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paris itinerary advice
after having received great ideas and advice on this forum, i have come up with this...
this 8 day trip is in celebration of dd's 16th bday. we are staying at flat #122 rented through v.i.p and highly recommended by guenmai and several others. although we are there only 8 days, we are taking 2 day trips. giverny and monet has been dd's passion since she was 7 yr after reading linnea in monet's garden. versaiiles is special to me. i imagine my high school european history coming to life. the remainder of the days, i am trying to take in as much as possible. 3-31, tues - arrive at cdg at 9:40a.m. :) take shuttle inter to apt @ 30 rue andre des arts. thanks gracejoan. they were very prompt in their response. after settling in, walk around neighbourhood, pick up groceries. take an evening cruise on siene. quiet early dinner 4-1, wed - 4 hour fat bike tours segway or bikes at 11 a.m. which one would you recommend? one is obviously pricier than the other - is it worth the diff? p.m. - eiffel tower, place invalides musee d’orsay ? 4-2, thur - versailles to arrive by 9 a.m. - expect to spend most of the day. quiet evening 4-3, fri - louvre 9 a.m. tuileries gardens shop at forum des halles 4-4, sat - a.m. train to giverny. p.m. undecided 4-5, sun - market in the marais, picasso museum? ile st. louis, notre dame place de vosges at sunset 4-6, mon - arc de triomphe, champs elysee , place de concorde, grand palais – petit palais 4-7, tues - galaries lafayette, le printemps montmarte, sacre coeur 4-8, wed - sadly retun home :( is there anything i should add or delete? any special recommendations for each of the areas we will visit? thank you so much |
hi,
if Monet is in your plans, don't dismiss L'orangerie (which is in the Tuileries, as is the Jeu de Paume, a very cool photography gallery) on your Friday itinerary. also, there is a Monet museum in the 16th arrondissement if you don't end up getting out to Giverny. i'd skip the forum des halles shopping. way more fun to shop while you are in the Marais on sunday! while you are at Place de la Concorde, you might want to skip up to Place de la Madeleine, there is a great little museum, la Pinacothèque. you can have a quick lunch at the Fauchon take-out place or a more leisurely meal at Lescure on rue Mondovi, right off Place de la Concorde. or a real ladies' lunch & dessert at Ladurée on rue royale...on the tuesday you are going to galeries lafayette, etc, on the way up to montmartre, a nice little detour is the gustave moreau museum (only if your days end up switching around as i believe it's closed on Tuesday) and then to rose bakery on rue des martyrs for a snack. and i'd be remiss if i didn't mention one of my fave museums there, the Nissim de Camondo. on your Champs Elysées day, it's fun to walk down Avenue Montaigne and drool at the beautiful shops, if that's your thing. I always triple check museum hours because they are all closed on randomly different days. try to do an early morning at a food market -- No matter - if you ditch your itinerary and lose your map, you'll have an amazing anyway! |
Aren't you going to explore or visit anything on the Left Bank, other than the Eiffel and d'Orsay museum? No Jardin de Luxembourg? No Latin Qtr stroll (or will the bike tour cover sufficiently? or maybe your look around upon arriving at the apartment?)...
I don't think your day-trips are out of line with an 8-day visit. I know that the tour buses unload at both Giverny and Versailles by 9-10am, but don't know if that goes on late into the afternoon or not. Why Place des Vosges at sunset particularly? It would fit better with your visit to Musee Picasso. Maybe buy some lunch items at/near the Bastille marche when you go Sun am, then eat it at Plc des Vosges for lunch?. I think sunset at the tip of Ile de Cite would be better (when is the Daylight time change in Paris, BTW?). There are a couple of minor differences between the bike and Segway tours, you can see them on the brochure: http://osmek.com/media/4750_2008-paris-brochure.pdf |
I like that fact you have not put too much into your days.
Since Monet is an interest, I would think the the Orangerie and the Marmottan Museum should be on your list. The Marmottan is located in the 16th, quite away from the other areas you will be visiting. But, it will also give you a glimpse of less touristy Paris. I had dinner in the area last trip...perhaps do this as an end of day trip? Couple of restaurants I ate at last trip,and liked, near your apt..Chez Clement and La Jacobine. On previous trip ate at le Petit Zinc, another good choice. Tues...perfect Wed...maybe do Eiffel tower when they open...otherwise line-ups. The Rodin Museum is also in the neighbourhood if you want something smaller than Orsay. Invalides is interesting, perhaps a quick visit to Napoleon's tomb, which is quite impressive. Thurs...nice, time to visit gardens, Marie Antoinette's cottage,etc..Might want to check to see if any concerts there at the time. Fri..might be day to add Orangerie. Add in Place Vendome, Palais Royal, Opera Garnier, covered passageways to your walking around (all in same vicinity) Sat...good. I liked Giverny. Sun...Nice day. Shopping in Marais... Mon...ok Tues..busy day Another interesting small museum is the Jaquemart-Andre located somewhat near Galeries Lafayette area. House of an art collector that was donated to state. Interesting collection and house. Also a decent place to eat. |
thanks so much. i knew i could rely on you guys to steer me in the right direction.
