Just landed in Paris.. any advices or recommendations?

[Ella'sDaddy]

Hello Prime,

My family and I just arrived in Paris after a 4 days stay in Barcelona. Paris is a little more chaotic...

I am wondering if anyone on Prime have been to Paris recently and have any recommendations as for things to do or see in Paris. I understand there are many books and guide out there.. but i am hoping for some personal experiences...

Any advices/recommendations is greatly appreciated.

Warm regards,
Dat

 

[NsXMas]

I have spent a week in Paris for work, and several weekends in Paris for vacation.

I recommend taking the subway, seeing the Eiffel Tower (I went up twice, over-rated but you've gotta do it once I guess), check out the Church of Notre Dame (awesome church), and definitely visit the Louvre if you can.

I spend a day wandering the Louvre and still hadn't seen half of it, but it is an amazing museum with amazing things for everyone.

As far as the touristy stuff goes, you can see the usual guidebooks or ask the hotel concierge about check that out. There's a very touristy district that you can go shopping, eating, or just checking people out. I forget what it's called or where it is, but the hotel concierge will know right away.

Paris is an amazing city, that you pretty much can't go wrong just sticking to the major sights. Every time I go, I find something different to see.

One thing I really enjoyed was ordering some food, and just walking down the River Seine, and having a picnic watching the sunset. You see all the lights come on, and the tourist boats go up and down the river, it's really cool.

This brings me to my last point - take the subway, and if your family is up to it, walk from one sight to another, don't take a cab. The sights are amazing, the weather is wonderul, and the people are great. You'll lose weight, gain appetite for great food, and have more fun. I walked all over Paris central area, saved money, and saw a great deal more things that I would have missed otherwise.

Relax, enjoy, and have fun.

 

[DeVinci13]

I would throw in the Catacombs and the Rodin Sculpture gallery. The Catacombs are a very long walk, lots of stairs, but very interesting. The Arc de Triomphe is interesting but just a stop, take a few pictures and head out kind of attraction. The Musee d'Orsay was good, more modern art, but much smaller than the Louvre and easily done in a day. The Sacre-Coeur is spectacular and well worth the climb. Spend some time wandering around there to find a nice square with some street artists and the Lapin Agile, Moulin Rouge and Espace Salvador Dali. My favorite Museum/gallery was the Petit Palais which is free. Across the street is the Grand Palais which usually has rotating art collections and is also good.
The Louvre is a must see (but be careful of pickpockets and people who approach you, appear to pick up a gold ring and say is this yours? they are working a scam). I spend 3 complete days in the Louvre from open to close and still didn't see it all. Go see the Mona Lisa (be prepared for a packed room, not being able to get close to it and saying "I can't believe how small the painting really is). Go to the lower floor and see the inverted pyramid and see if you can see the DaVinci Code clues.
Go to the Musee de L'Orangerie to see Monet's Water Lilies. It is absolutely spectacular
The Notre-Dame Cathedral is another must see.
The Eiffel Tower is also a must see. You can take the elevator up or try and walk up all the stairs. See it at night as well. It is lit up with thousands of lights and every hour a special light show happens.
That should keep you busy. Have fun, it is a beautiful city, with spectacular sites and food. Take the Metro. It is easy, cheap, and goes everywhere and well laid out and simple to use. Be prepared to walk miles and miles. Stroll the Seine.

 

[sahtt]

admittedly I do not look at distances like most, but I'd try to get to Germany. Porsche and BMW have great museums in and around Stuttgart.

 

[nsxbaby]

+1 on the Louvre it is amazing.
We took a open air scooter type cab from the Louvre to the arch. It was an interesting ride and nice way to close the gap between the 2 sites and still experience the city.
I would also recommend visiting St Chappell cathedral if old architecture and some amazing stained glass is your speed.
As for the Tower we would have liked to walk to the top but you must get there a few hours before dark. We arrived to late and had to ride the elevator which was very crowded.
The subway is a very good way to get around very quick and cheap after you learn the layout.

