I am taking my girlfriend on a surprise trip to Paris. I will fly there separately 2 hours before her, she is flying in around noon Saturday... I will give her directions beforehand in an envelope to go somewhere once she lands, along with her passport and ticket etc... and propose... but I am driving myself nuts picking a place.

I don't want a touristy place like the Eiffel Tower, it needs to be a special place...

I thought about the top of Defense, good expansive view but not exactly romantic,

I had liked the park across the river from,
Tour Eiffel (Trocadero), but still touristy,

A street cafe in Paris. That is appealing but I dont know any that would be quiet and romantic...

Any ideas? I have only been to Paris once 15 years ago...

Thanks in advance!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34488900

When you see the Parisian women, you may want to reconsider your proposal idea.
Just kidding. Your question is very interesting. I would sort of go with the flow. Don't try to pick a place, just be spontaneous. A walk in one of the Paris parks on a beautiful sunny day would be nice. Or on the ferris wheel, close to the Champs D...Or at the top of Notre Dame, although the Gargoyles could be jarring. Montsarrat would give it a neighborhood feel.

Definitly don't do Defense, although the Tower Eiffel has possibilities, especially at night. Do it in a place that she really seems to like. And good luck to you.

Gardyloo, thanks for the link! Fritz, I like your suggestions...

I am growing warmer to the idea of a street cafe, does anyone know a good one to suggest? Our hotel is near the Champs Elysees, but really anywhere is ok...

Meeting over a bridge is a good idea too...

There will be so much anticipation with her 10 hour flight alone from San Francisco (mine too , I want to make sure it does not "ploof"...

Oh my vote would be a dusk on Pont Alexander III with her facing the Eiffle Tower and you on one knee! Can't think of anything more romantic!

I go to Paris once a year and this is still one of my favorite places!

As a side note, our hotel (Hotel Le A) recommended and booked La Truffiere as a good restaurant for the evening. Any opinions? We are there only for 2 days...

I wish we arrived in the evening so I could propose during/after dinner. I don't think I can stand that much anticipation...

On top of the Arc de Triomphe at sunset just as the city lights begin to come on

or

like stormygirl suggested: at dusk on Pont Alexander III with her facing the Eiffle Tower and you on one knee!

When are you going???

On my last night in Paris (tragically alone), I went to the Palais de Chaillot which is on a hill, across the Seine about 2 blocks from the Eiffle Tower, on a delightfully warm and foggy early Oct. evening. The Eiffle Tower, the bridge across the Seine and the Palais were all lit up, but the lights were wonderfully subdued and diffused by the fog. I can't imagine a more romantic place to propose. Hell...I nearly proposed to about 10 absolutely delicious 30-something French women as they passed by....

Of course the fog is a key ingredient...but it sounds like you're importing your own absolutley delicious little thing...

Good luck!!!

It was mentioned on the other thread, but I will second Montmartre, it is a lovely view of the city, and very beautiful with the white church and the long staircase. *sigh*

One thing to consider - she may want to first just hook up with you, get cleaned up, relax - as opposed to straight to the spot where you'll propose - also will help get rid of the anxiety of the separate travel. My husband and I took one of the sunset dinner cruises in May (had not done that on previous trips) and it was very romantic. You could always propose on the boat (and let the Captain know ahead of time - a couple on our boat did that - and then everyone on the boat toasted them afterwards) Seemed nice to have other people celebrating with them afterwards (though after "toasts" and congrats people left them to their romatice evening. Just a thought...

Ok, thanks SO much for all the responses so far. Here is one of the options:

Meet on Champs Elysees at a cafe at 2pm(any cafe recommendations? I need to give her the address of a specific location to come to)

relax a bit, walk to hotel, clean up, then leave and take a walk on Champs Elysees, and then walk to Pont Alexandre III, and do it there!!! (7pm or so... Is the bridge walking distance? It looks so on the map. Also, can we walk across the bridge? I trust you guys/gals as to how romantic it is as I have never been there

Then cross the bridge, take a taxi or walk to Mouffetard district (is that distance walkable? Can we find a taxi around there?) Thats where our restaurant is. Walk that district a bit, then enjoy our dinner... I wanted to take her to the Buddha Bar as we love their CDs. If we have energy left we could do that...

