6 DAYS IN PARIS

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 7th, 1999, 06:46 PM

LISA

Guest

Posts: n/a

6 DAYS IN PARIS

WE WILL BE MAKING OUR FIRST TRIP TO PARIS THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL WOULD LIKE SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO SEE , WHERE TO EAT . WILL NOT HAVE A CAR AND ONLY STAYING 6 DAYS SO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR TRIP STAYING AT LE JARDIN DE CLUNY- ANY COMMENTS- IS THIS A GOOD CHOICE BASED ON LOCATION TO THE "MUST SEE" SITES? WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP/SUGGESTIONS. THANK YOU

Mar 8th, 1999, 04:38 AM

Lee

Guest

Posts: n/a

Lisa: I am not an authority on Paris. I have been there several times and can find my way around OK. My wife and I were there the last time about a year ago, so if you'd like a copy of our trip notes, just email me. They'll provide some of the details that you may be looking for. Have a good trip!

Mar 8th, 1999, 05:02 AM

s.fowler

Guest

Posts: n/a

Please do a search on the site for past discussions. There have been several recent postings on "things to do". We stayed at Le Jardin de Cluny 5-6 years ago and found it very comfortable. The front desk was helpful with dinner reservations and reserving tours for us. [We did Chartres and Giverny with Cityrama I think, but they made the arrangements.] The room we had was a little bland, perhaps they have redecorated since then, but we had a nice bathroom with a window ! We were on the 5th floor and liked being up that high because we could see rooftops etc... The breakfast room is in a vaulted cellar. Nice china, good croissants etc... It was awfully hot and stuffy in the summer though. You will be well located. You are between two metro stops: Maubert-Mutualite and St. Michel. The latter is more useful but be careful about pickpockets in that area. It is fun being in a student neighborhood. You are just down the street from the Sorbonne and the Musee de Cluny [which is *really* neat! You are also very near the Pantheon and St. Etienne de Mont. Places to eat? Don't have addresses but. Great student bistro is Perraudin. Go early. Lines form fast. It is basic, but very traditional. Have the Beef Bourgingnon or l'ancienne. Have a frisee salad with goat cheese and order a bottle of red Chinon wine. The waitresses were grandmotherly in appearance, helpful, but effiecient rather than friendly. Bistrot Nouvelle Marie is a small wine bar near the Pantheon. I think you find is via Rue St. Jacques-Fosse and it is on Place Estrapade or something like that. There is also a classic french bistro on St. Germain called Chez Renee which is very popular with well-heeled locals. The Seine [and a great view of the back of Notre Dame is very close]. We walked on Ile St-Louis all the time. A good restaurant there [again bistro- try the chicken with 40 garlic cloves] is Le Mond de Chimere. It's easy to think it's YOUR island

Last time we stayed in the 7eme because we like to change neighborhoods. I find that where you stay shapes what you do! So we like to move around! And where you are staying gives you plenty to explore! Have a *great* trip!

Mar 13th, 1999, 09:52 AM

Joel

Guest

Posts: n/a

Lisa, I have lived extensively in central France and my wife and I travel there 3 or 4 times a year. I would be pleased to give you some information, but it would help to know your interests. Do you prefer history, art, architecture, gourmet food? Are you trying to pack in as much as is possible or prefer a liesurely pace? Are you wanting to stick to Paris or are excursions something that interests you? Email me with what matters to you and I will try to go into some detail. By the way, not having a car in Paris is getting off to an excellent start! You don't want one. A car will not do for you in Paris what it can do for you in the States. Also, 6 days is an awful lot of time for Paris.

Mar 13th, 1999, 11:32 AM

s.fowler

Guest

Posts: n/a

I beg to differ with the last poster. 6 days is NOT too much for Paris. We stayed 12 days 5-6 years ago. We only took two excursions [Chartres & Giverny] and we still didn't see everything [or eat everything

] we wanted to. Granted we did a couple of things more than once! A walk on Ile St-Louis was "de rigeur" at some point in the day.

