1st timers to Paris...suggestions?!
 

Me and my husband are planning our first trip to Paris, and so far I'm overwhelmed with the options. Any tips would be appreciated. Things we MUST do that might not be in any of the books you buy. We are planning on September 2007. Mostly I'm curious about things outside of Paris, day trips. I'd like to do one day trip to a castle, any suggestions?

Hi Abba, How long will you be there? This isn't so much about what to do, but I'd strongly encourage you to rent an apartment rather than staying in a hotel. It's so different and a lot of fun to try to "be a Parisian" instead of a tourist. There are a ton of great websites out there for apartment rentals; a couple I've used and would recommend are www.parispiedaterre.com and www.vacationinparis.com. There are others that seem very good, too, and there are just a ton of great options out there.

Since it's your first trip, choose a place based on location. You really want to be in a good location that will make it convenient to see as much as possible. Paris is very manageable because of its wonderful Metro, but nonetheless for your first trip I'd really go for a central location. If you want ideas, send me an email at [email protected].

The most common trips outside Paris are Versailles, Fontainebleau, Giverny, and even Mont-St-Michel, but there's much beyond that as well. Depends on a lot of things -- how much time you have, how far you want to travel beyond the city, how you plan to get there, what you like to do, etc. If you send me an email, I can share some other ideas.

Hi Abba,

How long are you going for?

1st step: read the Fodor's Paris guide on this site. Pick out the things that interest you.

2nd step: get a general map of Paris, either in the guide, or online. Figure out where things are. Get a basic understanding of where the arrondissements (districts) are. This will help when you get accomodation ideas.

3rd step: Make up a preliminary plan. Include fact that first day will take you 2-3 hours to get off plane and to your hotel, buy metro tickets,etc... Include 4-5 hours to get to CDG on way back. First day will have jet lag, so nothing where you sit for a while, like a bus tour.

4th Step: Post itinerary. We'll help you with ideas

5th Step: Post your hotel budget, what you need (jacuzzi...or a bucket of water). Do you want to be close to centre of city or not, do you want to walk places or OK to Metro to them, do you want to be in quiet area,etc.. People will suggest many hotel solutions if you help them with your requirements first.

Then...you're on your way.

PS...and serach on this website for stuff..there are LOADS of info on Paris hotesl, restaurants, sites, Metro passes,etc...

Most of the stuff in the books is there for a reason: it's geniunely great. The Eiffel Tower, for instance, is the cheesiest, touristiest thing you could imagine -- and absolutely stunning and unmissable; I found it considerably BETTER than the guidebooks suggested. I love the way it, and the park around it, opens up the city. You don't get to become an icon by accident.<br>
It's also very unlikely that even the tiniest corner of Paris, which is filled with millions of residents and even more millions of visitors, can go undiscovered for very long.<br>
As for castles and so forth, I can't help you. But I can give you a couple of the things that really made Paris come alive for me. One was the Jardin du Luxembourg. Yes, it's "just a park", but it's a wonderful park, with small children steering small boats in the pond with sticks; fantastically manicured trees; refreshments kiosks that will stun and boggle Americans by having food and drink that DON'T SUCK, unlike literally every single park in America; and best of all, the playground area where ordinary French people from 1 to 100 play soccer and basketball, ride bikes and skateboards, skip rope, sit and read the paper, and enjoy the sunshine. I liked it better than all the churches put together.

I also highly recommend the Montmartre area around the Sacré-Cœur, not so much the church itself (though the view there is spectacular) but the narrow streets nearby. Your guidebook will tell you which ones to walk down.

Another thing not to miss is sitting for an hour on the patio of a cafe in the afternoon with an espresso or a pastis or glass of Suze. It doesn't have to one of the super-famous ones like Cafe Flore or Deux-Magots; there are many, many of these. Pick one in an area near both business and shopping, such as the Boulevard Haussmann near l'Opéra and Au Printemps department store (which you should go in) for the best people-watching.

I thought the Champs-Élysées was kind of boring, though the sight of twelve unmarked lanes of speeding cars whirling around the Arc de Triomphe (go under the roadway to the center) is unmissable.

Paris cannot be seen in one trip. So if you are going for a short trip, I'd skip the castle thing UNLESS it is really a dream of yours, then it can be accomodated.

Versailles is a common day trip, but it is a palace, not a castle. It is a short distance from Paris, easily reachable by train (so you can do it on your own) or you could take a bus tour from central Paris. Allow at least a half day for this.

The famous area for castles is the Loire valley, but this is a longer trip and would most easily be done via a tour, taking up a full day to see 2/3 castles. Renting a car is possible, but would depend greatly on the amount of time you have. By the time you pick up car, figure out directions get there, exit city,park, visit,etc..it would chew up a day easily.

