Paris - for the 6th time - need new ideas!

Village St Paul?

Any of the photography museums?

Cemeteries?

Opera?

Ballet?

Street markets?

Cimetière PicPus? To visit Lafayette
Canal St-Martin?
Ile des Impressionistes?
Belleville?
The covered galleries?

Seriously, I've made more than 108 trips to Paris and never been wanting for things to do or see. Get out to the outlying arrondissements - get on a bus and take it until it stops and get out and look around. Go to the suburbs: St-Denis, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Boulogne-Billancourt, wherever. There's a whole world out there waiting to be explored.

Living part time in Paris, I have to admit it is easy to overlook all the amazing tourist things to do and just spend time trying new restaurants, cafes etc. But one thing that has stayed with me over the years and I still think back about. One is going to a concert at Sainte Chapelle. I am not a particular classical music fan-so saw something light like Vivaldi. The concert setting at night with the windows is amazing: http://www.classictic.com/en/Special/Concerts-in-La-Sainte-Chapelle

Also the bateaux mouches are worth taking, especially in the evening I think.

I also have enjoyed the Paris Walks that I gone on with friends, the Montmartre one particularly. And I am seriously considering a segway tour with fat tire tours, but I may be too cheap

I actually think that trip advisor's list is very good of activites for Paris if you want to do some organized things.

excellent ideas!! thank you all. Please keep the ideas coming!

Jpie - love the classical concerts at la chapelle idea! I'm a huge classical fan, having played the piano since the age of 5. Will definitely go to one of the concerts.

How about a boat tour of the Canal St. Martin? It starts at the Seine, not far from where you will be. Also, I loved the Cluny museum, and just walking around, soaking up the sights (people and buildings).

This website gives you the dates/places of many concerts:
http://www.archetspf.asso.fr/

If you search this forum, especially for trip reports, you will find many unusual things to do. My husband and i have been to Paris about thirty or more times over many years. We spent two weeks in an apartment in the Marais two years while visiting our granddaughter who was studying in Paris for the year. I asked many questions on this forum and got so much information that it would take two years, not two weeks, to do it all. Take a look at the answers that people posted under my name on this post regarding Paris. There's an ethnic tour that one poster has on the forum and the link was given to me when I asked the question.

We missed the fashion shows because they started in April and we were there in March. One of the department stores has them and they're free. But there was also one that was mentioned that involves afternoon tea and did cost money. you might check into that.

I applaud your choice of l"Orangerie.

The answers people gave on this post are excellent. You'll have lots to do.

I went back to my past posts and you'll get TONS of information in the post "Neighborhoods to explore for repeat visitors to Paris" with links to many places.

1. Go to Le train Bleu for dinner. Its at the Gare de Lyon, a beautifully decorated Art Nouveau place. They have a website so you can check out the decor, menu, booking etc before you go.
2. Walk along Promenade Plante. It is an old railway viaduct that has been turned into a garden. I think its about 4km long.
3. Jardin du Bagatelle. Its part of the Bois de Boulogne and its a rose garden originally set up by Marie Antoinette. If you like gardens this one is spectacular.
4. Also stress Canal du St Martin cruise is well worthwhile, especially if you have seen the movie "Amelie".
5. The food hall at Galeries Lafayette. Have lunch there after you look around and don't forget to go up to their roof area to take in the view for free.

You could take a photo tour, if you are interested in photography. Not only do you learn about techniques etc, but also about how to find those interesting compositions. Sightseeing in a different way.
http://manstouch.com/travel/paris-photo-tours.html

Bercy Village; restaurants, shops and a cinema (with movies in the original languages) in converted wine warehouses. www.bercyvillage.com

La Defense can be worth a visit also.

Val d'Europe; large shopping mall (including a huge Auchan hypermarce) and outlet mall.

Disneyland Paris.

I agree about never seeing everything. You might really enjoy engaging Michael Osman for a day while your parents are there. You may feel you can "do" it justice, but I did it when we took our adult children. I didn't want to be in charge of "herding them". He showed ME things I had never seen, in addition to telling the great background of the major sites.
You might enjoy shopping the consignment shops. If you haven't seen the galeries/passages that someone else suggested. Have you been to teh Carnavalet? The Cluny? the concerts are WONderful. The bus idea is terrific. Be sure to use the buses while you are with your parents. Been to the Marmottan? That area is also fun to poke around in. Are there brocantes while you are there?

