Advice for a Paris Getaway

Remove all ads!

Howdy.

So next year, for our (late) honeymoon, I'm taking my soon-to-be Mrs. Rabbit to Paris for 7-10 days. The trip will likely involve a chunnel-trip to England for at least 1 of those days (two if we do both London and Brighton) if we can fit it in, but will mostly consist of Paris and all its goodies, possibly Versailles, and mostly touristy areas.

I'll be socking money away for it all year, but of course, I want to save money where I can. So I need some advice on where to look for reasonable rates on travel and hotels, decent agencies to work with, good places to stay, recommendations for other fun things to do, etc.

Since I've been to Paris already, and have visited some of the biggies (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, the boat tour) and won't mind doing them again, I already have a basic checklist going. But since I was only in Paris for 2 days it felt kind of rushed (only 4 hours at the Louvre! Crime!!). We'll devote far more casual time, of course, so I want to add some more stops.

Thanks in advance everyone for any commentary. As I said, this trip is well over a year off, but in my usual cautious fashion I'm starting the planning extra early, so I'll likely keep adding to/checking in on this topic over the course of the year.

Thanks. (um, er...Merci! )

 

Congratulations. One thing, has your bride to be been before? If both of ye have ye can cut out some of the biggies ye have been to already. Obviously the likes of the Louvre are worth a second visit but I don't think the Eiffel Tower would be worth the queue again.

You're the only person I've ever heard of enjoying the boat trip ! Maybe it's different if it's a romantic cruise for two, I dunno.

I won't bother repeating every biggie unless you really want me to. Versailles is a must see in my opinion, it's fabulous. Allocate a day to it, it is a bit outside Paris. The Pompidou centre was amazing, I didn't think I'd be into modern art but it was great. It's massive so even if you don't like some exhibits you can just walk right by. My sister loved the Opera House tour, though I haven't been. Sacre Couer is a must see, it's in Montmarte which is an artists' area so perfect for a couple. Be warned, if you decide to go to the top of the cathedral it's a lot of steps and there's no turning back!

Getting away from the obvious a bit the Rodin museum was one of my favourite places I've been. It's small but it's just so splendid to stroll in the lovely garden amongst all the statues. It feels so calm compared to the rest. Probably to be avoided if the weather's bad mind. Best of all it's right next to l'Hotel des Invalides so you can take in a biggie while you're at it. Invalides consists of a big park, Napolean's tomb (very impressive) and a war museum. They're not connected so you can easily skip the war musuem if your other half isn't interested.

Another smallish one near a biggie is La Musee de Moyen Ages (Medieval Ages Art). To be honest although it sounds perfect for a SPer it's very monotonous, it's almost entirely composed of crosses and other religious artifacts. The centrepiece, the tapestry of the Lady and the Unicorn, is stunning though so it might be worthwhile giving the museum a quick run. It's in the lovely Latin quarter and within walking distance of Notre Dame so it is easy to fit in at least.

 

She's never been. We've both had one trip abroad each: she spent a month in China (for school, but she's half-Chinese, half-VietNamese), and I spent two weeks visiting Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and France.

 

Advice for visiting Paris...DON'T

If you HAVE to go, the red light district (south exit of the train station then turn right IIRC) is fun. There are some pretty good shops round there. The market is nice too. Erm...what else? Oh yeah, for a laugh sit outside a cafe near l'arc and count how many car crashes and angry parisiennes you see

 

Heh - you haven't met my fiancee. You speak as if I have an option.

I quite liked it last time I went, especially the times a friend of mine and I went "off the grid" - we ditched the group (it was a school trip) and did our own thing. We found a nice little cafe a few blocks from our hotel. Locals heard our accents and came over to strike up a conversation. Once we told them we weren't fans of George Bush, they loved us. Seriously though, I was treated very well by every Frenchman I met, but I chalk this up to me being an exceedingly polite tourist. I do my best to defuse the "ugly American tourist" stereotype whenever I can.

As for the red light district...eh, probably not my girl's cup of tea. She's not nearly as adventurous as I am. But then I may be thinking of it the wrong way. I know she'd love to see the real Moulin Rouge. She's a professional dancer, so seeing the original can-can might be kind of cool. That might be a something to think about...

