When you’re picking a place to stay in Paris, it can be tempting to choose a hotel near some of the city’s top tourist attractions: the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d’Orsay. But while we love these neighborhoods, we prefer others for lodging. Why? Because it gives you a taste of the real Paris!

For as much as Paris loves its tourists (and believe us, we do!) there are people actually living, working, shopping, cooking, and eating in the city. And unlike many historic cities in Europe, people do all of these things from within the city limits. Choosing a residential neighborhood to make your home away from home during your stay in Paris allows you to see how real Parisians live (and gives you the chance to see some beautiful bits of Paris you might otherwise never get the chance to discover).

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1. The Marais

The Marais, French for marshland, is an historic neighborhood on the Right Bank that encompasses most of the third and part of the fourth arrondissements. With the more historic portion of the neighborhood boasting former private mansions and tons of cobbled streets to the south and the more residential side, home to some of our favorite restaurants, to the north, the Marais is the perfect, centrally-located neighborhood for foodies and history buffs.

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2. Saint Germain

The former favorite of famed Lost Generation residents like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Saint Germain has become a bit bougier over time, but it still retains a certain bohemian charm. With tons of shopping streets, classic brasseries, and more than its fair share of bookshops, Saint Germain is also one of our favorite spots for sweets.

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3. Montmartre

Locals from Montmartre see themselves as Montmartrois first and Parisian second. This part of the 18th arrondissement is truly like its own village, and you’ll get that small-town vibe as you wander its picturesque, winding streets.

When we first moved to France, we fell head-over-heels in love with trains. As compared to the expense (and, quite frankly, the inconvenience of train travel in the U.S.), for as much as the French love to complain about their trains, they’re actually, by and large, on time, inexpensive, and quite lovely.

As the weather gets nicer, it becomes more and more pleasant to hop on a train for a weekend away (or a little bit longer!) So with that in mind, here are our three guidelines to help you get the most out of your train travel.

1. Not all French trains are created alike.

There are several different categories of French trains, starting, of course, with the Paris métro. The métro is managed by the RATP and covers ground throughout Paris and its closest suburbs. To ride the métro, all you need to do is buy a ticket (1.90 euro) in any métro stop, and hop on board!

Another train also runs through Paris and its greater suburbs: the RER. This set of five suburban rail lines makes some stops within Paris but also goes out to the airports, Euro Disney, and other exciting spots. You can use the RER like the métro (with the same ticket) inside Paris, though rates increase once you leave. If you think you’ll be using the métro and the RER frequently while in Paris, you might consider getting an unlimited weekly pass servicing the zone or zones that you’re interested in visiting.

After the RER comes the Transilien, a network of trains running throughout the region of Ile de France, which contains Paris. These trains depart only from major train stations and can take you places like Chantilly, Fontainebleau, or Giverny.

Next you have the TER. These regional trains will take you even further, to other regions of France. Finally, you have the TGV; these high-speed trains also travel throughout France, but, as their name suggests, at higher speeds (and often with cushier seats).

2. You can book in advance.

While in the case of many trains, including TER regional trains, you can buy your tickets directly at the train station before departing, many trains can be booked in advance – and in the case of the TGV, often must be booked in advance.

To do this, you have two options. You can either swing by any train station or SNCF office throughout Paris and buy your ticket in person, or you can book online at the SNCF website (conveniently available in English!) In the case of some trains, you can book a specific seat or seats; other trains will only allow you to book passage, and you’ll have to find your seat yourself.

3. Enjoy!

Train travel can be a relaxing experience, if you plan ahead. While most trains have a dining car, we like to pick up a few odds and ends for a tasty train picnic before leaving, which has the benefit of being a bit less expensive (and usually more delicious). Pick up a baguette, some cheese, some charcuterie, and a tasty pastry (perhaps on one of our food tours?) and pack it up for the ride.