Take a Segway tour! You won't see anything you haven't seen before but you'll have a great time!

Try the Jaquemart-Andre Museum. Have tea on their
terrasse if the weather is fine. My wife and I were there last visit (my 6th too!) and loved it.
It's close to Gare St Lazare and small enough to combine with Giverny too...

Try a Paris Charms and Secrets Electric bike tour.
My daughter and I did one a few years ago. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about Paris but our guide took us to places I might never otherwise have found. There were only 3 in our group so it was almost like a private tour. And the electric bikes are great!

What about the tethered hot air balloon at Parc Andre Citroen?

Rent a bike and try following one of French Mystique's itineraries?

Pere LaChaise?

I still haven't worked up the courage to see les Egouts but one of these days...

Take a "Behind the Scenes Tour" of the Eiffel Tower. You'll see things others never get to see and learn some interesting things. My wife isn't keen on heights but even she enjoyed the tour.

It is always such a pleasure to read about someone staying in an area like the 11th. I've walked a great deal of it over the years; you'll find that it feels very unlike the more touristy areas near the Seine. And it will feel very different from the upscale residential areas of the 7th, for example.

There are lots of good restos in that area. I recall reading a few years ago that lower rents have made it an attractive area for newer and younger chefs looking to open their first restaurant. Try, for example, Au Vieux Chêne, 7 rue du Dahomey in the 11th (www.vieuxchene.fr). It's within walking distance of Nation.

You will be within striking distance of a couple of markets. There is the very popular Thursday and Sunday market on Richard Lenoir, running north from Place de la Bastille; a bit closer is the market on rue d'Aligre. There's also the Charonne market at the Alexandre Dumas metro station. It's open on Wednesdays and Saturdays; you could easily combine it with a walk through Cimetière du Père Lachaise, which is nearby. Belleville, always an interesting stroll, is just a few stops north of Nation on the number 2 line of the Metro.

Another vote for Cluny (the Musée national du Moyen Âge). It is a very manageable size — you can be in and out in 90 minutes, although you may find yourself transfixed by the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. (We had a lot of trouble prying my sister-in-law out of that room last month when we were there.)

I love your plan for the cooking course.

I think last year was our 4th trip. Each time we re-enjoy the popular sites. One new visit for us was Chateau de Vincennes, complete with drawbridge and moats. Frankly pretty amazing. I think I started a post on this upon our return. Easily accessible by metro. Nice AR display of how part of the castle would have been finished, and an impressive church nearby (though closed at the time, maybe still?).

St Denis
Louvre des Antiquaires (high end anti
Les Passages

Buttes Chaumont
Catacombs Tour
Sewer Tour
Chapelle Expiatoire
Promemade Plante
visit a hammmam
Chocolate Tour

When are you going? There are also many concerts, festivals,etc..

Chartres
Rheims
Versailles (Chateau, gardens, stables, fountain show, concert)
Auvers sur Oise
Giverny

Have you been to the Musee Quai Branly?

Amsel-you are so right about new restaurants in the 11th. A very up and coming place. Hungry for Paris is my new favorite book source for eating. Check out the author's site with on-going reviews of new places as he reviews them. Nice to have a quality critic giving on-going reviews since restaurant guide books can tend to grow kind of stale quickly. The author, Alexander Lobrano, was the food writer for many years in Paris for Gourmet Magazine:

http://hungryforparis.squarespace.com/

Also, for the OP, having a drink at Georges at the top of the Pompidou is fun although I prefer the food across the street at L'Hangar

L'Hangar: http://tinyurl.com/4du9xpr

Georges: http://tinyurl.com/2d7jwol

I went to Paris a dozen times before I "discovered" the Musee Jacquemart-Andre which is now one of my favorite museums in all the world.

There are so many concert options in local churches. The music varies in quality, but the settings are charming and the audiences usually generous-hearted.

Have you been to a performance in one of the grand venues such as the Opera Garnier?

Have you taken any walking tours?

Simply walking, walking, walking with cafe breaks -- day and night. Some of the the night-time illuminations are spectacular.

