I haven't been to Paris for nearly 20 years but am going in a couple of months' time with my GF. We'll be there for 2 full days and going via Eurostar.
Any recommendations for where to stay, in terms of district? I heard that the Latin Quarter is really nice.
I have in mind the following to see:
Montmartre + Sacre Coeur
Notre Dame
Latin Quarter (even if we don't stay there)
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
Do these sound reasonable or would you add/substitute with something else?
Any recommendations for places to eat, or things to see or do (not mentioned in the guide books)?
Thanks!
Hey Shane
Book your room on AirBnB, you have to register first but it's fantastic and the best value. If you stay with someone nice in the Marais area they will give you a great insight into the treasures the area has to offer!
If you do one thing eat in le deux cannards, its so much fun and the best duck l'orange & creme brulee in Paris Imho...
Best
Alan
I would definitely recommend the Catacombs.
Montparnasse tower is excellent too as you get the view of the Eifel
Another option for great views is the tethered balloon at André Citroen Park.
If you go to Notre Dame make sure you visit the crypt too.
I found the cemetery a bit disappointing- the horde of American tourists didn't help.
Parisian chocolate is often spectacular- look for Angelina's Tearoom for lovely cake and "African Hot Chocolate" (http://www.angelina-paris.fr). This chap was hugely recommended but i didnt get a chance to go: http://www.pierreherme.com/
In terms of places to eat, try this restaurant out in Marais, my family and I go there at least once a year. Lunch time is the best.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUse...de_France.html
If you are into Vietnamese soup noodles, Pho, this is very good and the menu is English:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaur...de_France.html
If you have kids, try Jardine du Luxemburg as there is a fantastic children's play area in there.
Also try the Sunday market in 12e, Marche d'Aligre.
Hope this helps
Last edited by Mr Seamaster; 5th March 2013 at 17:10.
We have stayed a couple of times at Hotel Mercedes, easy walking to Champs Elysees and a very clean, decently run (well it was !) hotel in art deco style and sensible pricing (try find it on www.booking.com)
No restaurant, breakfast only
Good luck !!!
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I'm making a note of everything :)
What about where to stay....do you have any preferences or places to avoid?
I'm going in June, staying close to the Arc de triomphe. Good location for Champs - elysees, Eiffell tower etc. Looking forward to watch shopping
Very briefly (as I'm in a rush):
We stayed just off L'Opera which was a great location - half a km to the Louvre and 15-20 min walk from Place de la Concorde, Place Vendome and then onto Champs Elysees. It's a nice walk too.
The hotel we stayed in was a lovely boutique ('Small hotels of the World') Hotel Therese on Rue Therese , which is off L'Opera. Small rooms but cosy and good for a nice weekend with the missus.
There are lots of Japanese/Vietnamese restaurants and cafe around here, this road in particular.
There is also a large watch place that I only noticed in the taxi back to the station to come homeat the Opera end (the top). Place Vendome is just great for watch window shopping - a lot of high end stuff.
I would recommend Moulin Rouge - there are two showings a night, one late and the other later - and it's not cheap to say the least - but a great experience. Need to book a couple of weeks in advance from here before you go.
On L'Opera (Avenue de L'Opera to give it its full name), you'll also find Pierre Hermes which is a very big name in high-end baking/patisseries (only coz my wife knew) and especially macarons.
Your gf will appreciate this!
As for the rest, we did the usual - The Louvre, Musee d'Orsay etc.
These old threads might also help, if only mostly from a watch perspective (no bad thing).
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ighlight=paris
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ighlight=paris
I had never done Paris properly and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. We didn't even get time to do Sacre Coeur , Montmartres etc. but that's for next time (hopefully not too far away).
We stayed at the Best Western Aramis hotel a couple of years ago - clean and decent size room, and not that expensive at all. Located near the metro and not that long a walk from Notre Dame. http://goo.gl/maps/LhJtg
As mentioned, the catacombs are pretty cool, but expect a long queue around the block. If you're not there a couple of hours before closing time (which was around lunchtime when we were there), you might not get to see it. If you're only going for 2 days, it might not be a good use of your time.
Have a look at the W Hotel, really good but a bit pricey.
Staying near the Champs Elysées is probably not a bad idea as it's easy to get just about everywhere from there. If you want to stay somewhere a bit more romantic (though probably no less touristy) then head for the left bank - St. Germain, Odeon, St. Michel or Latin quarter. If you are looking on Hotels.com or Booking.com, then you need postcodes 75008 or 75017 for Champs Elysées area and 75005 and 75006 for the other places.
A good way to kick off is with a cruise on the Seine on a 'Bateau Mouche' - about an hour up and down the river and less than a tenner if memory serves. Get the boat (they leave every 10 or 15 minutes or so) at the Alma Marceau bridge - metro station of the same name on line 9.
