Life at IHÉS

A survival guide to life at Residence de l'Ormaille 2025+

First draft -- updated 14 June 2025:

When my wife, Alanna Wu, and I first moved to the IHÉS in 2022, we both found the following survival guide (wayback machine link; original webpage is no longer available) by Olga Kravchenko extremely helpful, albeit it being quite a few years old by then. We made a promise to make an updated version when we leave, in hopes that it will help the many more visitors of the IHÉS -- especially those, like us, who are stepping foot in Europe for the very first time. We intend to keep this as updated as possible, so if anyone would like to chip in, we are more than happy to hear from you!

Accommodation: 

There are several types of housing available at l’Ormaille and they range from studios to 4 bedrooms houses. There are 3 blocks (A,B and C) in the studio building and there are 6 rooms in each block, so 18 studios in total. They are usually offered to short-term visitors and single people. Originally the Houses (Pavilions) are all 3 or 4 bedrooms but some have been renovated into one bedroom and two bedrooms apartments. The renovated ones are split into two levels, most of them consist of two one-bedroom apartments on the ground floor and a two-bedrooms apartment on the first floor. When we first moved to l’Ormaille we were offered a studio in Block B but we were able to move into a one bedroom house in 6C after 3 months. We actually had lots of fun visiting others in l’Ormaille just to check out the different floor plans. The Houses also have garages for storage; some people store boxes and suitcases there. They do clean out the garages at least once a year, so make sure to keep an eye on them (an email will be sent out to residence in the Houses).

In recent years, the IHÉS has also started offering studios from Maison Orion, which houses Orion the Donkey.

Furnishing: 

The accommodation are furnished but the electrical appliances do vary in the Studios Blocks as they were renovated at different times. For example, we think(?) Block A has dishwasher while Block B and C don’t. None of the studios have ovens but there is a microwave. The main reason of our move from the studio was actually due to the lack of a dishwasher and an oven. On the other hand, all of the Houses are equipped with ovens, dishwashers and microwaves. There is no TV, we bought one so we could play Switch. There is heating but no air conditioning, we bought a fan when we moved in. Everything else is provided: pots, pans, chopping board, kettle, drip coffee machine, dinnerware, cutleries, bedding and towels. A shopping trolly bag is also provided as they are essential in France. You see them everywhere at the supermarkets! The equipment list should be the same for everyone so if you’re missing something you can always request one. 

Fun fact: there is a studio in Block B with Chinese furnitures called the Chinese Room. Someone (to be determined) donated them to IHÉS. 

Laundry: 

There are no washing machine in the studios but there is shared laundry in the basement. The Houses have their own washing machines but no dryers. There are two washing machines and two dryers in the laundry room and a separated big commercial dryer in the right hand space at the end of the corridor. Always check the machines for stray socks — if you find any, the norm seems to be leaving them on the hanging rail in the laundry room for collection. You can increase the drying time on the two small dryers by pressing the green start button. It starts at 45 minutes and the maximum is 99 minutes. Remember to clean the lint filter before using the dryer, there is bin in the laundry room for the lint. The commercial big dryer is more powerful and dries everything in the 30 minutes cycle. 

As tempting as it is, *NEVER* push the red button on the washing machine unless it's an emergency! If you want to stop the washing cycle just open the door and the machine will stop. One washing machine was broken and had to be replaced in 2024 because the red button was pushed accidentally. 

Groceries: 

There is a Auchan in Bures-sur-Yvette, which is the closest supermarket. It used to be closed on Sundays, but since 2022 it has started opening on Sundays too. Just be aware that on Sunday afternoon there is no cashiers so only self-check out is available and the alcohol section is closed too as there is no one to check the IDs. When things go wrong, you will have to speak to someone -- in french -- through the phone. The securities are quite helpful in case you are struggling to communicate with the person through the phone.

The markets are open on Wednesday and Saturdays morning across from La Grande Maison. Do try and go early, because if you go around noon most vendors will be packing and there will be nothing left. The vendors are mostly nice people and it is a good place to practice your French! The fresh produce store also tend to give out freebies ;) 

There is a Carrefour at Les Ulis 2 Centre Commercial, which you can take Bus 4 to get there. There are two available stops depending on where you are. There is one stop at  the roundabout outside the IHÉS, this stop is the the last stop of the Bus route and is called 8 Mai 1945, or if you are at L’Ormaille then you could cross the underground passage at RER station and the stop is called Bures-sur-Yvette RER La Croix. You can just use the Navigo ticket for the bus ride. Remember to say ‘Bonjour’ and ‘Merci Au revoir’ to the bus drivers when getting on and off. The bus ride is less than 20 minutes and it goes through the forest so it is a bit winding — choose your seat wisely. Les Ulis 2 Centre Commercial is the last stop so you won’t get lost, just get off when you can see this huge carpark and shopping mall. The Carrefour sells all sorts of electrical appliances and small furnitures, you could get them delivered to L’Ormaille if you prefer to look at the products first as opposed to shopping online. We would recommend getting the seafood at Carrefour as the selection and quality are generally better than Auchan (of course, the market is still most likely your best option). As asians, we also go to Paris for asian groceries. We recommend Tang Freres in 13th arrondissement, it is the best bang for the bucks as the prices are around 50% lower. 

Tips 1: if you eat a lot of mushrooms, like we do, Tang Freres sells seriously cheap (asian) fresh mushrooms!

Tips 2: We love cheese, and we particularly love the cheeses from Fromagerie Tellier 

French Bank Account: 

There is a BNP Paribas branch in Bures-sur-Yvette and they are used to people in the IHES opening an account there, so it’s like a SOP to them. If you are staying long term, you can also obtain your *mandorary* civil liability insurance (assurance responsibilite civile) from them. 

French Courses: 

There are two available in the area, the local ALFAP, and the Science Accueil. The latter is most likely what IHÉS will be offering, which is only available to researchers or families thereof. Alanna really enjoyed the ALFAP courses: the lessons are well organised and the teachers are very experienced (in fact, I personally preferred the ALFAP courses, which are more structured). They also host events such as cooking classes, Christmas parties, galette des rois nights and picnics. It was a great way to meet people and learn French at the same time. The only downside is that they meet only twice a week. There are no intensive course in the area, so you would have to go to Paris for something more intensive. 

RER, Metro and trains: 

The transportation system has (thankfully) changed in 2025, so the ticket price for the RER and metro are all the same now (and finally, bye-bye paper tickets). We highly recommend downloading the “Bonjour RATP” app that you could get tickets and check the timetable on.

Tips: SNCF, the french high-speed train company, offers a promotional price for their 'Carte Avantage' once every year (I believe around June). It's a membership card that allows you to buy SNCF train tickets (for travels within France) at a lower price. From my experience, it should be worth it for most long term visitors -- you get your money back in about 2 to 3 trips.

Food options around Bures-sur-Yvette:

Be warned that most restaurants are closed on Monday in Bures-sur-Yvette. If you find yourself arriving on a Monday night, there may be no food options at all! Your best bet would be to go to Orsay (~20mins walk, 1 RER station away), otherwise food deliveries would be your next option.

Tips: Frankly, the local boulangerie in Bures-sur-Yvette is mediocre at best. BUT their baguette tradition (not the normal baguette) remains the best we've had throughout Paris! For croissants and pastries, Paris Panem is our go-to spot.