About the Area for SilverDoor Serviced Apartments in Paris - St-Germain-des-Pres

Charles de Gaulle Airport is situated 14 miles north-east of Paris where the three terminals are connected via free shuttle buses. The quickest and cheapest way to get from the airport to Paris city centre is via the TGV. This takes 45 minutes and is signposted from the airport terminal. It is just a short walk to the station. Even if you have never used the French rail system before this is certainly the way to go as a Taxi would be very expensive.

The easiest way to get around Paris is on the Metro. There are Metro stations close to every public attraction and they serve the surrounding suburbs too. The best way to use the Metro is to buy a "carnet" - this is a set of 10 tickets which have virtually no expiry date and each ticket is valid for as many changes as you like on the Metro so long as you don’t exit and go above ground. For example you need two tickets for the outgoing and return journeys.

The main business sector of Paris is surrounding "La Grande Arch de La Defence" otherwise known as La Defence. This is the large grey arch visible over the road from the Arc de Triomphe. There is also an extensive shopping area here.

The most reasonable area in which to eat in central Paris is called the Latin Quarter and is close to Notre Dame. This is not as "touristy" as other areas and therefore has more reasonably priced menus. The most economic way to eat in restaurants is to buy a "menu a XX Euros", these will normally be a starter or dessert and main course off a set menu for a discounted price.

Saint-Germain-des-Pres is an area of the 6th arrondissement, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. This central Rive-Gauche quarter is named after a 7th century abbey of which only a church is still standing.

Its commercial growth began upon the completion in 1886 of the Boulevard Saint-Germain and the opening of cafes and bistros like the "Cafe de Flore" and "Deux Magots" terraces. Its fame grew with the 1950's student led "culture emancipation" movement that flourished in the nearby University. Many jazz clubs appeared during those times and several still remain. The Saint-Germain-des-Pres area was at the centre of the existentialist movement (associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir).

Located near the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, this quarter is known for its artistry in general and has many galleries along the Rue Bonaparte and Rue de Seine. Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an upper-class bourgeois residential district, and its quality clothing shops and gastronomic street-side eateries are a direct reflection of this.

The area around the Boulevard Saint-Germain referred to as the Faubourg Saint-Germain, or suburb of Saint-Germain. In the 17th century, this quarter became a major site for noble town houses. This reputation continued throughout the 19th century, where the old aristocracy of the Saint-Germain quarter contrasts with the new upper bourgeoisie of the Right Bank, with their homes on the Boulevard Saint-Honore or on the Champs-Elysees.

The Boulevard Saint-Germain is now a thriving high-end shopping street with stores such as Armani and Rykiel. Nearby is the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, one of the finest political science schools in Europe.