Not sure when you are going but sitting in parks, weather permitting,is a treat.

Bon voyage.

jpie, you're right, Lebrano is a treat. What I particularly like is that he describes not only the cuisine but also the ambiance. You get a sense of what the place is going to feel like before you walk in the door. (He also wrote parts of the Time Out Paris food guide, which is where we stumbled across the recommendation for Au Vieux Chêne a few years ago.)

My of my long term to do's, since I like food, is to do a "champions tour". Every year, for example, the maker of the best baguette is chosen. I'd like to try out him and the othertop 5. Macarons, chocolate shops,etc..

You can now rent bikes at the Palace of Versailles. My cousin and I did that this past November and rode around the garden grounds. Having been there 3 times previously I was finally able to get to the waaaay back corner by going through her Petite Trianon where I had never been before (you have to pay to get in there and no bikes are allowed in that area). There is a whole village of cottages back there I didn't even know about. Riding a bike over the cobble stones past a pasture of sheep in the rain turned out to be my favorite thing that whole trip!

There are also a lot of smaller museums that are free with the Paris Museum Pass (the one through the official Paris tourism site) that are a little more off the beaten path from the main touristy ones.

There is a perfume museum. The musuem takes about 10 mins to walk through but then you can go downstairs and mix and match oils to make your own custom perfume. You can also buy name brand smells without the name at a pretty good price.

There are a ton of small botique shops on the Ile St-Louis (island across from Notre Dame) that are fun to explore.

If you are looking for a more home cooked authentic meal at a very decent price, Chartier is a good place to check out. Be prepared though it's crazy busy (expect to wait in line), the menu is only in French and the waiters do not want to wait around long for you to order but the food was excellent and once we had our food they had no problem letting us sit and relax to finish off our bottle of wine long after we were done eating.

Rue Cler right near the Ecole Militaire Metro stop is supposed to be a market during the day (only ever made it there at night) and at night is lined with restaurants and cafes perfect for sitting and people watching. Despite the 7th's sleepy night time atmosphere that seemed pretty packed even for a cold night in November.

If you find any good spots please come back and post them. I am now also tired of the typical tourist spots (...I can successfully navigate all areas of the Louvre without needing a map) and am looking for more off the beaten path things to check out for my next trip.

We just spent 6 weeks in Paris - also our 6th visit there. Mostly we cooked (rented an apartment) and ate out! Here's a link to a list of restaurants we enjoyed

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/6-weeks-in-paris-restaurant-roundup.cfm

We also found the Canal area interesting - hadn't been there before. And second L'Orangerie visit - also a first time for us.

Nissim de Camondo museum
Cernuschi Museum - collection of asian art
Guided tour of Hotel de Ville
visit of Petit Palais (art museum)
Sevres (collections of ceramic and porcelain)
Guimet Museum (the largest museum of Oriental art in Europe)
Panteon
Barbizon

I want to be the third person to recommend St Denis. I actually enjoyed the cathedral more than Notre Dame. If you like French history, this is a super place to see (Merovingian tombs), and the overall ambiance is one of illumination rather than brute strength (as in Notre Dame).

For those who have seen all the major sites, this is a gem that should not be missed.

SS

Thank you all for your fabulous ideas! It sounds like 4 days on my own is not enough to check out all these suggestions. I now have a tough task of narrowing down my list

Jpie - thank you for introducing me to the "hungry for paris" blog. it's a fantastic read!

Re: St. Denis - am I confusing it with another area of Paris that i thought was really dangerous and should be avoided?

Re: The sewer tour - is it a guided tour? The thought of a woman walking by myself in an unguided tour under ground is a bit unnerving

Many thanks for everyone's contributions. What would I do without this forum! I'll be sure to report back with any new finds/haunts that I come across.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/galleries-lafayette-fashion-show--no-response.cfm

cut and paste the above link for the fashion show at galleries lafayette - it is a FUN experience

Rodin Museum

or

take a day trip to Blois

Bookmarking

Tweedy I love that part of Versaille too. It's so unexpected to see that little working village.

Piccolina, St-Denis is indeed a fascinating church, generally described as the birthplace of Gothic architecture in France. You need not worry about your safety in that area.

wow, i hope paris is still best the 6th time around.

