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6.30.2011

Paris Hobby Shops - Part 2

This year I was again fortunate to visit Paris, and visit some shops I had visited last year - and a new one!  I posted about my visits to some of these shops in a post I wrote last year, located here.

The Rue De Douai Shops
If your traveling to Paris and are looking to stop in at a few hobby shops, you can't find a better destination than the shops along the Rue de Douai. With 4 train - focused hobby shops right on the same street (Les Cheminots plus the 3 related stores of Transmondia, Trans-Europ, and Deco-train), a model car store (Asphalte)  and Au Pullman only a 5-10 minute walk away, its probably one of the best 'per capita' hobby shop visits you can make on your travels!  If your doing the tourist thing, hop off L Open Tour bus at the Moulin Rouge and walk down one block to this great little street!
This year I got to have a nice visit with Stephan at Les Cheminots.  Its really great to talk with about the hobby with the proprietors and fans in different countries!  We had a great chat, and I picked up some great items.
 He was also generous enough to let me take a few photos of just a bit of their N gauge stock!


Opherline

Across town (but surprisingly fast if you use the Metro) is Opherline.  This shop may be across town, but its very easy to get to from the Metro (take Metro Line 6 to the Quai de le Gare stop) and the arrangement and selection is well worth the effort!  Unfortunately, I didn't take as many photos, so this one exterior shot will have to do.  They do have a lot of inventory all nicely displayed in large glass cases however!
Here's a shot of the Quai de le Gare station on the Metro line...an easy 5 mintue or less walk to the Opherline store.
If you have extra time to kill, the shop is right next to the entry tracks for Gare d'Austerlitz where you can watch as an always interesting line up of electrics move passenger trains in and out:
That was the hobby shop experience in Paris this year (for some other shops, again, check out this post from last year). 

It quite surprising in a way....Paris is really quite nicely endowed with several good shops! Compared to New York City or London, there's a lot to choose from!

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8 comments:

  1. Pierre.bln7/6/11, 12:31 PM

    Happy to see you enjoy old Europe, now awaiting more feedback on your German trip!

    Also for railroaders following your path (from rue de douai, to Au Pullman then to Opherline), I'd rather advise the automated line 14 (Gare Saint-Lazare - Bibliothèque François Mitterand).
    Not only is it faster, it's also the only strike-proof line, which can be handy in Paris ;-)

    Had you ordered your Liliput Flirt by the way?
    They are announcing a second (Deutsche Bahn) version (the first ban ran out), and also a private Bahn version. Given the summer and the manufacturers' habit to close, this may not be before September.

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  2. Jerry7/9/11, 10:13 AM

    Hello Pierre! Thanks for tip on Line 14!

    I ordered the RRX Flirt, which apparently has still not been released, so I am still waiting!

    An update on my visit in Hamburg is coming soon!

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  3. Anonymous6/18/13, 6:37 PM

    Of the shops you visited in Paris, which would be the best for older trains, particularly Locomotives. We're headed there next week.

    BTW, love your blog site!

    Thanks,
    Steve

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  4. Jerry6/19/13, 8:27 AM

    I think Transmondia is your best bet! They have some 'vintage' items in their storefront windows! If they don't have it, then you can just walk 15 feet across the street to Les Cheminots!

    On the other side of Paris, Opherline does have used trains as well, but not sure if its the same quality as Transmondia. Good luck and thanks for the comment!

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  5. Christy Grant7/6/13, 6:55 PM

    Thank you for your posts about the train shops in Paris. I spend 10 days in France, 3 of which were in Paris at the end. My son is a model railroader and I wanted to find something to take back to him. Thanks to your excellent reviews, I went to Trans Europ and got a nice French steam engine with the help of Claude who translated. She is charming. Again, thank you!

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  6. Jerry7/14/13, 8:20 PM

    hi Christy! I so so glad that you found my blog post on Paris hobby shops useful - and that my description was still accurate! I agree with that Claude is fantaatic - a real gem and credit to the French!

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  7. Steve7/22/13, 7:00 PM

    Jerry,

    Thanks for the tips! Our Paris trip was cut short due to weather delays so my time in the shops was very brief (plus a very bored wife waiting for me). All the shops you discuss are still open. It's funny how in essence they are just like the shops in the U.S.. Les Chemiots paid off best for me. I found a box of used cars and engines and came home with a handful of rolling stock and a "parts" engine for 50 Euro. I picked up a RATP bus at Transmondia as well. All the shop keepers were very nice but didn't attempt to talk to me much. In their defense they all seemed to be busy fixing locomotives for customers. I guess I was there on "service" day. You are correct about the premium prices. If you plan to visit, be ready for "sticker shock", but to find some rare European Engines from companies like Mabar you are in the right place!
    Thanks again for the advice!

    P.S. For those going to visit who also Train Spot, have your camera ready if you take the RER from Charles DeGaulle airport to Paris, you pass through one of the main freight yards during the trip into the city. Either side of the train is good for photos.

    Regards,
    Steve

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  8. Jerry7/23/13, 7:31 AM

    Thanks for sharing your experiences Steve! I can relate to all of what you describe! Somewhat surprisingly, there are still two shops in Paris that I've yet to visit! Hopefully there will be a next time! :-)

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