Just returned from Paris last night. Important update I thought you potential visitors might want. <BR> <BR>Lourve--as of 1 Nov no more night time visiting hours. <BR> <BR>Flea Markets are not open 7-7 as stated in France Govt tourist brochures but 9-6 on Sat and Sun and 10-6 on Monday. <BR> <BR>Metro Pass--I was there 5 days and its best to buy the zone 1-3 pass for 5 days and pay the 49ff each way for the airport trip than buy a 5 day 1-5 zone which would only get you one airport trip. <BR> <BR>Orangerie--it is closed BUT the only 2 rooms open are the Monet Water Lily Rooms. This was a highlight of my trip seeing them. <BR> <BR>Concert at St. Chapelle--took in the violin concert (www.ampconcerts.com) and this was another highlight of my trip. Highly recommended. <BR> <BR>Museum pass--I bypassed a lot of lines with it and visited all the museums I had planned so was a good deal for me. <BR> <BR>Covered Passages--try to visit at least one as they are delightful treasures of early shopping malls. <BR> <BR>Bookstalls--only were open in the afternoon about noonish, and not as early as the guidebooks lead you to believe (or maybe it was because it was the off season). <BR> <BR>Weather-was 60-65, clear and fabulous for the week I was there. <BR> <BR>Notre Dame Choir Practice-available to the public as stated in French Gov tourist brochure--not so according to information booth person at Notre Dame and when I was there at the scheduled time. <BR> <BR> <BR>Enjoy <BR> <BR>Janet <BR>

Thanks Janet for the tips. I leave next week for my 3rd trip to Paris and am planning on going to a flea market and a concert at St. Chapelle. Have already reserved my tickets via the internet. Could you provide more details about the covered passages? Where are they and when are they opened? <BR>

I am also going to Paris for a week over Thanksgiving. Does anyone know if you should get a museum pass before you go or is it just as easy to get it over in Paris? <BR>Any suggestions as to great dining? <BR>Did you go to Mont St. Michel? Is it worth the trip?

Can someone or original poster give me fairly precise directions and locations to the Flea markets. I will be in Paris next weekend and want it on my list. Any pointers would help also.

Karen, it's quite easy to get a museum pass once you get to Paris. The passes can be purchased at any museum/sight that accepts them for admission--i.e., the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Rodin, Notre Dame towers, Ste-Chapelle, Conciergerie, etc. We bought ours at Ste-Chapelle since the line there was short--obviously, one of the benefits of the museum pass is going to the front of the line or using a different entrance from the crowds entirely, so you don't want to buy it at a sight where you're likely to have to stand in a very long line before purchasing it. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Thanks Gina - I will pick one up over there. Also thanks to Janet - I just made an on-line reservation for a concert at St. Chapelle. My very unstructured trip is beginning to take a little shape. Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

For Karen- <BR> <BR>I've been to Mont St. Michel a couple of times and I would say it is ALWAYS worth the trip! It is probably my favorite place in France. Arrival in the evening is the best. The lights and fog create a stunning view. <BR> <BR>If you are limited to just a few days in Paris, then giving up one full day might be a consideration. I recommend staying a night on the island. It is very peaceful and the early morning views are incredible. We stayed at Mere Poulard and it was great. <BR> <BR>Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks Beth - I think we will go. Is it difficult to rent a car to get there or is there train/coach service from Paris?

Karen, you can also get the museum pass at the Tourist office on Champs Elysees. We got ours at the gift shop at the Musee d'Orsay where there was no wait, not in the general admission line where they don't sell them. <BR> <BR>Shervin, Marches Aux Puces, one of the flea markets in Paris, is very close to the Porte de Cligancourt metro station. You should be able to see some of the stalls when you get out of the station.

In the context of advice to Karen (from kristi) about giftshop/Musee d'Orsay being a good place to but your museum pass... <BR>. <BR>Musee d'Orsay is possibly the best single art museum in the world... and as a bonus, have lunch there! Back when the Md'O was a train station, there was a hotel on the second floor, and its main ballroom is now the restaurant for the Museum. Very reasonable prices (in a city where $30 vanishes in no time for a really nice meal), service feels refined, but not stuffy, but the room itself is quite a treat. <BR>. <BR>I have not been to Mont St Michel, so I will not try to refute Beth, but for excursions out of the city, Versailles, Giverny and Chartres are all considerably closer, and surely not "inferior"! Of course, perhaps Giverny at this time of year is not the best bet. <BR>. <BR>Best wishes, <BR>. <BR>Rex

Someone should confirm this, in case my memory fails me (not the first time!) <BR>....but I think the carte visite is sold at Metro stops also!

