Do you have any suggestions for evening activities -- pre or post dining time? Do you have a favorite street or streets to stroll along -- where would there be shops still open to 9pm or shop windows to browse, cafes to stop at for after-dinner coffee? What is your favorite 6-10pm area of Paris?

Marion <BR>Most shops close about 6:30 or 7, a few department stores like Monoprix <BR>(a fun, attractive discount chain with everything from housewares to fresh food) stay open later, some stores have one late night per week, often Thurs as I recall. Since most Parisians dine in restaurants at 7:30 or later, for the hours 6-10 you might want to do some early browsing, have a drink in a cafe or one of the fancier hotel bars <BR>like the Ritz, and then go on to dinner later. Or have the drink somewhere after dinner. <BR>Some nice bars include <BR>( Some I've been to, some I've just heard positive things about) <BR>Cafe de la Musique, a bit out of the way in the 19th, a 1940s setting, live jazz on Wed nights, 213 av Jean Jaures; <BR>Buddha Bar in the 8th, 8 rue Boissy <BR>d'Anglas, a very trendy place; and the bars in the Ritz, the Bristol, and the quiet little bar in the Lenox Hotel aat 9 rue de l'Universite. <BR>The Louvre is open at least one late night per week, I can never get this straight. It is definitely open late Wed nights to 9:45. It seems that at least sometimes it is also open late on Mon nights, although the entire museum may not be accessible. To check this, you can try one of these websites <BR>http://mistral.culture.fr/louvre/ or <BR>www.louvre.fr <BR>The Musee D'Orsay also has a late night <BR>on Thursdays. <BR> <BR>

paris is lit up at night so you should do a seine river tour, stroll along Seine in area opp. Notre Dame, perhaps <BR>a bus tour at night that passes all the <BR>lit up spots (Parisvisions, Cityrama); <BR>ride the ferris wheel near Tuilleries; <BR>check out timeout.com for suggestions. <BR>good info generally, most sophisticated advice than most. Oh yes, maybe an American movie!

Good things to see outside at night include the Seine by Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees near the Arc, and the Louvre pyramid. A Seine cruise is a lot of fun, even if you have already seen all the sights. As Elaine said, some of the museums are open late. We went to the Musee d'Orsay on a Thursday for that reason. It saved us a lot of daytime for other things, and the museum was not at all crowded. It may be quite touristy now, but sitting at a table outside the Cafe Les Deux Magots is fun for people watching. The hot chocolate there is quite good.

Anyone know what the story is with the Eiffel Tower this year at night? Are they recreating the New Years Eve fireworks display? What times?

Montmartre, even if it *is* touristy. <BR> <BR>Blvd St Germaine, around Boul' Mich' <BR> <BR>Left Bank quais between Les Invalides and rue St Jacques <BR> <BR>Top of the Eiffel Tower <BR> <BR>Cafe Flore, Deux Magots, Le Procope - to see and be seen <BR> <BR>

Eiffel Tower info: They light the tower every hour on the hour when dark. It stays lighted for about 10 minutes, then goes dark. No fireworks that we saw. For activities: Do the river tour after dinner. The boats all leave each hour and tour about one hour long. Skip dinner on the boat. Did not hear any good comments on that.

1. I second Montmarte and Sacre Coeur...lovely, and the view is breathtaking. <BR>2. Ste. Chapelle concert, then go to a bridge and gawk at beautiful Notre Dame

What does one do in Montmarte in the evening? I've been up there during the day, on the way to Sacre Couer(sp) and it seemed sorta seedy.

Place du Tertre, behind the basilica, has lots of artists who'll do caricatures and other drawings for sale; several cafes and bars for expensive drinks. Lots of tourists milling about...reminds me a little of the Vegas Strip: you don't go for the culture, you go for the action.