First trip to Paris idea......help please
 

My husband and I are lucky enough to be going on a short hop to Paris for our first aniversary March 28th- We're doing something I wouldn't normally do - splitting up our hotel stay since we got some amazing bargains - We're spending two nights at the Marriott Champs Elysee and the last two nights at the Plaza Athenee - We really want to make the most of our quick visit and would LOVE some great suggestions from you experts. What is the best way to get from the airport to the hotels? How to not spend a fortune on food? Is it worth going to Versailles for the day?

We're not the biggest art fans, so I believe we'll only spend a few hours at the Louvre

Thanks so much..

Michelle

Go to Musee d'Orsay instead of the Louvre. The Louvre has France's greatest collection of art from around the world. The Musee d'Orsay has France's greatest collection of art from _France_. You can also combine a great art experience at M d'O with a fantastic, reasonably priced lunch by eating at the main dining room there - - in fact, it's a great way to ease into loving the art there; 60-90 minutes of museum before lunch, and another similar period (or shorter) after lunch.

And yes, Versailles is worth the excursion; you could actually fir it into an afternoon, if you want to get out and some of Paris early on, and then leave, by say... 12 or 12:30.

Or go earlier, get back by 4, and spend 3-4 hours on Montmartre (more if you dine up there -- like at the Butte en Vigne, for example) - - about the right amount of time for that, and it's not a straightforward "fit" with anything else, geographically.

Hope this is an indicator that the first year foretells many more good years to come in your marriage... and...

Best wishes,

Rex

I went to France for the first time last summer and am going back to Paris in early April. I went to Versailles in the summer with the idea of going for only half a day. I fell in love with the place and spent all day there. I toured the palace on my own, the grand and petit trianons, and the gardens. The palace and the trianons are covered by the museum pass if you get it. The gardens are extra. When I went, they were 3 euros. Some people may say don't go to Versailles on such a short trip but I think it's worth it. Just my two cents. :)

As far as not spending a fortune, consider picnicing even in your hotel room. I had a lot of fun trying out my French going grocery shopping there. Just one idea.

I hope you have a fantastic trip. :)

For a four-night trip, I wouldn't dream of going out of Paris, as there is so much to see right there.But if you insist, Versailles is just a short RER ride away from the center of the city.

The best way to get to your hotel from the airport is a taxi. Get in line at the airport and hop aboard a Taxi Parisien (any other kind is a rip-off). It will take you about 45 minutes and cost about 40-50€.

You should have absolutely no fears about spending a fortune on food in Paris - it's one of the best bargains in the world when it comes to food. You can eat very, very well for 25-40€ apiece for a 3- or 4-course menu in a nice bistro or restaurant.

My fiance and I went to Paris a year and a half ago in October and had a really wonderful time. We spent a week walking. That is what I would recommend most, is do a lot of walking....it seemed everytime we went out we saw a new monument or bridge or something surprising we didnt know was there. As for saving money on food...we had a really teriffic time getting a loaf of excellent french brread, block of cheese and apple and eating in the park. The small cafes were also good...where you dont have to order a whole meal as you do at a restaraunt.

And versailles was really worth the trip. The most ostentatious building you can imagine. We got stuck in long lines in the palace, so go as early as possible. But to be honest the best part was the gardens and grounds surrounding the palace. Rent a bike to go around the lake...and have a nice time.

I'm going to present a different point of view, as I love Paris, but not in the same way as others. ;)

To me, 25-40E per person for a meal is outrageously expensive. I might do it once, for one meal per trip, if that. We prefer to eat sandwiches or bread, cheese and fruit for many meals, with any sit-down meals in cafes and brasseries for much less than that. I've never had better sandwiches than I've had in Paris, or tarts with tomatoes and goat cheese. Crepes can be great for breakfast, or you can snack on them all day in lieu of lunch. ;)

Also, I went to Versailles expecting to make it a full day trip, but only spent 1/2 day there. It was truly boring. We did not do a guided tour, which may have made it better. We spent a few minutes touring the palace, and that was plenty. I felt nothing standing in the hall of mirrors. The gardens at the end of March are not worth viewing. We wandered through them the first week of April, and everything was green, but there were very few flowers. The whole experience was very unnecessary in my opinion, and I'll not go back. Then again, that's just not my cup of tea.

