Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Help me with Paris!

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Help me with Paris!

First let me thank ALL of you who have shared your "special Paris" on this forum -- as I scroll through my bookmarks I see oodles that I have culled from this board. I'm going to Paris in early September for 5 days by myself and I can't wait! It will be the first trip in a long time where I haven't been morally [or legally] responsible for the quality of other people's experiences -- or negotiating with my husband for the day's events. Okay -- here's my question:) I'm planning on doing as FEW things that I have done before -- I want to see new neighborhoods, new places, museums etc. Would you share with me ONE place, experience etc. that you have NOT done in Paris and that you WANT to do. For example I've never seen the covered passages. Nor have I been to Musee Cluny in 10 years! And I also want to see the little squares that are charming, with a small cafe for people watching -- I've done St. Germain in the 5eme. I love architecture and looking into shop windows.

I've been three times and still have not been to the Bois de Boulogne, Musee Marmottan, Musee Pompidou, or Fontainebleau (yeah, I know, that's not technically in Paris). All of these are on my list for next time (or the time after that)!

It took a trip or two before we made it to the Cluny (now the Musee National du Moyen Age). Finally went there on our recent trip in late April/early May. We loved it. From the gardens to the abbey to the baths and the grand finale, the unicorn tapestries, it was a half day well spent. When we entered the courtyard, I didn't know where to point my camera first. We finally got there and were not disappointed.

Next time, I'm setting aside time to wander the small streetd in the 6eme between Blvd St Germain and the Seine and window shop. On walks between the Jardins du Luxembourg and the Louvre, I saw dozens of intriguing shops I wished I had time to look at. Yes, antique booksellers and antiques shops, but also places like a shop that just sold Japanese teapots and tea accessories and one full of exquisite Indian textiles, cushions, and so on.

Sally. Dor and I will be there Sept 3 through 9. Maybe we will bump into each other. No I did not order a pin. Just look for the couple that 'don't fit in'.

Parc de la Place des Vosges. :-)

Oh you guys are GREAT!!! Thankyouthankyou -- and keep 'em coming! Rand -- if you folks want to be a bit more intentional we can start a thread for the first week of September -- or you can email me.

My list of "things to do in Paris if you've done the Eiffel Tower" is really long. If you'd like it, I can email it to you.

elvira -- ohyesohyes PLEASE:)

I'll have to do it when I get home tonight, as it's on my home computer and I'm too stupid to figure out how to import it to my work computer.

That's cool! Although somehow "stupid" and "elvira" don't seem to belong together:)

Window-shopping in the arcades, sitting in the gardens, lunching in the bistros of the Palais-Royal. I had forgotten what a magical place it is, fell in love with it all over again, and am determined to stay in a hotel nearby on my next trip.

This is GREAT! Thank you all sooo much:) A second question -- those of you who have traveled alone to Paris -- would you share your restaurants - cafes - wine bars with me? I'm particularly looking for ones where a woman "of a certain age" traveling alone will feel comfortable. I prefer mid-range places where my creaky French [and body] will be treated with some grace and kindness.

Aw, just one? How about a "ménage à quatre", Sally? :~) I've always meant to see the Musée Carnavalet, the Musée Marmottan, and the village of Passy. In addition, I want to see the Viaduc Des Arts, a restored rail viaduct in the Bastille area, which has been converted to artists' studios and craft shops. From an article in the Seattle Times' travel section about it... The group of workshops, in Paris' 12th arrondissement, is part of a project started by the city in 1990 to restore the Viaduc de Paris, built in 1859 to support a railway line linking the Bastille to Vincennes. On top of the arches is a 2.5 mile park, the Promenade Plantée, built on the former railroad right-of-way, now reachable from the street level by a series of stone staircases. Hope you have a wonderful time!

Sally, Have you gone to the Catacombs before. I haven't, but that's on my to-do list for the next time I go. I also want to go to the Rodin Museum and maybe even the Edith Piaf museum (which I think is an apartment filled with memoribilia of her). For a day trip, I want to go to Chantilly next time.

Vanessa, the Piaf museum IS in a guy's apartment in the 20eme. It's by appointment only, here's the link: http://paris.org/Musees/Piaf/info.html It's just two very small rooms, but he's got cool stuff like her SAG card, her little shoes, photos, etc.

