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Paris Gay Travel Guide
Gay Paree. Is there a more romantic city on Earth? The City of Light has beckoned travelers for centuries. There is so much to see in Paris, it’s mind-boggling. The Louvre Museum alone would take you almost two years to visit, if you spent five minutes with each exhibit for eight hours a day. And that’s just the beginning, mon ami! How can you visit Paris without climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower? It’s 1,700 steps to the top. Your abs will thank you, but your calves will not! Want a better viewpoint with less effort? How about the Arc de Triomphe Built by Napoleon, it’s the city’s second most famous monument. After you climb back down you can stroll along Europe’s most famous street, the Champs Elysees (shawms e-lee-ZAY), filled with expensive boutiques and charming cafes. The Centre Pompidou should be high on your list, with its striking 20th century architecture and renowned collection of modern art. Not museumed out? We hope not, because you haven’t yet been to Musee d’Orsay, with the best Impressionist art collection in the world. Feeling the need to repent? Pilgrimage to that island in the middle of the River Seine to the world’s most famous cathedral, Notre Dame. If the crowds are too thick there, try the Sacre Coeur, almost as famous and just as beautiful. Balance it out with a macabre trip to the Paris Catacombs, a dark maze of skeleton-filled tunnels beneath the city. The French may not have invented the opera, but they perfected it, and you’d best attend a performance of the Paris Opera in their new hall, the Opera Bastille, one of the most stunning examples of modern architecture in the country. Or attend one in the Opera Garnier, the historic opera house where the legendary Phantom of the Opera was said to have lurked. The Paris Metro gets you around the city quickly and cheaply. Lines with numbers are subways, which are best for short trips. Lines with letters are RER trains, or suburban commuters, which make fewer stops, but are faster if you need to get across town. No trip to Paris would be complete without an afternoon in the countryside and a visit to Versailles, the largest palace in Europe. It can accommodate 20,000 guests. (What a circuit party that would be!!!) Oh, so you’re thinking about visiting gay Gay Paree? Though the city has enough non-gay attractions to last a lifetime, Paris also has a thriving gay community. So thriving, in fact, that the city elected a gay mayor in 2001. If you don’t speak French, you may have a harder time in Paris’ gay district than you did on the tourist track. But the gay boys and girls of the City of Light will be happy to communicate in at-least broken English if you make an effort to greet them in their native tongue. Most of the gay venues in Paris are centered in Les Marais, a district on the Right Bank (the side of Paris north of the Seine) several blocks north of Notre Dame and the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). Rue de la Verrerie and Rue St Croix de la Bretonnerie seem to be ground zero, with a few other establishments farther west near Les Halles along Rue des Lombards. Access the area on metro lines 1 or 11 at Hotel de Ville, line 11 at Rambuteau, or A, B, D, 1, 7, or 4 at Chatelet les Halles.
Gay Paris Bars, Restaurants and Clubs
The gay scene in Paris is undergoing “normalisation” as trendy heterosexuals move into the scene and swanky homosexuals spread to chic, non-gay venues across the city. This can sometimes make it a challenge to determine whether or not the cute guy sitting next to you at the bar likes boys or girls. A few popular places in Les Marais which are usually almost exclusively gay include Cox, a happening spot which completely and dramatically redecorates itself every season. Raidd has showers on their bars to make sure go-go boys stay clean. Quetzal is one of the largest gay bars in the city and is always packed. Le Central is the district’s oldest gay bar, situated beneath the gay hotel of the same name. Bliss Kfe is where you’ll likely run into as many lesbians as gay guys, a rarity in Paris. Amnesia is large and attracts a friendly crowd, especially for happy hour. Le Mic Man tends to attract a rowdier crowd, bordering on leather. Over near Les Halles, Le Banana Café has become so popular with its two levels, heated terrace, and go-go boys, that it now attracts all of Paris’ VIPs, regardless of sexual preference. But it’s still a Gay Paris institution, and it’s open all night. Le Stonewall draws an attractive, young crowd, and hosts an especially popular party called Clan Nature, with complimentary clothes check. (Yes, that’s right, we didn’t say coat check!) Café Tropic has kitschy décor and a heated terrace, and they’re open late. Lesbians flock to Boobs Bourg and La Champmesle. The leather crowd hangs out at Le Transfert, Keller’s, and Full Metal.
When it’s time to get your dance on, remember that clubs in Paris open after 11pm, cover can be high (but usually includes your first drink), and cocktails are much more expensive than in the bars. They typically stay open until dawn. There’s no more legendary dance club in Paris than Queen. Of course, like all popular spots in Paris, the crowd here gets more mixed each year. Le Vogue, formerly Le Scorp, is gay every night, and the first and third Fridays are always packed for 100% French music night. Le Club 18 is popular with the younger crowd. Le Red Light has the best sound in Paris, and is gay on Saturday nights. Amnesia is a massive complex with a popular gay tea dance on Sundays. For something different, try Le Tango (Boite a Frissons), where experienced couples sway to classic dances until 1am, when 70s and 80s tunes bring everyone to the dance floor. If you’ve danced your club closed and still need more, everyone heads to New After Slow Club, where the music throbs far past noon on weekends. Le Pulp is the most popular lesbian club in the city.
Ask an American what Parisians do best, and he’ll say kiss. Ask a Parisian what they do best, and he’ll say cook. Paris is lauded as the having the finest dining on the planet, and it can be easy to blow your budget on only a few dinners here. Expect a traditional dinner to begin late (8pm or after) and to run several hours. The French love their food, and dinner is an event never to be rushed. Reservations are always recommended. Small sidewalk cafes can be a budget traveler’s saving grace, and are popular in the gay districts. In Le Marais, you must check out Open Café at the central crossroads of the district. Its terrace is the most perfect spot in the gay district for people-watching. Le Carre is also popular. Bazooka Café beckons in the afternoons and evenings with its large terrace. For more traditional Paris dining, try Le Gai Moulin, Le Pave, DiDa, Au Tibourg, or A Deux Pas du 3. For something a little different, try Chez Michou, a dinner cabaret with one of the most legendary performers in Europe.
ay Friendly and Gay Paris Hotels
Paris is not known for cheap lodging. Thankfully, its sole gay hotel, the Hotel Central, has budget rates, but you’ll be sharing a bathroom with the room next door. (Hey, that might not be all bad!) Their English-speaking staff is a wealth of information about local clubs and events. And you simply can’t beat the location (right in the middle of gay Le Marais) and you can walk to the Louvre and Notre Dame. Chambre Chez L’ Habitant is a gay-owned B&B with low rates. It’s a 20-minute walk from Les Marais. A bit further out is A Pink Froggy, another gay-owned B&B. The most popular way for seasoned tourists to stay in Paris is to rent an apartment, or flat, and several gay organizations help organize this for you, including Frendy, Gay Accommodation Paris, and Rent Paris.
Call an edirp.com gay travel specialist at 1-888-EDIRP-EZ (1-888-334-7739) or (214) 520-0345 (U.S.) to book any of the hotels mentioned above. Any hotels with links may be booked via our secure online booking system.
Paris Gay Pride and other Gay Events
Gay Pride in Paris is huge, attracting nearly half a million people. Called La Marche des Fiertes, it happens the last weekend of June. Rainbow Attitude, the European Gay Exhibition, is held the first weekend of November.
Travel guide by Benjamin Starr, a travel writer who claims the entire world as his home. When he's not at home, he can sometimes be found at a residence in Dallas, Texas. To contact Ben, email him at benjaminstarr@sbcglobal.net. |