The queues for the Eiffel Tower are horrendous, so either go to the Tour Montparnasse, as already mentioned, or go up the Eiffel Tower late at night - around 11:30 when the queues are a lot shorter and you can still see everything pretty well as Paris is a very illuminated city (la Ville-Lumière, doncha know).
If you want a bit of culture, then probably the Musée D'Orsay is a better bet than the Louvre - a lot easier and quicker to get round and full of the original artwork (by Manet, Monet, Sisley, Renoir, Morrisot, et. al.) of countless christmas cards and chocolate box lids. You can even go and have a look at Gustave Courbet's 'L'origine du monde'.
For la bouffe (tr. nosh) at a Michelin 3 star restaurant you can get a good dinner for about the same price as a 2-bedroom house in Shropshire, if your budget doesn't stretch to that, several of them offer a fixed price lunch for around 80 - 100 euros a head, still pricey but hey, you only live once. My personal favourite is the Taillevent, fixed lunch with wine (and liqueur) is pretty damn good for around 90 euros.
Otherwise - I book all my lunches and dinners at this website (this is the English language version of the site - not so complete as in French)
http://www.thefork.com/city/paris/415144
You can see all the offers - often 30 - 40% off if you book via the site, and all the comments of previous diners. The search function is a marvel, you can find restaurants by just about any criterion - address, price, cuisine, etc.
Paris is a very safe city, but two words of warning:
Be very attentive to your personal belongings - pickpockets are a plague, especially Romany kids,who are particularly active on the crowded metro. If you hang your camera or handbag on the back of a chair at a pavement café, it'll be gone quicker than you can say 'thieving enculés'.
And be careful crossing the road; French motorists have no time for pedestrian crossings or one-way streets.
I'll post other stuff as I think of it, but time for dodo (beddy-byes) now.
Paris is all about taking walks in the town,taking a river cruise,walk along the river,all the above that people said
We stayed near the tower and walked most of the places
we enjoyed local shops and coffe shops and avoided high end restaurants but had lots of wine
we cook at home a lot so we have a michelin star there
is it a love tour???
We booked a walking tour when we did a day trip to Paris last year. We were actually in Disneyland Paris but had a day out to explore. The tour was superb - started at Notre Dame and took in all of the "big" sights, as you'd expect, but also some really interesting out of the way places too.
The guide was really knowledgeable and we felt like we got more of an insiders view of the city and history than if we'd just wandered around ourselves.
Have a look at their website - highly recommended.
http://sightseekersdelight.com/
Mark
I enjoyed this a lot and it's a break from the street:
http://hipparis.com/2009/12/08/le-pr...e-walk-on-air/
More specialist is Musee de Musique where you can worship one of Django's own instruments - a Selmer.
Thanks everyone - some great tips :))
I will make a list of the suggestions and go through them one by one.
last time I was in Paris (about 8 months ago) I staying on the right bank near the Bastile in Les Jardins Du Marais (http://www.lesjardinsdumarais.com/uk/index.php) which was lovely. We had a suite this time as my son came as well. Really lovely place.
Otherwise the hotel we normally stay at is called Hotel Danemark (http://www.hoteldanemark.com/) and near parc de Luxembourg on the left bank. It's also a coupe of doors along from one of my favorite restaurants 'cubana cafe' (http://www.cubanacafe.com/) where you can have a great meal drinks and then a cigar.
The Musee des Arts et Metiers is good http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/?lang=ang, as is the Musee d'Orsay http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html
The river cruise (Bateau Mouche) is a must IMO - particularly in the evening. I go on one every time i'm in Paris.
Parc Andre Citroen is great, as is the Cite des Sciences and Parc de Villette in La Villette are worth a wander around.
Pere Lachaise is great to wander around, just avoid Jim Morrison's rather underwhelming (and busy) grave and walk about taking it all in. Some of the temples are stunning and also massively creepy.
We have regularly stayed at Hotel Porte Doree over the last few years. http://www.hoteldelaportedoree.com/
Close to the metro, great little quirky hotel. Not luxurious but perfect for a short stay and reasonable too!
Always try to visit the Red Baron for a bite of lunch. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/aug/05/paris.bars
Come to think of it: time for a weekend away!
Dave
Twenty years ago I stayed at the Hotel Jeanne d'Arc in the Marais and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It does not have the amenities of one of the large hotel chains but it has everything you really need and loads of charm. The cozy neighborhood atmosphere made me feel like I was actually living in Paris for a week rather than a tourist passing through. Good location and fair prices. It may have changed since I was there but worth looking into if this type of small hotel appeals to you.
Rick
Paris museum pass is well worth it: http://en.parismuseumpass.com
Saves queuing and if like me you have a limited attention span where arts and farts are concerned it means you can dip in without feeling you've wasted the entrance fee.
You can save some time for the eiffel tower by pre-booking here: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/en/prepari...r-tickets.html
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