What's on your Paris wish list?

Old Apr 18th, 2015, 02:12 PM
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What's on your Paris wish list?

I am planning a trip to Paris for the first time with someone who has already been. We will not be joined at the hip 24/7 but will meet up for dinner somewhere with excellent food either at a cafe or more upscale. We don't know when yet and for how long exactly but it will be around 12-18 days. We are kind of on our own with everything so I could use some help jump starting the trip with your input. I minored in Art History so that's something of interest but will try anything new. Thanks in advance.
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Old Apr 18th, 2015, 02:34 PM
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With that long I'd do some day trips - like to Chartres which you studied a lot for sure in Art History classes - the model of a Gothic Church that became common through Christiandom - catch Malcom Miller's captivating if not at times irriiating guided tours - been doing it now for 40 years or so - he has studied and written about the church and is considered the number expert on it in many ways.

Versailles and the gardens and Petit Trianon

Or Fontainebleu and afrt towns of the Barbizon School in the Forest of Fontainebleu

Or to nearby Auvers-sur-Oise where Van Gogh and Cexanne and other artists hung out to paint the quaint village and bucolic fields abutting it and the Ourq River below - pictures have been placed up exactly where Van Gogh and others painted them - like the small parish church and the corn fields with crows brooding over them with a storm coming - that picture the last by Van Gogh or one of them is said to reflect Van Gogh's dark brooding mental condition just before he shot himself - his small room in the Auberge Ravoux (s) is still as it was - blood-stains on it still.

So with that much time don't just think about Paris itself.

A take a train to Vernon then a taxi or shuttle bus or rather neat 3-4 mile walk to Monet's House and gardens - and the American Museum of American Impressionists artists who were attracted her for the same reason Monet was - lovely Seine-side landscapes to paint.

Reims for Champange cave tours and another uber famous cathedral, where French monarchs were crowned

Or Chantilly or Compegnie - two famous cahteaus just north of Paris

Or to Normandy and the D-Day beaches - easily done on your own by train - ditto for Mont-Saint-Michel - trains go to all those places - for lots of goodies on French trains check these informative sites - www.voyages-sncf.com - the official site of the French Railways; www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

Don't just stick to Paris if you have 12-18 days there - you could even be in the Avignon/Arles area in about two hours by high-speed train - Van Gogh's Arles and nearby St Remy where he committed himself to an asylum after slicing his ear off in Arles - like in Auvers-sur-Oise - rep[roductions of his paintings have been put up in the fields and lovely area around the asylum.
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Old Apr 18th, 2015, 02:50 PM
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http://goparis.about.com/od/parismus...ttan-monet.htm
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Old Apr 18th, 2015, 11:50 PM
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All up, we've spent 3 weeks in Paris, and still there is so much we haven't seen. You'd do well to pick up one of the travel guide books - they all cover the most popular places, so you can read and select what interests you most.

My favourites among the less advertised:

Walk along the Promenade Plantee (google this for details), then walk back along the same route at street level to see the beautiful little galleries tucked under the railway archways.

Take the train la Villette, to then come back into Paris city on the canal, through the locks on Canal Saint Martin.

Walk through the Paris Covered Passages & Shopping Arcades - a real step back in time! You can do tours, or easily cover this with some research at your own pace.

Di
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 03:05 AM
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If you are not joined at the hip and your friend is not interested in art history but you still are, then I would plan to spend all your "free time" with the extraordinary art works that are in Paris. The city is almost unrivaled as a repository of great art work from everywhere and excels in European art. With the luxury of time, visiting the Louvre more than once is very rewarding, and not as exhausting as trying to visit it all in one day. If your friend has not been to the Basilica of St Denis, go together, but go alone if you are the only one interested. The other great museums of art in Paris deserve their reputation, and the smaller museums dedicated to just one artist can be fascinating, especially if they coincide with your particular interests. If your art history interest includes Monet, then a visit to L'Orangerie as well as the Marmottan is fantastic, as well as a day trip to Giverny. If you have a strong interest in medieval art, the Cluny museum is jam-packed with treasures.

