must see in Paris (only 5days)?
 

hi, I'm gonna be in Paris for only 5 days from May 9th-13th.<BR>it's my first time does anyone for any suggestion for itineraries? (may 9th is a holiday too...)

Rose, first, this is a real email address, so if you have any questions please email me.<BR><BR>My wife and I have been to Paris three times, and each time we found something new and exciting.<BR><BR>I do not know your interests, but I would suggest seeing the following:<BR><BR>1. Musee D'Orsay. Perhaps the finest museum I've ever seen, particularly if you like the Impressionists.<BR><BR>2. the Rodin Museum...outstanding.<BR><BR>3. Hotel Invallides...my Napolean had a big ego! Also note the difffernece between the military chapel and the upper crust chapel that contains his tomb. A glass wall separates the two, but they are a world apart.<BR><BR>4.Eifel Tower...try to go around dusk and see the lights of the city turn on.<BR><BR>5. Sacre Coure church...new, but very nice<BR><BR>6. Montemart... during the day. At night that area can get quire sleazy, particualrly the Boulevard de Clichy.<BR><BR>7. Stroll down St Germain and enjoy the shops and the bars<BR><BR>8. The Louvre...very large, often crowded, but you can avoid the lines and go to a special entrance if you buy a museum carte.<BR><BR>9. Arche de Triumphe...go to the top and if for no other reason so you can look at the worst traffic circle in the world <BR><BR>10. Notre Dame...even if you're not Catholic..it's awesome.<BR><BR>11. St Chapelle...on the same island as Notre Dame but very different with incredible stained glass windows.<BR><BR>12. Avoid the dinner cruises on the seine...bad food and a rip off. For that much $$$ go to a good restaurant.<BR><BR>Hope that helps

Buy the "Frommers Walks in Paris" book. The walks are interesting and fun. Each one takes 3-4 hrs including breaks and you get a great overview of Paris. See the outside of the Louvre late at night, see the Eiffel Tower late at night and just walk, walk, walk.

With five days (I'm assuming you arrive early a.m. the 9th and leaving the morning of the 14th; if not, then skip this reco), you can take a 3/4 day trip to Chartres or Versailles - a respite from the hustle-bustle of Paris.<BR><BR>As Tom said, skip the dinner cruise, but the boat trip sans dinner is entertaining, and is a good thing to do on your arrival day (tired, jetlagged, you don't want anything too strenuous, mentally or physically).<BR><BR>For shopping, you can't beat the department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps) for getting cheesy AND cool souvenirs in a short period of time. You can combine it with a trip to Sacre Coeur.

I agree with Tom. When at Notre Dame walk behind it to the Ile St. Louis. It is a quite haven from the hustle and bustle. Look for Berthilion(Sp?).It is some of the best ice cream you will ever have. Place St Michele and the surrounding side streets are a great place to linger over a breakfast of cafe-au-lait and french bread. You watch the city wake up. This is less expensive and more entertaining that the same thing at your hotel's dining room. My husband and I did this last summer. we had breakfast every morning at a little cafe on Rue Buci Latin. It was one of the things I enjoyed most about our trip. We decided never to have breakfast at our hotel again. Also, Explore the side streets. If I am walking along a street full of noisy traffic I turn in one block and walk along the adjacent parallel street. I find it quieter and more interesting.

In addition to the aforementioned I also enjoyed<BR><BR>Musee de Cluny, where they have a wonderful collection of medieval unicorn tapestries<BR><BR>Pompidou Center is great if you like modern art.<BR><BR>A wonderful day trip (short train ride, believe it was less than 1 hour) is Versaille. You wouldn't believe this place-- former palace of Louis XIV- the formal gardens are absolutely exquisite and they have a special fountain show set to classical music. It was an astonishing place. I was so glad I made time for it.<BR>

Thanks Rose for asking this question. I am going to Paris for 5 days in April and it's great to get feedback. Have a wonderful trip.<BR><BR>

I agree with what everyone else has posted as "must sees," but I would add one must do. You must take time to relax and enjoy Paris. Sit at least twice a day at a sidewalk cafe and watch the street life over a cheap camembert on baguette and a pitcher of house wine. Picnic at the Luxemborg Gardens and watch the lovers. Stroll through the Tuileries and watch the kids playing with boats. Slowly walk through the Montparnasse Cemetary and take in the sculptures. Have a beer in a neighborhood bar in the early evening. Ride the metro at different hours, listening to the music. Every time I return to Paris I find myself spending more time just watching Parisians and loving the whole spectacle.

You can email me too with questions. I have been going to Paris for 10 years and even studyed there for a summer. I will be returning in May to my favorite city! What everyone has listed is what you should do if you have never been there. Seeing the major attractions is a must, and definitely take a lot of time enjoying the cafes, food, atmosphere, time and time again (to me) this is the best part. Something that might be a little different, try the Catacombs. A one mile walk undergound among six million dead. Way back when, Paris needed to expand, so they put all the bones from cemeteries underground in an artistic diplay, it is very interesting, and not gross an any way. It's a dark, deeper side of Paris. I took my mom there a couple of years ago, and she loved it!

also...don't worry or push your self to see it all, enjoy it mostly, as many times as I've been there, there are still things I haven't seen and would like to. I say plan the things you really want to see, play the rest by ear, because you are going to want to take your time and stop often to soak it all in.

Rose, Thank you for posting this question. I will be in Paris in June and this has been very helpful for me also. Have a wonderful trip!<BR><BR>zeppo2, You have a way with words. Your ideas have my heart racing and soaring all at once! I cannot wait to take your advice.<BR>

Oh my gosh! thanks for all the great responses everyone! i'm gonna be sure to let you all know how it goes!!!<BR>--'o'-@

Yes, Zeppo2, you have put into words exactly what I'm hoping to get out of my trip to Paris this summer. It's really heartening to see that other people want (and have managed to do) a more authentic Paris experience. I'm hoping to spend much of my time strolling around, soaking in the local vibes -- now that's what I call an enlightened holiday, one where you can step out of your everyday life (and even your self-image) and try simply to exist on a different level. Jeez, I can't wait to get on that plane. . .

Well, I should add:<BR>1) A walk / shopping / dinning on Champs Elysees, one of widest avenue of the world.<BR>2) A show at Moulin Rouge.<BR>And I should emphasize a visit to Versailles Palace.<BR>

the viaduct des arts, running from place bastille, is a mile or two collection of shops and artisan's workplaces built into the former underpasses of a rail viaduct...fascinating variety of places to poke in and out of..with cafes here and there along the street. and as a bonus the former rail roadbed above the shops is a series of gardens...every few blocks there is access up and down. spectacular and interesting and different...you can spend as much or as little time sampling some of this most imaginative site as you wish.an d don't miss st chapelle on ile de la cite, especially if there is an evening cocert on a moonlit nite with the moonlight coming thru the stained glass windows. a more offbeat item is the sewer museum !!!ac tually you will find it easy to set out in the morning and go with the flow..try to chat with some locals about what to do and see...they really appreciate your interest in their city and the fact that you seek advice and thereby overcome the stereotype of the ugly amer ican. we have often been helped by those who stop to offer advice when we stand on the street looking at a street map [apparently appearing helpless, which attracts pleasant and helpful people!]