Fahrenheit and Celsius Conversion
French Pronunciation Guide for Paris
For tips on making calls, including specifics on dialing toll-free service numbers, see “How to Dial” on here.
Operators at emergency numbers may speak English, but there is no guarantee. Calls to 112 and 114 are received by either the Emergency Medical Assistance Service (called “SAMU”) or the fire brigade, who will reroute the call if necessary.
Police: Tel. 17
Fire and Accident: Tel. 18
Emergency Medical Assistance Service (SAMU): Tel. 15
Ambulance for Medical Emergencies: Tel. 15 or 01 45 67 50 50 (message asks for your address and name)
SOS All Services: 112
Hearing-Assisted SOS All Services: 114
American Hospital: Tel. 01 46 41 25 25 (63 Boulevard Victor Hugo, in Neuilly suburb, Mo: Porte Maillot, then bus #82)
English-Speaking Pharmacy (Pharmacie les Champs): Tel. 01 45 62 02 41, open 24 hours every day of the year (84 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Mo: Georges V)
English-Speaking Doctors: For a good list, search on the US embassy’s website: france.usembassy.gov
SOS Doctors: Tel. 01 47 07 77 77 (most speak some English, house calls to hotels or homes, usually €60-90)
SOS Help: Tel. 01 46 21 46 46 (anonymous telephone hotline with crisis/suicide prevention listening service in English, daily 15:00-23:00)
SOS Dentist: Tel. 07 81 63 74 63, contact@1urgencedentaireparis.fr
The American Chiropractic Center: Tel. 01 45 51 38 38, open Mon-Sat, closed Sun (119 Rue de l’Université, Mo: Invalides, www.chiropractique.com)
Lost Property (Bureau des Objets Trouvés, at police station): Tel. 08 21 00 25 25; open Mon-Fri 8:30-17:00 (36 Rue des Morillons, Mo: Convention, on south end of line 12)
Collect Calls to the US: Tel. 00 00 11
US Consulate and Embassy: Tel. 01 43 12 22 22 (4 Avenue Gabriel, to the left as you face Hôtel Crillon, Mo: Concorde, france.usembassy.gov)
Canadian Consulate and Embassy: Tel. 01 44 43 29 00, www.amb-canada.fr. For 24/7 emergency assistance, call collect to Canadian (tel. 613/996-8885)
Australian Consulate: Tel. 01 40 59 33 00 (4 Rue Jean Rey, Mo: Bir-Hakeim, www.france.embassy.gov.au)
US Department of State: Tel. 888-407-4747, from outside US tel. 1-202-501-4444, www.travel.state.gov
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs: Canadian tel. 800-387-3124, from outside Canada tel. 1-613-996-8885, www.voyage.gc.ca
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tel. 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636), www.cdc.gov/travel
Paris Webservices Booking Service (for hotels, transportation, restaurants, and other tourist activities): Tel. 01 45 56 91 67 (12 Rue de l’Exposition, Mo: Ecole Militaire, RER: Pont de l’Alma, www.pariswebservices.com, contactpws@pariswebservices.com, helpful Gérard)
G7 Taxis (Paris’ main taxi company): Tel. 01 41 27 66 99, www.taxisg7.fr (English version available)
Accor Hotels (huge chain, including Ibis, Mercure, and Novotel): Tel. 08 25 88 00 00, US tel. 800-221-4542, www.accorhotels.com
Ibis Hotels: Tel. 08 92 68 66 86, US tel. 800-221-4542, www.ibishotel.com
Mercure Hotels: Tel. 08 25 88 33 33, US tel. 800-221-4542, www.mercure.com
Kyriad Hotels: From Europe dial British tel. 207/519-5045, www.kyriad.com
Best Western Hotels: US tel. 800-780-7234, www.bestwestern.com
Country Home Rental: www.gites-de-france.com or www.gite.com
Hostelling International, US Office: www.hiayh.org
Hostelling International, Canada Office: www.hostellingintl.ca
Hip Hop Hostels (clearinghouse for budget hotels and hostels in Paris): Tel. 01 48 78 10 00, www.hiphophostels.com
American Church (interdenominational): Tel. 01 40 62 05 00 (65 Quai d’Orsay, Mo: Invalides, www.acparis.org; for more information, see here)
American Cathedral (Episcopalian): Tel. 53 23 84 00 (23 Avenue George V, Mo: George V, www.americancathedral.org)
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship: www.uufp.info
Scots Kirk (Church of Scotland): Tel. 01 48 78 47 94 (17 Rue Bayard, Mo: Franklin D. Roosevelt, www.scotskirkparis.com)
St. George’s Anglican Church: Tel. 01 47 20 22 51 (7 Rue Auguste Vacquerie, Mo: George V or Kleber, www.stgeorgesparis.com)
St. Joseph’s Church (Roman Catholic): Tel. 01 42 27 28 56 (50 Avenue Hoche, Mo: Etoile, www.stjoeparis.org)
St. Michael’s Church (Anglican): Tel. 01 47 42 70 88 (5 Rue d’Aguesseau, Mo: Concorde or Madeleine, www.saintmichaelsparis.org)
This list includes selected festivals in Paris, plus national holidays observed throughout France. Many sights and banks close on national holidays—keep this in mind when planning your itinerary. Before planning a trip around a festival, verify its dates by checking the festival’s website or France’s national tourism website (www.franceguide.com).
