listings magazine), Paris Voice (free English-language magazine, also online at www.parisvoice.com), www.paris-info.com, www.paris.fr, www.pagejaunes.fr