 

You'd better avoid the "red light district" and other baits for tourists. You've got more museums and historic locations per square meters than most cities so perhaps naughty shows and strippers are not the best choice (especially for a honeymoon). Of course if what you're looking for is kinky business or hookers then you should head to Pigalle...

I'm French but to be honest I really hate Paris as it's way too crowded and most people there are obnoxious and smug giving the French that awful reputation that we enjoy abroad (there are exceptions of course but please don't assume that French people are like Parisians).

Nevertheless you can still have a great time provided you look for places out of the way like the one you've mentioned in your post.

I'm not very partial to Paris myself so I can't give you many tips other than the basics that Déise already posted (still if I may I'd suggest visiting the musée d'Orsay as well).

Anyway that might reassure you but you don't have to worry about being American anymore, now that Obama is in office most people here view Americans in a much better light (and that is quite an understatement).

 

That's pretty much the same all the world over...now if we can just stop the Americans wearing loud shirts and shorts and stop calling everything cute and quaint then we'll be sorted!

 

The Musée d'Orsay is a very nice place to go to. It's an old train station turned into a museum and it's a much more romantic one to walk through than the Louvres or the other big museums are. Another museum not to miss is the Orangerie (it's off the Place de la Concorde, if I remember). It's got Claude Monet's Nymphéas arranged as a 360 degree panoramic view and it's quite nice to sit there and imagine you're on a bridge looking out over the pont.

Pigalle and Blanche (the "main attractions" of the RLD) are not really worth it, especially on a honeymoon. Besides I think that they were cleaned up some years ago (back when Sarkozy was Minister of Interior?). If you are looking for an unusual show the Moulin Rouge is quite fun. You could always try the Folies Bergères, a "softer" version of the Moulin Rouge (it's all the show without the nudity).

There are some pretty nice side streets with lots of little shops and very good restaurants in Saint-Michel, Quartier Latin and down in the XIVeme, if you enjoy walking around.

I've met lots of nice French people in Paris, although after talking with them for a bit it turned out most were not Parisians

 

General advice for visiting a country: learn a few key phrases in their language. 'Please' and 'thank-you' go a long way. Learn how to ask where you want to go in the language (and where you are staying so you can get back).

I've found that a lot of people know english throughout the world and are willing to help you if you are polite (young adults and kids seem to especially want to show off that they can speak another language).

 

Learning some French will sure help. The French are notorious for not speaking any other language, that is to say, even if they may understand your English perfectly well, don't expect them to answer in any other language then French. That is even more so when you're American.

A restaurant that I really like and never fail to visit when I am in Paris is Chartier (Montmartre, Metro: Grands Boulevards). It is French fast food, in three courses. Fast food means that it is being delivered swiftly, in good quality and is affordable. Also, the interior hasn't much changed for the last hundred or so years. The flair is very French

​

The Metro is by far the fastest way to get around in the city. If you visit Sacré-Cœur, you have a great view on the city. The park there is a popular hunting ground for pickpockets of spectacular skill. Another place that offers a great view is the futuristic La Defense with the Grande Arche, that offers a nice view down the axis leading to the Arc de Triomphe. Try the catacombs, and of course, the Eiffel tower.

And just because you're American, try a sandwich Americain, that is, a baguette with French fries, salad, cheese and stuff. It is sold on little street vendors. Visit Sainte Chapelle, which is on the premises of iirc the Interior Ministry, and right at the Île de la Cité. You have to pass a security check, but you'll see one of the few still (or again) completely painted Gothic churches in Europe.

If you want to go to the Louvre, be there early, early as in 6am; later in the day the cues are literally kilometres long. Presumably you have better things to do with your time than to wait a few hours with disoriented American and Japanese bus tourists.

 

LMAO, "un américain!" I didn't think about that. FYI the most popular sandwich in France is still "le jambon beurre" (very basic ham and buttered bread).

I think we deserve the bad reputation for languages but I believe you can get away with English in most places (although I agree that trying to use a few French words will certainly help you out).

If you like Starbucks, have a cup at the "Starbucks Coffee Opéra" you will certainly enjoy the atmosphere (I found a photo on the net check this link).

 

Time for some thread necromancy!

So I know it's been a while, but the afore-mentioned trip is finally upon us. It took some rescheduling and retooling here and there, but this Sunday the wife and I will leave for Europe! We even added an England and Italy wing to the trip.

