THE GREATEST ARTS OF FRANCE - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: France - page 179

the train stations of Montparnasse, Gare du Nord and Gare
de l'Est, the Pigalle and the Boulevard Clichy (both straight
and gay), and around Les Halles.
For rock-bottom prices, try Porte de la Chapelle in the
10ème , rue Chalon in the 12ème and rue Houdon in the
18ème . Higher prices and better quality can be found at the
Pyramids métro (and nearby rue Sainte Anne for gays)
and at the Avenue de la Grande Armée and Porte Maillot,
not far from the Bois. Here prices jump to 50 to 75
euros. The Saint-Germain-des-Prés area in the 6ème is
mostly for gay services. Even in Paris, there are still few
opportunities for straight women to buy men's sexual
services. One would assume there are just not many
paying customers.
THE YEAR'S HOLIDAYS AND SEASONS
Like most Europeans, the French write their dates numerically,
starting with the day, then the month, then the year.
The ofi cial summer holiday in France starts on Bastille Day,
14 July, and goes through the end of August. Paris is very quiet
that month; there won't be opera and other major cultural
events, only the usual tourist sights. However, the Mayor of
Paris puts on special events during the summer to compensate
for this, but there won't be any major trafi c jams. Conversely,
expect the seaside resorts and country camping grounds to
be packed to the gills.
In early September, schools begin and everyone returns
to their routine. In October, usually the best month for good
weather, Paris is jammed with all sorts of special events and
conferences. Hotels will be booked up and restaurants will
require reservations.
On the major holidays, the banks and post ofi ces will
close and the long weekend will lure many families out on the
highway. Fatalities rise so sharply during these periods that
the government has tried to spread out the school holidays
more evenly—scheduling six weeks of school followed by
two weeks' holiday.
If a national holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many
companies will faire le pont (make a bridge). This means