Paris

[Wurzel]

We - Me and Mrs W - are doing Paris for 2 nights/3 days shortly. Any tips on must sees or just as important what not to waste time with. 3 day pass covering all metro/bus journeys is about 24Euro which covers about 15 separate journeys if paid individually. Is it worth getting one and hopping on and off at will, or is everything of note within walking distance.?

Very pleased she's not fussed about going *up* the Eiffel Tower, just wants to see it. Staying in Les Halles area so Notre Dame, Louvre (won't waste time going in but like the look of that glass pyramid thing), Pompidou Centre(?) all look within 10/15 minute walk. Also, Boat ride, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elyese, Sacre Couer/Montmarte all on our "off the top of my head" list. Hard to gauge walking times between them all, google maps will give a time but no allowance for the "stop and look" and "ooh that looks like a nice cafe/wine bar" factor en route.

[martin2191]

hi pal, all depends on what you like really... i'm not one for art but i enjoyed the pompidou centre the building has some good views from the top floors and there's a bar at the top. you can walk around from place to place but i would advise the metro for cross city journeys eg from where you're staying to the eifell tower, it isnt particulary far.

 

some of the places i would recommend are

- the Latin quarter, the area has some really interesting streets bars/resturants.

- if you like steak then you have to go to Le Relais de l'Entrecote which is on the opposite side of the river to where you are staying.

- if the weather is decent then head over to the trocadero (looks over the eifel tower)when the sun is setting, you can get some stunning views especially when the tower is all lit.

- this maybe more for your missus but there's a cupcake shop which makes some great handmade cakes called berties cupcakery which is by the notre dame

- if you're looking for a quick snack then there's a burger place called frog burger which sells some of the best burgers i've ever tried they also have good beer

- some find this a bit creepy but i would check out the catacombs

- if you like shopping then theres a couple of big department stores i would check out bon marche(which also has a good food and drink department) and the lafeyette

- there's a park called jardin du luxembourg which is a nice place

- if you can tempt her then PSG stadium is a good place to visit parc des princes but its a bit further out of the city or stade de france. I have a thing about visiting stadiums when i go away, my girlfriend hates it.

 

anyway, have any questions feel free to ask! if not have a great time

[FloridaMarlin]

Don't turn your nose up at The Louvre. You might not be an art fan and even think galleries are boring, but the Louvre is just mind-blowing. It's not just paintings but the vast array of all sorts of artwork. It really is worth a visit.

 

However, if your dislike of art is enough to put you off the Louvre, don't bother going into the Pompidou Centre. It's modern art (unless that's your thing). Take pictures from outside and move on.

 

The climb up to the top of L'Arc de Triomphe is a good test for the knees. The lift only goes up so far, then it's a narrow spiral staircase, but the view from the top is worth it.

 

If you're the sort of person who likes to mooch about this place is a goldmine.

 

http://www.lagalcante.com/CMS/

 

I literally stumbled upon it a few years ago. It's up a side street off the Rue de Rivoli and it's a magazine and newspaper archive.

 

They have thousands of newspapers and magazines (not just in French) and if it's a crappy day, you can wile away a couple of hours in here easily.

 

The owner expects people to browse, and there's no pressure to buy anything. Having said that, I came away with a bag full of classic French footie mags, vintage copies of L'Equipe and Foot.

 

Paris is a great place for wandering around doing very little, browsing in shops and sitting down at little cafes for a coffee and the best place to do that is in Le Marais. It's one of the oldest areas of Paris and full of winding streets and alleys. It is a big Jewish area and since the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the police presence is likely to be heavier than it usually is.

 

There's also Pere Lachaise cemetery. It's not morbid to look around and it's not just about Jim Morrison's grave. Those buried there include Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Edith Piaf and loads of other famous dead people. Possibly the most famous cemetery in the world.

 

I used to think Paris was a place to avoid, a place full of arrogant, metro-centric French snobs - and it is.

 

But you can avoid them and I realised a few years ago that it is one of the great cities of the world. I go back every year for a weekend and I always manage to find something new.

[Special K]

It's all subjective Wurzel, but if you want some recommendations, can i offer the following;

 

Boat trip up and down the Seine.

Sacre Coeur at dusk / night.

Musee D'Orsay - my favourite gallery.

Rodin Museum.

Jardin de Plantes (if you like plants and flowers - magnificent tulip display in Springtime).

 

Definitely get a bunch of metro tickets before you go.

[Bearsy]

Don't turn your nose up at The Louvre. You might not be an art fan and even think galleries are boring, but the Louvre is just mind-blowing. It's not just paintings but the vast array of all sorts of artwork. It really is worth a visit.

 

I don't get anything from paintings really. If I look at a painting, even a really famous one, all I think is "Oh, it's a painting of a bird" or "Oh. A horse". It may be, that I am missing the Subtexts

[stedje]

Visit Jim Morrison's grave. It's a must do.

