France Travel Planner: Everything But The South

Et voilà! The answers to your questions about this great country. We start with Paris, then we move from the north to the southwest, and then answer some more general questions at the end. We had planned to cover all your questions in one post, but then it got so long that we decided to separate it into two. Next week, the South of France and Corsica! As always, I answer whatever I feel I know well, and then we hound whoever we know who knows a region better, and has the taste and understanding of what we’re after! Thank you to all of our great contributors for this priceless info!  (Updated December 2024)

PARIS

Can we have your favorite eating, shopping, cocktail-drinking, markets and walks in maybe just one or two Paris neighborhoods?

Several years ago, we published our Paris Black Book which went especially deep on the 1st through 7th arrondissements, where most visitors wind up spending a lot of their time, and in Dec 2024, we published what we’re calling Our Giant Paris Black Book. To answer your question, we’re adding extra tips on the 9th, 10th and 11th arrs. (from Pigalle/Montmartre to Canal Saint-Martin to the Bastille on the Right Bank).

For the 9th (and into the next-door 18th), we hit up Anouk and Louis Solanet of Orso Hotels, a young Parisian couple who started opening their smartly designed small properties in a few residential neighborhoods during the pandemic, and which have become social hubs for locals. Hôtel Rochechouart, which friends of ours have stayed in and loved, is in an Art Deco building in Pigalle, overlooking the hill of Montmartre. They say, “If you want a true Parisian experience, this is where many of Paris’ creative thinkers and artists live and gather. It has great shopping, food, and nightlife. Our hotel is on Boulevard Marguerite de Rochechouart at the top of the historic Rue de Martyrs where, on weekends, cars are prohibited and it becomes a pedestrian heaven for exploring its food shops and boutiques. Cool spots in the neighborhood include: Hôtel Particulier (a beautiful garden in the heart of Montmartre), Marché Saint Quentin (covered market near Gare du Nord with lots of spots to eat a quick meal), Marché Saint Pierre (a fabric market), Hiru (tapas and cocktails), Pantruche (classic French bistro), Petrelle (homestyle French cooking),  Sister Midnight (a burlesque cocktail bar), Cheri Cheri (very small hidden club in restaurant Maison Lautrec).