In Paris, hotels get booked up Easter weekend (note that Easter Monday is a holiday, and the weeks before and after are also busy), Labor Day, V-E Day, Ascension weekend, Pentecost weekend, Bastille Day and the week during which it falls, and the winter holidays (last half of December). Avoid leaving Paris at the beginning of one of these holiday weekends or returning at the end—you’ll be competing with Parisians for seats on planes and trains, or fighting them in traffic on the roadways.
Paris is lively with festivals and events throughout the summer and fall. Kicking off the season in late May or early June is the month-long Festival of St. Denis in that Parisian suburb, featuring musicians from around the world at various venues (tel. 01 48 13 06 07, www.festival-saint-denis.com).
Paris celebrates the solstice (June 21) with its Music Festival (Fête de la Musique), staging concerts throughout the city.
Bastille Day, France’s National Day (July 14), brings fireworks, dancing, and revelry countrywide (see sidebar on here). In late July, the Tour de France bicycle race ends on the Champs-Elysées (www.letour.fr; see sidebar on here).
From mid-July to mid-August, the Paris Neighborhoods Festival features theater, dance, and concerts around the city. At the same time, the fun Paris Plages, a riverside ersatz beach, is set up in the middle of the city (see here).
La Villette Jazz Festival brings a week of outdoor jazz concerts to this Parisian park from late August to mid-September. The first Saturday of October, Montmartre celebrates the grape harvest with a parade and festivities. The Festival of Autumn (www.festival-automne.com) runs through fall, with theater, dance, film, and opera performances. If you’re in Paris during Christmas, see the Paris in Winter chapter for information on things to do. (Christmas week is generally quieter than the week of New Year’s.)
Here are some major holidays in 2015:
• Europeans write a few of their numbers differently than we do: 1 = 
, 4 = 
, 7 = 
.
• In Europe, dates appear as day/month/year, so Christmas 2015 is 25/12/15.
• Commas are decimal points and decimals are commas. A dollar and a half is $1,50, one thousand is 1.000, and there are 5.280 feet in a mile.
• When counting with fingers, start with your thumb. If you hold up your first finger to request one item, you’ll probably get two.
• What Americans call the second floor of a building is the first floor in Europe.
• On escalators and moving sidewalks, Europeans keep the left “lane” open for passing. Keep to the right.
A kilogram is 2.2 pounds, and l liter is about a quart, or almost four to a gallon. A kilometer is six-tenths of a mile. I figure kilometers to miles by cutting them in half and adding back 10 percent of the original (120 km: 60 + 12 = 72 miles, 300 km: 150 + 30 = 180 miles).
1 foot = 0.3 meter
1 yard = 0.9 meter
1 mile = 1.6 kilometers
1 centimeter = 0.4 inch
1 meter = 39.4 inches
1 kilometer = 0.62 mile
1 square yard = 0.8 square meter
1 square mile = 2.6 square kilometers
1 ounce = 28 grams
1 quart = 0.95 liter
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
32°F = 0°C
When shopping for clothing, use these US-to-European comparisons as general guidelines (but note that no conversion is perfect).
