Going to France, need help! Tres importante!

[Cam]

hey everyone, another extremely important (this time cigar related) thread, im heading to rance soon for 6 months, and need to know good places to get cigars, cuban and davidoff, also humidors, Paris and Lyon, if someone could help, provide addresses and reccomendations it would be great,

thanks heaps guys!

cam

[JMH]

Sorry, I didn't happen across any good stores when I was last there. I can't vouch for them, but a quick google search turned up these:

City: Paris

Name: Boutique 22

Location: 22 Avenue Victor Hugo

Phone: 01-45-01-81-41

City: Paris

Name: La Casa Del Habano

Location: 169 Boulevard Saint-Germain

Phone: 01-45-49-24-30

Fax: 01-45-49-65-64

City: Paris

Name: La Cave a Cigares

Location: 14 Boulevard Haussman

Phone: 01-47-70-73-62

City: Paris

Name: La Civette Euryal

Location: 16 rue Linois

Phone: 01-45-75-55-81

City: Paris

Name: La Civette du Palais Royale

Location: 157 rue Ste-Honore

Phone: 01-42-61-61-07

City: Paris

Name: Flammes et Fumees

Location: 22 Avenue du Maine

Phone: 01-45-40-41-78

City: Paris

Name: Flor de Cuba

Location: 1 Avenue Raymond Poincare

Phone: 01-47-04-90-50

City: Paris

Name: Maison Lemaire

Location: 39 Avenue Victor Hugo

Phone: 01-45-00-75-63

City: Paris

Name: La Pot a Tabac

Location: 28 rue de la Pepiniere

Phone: 01-45-22-29-14

City: Paris

Name: Tabarium

Location: 27 Avenue des Gobelins

Phone: 01-47-70-11-51

City: Paris

Name: Tabac du Dome

Location: 108 Boulevard Montparnasse

Phone: 01-43-35-23-41

City: Paris

Name: Tabac George V

Location: 22 avenue George V

Phone: 01-47-23-44-75

City: Paris

Name: Tabac le Lotus

Location: 4 rue de L'Arcade

Phone: 01-42-65-35-36

City: Paris

Name: La Tabagie

Location: 10 rue de Depart

Phone: 01-45-38-65-18

City: Paris

Name: Tabatiere Odeon

Location: 128 Boulevard Saint-Germain

Phone: 01-46-34-21-89

City: Paris (La Defense)

Name: La Civette des Quatre Temps

Location: Centre Commercial des Quatre-Temps

Phone: 01-47-74-75-28

[Cam]

wow thanks alot, ill give some of those a try/call, see what theyre all about, much appreciated

[Stalebread]

I can add comments to some of the shops on this list.

Keep in mind the prices are regulated by the government so you won't find differences from shop to shop. I have also seen shops refuse to give discounts on multiple box purchases but that may change if you are a regular.

I have found the humidors in Paris to be overly warm and overly humidified especially in summer. So I try not to buy too much in the warmer months.

I live in Paris. If I can be of any help, let me know.

» City: Paris

» Name: Boutique 22

» Location: 22 Avenue Victor Hugo

» Phone: 01-45-01-81-41

One of the better known Paris shops. Just expanded their walk-in. OK selection.

» City: Paris

» Name: La Casa Del Habano

» Location: 169 Boulevard Saint-Germain

» Phone: 01-45-49-24-30

» Fax: 01-45-49-65-64

Never was a "real" LCDH. Now closed, I believe.

» City: Paris

» Name: La Civette du Palais Royale

» Location: 157 rue Ste-Honore

» Phone: 01-42-61-61-07

If I have the address correct, this is THE Civette in Paris. The oldest cigar shop in the City. Famous. Similar selection to many of the shops. Owned by Davidoff, I think, so a good selection of those.

» City: Paris

» Name: Maison Lemaire

» Location: 39 Avenue Victor Hugo

» Phone: 01-45-00-75-63

Just down the street from Boutique 22. I have heard rumors about this shop so I would be cautious about buying here.

