An important part of your erasmus year is your social life outside of college. It is in these situations that you will get a real taste of the local culture, attitudes and mindsets. As some college courses can be quite segregated and lecture based, going out to a cafe or bar will provide you with your first chance to make new friends and acqaintances from Paris and beyond. Even if your college course is quite sociable, you should grab these social opportunites with both hands as you can never have enough contacts in a strange new city!
The basics first:
-cafe/bars typically stay open until 1.30/2am
-clubs open from 11pm - 6am.
-The metro stops running at 1am weekdays and at 2am Friday - Sunday. It starts up again at 5.30am every day
-The night buses (bus noctilien) run approximately every 20 minutes all night every night once the metro shuts down. Maps for these bus routes can be found on http://www.noctilien.fr. Please check it out before you go out for the night as there are no maps at the bus stops to show how all the routes interconnect - often you will need to take more than one bus to get home. It is comprehensive however, you will get to within 5 minutes walking distnace of your apartment.
-Beer is often the most expensive drink so stick with wines and spirits for a cheaper night. This is not Ireland, so do not get drunk in a pub, its just not the done thing here. If you're in a round with some french friends, wait until everyone is finished before buying the next round, no matter how long it takes. Drinking is not to be rushed here, its to be enjoyed.
If you are in Paris alone and want to find some friendly faces as soon as possible then I recommend the following venues:
-Go to Club Mix for their Erasmus party every Thursday night. They play similiar music to home and all the party goers get stickers with the flag of their native country, you'll instantly see all the Brits, Americans and the odd Irish person there which is cool. Check out http://www.erasmus-paris.com/
-Go to an Irish bar. Some of the staff are Irish, English or Austrailian and eager to hear another English speaker in the pub.
-Join the Irish expatriates group at http://expatirish.meetup.com/58/, its just a group of people online who or Irish or friends of Irish people, they arrange meetings every so often, its worth a look at least.
If you already know a few people and are looking for a good bar or club to go to, here are some suggestions:
-Le Pop In. A lively yet tiny bar with an odd mix of French and Western culture, this is where the cool kids come to practice their English!!
-Ephemere. This was a temporary establishment in a building due for renovation, however the bar became popular and has remainded in place ever since! You can enjoy your drinks on the edge of the canal just outside the door. Heaven on a sunny day!
-Lush. This is a cool bar in Clichy that despite its Frecnh customers is onwed bby an Irish man and often staffed by English speaking folk.
-Le Piano Vache. This bar is covered in old posters and passport photos, only a stones throw from the Panteon and Sorbonne, it is a favourite for the local student population.
-La Fleche D'or. A great club in the 20th arrondisement, it was a former railway station with a chill out area that still overlooks the disused tracks at the rear. Food is served until 1.30am. Dj nights are a big thing here that often feature reggae, house, electro or rock music
-Club Rex. A house and techno haven, this is a place for the hardcore clubber as drinks are quite expensive (you've been warned!)
-The Social Club. One of the best electro clubs in Paris, this is well worth a visit, a good venue with a less pretentious crowd than most other clubs in Paris.
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