The basilica in St-Denis is about a block or two from the Metro in (what seemed to us) to be a very safe area -- very open. I would be surprised if it were unsafe in the middle of the day. We were there in 2009, however, so possibly things have changed.

SS

bookmarking

Have you ever been to the Belleville Les Portes Ouvertes - over 100 local artists open their studios to the public. We've been there twice, and it is quite a fun day...if you like that sort of thing.

This year it is May 27-30: http://www.ateliers-artistes-belleville.org/

SS

Picco: We did the sewer last year. There was a tourguide, but we didn't stay with him. I'm thinking it was primarily French, but maybe it depends on the group. You can't go very far or get lost. There are some interesting exhibits and displays. However, IMHO it is over-rated. It is on the Paris Museum Pass, so if you have it, go for it. Otherwise, not top on my list.

Bitter makes some good points about the sewers. We did it our second trip to Paris, and it was fairly interesting (plus we had the museum card). Not something that would be on my A list...but if you're looking for something different and your maxed out on the usual sights, you might at least consider it.

I thought the historical displays were more interesting than the actual sewers themselves.

SS

Walk from Pyrenees metro, as I did today back to the 5th, via Parc de Belleville with its elevated views of central Paris, rue and then bd Belleville with the market on the median strip (the sight but not the buzz spoiled somewhat for bourgeoise sensibilities by the vendors' parked white vans), a short detour down the upper section of Oberkampf and then a long walk up and around Pere Lachaise cemetery.

Just to clarify a bit more about your comment on Saint Denis, there is ALSO an area of Paris called Saint Denis and parts of it are kind of seedy-XXX theaters and such. But even that area of Paris is okay during the day and close to some really interesting areas of Paris.

Also, I just sent a friend coming to visit a link to the list of best baguette winners in Paris. That alone would keep me busy for six days

http://megzimbeck.com/2010/03/map-the-best-baguettes-in-paris/

AA - how was your trip last month? We loved Rue des Petit Champs!

Liz, it was really, really good. A few ghosts, but the good far outweighed the bad. I'm working on a trip report.

The apartment felt like home. We met Sheila and Bruno ... so nice to put faces to the names after all these years.

E

PS, someone(!) left two bottles of wine behind, so we left a couple more for the next guests.

Jpie (et autres)
I've heard multiple times about the baguette contest, and knowing the love of food over there, I'm sure there has to be other competitions.

Looking for links!

Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses(coming in at #1) was our local bakery of choice during our week's stay last month. The baguette de tradition and the ficelle were absolutely amazing.

If anyone makes a project out of trying all ten, do post your findings! I miss good bread.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/rue-mouffetard-sunday-morning-music-dancing.cfm

cut and paste the above link for information about Rue Mouffetard, this is such a wonderful local experience my husband and I alway's try to make sure and get there

Someone also left a bunch of credit cards in the bedroom drawer! (mainly loyalty cards but also my health card - Sheila found them last week!)

Aren't they lovely people? Looking forward to your TR and glad the good tipped the scales.

Thank you again for all the suggestions! Ok I'm game to try out the top ten for the baguette contest. Im in Paris for a total if ten days (4 on my own, six with parents) so I will eat one per day. Wish me luck that I can find all these bakeries. I will report back!!

Loving these suggestions, I agree with so many of them.
Schnauzer

The St. Denis basilica is in the suburb of St. Denis. The street in Paris known for its street walkers is the rue St. Denis. Two different places entirely.

O Chateau - 2-hour wine workshop - a must if you like wine
Segway tour
One hour cooking class and lunch at the Ritz 55E http://www.ritzparis.com/section/inscription/liste_f.asp?id=10
Musee Marmottan
Cheese tasting tour
Lenotre, 10 rue Saint Antoine, 14e - take-out pastries, deli, candy,... terrific
Guided bus tour to Giverny and Auvers-sur-Oise (all day)

Michel, these aren't competitions as such-just good lists:

Here is a link to a really old NYTimes article on searching for good croissants. Great article, but if you want to cut to the chase and find the places they are on page 5-the last page of the article:
http://tinyurl.com/456d8qe

And here is a more recent list I like from Travel & Leisure:
http://tinyurl.com/4gbyu77

And not to forget Chocolatiers: http://tinyurl.com/258la3d

Last but definitely not least, check out this site about the best patisseries in Paris. Piccolina, you may have to make this a waddle across Paris tour

If I find any of the official best ofs, I will add, but for the moment I feel full just looking at these!

http://tinyurl.com/2bla7qt

second:
Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
A lovely spot only about 20 min. by RER

Cluny (Nat. Museum du Moyen Age) and the concerts there (mid-day).

