Table of Contents for this Episode
Category: Paris
586 Owning a Slice of Paris: The World of Fractional Apartments with Marie Tartar (Feb 22)
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Annie Sargent: This is Join Us in France, episode 586, Cinq cent quatre-vingt-six.
Bonjour, I’m Annie Sargent, and Join Us in France is the podcast where we take a conversational journey through the beauty, culture, and flavors of France.
Today on the podcast: Fractional Ownership in Paris
Annie Sargent: Today, I bring you a conversation with Marie Tartar, who shares her first-hand experience with fractional ownership in Paris.
Ever dreamed of owning a piece of the City of Light without the full-time commitment or the price tag? Marie explains how fractional apartments work, why they’re different from timeshares, and how you can enjoy Paris like a local, whether for a couple of weeks uh, at a time or a month at a time. We’ll dive into the practicalities, the perks, and even [00:01:00] some hidden gems that she loves in the Marais.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make Paris a second home, this episode is for you. And FYI, Marie– And FYI, Marie does not sell fractionals. She’s a fan, but she has no financial incentive in talking about this, and neither do I.
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Magazine segment: OrlyBus is no more and the Eiffel Tower and women scientists
Annie Sargent: For the Magazine part of the podcast, after my chat with Marie today, I’ll discuss Charles de Gaulle to Paris Airport transfers, what changes in [00:02:00] March 2026, and also some news about the Eiffel Tower. If you want to explore, If you want to explore more of France with Join Us in France, browse all our episodes at joinusinfrance.com/episodes, and don’t forget to grab your free weekly recap of the best stories, tips, and hidden gems.
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Introduction to Fractional Ownership in Paris
Annie Sargent: Bonjour, Marie Tartar, and welcome to Join Us in France.
Marie Tartar: Thanks for having me.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful to talk to you today about fractionals in Paris. Uh, This is not something we’ve talked about a lot on the podcast, but I think it’s important to bring it up because a lot- more and more people are doing this, and it sound- it seems like a great way to spend time in France, um, having some sort of, you know, assurance that y- you will have a place, a piece of Paris of your own, I [00:03:00] guess, is, is how uh, we could put it.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, I actually like uh, that, I, that title you proposed, uh, A Slice of Paris.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Understanding Fractional Ownership vs. Timeshares
Marie Tartar: The, uh, The idea of a fractional is something that does require a little explanation. Um, The first uh, analogy that people jump to is, is, is it a timeshare? Which it is not. Um,
A timeshare is basically you’re buying uh, time in a location, but it doesn’t say a particular apartment. It usually would specify, okay, you get one week of a one-bedroom in X location. Um, A fractional is- has some similarities, but it is different in that, um, you are a deeded owner of a group of owners of a particular apartment. Um,
So in our case, and in many of the others I’ve encountered, um, a company, s- depending on the developer, that company often is based in the US, and in fact, effectively what we did was we are one of 13 owners who own [00:04:00] shares in a California-based company, who own a particular apartment in the Marais.
Annie Sargent: Right.
How Fractional Ownership Works
Annie Sargent: And so do you have assurances of what timeframe you can visit, or is that something that rotates, or how does that work?
Marie Tartar: It depends on the uh, particular developer and what they have set up, but I’ve encountered a lot of different variations. Um, I can describe for you what ours consists of, and then what some of the others, um, what some of the other possibilities are.
For example, ours is, uh, there are 13 owners, e- everyone gets four weeks a year. Two of those weeks are fixed, and in depending on what order you signed up, you got your choice of of, uh, two fixed weeks.
Obviously, the most popular months in Paris are in spring and fall, and so those are the first, those are the first weeks that were spoken for, for fixed weeks. The less popular weeks, uh, which generally would be summer and winter, uh, those then float, so they rotate. Um, The schedule is set out for, [00:05:00] like, for 10 years, um, so you can easily see uh, you know, what your future… what dates your future stays will be, um, as well as you can see who else has the other weeks and potentially negotiate with them to trade. Um, So in our case, we chose two weeks in October, and our first stay was a year ago. Um,
Our first floating weeks were this last July. Um, So we were, we’re here in July, and now we’re back again uh, for our two fixed weeks in October.
So this will be our third stay in our apartment.
Personal Experiences with Fractional Ownership
Marie Tartar: But the first time I encountered a fractional was back in around 2009, when a friend of mine um, bought a share in a fractional only about a block away uh, from this location in the Marais, but that one was organized differently.
It had uh, 12 owners, and everyone got a month at a time. So in her case, um, her first month was December, and in that particular [00:06:00] arrangement, uh, after your first go-round, the, your next month uh, moved forward a season. So in her case, her first uh, month was December, and her very next um, stay was March.
But then it rotated forward another season, and so then there was actually a 15-month gap to June. Um, And that’s actually how I came to stay the first time in her apartment, because that particular friend was, at that time, in her 50s, still working, and taking a month at a time was… I think, the first time around was doable, but to take another month, only three months later, I think they ended up taking two weeks, and she offered me two weeks, and it happened to coincide with uh, my birthday, so you know, it was like the stars aligned. And-
Annie Sargent: Bonus!
Marie Tartar: Exactly. Exactly. The funny thing is that I, at the time, I was 49, and I had previously decided that what I wanted to do for my 50th [00:07:00] birthday was to spend two weeks in Paris in an apartment. So when this came around, it was like, "Okay, well, close enough."
Because all of my stays in Paris up to that time had been three days en route to some other place in Europe. I had, you know, enough to get a a, a taste, but um, never a satisfyingly long stay.
Annie Sargent: Right. I, I, I can see how it… There, There are advantages to both, but doing it two weeks at a time, especially for people who are still working, it seems unlikely that if you’re still working, even if you’re still working part-time, that you can take a whole month, especially, like, if your whole month comes up again in three months. Like, it-
Marie Tartar: Yes, exactly. So it, uh… That’s actually one of the reasons why we never purchased a fractional until last year, because we were still working, um, not quite full-time, but enough, uh, with other travel, that it was too big of a time commitment, frankly. Um,
So that’s one of the things that uh, someone would have to carefully consider is, you know, does it make sense for their, their life?… Can they take a month uh, [00:08:00] off at a time?
When we were working more, um, because we’re semi-retired now, we still work occasionally, but it’s more um, elective in terms of the amount of time. Um, You know, to take, To take three weeks off was pretty doable, but you know, there was sort of a, it, it, you know, there was a big increase in difficulty of arrangement between three and four weeks.
Annie Sargent: Right. Right. And so a few questions come to mind. L- Lots of questions, as a matter of fact.
Managing and Using Fractional Ownership
Annie Sargent: Uh, If you can’t go, can you then gift your time to someone else, and are there limitations? Does it have to be uh, a close relative or a close friend, or can you just put it out…
Marie Tartar: That’s a great question.
