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There are several ways to shop for food which can be broken down into the following general categories : Supermarkets The largest supermarchés or hypermarchés can be found near the various portes (literally "gates") of Paris or in the outskirts of other French towns. Often, these giant food centres are surrounded by a shopping mall. The whole complex is then called centre commercial. Supermarkets are usually divided, with clothes and house items in one section, and food in another section. In addition to pre-packaged items, they also have extensive cheese, meat, fish and prepared-food counters which sell fresh products. The largest chains include Continent, Carrefour, Auchan, Cora, champion, Leclerc, Intermarché, etc. In the centre of towns, there are smaller mini-markets for food (superettes) such as Ed, Casino, Franprix, Leclerc and Codec. In these stores you are also free to choose your own fresh fruit and vegetables. In most French city centres, you will find a Prisunic or a Monoprix where you can buy virtually everything : a wide variety of food and an interesting selection of good value trendy clothes. Markets (marchés) Each arrondissement and town has its own marché. Covered markets are generally open everyday except Mondays; most of them offer food only. 0pen air markets move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, making their appearance on fixed days; they offer not only food, but many other things from rugs and inexpensive clothing to hardware and antiques. Little shopkeepers (les commerçants) There are many small specialty shops (bakers, butchers, fishmongers, etc) located in every neighborhood which sell a particular category of food. Their hours are usually 8.30am to 1pm and 3 or 4 pm to 7.30pm from Tuesday to Sunday morning.
Big department stores (grands magasins ) are convenient places to shop, because of the sheer concentration of brands and items. These stores carry all the famous and less-famous labels, as well as their own. They tend to be very crowded, especially on Saturdays and towards the end ot the year, but many feature a tearoom or cafeteria where you can take a break in a very nice setting. Major department store with principal location at Auber/Opéra in Paris, and in most other towns. Carries over 75,000 brand names, and welcomes the equivalent of the entire population of Paris each month. A huge women's fashion floor, a new furnishings section, an entire floor devoted to lingerie, and the largest perfume section in the world. Huge department store, mainly Parisian : one building is dedicated to household items (extensive china, kitchen, linen and stationery departments) and the other to fashion (it prides itself on its adventurous selection of young designers). A third building, just behind the first two, is called Brummell and houses men's clothing. Au Bon Marché Large department store, located in Paris only, that distinguishes itself as being the only Left Bank store of its kind. Fine selection of clothes, beautiful toys, antiques, and foods. 
La Samaritaine Largest and oldest department store in Paris, sprawling over several buildings. Clothing is a sideline, but it has a wide variety of household items. Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) A stand-by Parisian store for all your needs, but particularly well-known for appliances, all sorts of do-it-yourself tools and items (bricolage) and an extensive hardware department. Marks & Spencer This English department store has a good basic selection of clothes, some furnishings, and a fabulous food department : all sorts of English goodies marketed under the store's Saint-Michael label, and some of the finest sandwiches in Paris. Also set up in Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse, Nice, Bordeaux, Reims, Strasbourg, Rouen, Lille and Nantes. Leading up-beat cooperative for books, records, photo, video, audio and electronics equipment with après-vente (after-sales) and photo service all over the city. An institution in France. Vast variety and prices marked 5% lower than suggested retail prices. Also a major outlet for concert tickets. Several stores in Paris and a store in all large cities. Large appliance chain, wide variety of brands at reasonably good prices. Noted for service, home delivery, guarantee, and repair services. Several stores in Paris and a store in the outskirts of most large cities. Others HABITAT, IKEA, CASA : the "in" furniture and home decoration stores, set up in Paris or in the suburbs and in the vicinity of some large cities. CONFORAMA, FLY & CASTORAMA : cheaper home decoration available in all regions. Media
Most newspapers in France are politically orientated. - Le Figaro is a well-informed right-wing paper, each Saturday it publishes a weekly full-colour supplement Le Figaro Magazine, with emphasis on cultural life. - Le Monde is the paper of the intellectual centre-left. It offers good coverage of foreign affairs, basically no advertising, and few photographs. - Libération was originally marketed as the intellectual paper of the left. Its original style, informative and well-written articles, and attractive design have helped it to win favour from a growing number of readers. - France-Soir is dedicated to sensational journalism, scandals, lives of movie and TV stars, and horoscopes. - Le Canard Enchaîné is a satirical weekly paper, often fun to read or browse through, with lots of puns and jokes. Surprisingly well-informed, Le Canard often benefits from first hand leaks on the latest political scandals. - L'Humanité is the Communist Party newspaper. - L'Equipe is a daily paper dedicated to sports only. In addition to the above, each region has its own papers, like Sud-Ouest, Le Midi Libre or Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace. Paris has a variety of foreign publications and of course a complete foreign press corps of correspondents. English-language newspapers such as International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal Europe, The European, are available at the kiosk in Paris and large cities or can be subscribed to. German, Italian, Spanish as well as Arabic and Asian newspapers are also available in most large press centres.
A great number of weekly and monthly magazines are published in France. The following (among others) contain general information on issues both French and foreign : - L'Express is an intellectual, centre-to-right-wing weekly with newsy articles and photos. - Le Point is a bit like L'Express, although definitely right-wing, and very well-informed. - Le Nouvel Observateur is the colour newsmagazine of the left. - Paris Match is the most popular weekly news magazine, with lots of photographs. It focuses on human interest, celebrities, political events and features a very lively "People" section. Bilingual free publications aimed at expatriates are available in hotels, bars, restaurants, shops, tourist centers : Time Out Paris Guide, The Voice, FUSAC, The Eyes, Latina, etc. Integration
Living in France without speaking the language you can feel your way around in a stumbling kind of way but you are missing the essential beauty of the experience. Learning French is the key to truly appreciating France. There are many French language schools available. The trick is finding out what is best for you. Besides Alliance Française, Sorbonne and Institut Catholique, which come with a reputation but also tend to offer big classes, there are lesser-known schools where you can spend the same amount of money and receive a lot more personal attention - or learn with new or unusual teaching tools such as inter-active CD ROMs. But be careful : schools that teach French to foreigners are usually private and completely unregulated by the government, so it's important to check what type of teaching credentials the instructors have and how long the school has existed. When you can speak some French you can make friends with French people in your own neighbourhood. Contact your local Welcome Service, Accueil des Villes Françaises. You can inquire at your local townhall about the AVF in your neighbourhood, which will prove very helpful with information about cultural, sports and social activities. Clubs and organizations for expatriates There are many social groups and volunteer organizations that offer a variety of opportunities for expatriates to meet with their fellow countrymen. Contact your Embassy to see if they can provide you with a listing of organizations. For example, the British Community Committee publishes The Digest of British and Franco-British Clubs, Societies and Institutions; this guide includes schools, churches, professional and social groups and is available at the British Council Library or the British Embassy. In its Guide for U.S. Citizens Residing in France, the U.S. Embassy provides a list of the principal U.S. and Franco-U.S. organizations and the addresses of many alumni clubs of American colleges and universities in France. Churches with services in english or other languages An excellent resource is the International Centre for Religious Documentation,
which offers information on places of worship of many different denominations
for foreigners in France, including specific hours of services, musical
concerts, and community programmes (Tel. 01 49 24 11 44). |
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