Paris April 3 - 10

Old Mar 29th, 2009, 02:13 PM
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Paris April 3 - 10

First time visitor to Paris!
Friday = Eiffel Tower (best time to go?) I'm hoping it won't be quite as crowded on this day as it will probably be all during the following week for the spring breakers.
Should we eat lunch at one of the restaurants in the Eiffel Tower or are they overrated? Is it better to eat somewhere closeby?

Sunday = Free admission at the Louvre since it is the first Sunday of the month (any suggestions about this?)

Other Items on Agenda (no specific day planned) - Please make any suggestions regarding best time/day to visit or any other suggestions you may have.
Notre Dame
Musee d'Orsay
Latin Quarter & Sorbonne
Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Elysees
Sacre Coeur & Montmartre
Seine River Boat Tour (any recommendations on a company that does this?)
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 03:11 PM
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Somebody mentioned www.batobus.com for the river tours. Good luck!
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 03:21 PM
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Bateaux Mouches on the right bank and Bateaux Parisiens on the left bank, very close to the Eiffle Tower both have tours, some with dinner and some without. I would never do the dinner cruise, but there are some who have posted here that they did and enjoyed it.
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 03:24 PM
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ClaudiaBR, if someone is looking for a "tour" batobus probably isn't the way to go.
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 03:28 PM
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I should quantify my statement by saying it depends largely if you either already know or have a desire to know what you are looking at.
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 03:34 PM
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As for the free admission day at the Louvre, I would pay the admission and go any day but Sunday.
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 04:19 PM
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Okay, so the free Sunday must be a bad idea. I will go another day and pay if that's better. Why is batobus a bad idea?
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Old Mar 29th, 2009, 04:44 PM
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As for the Louvre, you'll find that free admission equals huge crowds.

As for batobus, I'm not saying it is a bad idea persay. It is entirely dependent on what you want. Batobus is a service that offers transportation along Seine stopping at 8 stations along the way. People have and do use it as a way to see the sights along the river. There is no commentary on what you are seeing as again, it is intended to be a method of transportation to major tourist locations near the river.

One of the touring boats be it from near Pont Neuf or a company closer to Pont de I'Alma takes you on a "tour" of the river. They do a similar circuit to batobus sans the stops. On these touring boats you often end up with commentary on what you are seeing.

I was merely responding that it is you first time in Paris and you mentioned a river boat tour. To me that isn't batobus.
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Old Mar 30th, 2009, 07:26 AM
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Rosie:

My first trip to Paris was also in April (and into May)… yeah, it is cliché but there is a reason for it! There will probably be a bit of a nip in the air and the cherry blossoms should be starting to bloom. You will love it.

I start every trip to Paris with a look at the tower (I actually went up the lifts the first trip, every other time I just pay homage from the ground b/c the vertical trip takes a while when you are dealing with a ticket line a mile long!!!). It is a perfect and iconic way to start the trip. On that Friday, I would say go to the tower after you have checked in @ the hotel and gotten settled. BTW, what time do you arrive to Paris that Friday? The best time to avoid the line is to get there about 45min before tickets go on sale for the day if you like the morning.

I recommend taking line 9 of the metro and exiting @ Trocadéro. By using this stop there is a dramatic effect of not being able to see the whole tower until you round the corner of a building, tho that may depend on the metro exit you use. In the metro station, there should be signs directing you towards the tower. Dusk is best IMO, right before they switch on the sodium lights (or the blue ones if they are still doing that). The added benefit for this metro stop is the Trocadéro itself and the Palais de (____?) “plaza”. It gives a great angle and is perfectly lined up with the bridge crossing the seine (Pont d'Iéna); the tower base is a few hundred meters from there, and beyond the tower – Champs du Mars and the military school. It makes for a stunning welcoming & they all line up on an axis.

As for the tower food, I have yet to eat on the second platform restaurant (“Verne”), but “95” on the first platform was so-so when you factor in the price. There is/was a café on the first platform if you need a quick bite. I would head down river to Tour Eiffel Café for some good eats [61, Quai de Grenelle 75015]. It is a bit touristy, but it is Paris, right? I had no real view, but I think you may request one. I only ate there once in 2006.

IMO pay for the Louvre! Just say no to Free Sundays!!! Let the locals use that day. Head to one of the only areas of the city that isn't closed for that Sunday: Le Marais. Explore the cafes and shops in this area.

You can do a “self tour” using Batobus and cover some ground with a day pass and see some of Paris from river level at the same time – again, touristy (but I equate it to the cable cars of SF). This is dependant on what you want to see at each site/stop tho. There are a number of combinations of things to do and see at each site you listed. For me, I know I could spend an entire day @ d’Orsay alone and spend only 20 minutes walking thru Notre Dame (and another 2 hrs at the Deportation Memorial of WWII near Notre Dame @ the east end of the island). Conversely, if I were to be with a friend who wasn’t into Paris as much as myself, I would give them the boat ride and a stop or two.

