CarolA

OK. Back when Delta had a fare sale last fall I bought a round trip ticket to Paris.....for 10 days leaving the middle of March.

Original plan was to fly into Paris and take the train to Aix en Provence and spend a few days. Plan two was to fly into Paris and take another flight to Barcelona.

Now it's right at a month to go and the trains to Aix are rather high and I am just not excited about going back to Barcelona (I loved it, but I was there last Spring and missed Paris last year)

So now it's 10 days in Paris and this is far from my first visit. And it's March so it is liable to be rather cool. I am looking for "off the beaten track suggestions" Any ideas welcome.
For most of the visit I am staying in the 14th at the Marriott (hey it's free, one advantage of a lot of travel) I have a two nights that are under consideration for other options, probably staying in the 6th or 7th.

One other question. Does anyone know if there's a "template" for the Navigo photo size. Being American my measuring tools seem to be less then accurate when it comes to the sizing required and I think this time I actually can make one make sense

CarolA

Oh one other note...

I normally don't wait this late to plan/book, but I was considering a job change which would have cancelled this trip (yes, they would have let me take the trip, but I thought adding a trip to Europe on top of trying to rent a new home, rent my current home, pack, move etc... was a nightmare waiting to happen!)

StCirq

Check out French Mystique Tours' awesome list of daytrips from Paris (it's been posted countless times here and on TA) and make time for lunch at La Maison Fournaise on the Ile des Impressionistes, which I don't think he mentions on that thread.

powhatangal

How about visiting the château de Monte Cristo (domaine of Alexandre Dumas)? It's in Le Port-Marly.

I will be in Paris for 10 days in May and plan on going there.

CarolA

Thanks! I found the day trip listing. Some good ideas. Weather might be a concern so I am working on "cold and rainy days' and "days where the sun shines" I have done March before and it can be cold Guess that's why the airfare was so cheap!

DebitNM

I just measured our Navigo pictures, about 1" x 1 ". I made a xerox copy, black and white, of our passport picture and a small pair of scissors to the metro station. Then I just cut the paper to fit. Easy Peasy. And we have used the cards on 2 different trips with no issues.

Have you been to Chateau de Vincennes at the end of the #1 metro line? Marmottan Museum?

DebitNM

"And brought a small pairs of scissors" Sorry. After I trimmed the photo, it just sticks right on the card.

kja

So, let me be sure I understand ... you are "stuck" in Paris because your original thoughts that you might go to Aix or Barcelona aren't sitting well with you at this moment? If so, I suspect that a glimpse at a map might help you realize that you have other options. Amsterdam, Brugge, London, Toulouse....

Good luck!

Sarastro

I am seeing March tickets to Aix-en-Provence for as little as 30€. The OP has stated that tickets there are too expensive so I might conclude that tickets to Amsterdam etc. would also be too expensive.

There is never a shortage of activities in Paris. There are day trips, concerts, museums, shopping, exploration, soirées, expositions, not to mention restaurants and cafés.

The official ND photo size is 25mm X 30mm or about 1¨ square. No need to bring scissors, the window service agents have them and they will gladly trim your photo to fit the card for you.

kja

Good point, Sarastro. So the OP will need to find activities in Paris that are sufficiently low cost to obviate the expense of a 60€ round trip to Aix-en-Provence and any expenses (hotels, meals, etc.) that are higher in Paris than Aix...

BTW, I don't dispute the range of wonderful options within Paris. I'm just trying to understand what the issue actually is.

opaldog

A trip out to Reims for champagne tasting and cathedral viewing; if you like horseracing www.france-galop.com can give you the schedule of races in Paris and surrounding area. Chantilly has a racecourse and chateau, you could combine both if the horses are running; get some themes going and do some do it your self tours such as architecture, e.g. Le Corbusier; music e.g. gypsy jazz at Chopes des Puces and other venues around Paris; one item food searches, e.g. the perfect eclair, macaron, baquette, etc.; food markets by arrondisement; small museums; free things in Paris. This is the kind of thing I end up doing when I visit. Of course not everyone likes to visit Paris the same way that I do, but these are my ideas.

