Paris: Latin Quarter, Around St-Germain, & South

SEE Bouche de Métro AbbessesThe National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., displays one of Hector Guimard's art nouveau Métro entrances, but the structures look better in their natural habitat-there are 22 still in existence. The entrance to the Abbesses Métro stop is one of the originals, identified by its glass "dragonfly" awning. SEE Moulin Radet83 rue Lepic, 01/46-06-84-77The oft-painted and now-restored wooden Moulin Radet windmill doesn't twirl for tourists, but the famous facade still cuts a mean silhouette above the restaurant Au Moulin de la Galette. Seats in the brasserie's garden provide the best view. EAT Chez Aïda48 rue Polonceau, 01/42-52-06-92A Senegalese institution in Paris's Goutte d'Or African quarter that serves yassa (grilled marinated chicken in a spicy onion sauce) and hard-to-find treats-including the heavenly jus de bouye, a juice extracted from the crushed fruit of baobab trees (known as monkey bread). EAT La Chope du Château Rouge40 rue de Clignancourt, 01/46-06-20-10"The Red Castle Tankard" sports gilded friezes, ceiling moldings, and pretzeled neon tubes in a multitude of colors that cover much of the walls. The real draws at this bar are the satisfying portions of couscous mixed with beef, lamb, or vegetables-served free on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. EAT L'Afghani16 rue Paul-Albert, 01/42-51-08-72The most economical and authentic Afghan restaurant in Paris, where you can eat such favorites as ashak (pockets of pasta stuffed with leeks and served with beans, ground beef, and garlic yogurt) and halwa (grilled patties of flour, almonds, raisins, and honey). SPLURGE La Famille41 rue des Trois-Frères, 01/42-52-11-12Upscale dining amid sleek, minimalist decor and retro touches, such as a dented 1930s zinc bar and the late-1970s video game Vectrex, which you can play for free. A frequently changing menu can include adventuresome fare such as crème de foie gras infused with popcorn, and herbaceous chocolate cake flavored with basil. DRINK Chez Camille8 rue Ravignan, 01/46-06-05-78A cozy, wood-fitted bar awash in yellow paint. Come early to snag one of the few tables on the terrace that have sweeping vistas of Paris rooftops. On the last Wednesday of the month, a DJ spins ambient tunes. SHOP Marché aux Puces de St-OuenMétro Porte-de-Clignancourt, les-puces.comWith some 2,000 stands, this antiques flea market is reputed to be the world's largest-tables covered with everything from 19th-century microscopes and spectacles to 1950s film memorabilia sprawl across the leafy suburb. Avoid the gambling games set up on cardboard boxes; the man that keeps winning is an accomplice of the swindler. Closed Sun. PLAY Cercle Clichy Montmartre84 rue de Clichy, 01/48-78-32-85, academie-billard.comSixteen pool and billiards tables pack the front room at this stable-turned-game-hall. For a real underground feel, push the unmarked door in the back to enter a miniature, windowless casino and try your hand at card games. You can shoot, gamble, and drink until 6 a.m. Note: While the casino may feel secret, it's not seedy, and women are welcome. Be sure to bring ID as the casino is 18+ only. PLAY Ciné 13 Théâtre1 avenue Junot, 01/42-51-13-79, cine13.comThis anti-multiplex is fitted with coffee tables, couches, and a bar. No previews or commercials play before current indie and art house movie screenings. All films are shown in their original language, and many are in English. Ciné 13 also puts on plays and performances. Films from E9, plays from E19. PLAY Le Divan du Monde75 rue des Martyrs, 01/40-05-06-99, divandumonde.comA bar/performance space that was once the haunt of Toulouse-Lautrec and Baudelaire. A 50-foot-long wall of flashing screens lights up the mezzanine bar, and the hall downstairs hosts a motley program of theater, dance, movies, and poetry readings. Cover includes all performances, but no drinks. From E10. TIP Free admission to museums If you happen to be in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, most national museums and monuments have free admission-you could save E13 at the Louvre and E9 at the Musée d'Orsay.