Mar 14th, 1999, 07:08 AM

LEE

Guest

Posts: n/a

Hi Lee Please accept my apologies for the late reply, things have been chaotic. We have bought Let's Go Paris and Frommers Paris 1999 and also downloaded some info found on the internet. Seems like an awful lot of info to go thru and our trip is now less than 1 month away. Getting nervous as would like to have an itinary planned out before we get on the plane- do not want to waste 1/2 the day reading our books to decide what to do once in Paris. Would love to see your trip notes,thank you for your help. Regards, Lisa

Mar 14th, 1999, 07:17 AM

Lisa

Guest

Posts: n/a

Mar 14th, 1999, 02:45 PM

lynn

Guest

Posts: n/a

Hi Lisa - Definately make sure you go through the book thoroughly before you go. You right about not spending valuable time looking a books when you're standing 10 feet from the Eiffel Tower. As far as itinerary, I always lay out a "plan" before hand but remember you must be flexible. I can't tell you how many times you're likely to get distracted or thrown off course while wandering around Paris. This, of course, is part of the charm but don't expect that you will "absolutely" do this or that or the other. A quick suggestion; sometimes you may get to the point where you don't want to carry much, if anything. This includes the guide. So, with this in mind, I like to make up a sheet (standard letter size) that has a list of the sites we think we want to see such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Louvre, Musee Rodin, Musee de Cluny, Arc, Sacre-Coeur, etc. Then, I list the days and times open, the nearest metro stop and what line to take, how much it costs or if it's included on the museum pass, and a little "tidbit" about each place. That way, I can ditch everything at the hotel room but still have access to info through the folded up paper in my pocket. I don't know about you, but I get tired of carrying things around and I just want my hands free. Also, type (or write) a small conversion chart of dollars and francs so you don't have to think too much when pricing things. I laminate them so they can get wet or dropped in a puddle. I'm also excited, we leave in 14 days for a 6 day stay in Paris. If any other ideas come up, I'll let you know! Happy Traveling!

Mar 14th, 1999, 03:31 PM

vanessa

Guest

Posts: n/a

This is actually a question for Lynn (or anyone who knows). You said you usually write out the hours and admission prices for the major sites in Paris. If you already have this written out, It would be really helpful if you posted it. I'm also going to Paris for 6 days at the end of March. Also you mentioned a museum pass. How much does that cost and where can I get one? Is it good for all the museums in Paris?

Mar 14th, 1999, 03:50 PM

#10

lynn

Guest

Posts: n/a

Hi Vanessa - The museum pass (I think it's called the Carte Musees et Monuments) and is available at all the major metro stations and the sites where it is valid. It may also be offered other places but I'm not sure. We bought ours at the St. Michel metro stop and will do so again in 2 weeks because our hotel is right near this stop. The cost is about $40 US. Well worth it! Last Sept. we avoided a HUGE line at the Louvre. Just flashed our pass and walked right in. You can do a search on the web for the pass and find out what is included. Almost all the big ones are except Eiffel Tower which is about $8 to the top. The ones I know that are included are; Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, La Concierge, Louvre, Arc, Musee Rodin, Musee de Cluny, L'Orangerie, Musee d'Orsay, Pantheon, Musee Carnavalet, etc., etc. Get the pass even if you aren't sure how many places you are going. You never know when you might be going by someplace you "happen upon" (and that can happen alot in Paris) and if there's a line and you had to pay, you probably wouldn't go. However, if you already have the pass and can "bip" in to check it out, why not take 10 min. and see if it's worth some time? I'll see about posting the list. I'm not very savvy at this kind of thing. If you have any other questions feel free to post them on this question and I'll check back. I have all the information from our trip last year handy. Happy Traveling!

Mar 14th, 1999, 04:18 PM

#11

Bob Brown

Guest

Posts: n/a

I am going through the same process myself so I read all these threads carefully for ideas and insights. I have tried a dual approach after reading 5 guide books, web sites, this forum, and talking to friends. A. Rank order what I want to see by priority numbers 1, 2 and 3. B. Cluster the listing by geographical location, being sure to note the open/closed times. Conventional wisdom says that the day the Louvre is closed means heavy traffic elsewhere. I did a similar grouping for London and found that the Cat 3 attractions were not visited because I spent so much time at 1's and 2's. That way I have an excuse to go back.

Mar 14th, 1999, 04:42 PM

#12

hcw

Guest

Posts: n/a

I'm e-mailing my six-day "best of Paris" itinerary to Lynn. If anyone else would like to see it, please e-mail me and I'll forward it (it would take too much room to post here). I certainly don't claim to be an expert -- this will only be my second trip -- but I've done lots of research, both from books, web sites, and well-traveled friends, and these are the things I want to be sure my children see on their first trip when we take them at the end of the month. And to the person above who wanted a quick guide for converting francs to dollars, divide the number of francs by 5 and you'll have money left over, since the actual ratio right now is 6:1 (i.e., 200 francs = slightly less than $40).

