I will be traveling to Paris with my sister in May. We will only be there for 3 days. Can anyone recommend "must sees"? Also, if we did decide to stay an extra day, can anyone recommend a quaint town to visit. I would like to get more of a flavor for the country, as opposed to just the tourist picture in front of the Eiffel Tower. Also, we will be staying at the Hotel Cadet, has anyone had an opportunity to stay at this hotel? Thank you.

If you are not interested in the Eiffel Tower why would you be interested in the "must sees" and just stay home.

Must sees for me:
Eiffel Tower (at night is good also)
Louvre
Musee D'Orsay
Notre Dame/Ille St Louis
St Chapelle
St Sulpice/Luxembourg Gardens
Pompidou
Napoleans Tomb
Bookinistes
Left bank
Right Bank....
Walk everywhere, that way you can get an idea of Paris..
I doubt you will have the time or interest in leaving after only 2 days, to see anything else, if you did want to leave town, go to Versailles. A short train ride and something to remember while you plan your next and Longer trip to Paris.

Do stay an extra day if you can! You will find there is so much to do in Paris, you will be planning a trip back as soon as possible If you want to see something outside of Paris, I would recommend either a trip to Chartres, which is an easy train ride through countryside...or a daytrip to Giverny, where Monet lived out his life and created those gorgeous gardens which he painted. That you can either set up on your own, or use one of the tour bus companies (which is an easy way to do it). Must sees sort of depend on your interests -- art? music? history?

Perhaps I misstated my intentions, I would like to experience more than just the Eiffel Tower. We fully intend to go there during our visit.

rsm: I didn't read anywhere that wmurry is not interested in the Eiffel Tower. I think that they want to see more than the typical tourist who just breezes through town. Quit being rude.
So in Paris, I wouldn't miss out on seeing Ste Chappelle and Notre Dame, the Marly Cour at the Louvre, the D'Orsay Museum. If the weather is good you will want to visit a park or two, Luxembourg Gardens is very nice and people watching there is the best. Two nice day trips for the first timer are Versaille which is easily reached by train and Giverny where Monet's studio is. Two others to consider are Chartres and Fontainebleau. Do a lot of research and break your list of sites into "must see" and "want to see." Then you will be able to squeeze in the "want to see" if there is time and you are nearby.

I would see the sorcure ( i have no idea hoe the french speel this but it is prounced sock-ray-cure) Its an amazing church, you dont have to hike up all the stairs like i did if you look around you can find a little train that will take you to the top, also there are AMAZING views from the church over looking paris.

Hello,
I just finished writing a travel guide to Paris & Ile-de-France (the surrounding region), so I answer this question a lot! Three days is very short time, so I always recommend to skip the museums unless you're a HUGE fan of a particular art style or artist. Save these for the NEXT time you come to Paris (I have the same opinion on monuments, but I can't seem to convince people that the Eiffel Tower is meant to be looked at from the outside -- those lines are horrendous, and there's a cage around the top). The museums, monuments and churches aren't going anywhere, so if you think you'll be back, just save them. What's important for a first-timer is to get a feel for the city, the character, and that's best seen on the streets, in the markets, in the tiny boutiques and just people-watching from a sunny café terrace. The architecture of the city is soooo, beautiful, you hardly need to pay to go inside to look at stuff. Hotel Cadet, if it's in the 9th, is a good central location, not really touristy, but convenient to Metro and buses. Having toured all over Ile-de-France and around Paris, I think Chantilly is absolutely the best town to visit, the Living Horse Museum, Chateau de Chantilly/Musée Condé and the forests are what France are all about. And not nearly as touristy as Versailles!! Hope this helps.

Heather Stimmler-Hall
www.SecretsofParis.com

Hi wm,

Illusion is referring to Sacre Coeur.

For 3 days see the fodor's guide to Paris at www.fodors.com.

Daytrips out of Paris:
Versailles, Chantilly, Vaux-le-vicomte, Giverny, the Loire valley.

Have a nice trip and prepare to go back again.

Would you mind sharing your itinerary?