If your friend shares your interest, all the better and you'll get to see more. But if the rest of your trip is going to be doing things like canal trips and champagne tours or guided cheese tours, then I highly recommend using the other time to enjoy the incredible art history on display in Paris.
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 04:23 AM
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Even if your friend has been to Paris, it certainly doesn't preclude doing the sights/sites together as each of you wish. And it is a good idea to agree from the start not to be joined at the hip, as you say.
We've been to Paris numerous times, with and without friends who haven't. We never tire of seeing "old friends".
As Sandra says, the art and architecture of Paris is unrivalled. You could get a list of the Metro stations that are styled in the Art Nouveau period.
I agree with day trips, and if indeed you have as much as 18 days you and your friend might enjoy going outside of Paris for a few days--Provence, Normandy, the Loire.
Dining in Paris is as much a part of the experience as art, in a way.
Have a great time.
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 07:32 AM
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What I wish I had visited sooner:

Musee Marmottan

Still have not done but want to very much:

Giverny
Vaux le Vicomte
Museum of Decorative Arts

Want to go back to:
Reims
Chenonceau
Barbizon

So much of what I have done in Paris, I would gladly do again (Musee D'Orsay, L'Orangerie, Climbing the Towers of Notre Dame, St Denis, Opera Garnier, Promenade Plantee, Sainte Chapelle)
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 09:16 AM
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On our to do list for next may,(we had been in Paris some 5 or 6 times) :

Basilique Saint Denis
Reims
Musee Marmottan
Musee Jacquemart Andree
May be daytrip to Bruges or Brussels.
Musee D'Orsay
Many many walks, Montmartre, Quartier Latin, pasarelle Simone de Beauvoir, Le Marais
Promenade Plantée
La Defense
May be one ot two concerts or shows
Then, going to castles along the Loire river and Lyon.

Enjoy your stay!
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 09:32 AM
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There are many municipal museums in Paris that are excellent and free to the public (except for special temporary exhibitions). Many are art museums including the Musée d'Art Moderne, Musée Bourdelle, Musée Cernuschi, and the Petit Palais. Here's a link to the list:

http://www.paris.fr/english/museums/...-museums/p8229
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 10:41 AM
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Di, interesting idea

"Take the train la Villette, to then come back into Paris city on the canal, through the locks on Canal Saint Martin."

So Are there boats? Thnx
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 12:41 PM
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There are cruises in both directions on the Canal St. Martin. If you start at the Bastille, you are rising into the view in the locks; if you start at la Villette, you are descending from the view. I took the cruise from Bastille to la Villette and returned by metro.

http://www.canauxrama.com/en/cruise/...paris_136.html
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Old Apr 19th, 2015, 01:50 PM
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The Louvre is of course everything you've ever heard about it but what never ceases to amaze is the sheer size of the place. It is enormous. I would suggest you pick a topic for your visit there and try to stay on point. Just walking around without an agenda might leave you in a daze.

The d'Orsay and Rodin museums are much more manageable and in as much as the Rodin has a considerable number of works in its gardens that makes for a little different twist.

The first few trips I made to Paris, I definitely over planned my days. Now I try to set an objective at a distance and then enjoy the discoveries I make along the way.

Paris Walks is a good way to see the city and I would certainly recommend them. They are usually abut two hours in duration and are either geography themed or centered around a popular person like Hemingway. I've done maybe six or seven of them and never had a bad one.

Of all the day trips, I would probably suggest Versailles first. It's a full day to be sure. The RER services the route so it's an easy, quick trip but go early. We like to rent bicycles on the grounds to get to the Hamlet.

After you've been there a few days and don't feel quite so compelled to do something "important" spend some time at Luxembourg gardens just watching the locals play petanque and chess. I'm a great proponent of sidewalk cafes as well. There are not many things better than sitting at a Paris sidewalk cafe, lingering over a coffee and watching the people go by.