Mar 15th, 1999, 05:28 AM

#13

John

Guest

Posts: n/a

With respect to converting Francs to US dollars .... ER of 5 is $20US per 100FFr ER of 6 is $16US per 100FFr ER of 7 is $14US per 100FFr With the current ER of 6, each FFr is $0.16US 5FFr = $ 0.80 10FFr = $ 1.60 60FFr = $10.00 90FFr = $15.00 I suppose you could write down a "cheat sheet" on a 3x5 card or similar to carry with you. I've seen currency converters in travel stores and adverised in magazines which may be handier if you are going to be going to several countries.

Mar 15th, 1999, 05:48 AM

#14

Suzy

Guest

Posts: n/a

If you'd like a currency "cheat sheet," go to oanda.com. They have one that is updated everyday. Just click on traveller's cheat sheet on the upper left hand side.

Mar 15th, 1999, 06:40 AM

#15

John

Guest

Posts: n/a

Lisa, I've visited Paris many times for business and lived there for one year in 1994. The following list of restaurants are my favorites. The list is certainly not all inclusive and there are many more very good restaurants in Paris. The french do take their cuisine seriously and the quality of the food and service are very dependable. The list does not include starred restaurants or those of known haute cuisine which can be very expensive and difficult to get reservations for; often taking months in advance to make. My list is for restaurants in the $30-$50 per person range. By arrondissment .... 2nd ... Le Souffle, 36 Mont Thabor off of Rue Castiglione near the Hotel Intercotinental, tel 42 60 27 19 (this is the place for souffles ... order one for desert when ordering your meal) .... La Forchette on Rue Saint Honore (small, but good ... variety of dishes) From Hotel Inter-Continental on Rue Castiglione off of Rue Rivoli, turn right onto Rue Saint Honore. La Forchette is on the left a few blocks from Rue Castiglione. ... Tante Louise on Boissy d'Anglais which is near the Madeline. You can either get to it by going up Bd Malesherbes from the front of the Madeline, turning left onto the Boissy d'Anglais or from the Place Concorde ... go up Rue Royale (Madeline will be facing you straight ahead), turn left onto St Honore and then right onto Boissy d'Anglais. There are also a couple of passageways .... old glass domed arcades or mini malls form the 19th century which have some interesting small shops. Tante Louise dosen't have any specialty that I can recall, but it is very dependable and enjoyable. 3rd ... Ambassade D'Auvergne, 22 Rue du Grenier Saint Lazare, tel 42 72 31 22 (specialties from the southwest region of Auuvergne in France ... try the aligot) 5th ... La Truffiere, 4 Rue de Blainville on Place de la Contrescarpe off of Rue Monge, tel 46 33 29 82 (specializes in dishes with truffles, but the dishes are also good without) ... La Bouteille D'Or, Quai de Montebello, just down from Place Michel along the river and opposite Notre Dame (order the Carte Vert ... 3 course prix fixe meal ... request a table next to the windows and get a fabolous view of Notre Dame lit up at night) .... L'Ange Gourmand, 31, Quai de la Tournelle, tel 43 54 22 52, opposite corner of La Tour D'Argent and much cheaper. ... Le Bar a Huitres, Rue Saint Jacques (inexpensive fish dishes .... try a plateau de mer ... looks like a pizza tray loaded with ice and all kinds of shell fish ... just great) 7th ... A La Petite Chaise, 36 Rue de Grenelle, tel 42 22 13 35 (can't beat this place for value .... wine included) 9th ... Auberge Landaise , 23 Rue Clauzel in the 9th, tel 48.78.74.40. Landaise has the best fresh foie gras which he (Chef Morin (also the owner)) pan frys with a raisin sauce (grapes) which is out of this world. Auberge Landaise also specializes in vintage Armagnacs that I have an affinity for. He displays them on one wall in the restaurant and they date back to 1900. This stuff is not cheap. A glass of the 1900 cost around 350 FFr; the 1923 was 300 FFr; the 1938 was 290 FFr and the 1978 was 100 FFr. The 1978 is very good, but the 1938 is just outstanding. 14th ... La Couploe, 102 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 20 14 20 (big, loud, waiters put on a show, but it is worth it ... you either love it or hate it!) ... Le Dome, 108 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 35 25 81 ( fish reigns here ... very good) ... Le Bar a Huitres, 112 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 20 71 01 (same as in the 5th) ... Il Barone (italian) on Rue Robert Leopold (just off Bd du Montparnasse) (great italian food) 16th ... Le Beaujolais D'Auteuil, 99 Bd de Montmorency, tel 47 43 03 56 (this was my neighborhood restaurant ... I lived on Bd Suchet. I ate here many times ... variety of dishes ... always good; won't see any tourists in here) 17th ... P'Tit Bougnat, 18 Bd de Courcelles, tel 47 63 97 11 (very small, decor somewhat bleak, but they specialize in game dishes and I had the best wild boar dish I ever had here) ... Le Bistrot du XVII, 108 Ave de Villiers (same owner as the next restaurant .... 3 course complete meal including aperif (try a kir) ,water, wine and after dinner liquor for 175 FF. if you find a better place for quality and value .... you must tell me ... ... Le Bistro Saint Ferdinand, 275 Bd Pereire, tel 45 74 33 32, near Porte Maillot (same as above) Also on the other side of Porte Maillot, (technically not Paris, but the suburb of Neuilly) is the Sebillon on Ave Charles de Gaulle, on the right hand corner just after going around the circle at Porte Maillot. According to french friends (and I concur), this is where you get the best lamb. The specialty--roast leg of lamb sliced table-side and served in unlimited quantity. The dish is served with traditional white beans and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is also customary to have 2nds. Actually you can have all you want, but 2 dishes does it for me. Add a half dozen oysters on the half shell, a salad, and a bottle of Bordeaux. Finish up with a cafe (I have never been able to squeeze in desert at this place) and tell me you don't think you died and went to heaven. There is a 2nd location for the Sebillon .... Sebillon Elysees on 66 Rue Pierre Charron just off the the Champs Elysees in the 8th, but I've never been to this location so I can't say if it is the same.(tel 1 43 59 28 15) Two others I will mention .... 1. L'Manquier which has several locations .... Bd Montparnasse, Ave Ternes and Bd Montmarte. I've eaten here several times ... they have a 2 course meal for 95FF and 3 courses for 119FF. I would get the 2 courses ... salad with goat cheese and/or duck gizzards and a main dish of grilled meats ... 3 varietys plus a ½ bottle of wine and ½ bottle of water and a cafe.for a total of 175-200FF depending on the wine. 2. Hollywood Canteen on Bd Montmarte ....I missed my American breakfast and this is the place (the only place in Paris ... maybe all of France .... maybe all of Europe .... to go) Cost was 50FF (in 1994 with exchange rate of 5) ... all you can eat! Large glass of fresh squeezed OJ, american coffee, cerals, eggs .... scrambled, omelette, fried with ham, sausage and bacon .... and then pancakes with maple syrup!!! I went there every weekend. Since you will be in Paris for only 6 days, you may not want to try this place,but if you get a hankering for an American breakfast ... here it is. Again, this list is not all inclusive. I've eaten at many restaurants on Bd St Germaine, but they are ususally very crowded and it is almost impossible to find a parking place which is not really a problem if you are not renting a car. This is also a heavy tourist area and complaints about not enough to eat or rude or poor service often are from this area.