• Women’s dresses and blouses: Add 30
(US size 10 = European size 40)
• Men’s suits and jackets: Add 10
(US size 40 regular = European size 50)
• Men’s shirts: Multiply by 2 and add about 8
(US size 15 collar = European size 38)
• Women’s shoes: Add about 30
(US size 8 = European size 38-39)
• Men’s shoes: Add 32-34
(US size 9 = European size 41; US size 11 = European size 45)
First line, average daily high; second line, average daily low; third line, average days without rain. For more detailed weather statistics for destinations in this book (as well as the rest of the world), check www.wunderground.com.
Europe takes its temperature using the Celsius scale, while we opt for Fahrenheit. For a rough conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 30. For weather, remember that 28°C is 82°F—perfect. For health, 37°C is just right. At a launderette, 30°C is cold, 40°C is warm (usually the default setting), 60°C is hot, and 95°C is boiling.
Whether you’re traveling for five days or five weeks, you won’t need more than this. Pack light to enjoy the sweet freedom of true mobility.
5 shirts: long- & short-sleeve
2 pairs pants or skirt
1 pair shorts or capris
5 pairs underwear & socks
1 pair walking shoes
Sweater or fleece top
Rainproof jacket with hood
Tie or scarf
Swimsuit
Sleepwear
Debit card
Credit card(s)
Hard cash ($20 bills)
Money belt or neck wallet
Passport
Airline reservations
Rail pass/train reservations
Car-rental voucher
Driver’s license
Student ID, hostel card, etc.
Photocopies of all the above
Hotel confirmations
Insurance details
Guidebooks & maps
Notepad & pen
Journal
Toiletries
Medicines & vitamins
First-aid kit
Glasses/contacts/sunglasses (with prescriptions)
Earplugs
Packet of tissues (for WC)
Daypack
Sealable plastic baggies
Laundry soap
Spot remover
Clothesline
Sewing kit
Travel alarm/watch
Smartphone or mobile phone
Camera & related gear
Tablet/ereader/media player
Laptop & flash drive
Earbuds or headphones
Chargers
Plug adapters
Flipflops or slippers
Mini-umbrella or poncho
Travel hairdryer
Belt
Hat (for sun or cold)
Picnic supplies
Water bottle
Fold-up tote bag
Small flashlight
Small binoculars
Insect repellent
Small towel or washcloth
Inflatable pillow
Some duct tape (for repairs)
Tiny lock
Address list (to mail postcards)
Postcards/photos from home
Extra passport photos
Good book
When using the phonetics: Try to nasalize the n sound (let the sound come through your nose). Note that the “ahn” combination uses the “ah” sound in “father,” but the “an” combination uses the “a” sound in “sack.” Pronounce the “ī” as the long “i” in “light.” If your best attempt at pronunciation meets with a puzzled look, just point to the place name on the list.
Arc de Triomphe ark duh tree-ohnf
arrondissement ah-rohn-dees-mohn
Art Nouveau art noo-voh
Auvers-sur-Oise oh-vehr-sur-wahz
Bateaux Mouches bah-toh moosh
Bon Marché bohn mar-chay
boulangerie boo-lahn-zheh-ree
Carnavalet kar-nah-val-eh
Champ de Mars shahn duh mar
Champs-Elysées shahn-zay-lee-zay
Chantilly shahn-tee-yee
charcuterie shar-koo-tuh-ree
Chartres shar-truh
château(x) shah-toh
Cité see-tay
Cité des Sciences see-tay day see-ahns
Conciergerie kon-see-ehr-zhuh-ree
Contrescarpe kohn-truh-scarp
droguerie droh-guh-ree
Ecole Militaire eh-kohl mee-lee-tehr
Egouts ay-goo
Fauchon foh-shohn
Fontainebleau fohn-tehn-bloh
fromagerie froh-mah-zhuh-ree
Galeries Lafayette gah-luh-ree lah-fay-yet
gare gar
Gare d’Austerlitz gar doh-stehr-leets
Gare de l’Est gar duh lest
Gare de Lyon gar duh lee-ohn
Gare du Nord gar dew nor