» City: Paris

» Name: Tabac George V

» Location: 22 avenue George V

» Phone: 01-47-23-44-75

Another well-known shop. Also in the area of Boutique 22

» City: Paris

» Name: Tabac le Lotus

» Location: 4 rue de L'Arcade

» Phone: 01-42-65-35-36

Very close to La Forum, one of my favorite places to smoke. Small walk-in.

Not on the list is the Publicis Drugstore. Very close to the Arc de Triomphe. Probably the largest walk-in in Paris. They have some interesting stuff -- I found Upmann Monarchs A/T from Oct. '01.

Not to forget La Civette de Neuilly. A little further out but an easy Metro ride. I've only been out there once but I know they have a good reputation with Paris cigar smokers.

Hope this helps.

[Cam]

thanks alot this should help heaps, what are humidor prices like? I mean in comparison with regular world prices, are there good deals to be found, although generally money isnt a barrier when buying good cigars and cars!

[Stalebread]

» thanks alot this should help heaps, what are humidor prices like? I mean

» in comparison with regular world prices, are there good deals to be found,

» although generally money isnt a barrier when buying good cigars and cars!

By humidor do you mean those well made wooden boxes in which cigars are stored? Or those (usually) small, temperature and humidity controlled rooms in which cigars are stored?

Or do you mean cigar prices?

If you mean cigars, see above. There really aren't "deals" because the pricing is controled by the government.

[Cam]

i know what a humidor is ive been collecting for a while i meant what are the prices like hence, what are the prices like, and by humidor i mean humidor not cigar box, i would say cigar box

[Stalebread]

» i know what a humidor is ive been collecting for a while i meant what are

» the prices like hence, what are the prices like, and by humidor i mean

» humidor not cigar box, i would say cigar box

Yes, but "what are the prices like" for what? Humidors or cigares? You could have been asking about an Elie Bleu humidor. Sorry. Don't mean to sound like such a smart ass. I was just trying to clarify exactly what you were/are asking about. I'm going to assume that by "humidor prices" you mean cigar prices. Is that right? Or am I still missing it?

In case it is cigar prices, maybe this will give you some idea: the ECCJ recently published a price comparison for Cohibas. A Siglo VI, for example, runs about 19.50 Euro in Germany; 21,60 in France; 19.20 in Spain; and about 34 (Euro) in Great Britain.

The French Regional release, Obus de Juan Lopez runs 9.50 while a BBF is 11 Euro.

The French cigar magazine, L’Amateur de Cigar publishes a more comprehensive list once a year I think. I can’t find the one I had. If I can dig it up, I can post some other, generalized prices in European countries just for comparison.

Again, you have to keep in mind that prices here are regulated by the government. You will not find price differences from shop to shop for cigars. The government does not control prices for accessories so there is some variance from shop to shop for things like cutters, and lighters . . . and humidors.

[Claudius]

A humidor is a box to store cigars in. Thus "what are humidor prices like" means "what are Elie Bleu or Davidoff or whatever brand humidor prices like in France compared to elsewhere". If you want to know what cigar prices are like, you could ask "what are the cigar prices in France like?" A "humidor" could also mean a "walk-in humidor" or, by extension, the cigars stored therein, but that's pushing it...

French cigar prices are published by the French government and available for viewing and download on the French government's website. They are basically the second highest in Europe after the UK.

France is cigar desert; quality is very average to bad, choice non-existent; nothing is worth buying except regional releases for France which are both beautiful and will be nice to smoke in a few years.

[Stalebread]

» France is cigar desert; quality is very average to bad, choice

» non-existent; nothing is worth buying except regional releases for France

» which are both beautiful and will be nice to smoke in a few years.

Come on, Claudius. It's not that bad. Let's not scare James Bond off. Even if it were, the process of the hunt is interesting. And there are good places to smoke -- and least through next year.