Itinerary is as follows:
7.31 – Depart
8.1 – Arrive London, mid-day
8.3 – Depart London mid-day, arrive in Paris early evening
8.7 – Depart Paris morning, arrive in Naples early afternoon [go immediately to Sorrento]
8.9 – [Return to Naples], Depart Naples, arrive in Rome
8.11 – Vatican City (all day)
8.12 – Return

Aside from the previous advice for Paris, any suggestions for London, Naples and Rome greatly appreciated. TIA

 

Naples is not a nice place lol. You're going to get a surprise there, it's a bit run down. You're better off somewhere like Sorrento, which isn't far. From there you can visit Pompeii and Capri, both awesome places.

 

I've only been to Napoli briefly (en route to Pompeii), but yes, it was fairly rough. There is a sort of passion and realism about it, though, and people seemed quite friendly. Napoli shows you real Italy, not the tourist-packaged side of it. Interesting, but might not be everyone's cup of tea. I have heard nice things about Sorrento. Is it too late to change your schedule?

Napoli pizza and coffee is supposed to be really good. I had some of the latter, but didn't find a decent enough pizza place... do try one for me.
Unrelated: there seems to be a huge Chinese community in Naples. I wonder why?

There's actually a Pompeii-like thing about an hour out from Rome, called Ostia Antica. I hear it's just as nice as Pompeii. When I went, I traversed 3 hours from Rome to Naples each way - which wasn't very fun (although you do meet some interesting people on the trains)

Rome - there's so much stuff to do that there's no point really suggesting things. I was pretty tired when I got there (last stop of my journey), I don't remember much XD
Vatican was probably my highlight there. Protip: arrive in the afternoon - there's much less of a line.
Colosseum and the Old Forum are must-dos, of course.

London - go watch a show on West End (Les Mis, for example). Walking around the embankment was pretty fun too, and you get Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the Parliament Building all in one swoop.

Paris - I liked going to random bakeries. Versailles is an all-day thing, but don't go on Mondays, because it's closed (I made this mistake). I had a lot of fun biking around the gardens of Versailles though (you can rent bikes there).
Montmatre and Bastile were really interesting districts. The gay district, Marais, was fun too - there was a really nice vibrancy to it at night. Good dinners, too!
Walking around the Seine at night is pretty romantic - seeing the City of Lights in its glory.

 

I just realised I was going to be in London on business the time you're there but I've cancelled it as my mother in law is away and I don't see the point in spending on a hotel when I have a house there! I could have taken you out for a drink in one of my favourite pubs. Never mind

 

Ok - so I guess I'd better clarify. Ok, one at a time:

@ Barmy and dmc,

Good call, gents - I messed up earlier. We are only FLYING IN to Naples; from there we go immediately to Sorrento for 2 days. We'll be in Naples only briefly. Whew! It's a good thing, too - I'd heard it wasn't so nice, but those trash piles from Tal's link...ick.

@ Deathmage,

Re: London - The west end was definitely a priority, and we've got tickets for The Mouse Trap. We wanted something indelibly British to go see, and not something we could easily see on Broadway here (my wife and I go to NYC for Broadway shows pretty much every year). We'll likely skip the more typical Big Ben and the crown jewels visits, but we both want to see Westminster Abbey. We're into old churches.

Re: Vatican City - yes, we'd heard about the lines. We've made special arrangements for one of the private early-morning tours, 10 or so people max.

Re: Paris - We will be doing Versailles one of the days (not a monday). I didn't know about the bike rental thing - that's a great idea.

@ Ragusa,

Chartier sounds awesome - are they friendly to non-French speakers? We both know a few phrases, but that's it (same with Italian). Also - in addition to studying Paris metro maps, I picked up a highly-rated Paris Metro app for my iPhone. It'll be our main mode of transport while in the city, as it was last time I was there a few years ago (I was with a big group then and just followed the crowd, but still, I got the gist of it).

@ Silvery,

Bummer - that would have been fun. Guess I should have resurrected this thread a week ago.

 

Ah well, it happens.
Just remember, 'chips' over here are what you called 'fries', Beer is not see through, We have holidays and not vacations and a fanny is female genitalia

 

We have both. Holidays are those scheduled, national things that we all take on the same day. Vacations are the ad-hoc "holidays" that people schedule in addition to the common holidays (e.g. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day).

Interesting. I've heard it used to refer to a bumm over here.

@DR

Have a great time on your trip!