Tho the Arch isn’t river adjacent as you may know, it is something to see and certainly not something you would want to cram into a full Batobus day. Do you want to view it from the ground or climb the 280+ steps for a grand view that would rival the tower’s own view? Again this would be dependant on how much time you would want to dedicate to this monument and the area around it. If you are able, take a hike up those steps and check it out. Arrive @ about 60 – 90 min before dusk, hike up and then soak in the view. Can you tell I prefer Paris at night? Actually, I love that moment when the city starts to sparkle. I cannot get enough of it.

I have very little opinion of Montmartre and that is blasphemous to many lovers of Paris, each time I try to get into it and I find it full of the people from back in the states, weird string tricks with “gypsies”, and people asking for money (maybe just my luck?) I dig Montparnasse and Le Marais.

Have fun, and let me know if I need to clarify anything in this post!!!

~Jay
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Old Mar 30th, 2009, 01:32 PM
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Hey Jay - (rosie - I'm just budding in to your post here
We are also going to be arriving on Friday June 4th with our kids and planned to start the day at the tower. Our flight gets in at 6am (yikes!) so we were planning go straight to the tower figuring on getting there 9am or so ish all things considered(investigating storing our luggage at the Fat Tire Bike Tour office near the tower). So quick question... if we got to the tower 45 minutes before it opened, how long would we probably have to wait after getting our tickets to actually go up. Would that put us at the front of the queue (i.e. would it equal a 45 minute wait rather then an hour wait later? Or realistically would a later lineup be longer then an hour). I know... it will all depend, but just trying to get a best guess sense.

Thanks!
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Old Mar 30th, 2009, 02:10 PM
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Personally, BatObus is not my favorite---It's a bus, people jostling to get on and off with no commentary. I like Vendettes at the Pont Neuf--very nice, day or night.

IMO, the Eiffel is better at night. Much shorter lines, and it is enchanting with the lights.

Add St. Chapelle to your Notre Dame schedule, and also a stroll on Isle St. Louis with an ice cream stop. My preferance is Amorino(where they make each cone in the shape of a flower), but many Fodorites prefer Berthillion.

If you are around Notre Dame at night, don't miss the street musicians and entertainment---it's free! Best on weekends after 10pm or so.

Add Luxemborg Gardens to your itinerary, especially on Sunday. Another addition would be The Marais, Place Vosges, and the Carnavelat Museum.

In all our trips to Paris, my least favorite things were the Champs-Elysees(too commercial and big) and Invaldes(big, gray, & boring) But that's just me.

Only go to Sacre Coeur if the weather is clear. Don't miss the D'Orsay---to me the most managable of the large museums.

There is so much to do in Paris. Maybe if you state your ages and interests, we can suggest more.
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Old Mar 30th, 2009, 02:23 PM
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We have had very nice dinners twice at Altitude 95. The last time was June 2007. I know the restaurant was going to close and do some remodeling, so you might check the dates for that and see if they have reopened. We did have to reserve quite a bit in advance, but it was worth it.

As for the free day at the Louvre, we have had two experiences with that. The first time, in 2001, it was midday when we arrived and the line was enormous so we passed. Second time was in June 2007 in the afternoon and there was hardly any line and we were inside in a jiffy. Not overly crowded at all. So give it a try, but have a backup plan if too crowded.

As for the river cruise, we have used Vedettes and were pleased. If you purchase your tickets online now, you can save 5 euro. You just print your tickets out at home and take them with you. We did that last time, and have it all arranged for our trip in a couple months.
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Old Mar 30th, 2009, 08:47 PM
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<<We are also going to be arriving on Friday June 4th with our kids and planned to start the day at the tower. Our flight gets in at 6am (yikes!) so we were planning go straight to the tower figuring on getting there 9am or so ish all things considered(investigating storing our luggage at the Fat Tire Bike Tour office near the tower). So quick question... if we got to the tower 45 minutes before it opened, how long would we probably have to wait after getting our tickets to actually go up. Would that put us at the front of the queue (i.e. would it equal a 45 minute wait rather then an hour wait later? Or realistically would a later lineup be longer then an hour). I know... it will all depend, but just trying to get a best guess sense.

Thanks!>>

Hi there “V”,

How old are the kids? That would make the difference to me.

The luggage must be stored before attempting the tower in this day and age. Even if you had it with you in the queue, the heavily-armed guards would still be eyeballing you!!! You may not store it on the tower property (no facilities). Is hotel storage an option? Even many of the 2 star properties will allow for your storage.

The timing can vary. Like I mentioned to Rosie, I love the evenings in Paris. And just as TPAYT mentioned, the tower is better at night. With that said, it seems as tho you would like to make the most of the lag time between touch down and check in. it is hard to predict the timing.

On that day the tower opens @ 9:30am. From what I have read here and elsewhere, they have a tendency to open the ticket booth a bit late. But this still saved time in many cases by lining up @ about 9:00am. From there you could burn time at/on the tower until check in with no problem. From mid to late morning the lines tend to get pretty long as the morning goes on. In a nut shell: arrive @ about 9am. You may be lucky enough to be purchasing a ticket by 9:45am and be on the first platform by 10:15am (best case).

