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Outbound: Albert goes to France; Before traveling to la belle France, 10 tips chez Albert; Air France's brand new Seattle-Paris non-stop flight a delight |
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| Outbound: Albert goes to France; Before traveling to la belle France, 10 tips chez Albert; Air France's brand new Seattle-Paris non-stop flight a delight | |
| Albert goes to France, coverage continues next week
by Albert Rodriguez -
SGN A&E Writer It's a pleasure to bring Seattle Gay News readers travel coverage of France, a favorite destination among European-bound visitors. This week, I've introduced Air France's newly launched service between Seattle and Paris. Plus, I've provided some tips that I hope will be useful in planning your future trip to Paris or throughout France. In our November 9 issue, I'll guide you on a 5-day journey of the Loire Valley - including a turn-of-the-century priory and a sampling of rustic French cuisine, and I'll tell you how to spend a weekend in the stunning, bustling city of Paris. Until next week, au revoir! |
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| Before traveling to la belle France, 10 tips chez Albert | |
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| Before traveling to la belle France, 10 tips chez Albert
by Albert Rodriguez -
SGN A&E Writer If you've never been to France before or it's been awhile since you've traveled there, here are ten things to keep in mind in advance of your journey. 1. TRANSPORTATION To France: Air France now offers direct service between Seattle and Paris (see OUTBOUND featurette in this issue). British Airways offers direct flights between Sea-Tac and London-Heathrow airports. From Heathrow, you can transport yourself to St. Pancras train station and take a three-hour trek into Paris via Eurostar. Delta Airlines has connecting flights through Cincinnati and Atlanta, while Continental Airlines flies out of Houston and Newark to Paris. Within Paris: Paris has an excellent subway system (Metro) that will take you anywhere you want to go within the city (Tour Eiffel, Louvre, Notre-Dame, Centre Pompidou, Marais district, etc.). RER trains can take you to-from Versailles and nearby suburbs. In January, you'll be able to rent bicycles at a number of self-service checkpoints throughout Paris for a small fee. Within France: TGV, high speed trains can transport you throughout France and to major European cities at world record speeds. 2. DOCUMENTATION Valid passports are required for entering and exiting France, and American travelers can stay up to three months without penalty. A second form of picture identification is advised, in the event your passport should get lost, but only your passport can admit you in and out of the country. 3. CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATE France uses the Euro currency, which at the moment has few benefits for American travelers. Use your credit or debit card for the best exchange rate, even for withdrawing cash. In Paris, use the post office ATMs (La Poste) for cheaper fees. Before leaving to France, you may want to exchange a minimal amount of cash at your personal bank or the airport to have immediately on-hand upon arrival. 4. LANGUAGE Most Parisians and service professionals (hotel personnel, etc.) speak comprehensible English, but if you're visiting rural parts of France or non-tourist areas you may want to learn basic words and sentences. The French are very fond of etiquette and formality so learn how to say "please", "excuse me", "thank you", "sir", "ma'am", "good morning", "good night", "hello" and "goodbye". 5. SAFETY France is very safe to travel around, as is it's main hub Paris. But at the Metro or TGV train stations, watch for crafty pickpocketers and scammers. I recommend traveling with very minimal cash on-hand and no valuable jewelry. And, wear your backpacks on the front side of your body. iPODs and other high-tech gadgets should be tucked into a safe place as well. 6. ACCOMODATIONS I'll recommend hotels in Paris and Loire Valley next week, but the most affordable properties are in the non-tourist areas. Visit www.parisinfo.com or www.franceguide.com for a listing of places to stay that will meet your budget. Hotel rooms throughout Europe are typically smaller than in the US, so upgrade one star above your preference when choosing a hotel in France. 7. GAY SCENE Paris has one of the most thriving Gay scenes in Europe called the "Marais" district, conveniently located in the central city. Vieille du Temple and Archives are the main rues (streets), where you'll find lots of Gay bars and businesses. Most Gay bars have pub-style and café-style seating on the upper levels and private areas in the lower levels. Visit www.franceguide.com and click on the "Special Interests" tab, and then scroll down to the Gay icon for more information. 8. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Tourist attractions are a must-see in Paris, even if you don't enjoy playing tourist. Purchase a "Paris Museum Pass" that admits you to the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou and other key museums for a flat fee (30 Euro-2 days, 45 Euro-3 days). To avoid mass tour buses and hordes of picture-snapping travelers, plan on visiting tourist attractions in the afternoon. For the Tour Eiffel, go at night for a better view and watch for a special sparkle at the top of each hour. 9. FOOD The best and most affordable meals are in the non-tourist districts, like the 5th and 6th. Portions are much smaller in France than the US, but overall the food is excellent. I advise buying take-out, such as baguette-sandwiches and homemade pastries, and finding a nearby spot to eat. If you're on a tight budget, fast-food fare like McDonalds and Qwik are available - but know that Asian and Mexican food in France is unfavorable. I suggest crepes and gyros, with an Orangina. 10. SHOPPING Two shopping malls I recommend are Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, where you'll find a variety of trendy boutiques and designer shops. The Marais district has an abundance of charming stores that sell everything from furniture to Gay magazines, gardening supplies to kitschy domestic items, and brand-name jeans to CDs (one store in particular is dedicated to Madonna). For souvenirs, try a number of inexpensive gift shops in the Republique district. |
