The essential city guide for Irish fans heading to Euro 2016: Paris

Get the most out of Paris during Euro 2016.

An estimated 70,000 Irish fans are expected to travel to Euro ’16 and while we hope that everyone has a great time, a little bit of extra information could be very helpful.

Paris

The City of Light will be hosting 12 matches throughout the duration of the tournament and there’s no better place to be watching some football. Simply put, the French capital is unlike any other city in the world because it’s brimming with culture, history, great food and jaw-dropping beauty.

As far as the clash with Sweden and the days around it are concerned, this information might come in handy.

Getting to the stadium

To best way to reach the Stade de France is by public transport.

The B and D lines

You can either take the metro or the RER (metro extension). Both RER lines B and D can be taken from station Châtelet (10-minute ride) and Gare de Nord (5-minute ride). If you take B line, get off at La Plaine Stade de France, if you take line D get off at Stade de France Saint Denis.

Metro line 13

Metro line 13 connects the stadium with stations Montparnasse (25 mins), Invalides (20 mins) and Saint-Lazare (15 mins). Get off at stop Saint-Denis Porte de Paris.

Trams

Tram line 1 also connects the stadium with Paris’ eastern suburbs (St. Denis Basilique stop) and tram line 8 (St. Denis Porte de Paris stop)

What have UEFA got planned in the city?

There’s a Big Wheel on Place de la Concorde that’s going to be decked out in the Euro 16 colours. From 8 June (Gare du Nord) and 9 June (Saint-Denis), the UEFA Euro 2016 trophy tour will give football fans a chance to see the trophy awarded to the winners up close.

David Guetta will be playing a gig at the Champ de Mars on June 9.

From midday on 10 June, the Eiffel Tower fan zone on the Champ de Mars will officially be opened, as will the fan zone at the Parc de la Légion d’Honneur in Saint-Denis.

Nightlife

In a city of 2.2 million people that are spread across 20 arrondissements, it’s difficult to distill the ‘hot-spots’ in Paris because its charm sprawls from the Louvre district right up to the Ménilmontant. Still though, we’ll give it a go!

Oberkampf has quickly established itself as the city’s coolest new hang-out due to the large influx of young students, bohemian minds and a multitude of ethnicities. The nearby areas of Ménilmontant and Gambetta are similar in nature and they’ll be good places to get away from the tourist traps.

Bastille should also be popular with 20-somethings that are looking for a lively party. Truth be told, it’s very likely that you’ll find your own favourite spot for a few beers in this exquisite city.

Irish pubs

Not all Irish people conform to the stereotype of Irish people finding the nearest Irish pub as soon as they land abroad, but some do like to be reminded of home while they’re away.

There’s a host of them located near the Chatelet-Les Halles metro stop. Take a look.

Popular areas to see

• St.-Germain-des-Prés (art, galleries and fashion)
• Quartier Latin (university La Sorbonne, academic centre, multicultural)
• Opéra and Beaubourg (budgetshopping)
• Montmartre (northern Paris, hills)
• Le Marais and Bastille (architecture)
• Champs-Elysées and Tuilerieen (lots of highlights : Arc the Triomphe, shopping in the Avenue des Chaps-Elysées, Jardin des Tuileries, Musée du Louvre)
• Ilde de la Cité and Ile St. Louis (Island, historic centre of Paris, Notre Dame)
• Invalides (Eiffeltower)

Useful links

All you need to know about Paris transport: www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_5000/accueil/
City of Paris website: www.paris.fr/english
Paris urban conurbation website: www.parismetropole.fr
Tourist information office: en.parisinfo.com/
Paris cultural highlights: www.paris.fr/culture
Things to do in Paris: www.sortiraparis.com/lang/en
The city’s Twitter feed: twitter.com/Paris

French emergency numbers:

European emergency line

You can dial the European emergency number – 112 – from anywhere in the EU, using a landline or a mobile phone, free of charge.

The Irish Embassy

The nearest metro station is Argentine on line 1. When you come out of the metro station, walk back towards the Arc de Triomphe. The entrance to the Embassy’s public office is at 4 Rue Rude, which is the second street on the right after you exit the metro.

Embassy of Ireland
12 Avenue Foch (entrance 4 rue Rude)
75116 Paris

Please note that if you require urgent assistance while the Embassy is closed, contact the main Embassy number, 0033(0) 1 44 17 67 00, and leave a message on the Duty Officer voice mailbox. This mailbox will be monitored regularly.

Remember: ID is essential. Under French law, everyone is obliged to carry valid photo ID on their person at all times.

Note the increased security

Following the terror attacks in Paris last November, security checks have understandably been revved up. In fact, France is officially in a state of emergency until the the end of July.Expect airport levels of security when you’re arriving at the stadiums.  Bearing this in mind, give yourself enough time to get into the inside the stadium. We wouldn’t want you to miss the kick-off.

• Check your passport to make sure it is valid for the duration of intended travel.
• Make a copy of your passport and email it to yourself and a family member at home in case it gets lost or stolen and you need replacement travel documents.
• Apply for the new Irish Passport Card which is valid for travel within Europe and can fit in your wallet, allowing you to leave your passport in a safe place.

Don’t be foolish

While 99.99999999% of football fans behave impeccably, don’t be the minority that creates unnecessary trouble for those around you. The French police will have a zero-tolerance approach to anyone that’s threatening the peace.

Leaving Paris for Bordeaux

If you’re driving, it’s a trek of about six hours from north-central to south-east so you’d want to give yourself at least a day to make it and share piloting duties with a buddy if you have company.

The fastest way to travel to Bordeaux is by train. Tickets can be booked via SNCF, Captain Train or Loco2 . At the time of writing the cheapest ticket is priced at €69 and the earlier you book your train tickets, the lower the price.

Long distance transport in France has only recently been deregulated to allow long distance coach services to compete with the railways. SNCF have launched coach services since this change, and these are also marketed as Ouibus.

The average journey time between Paris and Bordeaux-St-Jean by train is slightly over 4 hours and the fastest journey time is 3 hours and 12 minutes.