[Claudius]

» Come on, Claudius. It's not that bad. Let's not scare James Bond off. Even

» if it were, the process of the hunt is interesting. And there are good

» places to smoke -- and least through next year.

Hmmm... well, except for the ERs and 1 or 2 Partagas cigars, all the cigars I see in France are "dry" looking, veiny, the Cohibas taste like crap, Cuabas are are awful, etc. Once in a while you get a nice box of Bolivars, but generally it's pretty bad, wouldn't you agree?

You should join me on one of my Switzerland trips; cigars there are fantastic, choice is immense and prices very reasonable. You're living in Paris; Geneva is really close. Have you been yet?

[Stalebread]

» » Come on, Claudius. It's not that bad. Let's not scare James Bond off.

» Even

» » if it were, the process of the hunt is interesting. And there are good

» » places to smoke -- and least through next year.

»

» Hmmm... well, except for the ERs and 1 or 2 Partagas cigars, all the

» cigars I see in France are "dry" looking, veiny, the Cohibas taste like

» crap, Cuabas are are awful, etc. Once in a while you get a nice box of

» Bolivars, but generally it's pretty bad, wouldn't you agree?

»

» You should join me on one of my Switzerland trips; cigars there are

» fantastic, choice is immense and prices very reasonable. You're living in

» Paris; Geneva is really close. Have you been yet?

A Switzerland trip, eh? Don't tempt me. I haven't been but have been looking. Geneva is about a 4-hour train ride. Maybe 4.5. But as long as you're making a trip, why not to Andorra? Granted, it's not so easy to get to but cigar prices are supposed to be really low.

Where are you? Do you travel to Switzerland by train?

[Claudius]

» A Switzerland trip, eh? Don't tempt me. I haven't been but have been

» looking. Geneva is about a 4-hour train ride. Maybe 4.5. But as long as

» you're making a trip, why not to Andorra? Granted, it's not so easy to get

» to but cigar prices are supposed to be really low.

» Where are you? Do you travel to Switzerland by train?

Train? You can fly there in 45 mins for very little money (under 100 EUR return, often much less). Cigars in Andorra are average quality but slightly less expensive. The thing is, Andorra is awful and hard to get to (you'd have to fly to Toulouse, rent a car or take a bus, get to the border (2-3 hours), several km constant traffic jam, cold and dark as hell at this time (it's high up), etc. Then you'd have to crawl through the masses of French tourists who come to buy Pastis and Marlboro Lights... it's not worth the effort. Geneva OTOH is a nice, clean and safe city, with a LCDH and 2 other world class B&Ms within walking distance and a lot of smaller cigar shops where you can find all sorts of nice cigars, often including rare or aged stuff. Several world class hotels, nice restaurants and lots of cigar lounges. Geneva is cigar smoker's paradise!

[Colt45]

FOH - home of the international jet-set.

[Stalebread]

» Train? You can fly there in 45 mins for very little money (under 100 EUR

» return, often much less). . . . Geneva OTOH is a nice, clean and safe city,

» with a LCDH and 2 other world class B&Ms within walking distance and a lot

» of smaller cigar shops where you can find all sorts of nice cigars, often

» including rare or aged stuff. Several world class hotels, nice

» restaurants and lots of cigar lounges. Geneva is cigar smoker's paradise!

OK. OK. Plane, then. (Easyjet?)

Have a trip to Rome coming up at the end of this month.

Then it may have to be Geneva.

[Claudius]

» OK. OK. Plane, then. (Easyjet?)

» Have a trip to Rome coming up at the end of this month.

» Then it may have to be Geneva.

Let's go the weekend before Christmas and get you some Christmas presents ;-) Air France return would be 140 and EZ 95 EUR. Plus 2000 for cigars, food, hotel, etc. :-D

[Cam]

the cigars in switzerland are fantastic i know a man over there who owns one of the countries largest cigar retailers and they are always medium to high quality