I am thinking our second and last afternoon/evening we can go to Montmartre and enjoy that district, watch the sunset, dine, go to a bar/cafe, then fly back...

Does that sound ok? Alternatives? Should we go to Montmartre on the first day???

By the way, I am so glad I found this forum. I was all alone surfing the net and books for info. We are going on 9/18, I will come back on 9/20 and give a detailed report as to how it went...

Ok here is a problem already, she will want to wear some dinner grade (high heel shoes for dinner, and will not be able to walk for a mile to the bridge. Maybe we can take a taxi, then I can stop the cab and get off before (can he stop on the bridge?) the bridge and walk across, then take another cab (if we can find one)...

Just MHO, but if I had only two days in Paris, Montmartre wouldn't be a must-see. It's a bit of a pain to get there, and I think there are much nicer, more romantic areas to explore.

The terrace at Fouquet's should be your choice for the Champs Elysees café. It's a classic; some of the places on the Champs are pretty tacky and/or ordinary.

I had dinner at La Truffiere years ago...very romantic as I recall. Walk back from dinner along rue Soufflot between the Pantheon and the Luxembourg gardens and time it to be there on the hour...the view of the twinkling Eiffel tower can't be beat.

By the way...I hate to put a damper on your big moment, but do you have a back-up plan in case one of your flights are delayed? And if I'm reading this correctly, you're not telling her where she's going, or maybe even not telling her that she is going at all, until the last minute. Maybe you've got this under control, but if she's wearing shorts and flip-flops as you tell her she's got an hour to get ready, eeek!

My husband proposed to me on the Pont des Arts bridge. It is the next bridge upstream of Pont Neuf and is close to the Louvre. It is a pedestrian bridge that has been used in many movies set in Paris. It is a beautiful bridge...

I think it's wonderful you are proposing in Paris!!! Good luck!!! Have fun in Paris!!

Bonne chance! My husband proposed to me last May on the Pont Neuf, after having dinner at Le Pamphlet, a wonderful little bistro in the Marais. The view from any of the bridges mentioned so far would just be wonderful at night -- you can't go wrong.

First of all, good luck and (hopefully) congratulations.

Secondly, I would say the "when" is at least as important as the "where." I like the dusk/sunset on one of the bridges idea. But I think I like nighttime inside a cozy, candlelit restaurant better than over drinks at a sidewalk cafe.

Wait till the moment's right, after dessert, lingering over a coffee or calvados, the candle light flickering in her eyes...then smile, whip out the ring and drop to one knee. Magic, I tells ya!

If you wanted to do it on Pont Alexander III you could take a cab to the bridge. Then after you could walk up George V to Fouquets which is right on the corner of Champs d'Elysee and George V. I've walked it before in heels, not very far- 5 blocks??

Anyway, whatever you do will be glorious and so special!

I haven't been to Truffiere but hear it is good.

Thanks to all...

There is a "cover" trip that weekend, but it is a trip to a mountain lodge, so I will pack up for her and take her goodies with me and hope I dont miss anything. I will leave a small bag in her car that morning with her passport, ticket, information, sleeping pills,(she HAS to sleep on the flight), toileteries, some hints, a nice compilation CD of French songs we like etc.). Then email her before I fly, and call her sister to tell her to check her email, and make sure she gets the message! I wanted to send the message with flowers but cant trust them and the flowers will die over the weekend. Hmmm... Maybe I can send just one rose that she can take with her...

Anyhow, we both have direct flights, I will tell her the hotel location in case my flight gets delayed...

I am thinking maybe after dinner is good too... Does that bridge get crowded at dusk?

OK, you're giving her a surprise trip to Paris and you're gonna make the poor girl wait for a proposal she probably guesses is coming?

Do it right away, wherever you are and enjoy the rest of the evening, with both of you relaxed and happy.