Letterhead

May 30, 2011 2:46 AM

Where are some good places in Paris to find interesting paper to write letters on?

I'm in Paris and want to write a few letters on some interesting paper. Getting letterhead from a fancy hotel was my first idea but I'm not sure if they even stock paper like that anymore; would it even be possible to get without being a guest?

Are there other stores that have unique (or at least nice) paper that I can use?

posted by Groovytimes to Grab Bag (8 answers total)

Gosh, I bet there are dozens of paper stores. The french word for stationary store is "papeterie", and if you do a Google Maps search for papeterie Paris, it finds oodles of hits. You should be able to find a few near you.
posted by mvd at 4:15 AM on May 30, 2011

Searching for a "papeterie" is a great idea, yes! Many "librairies" (bookstores) have nice paper sections as well. Even department stores like Galeries Lafayette have papeterie sections – the fountain pen is still widely used in France, so stationery is alive (just a bit less flourishing than I remember it a decade ago, but that's tangential).
posted by fraula at 4:49 AM on May 30, 2011

Best answer: Go to Rue Pont Louis Philippe in the Marais. There's a whole row of small papeteries there.
posted by vacapinta at 5:25 AM on May 30, 2011 [7 favorites]

vacapinta, that's exactly what I was going to say. It's the perfect street for paper.
posted by bwonder2 at 5:28 AM on May 30, 2011

La Droguerie could be an option. It's a craft store. 9 Rue Jour 75001 Paris Métro : Étienne Marcel
posted by _cakes at 5:28 AM on May 30, 2011

Vacapinta is exactly right, though I always used to find myself walking by there on a Sunday when they were all closed. But otherwise, yes, many papeteries and some librairies will have what you're after. I was once surprised to find some lovely paper embossed with (admittedly quite kitsch) Egyptian designs in an ordinary neighbourhood papeterie that mostly sold school exercise books and Bic pens.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 9:48 AM on May 30, 2011

Marie Papier, near the Luxembourg Garden: 26 Rue de Vavin, Montparnasse, 6er, Paris. Phone: [phone].

Simply delightful. Their web site's gone dead, and I'd sincerely love to know it's still there if you happen by.
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 2:16 PM on May 30, 2011

Response by poster: I went down today and visited two shops on Rue Pont Louis Philippe: Papier Plus and Calligrane, both of which had very unique selections of paper and writing tools (I tried out the fountain pen at Calligrane, it's really amazing!). I'll make sure to check out Marie Papier tomorrow as well.

I'm still wondering if it's possible to get hotel stationary without being a guest, I'm just going to head to one and give it a shot.
posted by Groovytimes at 2:29 PM on May 30, 2011