CarolA

So, let me be sure I understand ... you are "stuck" in Paris because your original thoughts that you might go to Aix or Barcelona aren't sitting well with you at this moment? If so, I suspect that a glimpse at a map might help you realize that you have other options. Amsterdam, Brugge, London, Toulouse...."
Sorry I gave you the wrong impression. I decided I wanted to be "Stuck" in Pairs (I actually have a plane ticket to Barcelona that I am probably just throwing away) But I guess it was easier to assume I was an idiot (Which may be true, but that's another post!)

Thanks for the all the suggestion near Paris. I actually remembered a walking tour I have wanted to do and hunted that down last night.

I love Paris and could just wander around for days but I think since I have so long I should take some time to explore the area. Great suggestions here. My big issue is working on "weather" days. As I said last time I was there in March it was COLD so some of the outdoor things are less appealing, but keeping my options open. Just making lists by "days' of options. (Would hate to get on a train to an outlying site on a day it's closed for example) Then I figure based on the weather, how I feel etc I will have options for each day!

Christina

I don't understand the Aix comment, also. It sounds like you are saying the train fare to Aix is too high, so you don't want to go there any more just for that reason. How high could it be 30 days out, in march? I just wondered because if that is too high for you to go to Aix, it probably would be for lots of the alternatives. I just checked and the PREM fares are only around 25-35 euro for mid-March (eg, march 13th which is what I checked). You could spend close to that on these day trips from Paris.

I think March is a pretty blah month myself in many places, so wouldn't get too excited about traveling then. At least it's not usually snowy and frigid cold, I guess, vs. dead of winter.

Well, I think London is always fun and being a city, March doesn't matter too much. If I hadn't been there in a while, I might do that. See some great theater and museums, etc.

But there are plenty of places you can fly on Easyjet from Paris direct (my favorite airline) other than Barcelona. Of course, they will cost more than the train fare to Aix, so that's why I'm not understanding the issue. You can fly to Toulouse for 45 euro and Venice for 65 euro, for example.

FrenchMystiqueTours

If you want to see my Paris day trip list you can check this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-with-kids.cfm

If you want some ideas for an off the beaten path Paris walking itinerary here's one that I keep in a word doc about exploring the 20th arrondissement that I'll copy and paste for you:

Here's a walk for the lower 20th arrondissement. Start with a visit to the art deco Eglise Saint-Jean Bosco on rue Alexandre Dumas. Head down rue Planchat and go left onto rue des Vignoles and note the old timey cobbled lanes off it (on your right). Across from them note the cool looking modern loft style buildings and then realize this is a recent social housing project designed by a famous architect. Some good restaurants here such as Café de l'Amitié, 20ème Art, La Petite Fabrique, Paris Polska, O-Di-Vin-Resto, A la Vierge de la Réunion. Les Mondes Bohèmes has a beautiful terrace and ambiance but the food is just average. Go there for the terrace. I really like the couple that owns this place though. They'll explain the background of the resto and the neighborhood if you ask. Next door check out the little lane with the anarchist headquarters and the flamenco dance studio.

Head to Place de la Réunion and continue down rue Vitruve to rue Saint-Blaise. Along the way see the salamander on the wall at the corner of rue Courat (look at the oddball "artists" home across the street) then at 50 rue Vitruve lived the French singer Barbara. On rue Saint-Blaise itself is the old village of Charonne with 18th century buildings and a village feeling. Lots of cafés and restos here, such as Café Noir. See the old church (if renovation is complete yet) and the art nouveau boulangerie across from it. Go down rue de Bagnolet and there's a great bistro/wine bar (Le Papillon) at the corner of rue des Balkans. Across is the Jardin Debrousse, the remains of the châteaux grounds of the Duchess of Orléans. One building remains, the Pavillon de l'Ermitage. You can go in and see the rococo murals on the walls.