This is terrific! And Capo -- How about a "ménage à deux" to visit your "ménage à quatre"?

Sally -- I recently topped my report on my solo trip to Paris & Bruges which describes the restaurants I enjoyed. Here are some of them: For dinner my favorite place was Le Bistrot de Breteuil, in the 7th arrondisement, 3 place de Breteuil (metro stop: Duroc/Sèvres-Lecourbe), phone 01 45 67 07 27, reservations strongly recommended (request a table outdoors on their terrace). This place is not adjacent to any major tourist sites but is not too far from Les Invalides and is worth seeking out for its lively atmosphere, good food, and great value -- the prix fixe menu is 189 FF (about $25) per person INCLUDING a kir royale aperitif, a half-bottle of wine, your choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert and coffee. The mixed green salad with crayfish tails is very good and I can highly recommend the lamb or the bass for the main course. For dessert I had some fantastic chocolate cake-and-pastry layered concoction that was delicious. Ask the waiter what he recommends and you can't go wrong. For lunch my favorite place was L'Epi Dupin, 11 rue Dupin (metro: Sèvres-Babylone), in the 6th arrondisement near the Bon Marche department store, 01 42 22 64 56, open M-F only, sidewalk terrace at lunch. This is another very popular place and reservations are recommended because it is quite small and there are not very many tables, but if you get there early or late you don't need a reservation. On the day I was there they had a fixed-price menu for lunch that was 110FF (about $15) for two courses (either appetizer and main course, or main course and dessert) including a glass of wine. Mackerel is one of the chef's specialties and it is excellent. They also serve a wonderful chocolate cake with warm fudge sauce inside. Other places I enjoyed: La Fontaine de Mars 129 rue St-Dominique, 7th arrondisement not far from the Eiffel Tower (metro: Ecole Militaire), open every day noon-3 & 7:30-11 (reserve a table on their terrace), 90F 2-course lunch menu or a la carte which is quite a bit pricier (the duck breast is great). You can see their menu on-line at http://www.parisavenue.com/la-fontaine-de-mars Chantairelle, 17 rue Laplace (metro: Maubert-Mutualité), 5th arrondisement, 01 46 33 18 59, a block away from the Pantheon on a tiny sidestreet, reservations recommended (request a table outdoors). You can see their menu of regional specialties & reserve online at www.chantairelle.com, closed Saturday lunch & Sunday (highly recommend the filet de dore for the main course and the blueberry tart for dessert, do not recommend the oversalted & oily escargots appetizer). Very reasonable prices, casual & quirky atmosphere, pretty courtyard in the back with ivy-covered walls. Chez Maitre Paul, 12 rue Monsieur-le-Prince, 6th arrondisement (metro: Odéon/Luxembourg) 01 43 54 74 59 (reservations strongly recommended). Open daily 12-2:30&7:30-10:30, except closed Sun., & Mon. in August. Three-course fixed-price menu 165FF, or 195F with a half-bottle of their house red wine (the poulette a la creme gratinee (chicken in a cream-and-cheese sauce with mushrooms) are delicious, as is the creme brulee. No outdoor dining. You can see their menu at http://www.parisavenue.com/scripts/s...,&ver=hb1.2.13 Aux Charpentiers, 10 rue Mabillon, (Mabillon/St. Germain), in the 6th, open 12-3 & 7:30-11:30 daily, small sidewalk terrace, especially good to know about for Sunday lunch and dinner (I enjoyed a late Sunday lunch of roasted duck in olive sauce with fried potatoes and the house white wine).

A "ménage à deux", eh? Hmmmm...were you ever a member of The Temptations, Sally? :~) As much as I'd love to go back to Paris -- having been a whole two years since I was last there -- my next trip (perhaps this fall) is going to be somewhere along the Mediterranean between Barcelona and Rome. By the way, something else you may be interested in...are you familiar with the "Café Metropole Club"? If not, check out: http://www.metropoleparis.com/aclub.html

This may seem weird but I wished that I had gotten my hair cut there or gone to a day spa and had a "day of beauty" or in my case a "day of looks okay".