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| Air France's brand new Seattle-Paris non-stop flight a delight | |
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| A year ago, traveling to Paris from Seattle required a connecting flight. And we all know how fun those are, right? But thanks to Air France, traveling to and from the "City of Light" just got a whole lot easier. In June, the international carrier unveiled non-stop service between Seattle and Paris, and thus far close to 32,000 passengers have taken advantage of it. I was very eager and excited to hop on-board this just-launched non-stop flight to Charles De Gaulles (CDG) airport from Sea-Tac, having taken other routes on my previous journeys to France. Knowing that all I had to do was board one plane to get to Paris made my heart pitter-patter with joy. Air France offers five weekly Seattle-to-Paris departures (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) at 2:05pm with an 8:50am arrival (France time). The return flight leaves CDG at 10:40pm (France time) and arrives at Sea-Tac at 12:05pm. Flight time to Paris is 9 hours-15 minutes, and 10 hours-25 minutes on the return. Visit www.airfrance.us for fares and availability. Air France branded planes are used for all Seattle-Paris flights. Here's what you can expect traveling from Sea-Tac to CDG via Air France. CHECK-IN AT SEA-TAC Check-in time is no sooner than 11:05am on the day of flight, allowing you a free morning to sleep-in or pack any remaining items in your suitcase. Air France's counter is located at the South end of the check-in terminal, away from the mob of passengers traveling on American-based airlines. You must be checked-in, cleared by security and ready to board at least an hour before takeoff. No customs checks until France. On the return, check-in time begins at 7:40pm. BOARDING Air France boards and deplanes at Sea-Tac's S terminal, where there's less congestion. Boarding begins an hour before takeoff, giving you ample time to sip a cocktail at the terminal's lone bar or shop for in-flight reading material at Hudson News. Allow five to ten minutes to get from the airport's main terminal to the S terminal via airport-operated tram. On the return, add 20 to 30 minutes to clear two French customs checkpoints. On the return, you will board at terminal 2E. CABIN SEATING AND FLIGHT ROUTE Airbus A 330-200 can accommodate 179 passengers in Tempo class (economy) and 40 in l'Espace Affaires (business). All seats are equipped with personal viewing monitors. The flight ascends from Sea-Tac, heading northward passed Everett and other north end suburbs, then flies over Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Scotland, England, and rural France before landing at Charles de Gaulle. Air France provides a geographical map on your monitor, showing the precise location of the plane and how much time is left before landing. IN-FLIGHT Air France takes in-flight service seriously, proven by the quality of food, entertainment, and the airline's newly designed cabin interiors that offer passengers more legroom during long-haul flights. Airline meals are nothing to boast about, but I was blown away by the menu selections aboard Air France, including fine breads, fresh salads, meat-based entrees, French-crafted cheeses, and sumptuous desserts. I can't ever recall eating too much during a flight, until now. As for in-flight entertainment, the listing of blockbuster movies and independent foreign films was impressive - Spider-man 3, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Ocean's 13 were just a few of the many visual choices available on my flight to Paris, not to mention sports, news, TV episodes of Friends and The Simpsons, and an audio selection of music from around the globe. I found Air France's flight attendants helpful and friendly, and quite spiffy in their Christian LaCroix-designed uniforms. All crewmembers speak English. Safety information and announcements are made in French, English and Spanish. ARRIVAL AT CDG Inbound flights from Seattle taxi to terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle, centrally located at the massive airport. You can make quick connections on the RER (city-suburb light rail) or TGV (French rail system). French customs agents will check passports before entering baggage claim, though the process isn't as lengthy or tedious as US customs. Baggage claim is right around the corner from customs checkpoints. If traveling business class, hang onto your boarding pass and ask an Air France agent to point you to the nearest "Arrivals Lounge", where you can shower, help yourself to snacks and beverages, watch TV, or stretch your legs from the long flight - and you'll also receive an arrivals amenities kit, separate from the on-board amenities kit you received in your business class seat back in Seattle. |
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| Halloween on Capitol Hill
Slide Show photos by Joey - SGN photographer |
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