I want to second the apartment reccommendation. If you're in town for a week (or even as short as five days, for some apartments), I don't think an apartment can be beat. The reason is that it allows you to be at "home" in a neighborhood. Take advantage of the patisseries and local shops. That's an experience that you won't find in the travel guides (at least most of them), but is really a lot of fun.

You'd be surprised how much of Paris you can see in one trip, if you get up first thing in the morning and march relentlessly all day, wearing out your shoes and making your wife cry. I speak from experience. We had a lovely time, but we learned a few things about each other's traveling styles (to put it gently), too. I've eased up just a little!

But Paris is a fantastic city to walk around in.

My favorite of all the museums was the Picasso. That man's creative range is frightening.

The suggestions Michael made as to how to go about researching your trip sounds good. I would also go on the itnernet and/or to bookstores and look at photos of Paris and see what "grabs" you - places you say to yourself "I want to see THAT".

The closest "castle" (chateau) is Chantilly, and that can easily be visited in a half day using public transportation to get there. Have a look at this: www.pbase.com/annforcier/image/65269299
There are day trips available with tour groups to the Loire Valley but I wouldn't bother with the time and expense.

I personally loved staying in an apartment in Paris, but I've been there several times and know my way around. I do NOT think it's a very good idea for a first trip. Do you live in a city - are you used to public transportation, etc. Are you fluent in French? If you answer yes to those questions then maybe, but I'm always glad to have a hotel staff available to help me with questions, etc in a new city. There are so many great hotels in Paris, for reasonable amounts (under 100€)that I wouldn't do an apartment on my first trip.

Also, whatever you do, don't pack a zillion things in a day.
Paris a so full of wonderful places - it is hard to pace yourself but it is much more enjoyable.
It kills me when people 'do" Paris in 3 days.

I don't really believe in anything being something one must do very much (oh I suppose seeing the Seine and Notre Dame might be one such thing in Paris, as well as seeing the Champs-Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe) -- but if there were such a thing, the top things a first-time tourist might do to get the history etc of a city, then they will indeed be mentioned in guidebooks.

You don't say how long you are going to be in Paris, but I think it's a find idea to see a castle, depending on how you define that. Some people only think of things with tall spires that way, rather than just large stone houses, which is kind of what many chateaux are. However, Chantilly definitely fits the castle idea and is very easy to get to and a lovely day trip, that's one possibility. The other is Fontainebleau which I think is a beautiful building and very nice trip, and also easy to get to and quick.

I'm so excited for you! I can't wait until I'm planning my next trip to Paris. As mentioned above, Versailles is not exactly a castle but it's spectacular. If you do visit, allow loads of time to wander in the gardens. Check the palace's website to try and plan your visit to coincide with the fountain extravaganza or whatever it is they call it. Worth it!

So many museums, so little time. Depends on your taste in art and how much time you have, but if it came down to a choice I would skip the Louvre entirely to explore the Musee d'Orsay at lesisure. There are so many more, but the d'Orsay is my favorite.

I second the recommendation of the Jardin du Luxumbourg.

No trip to Paris for me would be complete without a crepe (preferably dripping in chocolate) from a sidewalk stand.

Everybody's experience of Paris is different, as you will see from the many varied (and often conflicting) opinions you'll find here. Try and figure out what interests you the most and plan accordingly, but remember to be flexible and willing to wander off course.

Abba,
We plan a trip to Paris this May. We shall be there for 15 days, and we shall make some day trips. Below please find the list of places that we shall visit out of Paris:

- Chantilly
- Vincennse
- Malmaison
- St Germain en Laye
- Rambouillet
- Vaux-le-vicomte
- Reims

We shall visit also:
- Bois de Boulogne
- St Denis

In some precedent trips, we visited (like day trips):
- Versailles
- Rouen
- Chartres
- Fontainbleu

I do not recommend to visit Loire Valley or Normandy like a day trip; save these parts for another time, a longer trip.

You will find a lot of info about all these places in any guidebook and in internet. I hope that this list will give you some good ideas.

Actually the most unusual tips I found came from the Frommer's (sorry Fodor's) Irreverent Paris. It had great un tourist neighborhoods, some fiber optic steps, medieval courtyards.

Patricia Wells does good info on the food landscape.

I'm going to buy the newer version for my next trip.

Hi

My wife and I went to Paris in April last year and I have made a summary in a trip report with pictures http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . I have also made an interactive Google map of Paris on this page http://gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm . This shows you where the attractions are located and you can press the different markers to get some more information. Maybe you can find some useful info there :d

We also went to Venice a few years back and here is a similar trip report: http://gardkarlsen.com/italy_venice.htm . Have a great trip

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Yes, avoid Charles DeGaulle Airport at all costs. I have never seen a more unfriendly airport, and I have seen many. The layout is terrible, and the signage is even worse. Seats seem to be at a premium, and we ended up standing for about 2 hours. Never again will I land at that airport.