38 Days in Paris
 

How would you spend 38 days in Paris?

Some of them on day trips to places near Paris: Fontainebleau, Giverny, Chartres etc. You might want to get the Michelin Green Guides: <u>Paris</u> and <u>Northern France and the Paris Region</u>

Also take a look at these two trip reports:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-de-france.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-yet-again.cfm

You might take a look at this for day trips:

https://www.amazon.com/Paris-Past-Tr.../dp/0393343154

Probably sitting every morning at Café Hugo, drinking coffee, improving my French by eavesdropping on the regulars.

Learning how to say hello goodbye and thanks.

I wouldn't, unless I were working there. I'd spend a week there and then head out to the countryside.

Yes! for the countryside. Spending time farther afield helps you start to understand Paris.

A couple of random suggestions:

Any special interests? Sign up for classes, two obvious ones being cooking or French but certainly you can find many specialized walking tours/lectures that focus on different aspects of Paris history, horticulture, design, both fashion and architecture, etc.

Similarly, go beyond the major (and wonderful) to the many very focused museums in the city.

Check Pariscope, I think it's still available in print from newstands, to see what's on while you're there. About 10 years ago I was doing a couple of scrapbooks and found an ephemera fair where I bought old greeting cards, stamps, menus, etc. to use in the scrapbooks. The items ranged from very cheap, my focus, to more costly such original advertisement and travel posters, etc. Haunt the flea markets, the food markets, etc.

Finally, take a deep breath and get to know your neighborhood. Find a café and ja boulangerie and linger over a crème. Cafés that don't serve breakfast generally don't mind you bringing in a croissant, if they do, you'll find out soon enough.

"How would you spend 38 days in Paris?"

Why would you want to know how I would spend time anywhere?

Are you writing a book on how people spend their time in Paris?

Are you planning to spend 38 days in Paris? If so, what are YOU planning to spend your time doing?

I have happily spent that long in Paris a couple of times and never even left the city.

The time flies by. I study French, read, write, visit friends, take classes, cook, shop... it's a great chance to live like a Parisian.

If you have a chance to do it, enjoy!

Pariscope appears only in the web edition. L'officiel des spectacles is still avaiable in paper. Que Faire a Paris
always has good information.

http://quefaire.paris.fr/

Thank you! I'm planning this trip for my parents.

When are they going -in summer it can get quite hot and Paris has spells of foul air at times rivalling the worst in Europe or it can be quite chilly in summer too - I think spring or early fall makes a swell time.

I would think I had died and gone to heaven. Do take a look at "Paris to the Past"... a book full of day trips by train from Paris.

If you search for posts by FrenchMystiqueTours you will find his informative post on day trips from Paris.

It would also depend on time of year....still am dying to go to Giverny and Vaux Le Vicomte.

I would at least try a new cheese everyday and possibly locate the best pain au chocolat in Paris.

I would take a few days to go back to Alsace and explore from Strasbourg.

With that much time, you could also explore a new arrondisement every day!

They are wanting to be there at the end of September. My mom wants to go to Versailles for sure. Thank you for the suggestions.

My number one tip for an extended trip to Paris woukd be to buy the book "hungry for paris" Its an amazing guide to the food scene in Paris---we didn't end up with a single disappointing meal courtesy of this book. It favors smaller and more local restaurants and moves far beyond the touristic areas of Saint germaine, Marseilles...etc and beyond the touristic food palette.

The latest version of Hungry for Paris I see is 2014. Is there a third edition?

I think 2014 is probably the most recent edition--- he also runs a blog (look up Alexander lobrano blog) that reviews the new hot spots so to speak---we found the blog recommendations to be equally good, but they tend to favor new "cutting edge" restaurants (frequently fusion) rather than the older family run restaurants.

I find this a very odd thing to be doing, planning a trip in Paris for exactly 38 days for someone who needs someone to tell them what to do and to plan their itinerary. I don't get it at all, but I don't think anyone should spend 38 days in a city if they have no interests and can't figure out what to do themself, and I don't think that should just be a tourist stay, either, they should have a reason for wanting to be in a place that long (such as classes, some kind of plan).

It wholly depends on what interests your parents. Several years ago we spent 9 weeks in an apartment in the 10th.
What we enjoyed most was living a relaxed life in a city like Paris. Mornings at the boulangerie, shopping almost daily at markets that are everywhere. Interacting with the cheese and produce merchants.
Also, just meandering around.
Besides Versailles, there is Giverny which is a wonderful day trip.
An overnight trip to Bayeux with D day tours is also a consideration.
Walking tours such as Paris walks are reasonable and provide a variety of tours.
I would suggest they don't spend too much time in the tourist areas.
We loved our local neighborhood,warts and all.
We got by with a minimum of French and had no trouble..