Your photographs are really exceptional! Some day I will read my camera manual and learn how to take proper photos of stained glass and night time scenes.

Slaone_428 Wow, you really got around and accomplished so much.

Did you have a tour of the Opera Garnier? That's the one place I reget missing on my recent trip.

Lovely pics - easily arranged for viewing. Merci.

We planned on going on the English tour at the Opera Garnier, but their box office confusingly didn't open until the time the tour was slated to start. When we showed up 20 minutes before, it was completely sold out (apparently they always sell out in advance because tickets are sold online). Fortunately, you can pay to enter and walk around at your leisure which was what we did. It's an extraordinary building in and of itself and they also have a very interesting costume exhibit up at the moment.

You certainly made the most of your week in Paris. Your tips are good for helping others make the most of their time there. And, your pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

Sloane_428 Did you find out where to by the tickets online for Opera Garnier tour?

Great pictures...what kind of camera did you use?

"I didn't realize we needed to hold on to our metro tickets after swiping through. I held on to most of them, to the point where they were all over my bag, in my pockets, etc., and so on our last night (on our way to our final dinner) we tossed them."

You only have to hold the ticket until you exit the metro; then you can toss them. No need to hold onto them beyond that so you won't have them all about.

Great itinerary, by the way!

Excellent photos, glowing with atmosphere.

Great trip!!!

We just returned a month ago from Provence and ended with 4 days in Paris.

Many of your photos remind me of what we saw.

You can see our trip at www.travelwalks.com

Thanks again for the excellent memories your report brought back.

Beautiful photos! Truly captures a the wonderful flavors (literally!) of Paris.

What great pictures. Thanks for sharing them .
I am so glad tha you and your mother had such a great trip.
I have just started planning next years trip to Paris and the pictures just remind me why I love the city so much.

Great pictures and great trip report!

kelsey - I think you can purchase them from this page:
http://www.operadeparis.fr/en/pratique/visites/

newbietraveler - I used a Canon Rebel T2i with the kit lens and a 50 mm f1.8 lens.

I was happy to share so thanks all for the feedback!

Thank you for your report and the beautiful photos.

I have had my eye on that vrbo apartment for a number of years. I've always wondered about the bathroom. Is there a door or just curtains or what? And what do you think about the street/block for a solo traveler?

And is there a place to sit other than the bed? Thanks for your report and pictures.

Thanks Sloane_428 - I loved your pics too.

Leely2 and Micheline - We were admittedly concerned about the apartment in general having never rented before, and I did specifically ask about the lack of a bathroom door before we signed any sort of agreement. We figured if the apartment had 60+ reviews on VRBO and only 1 or 2 mentioned the curtain as a semi-issue, we would be fine. And we were. There is a very thick curtain instead of a door because there is a second window in the bathroom. Without that the apartment would be rather dark. I was with my mother and it was never a problem so for a solo traveller I wouldn't let it stop you. As for the street, we returned a couple of times around midnight and there were always people on the street en route to the metro. The apartment is a straight shot (4 small blocks) from the metro. We always felt safe, and the Rue de Bretagne is 1 block north. Tons of cafes and restaurants, one night there was an outdoor concert in a park, etc. The Rue de Bretagne being there pretty much guarantees that there are people around.

There is a ledge/desk/table and there are 2 high stools to sit on. No proper chairs, but we didn't have an issue with that. The bed was also much larger than we thought it would be, so if all else fails, you can just sit on the bed!

Sounds like a super trip. Excellent shots. What did you do for the low light ones? Gorgeous.

From the sound of your report, it won't be your last trip to Paris. It's nice that you took the plunge on a first trip and stayed in an apt. You obviously are confident travelers, did extensive research, and took advantage of all Paris has to offer. It's a place that draws you in and doesn't let you go easily.

Excellent photos and I like the format with several photos across that are of a nice size. Love,love the pastry shots. Looking at your photos makes me want to be there NOW! But I'll have to wait until Sept.

kelsey22---This is the site that we used to purchase our Opera Garnier tickets for an English tour. It was the highlight of our 8th trip to Paris.
http://www.getyourguide.com/paris/opera-garnier-tour-with-expert-guides-in-paris-t3633/

Thanks for your reply. I'm bookmarking the apt.

TDudette -- I was on auto most of the time except for places where I couldn't have flash (Notre Dame, the Louvre) and then sometimes fiddled around in manual. I am relatively new to DSLRs so I was pretty much winging it.

Sloane, thank you for the additional information about the apartment and block. I like that area. I remember contemplating that apartment for my last solo trip to Paris, in 2009.

I wish my DSLR winging it turned out like yours!

Thanks so much!

Thanks, Sloane.

The photos reminded me how much I love Paris... I do not go back until May 2013... Thank you for the short trip via the photos

Gorgeous photos. Makes me count the days until my return...

Really great photos...mine just don't turn out that great!