[Pamplemousse]

The Invalides is a good one, Napoleon's tomb really is a sight to behold, as well as other exhibits if you're into history.

[Toadhall Saint]

Visit Jim Morrison's grave. It's a must do.

 

The cemetery its in is a bit mad all in all.

[simo]

Let me know how you get on me and the boy are heading there I'm the easter holidays to take in a PSG game and hit Disney

[Stu Man Do]

I think if you take your passport or driving licence card along you can go up the arc de triomphe for free

[LVSaint]

If you or the mrs like medieval stuff, Cluny museum on the left bank shouldn't be missed.

[KingdomCome]

I would say double the amount of time you think a walk will take. We went for a long weekend a while ago and came back absolutely shattered because we'd mis-judged the distances to walk.

One of the best things we did was just spending time in a little cafe for breakfast/lunch. Take at least an hour out for that imho.

[Kenilworthy]

I visit Paris regularly for work and love it. Agree about the Musee D'Orsay, its a fantastic place. French people I work with recommend the towers of Notre Dame, but it is a lot of steps. It is remarkably small and easy enough to cover a lot on foot if you know where you are going. There are a lot of scam artists about - look out for the gold ring - but I generally feel safer there than in London. You can easily get out to Versailles by the RER.

[ecuk268]

I would try to persuade your missus to go up the Eiffel Tower. Amazing views from the top on a clear day. Get there early to avoid the queues.

 

The Louvre is definitely worth a visit as is the Arc de Triomphe. The Metro is fast with frequent trains and saves a lot of walking.

 

I've travelled quite a bit in France and have generally found the people to be friendly and helpful if you make a bit of an effort to speak French (even if you're not very good). Paris seems to be the exception. Even the French don't like Parisians.

[eurosaint]

Forget the Crazy Horse or any of the review shows as they are a mega rip off and generally boring anyway !

Br, Dave

[amsterdam]

Take your missus for lunch at Chartier:

 

http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/

 

Real "old-school" French brasserie with reasonable prices and great food - go early for lunch...

[sebastian firefly]

rather than go up the eifel tower try the montparnasse tower shorter queues , lift goes at warp speed to viewing gallery restaurant etc and after a few stairs you get to stand outside on top of what was the tallest building in europe (when iwas there last) the view is great and you get the eifel tower in you photos of the paris skyline http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/en/

[Hamilton Saint]

I was in Paris for a week last summer and the summer before that.

 

A few ideas:

 

- Luxembourg Gardens (fun to watch the children push the toy sailboats around the pond) - not sure if they would do that this time of year, though

- Arc de Triomphe (go up to the top - fantastic view)

- Saint-Chapelle (small church on the Ile de la Cite, near Notre Dame - superb stained glass, better if it's a sunny day)

- for a great variety of restaurants, check out rue Mouffetard (east edge of Latin Quarter - near Jardin des Plantes)

- the Bombardier pub (yes, with Wells and Young's ale) - a few minutes walk north-east of the Pantheon

- Pere Lachaisse cemetery (Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Heloise & Abelard)

- barge trip south from Bassin de la Villette on the Canal Saint-Martin (ends up near Place de la Bastille)

- Les Invalides (tomb of Napoleon - very impressive, with a good museum next door)

Edited 6 February, 2015 by Hamilton Saint

[Hamilton Saint]

rather than go up the eifel tower try the montparnasse tower shorter queues , lift goes at warp speed to viewing gallery restaurant etc and after a few stairs you get to stand outside on top of what was the tallest building in europe (when iwas there last) the view is great and you get the eifel tower in you photos of the paris skyline http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/en/

 

Yeah, I went up the Montparnasse Tower. Fantastic views of the Left Bank - especially of the Eiffel Tower. Make sure you have a polarizing filter for the camera.

[Wurzel]

Thanks all for suggestions. Looks like 3 days won't be enough, we'll have to do it again some time.

Like the idea of wandering around side streets picking random cafe/bars so Latin quarter sounds perfect for an hour or two there. Checked the map, looks easy to combine with Notre Dame. Think we'll go for the 3 day travel pass and just hop and off metros whenever it suits us (as I do when visiting London). I like walking around but not too much when time is at a premium.

Missing out Louvre was not an aversion to art but more the time scale I'd read that's needed to do it properly, might just pop in and see part of it though.

Chartier looks like what Mrs W has in mind for lunch so we'll add that to list.

And Montparnasse Tower looks preferable to Eiffel to me, then again the ground looks preferable to both (not that I'm scared of heights or anything).

Arc de triomphe, Montmarte, Sacre Cour, Moulin Rouge (from outside , I'm not being ripped off for a show) boat trip, hoepfully time for them all.

And Catacombs. love that idea, will have to add them too