Going to Paris!! Would love recommendations...

[Kellybell]

Hi Everyone!

My boyfriend and I are headed to Paris on Saturday for a week. I have never been before, so I have been putting together a list of places to visit/see (right now my list includes most of the standard places - the Louvre, the Musee d''Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, etc.) However, I would love to receive any travel tips, must see locations, or (most importantly) restaurant recommendations for the city.

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

 

[diamondfan]

The Louvre can have terrible crowds. Not sure if there is anything you can do about it though!

Spring in Paris, so romantic. Be sure to eat great food and drink great wine! I am jealous!

As for dining, to me Paris is a bit like NY City. There are the famous places (Tour d'Argent. Taillevant) which are fancy and expensive and wonderful, but there are so many little bistros that can be great. In NY, on each block are wonderful places that you might never have heard of too.

 

[Skippy123]

Well, I just went to Paris a couple months ago. I really like Bike About Tours for bike ride tour of Paris; it was relaxing and a fun way to see Paris. We also climbed the stairs up the Arc de Triomphe for a great city view. I guess we did mostly touristy stuff as for restaurants I tried some of the ones that Chargergirl recommended here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/france-pics-bling-food.71607/ I will look up where I eat tomorrow and let you know. I am sure others will chime in. How fun and exciting! We also rode the double decker Red bus for the 2 day tour which was fun and you get a great overview of the city. You can hop on and hop off at the major attractions. The Notre Dame is awesome to see and on the little island across the bridge and they have the best ice cream at Berthillon; I love hot rich chocolate and sandwiches at Angelina's across from the Tuilerie gardens

Oh the Luvre, has an underground entrance not at the pyramid; look for that and you won't have the line that the pyramid has and go early in the morning that is how we missed the crowds.

 

[monarch64]

Oh, I am spewing green with jealousy! I took 4 years of French in high school, one year in college, and love all things French, but have never been to France!!!

You are a lucky, lucky lady.

I would want to see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'' Triomphe, of course, Marseilles gardens, I don''t know, anything! My concept of France only comes from television, books, our foreign exchange student Celine from my senior year in HS, and the internet...so I haven''t a clue what to really recommend. Skippy just visited Europe recently, and many other PSr''s have either traveled there, I''m sure they will chime in and help you! Have fun, and please do come back and post pics along with some details of your experience!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I''m so jealous!!! I LOOOOOVE Paris!! You''re going to have a fantastic time!!

We did quite a few touristy things--Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower (DH proposed there), the Louvre, Versailles, Notre Dame, Montemarte, cruise up the Seine...not to be a weirdo, but one of my favorite things was the catacombs.

To be quite honest, all of the food there is so good that we didn''t spend a ton at super fancy restaurants. If I were to go back, I''d be content on crepes, sandwiches from street vendors and LOTS of pastries. Seriously, the food is fantastic.

 

[BigDiamonds]

Lucky you! Paris sounds wonderful this time of year!

We went over New Years a couple of years ago. There is a museum pass that you can buy that allows you priority access to most museums and sites and includes your entrance fee. I don''t remember what it costs, exactly, but it was DEFINITELY worth it. We went to the Louvre three different times so that we could enjoy it in small chunks. You get to skip the line at most places, which is great. Here is the link to the pass - http://www.parismuseumpass.com/en/home.php

I don''t have any great restaurant recommendations, although my (rather obvious) tip on fancy restaurants is to try them for lunch. We went to le Tour d''Argent for lunch and dropped over $400. Also, that was over a year ago so the dollar was a little stronger.

I shudder to think of what we would have spent on dinner.

One thing we didn''t do that I wish we would have made time for is Versailles. As I recall, it''s about 20 minutes (or so) outside of the city.

Our favorite part of the city by far was Montmarte. If you''re standing on the hill in front of Sacre Couer, head down the hill and to the right. There are tons of cute little markets, bakeries, and shops that are not touristy at all. It''s all before you get to the main street where Moulin Rouge is (we skipped that area - it was swamped with double-decker tour buses). We popped into a local restaurant for dinner and ended up in an extensive conversation with the three tables around us, who were all locals. We also got fantastic hand-painted canvases in a small artist''s shop, I think we paid less than $40 for each 8x10.

Hope you have fun! Please tell us all about it when you get back!

 

[D2B]

Apart from the usual, I would recommend St Chappelle, near Notre Dam (sp), it is a small chapel, filled witht he most amazing stain glass windows and gold/jewellery like wall decoration/paintings. Its nickname is the little jewelbox

. It is small and amazing, however it still gets the crowds so worth getting there early.

http://www.shafe.co.uk/art/Paris-_Sainte-Chapelle_choir.asp , the link shows some pictures inside.

with food, we found our most fun experiences where going to the little local markets, shops, getting fresh baguette, cheese, local wines and trying various local produce, on a picnic blanket in the park somewhere. Yummy, and fun to try local food, not just the stuff served ine restaurants for tourists.


enjoy,
D2B

 

[D2B]

One more link
http://www.paris-pass.com/Paris_Attractions/Sainte-Chapelle

Oh, the other thing we did was go to the actual mouline rouge (sp?), it was expensive, but so worth it as it was the original. We saw it before the movie came out and really enjoyed the experience of a cabaret show in Paris.
D2B

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/18/2008 11:53:03 PM
Author: monarch64
Oh, I am spewing green with jealousy! I took 4 years of French in high school, one year in college, and love all things French, but have never been to France!!!

