Alone in Paris
 

'Will be spending three weeks in Paris meandering by myself. 'Am most interested in exploring, within walking distance, starting from my hotel on the left bank. Apart from the obvious would like some tips of lesser known points of interests and cozy cafes.

Maybe the obvious could mean different things to different people. For me the Passages are a big draw when exploring.

I love the left bank and we stayed on rue St Sulpice. Paris has no shortage of cozy cafes...we frequented Le Danton a lot while there. Also upstairs at les editeurs is quieter than downstairs and comfortable.

I love the market up Blvd St Germain near the Cluny museum. I also think rue St Louis en Ile on Ile St Louis is very charming street and it's full of quaint little restaurants (and a stop at Bertillon for ice cream!). Rue Buci is also lovely.

Not sure if it's obvious...but I could spend a day wandering around the Le Grand Epicerie at Le Bon Marche. Cafe Varenne on rue Varenne is not far away and we enjoyed it.

watch the forum for Kerouac's posts...he knows all the "roads less travelled" in Paris

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...es-revised.cfm

The above is the link to the passages walk mentioned above.

We love the Cafe Bonaparte on the Left Bank, near the Iglise St. Germaine des Pres. One of my favorite walks is through the Luxembourg Gardens - it is beautiful in late spring. Also visit the Musee Rodin and spend time in its sculpture gardens. You didn't mention when you are going but I have found walking in Paris to be wonderful almost any time of the year.

Focusing on Left bank only....

Arene de Lutece is a roamn arena. Nice place to bring a lunch. Check out some of the carved stones.

Jardin des Plantes is the botanical gardens as well as location of Natural History Museum (close to the above Arene)

Smaller museum is the Musee du Moyen Age (aka Cluny) Has artifacts from middle ages and is bult over ruins of roman baths.

If summer, there are salsa dancers on certain nights at the Museum of outdoor arhcitecture, which is..outdoors :) and right along the Seine. I have seen a website somewhere that talks about this...

Ditto on Bonaparte cafe. I had a nice Croque Monsieur there.

I would wander around rue de Buci (near above cafe). Some old buildings, cobblestone streets, street food market. Also location of Cafe Procope, oldest cafe in pairs (they say). Ben Franklin was there...but the food is rated so-so.

Look at Paris Walks for tours of Left bank and other areas. I did thjeir Ile St Louis and one of their Left Bank tours (as well as both Marais ones).

If you ge the Pariscope or Offciel des Spectacles weekly magazine, it will list weekly events and tours ( some in English). It will also have list of church classical music concerts. I try to take in one every trip. The acoustics are quite good, and the caliber of musicians very good.

If you are there in June...21st has an overload of street musicians.

Walking along the Seine, above and below the street is a very nice experience. Check out the Bouquinistes for old books,maps, magazines,etc..

Luxembourg gardens, of course. Bring a lunch, a book, and enjoy.

The catacombs are alson on the Left Bank, for something quite different.

You could do the 'french intellectual haunts tour', go where
Simon de Beauvoir, Sartre,etc..hung out. Perhaps lunch at..Cafe Bonaparte, Cafe de Flore, Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp would be the main ones.

There are some nice upscale book shops on Rue de Seine. Near there I peeked into the coutyard of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, it is very nice, arcaded, statues. There could be also be shows going on there.

The church of St Julien le Pauvre is one of the oldest in Paris. Supposedly, one of the oldest trees in its little park.
It hosts nighttime concerts. Outside its doors, in the littele square is supposedly where they held the first lectures in latin for university studesnt, back in Middle ages (thus..Latin Quarter)

There are the biggies on the Left bank...Pantheon, Musee Orsay, Rodin Museum and gardens, Military Musuem, Napoleon's tomb.

Along the way to these, maybe stop at Pont des Arts, the pedestrain bridge over the Seine. Artists, lovers (padlocks) here.

Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars. I might approach the tower from the Right Bank (Trocadero metro stop, then go between the two Palais Chaillot buildings for superb view).

Hope this helps, ind of off the top of my head..

Focusing on Left bank only....

Arene de Lutece is a roamn arena. Nice place to bring a lunch. Check out some of the carved stones.

Jardin des Plantes is the botanical gardens as well as location of Natural History Museum (close to the above Arene)

Smaller museum is the Musee du Moyen Age (aka Cluny) Has artifacts from middle ages and is bult over ruins of roman baths.

If summer, there are salsa dancers on certain nights at the Museum of outdoor arhcitecture, which is..outdoors :) and right along the Seine. I have seen a website somewhere that talks about this...

Ditto on Bonaparte cafe. I had a nice Croque Monsieur there.