Annie Sargent: … Facebook, whatever, to, "Oh, I’m let- you know, I’m renting this for this period of time."
Marie Tartar: So yes, you can loan it out, but generally, it seems like in most uh, arrangements, uh, the preferred people to lend it out to would be friends and family. Um, And that’s certainly allowed in our situation. Um, The option is available in our [00:09:00] group to put your unused time on, uh, what’s called Third Home, which is kind of like a home exchange site. However, um, you know, it’s only been a year since ours was uh, first occupied, and um, the ta- the chatter, the talk among the owners is that there’s definitely a, a, a preference among the owners that owners not do that. In other words, they, they definitely prefer to keep it more um, to known occupiers, let’s just say.
Annie Sargent: Right. Right.
Marie Tartar: However, in my case, I definitely benefited from that friend who actually bought first one two-bedroom fractional, and then within a few years from the same developer, decided to sell that one, but before selling it, bought a one-bedroom from the same developer. And so for several years, had two apartments, um, which, you know, the excess time I was sort of a frequent beneficiary.
Annie Sargent: Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Financial Aspects of Fractional Ownership
Annie Sargent: So you can sell those fractionals. Tell [00:10:00] me a little bit about that. That’s interesting.
Marie Tartar: Yes, you can. So you are a deeded owner. Uh, You can pass it on to a child. If you have a child, you can, um, you know, just like a piece of property, you, you can sell.
Now, it is a sort of a unique market. In the case of our friends, they eventually sold first one and then their second one, and they actually made um, a profit. Uh, I mean, I wouldn’t call it like a gangbusters real estate investment, but I would say effectively, um, there was enough appreciation over those years that they owned, um, that it paid uh, that effectively they stayed in Paris for a month a year, for years, for free, um, while paying for the relatively affordable ma- ongoing maintenance cost.
Annie Sargent: Right. Right.
Developer and Management Insights
Annie Sargent: So who owns these apartments? Is it like uh, private equity? Is it uh, a group of owners? Is it a corporation? Uh, How does this work out?
Marie Tartar: Well, so I [00:11:00] think behind every fractional, there’s a developer, and they’ve effectively set up a small organization to manage it. Um, I mean, this could be uh, a smaller developer like ours. I think they’ve done, like, four um, possibly more under another name, but um, it- there are some larger ones. I mean, you’ve probably heard of Paris Perfect, who we have rented apartments from before, but they also um, find apartments to develop as fractionals and then sell the shares.
Annie Sargent: Right.
Marie Tartar: So usually, kind of as part of this arrangement, they also do the management, meaning, as owners, we don’t have to be concerned that the property tax gets paid. We don’t have to be concerned with getting someone to attend those, the meetings of the s- the syndic, um, the um, owner structure of the apartment. Um,
So all of the sort of duties of ownership are, are taken care of for us. Um, and, And most of them also include some [00:12:00] kind of arrangement for housekeeping, which is wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, you don’t have to, you don’t have to worry about it. Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Right. In, in ours, uh, Ours is, uh, the arrangement is that there is housekeeping once a week, not just between the two-week stays. Uh, So that’s wonderful.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes. And also, trust me, attending a syndic uh, meeting is uh, no joy uh, for anybody. Uh, uh, Let me just explain.
Marie Tartar: Probably not too much fun.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah. So, So syndic is, um, uh, it’s like um, a condo meeting where all the owners, well, will get together and decide, make some decisions, vote on what gets done and what doesn’t get done. Uh, And it’s, It’s either very boring or very confrontational.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, could be contentious, right? Depending on the decision being made.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes. It’s sometimes very confrontational, and, and it’s always too long, and anyway, um- I haven’t had to attend one of these in a long time. Um,
But, well, I do attend them for my apartment in Spain, but they- it’s just four of us, so it’s easy. But-
Marie Tartar: Oh, [00:13:00] okay.
Annie Sargent: When you have a large apartment and there’s, you know, a few… I mean, sometimes it’s whole strings of apartments that a particular syndic will manage, and so they invite everybody, and uh, it’s dozens of people, and it’s, it’s a bit complicated.
Anyway, that’s, that’s uh, not something you have to worry about. The, Whoever manages the apartment will take care of that, and they will also presumably take care of… Do they take uh, care of all the bills, like the, the, the power, the water, all that?
Marie Tartar: Yes, all of that. All of that. So, uh, we actually own a small one-bedroom co-op in New York, which, um, you know, is about, say, 22 owners, uh, of a six-story building.
And uh, you know, of course, then we have to arrange the housekeeping, we pay the utility bills, we pay the maintenance, uh, which includes paying our property tax.
But still, you know, it’s, it’s- you are managing any little thing that goes wrong or that, uh, any way that the apartment needs attention. This is the most carefree uh, uh, piece of [00:14:00] property we own.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, the, the, uh, I can see the advantages. And of course, you probably have not only the original purchase price of your share, but you also have uh, dues that you have to pay, I assume.
Marie Tartar: That’s correct, yeah. Um, But compared to, say, owning a a co-op in New York, it’s, it’s rather nominal. Um, I mean, it’s, uh… It depends on the size of the apartment, of course, but, you know, in our case, it’s uh, about 4,000 Euros a year, something like that.
Annie Sargent: Okay. Okay. And, and I, I hope, uh, I would love to have kind of an idea of the, the, the sort of price range of the
Marie Tartar: Right
Annie Sargent: … of your, of your part, because, well, your part or in general, you- it doesn’t have to be very specific to you, but, What sort of range are we looking at?
Marie Tartar: Well, uh, obviously, it varies with the size of the apartment, the location, and that kind of thing, but in a, in a general way, the least expensive ones I’ve ever seen are about 100,000 a share.
The most expensive ones I’ve seen have been 6 to [00:15:00] 800,000 a share. Now, those would be for, like, three-bedroom, three-bath, in a very chic neighborhood, like Saint-Germain-des-Prés or something like that. Uh, And usually then would also come with more time. Uh,
So fewer owners, say, eight owners, uh, with maybe six and a half weeks a year, as opposed to 12 to 13 owners getting a month or four weeks a year. So it- It’s definitely proportional. But the most typical, like, for example, uh, we have a one-bedroom. Uh,
It’s a, It’s a very nicely appointed one-bedroom in a very central uh, location of the Marais in the f- in the 4th arrondissement. And, uh, you know, our, Our shares a year ago were 160,000 Euros, so about, at that time, 172,000 US dollars. Today, that would be 185,000. So it turns out our timing was good, but that was just pure luck.
Annie Sargent: Right, right, right.
Marie Tartar: It just happened to coincide with us uh, kind of semi-retiring, and we were celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary, so kind of [00:16:00] looked at it as our gift to ourselves, something we could actually finally um, realistically consider.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, wonderful.