I love wandering around the streets of Paris and just soaking it all up. I love the Eiffel tower, and walking along the Seine. I love stopping into fun little shops that look interesting, even if I don't buy. I love just watching the people, and the city, move by.

I love sampling pastries all over town, and watching children play at the parks.

I've been to Paris twice, and am looking forward to planning a third trip as soon as possible!

I'll second the suggestion to visit the Musee d'Orsay instead of the Louvre unless you just want to say you've been there. The d'Orsay has all the pictures you want to see, the Impressionists. If you look for them in the Louvre, you'll be disappointed.

If you only have four days, I'd skip Versailles. There won't be that much blooming in March and they may not even have the statues uncovered. In winter they put canvas bags over them. We went to Paris several times before we finally made the trip to Versailles. It was impressive, but impressive as excess rather than as beauty. The grounds are lovely but you would enjoy them more later in the year on a future trip.

If you want to take a day trip, visit Chartres. It's a lovely little French town with an "old" section and there is, of course, the famous cathedral with a small but excellent art museum in the park behind the cathedral. Traveling to Chartres would give you a nice feel for the French countryside too. The trip to Versailles is through Paris suburbs and not the greatest sights in the world.

However, that said, if I were going to Paris for four or five days, I'd stay in Paris and just enjoy it. You can walk and walk and find something delightful around every corner. Visit the Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens and people watch. You can get snacks there or buy your own and picnic.

Congratulations on your first year and have a wonderful anniversary in Paris.

I agree with Jennifer. I know you wealthy people think nothing of 25 or 40 euros a person for a meal on a 4 day trip, but for the rest of us living in the real world, no, no, no. It's bread and coffee, cheese and wine from the store and the French do that very well.

Hi Michelle,

Lucky you.

Fastest and most expensive way to your hotel is taxi, next is a shuttle service (www.parishuttle.com or www.beeshuttle.com), then there is the bus or RER from CDG.

I would spend the whole time in Paris and save daytrips for your next visit.

I agree with both StCirq AND Jenifer. 90% of the time, supper for me and my wife costs, say... $5-10 for the both of us. It comes from the grocery store.

But increasingly when we "dine out", which we do not do all that often, it costs 30 dollars or more per person. In the restaurant down the street ffrom our homein Floyds Knobs, Indiana, or in the "big city" (Louisville, KY). More, if it is in the "bigger" cities, where we might choose a more "upscale" place, that is something different than we can find at home. A lot more, if it invloves Jean-Georges Vongerichten, for example...

And I frequently wish we could get for $30 in the United States, the kind of dining experiene you can get in Paris for that.

I was in Paris in 2001. My first day there I treated myself to a very nice dinnerat Cafe de la Pax. The rest of the time I would have the bagette sandwiches, which lasted me throughout the day, went to Lafayette Galleries to their gourmet food court and bought some cheese, french bread, the most delicious chicken salad panini sandwich I have ever had. Ate the sandwich on the steps of the Garnier Opera House. Of course the birds were there for their share. Sometimes for dinner went to a corner cafe and had their French onion soup and by no means was I starving yet didn't spend a lot on food.
Came home 8 pounds thinner. Walked everywhere.

Versailles, I wasn't impressed with at all. Maybe the grounds but it was too overwhelming. I preferred taking a day trip to Giverny and touring Claude Monet's home and gardens which, in my estimation, were far more impressive than Versailles. I'm going back in May and plan on going to Giverny again.

Michellein - how did you manage a deal at Plaza Athenee? I would love to stay there but I'm afraid my wallet would go into cardiac arrest.

Have a wonderful time.

Michelle:

A pretty name one doesn't see much anymore! There's good advice above for your first trip. The main thing I can add is: Don't overplan your days. Paris is to be absorbed as much as seen. Walk, walk, walk...especially along the Seine.

