Paris, for the third time.
 

Will be going to Paris in late October for the third time. Looking for advice on other things to do besides the normal tourist things. I do plan on a daytrip to the Loire valley. I enjoy music, history, street entertainment and the local flavor.
thanks

For my third visit this past May I decided I really wanted to do day trips outside of Paris and see a little bit of the countryside. I had six full days and every second one I trained elsewhere. Went to Chartres, Versailles and Auvers-sur-Oise and Giverny (the latter two on a tour).

Chartres and Versailles were easy to travel to and I really enjoyed them. Although I'm not a tour person, I'm really glad I visited the latter two towns this way.

I also visited museums I hadn't been to before (the Picasso Museum); tried to visit the National Bibliotheque re a photography exhibition but, alas, it was closed; and revisited my two faves (Rodin and Orsay).

Thanks,
I have been to Versailles and will be going to the Loire Valley. I also have visited the Rodin, Picasso and Orsay museums. Just looking for other ideas.
Giverny is a good idea.

Senlis, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Reims....Have you been to the Parc St-Cloud? The Ile des Impressionistes? St-Germain-en-Laye? There are dozens and dozens of places to go.

But don't discount Paris in and of itself, either. I'm heading back there this fall for my 72nd trip and planning to do things I've never gotten around to!

The day trip to Giverny is a must. It is at the top of my list as the most magical places I have ever been. You are literally walking into a painting.

Then you can follow it up by a visit to a very small Monet museum across the Seine from the Tour de Eiffel. Can't think of the name of the museum. Mont... something. I didn't have time to go, but sounded wonderful.

October in Paris is wonderful. The opera and dance season will have begun. There are also special art exhibits in the museums. Depending on when you're there, Nuit Blanche may be happening (all night art - mostly contemporary). If you're a museum lover, this is the time to visit some of the lesser visited ones.

I will be there oct 21 for 5 days.
StCirq,
Tell me more of you would do in Paris since you have been there so many times.
Thanks

In our trip this year we walked more than other times on the streets, looking to the beautiful buildings and to people. It was a nice surprize walking on Ch. Elissee on the left side (when you go to Arc Triumph), because in general we walk on the right side. So now, from the right side we could have anaother view, it looked to us something new!

We visited some museums - Maillol, Marmottan, Orangerie, Carnavalet,
Nissim Camondo, Cernuschi, and we were four times at Louvre.
We made short trips to Basilica St. Denis, Chantilly, Vaux le Vicomte, St. Germain en Laye, Vincennes, Reims.

You can also visit Rouen, Giverny, Chartres.

I think I shall have always something new for me to visit in and around Paris.

I am not sure what you consider the "usual tourist things." I would check out the thread on 100 Great things to do in Paris for some ideas
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2
I managed to visit Paris five times before I climbed the tower of Notre Dame which is well worth it for the view and the architectural details you see that way.

I would definitely go on a day trip to Chartres if you have never been. Also St Denis is reachable by subway

Hi Mike,

See http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35022056

((I))

Haven't been nearly the number of times as St. Cirq but have been a LOT. There is always something new.
Valtor mentioned the museums we have loved--and don't forget to repeat those you have done. You can look with different eyes.
We always do several street markets just to look and appreciate the food.
Choose a neighborhood and spend a day there, eating at a little cafe, enjoying what the sights there are.
One reason I like the DK guide is that it shows Paris by large sections and what is in them.

Can you suggest some street markets or links to find them?

My 2 favorites are Richard Lenoir, near Bastille, Thus and Sundays and Saxe-Breteuil, Thus and Sat. You can't go wrong with either one of those.

For food and bric a brac and junque..Aligre, Tues and Tues thru Sun.

All street markets are closed on Mondays

This last visit was my eighth, and, for some reason, I had never even heard of the Musée Jacquemart-André (could be the over abundance of vin rouge). Anyway, it was one of my favorite places I have been in the city. Have fun.

((H))

Our trip in November will be the 20th for us and I've never had a problem filling the 2 to 3 weeks we spend there. I , too , found a museum that we'd missed on previous trips , the Gustave Moreau. Also the Petit Palais has reopened along with the Orangerie and Musee de Decoratif Artes. There are always new temporary exhibitions at the Louvre, d'Orsay and other museums.

A favorite museum is the Musee de la Marine, in the Palais de Chaillot.. great gift shop too.

We also like the Richard Lenoir market (Bastille area) and Pl. Monge market--on Sunday.
Market streets like rue Cler, Mouffetard, and Montreguil (sp!!!) are also fun for us/me.

Perhaps you could visit the Quai Branly museum. It just celebrated its first anniversary, and it was noted that although attendance figures were at least 30% higher than expected, there were very few foreign visitors.