You are a lucky, lucky lady.

I would want to see the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc d'' Triomphe, of course, Marseilles gardens, I don''t know, anything! My concept of France only comes from television, books, our foreign exchange student Celine from my senior year in HS, and the internet...so I haven''t a clue what to really recommend. Skippy just visited Europe recently, and many other PSr''s have either traveled there, I''m sure they will chime in and help you! Have fun, and please do come back and post pics along with some details of your experience!

Omg I should''ve edited my post, I am so ashamed! L''Arc de Triomphe, Versailles. whatever else I screwed up on..I am not fluent in french as far as speaking, but always prided myself on reading and writing! So, sorry that my French is not perfect! Je''ne comprais pas (or something)...je suis desolee! Je suis terrible! ROFL.

 

[sumbride]

Don''t be afraid of the metro! It''s EASY and quick.

The little macaroons at LaDuree are INCREDIBLE. Eat one of each flavor! Oh, how I love them!

Go to Berthillion for ice cream. It''s near Notre Dame You''ll see everyone in line. It''s worth it! FABULOUS!

We didn''t go to really expensive restaurants, but every meal we ate was so wonderful. Corsican near the Bastille (where we were staying with my brother in law), Vietnamese near the Opera, crepes from the street vendors, and coffee and chocolate everywhere!

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Another vote for san chappelle. I think it is much nicer than notre dame and tends to be less crowded. They cam be hard to come by, but going on a sunny day is best because it come through the stained glass.

I liked the Ill San Loius (sp). It tends not to be very crowded nor touristy, but it is lovely, has some really cool old buildings and the bakeries are great.

I recommend you get crepes from street vendors. They are cheap, tasty and portable.

Another vote for the louvre. It is very crowded, but for good reason.

 

[ladypirate]

My SO would kill me if I didn''t mention his favorite spot in Paris: Willi''s Wine Bar.

 

[Kellybell]

Oh yay!!!!

All of your posts have made me SO excited for our trip!

Diamondfan - Thanks for the warning on the crowds at the Louvre. I think we''re going to by a 4 or 6 day museum pass...I''ve heard that one of the advantages is that you can skip the lines and go right in. I hope it works! Also, thanks for the restaurant advice.

Skippy123 - Thanks so much for your advice! I would love to do a bike tour, but I would be afraid of the traffic!! Was it safe? Also, I have now received several recommendations to go to Berthillon for ice cream...I think that I am definitely going to have to add this to our list (as I LOVE ice cream, as well as most sweets!)

Monarch64 - I am so jealous that you took 4 years of French in high school! I have been frantically listening to French lessons on tape to try to learn the basics (we downloaded one from Itunes.) My boyfriend took French throughout high school, but he has forgotten most of it...I''m still going to make him do the majority of the speaking while we are there!! I will definitely come back and post pics after our trip.

NewEnglandLady - Thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice! What an incredible city to be proposed to in...so beautiful and romantic. What a great husband you have!

BigDiamonds - Thank you SO much for the advice on the museum pass. My boyfriend and I have been researching it, and it definitely sounds like the way to go (especially b/c I was an Art History major in college, so I have a feeling that we will be spending A LOT of time in museums and churches.) It is nice to hear from someone directly that it was worth the money. Also, thank you so much for the recs on Montmarte...I am adding it to our list!

D2B - Thanks for the advice on St. Chapelle...this is one of the places that I am most excited to visit (I took an incredible Gothic Cathedrals art history/architecture course in school, and we spent a lot of time studying this church.) I can''t wait to go!

Sumbride - Yum! Your post is making me so hungry...I have a feeling that I will be eating my way across Paris! Thanks for the advice on the metro...my boyfriend and I love to walk and wander and get lost, but I have a feeling that using the metro is going to be a necessity.

brazen_irish_hussy - Thanks so much for the suggestions! I will read up on the Ile San Louis.

Ladypirate - Thanks for the rec. I love wine and going to wine bars...I will definitely check it out.


Thanks so much everyone!!! I appreciate it SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!

