Trying to go to the opera in Paris in March. <BR>What is the difference between the Garnier for ballet and the Palais for Opera? Is there an English website where I could buy tickets for an event?

The Garnier is so fantastically beautiful that I would go out of your way to see anything there! My mom and I went to the opera there last may and had an amazing time!

Fred - Stop It! I have read your dribble on the Travelocity boards and now I see you are busy here as well. This is a place for share information, NOT to post crap you have copied from others and direct people to your site and beg for money. If we can ban you from these boards we will. Amy, please disregard ANYTHING Fred has said and instead concentrate on the experiences of the other travelers here. **Beware - Fred is the guy who advertises http://www.anamericaninparis.com and wants money**

oh, pulleeze - what fred wrote sounds like excellent advice to me. i really don't care where he got the information - i only know it's helping me and telling me things i wasn't able to find out. by the way, fred was awarded the "members helping members" award by aol travel and he doesn't charge for advice. he asks for the money if you want to buy his book, not for answering questions which he does constantly to anyone who asks.

The Opera Bastille is where the major opera productions are now held in Paris. A couple of years ago I attended a performance of Turndot with Jane Eaglen, Patricia Racette, and Franco Farina - all top stars. Farina in fact was scheduled to sing the role of Mario Cavaradossi this past Saturday at the Metropolitan Opera. <BR>If you want to see a beautiful building visit the Opera Garnier and, at the same time, take in a good performance. If you want a top class opera, check out first the schedule at the Opera Bastille. It has the budget to bring in the top singers.<BR>Also the chorus and orchestra at the Opera Bastille are first rate.

Rita-<BR>You answered that character before I did so I'll just second everything you said. You said it perfectly. Fred was a TREMENDOUS help to us.

We saw a ballet at the Opera Garnier and it was wonderful...felt like any minute the Phantom would come swooping out<BR>www.ticketavenue.com is the way we got our tickets...they are very nice,helpful,it is so easy,order them from youir home,there is an Opera House web site and you can get an idea of the seating..although anywhere in the Opera house seems good..and when you arrive at the Opera house, someone is there with your tickets..it is worth going just to walk around the place and see the amazing beauty of it all.Try opera-de-paris.fr

Another nod to Fred. He has been very helpful and the information that I got from him checked out. I feel much more confident about my first trip to Paris with his insights. THANKS FRED!!! Bythe way, a friend said that I should go to the ballet no matter what the production, the experience is fantastic.

Well, guess what? Freddie does want $10 - when you read is copied excerpts on his web page. Do your self a favor, rely on other sources on this board.<BR><BR>Also, nice going Fred - it doesn't take brains to post some kudos to yourself under differnt screen names.

You know what I think is my very favorite thing about visiting this forum? There will be an interesting and informative thread with lots of practical, seemingly useful info, and then....then....then appears some bizarre, random, outrageously angry post from some odd bird denouncing another poster for the most ridiculous of reasons! I've seen it so many times here on Fodor's -- it just cracks me up!

Dear Amy:<BR>Hi. I hope that you do have the chance to see an opera while you are in Paris come March. The major difference between the two has already been mentioned here. Garnier is an amazing piece of architecture from the period. I guess the Bastille is also fairly amazing, but not at all pretty to look at. The complex itself is huge (not so must the theater/house, but there are a number of amphitheaters and rehearsal space that you never get or need to see. The acoustics at the Bastille are terrific in my opinion.<BR>There is still opera performed often at the Garnier. They tend to program what they feel are appropriate productions, Baroque(that often includes ballet), Mozart, both are scheduled at the house this season.<BR>If you really want to see an opera while you are in Paris, you don't have to limit yourself to the two National venues in town. There is also Th&eacute;&acirc;tre du Chatelet, the city opera of Paris. http://www.chatelet-theatre.com/ This is housed in a very beautiful building as well. You might also look into the Th&eacute;&acirc;tre des Champs &Eacute;lys&eacute;es http://www.theatrechampselysees.fr/ to see what they have scheduled. Many times they do operas in concert, but they have also staged some wonderful productions with world famous singers. There is also the Opera Comique, which presents more and more musical comedy style productions since changing management. They are doing a production of Offenbach's La Vie Parisienne starting at the end of this month. This is light and funny. The shows there run a month or more so if you can't find anything else, this might be fun. You could probably get a same day ticket to the show once you are in Paris. I don't have an updated web address for this theater.<BR>There are a couple of other ticket organisations on line:http: //www.ticketavenue.com/opera/index.php<BR>and if you can brave the French:http://www.fnac.com/<BR>Good luck. Have a great time in Paris.<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Michael<BR>

We purchased tickets online (www.opera-de-paris.com) to Nabucco at the Opera Bastille two years ago. It was quite easy and the tickets were waiting for us at the box office. For a nice post theater dinner try Bofinger right across the Place de Bastille.