General Info

Paris at a Glance

The World Tourism Organisation reports that 79.3 million people visited France in 2008, the highest by far. And Paris, the City of Lights, is at he centre of this. Bogart said in Casablanca: “We’ll always have Paris”. And ISCAS 2010 gives you the opportunity to have a part of Paris for
yourself.

Conference venue and its links to the city of Paris

Paris is easily reachable from the New York Convention centre by local transport, the RER suburban trains. Line A takes you from the ISCAS venue to the heart of Paris (Les Halles), within 40 minutes. The nearest RER A station to the ISCAS venue is “Marne la Vallée”. Tickets cost 6.55 Euros one way. At the station, you can also avail of “Discover Paris” passes which allow you unlimited travel in Paris’ public transports for a reasonable price.

Climate

ISCAS is taking place during the best days to visit Paris: May and June are the most popular months to discover the country, as temperatures are mild and comfortable. End-May, beginning-June, Paris averages highs of 20 degrees celsius/64 degrees farenheit, and the average low is 9 celcius, 49 farenheit.

Tipping

Service charges are included in the bill, but feel free to tip the “garçons” is you so desire.

Tourism offices

There are seven official tourism offices in the city: Montmartre, Anvers (the two offices in the Sacred Heart church area), Gare du Nord, Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon (the three main train stations of Paris), Pyramides (closest to the RER A stop), and Porte de Versailles (in the southern part of the city).

The complete information on these offices and their addresses can be found on the official website of the Paris Tourism office: http://en.parisinfo.com/

This website also gives practical details on Paris, as well as a calendar of current cultural happenings (exhibitions, concerts, fairs, …).

The Pyramides tourism office is the most centrally located. Its address: 25, rue des Pyramides; 75001 Paris. It can be reached either by RER A (station: Auber) or Métro lines 7 and 14 (station: Pyramides). It is open all days from 9am upto 7pm. You can also call this office at: +33 (0)1 49
52 42 63.

Useful numbers

Police: 17
Firefighters: 18
Hospital emergency services: 15
These are free numbers and can be called from any phone in France.

Electricity & Plug points

Current in France is 220 volts AC and current alternates at 50 cycles. If you bring electrical appliances, you will need a voltage transformer and a plug adaptor.

Museums

In general, national museums are closed on Tuesday and municipal ones are closed on Monday. Some museums are open late on Wednesday.

Bank Hours

Most major international banks have offices in Paris. Banks are open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Banks are closed Sundays, holidays, and the afternoon before holidays. They are also closed Saturdays in Paris and Mondays in the provinces.

Post Offices

Post offices are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. In Paris, the main post office at 52, rue du Louvre is open 24 hours a day. Stamps can be purchased at tabacs, hotels, and some newsstands.

Taxis

The following taxi companies can be contacted at all times for your needs:
Les taxis Bleus: 08 91 70 10 10 or 01 49 36 10 10
Les Taxis G7: 01 47 39 47 39