With only 4 days (one jet-lagged?), leave Versailles for another time. I'd recommend something like this:

Day 1 (you don't say what time you arrive): Walk or taxi up the Champs to Place de la Concorde. From there one can see the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and the golden dome des Invalides. If time allows, walk thru the Tuilleries toward the Louvre. Head back along the river and stand on the Pont Alexander III at sunset as Paris' lights come on all around you. Early dinner, good wine, and to bed.

Day 2: Eiffel Tower, then Musee d'Orsay including lunch. After the musee, stroll over to Blvd. Saint Germain. Pick a little cafe, sip wine or coffee, and watch the world go by. Wander up Rue de Buci taking in the market and little shops. There are many good restaurants near here, but you'll probably prefer to return to the hotel b/4 dinner.

Day 3: (I'm assuming an early move to the Athenee in the morning). Spend the day in and around the Iles. Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, fabulous window shopping, Berthillon ice cream. Cross over to the right bank and take in the Hotel de Ville, walk over to Rue des Rosiers thru the Marais to Place des Vosges.

Day 4: Montmarte and Sacre Coeur. Be back in time for a sunset boat ride...bring wine or champagne. Find a nice little restaurant on the Iles, near where you disembark.

Day 5: Pack and weep.

Study up on the metro before you go. With so little time you don't want to get waylaid. (Or just use taxis.)

Don't worry about "expensive" dining. You can find great affordable restaurants all over Paris...menus are displayed on the sidewalk, with prices!
For lunch, you're going to die when you see the patisseries with their lovely displays. Lunch is easy.

Lastly, don't try to set aside time for "souvenier shopping". With so little time, pick up things as you see them or just let it go. It's too time consuming for a short trip. Bon Journee!

For the record, I was referring to having a nice dinner in a nice restaurant when I mentioned 25-40€. Balanced against the "fortune" Michelle thought she might have to spend, I thought that was pretty resonable. I don't eat 40-euro lunches, and for breakfast I go to a café and have coffee and MAYBE a croissant. I think my spending habits are rather frugal, actually, compared to the many posters who come here listing the places they plan to eat in in Paris. But à chacun son gout.

StCirq - You're not wrong! There is just not one right answer. I was only posting a differing view, because I know that when I was first planning for Paris, if I thought that we'd have to pay 25-40E per person for dinner every day, that may have been enough to change my mind about going there.

Also, have to agree that if you do choose to "dine", your money in Paris will buy you a much more amazing and satisfying experience than it will in the US.

Hi Michelle-I don't have anything really different to add but just wanted to 2nd the idea of taking a taxi-especially to the area you will be staying in-it is always so exhausting flying over-especially on such a short trip that I think the money will be well spent. Also, I suspect how you spend your time will be somewhat weather dependent given your dates-I might just make that an excuse to hang out the spa at the Plaza Athenee the whole time (just kidding!)

Also, since I see a lot of the Paris regulars hanging out here I just wanted to mention that a friend asked me to compile a list of restuarants in Paris while I was still living there last spring and I have an 8 page word doc. that I would be happy to send out if anybody is interested. It is sort of a mish mash-she wanted rather high end special occasion places since she was inviting a client out for dinner. Most of the choice are from Fodors or Gayot and unfortunately I haven't tried nearly as many of these as I would like...but there is another little section on new restaruants (at least new in spring 2003) and also a section I call "some of our favorites".

Anyway, it anybody would like it just let me know and I will email it-I have just returned to this forum since it has been changed to reg. only etc. so don't know if there are ways to send files more easily than plain old email...but again just let me know if you would like it and I will send it-I am definitely as interested in the food in Paris as much as the sights.

Meanwhile have a wonderful trip-I agree this kind of generousity and spontanaity bodes well for a long and happy marriage -the only downside is what can you possibly do for an encore next year :)

Jeanne (jpie)

My first trip to Paris was last summer. We joined a bike tour through the city. We did it through Fat Tire Bike Tours, formerly called Mike's Bike Tours and Bullfrog Tours. They have a couple of tours throughout the day and 1 in the evening, which is the one we chose. I was a bit nervous at first about riding a bike through the streets of Paris, but it was fine! The evening tour included a cruise down the Seine (wine included!!). Their website is www.fattirebiketoursparis.com.

