Daily Life

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Daily life at the University and in Paris is different than at most other American universities. You’ll live in the vibrant neighborhoods of Paris, shop for your groceries at the local market, and pay your bills independently. This may seem daunting at first, but it’s an important part of assuming responsibility for your daily life. We have assembled some useful resources to help you in this process. And the team at Student Development is always available to answer any questions; just contact us.

 

Utilities

As soon as you have moved into your housing, you’ll need to put the electricity contract under your name—unless you live in AUP Student Housing apartment or if there’s a special arrangement made with your landlord. Failure to do so could result in your electricity being cut off. Please note that “one semester” visiting students should speak with Student Development about electricity/gas set-up.

What you’ll need to open an EDF/GDF account:

  • A ‘RIB’ (your bank information)
  • The electricity meter reading from the date that you moved into your apartment
  • The previous tenant’s full name (you can get this from your landlord/landlady)
  • Your full address (complete with floor and room number, if you have one)

How to set up your EDF/GDF account:

  • Simply call 09 69 32 15 15 and have the information ready.
  • If you don’t speak French, call the English speaking phone line: 09 69 36 63 83
  • If there continues to be a language problem, you can go to the Student Development Office and ask a member of staff or a student worker to call on your behalf
  • In case of emergency, call 08 10 33 37 54

When opening an account, be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • What is the surface area of your apartment? (square meters)
  • Do you have any large electrical appliances? (washing machine, dryer, etc)
  • What type of heating do you have? (gas, electric, or central)
  • Do you want to be billed monthly or bimonthly?

How to close your EDF/GDF account:

Call EDF/GDF 10 days before l’état des lieux with your landlord to make sure the meter reading has been done. If that is the case, call EDF on the day of you leaving the apartment with the final meter reading and to cancel the account. You should also give EDF your future address, as they will be sending you a final bill.

Things you should know about EDF/GDF:

Based on the information you have provided, you’ll be charged what they predict to be your average monthly amount for electric consumption. This predicted average will be adjusted accordingly twice per year based on meter readings by the EDF technician and the charges will be withdrawn directly from your bank.

Once your account is set up, expect to be charged a connection fee that will be taken out by direct debit from your bank account as part of your first monthly payment

 

Mobile Phone

Need to set up your mobile phone? Follow this easy step-by-step video and get your phone service up and running. In no time, you will be calling, texting, emailing, tweeting, snapchatting, facebooking and instagramming everyone from your new home.

Do you need Housing Insurance?

Here is a tutorial video which explains the process online with ACS insurance.

Laundry

Some of our students don’t have laundry machines in their apartments. Instead, they use the local Laundromats scattered through their neighborhoods. Laundromats are located all around Paris and you can find the nearest Laundromat by searching online. Often times you can also ask your landlord or you will find a Laundromat when you explore your neighborhood.

 

Post office

The French postal service, La Poste, offers an online boutique with a wide range of services from printing stamps at home to mailing letters directly from your computer without needing a pen or paper. Also make sure to check out this English explanation of how to send mail through La Poste as well for any other questions or concerns. 

Post offices are located around Paris and there are two post offices close to campus, at 56 rue Cler, 75007 Paris, and 37 avenue Rapp, 75007 Paris. There’s also a 23/7 post office at 52 rue du Louvre 75001 Paris, that is open 7 days a week and only closes briefly from 06:20 to 07:20.
 

Electronics

There are several big electronic chain stores located around Paris, including Darty, Surcouf, Fnac, and Virgin. While you can find things like plugs and bulbs at your local supermarket, these stores are the destination if you’re looking for computer hardware, microwaves, or other larger appliances.

 

Furniture

All housing at AUP is furnished. However, if you’re looking for additional furniture or decorative items, you can head to one of the furniture stores in and around Paris. IKEA is the biggest store for furniture, kitchen items, and interior decorations at affordable prices. All Ikea stores in the Paris region are outside of Paris in the suburbs. The closest IKEA store is in Thiais in the 94 department.

Inside Paris, you have the option of Conforama or BHV, both of which have multiple sales locations throughout the city. The closest Conforama store is in the first arrondissement at metro “Pont Neuf” and the closest BHV to AUP is at "Hotel de Ville" Metro 1.

 

Tips for students leaving Paris

If you are graduating from AUP and leaving Paris, please read through the Going Home presentation (ppt). It will help you get organized, and make sure that you don’t forget any tasks before you leave.