ron reago

I will be in Paris on Sunday, Jan 30. I will be there until February 5. However, I will only have the afternoons of January 30 and Feb 4 as my free time to see the place. I will be there for a conference (so I guess I'd be free in the evenong). <BR> <BR>Please help me plan my itinerary so I can say that I really HAVE BEEN to PARIS! <BR> <BR>By the way, is Bateaux Mouches open - are there boats plying River Seine at this time of the year? What do you suggest I wear? Shoes? <BR> <BR>YOur help will be very valuable to me! Thanks.

Gt

Hi Ron, <BR> <BR>I'm not one of the experts on Paris, the experts however will be responding to your posting. I was in Paris last November and saw a lot of Paris by night, my knowledge I got from the experts in this forum so take their advice seriously, my trip was sooo memorable: <BR> <BR>1. Comfortable shoes is best because of lots and lots of walking. <BR>2. Bateaux Mouche boat ride by night is awesome. Weather-permitting do stay on the deck. It was raining when I took the ride but I was dressed properly complete with a hooded water-repellant coat. Don't forget to bring an umbrella. <BR>3. Check out a concert at St. Chapelle- <BR>www.ampconcerts.com. I did the Vivaldi's 4 seasons concert. Starts about 7-730pm. <BR>4. Do Latin Quarter by night. Lots of nice restaurants there. The Forum experts would probably help you with that. <BR>5. I love Jazz, so I did that during one of my evenings in Paris. Lots of jazz clubs in Paris. Not sure if you're into music. Salsa music is pretty hot in Paris right now. You can check that out too. <BR>6. Check out the night schedules of the museums. When I was there in November the Musee D'Orsay was open till 10pm on a Thursday. Did the Louvre from 10am-3pm, took a much needed restful break and did the D'Orsay from 6pm-10pm. (That is if you are a museum buff but you gotta see at least one museum). But since you have the afternoons as well you'll get to see enough. <BR>Since I had limited time I bought a Louvre/D'Orsay CD ROM set. It comes out cheaper if you buy both. Not sure what your budget is. <BR>Now I enjoy seeing museum "rooms" "virtually" that I missed during my "whirlwind" museum visits. <BR>You can also log on and do extended virtual visits of both museums ... they have additional works on their "server." <BR>Installing the CD is easy. <BR>7. Gotta do the "sit in a cafe thang" and "watch the people walk by thang" just bundle up. <BR> <BR>You will enjoy Paris ! It's awesome ! <BR> <BR>

Maira

My first visit to Paris was to accompanied my husband on a business trip. Upon arrival (on a beautiful Sunday in early June), we dropped the suitcases at the Hotel and headed out to Champs Elysees. Talk about first impression!! That first look of the avenue and the Arc de Triomphe still so vivid in my mind. We knew that we had limited sightseeing time in Paris, so we had made a list of "Do not miss". <BR> <BR>The best thing you can do is to get the "Streetwise Paris" plastic folded pocket-size map of the Paris Metro system. Plan ahead of time along with your own list of sites. The map is sold at the Barnes & Noble and/or any major bookstore. You will be surprised at the amount of the sightseeing you can do in Paris if you are determined and venture the use of the Metro (very easy to use). There are people on this forum that are definite Paris experts. They have posted extensively, so browse this forum for ideas to expand on the responses you will obtain.

Lori

Ron, <BR>Lucky you, you'll be in Paris for my birthday! That said, since you have limited time I'd set my priorities. Are you a museum guy? If not, skip them and don't feel bad about it, your time will be precious (but if you do one, try for Musee d'Orsay). We've been to Paris many times and my favorite place is the top of the Eiffel Tower at night - watching the city lights come on. If your schedule permits and this you might try for it. The Bateaux Mouches run all the time, don't do a dinner cruise tho, the food is supposed to be over priced and touristy. By the way, the Bateaux Mouches want francs - just about everyplace else in Paris accepts credit cards. Try for a bit of time on the Champs Elysees (just to say you've been there - actually it is just a big busy street full of tourists, but still ... it's worth taking a look at, as well as the Arc de Triomphe of course, if you have time walk the length of it to Place de la Concorde. Notre Dame is certainly worth a visit and is fantastic, altho with your limited time I'd skip Sacre Coeur. The Metro is easy to navigate, just get yourself a map and Go! (also a map of Paris itself). <BR> <BR>Our favorite activity in Paris just simply walking around - in your case you could take the Metro to Trocadero, take a look at the Eiffel Tower from that side of the Seine, then walk across the bridge and over to the Tower. The 7th Arr. is a great place for walking (you are "at the foot of the Eiffel Tower" so to speak). Lots of cafes and wonderful places to get bread/pastries, etc. <BR> <BR>I won't recommend department stores to you as most guys are not too interested in a shopping spree, but the roof top of Samarataine Dept. Store has a great view and the store itself will give you a chance to make a quick purchase or two should you need to! Should you find yourself on Blvd. Haussmann both Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps (as well as Marks & Spencer) are right there and again are shoppers delights. Just walking through the ground level of each is a fun experience (if you are in the neighborhood). <BR> <BR>If I were you I'd make a list - what do I want to see kind of thing and work from there, with 2 afternoons & evenings it will be impossible to see everything, but you can still see a lot. <BR>Another thought (altho mostly I don't recommend it) is a city tour - they last a couple of hours and can give you an overview of major sites. Your hotel will have brochures of the various companies that do this. Personally I think it is more fun to explore on my own, but with limited time it is an option. <BR> <BR>Whatever you do -- enjoy it, Paris is a marvelous city. <BR> <BR>Wear comfortable shoes ... #1 priority if you are walking alot, the shoes you wear for the conference can be leftin the hotel room, bring along a good, comfortable pair of walking shoes and a raincoat & umbrella. It's going to be cold so dress accordingly, Paris in Jan. is not ideal weather-wise.