Just one more opinion on the "how much do you have to spend to eat in Paris" question. There is another option besides buying picnic supplies/eating bread and cheese versus spending 25-40 euro and up. There are tons of small restaurants with price fixed meals for around 10 euro. For that you get two or three courses and about two or three options for each course. I usually get steak and fries as the main course. I'm talking about sit down restaurants with waitress service. Anyone whose an actual "food expert" will look down their noses at this, but for people of average tastes they are fine. You find these places all around Place St Mich, near Les Halles and various other "touristy" places. Fine gourmet dining it might not be, but even us frugal types get tired of baguette sandwiches once in a while. And this is another good option.

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is to stop at a sidewalk cafe, preferably one with a view, have a coffee, beer whatever and people watch.I see so many tourists running from one site to another trying to see it all, and they never really experience the city.

I'm not sure why some people state that the OP should visit Orsay rather than the Louvre. Orsay is limited to paintings from The second half of the XIX? century essentialy (and absolutely not "french greatest collection of art" in general). Now, that's great if you happen to love the impresionnists (and indeed you won't find them in the Louvre), but it's not necessarily of the upmost interest for everybody. For instance, I'he a peculiar interest in middle-ages. Wil I find XIII? century enamels in the Orsay?? No way! If I was doing the same, I could write : "Forget about both the Louvre and Orsay, and visit the Cluny museum and the museum of music", just because I personnally like them a lot.


People should be advised to visit the museums displaying the items, artworks, etc..they're particularily interested in, be it the Rodin museum, the Cluny museum, the museum of jewish history, whatever. And if they plan to visit a "generalist" museum like the Louvre in a short time, they should pick and choose what interest them the most (the greek potteries, the medieval jewelry, the imperial appartments, etc..) rather than trying to rush to see everything, which is impossible, anyway.


So, IMO, concerning the museums, the OP should mention what interest them, and posters will probably be able to advise them.




As for not spending a fortune on food, that's quite easy. Menus and prices are posted outside restaurants (now, it could still be an issue if you don't have a clue about the food items proposed...but at least you can see the price).

It depends on what you call "a fortune", firstly. People on this board have fairly different concepts about what "cheap" and "costly" means. And some will be willing to spend a lot on hotels, but not much on food, or the contrary. But anyway, you can eat at all prices in Paris. The cheapest menus you'll find will be around 10 euros, but you can easily spend 20 times as much if you wish so.

As some posters mentionned you can also buy food in shops or supermarkets and eat it in a park, for instance. Also, most cafes will propose basic food items at lunch time (salads, "croque-madame", steak, etc..). There are also "ethnic" restaurants (north-africa, chinese, italians, africans...) generally quite cheap.

Generally speaking, though you should try to avoid the "tourist factories", due to their generaly poor service and high prices. Which is quite easy : just wander a little away from the main tourist attractions.




Concerning Versailles, it's the same than the museums. It's worth it if you're interested in visiting such a palace. For instance, though I can easily admit that it's a world-level monument, an impressive architecture, displaying extraodinary furniture and decoration, etc.., etc... I happen not to be very interested in this era architecture : too classical outside, and too lavishly decorated inside for my tastes. And i don't like much the classical "french-style" gardens, either. So, for me it wouldn't be a priority. I would take a renaissance castle or the rarely mentionned here Fontainebleau over Versailles anyday. Depends on taste once again.

So, if you are interested in this kind of palace, you won't be dissapointed. It's overwhelming. If you're not really interested at the first place, then...what could you expect? If you like impressionism, for instance replace it with Orsay and Giverny, as mentionned here. If you like stainted glasses, then visit the Sainte-Chapelle and Chartres, also mentionned in this thread, etc...

Michelle:

One more suggestion regarding "How not to spend a fortune on food".

It's not food, but ask the price before you order a Coke, especially around the more touristy areas. We popped into a little cafe near the Hotel de Ville and thought we'd be frugal with a salad and coke. The cokes were 8.5 euros, each! (Sure tasted good, though!)