I agree to add the Sacre Couer, but that is because it is part of the stroll through Montemarte. You also get to see the street artists, the street performers, walk past the Moulin Rouge. Walk by Van Gogh's apt. Eat lunch on the steps of the Sacre Couer. What a view from the steps! The Eiffel Tower may seem cliche, but not once you are there. It says "I'm here!" But, while there, sit in the park and watch the families enjoy their city (one thing that I find in Europe, but Paris especially is how people enjoy the city as opposed to our "look but don't touch -- don't walk on the grass" attitude. Paris though is more than the sights, it is the culture, the people, the streets. Sit down at a sidewalk cafe, don't worry about a "hit n' run", must see everything, but instead try to experience the "c'est le vie" (sp?) French attitude. Don't rush. Don't expect the French to. Relax. Drink wine. Stroll the streets and parks of both banks. That is Paris. I've been traveled through the countryside, but I think you will really want 3 days in Paris. I'm going to have 9 days in England this Spring, but I still plan on 1 day trip to Paris (can't be that close and not go).

Hi
I have a long file on Paris, if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

If you want a day outside of Paris, most popular daytrips are
Giverny (Monet's house and gardens), Chartres (for the Cathedral), Versailles, Chantilly, or farther afield to Reims or Rouen. But, you will see plenty of tourists, including French tourists.

I would recommend you begin your Paris adventure by viewing the Paristoric movie at 11, bis rue Scribe, at Opéra just behind the Amex office. It's a beautiful overview of the city and will help you pinpoint what you really want to see in your short time.

wmurry
Is that hotel , The Opera Hotel Cadet?
If so, it is supposed to be lovely, a 3* hotel.

Take the metro up to St. Cloud, walk through the park to the edge over the Seine, and just inhale the view over Paris. It is intoxicating, one of the best sights in Europe.

i second the luxemborg gardens...there are some food shops near by so if the weather is nice make a picnic of it. great fun. also you can watch people play bocci ball (lawn bowling) . it's funny to see all those old french guys getting so competitive, but it's great.

my feeling on the eiffel tower, yeah it's big and cliched. but you've always seen it in movies and photos, but in person it's just gratifing. it's almost surreal to be looking at it at times. but i felt the same way as you till i saw it. enjoy your trip. can't wait to get back there in may as well.

And if you are a fan you might want to check out jim morrisons grave. It amazes me how different french graveyards are compared to those in america (well at least the N.E)

I would agree that the so-called "must sees" are the very places you've heard so much about including the infamous "tower" that the Parisiens initially wanted torn down and the Louv re, D'Orsay, etc. etc.
Please enjoy Paris but be aware that it is hardly "representative" of France just as New York is not a complete representation of the US...but you'll have a wonderful time if you allow yourself to enjoy what so many have enjoyed prior to your arrival.

I stayed at the Hotel Opera Cadet and it is in, as stated, not a touristy area, but we were able to walk everywhere, or there were two metro stops within a short distance. The street it is on is full of small grocers, so we used it quite a bit for drinks, stuff for our room. The hotel is a relatively modern hotel, while I wouldn't call it lovely, it is practical, it was clean, and there are restaurants within walking distance that were good if you come back tired and don't want to venture too far afield.

Just this past weekend, my husband and I were talking about what we'd do in Paris the next time we go! We spent five nights in Paris in November '02. It was my first visit, and his second, although his first visit was so hurried that he didn't get to see much.

The one thing we both agreed that we'd HAVE to see again is Ste Chappelle. It is simply stunning. Pictures do not do it justice, and words cannot describe the experience.

We also agreed that we'd spend more time at the Louvre, over several days, though that certainly wouldn't fill your wish to get more of the real flavour of the city.

We finally said that we'd spend more time just walking around and sitting in parks to people watch, so I'd have to third the recommendation to visit Luxemborg Garden. The hotel we stayed at was a short walk from there, and we spent a few afternoons eating fruit, bread, and cheese for lunch while people watching. It was a treat, even in late November, to see how well used the public spaces are by Parisians. Our favorite memory of Paris was sitting there eating oranges while watching some teenagers play basketball. We kind of dawdled after finishing (we had very tired feet at that point), and my husband said, "O.K., we'll get up and start walking again the next time one of them makes a basket." We sat there for over ten minutes while the boys missed basket after basket. Our feet were very greatful .