Practical Considerations and Tips
Annie Sargent: D- uh, Okay, what if you, you show up and say the kettle is broken?
Marie Tartar: Okay.
Annie Sargent: Like, I’m just going into the details. Is there someone… Do you go- Do you then go get a new kettle, or uh, does someone…
Marie Tartar: It depends on the um, particular apartment, um, but in ours, we have a concierge, and basically, we just send him a WhatsApp message or call him and say, "Uh, Hey, uh, the kettle is broken," and he shows up with a new one. So that’s really very nice. Um, In the case of uh, the friend that who originally introduced us to this notion, they were more of a, what I would call, a self-managed um, um, fractional. Uh, And I think that they- depending on the developer, the particular arrangement might allow more or less involvement [00:17:00] in decision-making by the owners. In, In the particular case of my friends, um, I remember her, uh… she’s a very responsible person, who sort of automatically becomes either the president or the treasurer or, you know, whatever she’s involved with.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Marie Tartar: And so I would hear kind of the inside stories of uh, her dealings with some of the other owners, and, and I remember her saying something like, "Ugh, we couldn’t come to an agreement about what type of coffee maker to have, so we have four different ones."
Annie Sargent: Well, you have to have counter space for four, you know?
Marie Tartar: Well, exactly. I mean, that’s not ideal. In our case, I would say ours is more professionally managed, and, you know, it basically came equipped with all the kitchen stuff.
I mean, uh, during the first year, as people had their first stays, they would, you know, say, "Hey, we could really use a, you know, X." Uh,
I think in my case, I said, "Hey, we need something to steep tea with," you know, that kind of thing. So there, there was a little refinement, you know, kind of ongoing in the [00:18:00] first year. Uh, But we were- it was pretty well-equipped, like, right from the beginning, with only one type of coffee maker, so…
Annie Sargent: You can get other coffee going out into the street and buy whatever you want. Yes.
Marie Tartar: Well, you know, there’s a limited amount of space in the uh, storage space, so you do have to make some decisions.
Annie Sargent: Exactly. Do you have any sort of private storage area that, like a locker or a thing that you can keep a few items right there?
Marie Tartar: We do. Um, we, uh, Most of these apartments, I think, come with uh, some cave space, and of course, since there’s-
Annie Sargent: Cave meaning, uh, it’s a basement storage sort of situation. Yep.
Marie Tartar: Uh, And in our case, since there are 13 owners, what we get effectively is, like, a large um, plastic box, uh, enough to… Like, I store some slippers, an extra, you know, a comfortable pair of walking shoes. My husband leaves a raincoat. You know, enough to store uh, some personal items, [00:19:00] not a lot.
Annie Sargent: Right
Marie Tartar: … but, uh, you know, you would-
Annie Sargent: O- One thing that happens with my small apartment, which I own, but I lend it out to family members, um, everybody wants to leave a gift or something. Everybody wants to buy an item that they will- they would like me to enjoy, and they will enjoy next time. And, And that has become a problem because I don’t necessarily agree with their choice and also, I, uh, you know, if everybody does this, then it’s going to be a junk-junk house, you know? And, And I really don’t want that. S- So does that happen as well, like, people just purchase something, and they leave it out, thinking, "Oh, uh, maybe the next occupant will enjoy it?"
Marie Tartar: Uh, So far, this is our third stay, and so far I’ve seen um, a few book additions. Actually, I just finished reading uh, Ruth Reichl’s, uh, The Paris novel. Jet lag had me up at 4:00 AM, so-
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Nice.
Marie Tartar: Uh, Which I, I really enjoyed. Uh, You know, so I’ve seen a few uh, [00:20:00] book additions. That was one I just found in the apartment, and uh, someone else uh, left um, uh, like an exercise mat, which I’ve been making use of.
But so far, uh, it seems people have been pretty good about that. I know exactly what you’re talking about, um, because we have a house in Arizona that we uh, did quite a few exchanges with, and people would… Oh, you know, like, the next time we’d come there’d be new espresso cups, and then the next time there’d be this and that, which, yeah, you have to try to keep a handle on.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes. Uh, yes. Uh, okay, okay,
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Communication with fellow owners
Annie Sargent: So how do you communicate with your fellow owners? Do you, Do you know them personally? Do you have a WhatsApp group?
Marie Tartar: We have a WhatsApp group.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, WhatsApp is, is, is kind of the favored way to communicate. And um, when we uh… So this has, you know, j- literally just existed since last summer, so um, a year and a half, let’s say. Um, w- As people came on, they, they kind of introduced themselves by email. Um, And it’s an interesting group. I have not met any of them in [00:21:00] person, uh, but we do have a once-a-year owners meeting. Um, In fact, we were here in the apartment a year ago, uh, during the meeting and kind of took people on a, a video tour, so to speak, of the apartment, because at that point, not every owner had been here. Um,
But, uh, yeah, so you do kind of get to know people. We also have a notebook in our apartment where people share, um, you know, this great exhibition if, you know, if you, if, if it’s still going on while you’re here, don’t miss it, or new restaurant discoveries in the neighborhood, that kind of thing.
Annie Sargent: Oh, that’s nice that it’s in a notebook, and then you’re not constantly um, pinging the group, because WhatsApp group can get very chatty.
Marie Tartar: Yes.
Annie Sargent: Which sometimes is wonderful, but sometimes it’s a bit much.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, ours is, I think, pretty restrained overall. Um, you know, what- there, There are little bursts of, of conversation, but they’re mostly things that either need to be addressed or um, are useful information.
Annie Sargent: Right, and I assume that most of the people you’re dealing with uh, are all professionals, and, I mean, if they have this [00:22:00] sort of money, they clearly have been successful in life, and so they’re probably just fairly used to um, you know, good behavior.
Marie Tartar: Uh, It seems we, I feel like, uh, based on our interactions with our other owners, that we have an exceptionally good group.
Of course, I am, you know, kind of mentally comparing them with what I heard from my friend, who I think, you know, was privy to some of the less fun interactions.
But as I say, I think maybe that group was organized a little differently and maybe um, a little more self-managed, kind of gives people a little more license to try to exert their preferences. Um, So I think ours has set up in a, uh, with some nice boundaries, let’s just say.
Annie Sargent: Right. So you… It, It might be preferable, as a matter of fact, to have a very strong, uh, initial [00:23:00] developer who are- who’s going to set rules.
Marie Tartar: That’s been my impression.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Marie Tartar: And in fact, um, you know, when you start reading the fine print and, uh, the- in the contract and all that kind of stuff, there’s very specific um, uh, uh, procedures, let’s say, for, um, if there are conflicts, if uh, an owner doesn’t pay their yearly dues, you know, what, you know, what happens in, in these scenarios? And it seems like uh, they have pretty much thought of most things. I had a friend who is a lawyer read through the contract uh, for us, um, and he’s like, "This is pretty thorough."