~Jay
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Old Mar 31st, 2009, 03:27 AM
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Thanks Jay (and thanks again rosie for letting me use your thread The boys are 11 and 8. And you are correct, we are trying to use the time in the morning to "do something" and figured the tower would be a "yep we are in Paris" site that we will visit again during our trip (in case our jet lagged brains don't quite register!)

And I agree, we definitely don't plan to bring our luggage (though we are travelling light - 2 roll-on carryons and a couple of smaller bags/backpacks between the 4 of us! One option we are looking at is we are going to be taking a fat tire bike tour on the Saturday (and if we enjoy it are planning to take the night tour 2 weeks later - we will be in Paris for a week, then down in the south for a week, then 2 nights back in Paris before we leave) and read on their website that they have a "left luggage" service. So we are exploring that as well as trying to arrange to leave our luggage with the apartment owner or finding train station left luggage (we are going to take the RER into the city from CDG).

On other Eiffel tower etiquette question... if I (or my husband) was to be the designated ticket liner upper, while the other three wandered around during that hour plus, would it be bad form for the other three to pop up in line at the last minute, or is that pretty typical.

thanks again!
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Old Mar 31st, 2009, 09:48 AM
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^That was actually something I was going to mention, “V”!

You or one member of your party can hold the line to buy tickets; the others can explore or hang out @ Champs du Mars, etc. However, once the tickets are purchased you should all be present for the second queue (@ the first lift for the designated pillar).

I have seen on a few occasions ppl holding the line for a large group of tourists and the other members didn’t show until it was time to line up for the first lift. So I think it is SOP to do it this way. It is more than acceptable.

Please note: the line systems they use may have changed or be tailored to particular days. It is possible they now only sell tickets @ the booth in blocks that correspond to the capacity of each lift ascent, meaning, there is no second line for the first lift – you just get shuffled towards the lift immediately after purchase to a holding area. Either way, have your ppl ready to meet with you by the end of your transaction! The lift line @ opening moves faster than it would, say an hour after the tower has opened b/c few if any ppl are queuing on the first or second platform to descend (which uses the same lift on most days); the lift returns quickly to grab the next group of ppl. This is one reason opening time has the least wait compared to late morning or noonish time. There tends to me a mid-afternoon lag for the tower, but by then I hope you will be at your apt.

Another alternate: Tour Montparnasse. It is a great view from a tower, has indoor facilities as well as indoor/outdoor viewing. You can see all of Paris in one shot. You can get your bearings using interactive exhibits. You can enjoy a light meal at the café. You can study the artwork and maps and just sit and relax… and the queue for tickets is a lot shorter and in general it seems to me to be more laid back b/c there are less ppl there. On every trip, I end it with a leisurely trip to Tour Montparnasse – I don’t see why it wouldn’t work on arrival for a jet-lagged family especially if you plan to go back to the Eiffel Tower anyway. It is not out of the way at all. It is cheaper. You can print the tickets from home if you wish.

Have fun, and for goodness sakes, wear a helmet on that bike tour!!!

~Jay

PS. Rosie, We didn't mean to hijack your thread!!!
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Old Mar 31st, 2009, 12:56 PM
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These are all great tips for me! I was thinking of doing the same thing upon my arrival Friday. I think we get in around 6 a.m. as well. I am very interested in doing the Vendettes tour. Thanks for that suggestion!
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Old Mar 31st, 2009, 01:15 PM
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Wow! You are leaving soon so you must be so excited. We got home March 22. I loved the Amorino cones - they do make them in the shape of a flower and you can use two different flavors. Heavenly taste! We stood in line for a while to go up into the Eiffel tower and then changed our mind as it was taking so long. We went on three different occasions - the first time we went to the Trocadero plaza to get our first glimpse of the tower. Second time we went at night - It is a whole entire different feeling and seeing the light show was great. The third time we went on the day before we left Paris during the day to say goodbye. Got great photos all 3 times and they are all different. Have fun!
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Old Mar 31st, 2009, 01:23 PM
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Hey Jay -

Thanks so much for insight... (and I won't hold you responsible if it doesn't turn out exactly how you said it would!) All our 'plans' are expected to be 'jumping off points' anyway!

I hear what you are saying about Tour Montparnasse being a good "get a view" alternative. One of the reasons we are thinking of doing the "up the Eiffel tower" first is that my husband and I are pretty neutral about when we see the tower and if we go up it, but for the kids the Eiffel Tower = Paris. So we figured that if we do it first, we can "get it out of the way" so to speak. We have tentative plans for the Tour Montparnasse a little later in the visit (as the Catacombs was #1 before even the Eiffel tower on the kids list of places to visit, so we figured that could be a walkable combination)

Rosie, you aren't by any chance taking Air France out of Toronto are you... Hey and just realized - you're leaving in a couple of days!! Where are you staying?
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Old Apr 1st, 2009, 02:40 AM
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Canada_V, We are going out of JFK. We rented an apartment through a travel company. I am quite excited about having the apartment with a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. instead of just a cramped hotel room. Should be a lot of fun!
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Old Apr 1st, 2009, 03:04 AM
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We will be about a month behind you - I look forward to reading your trip report
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