Paris

'If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man (or woman), then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast'

Getting there...
Ryanair and Aer Lingus both fly directly to Paris from Dublin and are fairly reasonable depending on how much in advance you book flights. Ryanair fly to Beauvais which is pretty far outside the city but there are regular buses to Porte Maillot at the edge of the city and you can get the Metro (Line 1) from there. You have to factor the price of the shuttle bus (€17 each way or €15.90 if you book online) into your plane ticket though which can make the sometimes dirt cheap Ryanair flights a bit less attractive! With Aer Lingue you fly to Charles de Gaulle which is an easy 40 minute train journey on the RER B to the city centre.

http://www.ryanair.com

http://www.aerlingus.com/en-IE/home/index.jsp

Getting around...
The Metro system in Paris is very straightforward and easy to navigate and there is a comprehensive bus system too. However, if you're living in the Irish college in the 5th arrondisementt you are very central which means you probably won't have to make too much use of public transport. One of the first things we did when we arrived was get Velib' cards, which are basically city bikes with stops all over the city. You can get a card for €20 and it will probably be the best €20 you spend in Paris. Cycling is a great way to get around the city because the weather tends to be bike-friendly and you get to see everything instead of being underground! Paris is also a beautiful city to walk around and we tend to do a lot of walking because you can discover the best little shops and cafés down tiny pedestrian streets.

Accommodation
The majority of Irish students in Paris live in the Irish Cultural Centre, which basically provides student accomodationn for about 30 university students and some Irish artists working on projects in Paris. While it is fairly expensive, the location is second to none (and any half-way decent accomodationn in Paris is going to set you back a fair bit anyway). The application process is a little bit tedious but definitely worth it to have a comfortable, central place to stay for the year. The ICC is within walking distance of Sciences Po and Assas and the Sorbonne, and an easy Metro ride from most other universities.

Things you are going to have to deal with in return for the 'convenience' of staying in the ICC.

(1) No Kitchen access after 11pm. Door is locked by a security guard on the hour so no food/tea/water after a night out.

(2) Extremely poor internet acesss. Despite being located in central Paris, the ICC has only cable (ethernet) internet in the rooms which is slow, unreliable and will not be good enough for skype interviews. The Wifi acesss is only avaialble in the common room and is at best below average.

(3) No friends/relatives over to see you after 9pm. That means no proper pre-drinks, one night stands or backpackers sleeping on your floor/bed. 24 hour security guard will greet you as you enter into the ICC, pretty much a boarding school.

That being said, it's a dam sight easier to stay there than jumping through all the French red tape to get a private apartment.

http://www.centreculturelirlandais.com

Shopping
Most supermarkets and larger shops close by 8 or 9pm weeknights and earlier on weekends. '''Most do not open at all on Sundays. '''Some smaller epiceries throughout the city keep longer hours and open on Sundays but most are more expensive and have a smaller selection of items.

In general grocery shopping is quite expensive (to be expected in Paris) but if you go to the larger shops and markets rather than small Carrefour express etc. it is considerably cheaper. Monoprix and Franprix are your best bets and there are branches all around the city. You can find the closest ones here: http://www.monoprix.fr/magasins.html, http://www.franprix.fr/localiser-votre-magasin/. From the ICC the Franprix on Rue Mouffetard and the Monoprix on Boulevard St Michel are probably the best. There is also a Marks & Spencers on Boulevard St Michel if you need a taste of home (sausages, cheddar, soup, ready meals and Percy Pigs for example!). And if you're trying to shop on the cheap there are several Lidls although they are at least one metro ride awayhttp://www.bonial.fr/Magasins/Paris/Lidl/v-r1. There is also a fruit and vegetable market near the ICC (at Place Monge) which is more reasonable and better quality than the supermarkets. It's open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from approximately 9am-1pm depending on the day.

For non-food shopping Paris is absolutely full of shops and boutiques - the main problem is trying not to shop! Close to the ICC, Rue de Rivoli has all the high street shops like Zara and H&M and there's a big department store called the BHV beside Hotel de Ville which has pretty much everything you could ever need (including a great stationary floor!).

Eating out
Paris is an expensive city to eat out in which can be frustrating on a student budget as there are extremely tempting cafés and restaurants everywhere. Near the ICC there are lots of restaurants which are quite student-friendly in Rue Mouffetard and right beside the ICC there is an Italian called Terra Nova which serves delicious and good-value pizzas. The Marais is also a great area for eating out (the falafels in l'AS du Falafel are amazing and only €6!). If you're looking to treat yourself websites like Time Out ( http://www.timeout.com/paris/en/restaurants-cafes ) and Le Fooding ( http://lefooding.com/en/restaurants?filters%5Bgeo%5D%5Bdepartment%5D%5B%5D=526ba0997f55b7f39a00005e&page=1&sort= ) have a great selection of suggestions. It's surprisingly hard to find good coffee in Paris but this website is a pretty comprehensive guide to where to find a good Americano or Latte if you're craving caffeine! http://www.goodcoffeeinparis.com