Annie Sargent: Right, they ironed out a lot of the, they anticipated a lot of the possible difficulties, which is always good.
Marie Tartar: Yes, I think so.
Annie Sargent: Do you have any l- little extras, like, I don’t know, bicycles that you can use uh, in your cave or things like- or in your storage area? I assume this, perhaps the apartment has a bit of a shared storage.
Marie Tartar: I’ve actually never been down in the storage. I’ve, I’ve [00:24:00] heard from our concierge that, uh, you know, who’s carrying a, a large plastic box f- up and down for each owner, because it’s, it’s waiting for you in the apartment when you arrive, uh, that the stairs are a little perhaps tricky.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Okay. Okay.
Marie Tartar: I, I haven’t ventured down there, and so no, we don’t…
Annie Sargent: It’s not super accessible, yeah.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, we, we don’t, um, we don’t have any bicycles or anything like that. You know, that said, we’re in a very… One of the things we like about this location, uh, we’re, we’re near the Saint-Paul uh, metro station, is we can walk to practically everything.
Annie Sargent: Right, if you’re near Saint-Paul, you’re… Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Very central.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, we love being on line one. I mean, so it’s actually rare that we take the subway, but when we do, you know, line one whisks you, you know, here and there, and it’s easy to make connections and…
Annie Sargent: Definitely. And have, Have you met the original developer or never?
Marie Tartar: Yes. Um, Well, we’ve met one of the two. Uh, The other, we’ve met virtually on, on Zoom, you know, at the owners’ meeting. Um,
But coincidentally, um, one uh, the different… one thing [00:25:00] I’ve noticed is the different developers have different styles. Uh, I’m not talking about personalities, I’m talking about decorating styles, and that was one of the things that appealed to us about this particular apartment. And coincidentally, about 10 years or so ago, we were seriously considering acquiring a fractional share in a two-bedroom, only a couple of blocks from here on Rue Mahler, and it turns out it was decorated by the same woman, the same developer. Um, and, you know, uh, uh, the-
Over the years, you know, even though I was the one that was more enthusiastic about the idea of uh, a share and a fractional than my husband, my husband would be the one who’d say, "Hmm, I wonder if there’s a resale share, uh, that’s come up in Rue Mahler." So he obviously was really taken with that particular apartment and its look.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes. Well, that, that makes a big difference. Uh, uh, so is, Is the developer French, or is everybody involved from the US?
Marie Tartar: Um, I think they’re, um… well one of them is, I believe, [00:26:00] Lebanese, but I think has lived in Paris for a while, but also has a presence in the US. The other is a woman who is originally from Texas but is married to a Frenchman and has lived in Paris for ah! decades.
Annie Sargent: All right, so they are kind of semi-local in many ways. And obviously, your concierge is local and manages all of the apartments, so…
Marie Tartar: Yeah, he is American, but he’s lived here for 25 years.
Annie Sargent: Ah, okay. You have an American concierge as well? Wow!
Marie Tartar: We do. Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: That’s interesting. All right, so generally speaking, what would you say are things people need to be on the lookout for if they are considering a fractional? I- And I should, I should mention, because I didn’t, uh, that y- you don’t sell fractionals, you don’t… Uh, I mean, you’re not involved in anything commercial having to do with fractionals.
You’re just a, a, a buyer who wanted to share um, your experiences. It’s always good to make that clear. Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Well, that’s correct. I, I had the experience of my [00:27:00] friend’s uh, one-bedroom and two bedrooms, uh, in which I stayed multiple times. Uh, So that’s how I got to know this neighborhood, because one of those fractionals was literally a block one way, and the other one was a block the other way. Uh, We also did a number of exchanges over the years, and we’ve rented apartments in Paris, so we’ve kind of… and we’ve stayed in a m- a number of hotels as well. So we’ve kind of sampled uh, a number of different ways to stay for an extended period in, in Paris.
And, um, you know, Having your own place is, in a neighborhood that you like, you know, is, is gold.
Annie Sargent: Absolutely. So I assume most of these fractionals are going to be in the Marais, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés?
Marie Tartar: The ones that we have seen… That said, I’ve noticed, uh, for example, Paris Perfect, from whom we have rented apartments, they seem to have a predilection that most, uh, uh, at least a number of their fractionals are in the 7th, which is a nice neighborhood, but to me, is a little bit, you know, it’s a little bit of a walk to a lot of other things that I want to do.
Exploring the Eiffel Tower Area
Annie Sargent: That’s the Eiffel Tower area.
Marie Tartar: Right. Exactly. I mean, so, you know, one of their [00:28:00] signatures is, a number of their apartments have views of the Eiffel Tower, which is wonderful, but, you know…
Annie Sargent: but it i- I mean, uh, th- This is worth noting for people who don’t know Paris as well as you and I do: the Eiffel Tower, while it’s not far, it is on the edge uh, uh, of the city. And so if you’re staying at the Eiffel Tower and you want to go to the Louvre, well, it’s, you know, it’s, it’s a bit of a hoof or, or metro ride or taxi ride or whatever.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, I mean, it- yes, you can do it, but you do need to be pretty mobile. We love to walk, but I, I like being very, very central.
Annie Sargent: And Marais is perfect for that.
Daily Life in Paris: Movies, Museums, and Meals
Marie Tartar: We also… We, we, we go to the movies a lot. I mean, you know, Paris is a, is a paradise for a cinema lover, um, because there’s still all these tiny little theaters all over. So we walk to the Left Bank almost every day. But in some ways, you know, I- because I, uh, we like to get a little exercise, too, I’m kind of… It’s funny that I love-… I love the Right Bank, I love the Marais, I love the old buildings, the parks, but I’m kind of glad the movie theaters are over there, because it kind of gets us out of the [00:29:00] neighborhood.
Favorite things to do while in Paris
Annie Sargent: Yeah. Yeah. How do you keep yourselves busy? Like, how- Since you go so, so often, what are are your, some of your favorite things to do in Paris?
Marie Tartar: Well, you know, I, I was thinking about how to, uh… anticipating this question, and I was- it comes down to the three M’s. So we, in a typical day, um, we will usually have a meal out, so that’s one of the M’s. We often will see a movie, and we often will go to a museum. And despite the fact that I’ve been here so many times, there are still museums I have never made it to, as well as, you know, some of the ones that we like. Uh, Of course, the ex- exhibits are always changing, so… um-
Annie Sargent: That’s right, and that’s the, that’s the amazing thing about Paris, is that there are so many major museums that have major exhibits coming through, and if, uh, like, you will always have something to go do. It, It’s never ending.