Second the idea of a chocolate crawl.

Do the Passages. The Guide Michelin has a good article on these strange and delightful places.

Ouch! How could I have forgotten to recommend the classic thread?:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/100-great-things-to-do-in-paris.cfm

AJPeabody--Thanks!

oie mentions my new favourite, the musee marmottan, which as you are interested in the orangerie, may well interest you as well, as it houses a permanent exhibition of the works of Monet.

it is close to the bois de boulogne, so you could combine your trip to the bagatelle garden, if that's where you are going.

jpie - thank you so much for the article link - will need to make my own "best of" list!

oie - thank you for the ritz lunch suggestion but unfortunately they dont have a cook and lunch for the dates i'm there!

Thank you everyone for your inputs - these are priceless!

Bookmarking

Get the book Parcs et Jardins de Paris à pied and follow one or two of its suggested walks in an outlying arrondissement. I suspect that the book is available only in France.

WOW..What a great thread...I am basically bookmarking this because I too am going to Paris again at the end of April...This will be my 5th visit so you are one up on me and I too was wondering what else to do...but I actually didn't care because just being in Paris makes me so Happy I could just die !!!

I don't know when your going but have a really great trip and please report back as I will too because I am definitely going to use some of these great suggestions !!!

Don't go to Chartier..worst food I've eaten in Paris in 20 visits. Little restaurant near Rue des Ecoles in 5th Pre Verre..brilliant and great lunch deal, always busy with locals. My husband's family come from near Troyes and yes, it's well worth a visit not only for its medieval architecture but authentic, local people in a thriving town. You can get a bus to the Factory seconds outlets of good French brands...tons of them.

I'd head to Giverny - especially if you are going to l'Orangerie. The gardens are wonderful and it's fun to tour the house. The first time I took a bus tour from Paris as I was alone. Easier than on the train as it deposits you at the front door. There is a nice restaurant on site. Not sure what is blooming this time of year.
Last year several girlfriends took a day trip to Rouen where we ate at "La Couronne". We had just seen the Julie Child movie and read the book so it was really a" Julia Child day". This is the French restaurant in which Julia and Paul ate after landing in France for the first time. It was an easy trip on the train and great fun. Had plenty of time to tour the cathedral and see the Joan of Arc memorial chapel after lunch. Returned to Paris in time for dinner at a small neighborhood bistro.

We did the segway tour last April while visiting Paris and really enjoyed. This is a great way to see a lot of Paris in a fun way.
We also did the Versailles biking tour through Fat Tire.
The guide was great. The bike ride run (all except the small "up hill" part). You start off riding a bit through Paris to the train station. Board the train with you bicycle (they show you how...and it works out very well despite my thinking it wouldn't). When you get off the train in Versailles you first go to the marketplace where you can purchase items for a wonderful relaxing lunch on the Versailles Palace property. After lunch you have time to tour the Palace then head back to Paris. It's a pretty full day. Very enjoyable. You can see parts of Versailles that are only visable by bike or walking. I would say I have low-medium bicycling skills and I had a GREAT time. Highly recommend it.
We will be going back in September and I plan on taking the bicycle tour again to see the gardens in Versailles.

Bookmarking for my 8th trip in October--wonderful ideas.

You already have so many great suggestions! But one I have not seen is the Musee de Moyen Ages (museum of the Middle Ages). It has the unicorn tapestries. I thought it was quite interesting.
For day trips, Chartres and the Champagne country are high on my list.
If you've been 6 times, you probably have been to Ste. Chappelle -- if not, that would be my #1 suggestion.
Have fun!

bookmarking

Another museum I find interesting is the Musée des arts et métiers. It is really fun to see all the trade & industry history.

We stayed in an apartment for 4 weeks in 2009. Our main project was to find the best macaroons in Paris and the best chocolate.We also made side trips to Loire Valley. Next trip in 2012 will be to learn more about the neighborhoods.