Gare St. Lazare gar sahn lah-zar
Giverny zhee-vehr-nee
Grand Palais grahn pah-lay
Grande Arche de la Défense grahnd arsh duh lah day-fahns
Hôtel de Sully oh-tehl duh soo-lee
Ile de la Cité eel duh lah see-tay
Ile St. Louis eel sahn loo-ee
Jacquemart-André zhahk-mar-ahn-dray
jardin zhar-dan
Jardin des Plantes zhar-dan day plahnt
Jeu de Paume juh duh pohm
La Madeleine lah mah-duh-lehn
La Marseillaise lah mar-seh-yehz
Le Hameau luh ah-moh
Les Halles lay ahl
Les Invalides lay-zan-vah-leed
Loire lwar
L’Orangerie loh-rahn-zhuh-ree
Louvre loov-ruh
Marais mah-ray
marché aux puces mar-chay oh poos
Marmottan mar-moh-tahn
Métro may-troh
Monge mohnzh
Montmartre mohn-mart
Montparnasse mohn-par-nas
Moulin Rouge moo-lan roozh
musée mew-zay
Musée de l’Armée mew-zay duh lar-may
Musée d’Orsay mew-zay dor-say
Notre-Dame noh-truh-dahm
Opéra Garnier oh-pay-rah gar-nee-ay
orangerie oh-rahn-zhuh-ree
Orsay or-say
palais pah-lay
Palais de Justice pah-lay duh zhew-stees
Palais Royal pah-lay roh-yahl
Parc de la Villette park duh la vee-leht
Parc Monceau park mohn-soh
Père Lachaise pehr lah-shehz
Petit Palais puh-tee pah-lay
place plahs
Place Dauphine plahs doh-feen
Place de la Bastille plahs duh lah bah-steel
Place de la Concorde plahs duh lah kohn-kord
Place de la République plahs duh lah ray-poo-bleek
Place des Vosges plahs day vohzh
Place du Tertre plahs dew tehr-truh
Place St. André-des-Arts plahs sahn tahn-dray-day-zart
Place Vendôme plahs vahn-dohm
Pompidou pohn-pee-doo
pont pohn
Pont Alexandre III pohn ah-leks-ahn-druh twah
Pont Neuf pohn nuhf
Promenade Plantée proh-mehn-ahd plahn-tay
quai kay
Rive Droite reeve dwaht
Rive Gauche reeve gohsh
Rodin roh-dan
rue rew
Rue Cler rew klehr
Rue Daguerre rew dah-gehr
Rue des Rosiers rew day roz-ee-ay
Rue Montorgueil rew mohn-tor-goy
Rue Mouffetard rew moof-tar
Rue de Rivoli rew duh ree-voh-lee
Sacré-Cœur sah-kray-koor
Sainte-Chapelle sahnt-shah-pehl
Seine sehn
Sèvres-Babylone seh-vruh-bah-bee-lohn
Sorbonne sor-buhn
St. Germain-des-Prés sahn zhehr-man-day-pray
St. Julien-le-Pauvre sahn zhew-lee-an-luh-poh-vruh
St. Séverin sahn say-vuh-ran
St. Sulpice sahn sool-pees
Tour Eiffel toor ee-fehl
Trianon tree-ahn-ohn
Trocadéro troh-kah-day-roh
Tuileries twee-lay-ree
Vaux-le-Vicomte voh-luh-vee-kohnt
Venus de Milo vuh-news duh mee-loh
Versailles vehr-“sigh”
When using the phonetics, try to nasalize the n sound.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Good day. | Bonjour. | bohn-zhoor |
| Mrs. / Mr. | Madame / Monsieur | mah-dahm / muhs-yur |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? | par-lay-voo ahn-glay |
| Yes. / No. | Oui. / Non. | wee / nohn |
| I understand. | Je comprends. | zhuh kohn-prahn |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. | zhuh nuh kohn-prahn pah |
| Please. | S’il vous plaît. | see voo play |
| Thank you. | Merci. | mehr-see |
| I’m sorry. | Désolé. | day-zoh-lay |
| Excuse me. | Pardon. | par-dohn |
| (No) problem. | (Pas de) problème. | (pah duh) proh-blehm |
| It’s good. | C’est bon. | say bohn |
| Goodbye. | Au revoir. | oh vwahr |
| one / two | un / deux | uhn / duh |
| three / four | trois / quatre | twah / kah-truh |
| five / six | cinq / six | sank / sees |
| seven / eight | sept / huit | seht / weet |
| nine / ten | neuf / dix | nuhf / dees |
| How much is it? | Combien? | kohn-bee-an |
| Write it? | Ecrivez? | ay-kree-vay |
| Is it free? | C’est gratuit? | say grah-twee |
| Included? | Inclus? | an-klew |
| Where can I buy / find...? | Où puis-je acheter /trouver...? | oo pwee-zhuh ah-shuh-tay / troo-vay |
