BPN

Hello Everyone,

We will spend 3 nights in Paris (arrive 3PM Oct 8 and leaving evening Oct 11). I know it's not a lot of time especially this is our first time in Paris (we want to get a taste of London, Paris, Venice this time and hopefully we'll be back to explore more in future year).

We are looking for more information/specificity for the below items. Any suggestion/pointer is appreciated:

1. Lodging: given the short time, we would like to stay in the center near most of the attractions. Our price range is ~120-160 EUR. Which area we should stay in? Which hotel?
2. Can we just take a taxi from Gare Du Nord to the hotel?
3. Sight: We plan to visit the Seine, Eiffel tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Arc De Triomphe, and the Louvre. Do you have any additional suggestion?
4. Tour: Do you know any good tour that take us though major landmarks and probably a cruise on the Seine?
5. Food: We will probably eat mostly at cafes. Also want a nicer romantic dinner. Do you know of a good restaurant?
6. Language: We don't know French. Can you recommend a phrase book or even better a phone app that can help ?

Did we miss any "must" item?

Thank you in advance for all your help,
BPN

Gretchen

I think you missed doing some of your own homework, like reading the threads here or even looking at a guide book.
I think the answer would be yes, we can recommend some good restaurants--as has been done here.
You DID do a good thing of giving an amount for your budget--but it could be anywhere.
Have fun.

nytraveler

For a special diner you need to give us a budget in euros and confirm that it needs to cover wine. Are there any special cuisines you like?

The boat ride you pick up at one of several piers. I might do in the evening before dinner to see sights lit up. Do NOT so a dinner cruise - the food is poor at best.

Yes, you have missed a lot of things:

(Again look at the Michelin green guide)

Musee D'Orsay (impresionists)
Musee de Cluny (middle ages)
Saint Chapelle
Explore Ile de la Cite and several other neighborhoods (Marais, St Germain)
Rodin Museum
For the Louver check the departments and a map in advance or you will be wandering there for days
Montmarte (church, view over Paris, Place du Theatre with numerous local "artists")

There are dozens of other great choices - you need to read a couple of guidebooks and decide what YUO want to see.

I would stay in the 4th, 5th or 6th and be prepared for tiny rooms. Sorry can;t make reco - not our price point.

Be sure that you allow some time - we like later afternoon - to sit in a cafe in a busy spot with a drink and just watch the fascinating world go by.

One note: it i considered polite to greet the staff in shops and restaurants when arriving and leaving (not department stores - there you greet the clerk at the counters you use)

chris45ny

Since Notre Dame is on your list think about Sainte Chapelle-same area.

The Louvre is huge. Decide what you want to see to maximize time there. You can also take a tour-think at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm for 9 euros pp. The museum is closed Tuesdays.

www.hotel-eiffel.com Put in your dates, # of nights and click on book and a list of what's available with prices will appear.

www.parisinfo.com You will have to click on the flag for your language. For English I click the British flag.
www.paris.fr Click on the language you want. Option is top right hand side.
www.sortiraparis.com

adrienne

#1
http://www.balcons.com/
http://www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com/

#2 - of course you can take a taxi to your hotel. Walk out the main door of the station and you'll find the taxi rank. Suggest (clearly) writing the hotel name on a piece of paper to hand to the driver.

#3 - the Seine is a river. What do you mean by "visit" it?

I have hundreds of additional suggestions - what are your interests?

#4 - there is no one tour that will cover the major landmarks. A Seine cruise is wonderful, especially at night. Suggest Vedettes-du-Pont-Neuf with live commentary and seating both inside and outside.

There is a free overview tour that takes 3 hours (Sandeman's). You give the guide a good tip (E15 per person).
http://www.neweuropetours.eu/

#5 - where are you staying; what type of food do you like; how much do you want to spend.

#6 - get a guide book and look in the back for French phrases.

<< Did we miss any "must" item? >>

Ste-Chapelle

DebitNM

Walking tours:
I have done tours with both of these and they were all good tours:

http://www.discoverwalks.com/paris-walking-tours/

http://www.paris-walks.com/

Haven't used these:
http://cityfreetour.com/paris/

http://www.newparistours.com/

http://www.parisgreeters.fr/?lang=en

Ackislander

Actually, to get a taxi from the Gare du Nord, you do not walk out the main door but towards it until you see "Taxi" signs pointing to the right. You go out the side door and join the line. It is often long but moves quickly.

If you do not speak French, it is useful to have the address of your hotel/apartment printed on a piece of paper to give to the driver.

There are many, many one-way streets in Paris, and if your driver seems to be going in a circle, it may be because he has to.

Christina

1) if you want the center, which makes sense, the area is limited already, so further fixating on a particular name doesn't matter (ie, the Latin Qtr or the Marais, doesn't matter).

2) from Gare du Nord, definitely take a taxi,

3) I know what you mean by visiting the Seine, you mean to see it. You will if you see Notre Dame, of course, it's right there. My suggestion would be as long as you are there, see Sainte Chapelle, also, and you might visit the Conciergerie if you are interested in French history. Just make some time for walking around the Latin Quarter and St GErmain, and then on the Right Bank, see the Hotel de Ville, walk around Ile St Louis, and the Marais area. That will definitely be plenty for your 3 days with the things you chose, also.

There are several companies doing Seine cruises, I've used both Bateaux Mouches and Bateaux Parisiens and both were fine, just depends where you are (Bateaux Mouches leaves from Right Bank, the other near Notre Dame). They have websites. The basic cruises are cheap, only around 10-12 euro.
http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/en
http://www.bateauxparisiens.com/

For a simple phrasebook, I like Dover's Say It In .... series. They get the basics and are small and cheap.
http://www.amazon.com/Say-It-French-.../dp/0486476359

BPN

Thank you all for very useful tips/pointers. I'm going to select a hotel and visit the sites you suggested

Dinner: As long as the ambiance is nice we are pretty open in term of cuisine. We would like to spend 200-300 EUR for it but that is also flexible. We don't drink much but some wine would be great.

Thank you,
BPN

DebitNM

200- 300 € for 1 dinner or all? If it's per, you are going to do some nice dining. We like to wander about, see the cafes and look at the menu boards and see what grabs our interest. We tend to eat a bit early by Parisian standards, so we tend to eat in less fancy places but that's ok because it is all about the food.

BPN

@DebitNM: We want to do just 1 nice dinner so the 200-300EUR just for that one. The rest of the time we'll probably spend much less for each meal.

Thank you,
BPN