THE LOUVRE AND WESTERN PARIS Hôtel du Champ de Mars7 rue du Champ de Mars, 01/45-51-52-30, hotel-du-champ-de-mars.comExpect a quaint, vaguely 1970s vibe and midsize rooms at this underpriced charmer in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. The hotel is around the corner from rue Cler, a colorful, bustling street crammed with little shops-a plus in a district with a less-than-vibrant street life. Doubles from E79. THE LOUVRE AND WESTERN PARIS Hôtel Étoile Péreire146 boulevard Péreire, 01/42-67-60-00, etoilepereire.comDiscreetly swank, and a 15-minute stroll from the Arc de Triomphe. All 26 rooms are individually decorated to evoke a certain design era (art deco, Rm. 409) or place (India, Rm. 306). Quiet is assured: Rooms with upholstered walls open to an airy courtyard, with the exception of Rm. 101, which is soundproof but doesn't open to the outdoors. Doubles from E119. MONTMARTRE Hôtel du Commerce34 rue des Trois-Frères, 01/42-64-81-69Comfortable, sunny rooms with crisp white linens for prices that haven't kept up with the times. A nearby staircase leads up to Sacré-Coeur. Doubles from E20. MONTMARTRE L'Ermitage Hôtel24 rue Lamarck, 01/42-64-79-22, ermitagesacrecoeur.frThis compact and alluring mansion-with flowery, dollhouse-style furniture-has a low-tech credo: no TV, Internet, or credit cards. Top-floor rooms in back have city views; ground-floor rooms open onto a small garden terrace. Doubles from E88. MONTMARTRE Le Village Hostel20 rue d'Orsel, 01/42-64-22-02, villagehostel.frThe best bargain in town, and justifiably popular with the international backpacker set, who also come here for the convivial atmosphere. The colorful frescoed lobby has Internet access and serves as a meeting place for parties and a spot to plan outings. Its terrace offers views of Sacré-Coeur. Note: All bathrooms are communal. Rates include continental breakfasts. Doubles from E23 per person in low season, E27 in high. Dorm-room rates (four-six beds) start at E20. MONTPARNASSE Hôtel Ferrandi92 rue du Cherche-Midi, 01/42-22-97-40 A Left Bank jewel, just minutes by foot to the understated elegance of the St-Germain shopping district. Each room offers a different fin-de-siècle decor (canopy beds, chandeliers, and colorful, patterned wallpaper). Doubles from E130. MONTPARNASSE Hôtel Mayet3 rue Mayet, 01/47-83-21-35, mayet.comBetween rue du Cherche-Midi, a quiet street lined with antiques shops, and rue des Sèvres, the site of the famous Le Bon Marché department store. Cheery accents in the 23 ultramodern rooms include paintings and broad stripes on the walls. Aim high: Rooms on the top floor have inwardly sloping walls. Doubles from E110. NOTRE-DAME Hôtel Esmeralda4 rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, 01/43-54-19-20A honeycomb of rooms with sloping eaves and charmingly uneven floors. There are no TVs or Internet connections, but modern conveniences would clash with the appealing rough-hewn stone walls and wood beams. Views of Notre-Dame (from the most expensive rooms only). Doubles from E65. NOTRE-DAME Shakespeare and Company37 rue de la Bûcherie, 01/43-25-40-93, shakespeareco.org This jumbled, nook-and-cranny American bookshop calls itself a "tumbleweed hotel" for literary travelers. To get a free rumpled bed or bench among the stacks, tell Sylvia Whitman, or her 91-year-old, cantankerous, living-legend father George Whitman, about the book you're reading or writing. The weekly pancake breakfasts and tea parties are free, too. SPLURGE Relais-Hôtel du Vieux Paris9 rue Gît-le-Coeur, 01/44-32-15-90, vieuxparis.comBeatniks like Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and William Burroughs slept under this St-Michel roof in the 1950s. (Ask to see the sublime photographs in the hotel's treasured copy of Harold Chapman's out-of-print book The Beat Hotel.) Rooms are small with ornate wall fabrics and exposed original beams. Doubles from E200. LIVE LIKE A LOCAL The short-term apartment rental agencies that clutter the Internet charge upwards of E100 a night (in the Marais or St-Germain, for example) and can be a good alternative to staying in a hotel. Here are three agencies that are user-friendly: parisapartmenttours.com, parisrentaparts.com, locaflat.com. You could also consider living with a Parisian for a few days. Most plan to rent a room for a few months or more, but many are happy to let their room for a few days while waiting to find the right longer-term flatmate. E20-E30 per night. Find listings at coloc.fr, expatriates.com, fusac.fr, and paris.craigslist.com.