Maira

Ron--- A couple of things I forgot to mention on my previous posts.... <BR> <BR>Suggested must see IMHO: <BR> <BR>- First afternoon: Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower (choose one the last two to go up; I liked the Arc de Triomphe better). <BR> <BR>- Second afternoon: the Louvre and customize to your liking. The Sorbonne, the Pantheon, and Musee D'Orsay were must see for me. The Place de la Bastille, Place de Invalides (Napoleon's Thomb) and the boat ride were on my husband's list. <BR> <BR>A boat (bateau-mouche) cruise was a phenomenal way to see the city bridges which are spectacular as well. The Bateaux-Mouche cruises (take the metro to the Alma-Marceau station; you'll see the white and red boats adjacent to Pon't de l'Alma bridge) do not close for the winter, but do limit the tours (about $8/pp). A great wool long coat with sturdy lined boots should suffice for comfort during outdoor walking in the winter. Have the best time!

elvira

Sunday 1/30: walk along the Left Bank quais and see what the bouquinistes have to offer; cross over to Notre Dame (sometimes there are organ concerts at 5:00pm) then watch the sun set on the city from the western end of the island; take any of the boats that travel the Seine (there are a couple of different companies, the Bateaux Mouches the most well-known); find a restaurant on a side street where you don't hear too many American voices. <BR>Friday Feb 4: pick a neighborhood and wander; peek into courtyards; talk to dogs (the French love their pooches, so making a fuss, even in English, wins their [the French AND the dog's] undying affection); go into a store that only the Parisians use, like a pharmacy or a bookstore, and buy something; eat at a restaurant that has no English on the menu; buy pastry in a patisserie; go to the top of the Eiffel Tower or Sacre Coeur and see Paris at your feet. <BR>Any evening: stroll through the 5th, near the river, in the pedestrian zone where young Parisians and older tourists mingle; ask a 20-something waiter where the hot dance club is and go; go to a jazz club; the d'Orsay is open Thursday until 9:45. <BR>Anytime: don't look for American food on the menu; hold your fork in your left hand and struggle; buy a French magazine or newspaper, stop at a cafe, order a pastis (sort of nasty, but the French drink it and it gives a hint why they are a bit tense sometimes), and look like you belong; buy a pair of French socks (NOT a tie, NOT a belt, SOCKS), and cologne from a pharmacy; better yet, if you're a blade guy, buy a lather brush and shaving soap; window shop (no better way to find out about a culture than to see what they buy - or at least lust after); if you're a hardware store kinda guy, visit BHV. <BR>Don't complain about the exhaust fumes or the crowds, and don't wave your hands if cigarette smoke drifts your way - you are in Paris, not Granolaland.

non?

I love Paris, but have never been so cold as on my first trip, April 94, on a boat on the Seine on a chilly, drizzly evening! As students too poor to afford a cab back to the hostel, we ended up warming ourselves over the sidewalk grates on our way back--so listen to these posters telling you to dress warmly (and realize that you may end up INSIDE the boat looking thru foggy windows at the lights of Paris)!

Julie

To Elvira- <BR>Why Socks???

elvira

Socks because everytime you put them on, you'll remember where you bought them; it is a common, everyday item that connects humans to humans. Last, but not least, every department store in the world sells French ties and belts (designer names like YSL or Pierre Cardin, etc.) but who sells French socks? <BR>

kc

Go to l'arc de triomphe and walk inside to the top. The view at sunset is beautiful-I'd even venture to say more beautiful in a sense than from the top of the Eiffel tower!

Kimberley

Elvira is right (as usual) about the socks thing. I never would have thought to do that, but on my last night in Paris (my bags were in a locker at the train station, and all I had for the night was a little daypack) my only pair of underwear ripped just as I was leaving to go out to dinner. Shops were already closed, but some local guys we met at the restaurant took us to PrisUnix on the Champs Elysee so I could get a new pair (if you're wondering how they knew that I needed it, get your mind out of the gutter - my friend had mentioned that I wanted to buy some). Anyway, the point is that those are my favorite undies now. Not only are they incredibly pretty and comfy, but they bring me back to the crepe dinner I had that night on rue de l'harpe and the interesting evening we had with our new local friends. All that just from putting on my underwear! KK

rand

So the way to spot an American who is trying to fit in is by looking for the person dropping food down their front while learning to use a fork in the left hand?

TC

Ron; All the useful information I have regarding Paris is posted in my report on this forum, "Our Romantic 30th Anniversary in Paris". You might find some useful hints or ideas to use on your adventure. Enjoy. TC