SAnParis

Certainly not, there is nothing better than sitting on the square, having some mussels, pomme frites & Chablis and taking in the sights.

melissa19

speaking of montmartre, what do you all think it would be like on easter? this sunday?

our original plans fell through, so looking for an easter "destination." i guess sacre coeur will be open, and surely the place du tertre never closes, right? what about shops and cafes (away from the place)? espace dali?

we leave for the airport in one hour! woo hoo!

SusanP

Of course you will find a lot of tourists there, that's because it's such a great place to be! I agree that the dome inside Sacre Coeur is absolutely gorgeous. And I enjoy Place du Tertre as well. If you didn't go to any area of Paris just because it was touristy, you would miss a lot of what you want to see.

Scarlett

We were in Paris on Easter a few years ago and I noticed that aside from many stores and restaurants being closed, it was nice and quiet. We walked everywhere and enjoyed the lack of traffic and crowds.
betty, Paris is touristy and full of neighborhoods where one can get annoyed. But you are still in Paris so it is not quite so annoying
As you walk away from Sacre Coeur, you go into the neighborhoods with the nice homes and shops and it is lovely.

LarryJ

Of course Montmartre is touristy. All interesting places are touristy. I have been going to Paris at least three times a year for many years and every trip I spend a day there. I do this not because of Sacre Coeur but in spite of it. It the ugliest building in all of Paris. Besides the ugly church, Place Tertre, the hordes of artists (some good some without a clue) there are nice cafes, the windmill, the vineyard and lots of interesting things to see on Montmartre. With Paris as any other destination you first need to know what it is you like and what interests you and then seek out those things. You can't just ask the general question "is it worth see such and such". What interests me and makes a facinating day for me may drive you to suicide or worse yet bowling.

Larry J

bettyo70

Thanks to everyone for weighing in!

Ira: We'll be in Paris for 7 nights.

The priorities on this trip will be: atleast one walking tour in MARAIS (Paris Walks), possibly another tour of the 16th arrondissement to see the Belle Epoque work of Guimard, the 8th arrondissement for the Jacqmart Andre Museum (sorry for poor spelling), a visit to glorious St. Chappelle and picinic at Parc Monceau, a few Seine boat tours (from the 1st AND 7th), a walk around Ile St. Louis and finally, one day trip outside of Paris -- possibly to ETRETAT.

Always great to hear from you all!

cigalechanta

well said, Larry. Betty, never go by anyone's post unless it is near to what YOU WANT to see; let this be your trip not a copy of someone's and you'll find something new to bring to all.

ilovetulips

Betty what part of June will you be in Paris? We will be there May 29-June 3. Are you planing to see any of the major museums- Louvre, Orsay, Pompidou? ONe of my coworkers was in Paris over Spring Break and she said great things about Paris Walks. I think she took the Marais Walk, as well. I also hear that Rodin Museum is delightful with its gardens.

bettyo70

Cigale: You are totally right about making Paris your own!

Tulips: We'll be there from June 1 to 7, based in the Marais, because we plan to enjoy the nightlife. (We can sleep when we get home!) Only concentrating on the smaller museums this time, along with St. Chapelle.

Hi, Scarlett and Ira!

janeg

One of my most favorite pictures I took while in Paris is one of all the artists set up in M.

payant

My wife and I are great believers in Serendipity. The principle says that if you set out to see something, other very unexpected and delightful things will cross your path. My remembrance of Montmarte is a group pf buskers (Latin American) who entertained for money and were esceptionally good. We drank cold drinks, sat on the steps of Sacre Coeur to enjoy the sun and music, bought their CD, bought postcards to Frame at Place du Tetre and walked back to our hotel near Abbesses metro. I suppose we were just another pair of relaxing tourists cluttering up the surroundings but it was delightful.

Travelnut

We sat on the steps and watched the funniest 'busker' I have ever seen, better than most professional comedians on TV... he was a "ninja" dressed in black, pulling pranks on unsuspecting Japanese tourists, cab drivers, the green trash men, even the police. My cheeks ached from laughing...alas, he has not been there for a few years now...

ninasdream

Ooh! I don't know whether to smile or cry. Last year this time I was doing my trial pack for a return trip to Paris. I said I would wait a year or 2 to return, on the basis that I just couldn't top last year's experiences, so I'd wait and discover it all over again. Spend a few hours in Montmarte and Sacre Coeur, why not? I too am a big believer in Serendipity. This year, I will sigh over my photos.

ira

Hi betty,

Take the the Metro to Pl Pigalle, cross Rue Clichy and get on the Montmartrebus (no 18) on the left side of the pl. The bus winds its way up to Sacre Coeur and down to Pl Jules Joffrin.

Wait while the batteries are recharged (15 min) and take it back to Sacre Coeur. See the view.

Decide if you want to hang around or walk over to the Abesses station and then decide if you want to walk back to Pigalle or take the metro from there.

The quick trip is about 2-3 hr.

BTilke

If you're not interested in seeing it, don't bother. Don't force yourself to go there, especially if your time is limited. But if you're even slightly curious about it and you've never seen it, then you should probably go.
Personally, wild horses couldn't drag me to Montmartre again. When we had an apartment in Paris, I had to take our steady stream of visitors there. I finally put my foot down and said that's it, no more Montmartre for me! There are sights in Paris I could happily gaze at another hundred or thousand times, but seven trips to Montmartre is my limit.