ENJOYING PARIS - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 245

with the most current information on dates and locations.
They charge a small commission, but it is worth paying for
the convenience. The Fnac stores have ticket agencies: you
can also order by telephone or online (tel: [phone];
website:http://www.fnac.com). Virgin Megastore has the
same type of service (tel: [phone]; website:http://
www.virginmega.fr). The shopping centre Le Bon Marché
also has a billeterie (ticket agency) in the basement. For
ticket agencies, see Théâtres et Spectacles location de places
in the Yellow Pages .
Most ticket agencies take reservations over the phone
with a credit card guarantee. Some send the customer a
voucher for picking up the actual ticket at the event before
the performance. Arrive early to pick up your ticket, as there
is no guarantee that it will be held for very long.
As in any major city, tickets to cultural events are expensive.
Yet, season tickets are sometimes available at preferential
prices, and there are inexpensive performing arts and film
festivals, as well as free year-round church concerts. Some
theatres sell reduced-price tickets just before a performance,
but to have access to a wide choice of half-price tickets on
the day of a performance, it's worth checking the Kiosque,
either at 15 place de la Madeleine or on the Esplanade of the
Tour Montparnasse. If you do get tickets from the Kiosque,
make sure the tickets do not say sans visibilité , meaning that
at least a part of the stage will not be visible from your seats.
On the other hand, some people accept such tickets and take
a chance on moving to a better seat if someone doesn't show
up or leaves at the entr'acte (intermission).
If you have no ticket at all, try standing at the entrance
before the event is to begin with a sign saying ' CHERCHE
UNE PLACE ' ('ticket wanted')—people sometimes sell their
extra tickets.
Students and young people under 26 may also visit one of
the Kiosques Paris Jeunes for reduced prices to events, and
check the website http://jeunes.paris.fr
Kiosque le Marais: 14 rue François Miron 75004

Kiosque Goutte d'Or: 1 rue Fleury 75018

Kiosque Champ-de-Mars: 101 quai Branly, 75015