| I’d like / We’d like... | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions... | zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| ...a room. | ...une chambre. | ewn shahn-bruh |
| ...a ticket to ___. | ...un billet pour ___. | uhn bee-yay poor ___ |
| Is it possible? | C’est possible? | say poh-see-bluh |
| Where is...? | Où est...? | oo ay |
| ...the train station | ...la gare | lah gar |
| ...the bus station | ...la gare routière | lah gar root-yehr |
| ...tourist information | ...l’office du tourisme | loh-fees dew too-reez-muh |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? | oo sohn lay twah-leht |
| men | hommes | ohm |
| women | dames | dahm |
| left / right | à gauche / à droite | ah gohsh / ah dwaht |
| straight | tout droit | too dwah |
| When does this open / close? | Ça ouvre / ferme à quelle heure? | sah oo-vruh / fehrm ah kehl ur |
| At what time? | À quelle heure? | ah kehl ur |
| Just a moment. | Un moment. | uhn moh-mahn |
| now / soon / later | maintenant / bientôt / plustard | man-tuh-nahn / bee-an-toh / plew tar |
| today / tomorrow | aujourd’hui / demain | oh-zhoor-dwee / duh-man |
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| I’d like / We’d like... | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions... | zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| ...to reserve... | ...réserver... | ray-zehr-vay |
| ...a table for one / two. | ...une table pour un / deux. | ewn tah-bluh poor uhn / duh |
| Is this seat free? | C’est libre? | say lee-bruh |
| The menu (in English), please. | La carte (en anglais), s’il vous plaît. | lah kart (ahn ahn-glay) see voo play |
| service (not) included | service (non) compris | sehr-vees (nohn) kohn-pree |
| to go | à emporter | ah ahn-por-tay |
| with / without | avec / sans | ah-vehk / sahn |
| and / or | et / ou | ay / oo |
| special of the day | plat du jour | plah dew zhoor |
| specialty of the house | spécialité de la maison | spay-see-ah-lee-tay duh lah may-zohn |
| appetizers | hors d’oeuvre | or duh-vruh |
| first course (soup, salad) | entrée | ahn-tray |
| main course (meat, fish) | plat principal | plah pran-see-pahl |
| bread | pain | pan |
| cheese | fromage | froh-mahzh |
| sandwich | sandwich | sahnd-weech |
| soup | soupe | soop |
| salad | salade | sah-lahd |
| meat | viande | vee-ahnd |
| chicken | poulet | poo-lay |
| fish | poisson | pwah-sohn |
| seafood | fruits de mer | frwee duh mehr |
| fruit | fruit | frwee |
| vegetables | légumes | lay-gewm |
| dessert | dessert | day-sehr |
| mineral water | eau minérale | oh mee-nay-rahl |
| tap water | l’eau du robinet | loh dew roh-bee-nay |
| milk | lait | lay |
| (orange) juice | jus (d’orange) | zhew (doh-rahnzh) |
| coffee / tea | café / thé | kah-fay / tay |
| wine | vin | van |
| red / white | rouge / blanc | roozh / blahn |
| glass / bottle | verre / bouteille | vehr / boo-tay |
| beer | bière | bee-ehr |
| Cheers! | Santé! | sahn-tay |
| More. / Another. | Plus. / Un autre. | plew / uhn oh-truh |
| The same. | La même chose. | lah mehm shohz |
| The bill, please. | L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | lah-dee-see-ohn see voo play |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Vous prenez les cartes? | voo pruh-nay lay kart |
| tip | pourboire | poor-bwahr |
| Delicious! | Délicieux! | day-lee-see-uh |
For more user-friendly French phrases, check out Rick Steves’ French Phrase Book and Dictionary or Rick Steves’ French, Italian & German Phrase Book.