Leaving for Paris in 6 days...
 

Hi all,

A little background...DH and I with our 2 daughters (11 & 8) are leaving for a two-week trip. Our first week is in Paris and our second is in Madrid. I spent a week in Madrid last year but this is the first trip overseas for DH and daughters. We were supposed to go over the summer but a few days before we were supposed to leave, we found out that the plane tickets we had bought on Ebay had not been funded and buying new tickets 9 days before we were to leave was beyond our budget. So after a few days of serious whining (so my husband says), we rebooked for December and are ready to go again. We had a Spanish exchange student and are staying with her in Madrid but I had a couple of questions about Paris.

Arriving Sunday @ 11:00 at CDG. We are flying Air France bought as a Delta flight. I know that they arrive at Terminal 2 but not sure where in 2. We are buying a musuem pass and Navigo dec. at CDG. We will get carnets for the girls. Our apartment is on Rue Mandar in the 2nd and plan on taking the RER to Les Halles and walking from there as we have light luggage. Arriving on a Sunday, do you think we will have trouble a small store open to take care of basic needs? Any suggestions near where we are staying?

We do not want to over plan but we are going to try to get a couple of must sees in per day. We do not want to drive our kids to run away in Paris so although we will go to museums they will be of short duration. Any comments or suggestions on this itinerary? Thanks.

Sunday-Getting to know the neighborhood and an evening cruise to see the Eiffel Tower. Not sure if we will go up but we want to see it.
Monday-Montmartre area and Sacre Coeur and Christmas lights at Printems and Galeries Lafayette in the evening.
Tuesday-Sainte-Chapelle & Notre Dame
Wednesday 12/31-Louvre Jardin des Tuileries-nap-NYE at Notre Dame, considered Champs Elysees but a little nervous with the girls.
Wed-Musee d' Orsay and Orangerie
Thurs.Les Invalides & Musee Rodin
Friday-Considering a day trip to Versailles or Chartres.
Saturday-St. Germain area and Jardin de Luxombourg.

Tina

I was in Paris last week. It is a big city with excellent public transportation, but it is time consuming. Keep your targets within short commutes.

It might be easier to take the Roissy bus from CdG to Opera rather than cope with the RER and the mobs at station Les Halles. Besides you get a street level view of Paris on your way into town.

Instead of a carnet for your kids consider the Paris Pass. There is a discount for kids 4 to 11. It is very handy since you don't need to carry around a pocket full of tickets. It is a small card with a single ticket.

Terminal 2 has subterminals A through F. It is a big place. When you arrive go to an information office. The folks there are very helpful and speak excellent English.

From St Germain you could walk or metro to Montparnasse and go up the tower for a view of Paris. The Montparnasse area is nice with plenty of cafes and there is a shoping center just outside the gare. It has a Galleries Lafayette but it does not have the spectacular lights display of the G-L on Blvd Hausmann.

When planning visits to the right bank feed up and pack a cola before going. Cafe sit-downs can easily cost $7 per drink of whatever.

tmoday - Why nervous about the Champs Elysees?
You are doing your family a great diservice if you don't walk down the most famous avenue in the world!
It's very safe - of course you must be extremely aware of pickpokets not only there but everywhere in Paris.
I suggest you get off the metro at Charles de Gaulle Etoile ( Arc de Triomphe) Look for the elevater, (somewhat obscure in the wall)but it's definitely there to take you right to the top. The view all over Paris will be breathtaking especially looking down the Champs!
Then walk down the Champs Elysees maybe stopping for a Kir Royal(champagne & Kir) at one of many cafe's along the very wide sidewalk.
Imagine it's July and The Tour de France - you can see the riders hurtling full speed towards you!

When you reach the very bottom at the Grand or Petit Palais.
Maybe you'l feel like one of those really long hotdogs served from a stand under the trees - be careful! The mustard blows the top of your head off!
After admiring the 2,000 plus Egyptian wonder and the fantastic fountains you can go to the metro Concorde is right on the corner near
the entrance to the Jardin des Tuileries on the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume side. (check your Parris guide book).

This walk is perfectly safe when its a little dark and the lights give the Champs that extra WOW!

Hi

Paris is one of my favourite cities...so many things to see and do. My wife and I have been there a couple of times and here is the latest trip report with pictures, links and maps http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . Maybe you can find some useful information there. Have a great trip and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

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

"Arriving on a Sunday, do you think we will have trouble a small store open to take care of basic needs? Any suggestions near where we are staying?"

You've chosen an interesting area for your apartment. Rue Mandar runs into Rue Montorgueil, a pedestrianized shopping street with lots of specialty food shops. I'd take a look there first, because there may be some open on a Sunday. My second step would be to walk the short distance north to Rue Réaumur and turn right (east). You'll probably find something like a Franprix open. Failing that, look for one of those small hole-in-the-wall places that sell basic groceries and household supplies, typically open Sundays and late into the evenings.