Mar 15th, 1999, 07:30 AM

#16

elvira

Guest

Posts: n/a

I visit Paris a lot, and have found the museum pass (available at museums, metro stations and tourist offices) to be an absolute must. Lynn's comment that it encourages you to visit museums for a short period, or visit ones you might not bother with otherwise, is so true. The pass is also good at Versailles, with a special entrance for holders. Saves an hour right there. Get yourself a map of Paris, then circle the biggies: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Sacre Coeur, etc. Now you have neighborhoods. For example, St Chapelle is near Notre Dame, so is Ile St Louis. The bouquinistes are opposite Notre Dame on the Left Bank. I try to do a 'neighborhood'; wandering from one sight to another allows you to get the feel for the area and come upon some unexpected sights. Bob's categorizing advice is excellent; on my first trip to Paris, I **HAD** to see the Picasso Museum, but I skipped Sacre Coeur (as Bob says, it's an excuse to visit again). Make your own list of "musts". For food, well, personally, I've never had a bad meal in Paris. I've gone to recommended places, I've stopped in local bistros because I was near starvation and couldn't wait one minute longer, I've gone to the wrong restaurant...and always eaten well. Paris has excellent Asian food, Italian food, and Middle Eastern food, as well as French. There are McDonald's if you absolutely can't take one more French meal (they have really good bathrooms, too). The restaurants post their 'cartes' (their word for 'menu') in the window or on a little stand so that you can see what they have to offer, as well as prices (remember, those include tax and tip). We've bought bread at a boulangerie and cheese at a fromagerie and a bottle of wine at a whatchamacallit, and made ourselves a picnic. The Paris subway (metro) gets you virtually everywhere; the RER (suburban trains) gets you to and from the airport and also to Versailles. I buy the carnets (10 metro tickets for about 60% of individual tickets) for the metro, and buy point-to-point tickets on the RER. There are week-long passes for the metro (recent postings on this give you the costs, expiration, etc). Enjoy the city, don't worry if you miss something...you'll have seen and experienced other things that will more than make up for it!