Trains will allow passengers to board until up to two minutes before departure time, but give yourself some leeway: the train’s track will be announced 20 minutes before departure, and in the case of Paris, which is the terminus of the train, you will be able to board well in advance and make yourself comfortable. Stash your bigger bags (with a baggage tag) on one of the luggage racks at the entrance of each car, put your smaller items above your head, and sit back, relax, and enjoy!

If you spend any amount of time around French people, one evening, you’ll undoubtedly hear them say:

Alors… on prend l’apéro?

Apéro, short for apéritif, is sacred in France: an hour or so before dinner where you can unwind over a cocktail (or two) and a few snacks. It’s not about getting drunk: it’s about spending time together and preparing your palate for the meal to follow. And now that days are getting longer, it’s one of our favorite activities.

Here’s our guide to the perfect French apéro.

1. Choose Your Drink

You can enjoy pretty much anything for apéro, but there are a few standbys. Many French people, especially in the south of France, start the evening off with an aniseed Pastis, typically drunk diluted with cold water. Some tinge theirs red with grenadine for a tomate, or green with mint syrup for a perroquet.

A very common apéro beverage, particularly among women, is a kir, a combination of dry white wine and syrup. A traditional kir is made with crème de cassis, or blackcurrant liqueur, but peach, strawberry, or blackberry are great too. Spike Champagne instead of white wine for a kir royale!

For kids, syrup combined with water or seltzer (the latter is dubbed a diabolo) is a great alternative to juice or soda.

The only thing you’ll very rarely see at apéro is red wine, which is usually reserved for mealtime!

2. Choose Your Location

There are three possible locations to have a quality apéro.

The first, and probably the most common among locals, is at home. Serve drinks with a few snacks, such as chips, pretzels (or slightly snazzier verrines, if you’re feeling really French) and you’re good to go.

If you don’t feel up to making your own apéro – or you want to see how other locals partake – try having apéro at a bar. Any Parisian café will offer the simplest of apéros – drinks accompanied by a small bowl of snack mix, chips, or popcorn – but other places will also have charcuterie platters or other snacks on the menu to accompany snazzier cocktails or specialty drinks.

Here are a few of our Paris faves:

• Septime La Cave, 3 Rue Basfroi, 75011
• Le Barav’, 6 Rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003
• Le Perchoir, 14, rue du Crespin de Gast, 75011

The third possibility? One of Paris’ nearly 100 parks! Pick out a bottle of your favorite rosé and snag a few snacks from a supermarket or specialty store, and spread out a blanket at one of our favorite picnic spots.

3. Enjoy!

It doesn’t take much to enjoy apéro: good friends, a drink in hand, and an expanse of time before you.

Santé!

Take a wander through some of Paris’ top chocolateries, and you’ll encounter not just the French Patrick Roger and and Jacques Génin but the Belgian Pierre Marcolini or the Swiss-influenced Bretons Henri Roux and Philippe Pascoët. And while no matter what, each individual chocolatier will have characteristics that make him unique, these three big families of chocolate-making are actually quite distinct.

Swiss Chocolate

Often hailed as the chocolate capital of Europe, the Swiss invented (and perfected) luxuriously creamy milk chocolate. Swiss chocolate also has an ultra-creamy texture thanks to the use of the conching technique, which involves warming the chocolate while you grind it.

Belgian Chocolate

Many Belgian chocolatiers use emulsifiers to attempt to achieve the same texture as Swiss milk chocolate; as a general rule, Belgian chocolate is darker than Swiss. Belgians also invented both the praline and the filled chocolate, so if you’re visiting a Belgian chocolatier, opt for one of these rich, delicious creations.

French Chocolate

French chocolate tends to be lower in fat than either its Belgian or Swiss counterparts: this is truly the place for lovers of dark chocolate to give into their vice! French chocolate bonbons tend to be dipped rather than filled like their Belgian counterparts, making for a thinner chocolate shell that melts more easily on the tongue.

Learn even more about what makes chocolate special on our Sweet Tooth in Saint Germain tour!