ehughes

We returned Sunday, 6/20 from our first trip to Paris and were absolutely delighted by all our experiences. We stayed at the Hotel D'Albe in the Latin Quarter, a stone's throw from Notre Dame and were so pleased with it. Very clean, small charming room with large window overlooking a lively street, AC, very nice breakfast, modern shower and bathroom. Couldn't have been better.

Took the Yellow bus tour and hopped on and off for 2 days to explore sights. Strolled the Champs Elysee. I enjoyed the crypt in front of Notre Dame as well as the cathedral itself, Ile de St. Louis was charming as were two of the restaurants there. One was at the foot of the little bridge to the Ile and the other was Auberge de la Reine Blanc. Delicious. On a rainy morning went to Le Samaritaine store for the great view and some shopping. Aside from all the tourist sites, I hired a van to take us to Giverny which was so beautiful. Also took a dinner cruise on the last night - "Marina de Bercy" behind the Musee D'Orsay. We were so glad we ignored some of the negative comments on the Web about this because it was elegant and the food was wonderful. When the Eiffel Tower sparkled with, I believe, strobe lights, it was a thrill.

We didn't have too much trouble with the language but I had practiced phrases I thought I would use and about 1/3 of the people we had to speak to spoke English. Everyone was very kind to us, cab drivers were honest, and I didn't see one ounce of dog poo. A terrific trip.

SuzieC

Wasn't it a great ol' town? Sigh... I wish I was in Paris right now...

francophile03

I'm glad you had a great first-time visit. And thanks for confirming that the poo problem has diminished alot as compared to a few years ago.

francophile03

ehughes, by the way, about La Samaritaine department store, the viewing area is it still free? I think someone here mentioned recently that there's a fee-I may be mistaken but I believe I saw that here.

beachbum

Thanks for the report. My wife has talked about doing a dinner cruise when we're there in a few months. Does the "elegant" reference include dress code?

hopingtotravel

Tell us more about what you thought of Giverny. It sounds like you had a very positive experience overall.

MorganB

ehughes. Glad you had a nice time. Sounds like a great trip. I think the yellow bus system is really good for first timers.

francophile03 : The viewing platform which sits up slightly above the outdoor terrace has been closed and was the free spot to look over paris. However the terrace , which has the same views as the platform, is still open and is occupied by a fast service restaurant. Signs announce that the terrace is for customers only but just ignore them and take a look. I ate there with my family and saw many people just wandering about so i dont think it is a problem at all and there is no one at the door seating people or anything like that. If you chose to eat there avoid purchasing beverages. They really nail you on the price. Individual bottled water 4.50 euros. A coke 5 euros. A beer 5.50 euros. Outrageous! Ask for the free glass of water instead.

ehughes

Le Samaritain was free. As for the dinner cruise, by elegant, I meant the interior of the boat and the table settings. My husband wore a sport jacket and tie and was glad he did although I saw some dressed casually. I wore a little black dress.

I hired Paristours.com to take us to Giverny. The driver was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about Monet and the gardens before we arrived. The gardens and the house are absolutely gorgeous. The American Museum was very interesting also. Besides the beauty of the place, there was a man playing classical music on a bass clarinet which only added to the magical atmosphere. On the way back to Paris, she drove us through tiny beautiful towns instead of the highway. This was such a wonderful day which ended with the dinner cruise. Paris is unforgettable. Pure magic!