Chartres is only a short train train ride from Paris making it perfect for a day trip.
The Cathedral at Chartres is probably one of the finest examples of the French High Gothic style of architecture.
The train, of which there are several each day, leaves from the Gare Montparnasse and takes about 1hr or even less.
The cost is about $21.00 each way (economy 2nd class).

For Paris, or any other city for that matter, I recommend looking at the local photoblogs. Just go to Google, search on "Photoblog Paris" and take a look at some of the sites. Scan through their posts to see what looks interesting to you.

If you are a foodie, I would recommend getting a copy of Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris for more ideas.

I thought the Cathedral of St. Denis is a totally underrated attraction. Its claim to fame is that it is the burial site of all of the French kings, going back to Charlemagne. It covers over 1,000 years of French history. While the area has become a bit scruffy, the Cathedral maintains its grandeur. The sculptures of the kings are magnificent and it is worth buying a guidebook to give you some of the insights into the lives of the rulers. The one about the pose of Catherine di Medici is particularly notable. Easy in and out on the Metro. By the way, the legend of St. Denis is particuarly notable as he is always the saint carrying his head under his arm.

The train today to Chartres was 28 euro return, 2nd class. Those with mobility issues should note it is a fair hike through Montparnasse station from the metro to the ticket office and main line for Chartres. A pocket timetable is provided with the ticket, but services are frequent in any case. The tourist office in front of the cathedral (which currently has scaffolding on the front, Royal portal) provides a booklet with a map showing the tourist walk down behind the cathedral, along the river and back up the hill.

Sign up for a few hours with a Paris Greeter ... it is FREE. http://www.parisiendunjour.fr/index.php?lang=en
just tell them what you want to see (or not see) ... I've had wonderful experiences seeing parts of Paris I hadn't yet discovered in 22 visits!

Cheese tasting ...
http://www.parisonyourplate.com/
reasonably priced, lots of cheese, wine, bread and a terrific presentation about cheeses ... a definite do (just don't plan to go to dinner afterwards.. you'll be full!)

Thanks everyone for the awesome suggestions. I hope other fodorites will also find this thread useful for their repeated visit to Paris!

The Musee Grevin, the wax museum, would give the impression of being a tourist trap, but it is nothing like you might think, and well worth the visit. After 40 years of trips and staying a half-block away, we finally went last time and will go again.

The Musee Marmottan Monet: somebody mentioned it, but it is the BEST Monet museum in Paris. It has "Impression Soleil Levant", the painting after which the Impressionism movement was named. It also has the most brilliant water lily paintings anywhere. L'Orangerie is a wonderful museum as well, not only for the big but faded Monets. I really like the Petit Palais also. And don't miss the Musee Carnavalet, the museum of Paris. It's free and there is a floor with stunning Impressionist works of local Parisian painters. Also an Art Nouveau tea room to die for. St. Sulpice is a very pretty church, and an important one historically. The cafe across the street, to the north, is a classic when the weather is good.

Piccolina -- I lived outside Paris in Provins [a 13th-century ex-market town] in the mid-'90s -- you can easily get there by taking one of the commuter trains from the Gare de l'Est. (It used to be, anyway, that you had to be careful about return trips, though, as the last train to leave Provins got into Paris around 8:15 pm!) Provins is a lovely little town that holds a "fête médiévale" every May or June which is a lot of fun. There are plenty of sights to see and pretty good restaurants, and the Roseraie [rose garden; the Tudor rose -- as in the Wars of the Roses -- is said to have come from Provins] is gorgeous -- although now you have to PAY to go in, which really stinks.
http://provins.net/index.php/english-version.html

The Musee Marmottan Monet: somebody mentioned it, but it is the BEST Monet museum in Paris. >>

lol - that would be me.

i agree that it's very good, but we had the luck to see it during the special monet exhibition season. i don't know how much is on display there now, but they had a lot then.

i should think that it is still very worthwhile going.

I second the Musée Carnavalet. It is totally Paris history and it is most excellent. Yes, some of the best things in life ARE free!

Bonne chance et bonne continuation!

I love how this thread just lives on with new ideas popping up everyday! I think I will need a 7th, 8th and 9th trip to do all these things. Merci beaucoup!