 

[Skippy123]

Kellybell, I agree w/Sumbrides recommendation on Laduree's in Paris. What area are you staying in if you don't mind sharing??? We stayed near the Opera and we bought some pastries and walked up the many steps to the Sacre Coeur and sat and listened to the street musicians while looking at the incredible views of all of Paris. Also,checking out the artists and their work up there by Sacre Coeur is Montmartre which was so much fun!!! I agree with the others look for the street vendors that make crepes but make sure they are made fresh not premade; also look for nutella (chocolate hazelnut filling, yum). Also, I bought the Frommer's Paris guide which was a huge help for finding restaurants and when museums are open and also helpful phrases. The phrases came in handy. Well if you check out Bike about Tours http://www.bikeabouttours.com/ they only give tours w/a max of 10 people and they only go on side streets and on a path along the Seine River; that was a concern of mine too (I only like to do safe things). Also, the dollar is super weak so sometimes we would eat super expensive meals then balanced w/inexpensive; we stopped at CoJeans and Paul's for a quick inexpensive sandwich. I do recommend Angelina's for the hot chocolate and beautiful desserts. eta: if you have time I loved the Palace of Versailles and you can rent bikes and ride around the beautiful garden's and fountains. This Palace is incredible; the hall of mirrors are amazing

 

[dutchflowers]

I went last year this time - it was beautiful. My fiance and I did this bike tour of Monet''s gardens. Linky I can''t recommend this company highly enough - the guide was really cool and super informative. It was soooo beautiful! This time of year all the flowers are in bloom

 

[simplysplendid]

If you have limited time for museums, I would suggest skipping The Lourve and head straight to Musee d''orsay. A number of Monet''s and Van Gogh''s are there and they are jaw dropping. The one place that you shouldn''t miss is Montmarte (can''t remember the correct spelling) and the Sacre Coeur. Love the view from the steps of the Sacre Coeur. If you are into shopping, I guess you can''t miss Champs elysee (again, pardon the spelling)..

 

[Elmorton]

I second getting crepes from the street vendors - ask for beurre et sucre. Stop in somewhere and get a baquette with pate and eat it in les jardins tuilleries (sp?) - if I remember right, it''s right next to the Louvre (which I sortof disagree btw...I''d go to the louvre over d''orsay... d''orsay is amazing but the louvre has JEWELS). Don''t get excited about the Mona Lisa, it''s hard to see, you get jostled the whole way, and the painting is almost black due to age. I had more fun checking out all the el grecos, honestly and the amazing historic statues. Make sure you take a stroll near the eiffel at night - the lights are amazing (think Sex and the City last episode - it''s breathtaking). I thought the arc was a little disappointing, I wouldn''t take the time to go in it, i''d just drive by and explore champs elysee (sp? again...spelling french off the top of my head is brutal!). Even if your french is awful, DO try - french people are wonderfully kind in my experience, but I wouldn''t be kind to tourists either if they expected me to know their language. I asked a woman "Where is is are the louvre?" and she laughed and pointed me in the right direction. Also - read your guidebooks. There''s a back entrance to the louvre that you''ll get in in less than 5 mins, whereas the main line can take hours (but we also went on the free day if I remember right). I loved Notre Dame - there''s a dept store kitty cornered from the front where you can go up to the balcony and each lunch and enjoy the sights. I also loved walking along the seine...everything looks like it''s straight out of the madeleine books.

Okay, I need to stop...I''m getting too jealous!! Have lots of fun!!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I already gave places to see, just some things that will make your trip easier.

Always start in French. Even just badly mangling an opening phrase will make your life MUCH easier. Paraisians really appreciate that you at least tried and will be much nicer to you.

Keep in mind that the French eat slowly. We were at bistros every night for 2 hours when we went. My mom loves this. I can''t sit still and was not pleased, nor was my FI. If you are on any kind of time crunch, get something from a street vendor and, if like me, you have trouble sitting still, bring a book.

The metro really is as easy as it sounds, and Paris is a large city. you may want a pass which is much faster than stopping to buy tickets everytime and for us a bit cheaper as well.

 

[Kellybell]

Just wanted to pop back in to say thank you to everyone who has responded with suggestions and advice!!!

Skippy123 - We are staying in the Latin Quarter I believe...I hope that it is a nice spot! Also, thanks so so much for all of your advice - I appreciate your help so much. I printed out your thread, and the link you gave me to Chargergirl''s thread - I am going to take these with me to reference while we are there.

Dutchflowers - Thank you so much for the link! Taking a bike tour would be such a fun thing to do...I will definitely check it out.

Simplysplendid - Thanks for the tips!

Elmorton - Thanks so much for your help!! Your post is making me so excited to go...so many fun things to do! Also, thanks for the tip about at least trying to speak in French...I have tried to pick up as much as possible in the last couple of weeks from our lesson tapes, and the 4 years of French that my BF took in high school seem to be coming back to him. Thanks so much!

brazen_irish_hussy - Thanks so much for the tips, and the heads up about the 2 hour meals...I''m definitely not used to this, so it''s good to know in advance!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/22/2008 8:40:34 PM
Author: Kellybell

Just wanted to pop back in to say thank you to everyone who has responded with suggestions and advice!!!

Skippy123 - We are staying in the Latin Quarter I believe...I hope that it is a nice spot! Also, thanks so so much for all of your advice - I appreciate your help so much. I printed out your thread, and the link you gave me to Chargergirl''s thread - I am going to take these with me to reference while we are there.

Kellybell, the crepe restaurant is near the Latin Quarter that Charger listed; that place is delicious and save room for a dessert crepe. Also, the bike tour I listed limits there groups so people don''t get left behind since it isn''t a big group. I also would check out trip advisor. Have fun and take lots of pics; can''t wait to hear back from you when you return