I used to have themes for my Paris trips. It might be French Revolutionary Paris, or American Revolutionary Paris or Andre Le Notre gardens, etc. I found that having purpose made it easier to to not be lost in choosing what to do that day.

Also, I used to travel by metro but now travel as much as possible by bus. With a NaviGo card it doesn't cost anymore to just jump on and off the bus and you can do a little sightseeing along the way as well.
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 10:01 AM
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Below is my trusty museum list that I always give to first time visitors. I've been lucky to have spent 16-18 weeks in Paris during the past 11 years and never tire of revisiting these museums.


Le Louvre Of course!October 2012 opened the new Islamic Art Department and even if you're not interested in the art,it is worth visiting in order to see the "Magic Carpet" or "Veil" roof which is an architectural marvel.

Musee d'Orsay Impressionists and other 19th century artists

Musee Rodin Worth it. Close to d'Orsay. Can pay E1 for entry to the gardens only and it's full of Rodin bronze sculptures (La Penser - the Thinker). Inside the museum (separate admission)are fantastic marble sculptures (The Kiss)and art that Rodin collected (Van Gogh, Monet, etc)

Musee Orangerie Reopened in 2008 after 8 year renovation (in Tuilerie Garden)Monet, Monet, Monet!! A round room completely surrounded with hugh waterlilies.Other impressionists on a different floor. I'm sure there will be lines but this is a must see for Monet fans

Musee Monet-Marmottan Unusual museum. Great collection of Monet's donated by his son including his painting "Impression Sunrise" which named the movement. Also a large collection of paintings by Berte Marisol (the only female Impressionist and Manet's sister-in-law).

Musee Jacquemart-Andre Want to see how rich people lived? This is the place. Some of the worlds greatest art including Rembrant, Van Dycke, David. Venetian masters. A room of renaissance art from Florence. Furniture, porcelains,Egyptian antiquities, Chinese furniture. Free audio guide which is very interesting
Great café and it's open on Sunday

Musee Nissim Comondo Donated to Paris by Moise de Comondo a wealthy Jewish banker of the Belle Epoque in memory of his son Nissim a pilot who died in WW1. The entire family was destroyed in the Holocaust. Very special, moving museum filled with furniture and decorative arts and family pictures. Very personal and moving experience. TRY TO SEE THIS MUSEUM WHICH IS UNDER-RATED and very close to the Jacquemart-Andre

Musee Picasso I was never a Picasso fan until my first visit here. This museum shows him for the true genius he was. Art donated to France to cover inheritence taxes! Paintings, sculture, pottery, collage. Also art he collected like Max Ernst and George Bracht. This is located in the happening neighborhood of the Marais.

Musee Carnavalet FREE. Museum of the history of Paris -near the Picasso. This is a great and really interesting museum. There are rooms and rooms of "period rooms" that are filled with furniture and collectables - even the walls are period. These are rooms that were removed from buildings being demolished. There are also a lot of paintings that give the feel for Paris throughout its history.

Musee Cognacq-Jay FREE. Another "rich people" donation. Small museaum, you can see it in under an hour near the Picasso. Beautiful furniture, glass, porcelaine. A secret gem of a place.

Musee National du Moyen-Age Middle Ages. Famous Unicorn Tapestries. Armor and medieval stuff. In the Latin Quarter (across the street from Balzar's)(aka the Cluney) Built on Roman ruins which you can see. Famous medieval herb garden

Centre Georges Pompidou Contemporary art. Art of the 20th century. Famous café "Georges" where beautiful people dine overlooking Paris.

Of course, there are more museums than those on this list. These are just my favorites.
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 10:03 AM
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Two non-museum suggestions:

Sainte-Chappelle This is a deconsecrated church that is now an historical monument. This was built by King Louis (Saint Louis)near Notre Dame to house the "Crown of Thorns" so was built as a reliquery. Stained glass windows from 800! Spectacular.
Go on a sunny day.

