Picnic on Eiffel Tower lawn...laws? And cheese suggestions

Amy - Don't know about the picnic laws but you can get great cheese anywhere in Paris. Try the Monoprix, or any food store. Or try one of the outdoor markets. I lke Comte and Cantal and many, many others.

John is right. The Eiffel Tower area is inundated with trinket touts - more so this year than I've ever seen before. Unless you're interested in gold and silver-painted plastic tower replicas & keychains, you might want to make a sign saying "non merci!" Then again, it's all part of the experience.

Picnicking on the lawn may depend on the time of year you go or the condition of the lawn. In my (somewhat limited) experience, there will be signs if you need to keep off the grass. If you see signs that say, "Pelouse en repos" - that's the "Keep off the grass" sign. The signs are usually small and low. Remember also that you can get great cheese sandwiches, as well as many other picnic foods, as the bakeries. Have a wonderful trip!

I was in Paris a couple of months ago and saw picnickers under the tower, even though it was chilly! I don't believe there are laws against it. Similarly, I do not know anything about open container laws except what I have experienced, which is... drink up. Unless "no bevvies" is cearly posted, I don't think the police care. If you've tried the cheese shop on Rue Cler, you've been exposed to one of the best shops for quality and variety. If price is a consideration and you are looking for other options, then Monoprix or Franprix are both excellent places to try. You can get lots of different cheeses on a budget - as well as good sausage, excellent ham, a fresh baguette, and wine that's so inexpensive you'll freak out. Seriously. The cheese you choose will depend on what you like, of course... and the list is kind of endless. Check out the Wiki list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_cheeses I'm personally crazy about Chevrotin (sold at Monoprox), Bucheron, St.-Andre, and Roquefort... but there are hundreds of varieties to try!

We too have picnicked on the Eiffel Tower lawn several times. Only had a couple of problems. 1. The "Gypsies" that kept trying to shove a cardboard sign in our face with writing on it about being hungry, help us, etc. Spoke broken Klingon to them and they left. 2. Pickpockets and trinket salesmen. Both are all over the place. When you go, try to stay on the outskirts of the grassy area, close to the road. They are less prevalent there. Keep all valuables in a money belt, under your clothes!! The pickpockets are really good.

France has no open container laws except as they apply to vehicles and vessels.

Thanks everyone! Sounds like the laws are the same but the Gypsies are plentiful. Hope it works out so we can do it again. :)

Another note on the Roma people (mostly women - and it is not polite to say "Gypsy")... we were in Paris about 6 weeks ago and while yes, there are quite a few vendors around the tower, we didn't encounter many Roma. We did get approached quite a few times while walking through the Tuilleries... perhaps because we didn't sit to picnic on the grass at the Eiffel Tower, we weren't "sitting ducks," but I didn't notice any more Roma women than any other time I'd been to Paris. Good idea about the "non merci" sign - or just get your pronunciation down and say it with authority.

I've not had a problem with Roma back at a distance on the Champs de Mars. Great view with some perspective. Lots of young people drinking and hanging out during warm weather.

To me, it is not "Polite" to get in my face and beg for money while looking for the opportunity to pick-pocket me either. To me, they look like my childhood remembrances of Gypsies on the telle, so Gypsies they are. To me a Roma is a tomato.

+1 And Amy, I, too, remember reading MANY stories about the Champs de Mars being patrolled; No Picnicing! Signs everywhere. Apparently there were stikes and massive protests by baguette-wielding Parisians and that was the end of that! There were plenty of (boozy) picnickers when I was last there Fall 2009. Grab whatever looks good, and have a great picnic (or seven!)! Don't forget the ziplocs (leftovers), opener, knife, and glasses.

"To me, they look like my childhood remembrances of Gypsies on the telle, so Gypsies they are. To me a Roma is a tomato." George Wallace couldn't have said it better.