I do know that there is a Franprix open on Sundays on Rue de Bretagne (just keep walking east on Réaumur and it becomes de Bretagne) just east of Square de Temple.

Anselm

Tod, I think the OP meant she was nervous about seeing in the New Year on the Champs Elysees with her children, presumably due to the crowds.

Think you're right Caroline - but I do hope tmodav does take in the Champs. I can't go to Paris and not do one stroll end to end everytime!

I've heard that there are people in the crowd setting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve, so I'm guessing that's why the OP doesn't want to take her children there.

That said, I have now been to Paris eight times (I think) in the past eight years or so, and I have not felt the urge to walk down the Champs Elysees. Riding along it once in a taxi told me it didn't look like the most atmospheric stroll in the city.

Tmodav, I think your itinerary looks good. Days are planned by area and leave room for flexibility. The things you mentioned won't take all day (for instance, Tuesday it will take only an hour or so to see Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame), but you will find plenty of things to fill in.

You might want to spend a little time wandering in the Marais, an interesting neighborhood that I don't see on your itinerary.

I really hate the Champs Elysee. I think it is as boring as a shopping mall in some American suburb.

Thin

You can buy the Navigo on Sunday when you arrive but the 7 days will not start until Monday. You'll need to buy either a carnet or a mobilis for your transportation on Sunday.

I think you have the balance of things each day about right. But especially with kids don't forget the "down" time when you are not in the great sights but getting a glimpse of regular life in market, department store, cafe, bakery, playground, toystore, etc. is part of the joy.

I would be nervous about NY eve in any mob scene with small children, and those kind of scenes occur in most major capitals. I wouldn't go to that myself, let alone take kids. However, to each each own. I just hate mobs and crowds and am not that fond of that holiday.

However, there is also a big NY eve celebration around place de la Bastille FWIW. That isn't too far from where you will be. But crowds and mobs are probably like that everywhere. There are always people doing things you may not like in crowds like that, unfortunately (ie, firecrackers or something dangerous, or broken glass, bottles, etc.), but crowds can also just be dangerous in themselves.

Thank you all for all of the responses.

We do plan on walking Champs Elysees but was going to avoid it on NYE and we will go up the Arc de Triomphe.

We tried not to overplan so we could have plenty of time just to wander and enjoy but didn't want to miss a few things.

I will by tickets for Sunday transportation also.

Thanks all, keep the suggestions coming and I promise a detailed trip report!

Tina

The Champs Elysées is one of the most boring venues on this earth, IMO, and certainly to be avoided at NYE if you want to maintain sanity. Otherwise, your itinerary looks good, but sparse. You can probably fit in a LOT more than you have outlined here, but you probably know that, and when you're actually there, on the ground, you'll figure out stuff to do and see.

There will almost certainly be an alimentaire open on Sunday near your apartment. Can't give you a specific address, but I've never been in Paris and unable to find a small grocery open.

Do not miss the Marais!! Head east from rue Mandar and you will be in the 3rd arr., the northern part of the Marais. Go southeast from there and you will end up at Place des Vosges. This area is always very busy on Sundays. The stores are open. I think that montorgueil should be busy with all the food shops and cafes and restaurants. The Marais (3rd, 4th) over to the 11th (Bastille) are among my favorite areas of Paris. Walk as much as possible and try to be a bit spontaneous if possible. I know that it isn't always possible with a short amount of time and 2 kids, but it's the best way to experience Paris. Have a great time. We have enjoyed Paris in December twice in the past.

not exactly on topic, but how do you buy plane tickets on ebay? who is selling them? the airlines?

We bought them from a foundation called Point of Light. They had contracted out their ebay travel business to a third party who ended up stealing money. So, I would not suggest buying from Ebay even though this site is no longer available.

Tina

Regarding NYE: Be warned that there will be lots of firecrackers being thrown in crowded areas. They are not thrown at people but at the ground and they seems larger than the ones allowed in the U.S. so the bang is big. I've never seen anyone hurt but if you're skittish around sudden booms, (I admit I am), it can be unnerving. I don't want to scare you away from any New Year's reveling just warn you about something that isn't generally seen or heard in the U.S.

Hi Tina,

I'm glad to hear you are going to visit the Champs - I understand why some may detest it but to each his own!
I have a feeling your girls will love it - only the top half near the Arc de Triomph is a bit commercial but as you go lower down it changes from shps & cafe1s to gardens and fountains.

If you get a moment here is my trip report including the Champs Elysee with photos.

Wishing you a terrific trip!
http://tinyurl.com/8fzghm

Tina - if that link doesn't work just click on my name and scroll down until you find "Our Springtime stroll through Paris"
Tod