Yep--Sandi's right. We were in Paris a couple of months ago and museum passes are available from the ticket agent in the Metro.

I live in Paris and my number one favorite place to take guests is Chartres. It is close by, easily accessible by train, and very interesting, even if you are not a "churchy" person. The stained glass windows alone are reason enough for the trip. They are as clear and easy to "read" as comic strips, recounting many well-known Bible stories, such as the story of Noah, Adam and Eve, The Good Samaritan and the life of Jesus, making this visit interesting even for children. And of course, the colors are incomparable. Pick a sunny day, and don't miss the English language guided tour by Malcom Miller, and Englishman who has devoted his entire life to teaching about the art and architecture of this one Cathedral. He is witty and entertaining, and he gives 2 tours every day, each covering a different subject. Many people take both, lunching in between. There are many lovely places for lunch or coffee and cake in the town, and a convenient one is La Serpente, right across from the church. On a nice day, you can picnic on the grounds behind the cathedral, which offer a lovely view into a valley. If you don't think Chartres is worth a whole day (though you'll change your mind once you get there) go to Versailles in the morning and continue on to Chartres afterward. <BR>Mont St. Michel is also extraordinary and worth a visit, though it is further away and really only suitable if you plan to stay overnight. Try to avoid the weekends(exasperatingly crowded!). The free guided tours are very entertaining. If you are in the Mont St. Michel area, the seaside fort town of St. Malo, about an hour and a half away, is worth a visit. <BR>I agree about the Musée d4Orsay; almost everyone who has ever visited me says this is their favorite Paris museum. Besides the content (and with the demise of the old Jeu de Paume this is really the only place to see a large selection of French Impressionist paintings) the building is very pretty and well lit with natural outdoor light, so you don't feel like you're"wasting" a sunny day when you go. The food in the restaurant is also good and surprisingly reasonable. <BR>Touristy but lovely all the same is the boat rides around the Seine which leave from the Pont Neuf, the Pont de l'Alma, the Pont Bir-Hakiem and more (however, just take the tour, don't do the lunch or dinner cruise; the food is not worth it and the prices are outrageous). They are all about the same, take about an hour and cost 50F or less. It's a good (and romantic) way to get a general impression of the city, and there is no more beautiful view of Notre Dame than gliding by on the water. Bundle up if you go off season so you can go on the outside deck. <BR>Well, there are my two centimes! Have a great trip. <BR>Lisa

I second the motion to eat at the Musee d'Orsay. Be sure to look up!! <BR>The ceiling is worth a picture!! <BR> <BR>

Glad my advice helped. Here are some responses to your questions: <BR> <BR>covered passages--built in 18th century and became popular in 19th. <BR> <BR>Passage des Pavillons <BR>6 Rue du Beaujolais (01) <BR>Metro: Pyramides <BR> <BR>Galerie Vero Dodat 1826 <BR>19 Rue Jean Jacque Rosseau (01) <BR>Metro: Palais royal <BR> <BR>Galerie Vivienne 1823 <BR>4 Place des Petits Champs (02) <BR>Metro: bourse <BR>I went here and loved it and if you have only time to go to one, go here. <BR> <BR>Galerie Colbert 1826 <BR>6 Rue des Petits Champs (02) <BR>Metro: bourse <BR> <BR>Passage des Panoramas 1800 <BR>11 blvd Montmatre/10 rue st. March-Paris <BR>Metro: Montmartre <BR> <BR>Get museum pass in Paris. <BR> <BR>Mt. Michel is fabulous. We went there about 5 years ago. Try to get a room on the island and of course, once the tide comes in you are stuck there. A long way to go from Paris. <BR> <BR>Exact flea market addresses: <BR> <BR>Les Puces de Paris St. Ouen <BR>Clignacourt <BR>Metro: Porte de Clignancourt <BR>The stuff in the market is clothes, purses, cheap perfume. A better visit can be had if you follow the signs to the Marche (the antique market). Go left out of the metro, go under the flyover or highway. <BR> <BR>Les Puces de la Porte d Vanves <BR>Metro: Porte de Vanves <BR>smaller than the other although I did not get to go. <BR> <BR>Enjoy <BR> <BR>Janet