Author: mike_b12 ([email protected])
Date: 06/26/2007, 05:45 pm
Can you suggest some street markets or links to find them?


<font color="blue"><b>http://www.v1.paris.fr/en/Living/markets/default.ASP</b></font>

Here's a link to all the markets in France, including Paris.

http://www.livingfrance.com/lvfra/co...ault.asp?id=15

Thank you, Mike! I found a wealth of information in your thread.

Gretchen, I just ordered the DK guide from my local bookstore to be here in five days. Sounds like a marvelous tool.

Jody, I'm presently printing off all the street markets, one of my favorite things-to-do in Paris.

I think 50% (ok, maybe 49) of the best part of the trip is planning the itinerary. Once I have booked my trip, I consider all the planning as part of being there.:)

Thank you everyone for all the great information. Alot of information!

Take the subway and bus to Malmaison, Emily and I enjoyed the home of Josephine. The Loire valley is great. Visit the museum of Gustave Moreau this is his house and gallery, it was great. I have some pictures on my site emilyandjim.info on yahoo

Sunday brunch at the MU'see Jacuemart-Andr&eacute;.

RER to Chatou, walk to the Ile des Impressionistes, have lunch at La Maison Fournaise, where Renoir painted &quot;Luncheon of the Boating Party.&quot;

Go to Nogent-sur-Marne, to the Parc de Plaisance and see Le Verger, one of the original guingettes.

Check out the typewriter museum.

Go to the Mus&eacute;e de la Musique in La Villette.

Go see the aviary on top of the Op&eacute;ra Garnier.

Have a drink in the bar at the top of le Tour Montparnasse.

Get on a bus, any bus, take it to the last stop, and get out and walk around. Remember where the bus stop was.

Visit the Parc George Brassens and enjoy the book market and fragrance garden.

Go on the tour of the Aubusson museum.

Stroll through the Parc Monceau.

Hike around the Buttes Chaumont.

Go to a concert in Ste-Chapelle.

Take the walking tour in the Eyewitness guide of the artists' ateliers in Montmartre.

Go to Au Lapin Agile one evening and sing with the locals, or just watch.

Go to Deyrolle and ogle the taxidermy.

There's a start...

But St. Cirq, what will they do on the second day?

Great list.

((H))

Don't get me started, Tom!!!

StCirq,
Great list indeed.
i like the idea of taking a bus to the last stop and get off. We did that in Rome on a train and found a nice area full of locals and shops and great gelato.

My sister and I just returned from a month in Europe. We spent our last 6 days in Paris. We both agree that one of the top days of the entire month was our day trip from Paris to Caen for a tour of the D-Day beaches. We booked the full day tour through LinkParis.com and it was wonderful. I normally don't do tours, but this was small (8 people max) and the tour guide was incredible. The quality of the tour obviously depends on the individual guide, but ours was great. There is so much information that we would not have known had we done this trip without a guide. They pick you up from the train station and drop you off there, so it is very easy. They will even book your train tickets for you if you want (we had a Eurail pass, so didn't use this service).

I highly recommend this or a similar trip to Normandy!

There is a lot of good information on the Paris TOurist Information website, which many people don't take advantage of. They list all street markets on there, for example, with hours. It's in the shopping section, I think
http://www.parisinfo.com/ in that &quot;other&quot; part.

They also list all kinds of things to do you might not think of, new events or openings, etc. LIke the open-air cinema in July at the Trocadero, or later on and in August at la Villette (where there is a jazz festival sometime in summer, also).

There are many things to do if you just pick up a weekly entertainment guide when you are there which lists them all, by category (eg, Pariscope) such as cinema, museums, monuments, music, etc.

If you want ideas for daytrips, I'd suggest you buy the book by Earl Steinbicker, Day Trips in France, which will give you many ideas and details on how to do them and what to see.

Have you been to:

The sewers of Paris--very interesting, (not smelly). We enjoyed it.

The Passages--there are about 6 lovely 18-19th glass topped shopping arcades around the city. Small shops in each, they were delightful.

Marais--a tiny wonderful section of Paris where you can just wander and end up or begin at the Place des Voges.

The catacombs with lots of skulls.

River cruise on the canal was very nice going through the locks and seeing another side of Paris.

A concert at St. Chapelle was the highlight of my (4th) trip to Paris.

Orangerie--to see the Monet masterpieces was incredible.

Church of St. Denis--where all the kings of France are buried.

You could also start and end your day at the Louve especially when they are open late.

I assume you've hit the flea market but if not, try to go.

I did all of this on my last trip which also was in the end of Oct beginning of Nov. PS. Giverny closes Oct 31.

Mike - this is so weird. I just wrote a report called Paris - Things we did the third time. Its posted today if you want to read it.

chicagolori,
I started reading your report. Great stuff. I lke the free concert idea in the Bastille area. That is where i will be staying.