Just because I like to hear other people's opinions. Just because I love to hear what person A, B, and C would do, knowing that said persons rarely ever agree. I would like to know: If you had one week in Paris with no preconceived notions, what would you do? See? Where would you eat? drink? sleep? What tourist sites would you avoid like the plague?

And....GO!!!!

It seems to me that "no preconceived" & "unstructured" means we wouldn't know...would we? Isn't that the point. And knowing and posting it here makes it neither of those things. Or am I confused?

It's hard for me to separate myself from my preconceived notions. I would check to see if any of the French singers I like are performing in Paris and buy tickets if they were. I would check out the schedule of courses at the College de France and hope they were in session when I was there (which would exclude the summer, when they are closed). I would go to the theater, probably catch a classic play at the Comedie Francaise and then something more contemporary at the Theatre du Rond Point or one of the other theaters, check to see what has last minute tickets available at billetreduc.com

I would like to stay in an apartment, although that is more problematic than it used to be, and I would stock the kitchen with fruit, cheese, charcuterie, and duck breasts from the markets, perhaps the Saturday organic market in the Batignolles or the large market at the Bastille on Sundays. And I would stop in every chocolate shop I passed for a taste and a small purchase. And oh yes, apricot tarts from a boulangerie or two.

I would wander down some of my favorite streets to look at jewelry, including the rue Saint-Paul and the rue des Francs Bourgeois in the Marais.

I would love to return to the restaurant Philou, near the Canal Saint-Martin, where I had a wonderful meal a couple of years ago.

I would check out the museum exhibits to see what interests me, perhaps something interesting at the private contemporary art museum La Maison Rouge near the marina at the Bassin de l'Arsenal.

I would find out everything I could about what was going on the week I would be there, but I would wait and decide what to do based on what I felt like each day, except for those things that need advance tickets or reservations.

I might go the Baron Rouge at the Marche d'Aligre on Sunday for plates of charcuterie and cheese and freshly shucked oysters, and where they sell wine out of the barrel.

MmePerdue,

You got me on semantics.

Imagine you arrive with no preconceived notions and no plan ahead of time...picture yourself on the ground in Paris right now. What do you do? Yep, that does, in fact ask you to conceive your week if you are not actually there. Humor me.

If it's a Sunday I'd go to the flower market at Place Louise Lepine. I would visit Cafe Saint-Regis on Ile Saint-Louis for a champagne. I would visit some vintage book sellers and paper sellers at the St Ouen Flea Market, I would visit Maxim's Museum above the famous restaurant and stand in line for a table at Le Bouillon Chartier.

I can imagine myself in Paris, in 2 weeks actually. So with plans in place and wiggle room around the edges, I guess it's the wiggle room that interests you. Then my list of possibilities that have no exact location on the calendar?

Quartier Asiatique in the 13th. Place Loulou Gaste, named for someone I knew once. Fauchon, just to look. Petit Hôtel Bourrienne. Chateau de Vincennes. Musée Cognacq-Jay. To name a few floating destinations.

Easy.
Close your eyes and stick a pin in a map of Paris.
Find lodging. Really, it's not hard.
Wander around and do whatever strikes your fancy.
Eat and drink something along the way.
Go back home.

Last June, we spent two unplanned weeks in Paris.

I say unplanned because structure has a way of developing on its own, but our only planned activity was a day trip to Chartres to hear Malcolm Miller.

Otherwise, we had themes: street markets and gardens. We rode buses to places like the Jardin Albert Kahn and the Chateau and Parc de Vincennes. We picked buses that would take us through neighborhoods where we hadn't been. The one that passed under our window drove us right by the Bataclan.

We stayed in what I would call a student apartment over a bar. If we leaned out the window, we could see the Canal St Martin. We never made dinner reservations or even thought about meals much. There were two Franprix close by, the bar downstairs, pizza across the street, a Tunisian baker in mid-block who made delicious tuna subs. It was very hot. When we went to our very favorite restaurant, the traditional food was too heavy to enjoy. So we ate cold chicken at home, drank "ginto" at the bar, hung out in the Jardin Villemon, whatever.

This is very different from our usual travel and may have been the best vacation I have ever taken because there were no expectations so there was no stress.

