Hello Paris travellers, <BR>I see that many of you have experienced <BR>the concert at St. Chapelle... <BR>what is their website for getting more information about this event? Also we will be Paris with a 5 yr and 8mo old, do they allow children/baby for this event? <BR>Thanks, <BR>James

Hi James, <BR>www.ampconcerts.com <BR>Dress very warmly and don't catch the French Flu. I'm going on two weeks now with this bug. <BR>

It was a WONDERFUL concert. A highlight of my trip last month. It is approx. 65-70 minutes. All seats were taken, they are card table type chairs. I would get a sitter. The music played has pauses, high and low points and really any disruption by a baby or child figgeting/crying etc. would ruin it for you as well as the audience. It is such a wonderful experience, treat yourself and just the two of you go. <BR> <BR>Enjoy.

James beware.....I too had read everyone comments on St Chapelle concerts and had to attend on our Thanksgiving week visit. Back on October <BR>16th I had printed out the concert schedule from the web site and made <BR>reservation to the 28/11/99 16:00H concert. We arrived at the box to collect our tickets and were shocked to learn that the last concert was on 16/11/99. DON'T count on the info. We were told that it was a third-party company that provides that site and they hadn't kept it current. My advice is to call and confirm any of these plans that you make. You dont want any surprises. <BR> <BR>I always e-mail the shuttle and hotel 48 hours before I leave home to confirm. Also print out any schedule, confirmation numbers or address that you <BR>can verify by having it in your hand. The clerk at St Chapelle wouldn't discuss it with me until I dug the print-out out of the bottm of my day-pack. Until they saw it in ink, they didn't take the time to help me solve this mystery.

A concert at St. Chapelle can be a glorious experience, but please, please do not think of taking an 8 month old child. I have a 7 month old and wouldn't dream of taking her to any theatrical or musical event at this age. They are too unpredictable and inquisitive, and there are no guarantees they will sleep, especially if they are not in their normal surroundings. A concert is not a place where you can easily get up and take the child out. A five year old, maybe, if he or she has already experienced theater and is well-instructed on how to behave. Either look into a hotel sitter, or don't go.

I am never sure if someone who says they want to take an infant to a concert (theater/whatever) is serious or just trying to get something going on this Forum but inthe event you are serious please please please do not take a 8 mo old child to the concert. If your hotel does not provide sitter service then don't go .. unless you would like to ruin other people's evening when your baby starts wailing. Quite frankly the 5 year old is too young to take as well. At that age the attention span is short so once again, this would be no pleasure for those sitting around you should he/she start acting up, and kids to, particularly at something that is of no interest to them and if they are tired to boot. Rethink your plans and don't spoil the event for others.

It is always inappropriate, anywhere in the world, to take infants and small children to classical music concerts; it is extremely rude to both the audience AND the performers. A five-year-old might be acceptable if she/he had been to such events before and can behave and be quiet through the entire event. Few children of that age can.

Christina you twit! <BR>How can you say on one hand that its never appropriate to take a little one to a concert and on the other it might be acceptable to take a five year old if it had been before? How are you planning to get the 5 year old experience that will be acceptable to you without taking it to a concert at that age or younger?

thanks to all posting good advices. I checked out the schedule and found out that there is no concert at St. Chapelle in December '99--at least not yet. <BR>I will heed to the wise words here and will return for the St. Chapelle concert without my kids on our next trip. James

I never thought I would come to Christina's defense, but "Oh lord" obviously hasn't thought the situation through. Theater, concerts, etc. aren't necessarily geared only towards older audiences. It is possible to take a child younger than 5 to the theater if you take him or her to a performance geared towards children. There are many children's concerts and plays that exist. For example, my cousin just took his 3 1/2 year old to see Annie. I realize that is not on the same scale as St. Chapelle, but it is a way for her to experience theater, sitting in an audience, etc. Her parents instructed her on proper behavior beforehand (though she is very well behaved anyway), and she was a perfect angel. The Nutcracker is an excellent way to get young children interested in the ballet. The list can go on. Now do you understand?

I too want to come to Christina's defense - a 5yr. old can learn how to act at a show/concert/whatever by being taken to things "geared more to children" first and as they get older eased into more "adult" type performances. You walk before you run remember. Likewise with dining, you don't start small kids off at a place charging $100 for a meal - you work your way up to it and take the child only when you are absolutely sure they are ready for the experience, i.e. old enough and well behaved.