i had deliberately left some times blank so we could just be......wander at leisure and soak up the parisian atmosphere. also gives me a chance to add some places i missed. melissa, love your suggestion of adding l'orangerie to friday. i'm not sure when but i will try to fit in marmottan during some free time. can't wait to go to laduree. travelnut, the sunset at place de vosges was highly recommended to me on this forum. but, i like the idea of the tip of ile de cite as well. when do you think we could fit in the jardin luxembourg? perhaps fri or sat afternoon? |
michel,
i am now definitely adding l'orangerie to friday. not sure when to fit in marmottan??? thanks for the restaurant recommendations. i'm sure we will be needing some restaurants close to the apt after a long day of sightseeing. |
Lots of restaurants near you. Also, rue de Buci area (pick up food from market) is good for strolling..see Procope restaurant (one of oldest in Paris) and imagine that Ben Franklin ate there..
You won't have much time, but a small and worthwhile museum in that area is Musee du Moyen Age (aka Cluny). At night, if stuck for things todo, and classical is Ok for you, there are several churches in your area that give small concerts. Neat sound and locale would be interesting. For Notre Dame day, St Chapelle and its stained glass windows are a must (couple blocks form N.D on the island). Note that nighttime concerts are also offered here |
Fauchon?? Blech! Hediard, sweetie darling. Fauchon is for arrivistes.
You are skipping the Luxembourg Gardens?? The Luxembourg Gardens are worth THREE Tuilleries. If you go to Rue de Buci, you must have some gelato at Amorino. I think the Champs Elysee is a complete waste of time. Are you really interested in looking into the showroom windows of auto dealerships? Boring. Thin |
abranz, you were asking for resto recommendations near your rental -- there are so many!! just to start... Le Balzar on rue des ecoles; Le Comptoir de Relais at carrefour de l'odeon (usually a wait, but you never know!); Le Petit St benoît for old time comfort food, Le Relais de l'entrecôte for steak frites, or Le Petit Zinc - all on rue Saint-Benoît; Café de la Mairie for lunch or drink at Place St Sulpice, Polidor on rue Monsieur le Prince; of course, Café de Flore on Blvd St Germain for breakfast; a few good crêperies right near you on the same street; Atélier Maître Albert on rue Maître Albert; and I second Michel_Paris's rec for both La Jacobine and St Chapelle- is definitely a must, heart-stoppingly stunning.
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cries,
you are funny!!! i can't imagine why i missed luxembourg gardens. what day do you think would be good? would avenue montaigne be better than champs elysee? love gelato. will look for amorino. since you are the doyenne of high fashion, what boots would you recommend for all the walking we plan to do? |
melissa,
after enjoying all these fab restaurants, i can see myself coming back several pounds heavier than when i left. lol |
oh, and cries van notebook, let's not judge people's choices as character/personality flaws. we are all just here to help. and i think we all know berthillon kills amorino for taste.
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don't worry abranz, you'll more than walk off the extra caloric intake! yes, the luxembourg gardens are beautiful, as is the museum within and the area around. but don't feel pressured about what you are MISSING, concentrate on what you ARE seeing -- which will be be a lot -- it's a place to return to many times and discover something new each time.
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How dare you criticize the Great and Powerful Thingorjus!!!!!!!
I am a living legend and the Queen of Fodorville! Off with your head!!!!! PS Berthillion sucks! Thin |
quite sorry, thought the site was a democracy. we are now off-topic. out of respect to abranz, i'm outta here!
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I was only joking. You are no fun, melissa.
Thin |
ttt
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Amorino puts Berthillon to shame.
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All in good fun, cries! I hope abranz goes to both!!
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Love it..food fight. I say we meet at Pont Neuf at noon...Berthillon team on Right Bank, Amorino on Left Bank and then...a lick-off.
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with or without clothes?
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Now this is getting interesting!
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Fat Tire Segway vs Bike ... go with the <b>Segway</b> tour!
Yes it's more expensive but worth every penny! My 16 year old daughter and I did the Segways in both 2007 and 2008. Convinced DW to come along in 2008 and she regretted not joining us the year before. Maybe I'll go again and swing past the food fight on a Segway! LOL |
depends on the flavor
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parisamsterdam,
thanks for helping me decide on the segway. riding one sounds so much more than riding a bike. o, and we could have the food fight while riding the segway!! |
as much as i would have liked the segway, dd informs me that the $$ saved by riding the bikes v/s segway could be better spent at chanel. lol!
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I am stealing part of your itinerary! Thanks for the work. I have been having a hard time focusing on where and when and you have helped. I want to go to Père Lachaise Cemetery (it's where Jim Morrison is buried) because I understand it is very beautiful and old and haunted? Both my hubby and I love old cemeteries. We return on 3/22. When do you leave?