Marie Tartar: It’s incredible to me that, I mean, over the years, I have been to many of the different museums, but I haven’t, by any means, seen all of [00:30:00] them. And then even some of the relatively, you know, famous ones, like, say, the Rodin Museum, I think I’ve only been there once or twice. You know, like, Usually it’s like some special exhibit that will bring me to, you know, some of the um, less, less often visited museums.
Hidden Gems of the Marais
Marie Tartar: But, you know, in our neighborhood, there are some gems.
Annie Sargent: Oh, yeah, the Marais is full. Yes.
Marie Tartar: Well, one of our favorites that I think is less well-known, um, is called the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the Museum of Hunting and Nature, which is a title that completely put us off for years.
Annie Sargent: Yes.
Marie Tartar: We’re like, "We’re not into hunting." Uh, It turns out it’s basically a museum dedicated to the depiction of animals. I mean, And of course, uh, hunting is part of that, but it’s in an absolutely beautiful hôtel particulier, a gorgeous, gorgeous mansion, um, with a fabulous furniture collection.
I mean, even the stair- stair railings, [00:31:00] I love. And they have this such an interesting mix of traditional and contemporary art. I mean, so they have a beautiful holdings of uh, traditional depictions of hunting and um, animal uh, portraiture, but then they’ll juxtapose it with some very whimsical and interesting contemporary pieces. Our…
A friend of ours, who is um, an artist in Paris, um, Melyne Guermont, years ago, she had a couple of pieces um, uh, included in an exhibit uh, there, and that’s the first time we, we went. And since then, it’s, it’s actually, uh… we don’t go necessarily every visit, but it, you know, once a year or so, you’ll find us there.
Annie Sargent: Yes, a- and it’s a private museum, but it’s, it’s, it’s really interesting. Like, it’s-
Marie Tartar: It’s so quirky. Uh, I love it.
Annie Sargent: A- and, and the, The reason why uh, it’s chasse is because a lot of the famous paintings that depict animals depict hunting scenes.
Marie Tartar: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: So yeah.
Marie Tartar: I, I mean, from the birds to the dogs [00:32:00] to, you know, the actual quarry, um, I mean, it’s, it’s just a- the, the, the title shouldn’t put you off. It, it, It’s a little gem.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes. What other little gems do you enjoy in Paris?
Photography and Exhibits in Paris
Marie Tartar: Oh, well, um, we’re into photography. We’re, We’re photographers ourselves, um, and um, we also collect photography. So right, like, Right down the street from us is MEP, the Maison, uh… Let’s see, how was the title? It’s basically the Museum of European Photography, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, I think is the title. Um, and, uh, so That uh, is- often has shows of interest. For example, in a couple of days, there’s an Edward Weston uh, exhibition uh, that is opening, so we’re going to make a point of going there during our- during this trip.
Annie Sargent: You know, people who spend a lot of time in Paris, m- go to so many exhibits. It’s really fascinating to me that they, uh, z- they seem to, uh, and I’m basing this a lot on my friends, uh, Patricia and Jennifer, they seem to go mostly to these museums to see the exhibit.
And they [00:33:00] might go see the permanent collection as well, but I, I get the impression that they just go to the- to see the, the special exhibit and perhaps walk quickly through the permanent collection. Because most museums in Paris have both.
Marie Tartar: Yes, they do, and it, it’s been… In fact, I was kind of shocked on my last trip in uh, July. Uh, We went to um, the Grand Palais, uh… I’m sorry, the Petit Palais, to see a particular exhibit, but I never realized that they had such an amazing permanent collection.
Annie Sargent: It’s wonderful.
Marie Tartar: It’s fabulous, and I had somehow completely managed to miss that.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. The Petit Palais is always high on my list of recommendations, especially… Well, and perhaps that’s not fair, but I think people who are visiting Paris, who are not used to going to a lot of museums, who are not used to, to doing, you know, the, all the art stuff, if they go to the Petit Palais, not only is it free to enter the, the, to see the [00:34:00] permanent collection, but the gardens around it and the garden inside of it are absolutely-
Marie Tartar: And the building.
Annie Sargent: The building is stunning.
Marie Tartar: It’s stunning.
Annie Sargent: There’s a nice little cafe there. Uh, If you are visiting with children who have a limited attention span, it’s perfect because it’s not very big.
Marie Tartar: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: I, I think the Petit Palais is just wonderful. The Grand Palais is also wonderful. That’s more of a, you know, an outing that you plan on. You have to pay your tick- for your tickets. It, It requires more time.
Marie Tartar: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Uh, I- and I don’t know, you know, like if when we’re in New York, you know, we belong to the Met, and I would never attempt to… You know, the Met is too big, just like the Louvre is too big. Even the Musée d’Orsay is too big to try to do the whole thing in one day. I, you know, we’re- you know, The ideal thing, I think, is to be a member and just go for an hour or so, because you know, it’s, it, uh, the visual overload is is a real thing, the fatigue factor.
Annie Sargent: And if you are a yearly member, then you can [00:35:00] usually uh, enter an hour before everybody else.
Marie Tartar: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: And you don’t queue up very long. I mean, the security line is very short. You’re in.
Marie Tartar: Right. There are, There are definite advantages.
Annie Sargent: Yes. And, and i- I don’t think in Paris the price of membership is all that high, really. You know, it’s a couple hundred euros, perhaps, for the year for the bigger museums.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, I think it’s actually very reasonably priced, especially compared to, you know, if you just uh, add up the, the daily entrance price for a couple of adults. Um, uh, It compares very favorably, I think.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes.
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Dining and Cooking in Paris
Annie Sargent: Do you… Are you a cook? Do you like to cook? Are there things that you can recommend? Uh, or, or, um, or gourmet, uh, like, You like to go out to eat? You say you, you go out every once a day, perhaps?
Marie Tartar: Roughly, but um, like for example, this time, I don’t think we’ve been out to eat just yet. We arrived on a Saturday, and we went to the Richard [00:36:00] Lenoir Market on Sunday, and we bought so much stuff that we had to postpone a dinner reservation we added from last night to tonight. Um, so we’re, We’re trying to eat our way through, you know, a very enthusiastic market out. My husband’s quite a good cook. Um, And I can cook, uh, I don’t enjoy it quite as much, uh, and I prefer the way I clean up the kitchen to the way he cleans up the kitchen, so that’s usually our arrangement.
Annie Sargent: Perfect match.
Marie Tartar: But on the other hand, I I do enjoy visiting bakeries, so it’s, it’s pretty usual that, uh, you know, like, uh, if I see a new bakery, that I, you know, I just uh, have to duck in and see what unique thing they might be offering. Um, So I kind of collect stuff while I’m out.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. So, so I think Americans have a tendency to like to make lists of the best of this and the best of that, and I think that’s not ideal in Paris because things are always changing when it comes to restaurants and bakeries and cafes and things like that.