JeffaimeParis - do you mean the art nouveau tea room is INSIDE Musee Carnavalet? Also, do you mean there's a cafe across from St. Sulpice?

I love anything to do with tea/cafe culture - will need to visit the tea room in laduree and of course, my perennial favorite, Mariage Freres. Went to Mariage Freres' tea house in Tokyo and loved it! If there are more suggestions on tea/cafe related activities, please send them my way!!

PS: already did the standard tourist stuff before - Les deux magots, cafe de flore, etc - i want a cafe WITHOUT tourist (well except for moi).

The Marmottan has a large Monet collection, even without the special exhibit.

If you want a cafe without tourists, perhaps combine visit to Marmottan with one in that area. There are mostly locals. I had dinner at a nice fish place, Rotonde de la Muette, near Muette metro. Also in the 16th are some buildings designed by Guimard, who did the famous Art Deco Metro entrances. Rue Mozart, in that area, also has an award winning chocolate maker

Since you mentioned tea, consider "A Priori The", located in the Vivienne Galerie (since you may do the passages). Good food, tea list.

when we had finished at the Marmottan, we walked back towards the metro station, and found a whole street of cafes, tea-shops, bakeries, patisseries, etc. etc, all full of happy locals.

there was also a rather nice looking bistro on the other side of the road.

sadly we were too early for the bistro [and still full from our lunch] but our tea was nice.

Overcast today at Moret sur Loing but still a pleasant easy outing from Paris and the walk from the station (Moret Veneux les Sablons - 16,80 euros return from Gare de Lyon) will no doubt look a lot better in a month or so. Clemenceau's house closed at the moment.

My girlfriend and her daughter went to Josephine Bonaparte's house which is at the end of a metro line...not sure which one. But she loved it. I'm putting it on my list when I go to Paris in mid-Apri. After re-discovering Paris 5 years ago, I've been 8 times and I love discovering new things to do. I did find the fashion show at the Galeries Lafayette boring...they did Ralph Lauren spring show when I did it 2 years ago. We're also thinking of going to the Matisse museum outside of Paris for a day trip. If you do go to Giverny...I loved it...make sure you have time to also go to the American Museum down the road. My girlfirends liked that even better! Have a break in the courtyard of the Petit Palais..beautiful and don't forget the gardens of the Palais Royale...just lovely on spring day. The Hotel de Ville always has some photography exhibit that is free, so check it out too. The best time to go to the Louvre is in the evening...a totally different experience than going during the day. Have you been to Musee Decoratifs? Fabulous!

I don't think anyone has mentioned this but we enjoyed taking the Metro to La Defense and visiting La Grande Arche de La Defense. We strolled through the square past the modern architecture and took the elevator to the top. The elevator trip to the top was a thrill ride.

I actually did the day trip to giverney and on the way back I wished I had jumped out as I saw wonderful towns on canals but my class mate was not keen so get on a train and look around

Bookmarking...but has anyone done the Paris Charms & Secrets bike tour? Looks really interesting-- has anyone gone in the evening? Thinking of suprising hubby for a little birthday treat....

jonesie - i'm going to sign up for the charms & secrets bike tour but i won't be doing it until early may. If you're surprising your hubby after that, I will report back on how it is.

If the "Josephine Bonaparte's house" that djsteach mentions is the Chateau de Malmaison in Rueil-Malmaison, I think it definitely merits a visit.

http://www.musees-nationaux-napoleoniens.org/en/homes/home_id24833_u1l2.htm

There are other places to visit in Rueil-Malmaison as well, such as the church where Josephine is buried.

Rueil-Malmaison is not on the metro, though; it is on the RER (line A1), and it is not at the end of that line.

What a wonderful thread!

Piccolina - thanks for the heads up - I had missed this in my research! I trust you had a great trip.

A nice day trip would also be Auvers-sur-Oise, where Van Gogh painted and died. Small village, nice scenery, and they have setup outdoor stops along walk where they have put up colour copies of paintings of the location you are looking at, so you can compare the two. Also building where he lived (lunch), as well as his and Theo's grave. There is a large museum with rotating exhibits that we did not visit. We went in winter, so less activities.

Science Museum

http://www.cite-sciences.fr/en/cite-des-sciences