Any tips for the 7th and surrounding area?
 

We will be staying in an apartment in the 7th from May 10 to May 17th. This is our first visit and we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary. Have any tips to share? Places we MUST see? Things we MUST do? Please share.

Merci

Hi S,

You have looked up Paris under "Destinations"?

What interests you?

((I))

Yes. My husband and I met in High School french class, so going to Paris is a dream come true. We know we will go to the D'Orsay and the Louvre. Tour the Jardins Luxenbourg and Tuilarre. I want to do a day trip to Versaille. We used a gret walking tour gour in London and they have a Paris group as well, so we will do a couple of those. But I'm looking for some non-touristy things to do as well.

Walk over to the market on Ave. Saxe on Thursday or Saturday morning to watch your affluent neighbors do their shopping.

That market was great fun; my family went in November.

My son's favorite vendor was the mini-cake guy: gorgeous little cakes in a huge variety of flavors. I'd post a photo if I knew how!

Rue St. Dominique is a pleasant destination for small window shopping, nice eats, and delicious coffee to make in the apartment from Cafe Richard. Christian Constant's food can leave an impression on you years later; I still think about one fish dish we had at Violin d'Ingres a few years later. For non-touristy things to do, some of my favorite things are to shop at the open air markets, cook food with my favorite cook books, maybe pack a picnic lunch to eat at the park with locals who are out picnicing and playing on the fields, take nice long strolls and just sit on the benches and watch people go by.

Well, for totally nontouristy, there is the tiny park and play area behind Ste. Clothilde and Ste. Clothilde itself:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/f...e-clotilde.htm

The Rodin Museum and Gardens (touristy? still fabulous)

And Napolean's Tomb and other tombs and Le Invalides.

Ste. Clothilde is my favorite spot in the 7th.

I don't know if the other two places are too tourist oriented to you, but the latter is an important national monument, and the former is gorgeous.

gosh I can't believe the coincidence - my husband and I just celebrated 30th anniversary - and planning to stay at an apt. in the 7th in September. Funny. Have you decided on something? We've got Champagne from Parisperfect booked.
Happy Anni!

laurela,

You will be very pleased with Champagne..often said to be the best 1 bedroom in Paris!!

I will be arriving in Paris on April 15 for a month...in a parisperfect, of course..

Enjoy your planning....

Joan

I would buy cheese at the gloriously smelly cheese shop on the Rue Cler to take home to your apartment.

Then I woulf find a wineshop for a bottle of nice wine or bubbly.

Next I would visit a pharmacie and treat myself to some bubble bath (buy two- one to use in Paris and one to take home- the scent will always remind you of your trip!)

There is nothing more romantic or decadent than a bubble bath with wine and cheese in Paris before going out for the evening...or even staying in!

Of course, this assumes that your apartment has a bathtub. If not, what about doing all of the above, without the bubble bath, and picnicking outdoors with a view of the Eiffel Tower?

The Champagne apartment comes with the best of views of the Eiffel Tower along with its wrap around balcony. You will be staying in for your picnicing!

When Stu Dudley sees your post here, he will tell you how they didn't like to leave the apt.

Joan

The 7th arrondissement is just a tiny musty scrap of Paris. I hope you have plans for venturing farther afield.

Be sure to ride the Batobus, through Paris, on the Seine. It is very inexpensive to buy a hop-on-hop-off pass. (I think it was 13 EUR for a two-day pass three years ago.)

It will take you within walking distance of the top tourist sites in Paris, and is especially lovely after dark. It stops running in the evening, around 9 or 10, depending on the season.

http://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm#

We stayed in Champagne for 3 weeks this past Sept/Oct. We've visited Paris may times before - perhaps 3 months worth of visits over 30 years. We had plans to take day-trips to Chartres, Rouen, Chantilly, Reims, and a few other chateaux.

When we arrived at Champagne and took a gander at the view, we ditched all our day trip plans, re-arranged the furniture to take advantage of the views, and spent a LOT more time in the apt than we had planned. We also dined out less than normal. In addition to the fantastic views of the Eiffel tower and the Hauseman buildings just in front of the tower, we had a great view of cafe life at the cafe on the corner. We even had lunch there a few times. While we were in Champagne, they re-paved & widened the sidewalk in front of the cafe, and the cafe owner extended the tables out in front. About 1 day later, the cafe cops arrived, measured out how far the tables stuck out onto the sidewalk, and made the cafe remove the tables & chairs.

The views and activity out our 7 floor-to-ceiling windows kept us ammused constantly (including the hooker that showed up at 4am when I was up & wandering around the apt on my first jet-lagged night).

Don't get Chinese carry-out from the place down below the apt - it's very bland.

We have Champagne rented for just before Christmas this year.

Stu Dudley

Stu,

You hadn't told me the story about the 4 am hooker!

When I stayed in the Meursault last fall there were several apartments across la Motte Picquet that I became very familiar with their family life, dining hours etc.In Dec. from the Cote du Rhone there is an apt. even closer, across on Monttessuy, that you become very familiar with their lifestyle, also...from the St. Amour(almost next door to where the Champagne is) but facing Bourdonnais and all the activity that that busy intersection..no balcony, but huge windows that open to catch all the activities...and the ET....

Joan

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions. Yes, we plan to walk all over the city. We are staying in the following apartment http://www.parisaddress.com/paris-ap...php?ref=BRANLY
Happy Anni to you as well laurala
I'm just getting so excited. What about restaurants in the area, especially for Sunday night as that is our 1st night in town and I understand a lot of places are closed. How far could we walk for dinner? I assume that the 6th and 8th are very doable. What about other districts?

Thank you again.

Going to Montparnasse would extend your dining options on a Sunday.

If you are looking for a nice place nearby:
http://www.cafe-de-l-alma.com/en/the-place-1.html

Stretch your legs a bit and see the area:
http://tinyurl.com/dmvyof

For Sunday dining make a reservation at Fables de la Fontaine; this fabulous seafood place is resonably priced as well. You can reserve on-line at the Constant site.

Fables is always great...The constants feed me whenever in Paris.

Only reason I did not mention it, is I thought you might be saving it for a later visit!

Enjoy..

Joan