Marie Tartar: Oh, so true.
Annie Sargent: Just try them, you know, just like, try some and you’ll, you’ll have your favorite, [00:37:00] but you know what? Next time you go, perhaps it will have changed hands.
Marie Tartar: Yes, uh, yeah, the… that’s so true. I was actually just reading an old blog of mine, uh, uh, from a prior Paris trip, and it suddenly reminded me of a restaurant I had really enjoyed some years back before the pandemic. So I looked it up. It’s still very highly rated. Uh, So I just made a reservation for next week, and I’m and I’m like, "How did I forget about this place?" Uh, I’m speaking of Le Rimini, uh, in the fifth.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Marie Tartar: Easy walk for me, but I remember having um, a couple of wonderful meals on several different occasions, and uh, seems like it’s still well-regarded, and so…
Annie Sargent: so, So you typically like to reserve for your dinners?
Marie Tartar: Um, it, It depends. Like, if a place is very expensive, I, you know, uh, sometimes like to try it first for lunch since it’s generally less expensive that way.
Travel Tips and Jet Lag Solutions
Marie Tartar: Um, In addition, uh, this particular trip, we- I’ve been struggling with jet lag a lot more than normal. Most of the time, we uh, spend a few days in New York before we come. This particular trip um, [00:38:00] we were actually in Papua New Guinea a week before we came here, and so…
Annie Sargent: Oh, wow!
Marie Tartar: … It’s, yeah, my, my, uh, My internal clock is really, is… I, I, I actually feel fine, it’s just that, you know, it isn’t really normal to get up and read between 1 and 3 AM, and you know, it’s gradually moved to, uh, you know, 4:30 to 6:30. So I’m making progress, but uh, you know, it’s, uh, it’s a good problem to have.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, yes. It, uh, a- a- And it is true as you age as well, you’re going to deal with more difficult um, jet lag every time. It just doesn’t get any easier.
Marie Tartar: Yeah. For us, uh, our, our, one of the easiest- One of the, the best things for us has been the ability to stop off in New York before and after trips, um, to kind of work our way back to the West Coast, where, where our primary residence is, so yeah… you know, just kind of ease the blow a little.
Annie Sargent: Yes. I like to um, spend the night near the airport. Uh, like, Because Living in Toulouse, as I do, uh, to get on an international flight to just about anywhere, it’s going to [00:39:00] leave early in the morning, and if your flight departs at 8:00 in the morning, that means that you have to be at the Toulouse Airport as soon as it opens at 4:00 in the morning, and it’s just brutal. Like, it’s just difficult.
Marie Tartar: Yeah, it just cuts down on the stress.
Annie Sargent: Exactly. So we just spend the night at the airport…. and get on our 8, 9, 10 flight out much easier than if you- if we were doing it straight from Toulouse. But that’s just something that we never did before. We just, now we, you know, we’re like, "Okay, this has, this has to happen." It’s- Otherwise, travel is no fun, like, it’s- you, you feel tired all the time.
Marie Tartar: You make accommodations. Yeah, exactly.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Yeah.
Paris "Gotchas"
Annie Sargent: What are some gotchas gotchas perhaps about Paris? Like, things that when you come back, you’re, "Oh, I had forgotten about this." Uh, I don’t know. Do you have anything in mind like that? Um, uh, Things that work differently. Like, I, I find that one of the things that uh, surprises people is French doors. They don’t seem to lock the same way as [00:40:00] American doors.
Marie Tartar: I, I think I’m used to them. Uh, and, and actually, I… We have a, We have have a tiny balcony here, and I absolutely love the ability to step outside and feel the temperature, because sometimes, you know, just looking at the, the number in your phone of what the temperature is and is going to be isn’t quite… You know, you, you- it, it does- it fe- it can feel a little different depending on whether it’s uh, cloudy or windy or… it’s, it’s like, "Okay, which, which thickness of coat do I need for today?"
Annie Sargent: Right, right, right. No, and, and really, the Marais is is a, a, a lovely location. Uh, I mean, honestly-
Marie Tartar: We love it!
Annie Sargent: … You’re so close to everything. You- If you’re close to uh, the Saint-Paul Metro Station, the river’s not very far. There’s shopping, both of uh, very fancy shopping, but also everyday shopping nearby.
Marie Tartar: Yes, that- the street that uh, basically where the Saint-Paul Metro Station is, there’s a wonderful cheese shop next to a wonderful wine shop next to a wonderful produce source. So-
Annie Sargent: There’s a [00:41:00] rotisserie. There’s a very good rotisserie chicken as well there.
Marie Tartar: I’ve been there many times. It’s pretty rare that we d- we come here and don’t go there.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, that’s the beauty of that particular part, is that, uh… I mean, it can be a bit of a party place at times, but that’s very street-specific. There are-
Marie Tartar: Very true. Very true. In fact, um, our mutual friend Patricia was super helpful in us, because it is a bit of a leap of faith to buy even a share of an apartment without seeing it yourself. So, uh, in addition to virtually walking the streets, you know, through using my husband’s uh, um, Oculus, um, uh, virtual reality headset-
Annie Sargent: The goggles? Yeah, yeah.
Marie Tartar: Yes, the goggles.
So we, we walked the streets. Um, We asked our friend Patricia to come and, and videotape, uh, not only the street, but I had her, um, l- the stairs, the elevator, open the drawers, uh, show me the silverware. Um, Because… well, once, we rented an apartment near the Pantheon through Paris [00:42:00] Perfect, and the apartment was perfectly lovely, but the, uh, the building dated to, like, the 16th century, and the spiral stairs were so canted that literally, like, my husband and I were sort of like clutching the banister going up or down because they were, every one was, like, uh, a different angle, different height. I was like, "Hmm, this is a disaster in the making." Yeah, so, you know, I, uh… We like to take the stairs, and, um, I mean, we have an elevator, but it is just big enough for uh, you know, one person and luggage. Um, So, you know, unless we have luggage, we, we, we take the stairs. So-
Annie Sargent: Right, right, right.
Marie Tartar: So I want them to be reasonably safe.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes. A- and that’s, That’s a lot of details that you could work out, but I think once you have a, a fractional like you do, then you work it out once, and you can come back many times.
The Benefits of Fractional Ownership
Annie Sargent: Uh, and, And that’s the beauty of it. Then it feels like home, even though it’s only partially home.
Marie Tartar: Right, it is a home you, you share with others, [00:43:00] but I mean, this particular one is, is, is lovely. It’s beautifully furnished. They thought out pretty much every detail we could possibly want. And, while it’d be wonderful to have your own apartment and do it exactly as you like, it’s a lot of work. I mean-
Annie Sargent: It is, and you would feel bad that, that it’s empty a lot of the time.