Notre Dame If you are here on the first Friday of the month, at 3:00 the "Crown of Thorns" and a spike from the Cruxifction are displayed. There is a whole ceremony with singing (in French). It's very unique and moving. As my husband says " something doesn't have to be true for you to believe it". Personally, I felt it's probably not the "Crown" but I found it to be one of my most moving memories of all my Paris trips.
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 02:49 PM
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Thank you so much for the great advice! I really appreciate all the helpful options. There's so much to do that honestly I'm getting a little overwhelmed. Not a bad problem to have but I need to figure out a way to narrow it down or group it accordingly. Can you tell me where I should look for a hotel near the tour sights? Should I create my itinerary first then decide on a hotel?
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 02:55 PM
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central Paris is surprisingly compact as to where the tourist sights are - location does not matter that much as long as it is somewhat near the dead center of town - even then the metro goes everywhere.
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Old Apr 20th, 2015, 04:06 PM
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I would look for a hotel near good Metro connections. You can't really go wrong and you will certainly get a ton of advice regarding which arrondisement to stay in!
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Old Apr 23rd, 2015, 08:37 AM
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Hi! 18 days is excellent! I'm headed there for about 15 days in a couple of weeks, and I'm happy to share some of my itinerary I've been several times before, including a summer semester abroad in college.

Things I'm planning this time that I've never done before:
-Auvers-sur-oise day trip
-Reims, Champagne day trip
-Musee Carnevalet
-Saint ouen flea market
-Classical concert at Saint-Chapelle
-promenade plantee (coulee verte)
-Moulin rouge (My friend's BF bought us tickets as a surprise--lots of people have very strong feelings one way or another on the MR, but I'm very excited to see the show, especially after watching a short documentary on it on Amazon).
-Musee Galleria (fashion museum)
-Palais de Tokyo & modern art museum
-Covered passages (galerie vivienne, passage verdeau, passage des panoramas, passage jouffroy, passage du grand cerf)
-Rue Cremieux
-afternoon walking around Belleville and Menilmontant
-Bois de Vincennes
-Bercy
-rue mouffetard
-rue montegueil
-Grand Mosaque of Paris
-Marche des rouges enfants
-parc monceau
-mariage freres tea

Things I'm doing again because I love them:
-musee pompidou
-musee l'orangerie
-musee marmottan
-jardin du luxembourg
-walk around marais for an afternoon (including village st paul and hotel de ville area)
-opera garnier for ballet (the tour is excellent as well)
-evening in montmartre (especailly the lamark-coulaincourt area and absesses)
-Bouquinistes on the seine
-ice cream on Ile Saint Louis
-Canal St martin
-Giverny
-parc des buttes chaumont
-pere lachaise

**If you have not been to Musee Rodin, on a trip that long it is a MUST GO. I'm not returning because i've been several times, but it never disappoints, especially on a nice day.

If you have instagram, start following some paris photo bloggers--they often have some great ideas for new/good coffee shops, cafes, off the beaten track but beautiful areas of paris.

Other day trips--Mont Saint Michel is definitely worth a visit! Rouen is also a lovely day trip.

Hope this gives you a few ideas! I know my list looks like a lot, but I'm a pretty active person and don't like to sit around a lot. I'm planning my days by staying in one or two areas of paris, and seeing the most in those areas. That usually works out quite well for both seeing a lot of "sights/museums" but also allowing yourself to get a little lost and stumble upon new things!

Have a great time!
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Old Apr 23rd, 2015, 08:39 AM
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Also, La Defense is worth a trip out to the end of Line 1. You don't have to spend much time there, but it's a different side of paris and kind of cool to see.

Last thing I promise-- I would definitely not go the hotel route. I would do airbnb (soemwhat controversial on this forum but usually my pick) or VBRO.
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Old Apr 23rd, 2015, 08:49 AM
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and just one more--I keep thinking of things!

THe musee de MOntmartre is a really nice little museum. It doesn't take long and i really enjoyed it!
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