Arriving Paris Easter Monday
 

Our flight from DC is scheduled to arrive Easter Monday morning, April 9, and we're staying for a week. This is my first trip to Paris (my wife's been there once before) and I'm not sure what to expect. I've heard it's kind of the start of the tourist season, so will it be crowded? Also, it's an election year and I believe that the week we're there is the beginning of the French "campaign period." I read somewhere that Les Parisiennes love to strike during elections...anyone know if that's true? Any advice, suggestions, and tips on places to see (and eat!) would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I'm arriving a week before you, and share your concerns, so I'm hoping someone will be able to enlighten us.

Where did you read that? I don't think it's true, not in my observation. Most strikes aren't related to elections in any way, it seems to me. Many are related to trade unions and so are affected by union behavior, rules, pensions, salary agreements, whatever. A lot have to do with particular businesses, also, and what their company or manangement is doing. That doesn't have anything to do with presidential elections. Others that are by public workers are often in response to the passage of a particular law or bill (or the anticipation of such), so happens when that happens, such as the massive strikes due to changes in the national pension and working hours laws. Some of these are more national and some affect employees in certain sectors, like education.

A lot of strikes may be timed to have a particular effect related to holidays, but that's nothing to do with presidential elections. Like tranport workers may strike to disrupt travel during a peak holiday travel period (often around May Day, seems to me). I think they have more in nice weather, too, obviously, as who wants to strike and be out in the cold.

The Parisian police are very good at handling these. They were striking at the Garnier one night when I had a ticket, and trying to block anyone from entering. I think it was the parttime workers in performing arts unions or something (they were called the intermittents), and they weren't performing, but the show went on by others. The police came up and formed a "wall" and helped anyone with a ticket enter the Garnier without being harrassed or bothered by the strikers in any way (and a couple of them were getting a little out of hand in front, actually). The show went on with no problem.

Paris is crowded during Easter week because so many people are on holiday, and many go there just like you are -- from all over Europe, as well as France.

Well, there may be a lot of people in Paris on Easter Monday, but the city itself will be rather dead. I was there two years ago on Easter Monday and not much was open and there weren't a lot of people on the streets.

And no, I've never seen a connection between elections and strikes. The strikes are generally related to employee and student gripes about this or that.

Monday is the perfect day to arrive in Paris for a one-week visit, by the way. The one-week Carte Orange (metro pass) is good Monday-through-Sunday. That should be your first purchase (from the booth at any Metro station). Also, bring along some very small photographs for each member of your party (about 1.25" high by 1" wide) ... that will save you from having to shoot pictures in the coin operated machine in the Metro stations.

Try and pick up a Paris Visite card fo r the week giving you unlmtd Metro access and also tix for museums; dont miss D'Orsay, Rodin, St. Chapelle, Ile St. Louis, recommend an ancient bistro over near Sorbonne "Polidor" -- been there 200 yrs or so, not fancy, we go every time we're in Paris. Don't miss Angelina over on Rue Rivoli, either for lunch and be sure to get the best hot chocolate in the world their Chocolat L'Africain. It too is an old institution and worth every euro and calorie. It's near the Louvre opposite the Tuileries. Sacre Coeur is gorgeous esp. on a clear day; a side trip to Giverny or Versailles or Fontainebleu will get you in the artist spirit. We're making our 5th trip in March!

Thanks for the insights, Christina. I think I was reading an op-ed online about the upcoming election and the comment was kind of a throwaway, so maybe he/she was just generalizing. Thanks, travelhorizons, for the tip about the Carte Orange...we were on the fence about getting that, but think we'll go for it. Does that work for the train to Versailles, too? And thank you, Alice, for the recommendations about Polidor and Angelina's! We're staying at the Renaissance Vendome, so we're right near Rue Rivoli and we're both BIG hot chocolate fans! My wife will probably lose interest in Starbucks hot chocolate after the Chocolat L'Africain! Nah...it'll just make her think of Paris!
Another question: We're looking at taking a shuttle from CDG, but I'm not sure it's worth the savings over just taking a cab. Has anyone used the shuttles and if so, which would you recommend?
Thanks again for letting me pick your brains!-Dave

If you don't have hotel reservations yet, you had better get moving since it IS A VERY BUSY PERIOD. My wife and I have stayed twice at Hotel Pas de Calais. Check it out- right off the blvd st germaine and near many stores and restaurants and close to metro. We have taken the shuttle and had no problem with arrival and departure- arranged via email prior to trip. Make sure you see the usual sites (Eifell Tower, Arc de Triumpe, Sacre Cour, Louvre, etc but take a rest each day at some sidewalk cafe... right nearby this hotel is Deux Magott (famous spot) ... web site for hotel is <http://hotelpasdecalais.com>
Check it out .... very friendly desk.

We were in Paris the weeks before and after Easter in 2003, which was in mid-April that year. We had incredibly good weather, and the museums were not that crowded, even though schools were out during Easter week. We had the Paris museum pass, which allowed to skip the 15-30 minute lines to get into the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Ste. Chapelle, and other popular spots. One of our favorite spots near the Louvre and our apartment was the Palais Royale, which on the inside portion has a very nice and quiet courtyard and promenade with restaurants and shops.