http://www.pavillondelermitage.com/P...e/accueil.html

Walk over the to Place Edith Piaf and see the ugly statue in homage to her. The bar here (Bar Edith Piaf) looks like it hasn't had a decor update since the 1950's and the walls are covered in old black and white photos (no idea if she ever sang here). The regulars seem to be just as old as she would be, and just as rough around the edges. Go around the corner to see La Campagne à Paris (rue Jules-Siegfried, rue Irénée-Blanc, rue Paul-Strauss) and the beautiful homes and small gardens. Hard to believe these were built for workers as part of a social housing project.

photos: https://www.google.com/search?q=la+c...w=1272&bih=629

Great old timey café nearby at Place Octave Chanute. Judging by the photos on the walls there must have been a lot of old time French celebrities that came here.

I've got more ideas for the 19th and 20th but this should get you started.

jpie

One of the things I love when I am in Paris in the winter is to go to one of the hammams. HAMMAM PACHA is my favorite They are exclusively open to women and they are open 7 days a week:

http://www.hammampacha.com/plan.htm

Judy

If you haven't already done so, on a weather day you could walk the passages. They are fairly close together so could be done without too much outdoor time.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Here's another off the beaten path walk you can do starting at the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont and ending at rue Oberkampf:

Adjacent to Buttes-Chaumont I highly recommend visiting the residential neighborhood known as La Mouzaïa. You can read about it and see photos here:

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...t-paris?page=1

Leaving that neighborhood take rue de la Villette to rue de Belleville. Some interesting little side streets as you approach rue de Belleville. Take a left on rue de Belleville and there is a great boulangerie and some other food stores. You'll notice them. Go down rue de Belleville towards Paris and take a left on rue Piat and shortly you'll arrive at the Maison de l'Air with a great view of the Paris skyline at the top of the Parc de Bellville. Great little bar/café with a nice terrace and views across the street that you'll notice (I've forgotten the name).

From here head down rue des Envierges and take a right on rue des Cascades to rue de Ménilmontant. Charming old timey streets. At rue de Ménilmontant take a left going uphill and on your left is a slice of residential 19th century Paris in the Cité de l'Ermitage so take a peek in here. If you want you can go around the corner and see another such place in the Cité Leroy. Across from Cité de l'Ermitage you can go slam dance with the punk rockers in the artists squat known as La Miroiterie. You'll notice it by the graffiti. You can get a 50cl can of cheap beer for 2.50€ and see some great graffiti art (and also the dirtiest toilet in Paris). Otherwise go down rue du Retrait and take a right on rue Laurence Savart, another quaint old timey street. Then take a right on rue Boyer and you'll pass by La Bellevilloise:

http://www.labellevilloise.com/notre-histoire/

This brings you back to rue de Ménilmontant and you can head back down the hill to Paris.

To learn more about the 20th arrondissement you can go to its official website:

http://www.mairie20.paris.fr/mairie2....jsp?page_id=7

As you approach métro Ménilmontant you can take a left on rue Victor Latalle and there are some hip bistros and cafés on this street and the beginning portion of rue des Panoyaux. La Boulangerie is a nice place to eat and a couple good bars/cafés that I go to sometimes are La Cale Sèche (nice terrace out back), Le Saint-Sauveur and Lou Pascalou (nice front terrace). From here you might enjoy a walk down rue Oberkampf back to central Paris and then take it from there.

CarolA

Thanks everyone. Great ideas on here

CarolA

By the way, the days I thought about Aix Tickets were more on the $200 plus round trip. Not completely our of the question but not the bargain folks are indicating I am missing

Sarastro

<i>By the way, the days I thought about Aix Tickets were more on the $200 plus round trip. </i>

The fact that you are quoting train ticket prices in dollars might indicate that you were looking in the wrong places (Raileurope maybe?).

I originally found tickets on just about any date for 50€ or less and many trains had tickets at 30€.