Mar 15th, 1999, 08:49 AM

#17

Robin

Guest

Posts: n/a

I've read that most restaurants (as opposed to cafes or bistros) require reservations for dinner? John - the list of places to eat which you've provided in this posting, are reservations required? Or can you just get a table if you arrive early (7:30 pm or so)?

Mar 15th, 1999, 01:36 PM

#18

John

Guest

Posts: n/a

Robin, in general, reservations are not required, but it is a good idea if it isn't too inconvenient. I really didn't bother with reservations (there are a few exceptions) unless it was a business dinner and I had guests coming because I always had a car and if one place was too busy I would just go someplace else. The exceptions are Le Souffle, La Bonne Forchette, Ambassade D'Auvergne, La Truffiere, La Bouteille D'Or, La Petite Chaise, Auberge Landaise and Sebillion which is more than a few. To make a reservation, you can do it yourself from your room or just have your hotel make the call for you. If you make the call, you have to dial a 1, now, in Paris in front of the 8 digit numbers I gave you. If you are calling from a public telephone you will need a phone carte that you purchase at either a post office or a Tabac store. Another suggestion is to just drop by early if you are in the neighborhood and make a reservation for later that night or really any night you may wish. You also do have a better chance getting a table if you arrive early around 7:30PM. My experience is that the busiest time in many restaurants in Paris is perhaps 9:00PM. Somewhat earlier if you are in a heavy tourist area. You did hear right. Never call a french waiter garcon. And don't yell accross a room or try to get him while he is serving or taking an order at another table. Just wait patiently and look at him and nod or an indication with your finger will bring him. And always say please and thank you and be courteous.

Mar 16th, 1999, 05:13 AM

#19

elaine

Guest

Posts: n/a

Hi Lisa Sorry for a delayed response. I hope you've done a Search on this site for the wealth of info on Paris that is to be found here. Some random thoughts: You mention wanting info on opening and closing days for some of the sights. I know by now you've bought basic guidebooks which will have this information, but I'll summarize here that the the Louvre and the Orangerie museums are closed on Tuesdays, and the Marmottan,Orsay, and Rodin museums are closed on Mondays. I mention these because these are my favorite Paris museums. If you are going to be in Paris on Monday the day after Easter, that is a national holiday. There seem to be differing opinions on this forum as to what will be open or closed that day, but have your hotel check to avoid disappointment. By all means buy the museum pass. The web site is www.intermusees.You can go into a small museum when you get there (such as the Cluny museum which you might want to see anyway) and buy the pass there. Don't wait to buy it at the Louvre, the lines will be long and that's what the pass lets you avoid. Some hotel desks can also sell you the pass.When you have the pass and go to the Louvre, you can enter the shopping area and walk straight into the museum. My strategy for the Orsay museum is to go early in the morning when it opens and start on the top floor. It is where most of the impressionist paintings are, everyone's favorites it seems, and if you start up there in the morning you'll have the area to yourself for a while. Many Paris restaurants are closed on Saturdays and esp. Sundays. One that is open on Sundays and that I can recommend highly is Relais St Germain on the boul. of the same name. For a fixed price you get a full meal of good food including a carafe of wine. The "Cheap Eats in Paris" book by GustafsonI cannot recommend highly enough. Many of the restaurants recommended above by others appear in this book, plus many others. The only one I have some doubts about unfortunately is Le Souffle. I ate there on my first trip to Paris 15 years go and I've eaten there on every trip since. However, the last time I went there it seemed overpriced and the food not as good as I had recalled. Perhaps it was just an off night on the food, but for that price or less I could have eaten lots of other places. They get lots of Americans early; for a more French experience there and at other places dine at 8:30 or later. . It's an excuse to have pastry or ice cream at 4 or 5pm to tide you over. If I care about where and when I'm dining, I ask the hotel to make a reservation; why not? Just be sure to give the courtesy of calling to cancel if your plans change. Read in your guidebook about transit passes--on a six day trip it may well be worth it. The weekly coupon (jaune, or yellow) is good from Monday morning through Sun evening. At last check it cost 72F but it covers only Paris not the suburban areas. There are also 2,3 and 5 day tickets which are good for consecutive days and which can include areas like Versailles on the RER suburban train if that's what you ask for. And finally, there is the carnet which is ten tickets bought at a discount, usable any day anytime. When you use individual metro tickets be sure to keep the ticket until you exit the destination station, you will need it. Have a wonderful time.

Mar 16th, 1999, 05:13 AM

#20

elaine

Guest

Posts: n/a

Reply Share

First
Prev
1 / 2
Next
Last