 

[Fastrunner]

My last trip there was August of last year. Other posts above have covered just about all of the must-see places. As for the food, there are lots of good restaurants around Saint- Germain for dinner that offer a wide array of international food. If you like Asian food (which I do) there is a noodle soup place named ‘Mirama’. Go there and order their Duck noodle soup (it is to die for), and of course you can always swing by Ave. de Choisy (Port de Choisy) for some good Asian food “Pho 14” is highly recommended. :smile:

Enjoy.

 

[DocL]

Buy the Paris pass. It includes trains, museums, and Versailles which you have to see.

 

[gdae]

Le Crazy Horse!

http://www.lecrazyhorseparis.com/en/

 

[Fastrunner]

Le Crazy Horse!

http://www.lecrazyhorseparis.com/en/

 

[whiteNSXs]

Put your wallet in the front pocket of your jeans. Watch for dog poops on the ground. Wear a gas mask when you eat in a restaurant. Great city.
Steve

 

[passline]

If you like fine French food you are in luck. There are many great restaurants in the city. As far as simple inexpensive ethnic restaurants (Italian,Thai, Lebanese, Chinese, American, etc, etc) like what you can find all over London or Berlin, forget it. Lousy.

The French really don't start the day with a good breakfast either. Black coffee, a pastry, cigarette ......... that's about it. Dinner is their meal and you will find many wonderful French restaurants all over Paris.

The city is lit so beautifully at night that when you are looking up so much, it's easy to forget to watch for all the dog crap on the sidewalks.

Oh, I almost forgot, wash your hands a lot and keep them away from your face. Noro virus is very contagious and is pretty active right now. No...... it is not the water. Have fun.

 

[SWIFTVISION]

See the Louvre and then GTFO. I did not enjoy that part of the middle east/france.

 

[gene '96 #178]

The wife and I went there 2 years ago and we loved it.
It is truly a beautiful city and a person can learn a great deal about european history if they will only take the time to listen to the locals.

We stayed at the Intercontinental, next to the Opera House, and we walked everywhere we could. We found the Metro easy to use and we ended up using it in the end of the stay when the wife became more comfortable around some of the questionable riders. At the end of one of the lines is a small village of factory stores that we purchase items at at a good discount (Armani).
My wife has a passion for high end shopping and we visited ALL the stores: Chanel, Vuitton, Ferragamo and Hermes to name just a few.....

I am a simple eater and the best thing I found was the Parisian Hot Dogs we purchased around town. The meat is like the German franks I grew up with and the bun is a Baguette. Cheese is melted on the dog and mayo is also put on it. Loved it so much this is now how we eat them still today.

I hope you enjoy your time there as much as we did.... Great memories for sure.

 

[Ella'sDaddy]

Thank you everyone for your inputs. I am having a great time here in Paris. I honestly did not think I would enjoy it as much as I am now. will continue to explore each day until we leave on the 22nd. And I am still trying to learn how to use the Metro. The history and the architecture here are so fascinating.

Again..thank you for the help...

Warmest Regards,
Dat

 

[tucsonsx]

There are lots of great day trips, Versailles, Circuit de la Sarthe ( one of the top racing car museums that I've been to ), chateaus, etc. that you can make from Paris either by car or train. I've done it both ways and like the train better because the traffic jam variable is eliminated; however using the train often requires a taxi from the station to the destination and back - not troublesome just more money, but hey you're using vacation money anyway.

 

[queenlives]

great city, full stop.

people have mentioned the usual highlights (no harm in that, btw) but in addition, i'd encourage you to take time and explore / amble through some neighborhoods and savor some of the non-tourist aspects of the city. lots of neighborhood bistro's, shops, parks and the like.

because i'm an early riser, whenever i visit a city, my special treat to myself is to head out before dawn and explore before the city wakes up and comes to life ... a wonderful thing!

enjoy your stay - we're looking forward to your trip report when you return