I would wander around rue de Buci (near above cafe). Some old buildings, cobblestone streets, street food market. Also location of Cafe Procope, oldest cafe in pairs (they say). Ben Franklin was there...but the food is rated so-so.

Look at Paris Walks for tours of Left bank and other areas. I did thjeir Ile St Louis and one of their Left Bank tours (as well as both Marais ones).

If you ge the Pariscope or Offciel des Spectacles weekly magazine, it will list weekly events and tours ( some in English). It will also have list of church classical music concerts. I try to take in one every trip. The acoustics are quite good, and the caliber of musicians very good.

If you are there in June...21st has an overload of street musicians.

Walking along the Seine, above and below the street is a very nice experience. Check out the Bouquinistes for old books,maps, magazines,etc..

Luxembourg gardens, of course. Bring a lunch, a book, and enjoy.

The catacombs are alson on the Left Bank, for something quite different.

You could do the 'french intellectual haunts tour', go where
Simon de Beauvoir, Sartre,etc..hung out. Perhaps lunch at..Cafe Bonaparte, Cafe de Flore, Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp would be the main ones.

There are some nice upscale book shops on Rue de Seine. Near there I peeked into the coutyard of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, it is very nice, arcaded, statues. There could be also be shows going on there.

The church of St Julien le Pauvre is one of the oldest in Paris. Supposedly, one of the oldest trees in its little park.
It hosts nighttime concerts. Outside its doors, in the littele square is supposedly where they held the first lectures in latin for university studesnt, back in Middle ages (thus..Latin Quarter)

There are the biggies on the Left bank...Pantheon, Musee Orsay, Rodin Museum and gardens, Military Musuem, Napoleon's tomb.

Along the way to these, maybe stop at Pont des Arts, the pedestrain bridge over the Seine. Artists, lovers (padlocks) here.

Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars. I might approach the tower from the Right Bank (Trocadero metro stop, then go between the two Palais Chaillot buildings for superb view).

Hope this helps, ind of off the top of my head..

Focusing on Left bank only....

Arene de Lutece is a roamn arena. Nice place to bring a lunch. Check out some of the carved stones.

Jardin des Plantes is the botanical gardens as well as location of Natural History Museum (close to the above Arene)

Smaller museum is the Musee du Moyen Age (aka Cluny) Has artifacts from middle ages and is bult over ruins of roman baths.

If summer, there are salsa dancers on certain nights at the Museum of outdoor arhcitecture, which is..outdoors :) and right along the Seine. I have seen a website somewhere that talks about this...

Ditto on Bonaparte cafe. I had a nice Croque Monsieur there.

I would wander around rue de Buci (near above cafe). Some old buildings, cobblestone streets, street food market. Also location of Cafe Procope, oldest cafe in pairs (they say). Ben Franklin was there...but the food is rated so-so.

Look at Paris Walks for tours of Left bank and other areas. I did thjeir Ile St Louis and one of their Left Bank tours (as well as both Marais ones).

If you ge the Pariscope or Offciel des Spectacles weekly magazine, it will list weekly events and tours ( some in English). It will also have list of church classical music concerts. I try to take in one every trip. The acoustics are quite good, and the caliber of musicians very good.

If you are there in June...21st has an overload of street musicians.

Walking along the Seine, above and below the street is a very nice experience. Check out the Bouquinistes for old books,maps, magazines,etc..

Luxembourg gardens, of course. Bring a lunch, a book, and enjoy.

The catacombs are alson on the Left Bank, for something quite different.

You could do the 'french intellectual haunts tour', go where
Simon de Beauvoir, Sartre,etc..hung out. Perhaps lunch at..Cafe Bonaparte, Cafe de Flore, Deux Magots, Brasserie Lipp would be the main ones.

There are some nice upscale book shops on Rue de Seine. Near there I peeked into the coutyard of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, it is very nice, arcaded, statues. There could be also be shows going on there.

The church of St Julien le Pauvre is one of the oldest in Paris. Supposedly, one of the oldest trees in its little park.
It hosts nighttime concerts. Outside its doors, in the littele square is supposedly where they held the first lectures in latin for university studesnt, back in Middle ages (thus..Latin Quarter)

There are the biggies on the Left bank...Pantheon, Musee Orsay, Rodin Museum and gardens, Military Musuem, Napoleon's tomb.

Along the way to these, maybe stop at Pont des Arts, the pedestrain bridge over the Seine. Artists, lovers (padlocks) here.

Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars. I might approach the tower from the Right Bank (Trocadero metro stop, then go between the two Palais Chaillot buildings for superb view).

Hope this helps, kind of off the top of my head.