Last trip to Paris was last minute and we booked an apartment in the 14th. I wanted a balcony and a bedroom, no studio since it was a week. The only place I wanted to eat at was The Beast and it lived up to the reviews. Since we were in the 14th we really explored that area and got to know our markets, baker and the butcher where we bought our roasted chicken. Loved Picard. We would eat breakfast in, lunch and drinks out but loved bringing home all the finds from these shops. I love the cemeteries of Paris and the 14th has Montparnasse. If I was in the 2nd I probably would not have ventured out that far so it was nice. We would sleep in, decide what we wanted to do after drinking coffee and never rushed. Very relaxing, not a list and loved it.

Not to be pedantic but I don't think I'd be going to Paris (or anywhere else) if I didn't have some preconceived notions. After all, how do you decide on a destination in the first place if there isn't something pulling you there?

For example I want to go Budapest at some point specifically to see Momento Park where all the cold war era sculpture is stored. I'm sure I will discover other things once I'm there, as well as doing some of the more obviously touristy things (thermal baths, coffee houses etc).

Things I particularly like in any city are finding art deco buildings (it's my favourite architectural style), street art/graffiti, exploring flea markets (brocante in Paris, eg Clignancourt), food markets and café culture. Also unusual cocktails in dark and sultry bars. I love swimming and bathing, so any lidos or very old pools or Turkish baths always appeal to me. If I'm in the countryside I like wild swimming too (eg lakes and tarns and fjords).

What I'm saying is you are the best person to answer this question because you know already what you love!

I know I want to go to Budapest but have no idea what is there to see.
I just bought tickets to Lisbon and have no idea what is to see there.

We will buy a book telling us what to see and will make some itineraries of places to see. Then we will prioritize and amend on the ground.

I recommend doing the same for Paris : establish a list of what appeals and try to see them knowing that if you stumble upon a nice place you'll rearrange your priorities.

What I would avoid are les catacombes and cemitaries.

I'd plan for one specific meal if I had something in mind but we never do and then miss some since we don't make a reservation not knowing when we can be where. I hardly return twice to the same restaurant either. So I would simply look for what is close to where j am when hungry.

A concert at sainte chapelle is great.

Taking left or right out of the itinerary is something we love to do.

Enjoy Paris !

We will arrive in Paris a week from today for a few days' visit. Apart from meeting up with a friend of my husband's for a walk around Ménilmontant and lunch in Belleville, and an evening with a few friends, nothing is planned. I'll probably go online later today and see if there are any special events happening, we may take our umpteenth boat ride on the Seine just because we always enjoy it, we'll have a coffee or wine at our favorite café, and I think we might visit the Château de Vincennes, but other than that we'll just see what we find.

I always wonder about the posters who have a detailed itinerary for each day and each hour planned six month before they go, regardless of weather, personal mood and things which they see not before they have arrived at their destination.

I admit, I have often been to Paris, partly for leisure, partly for business, so I am somewhat different from a first-time visitor. But anyway:

If I had one week, I would indeed start with reading guidebooks and making a list of personal must-sees and must-dos, including restrictions like opening hours, reservations required, travel, good weather/poor weather activities etc.

This list would give me some basic structure for days with good weather (like "Seine cruise" or "daytrip to Versailles") and for days with bad weather (like museum visits).

But the very first thing I usually do after arrival is taking the Métro to Île de la Cité and strolling around, just to soak in the visual image, the cityscape and atmosphere of the "City of Light". Next comes strolling across Place de la Concorde and along a section of the Champs Elysées.

I do these strolls again and again and never get tired of this beautiful city.

For the next days, restrictions, weather and mood come into play. Usually, we make plans for the next day during dinner, and during breakfast next morning, these plans are revisited. And then, we walk down the stairs into the underground and board the Métro and see how the day will evolve.

" Château de Vincennes"

Glad to see it mentioned twice; it rarely gets a nod on here.

We had always seen it listed as the terminus for Metro Line 1. It took 3 trips to Paris before we got out there. It was enjoyable and we are glad we went to the end of the line.

I like this thread!

I am currently planning our umpteenth (we feel lucky) trip to Paris. No "must-do," only want-to-dos or -want-to-redos. So I'm actually idea-gathering, rather than trip-planning.

