First Trip to Paris
 

My best friend (since college) and I have yearned for nearly 30 years to go to Paris and we have our trip scheduled (finally!). We leave Thanksgiving evening and will return Dec 1st.

We have read many books/posts/opinions and are looking for the "absolutely must-see, must-do, must-eat, must-shop there" suggestions that may not have been covered in materials we have seen.

We are staying in the 8th at Hotel de Castiglione, but understand that the Metro can take us virtually anywhere in the city we might want.

Ideas?

Hi

My wife and I went to Paris in April this year. I have posted a trip report with links and pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there :-)

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi T,

>We have read many books/posts/opinions and are looking for the "absolutely must-see, must-do, must-eat, must-shop there" suggestions that may not have been covered in materials we have seen.<

If you have done your homework, you know all of the must-dos for first timers.

Don't try to do everything. Spend some time simply soaking up the atmosphere.

You will return.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

The opportunity to spend time with an old friend and in Paris sound fabulous.Some suggestions- the first 2 times I was in Paris I really was disappointed because I tried to do "everything"- you can't so don't try. I have since had an opportunity to live in Paris and visit frequently (a long and lovely story best kept off the board). It might not be bad to do some sort of half day bus tour to orrient yourself. I would suggest picking about 7 things that you consider must dos..1 a day. Make sure you know which days they are closed if any. Be flexible so that you can substitute one for another depending on weather, sore feet ect. Then play it by ear. walk. visit in detail something that caught your eye on your bus trip ect. I can't decide what interests you and your friend, but if you submit a list of things that you think you'd like to do I can certainly comment.

We enjoyed using the Batobus (a ferry boat on the Seine) to get from point to point in Paris. It stops at the eight most-frequented areas in Paris. You can get a two-day unlimited hop-on-hop-off pass for about 13EUR apiece. Be sure to take it after dark, when Paris is all lit up. It's breath-taking. It runs till about 10 at night, but that varies by time of year.
Enjoy yourselves! You'll be so glad you finally went to Paris. Do take others' advice to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere, rather than rushing around to "see" everything.
:)>-

I think the batobus stops at 5pm in the winter..it certainly doesn't run after dark.

Are you interested in exploring by area, perhaps willing to do some walking? If so, a search using my name will try up a few strolls.

Maybe there is something different here:

Five Things Not to Miss in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34871771

Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

100 Great Things to Do in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=1277898

Degas’s Paris Walks
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34712768

2 helpful sites:

http://www.paris.world-guides.com/


http://www.zpinaddict.com/parishtm/parismn.htm

Hi

I have just made an interactive Google map of Paris and you can check it out on http://www.gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm . It shows some of the main attractions in Paris :d

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi tlh,

Your trip precedes ours by about three weeks and we, too, are staying at the Castiglione so I'll beeager to hear that experience. I am workingvery hard to not overbook our activities -- thought that isn't easy, but the best advice I have received from so many people is to be sure to stop for hot chocolate and other goodies and just remember to enjoy the process of getting from one place to another instead of just focusing on the need to arrive at the destination!

Have a great time!

QuinnAdams

My family went to Paris in July for 4 days before travelling elsewhere in Europe. This may be a detail but the one thing I regret is that we did not rent the autoguides at the Louvre. We travelled to several other countries after Paris and each time we toured a museum we had the audioguides and learned so much.
We enjoyed walking along the Seine and looking at all the artwork. The Pantheon was amazing and one of my highlights as was the area around it for an interesting walk or lunch.

travelbunny offered some very wise advice. We've learned to allocate no more than 2-3 hours a day to a "must see" site or sites. Other than that we just decide where we want to wander, shop, eat and let the day develop. We "pop in" to the Louvre for a couple of hours whenever the mood strikes us.

I took a quick trip with my sister and her husband a couple of months ago. They wanted the grand tour, so for 4 days we zipped from one side of the city to another, using metro, RER, bus, cab. It was a whirlwind...and they loved it. I thought it was too fast and "shallow".

Here is what I think is a reasonable list of "big things" for a first trip like yours:
--Louvre on different days (2-3 hrs each)
--Musee D'Orsay
--other museums (personal preference)
--Notre Dame/Saint Chapelle/Hotel de Ville
--Luxembourg Gardens (and the museum)
--Opera/Madeline/Grand dep't stores
--Eiffel Tower/Arc de Triomphe--same day
(I don't like the long walk up Champs Elysee)

Little things:
--Pl de la Concorde at night
--walk the Tuilleries from Louvre to Concorde
--Food court at Au Bon Marche (a favorite)
--Pont Alexander III
--Seine boat ride at night
--lots of walks along the river

PS: Days will be short when you're there. For a beautiful tour of the "City of Lights" at night, there are two bus routes worth trying. (We much prefer Paris buses to the metro.)

If you start at Hotel de Ville, take bus #72 to the Trocadero. You'll pass the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Grand Palaces, and many beautiful points along the river. Ending at the E Tower.

You can catch the same bus going back, or go over to Champs de Mars and catch the #69 bus. It will pass Les Invalides, run all along Blvd. St-Germain, cross the Isles. and back to Hotel de Ville.

You can combine all sorts of bus routes, but for first timers these are the easiest. If you're interested and want more help with buses, just ask.

I'm not the OP, but thanks everyone. I'm seriously hoping to visit Paris in the next year or so, and this is very helpful.

Ah Paree .. Many things to see ! the people and atmosphere are the most important, despite the weather, nothing beats a glass of wine, bread, cheese, and contemplation at a sidewalk cafe along the Seine, or the Sorbonne, or simply where the city finally but assuardly seduces you. Paris is an experience more than a spectacle; but what a spectacle it is ! But what a romance the city seduces you to ! Your heart, if you allow it, will be your best tourguide !

You're making me swoooon!

I've been to Paris three times and fall more in love with each trip! A couple of "girly" things I would suggest would be the hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) at Angelina's, trying a variety of macarons at Laduree (their hot chocolate is pretty awesome also!), and a visit to Catherine (duty free perfumerie) on rue de Castiglione off Rue de Rivoli. Sitting in a cafe with a cafe creme or a warmed glass of wine is also a pretty wonderful thing! Dressly warmly with comfortable shoes (and a great scarf!) and walk, walk, walk. Check out the various street markets for treats to have in your hotel room. I could go on and on and on, but whatever you do, you'll be in Paris!!!!

What a wonderful gift to yourselves! Enjoy!

joy/luvparee

Ooops! Thought of another thing you might enjoy -- check out the concert schedules at the various churches in Paris. I'm sure there would be some great ones during the upcoming holiday time. When in Paris in July, we went to St. Chappelle for a Vivaldi 4 Seasons concert and it was probably the highlight of my trip!

joy/luvparee

Pick up flowers for your hotel room at the flower market on Ile de la Cite...Place Louis Lepine, near Pont Notre-Dame. Since my first trip, red ranunculas always remind me of Paris. ((F))