Marie Tartar: Uh, Statistically, you know, the, there’s, There’s pretty good statistics out there that show that most second-home owners, if they use them, uh, you know, four to six to eight weeks is about the max for, for most second-home owners.
Annie Sargent: Yes, yes, a- a- and this is something that I’ve, I experienced myself. Now, my apartment in Spain, I didn’t buy it, my parents bought it. They wanted a, a secondary place, and they did as they reti- when they retired, they would spend six months out of the year there. So, uh, it, it made perfect sense for their use case.
But uh, I can’t spend that much time there, even though I would enjoy it. I- It’s just n- not possible. I have to work. And, And so I think that’s, uh… nowadays, we have a lot more possibilities, like fractionals, like places like [00:44:00] Home Exchange. The one you mentioned was, it’s not called Home Exchange, but what was it again?
Marie Tartar: Uh, The one that, uh, Third Home is, is one of the-
Annie Sargent: Third Home.
Marie Tartar: Mm-hmm.
Annie Sargent: Right. So places like that are f- are kind of popular as well because then y- y- you have a place, but you don’t feel like you have to be there all the time. It’s getting used. It’s, you know, uh… Which is better. And I think for, for locals as well, from a local perspective, I think it is better to have an apartment in your building that gets used by different people every couple of weeks than that is empty 90% of the time, honestly.
Marie Tartar: There’s also the issue of, um, and we’ve discovered this, you know, firsthand in our apartment in New York, is that things happen, leaks.
Annie Sargent: Yeah.
Marie Tartar: Uh, you know, like, uh, we, uh… You know, things can, Problems can develop in an unoccupied uh, apartment that, you know, if somebody’s there, it’s much more likely to be detected
yeah
… um, and attended to, hopefully, in a timely fashion.
Annie Sargent: Right. I once showed up at my apartment in [00:45:00] Spain, uh, and the power had tripped, and nobody was there to set it up again, and somebody had left just one piece of fish in the back of the freezer. That, and it, It was my cousin, and she had told me, "I’ve emptied the fridge. I’ve…" You know? The thing is, she forgot about the one piece of fish that she wanted to take home and cook that night at her house in France. And so when I showed up six months later…
Marie Tartar: Oh, no!
Annie Sargent: It smelled like death in there. Um, It was so bad that I had to, I mean, the fridge was old. I had to change it anyway, uh, but, but I couldn’t get the smell out. I- It was just impossible.
Marie Tartar: Ugh.
Annie Sargent: So these things happen in an apartment that you don’t use enough. Even if you take precautions and you’re careful, it can happen, like…
Marie Tartar: No, it’s true.
Annie Sargent: Yeah. So, So it’s better, and there are a- I mean, Paris being the way it is, uh, it’s getting expensive to have a place in Paris. Not as expensive as New York or San Francisco, but still [00:46:00] quite expensive.
And, uh, There are a lot of um, uh, rich people who want to have a pied-à-terre in, in France, and they will buy these apartments that they don’t really use very much because they figure, "If I don’t use it, it’s a good investment anyway," which is true. But then you have this empty apartment, which makes it harder for locals to find places to stay. So at least if you have a fractional, it’s going to get used, y- you’ve paid market price for it. I, I-
Yeah I think it’s a better solution.
Marie Tartar: I do, too. Um, yes, uh, you know, uh, it’s… We, We ran into a similar situation with our house in Arizona, where during the pandemic, because so much of our international travel was postponed, one year we were basically doing ma- makeup trips, and we arrived there with, uh, had been six months since our prior visit, and uh, during that time, let’s see, one of the uh, heating and air conditioning units had failed, we had a leak, and we’re like, "Wow, okay." At that point, we decided to, to rent it out a little bit just to have it [00:47:00] occupied yeah… um, a bit more than we were able to occupy it at the time.
Annie Sargent: Yeah, yeah.
Marie Tartar: So things do happen.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful.
Concluding Thoughts and Farewells
Annie Sargent: All right, well, we have been chatting a long time. Thank you so much. You’ve been really generous with your time and with your knowledge, because that’s really precious, to have someone who’s done it for years like you have. So, um, thank you so much.
Marie Tartar: It’s been an interesting journey.
Yes, over the years, we have looked at a number of options, and somehow, you know, just the right set, uh, the timing, the right size, the right location, everything has to kind of converge. But uh, it finally came together for us.
Annie Sargent: It seems like it’s not a, a market where things evolve very quickly, so it’s not like there’s a lot of these fractionals out there. You, You have to be patient, I guess, right?
Marie Tartar: Right. Um, I mean, it, uh, and, And it’s kind of funny how this one found me. It was the same friend whose fractionals I used to stay in, who actually sent me the notice. Uh, She’s like: "Oh, this looks nice. You might check it out." I was like, "Oh."
Annie Sargent: So probably to [00:48:00] find one, you have to kind of get on… Like, there might be email lists or people who are on the lookout for these sorts of opportunities?
Marie Tartar: Yeah. Um, you know, to- uh, If one was interested to just get started, you can just google Paris fractional apartments, and most of the, most of the major uh, developers who, who uh, offer fractional apartments will come up.
But, you know, Also some of the um, Some of the, you know, what’s happening in Paris kind of uh, newsletters and things like that, will sometimes highlight a particular property, and that’s more or less what happened. I think it was like, something like Hip in Paris or something like that.
Annie Sargent: Okay.
Marie Tartar: One of those kind of newsletter, kind of email things that uh, alerted my friend, who alerted me, you know. One thing led to another.
Annie Sargent: Wonderful, wonderful.
Thank you so much, Marie, and uh, have a wonderful time in Paris.
Marie Tartar: Thank you. Thank you. Great talking to you.
Annie Sargent: Merci beaucoup. Au revoir.
Marie Tartar: À bientôt. Au revoir.
Thank you, patrons
Annie Sargent: Again, I want [00:49:00] to thank my patrons for giving back and supporting the show. Patrons get several exclusive rewards for doing that. You can see them at patreon.com/joinus. That’s P-A-T-R-E-O-N Joinus, no spaces or dashes.
A special shout-out this week to my new Join Us in France champion, Carolyn Bentley.
And to support Elyse, go to patreon.com/elysart.
Would you join them, too? You can do it for as little as…
Would you join them, too? You can do it for as little as $3 a month, but if you can afford it, I would love to have you pledge more so you can have access to more of the rewards.
This week, I published the dates and links for our March Zoom meetings with patrons.
March 8th, mark the date, patrons, and check your Patreon app.
Private Day Trips with Annie
Annie Sargent: If you’re planning to be in Toulouse this spring or summer, I have a little invitation for you. I offer private day trips in the southwest of France in my electric SUV, and my calendar is filling up p- pretty fast. These are not cookie-cutter tours that uh, you [00:50:00] grab off the big platforms.