When planning trips, as we like art a lot, I check out all the big museums in cities where we'll be, for any special exhibits. We saw a great Vermeer exhibit in Rome several years ago; that was special.

I plan our trips similar to others above. I have ideas of places to possibly go, as well as places that we definitely want to see. This upcoming trip will include a trip to Fountainbleu, as DD (her high school grad trip - lucky her) is a fan of Napoleon. But we try to stay away from fixed schedules, so that we can vary due to weather and changes of mind.

Promenade Plantee has been on my list for the last several trips, maybe we'll make it there this time. Same for St. Denis.

On our last trip, we journeyed to the location that Caillebotte painted "Paris Street, Rainy Day."

This trip, based on notes I've gathered previously, we may also head out to Les Batignolles. Any suggestions for wine bars or restaurants in that area, or stores to check out (though we are not big shoppers) would be appreciated.

Lexma, I too saw the Vermeer exhibit in Rome several years ago, quite by accident, stumbled upon while wandering around. And the Batignolles neighborhood is a likely wander shortly as I'll be staying nearby. As I often have but didn't know what was so closely that direction. Maybe proof that too specific a plan can be, in some sense, counter-productive.

No preconceived notions here, this is what DW and I did March 26 to Easter Sunday 2015. Stayed in an apartment from Cobblestone at Etienne Marcel and Blvd Sebastopol. We went to the Bastille Opera for Le Lac des Cygnes one evening. We walked from the apartment, through Marais to Bastille Snd metro'd back when the rain hit. Shopped at BHV. Went to place Trocadero to see the tower view and walked through the Marche du Pont d'Alma on Ave Wilson. Ate at "our" restaurant Presto Fresco.

We took a day trip to Rouen to see Jeanne d'Arc stuff. Wife bought a pair of Italian boots at a store there, and we returned to see that the store had a branch three blocks from the apartment. Decided to not stop at Giverny due to rain.

Walked through a few covered passages for shopping. Loved the Cure Gormand. Hated the ice cream shop inside. Went to H & M, C & A but avoided Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.

Each day was based upon whatever mood DW was in. Never had a plan, but a general direction.

DW said it was her favorite trip to Paris.

"I always wonder about the posters who have a detailed itinerary for each day and each hour planned six month before they go, regardless of weather, personal mood and things which they see not before they have arrived at their destination."

I do make an itinerary, and we never follow it precisely, but at least I also don't miss something I really wanted to see (usually) or go to a place and find out (because I did no prep) it is closed on that particular day and we're leaving the following day. Some people think planning out a trip is overkill and negative and takes out the spontaneity of the trip, but they are probably not the ones who get to the Alhambra and find out they needed to secure reservations 6 weeks before.

Also, by the time I book hotels and airfare, I've spent about 5 grand. I'm not just going to wing it and end up wandering aimlessly for three weeks. Living in France and winging it in Paris is very different than living in L.A. and having no plans once you arrive.

Advanced knowledge of a city or country or even having (gasp) a pre-planned itinerary is not necessarily a bad thing! Of course, knowing the correct petrol to put in your rental car is an entirely different story.

DH and I are going in May (not our first trip) and have no firm plan other than the day we are taking a day trip to Reims (rain or shine). I have made a list of some of the places we're interested in seeing and when they are open. I have made a list of a few recommended restaurants and shops and have them on a list in case we happen to be in that particular area. But our plan is simply to BE and decide each what sounds good based on how we feel or what the weather is like.

Even so, I've never been one like some of the people on here who plan out every minute of every day and then the whole plan goes to the toilet if it rains.

I would go to Les Puces de St Ouen on a Saturday , especially the Marche Vernaisson. Also I would hit Le Marche des Enfants Rouges for lunch, and then Jacques Genin for pastries afterwards. I might also visit Eclaireurs for a close-up look at haute couture, across from the Carnavalet, which is worth a visit.

Montmartre is beautiful, and I would walk up the stairs and along the rooftop of Sacre Couer to the cupola.


Walking the Marais is essential for me, stopping in at Marriage Freres on R. Bourg-Tibourg and the place de vosges.