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If you go to Pere Lachaise, get a map. The place is HUGE. I walked the cemetery for two hours and did not find Jim Morrison's grave. Found Oscar Wilde and Colette, however.
Thin |
yellowrose,
you are very welcome to use my itinerary. there was a lot of info on various threads that i just pulled together. i tried to keep sites of interest clustered in one area as much as possible. except for a couple of places, we both want to hit the same spots. we leave on march 30 to arrive cdg on the 31st. i still need to find good warm walking boots for dd & i. that is going to be my focus for the next week or so. 58 days to go! can you sense the excitement here. |
Would you consider visiting the L'orangerie on the same day as you go to Giverny, Friends of mine did that and said it was lovely to finish their visit to Monet's garden surrounded by his art in the L'orangerie. It isn't a large gallery, you could spend an hour there and be happy.
I think your itinerary sounds pretty good - not too rushed. Make sure you visit the gardens at Versaille, they are lovely..... Musee Rodin is really lovely if you have time to visit another small gallery. The house itself has a wonderful collection and the gardens are filled with sculpture, including 'The Thinker' which is in the middle of a rose garden, although I'm not sure if the roses will be in bloom in March. Unless you are really keen shoppers, I would skip one department store. La Fayette is very spectacular and has a food court upstairs with some lovely views over Paris. I know the Champs Elysee is often criticised for being overly commercial, but I think it's a right of passage to start at The Louvre and make your way right to the Arc de Triomphe. |
abranz - I will be able to talk to you when we get back and before you leave. Plus, there is a computer in our apartment, so will be able to be on line while in Paris. We are at 41 days until departure!I, too, am looking for the perfect shoes. I have been have plantar fasciitis problems. Bought a pair of MBT's and am going to see my foot doctor next week. The MBT's have felt wonderful around the house but have not worn them outside yet.
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abranz,
I too am stealing part of your itinerary. My 3 days will be... 1) place invalides, musee d’orsay , evening on the Seine with Eiffel tower at night. 2) market in the marais, ile st. louis, notre dame, latin quarter, place de vosges at sunset 3) galaries lafayette, le printemps montmarte, sacre coeur, bus tour at night to see lights. |
I am going to agree with many of the above posters, and disagree with some.
Amorino above Berthillon. Plus they make every cone in the shape of a flower. A real work of art. Favorite flavors--pistachio & coconut. There's a shop on I'lle St. Louis, and many other locations. Skip the Champs--too large & commercial. And, IMO, skip Invaldies--huge, grey, and boring. Luxemborg Gardens is worth 3 Tuilleries, maybe 4. Small museums we love are "The Carnavalet" in the Marais, and "The Nissim Comando" near the Galleries Lafayette. Personally, I didn't like shopping at Les Halles. |
cathies,
i love your idea of visiting l'orangerie after being at giverny. it would be the perfect end to the day. as much as we enjoy museums, we are trying to limit ourselves so we can savour just being in paris. i do have the rodin, marmottan, cluny and picasso in the back of my mind but i would rather see how our days go. if the weather is yucky, we may hit every museum. if not, we may want to just hang out and people watch. the fashion show at galleries lafayette sounded like fun since both dd and i love fashion. i have a feeling the marais and other smaller boutiques will have more character and interesting shopping than the big stores. besides chanel, (thanks cig for that idea) and dior, i don't necessarily want to go high end shopping. i want funky unusual stuff that look and spell paris. yellowrose and dandj, oooooh we are all going to have so much fun fun fun!!!! |
Here's another thought: I realize your daughter's interest is in Monet and Giverny, but you can take a wonderful walk through the village of Montmartre and see many of the ateliers where the Impressionist (and other) painters lived and worked. It's a gorgeous walk, to boot (if it's a nice day). I think the Eyewitness Guide to Paris details the walk (not sure as I'm still not unpacked in my new abode), but here's a start:
http://www.apartfr.com/Montmartre/MontmartreOct.htm |
abranz -
I'd skip Les Halles, add Luxembourg gardens, and one of the great cemeteries. I agree there's no reason to be at Place des Vosges at Sunset but it's a fun place to stop by on Sunday as there's lots of families and small children being cute. I'd only go to 3 museums (Orsay, 3 hours in the Louvre and the Orangerie.) Rather than Les Halles, the area around St. Eustache, Rue Montorgueil is fun and you can sit and have drinks at an outdoor cafe. On Monday make sure you stop by Laduree and Guerlain. |
bookmarking
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I forgot the Rodin Sculpture Garden and Luxemburg Gardens.
They will have to be added... I will delete place de vosges at sunset.. Where is Jim Morrison buried? |
Being one who has never been to either Berthillon or Amorino;
I am willing to take it upon myself to be the offical tast tester. I am here for you. I am ready to take one for the team :) |
Jim Morrison is buried in Père Lachaise. As Thin says, be sure to get a map of you could spend weeks trying to find him. Every time I've been there have been vendors selling cemetery maps outside the entrances.
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