This is completely custom. Before we ever hit the road, we meet on Zoom. You tell me what you’re interested in, Cathar history, hilltop villages, food markets, wine, scenic drives, photography spots, easy walks, you name it.
Not sure what’s best? That’s fine, too. I’ll suggest ideas based on your interests and your time of year.
I can take up to four people, and the price is €600 for the full day for your group. It’s a relaxed, flexible, and in-depth experience, and honestly, it’s a lot of fun for me, spending the day with podcast listeners.
To get started, go to joinusinfrance.com/day-trip, with a dash, and book a time for us to chat.
You’ll also see examples of the tours I offer, and I’ve recently added even more ideas for inspiration. If the southwest of France is on your itinerary, let’s make it unforgettable. I’d love to show you [00:51:00] around.
Charles de Gaulle AIrport Transfers
Annie Sargent: Let’s talk about the Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris or Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
There are some things that change in March 2026, coming up very soon. If you’re flying in or out of Paris, uh, starting on March 1st, 2026, the Roissybus disappears for good. After more than 30 years, transport authorities have decided it’s just too unreliable because of traffic, not because it wasn’t popular, mind you, because it was, but the traffic makes it very unreliable.
From now on, they want travelers to rely mainly on rail or take a taxi. The main public transport option will be the RER B, which already serves all terminals at Pa- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Trains run every 6 to 15 minutes from early mornings until around midnight.
To or from central Paris, it’s usually the [00:52:00] fastest options when everything runs normally, and it doesn’t always run normally, but usually it does.
The fare is, uh, 50- The fare is €65… Sorry, The fare is €14 one way, unless you have a Navigo pass that already covers all zones, and they don’t all do that, so, you know, check.
The downside, of course, is that the RER B can be crowded, sometimes disrupted, not ideal if you’re traveling with luggage or arriving very late at night.
That’s where the taxis still make sense. Uh, A licensed Paris taxi offers a flat fare, currently around €56 from the Right Bank and €65 to or from the Left Bank. There’s no surprises, even in traffic, same price. Uh, And the taxis can take the bus lanes as well, so they’re always faster than Uber. It’s door-to-door, works 24/7, and it can be much less stressful after a long flight, espe- especially for [00:53:00] families or groups.
So the takeaway is pretty simple, RER B if you want speed and lower cost, taxi if you want comfort, predictability, or if you’re traveling at odd hours.
So Roissybus is gone, rail is now the default, but taxi remains a very good backup. I take taxis, I have to admit, I take taxis. If I have, uh, if I have luggage, I’m not schlepping the luggage on the RER B, but that’s just me.
RER B Safety Note
Annie Sargent: Now, an important safety note about the RER B, petty theft is a known and persistent issue with this line, especially on trains serving Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. A common tactic is quick grab just as the train stops. Someone snatches your phone, your bag, or a backpack, and jumps out just as the doors close and the train pulls away.
It happens fast. It’s usually done by young men and very quick [00:54:00] thieves, and it’s been going on for years, dozens of times each day. So if you can– So if you take the RER B, keep your belongings zipped, held in front of you, and never uh, resting near the doors. Stay alert until the train is fully moving again.
Did you know the Eiffel Tower honors… And I should say, y- you know, I know it’s tempting to check your phone, uh, because you’ve just landed and you want to catch up, and you, uh, not on the RER B, okay? Y- That phone is, is staying put wherever you’re hiding it.
Eiffel Tower Honors Women Scientists
Annie Sargent: Did you know the Eiffel Tower honors scientists by name?
And did you know all of them were men until now? Here’s a bit of uh, Paris news that I really like. The city has just revealed the names of 72 women scientists whose names are expected to be added to the Eiffel Tower in the near future.
Until now, the tower honored 72 male scientists and engineers whose names are engraved on the [00:55:00] first level.
Now, admittedly, you need to have good eyesight or or, um, perhaps uh, uh, bring binoculars, which is always a good idea. But they are there, and this new addition is meant to finally correct a, a, a, a clear injustice. The goal is to push back against what is known as the Matilda effect, the long-standing tendency to minimize or erase women’s contributions to scientific research.
A commission held by astrophysicist Isabelle Vogelin, worked with the Eiffel Tower’s operator to select women whose work wa- has, whose work was fundamental but often overlooked.
These women came from many fields, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, geology, medicine, and engineering. Some were pioneers in their discipline, others made discoveries that are still used today, and many had to fight simply to be allowed to study or work.
A few examples really stood [00:56:00] out to me. Edme Chandon was bor- born in Paris in 1885. She was France’s first professional woman astronomer. During World War I, she calculated artillery trajectories for the military. She later became the first French woman to earn a state doctorate in mathematics, and spent her entire career at the Paris Observatory.
Henriette Delamarre, a 19th-century geologist and paleontologist, specialized in fossil-rich sedimentary rocks called falun. Alongside her scientific work, she was deeply engaged in humanitarian causes and was active i- in early feminist movements, including the fight for women’s voting rights.
And of course, there’s Irène Joliot-Curie, who is on the list as well. She won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 with her husband uh, for their work on artificial radioactivity. [00:57:00] She was also one of the first women to serve in the French government and uh, was a very strong advocate for gender equality and anti-fascism.
And then there’s Sophie Germain, a self-taught mathi- a self-taught mathematician, born in 1776. She initially used a male pseudonym just to be taken seriously. Her work influenced research on the strengths of material, including studies connected to the construction of the Eiffel Tower itself. Ironically, she’s often called the forgotten, The Forgotten Woman of the Eiffel Tower, which makes this recognition especially meaningful.
Altogether, the 72 names represent centuries of scientific excellence that helped shape modern France, even if, uh, even when recognition didn’t follow at the time.
The final list needs formal approval from France’s scientific academies, but once validated, these names will literally be written into Paris history [00:58:00] on one of the most visited monuments in the world.
I love this idea. It doesn’t erase the past, it just completes it, and next time you visit the Eiffel Tower, you may be standing under the names that were long overdue to be there.
My thanks to podcast editors Anne and Christian Cotovan, who produced the
Next week on the podcast
Annie Sargent: transcripts. Next week on the podcast, an episode with Janine Lurie.
Next week on the podcast, an episode with Janine Lurie about how the Gers department and… Next week on the podcast, an episode with Jenine Lurie about the Gers department and why it’s such a wonderful, peaceful place to visit and the tours that she offers there.
Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you join me next time so we can look around France together.
Au revoir!
Copyright
Annie Sargent: The join us in France Travel Podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Annie Sargent and copyright 2026 by Addicted to France. It is released a, It is released under a Creative Comments, attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives license.[00:59:00] [01:00:00]
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Episode PageCategory: Paris