Hey folks, My husband and I are taking a Back Roads bike tour in Bordeaux and Dordogne the first week of September. We decided to spend 2 days in Paris before the trip and I'm overwhelmed with what neighborhoods we should take in...The Latin Quarter, St. Germain, Le Marais, Montmartre......We were in Paris a few years ago for 24 hours and did the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, so hoping this trip to get more of a local flavor. We usually love a food tour, cafes, history, shopping etc...Do you think spending a morning at Versaille is a must do? Any advice with suggested small/private tours would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Versailles is a hard no for me. With that little time, stick to Paris. My favorite activity in Paris is to climb the stairs and walk along the rooftop of the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. Montmartre is so pretty once the tourist hordes die down late afternoon.

Go on a Marais walking tour. the beginnings of Paris and the oldest streets. You can do a self-guided tour, there are many online.

And if you are in Paris on a Saturday, it's the best day to go to Les Puces de St Ouen, the historic flea market. Sunday morning is a good time as well. It is actually a dozen different markets, with the Marché Vernaison being the prettiest.

We enjoyed our food tour with Paris by Mouth. They have tours in several different neighborhoods and keep the group number very small.

Thanks so very much for the suggestions... I will definitely look into flea market and Paris by mouth and especially the Sacre Coeur.

Liz

We've been to Paris 4 or 5 times and stayed somewhere different each time. A month ago we stayed in the Latin Quarter at Hôtel du Levant Paris and we'll probably never stay anywhere else again. We loved the small, quaint streets and the incredibly diverse restaurant selections. Plus it was an easy walk to the lovely Square René Viviani park with great views of Notre Dame. I'm sure there are many other lovely places to stay...but we're hooked.

Edit to add: It was so central to everything which helped with walkability and minimizing metro use. We love the metro but as Paris swells with tourists it was actually difficult getting on the metro several times.

No way in the world would I go to Versailles if I only had two days in Paris. Do you have some particular special interest in Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI and how they lived? I guess then you'd decide you had to see it. I tend to get pretty bored with massive old palaces though, most anywhere. I never visited Charlottenburg when I was in Berlin, either. Now I've been to Paris multiple times so have been to Versailles 2-3 times probably, but would never call it a must-see for such a short stay. It eats up a lot of time. I wouldn't leave the city if there only 2 days.

I’ve been to Paris many times and if I had a very short time there I would visit the phenomenal Monet rooms at the Orangerie, Saint Chapelle for stunning stained glass and maybe the Picasso museum. We always stay in the Marais and I’ve heard great things about the Paris by Mouth tours. You could also grab a Fallafel on Rue du Rosiers, the old Jewish quarter in the Marais and have a picnic lunch in the beautiful Place des Vosges or visit the Marche des Enfants Rouge for a wide variety of food to buy and eat there.

thanks everyone for your thoughtful suggestions....we've decided that Versailles is OUT!

Good choice! With two days the temptation is to try to squeeze in as much as possible but once you accept that's impossible I would suggest picking one area eg the Latin Quarter [the 5th] or the Marais [the third] [great ideas here for spending time in both] and spending your two days there. Then you will minimise the amount of time you spend on public transport and maximise the things that you see with more time for sitting and enjoying just being in Paris too.

Been to Paris many.many times. Everyone has their favorite area. Ours is near the Seine in the 6th and Ile St. Louis.
Is it touristy? Yes, but the quaint streets, fabulous cafes, walks along The Seine, museums, shops,etc. are what we go there for.
Private car night tour is wonderful
Luxembourg Gardens beautiful
Versailles a no in your short time
Marais a yes if you like Falafel

For 2 days, I’d wander near The Seine, just sayin’

Thanks annhig and tpayt!

TPAYT,

Could you recommend a specific car touring company?Many thanks...

We used City Wheels. We were picked up at Le Grand Colbert after dinner and then returned to our hotel.
Riding around Paris in a 1938 Citroen was like being in a movie. We made photo stops at many of the famous monuments. What fun!

https://en.citywheels-paristours.com/

skiobx….haven’t been to Bordeaux, but .of all our driving trips around France The Dordogne in September remains my favorite. I’ll definitely be looking out for your trip report of The Dordogne on a bike. Sounds so interesting even though it’s something I couldn’t attempt to try.

Upper Belleville near metro Pyrénées or Jourdain still has the authentic Paris atmosphere that many people are looking for -- the little independent shops, greengrocers, cobblers, tailors, antique shops, bookstores, cafés, etc. which look much the same as they did in the 1930s. I understand that a lot of people prefer "their" Paris to be chic and slick, but that is not my case.

Thanks so very much, This is just what we are looking for...

If I had only two days to spend in Paris, it would make me sad! I would however go to the Luxemburg Gardens as well as the Orangerie and the Museum D'orsay as my favorite places. Saint Chapelle is so lovely and if I had time I would go to the Rodin Museum.

You can see the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkly at night from most places but not sure if I had only two days I would want to wait on a long line to visit, the same with the Louvre.

Having been to Paris countless times, my first or second time (as a student) I was taken to the 5th by a Parisian friend of mine to see her favorite spots. They became mine, and over the years, I have shared these spots with friends on subsequent trips. They may or may not be a favorite of others, but unique and certainly interesting to me, as a literature lover! They are:
Arenes de Lutece (the name for Paris before Paris)
Rue du Cardinal Lemoine
Place de la Contrascarpe
Rue Mouffetard

Take the Metro to Cardinal Lemoine. Walk down Rue Monge to kind of a hole in the wall with the small sign "Arenes de Lutece" at 49 rue Monge. It was first discovered around 1860 and excavation began for many years. A wonderful place and free to visit!
Then, head back to Cardinal Lemoine, and walk up the street to Place de la Contrascarpe. Along the way, you will see the apartment marked by a plaque where James Joyce finished his masterpiece, Ulysses. A few steps away (and around the corner from the Place de la Contrascarpe, you'll see the plaque where Ernest Hemingway lived at Number 74. The surrounding area is depicted in his novel, A Moveable Feast.

Stop for a drink and/or bite at the Place de la Contrascarpe, which has retained its cobblestoned character. Last year we stopped at Cafe La Contrescarpe for some moules and frites . . . yummy! For just coffee or a drink, Cafe Delmas across the circle is nice.

Then head down what has been said to be the "oldest" (and very narrow) street in Paris, again retaining its cobblestones. Perhaps the most entertaining and liveliest street in Paris. When you think of old Paris, it's all here! Cheese shops, butcher shops, fish shops, bistros, and, of course, tons of tourist shops. It ends at an outdoor produce market.

Makes for a nice walk in the afternoon!

This may not suit you but we are going to Versailles later in the afternoon and will watch the nighttime fireworks plus the musical serenade show prior to it (we're booked in for 7:30 but there is a 7:50 show). Using the night can be a good way to fit more in

Another vote for Le Marais. Good cafe/ bar culture, small boutiques and shops, interesting history, etc…. and I’ve never had falafel when I’ve been there but had some good food and cakes. Even if you decide to stay in the Latin Quarter or elsewhere and are in Paris on a Sunday head over to Le Marais.