Paris suggestions?

[VRBeauty]

I''ll be in Paris for about 10 days in in late July/Early August. I''ll be staying in an apartment in the Montmartre area that my brother and his wife swapped for their house in Los Angeles. We''re all pretty relaxed travellers... I''m sure we''ll each have a few must-sees, but we''re all pretty burned out, so I expect we''ll all be content to relax and just want to soak up some Parisian atmosphere.

So... any suggestions about places to see or be, or things to do would be welcome. Suggestions that involve fashion, fabrics, yarns, ribbon etc. at nice prices would be especially welcome! Oh... and food and dessert, of course!

Merci...

 

[Skippy123]

Oh fun, I wish I was going. I put some suggestions for Kelly here https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/going-to-paris-would-love-recommendations.85589/ I wish I knew some places for fabric and ribbons! Do you love to sew? We were in Paris just this spring.

There are some good little bakeries in your area. Montmarte is so charming!!! Sounds like a blast, we really enjoyed our bike ride; it was on the sidestreets of Paris; Bike About Tours. We also did an easy bus tour where you hop on and off, it is the red bus and it stops at the major sights. One rainy day we went to the 2 major museums the Louvre and the Orsay. Ice cream near the Notre Dam at Berthillon. I love Angelina's for desserts and lunch at 226, Rue Rivoli; the line can be long. Also, Laduree is very nice http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/produits/macarons_accueil.htm Chargergirl recommened climbing the stairs up the Arc de Triomphe which gives you a great view (I loved this) and is close to lots of shopping! Also, Chargers food recommendations were spont on! You can also do a nice boat ride on the Seine. We bought the Frommer's book to help with streets. How exciting!

 

[jcrow]

ooh oohh ohh! i don''t have any suggestions. sorry. but i am bumping this thread and anxiously awaiting other''s imput. we''re hoping to go for a week or so next year.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

oooh, PARIS! I was madly researching for our trip right around this time last year. tripadvisor.com and the Rick Steeves Paris guide were invaluable.

My favorite memories include visiting the museums and food markets. We picnicked quite a bit!

DH and I were there last September to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/france-pics-bling-food.71607/

I'm glad to hear that my recommendations were good ones, Skippy!

Minims- you'll have a blast. Paris is simply amazing.

 

[Kellybell]

Oooooh...I am SO excited for you. We just got back from a trip to Paris in late May. We had an amazing time! Some of my favorite activities included:

- Breakfast and coffee at ANY little neighborhood bakery...we tried a ton that were located in/around our hotel (in the Latin Quarter), and they were all good.
- Macaroons from Laduree...yum...we would get a couple every day and eat them as little snacks as we walked around the city.
- Musee D''Orsay...I personally liked it much better than the Louvre, but both are amazing for different periods of art history. I liked the de Orsay so much we went twice (it is open late one night of the week...I believe it is on Thursday. Was much nicer and less crowded on that day.)
- St. Chapelle...it is this beautiful little cathedral constructed almost entirely from stained glass....a must see.
- River cruises - it is a very touristy thing, but such a great way to see the city...we took ours at night, and it was so beautiful.
- Climbing to the top of everything - Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur. Paris is such a gorgeous city, and has such amazing views from every angle, that I would definitely recommend climbing to the top of something. Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame were my favorite views (I am going to attach a photo below). (Although we missed going to the top of the Eiffel Tower...the lines were always ridiculously long.)
- Notre Dame
- Taking a day trip to Versailles...I am obsessed with French history, so I was in heaven. The palace is unbelievable. However, I enjoyed the gardens and the grounds just as much if not more than the palace. If you go, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to explore...we were there with some close friends, and rented a golf cart that you could drive around the gardens. It was SO much fun...and it was nice b/c we could explore at our own pace.
- I would also recommend just wandering around the city...we would spend many days just walking around different neighborhoods. I think part of the charm is just getting lost...
- One more thing - if you are going to be doing a lot of sight-seeing, get a museum pass. You can get them for different lengths of time (i.e. 3 day, 5 day), but they are SO worth it in the long run. Plus, you can skip the long lines at many places.
You are going to have an amazing time!! Congrats on your trip!

 

[VRBeauty]

Skippy and Chargergrl: Thank you so much for the links to the earlier threads. Lots of good suggestions in there -- I''m taking notes

. It''s good to hear that it''s possible to eat well on a budget. Crepes and picnics sound terrific to me! I also appreciate your suggestions for things to see and do. Berthillon, Angelinas, La Duree, Willie''s Wine Bar -- I am so taking notes!

Kellybell: Versailles sounds wonderful! I''m hoping to spend a nice leisurely day there so I can take it all in. Golf carts... hmm, that could be fun. Thanks especially for the reminder to do touristy things. I have to admit that I could easily pass up the "obvious" stuff, only to regret it later! Loved your photos, too.

JCrow: Thanks for the bump. Paris has been on my list for a long time too. This invitation was totally unexpected and it''s still hard to believe that I''m actually going to France. When I get back, I''ll try to post some tidbits to push you a little closer to taking the plunge!

 

[vespergirl]

Musee D''Orsay and the Rodin Museum was my absolute favorite. Notre Dame too.

 

[jcrow]

Date: 7/15/2008 2:19:18 AM
Author: MINIMS

JCrow: Thanks for the bump. Paris has been on my list for a long time too. This invitation was totally unexpected and it''s still hard to believe that I''m actually going to France. When I get back, I''ll try to post some tidbits to push you a little closer to taking the plunge!

thank you! i completely appreciate it and look forward to hearing about your trip! you are going to have a fantastic time.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I recommend having an island morning or afternoon. Notre Dame is great, but on the same island is St Chapelle which is the most amazing cathedral in Paris. It is called Paris''s jewelry box and if you can go when the sun is out, all the better. Then move down the siene to the next island, St Louis. It is quite and sort of meadivel. Oddly enough, it is also the only place in Paris I found that sold clafutie (sp) which is an egg custerd and fruit pastry thing I love but can''t really describe.

I actully liked the Louve far better than the D''Orsay, so it really depends on the type of artwork you like.

The top of the arc de trioumpe at night is amazing, as is the hotel de invalides, the gold dome.

For fabrics, you might try Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette. Both are major department stores that do have fabric, but are AMAZING places in their own right. The Galeries''s interior is one of my favorite buildings in Paris. I know there is some amazing yarn store in Paris all die hard knitters know about, but as my mom is the knitter, I can''t remember the name, but I can try and get it if you like.

If there is anything else specific that interests you, let me know. I have been there a few times.