TO / FROM THE AIRPORT Aeroport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) 01/48-62-22-80, adp.frRail: Take Line B of the Regional Express Network (RER) train. To/from the Gare du Nord station (the closest stop within Paris city limits); trips average 30 minutes. Departs every 15 minutes from Terminal 2; E7.85 each way. From the Gare du Nord, make transfers to high-speed trains and Metro lines. Bus: The Roissybus shuttle connects Terminals 1 and 2 with Paris's Opera Metro and Auber RER stations. It departs every 15 minutes from 5:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.; E8.30 each way. Trips average 45 minutes to/from the airport. Aeroport D'Orly (ORY) 01/49-75-15-15, adp.frTake the Orlybus shuttle from the Denfert-Rochereau Metro station in Paris, near the Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse tower). Departs every 15 minutes from outside the international and domestic terminals; E5.80 each way. GETTING AROUND Metro, RER, and Bus 08/92-68-77-14, ratp.frPocket maps for all public transportation are free in Metro stations. Metro: E1.40; runs 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. RER: Suburban rail supplement to the Metro; 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Ticket prices vary by destination (Disneyland Paris, E12.40 round trip). Bus: E1.40; 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., some lines run later. Night buses (Noctambus) are available 1 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. and are a convenient and safe transportation alternative after hours; E2.40. Most of the 18 night lines start or end at Chatelet, next to Les Halles in central Paris. The "Paris Visite" one-, two-, three-, and five-day passes (which cost E8.35, E13.70, E18.25, and E26.65, respectively) provide unlimited bus, Metro, and RER transport within Paris and reductions on certain tourist attractions-such as 50 percent off your second seat on Bateaux Parisiens (sightseeing cruises on the Seine, which start at E9.50). Discounts apply to tickets of the same or lesser value. TaxisFares: E71 per km with a minimum fare of E5.20. Fare increases to E1.06 per km after 7 p.m., on Sundays, and on holidays. Some drivers will accept a fourth passenger (E2.70 surcharge). Trains to points beyond ParisNational/International: 08/36-35-35-39, sncf.fr, eurostar.comParis has seven train stations: Gare du Nord (to destinations north, including the Eurostar line to London), Gare de l'Est (to points east), Gare St-Lazare (to Normandy), Gare de Lyon (to Italy, Switzerland, and TGVs-or bullet trains-to southern France), Gare Montparnasse (to Brittany, the Atlantic coast, and TGVs to southwestern France), Gare d'Austerlitz (to Loire Valley and Dordogne), and Gare de Bercy (for auto train and some trains to Italy). WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND TOWN Free at select shops and cafes   GoGo, gogoparis.com   Paris Voice, parisvoice.com At newsstands   Pariscope, pariscope.fr   Zurban, zurban.com TOURS Fat Tire Bike ToursSouth Pier (Pilier Sud) of the Eiffel Tower, 01/56-58-10-54, fattirebiketoursparis.comFour-hour guided rides around the major sights (Louvre, Tuileries gardens, etc.). Spiels focus on funny stories, not dates. Check ahead for schedule. No reservations required for day tours; E26 day/E28 night, includes bike rental and guide. L'OpenTour13 rue Auber, 01/42-66-56-56, paris-opentour.comDouble-decker hop-on/hop-off sightseeing bus with commentary in English covers four routes and makes an average of 14 stops, which are identified by L'OpenTour logo stickers. Buy tickets and pick up maps onboard. One-day pass E25; two consecutive days E28. No discounts available. PariRollerFoot of the Tour Montparnasse, pari-roller.comAlso known as "Friday Night Fever." As many as 12,000 roller skaters meet at the base of Montparnasse tower and form a procession on wheels that snakes through city streets. Expect Old World challenges like cobblestones. (Two ambulances follow the procession.) Kicks off Fridays at 10 p.m.; routes change weekly. Free. Rent in-line skates for E8 to E9 at Nomades (37 boulevard Bourdon, 01/44-54-07-44, nomadeshop.com). Paris Walks' Da Vinci Code tour12 passage Meunier, St-Denis, 01/48-09-21-40, ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/City tour includes expert commentary on the Louvre pyramids, the site of the execution of the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, the hunt for the Holy Grail, and other areas mentioned in the best-selling book. From E12. NUMBERS TO KNOW   Directory inquiries and operator assistance 12   Police emergencies 17   Medical emergencies 15   Tourist info 08/92-68-30-00   International access code From U.S. 011; within Europe 00   Country code 33   City code 01   Note: When dialing from abroad, the first 0 in the French number is dropped, e.g., from U.S.: 011-33/1-44-75-39-55.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced last Friday that it would begin allowing small sharp objects in airline passenger carry-ons again. The change will take effect on Dec. 22, just in time for the holiday rush. Some restrictions to the new rule apply--while scissors are now allowed, they can't be longer than four inches, and tools, such as screwdrivers, can't measure more than seven inches. The agency is even considering allowing knives and ice picks back on board. The new focus of airport security screeners? Detecting explosives--something the TSA considers a greater threat than tweezers. Rather than screen every passenger, flyers would be selected at random to pass through new explosive-detection machines, which will be installed in over 150 U.S. airports by January. Officials are hopeful the new strategy of using unpredictable security patterns will confuse, and ultimately deter, would-be terrorists. Other proposed security technologies include thermal imaging devices that can detect whether a passenger is running a fever, facial scanners (currently on trial at the Dubai airport), and "backscatter" X-ray machines that not only allow screeners to pick up ceramic and plastic weapons but that also sees through clothes. The backscatter is presently being tested at Heathrow Airport, and has been referred to as a "virtual strip search" by the ACLU. Biometric iris scans, like the one mentioned in our recent Letter From the Editor, are already being used in Orlando