The boat ride on the Seine in the evening!I actually dozed off!

So, no consensus on what's good and what's bad … which is one more argument in favor of just walking around the city and exploring.

If you know nothing about Paris, then a book might help you find some things that could be interesting to see. But in Paris, at least, you don't really need a book. Just walk around, and you'll run into interesting things. Or use the book's recommendations only as a starting point.

When the major sights are far apart, you do have to plan a bit in advance, but in Paris, where everything is close by, you can set off in almost any random direction and you'll run into something interesting soon enough.

I guess it's different strokes for different folks. I loved the Louvre but, although I am a HUGE fan of French Impressionist art, I was disappointed in the Musee D'Orsay. Give me the Chicago Art Institute any day! I loved the Champs Elysees. In truth, I loved all of Paris, but if I had to pick one disappointing activity, it was eating. My husband thinks it's because we didn't spend enough on food, but I heard that it doesn't matter what you spend. Whether it was the money or the restaurants, we were disappointed. We're going back for 9 days in the beginning of September, and I'm going to do some research before going so we're not diappointed again.

We also went to the Louvre on a Tuesday the first time. DUH. I agree that spending a little time planing and researching can be very valuable. I have been to all of the places mentioned so far. I have liked some more than others. I happen to enjoy walking down the Champs after going to the top of the Arche. My daughter had a blast shopping in a store called Zara there last month. I don't disagree with the negatives written about it though.

I have to say the one thng I definately would not consider doing agin is the Moulin Roughe. I felt it was a complete waste of time and money.

As for food, we are not foodies. We do like good food though. I have not had bad food in Paris. For many years now we have been staying in apartments. We eat lunch out and most breakfasts and dinners in. I usually pick up one of those fab chickens and potatoes, get salad fixings and we eat well.
We dislike eating at such late hours as is the ccutom in Paris so having a simple dinner in the apartment has been much better for us so far.

We have a book called "Quiet Corners of Paris". We have enjoyed using it to find some off the beaten path places in Paris.

I was disappointed in some of the parks--no grass or flowers--nothing that made me think what a pretty park!

"The second is the Louvre...it is so massive that you really need a plan of attack or you just wander around aimlessly."

When you purchase your ticket you should be given a brochure which lists the main attractions and where they are located. If your time poor (and in the Louvre you could spend years!) this is a good way to approach it. It also helps to do some research beforehand to identify must sees for the traveling group.

Champs Elysees: what is it with that ridiculous ferris wheel anyway?

Rue de Cler: Damn you Rick Steves for including it in your book in the first place :)

Place de Tertre, Montmarte: A sad shadow of its former self.

A lot of the same things seem to come up...the Louvre , I did see the main attractions and have been twice now. Just not a favorite of mine and I had guide books for assistance. I had a museum pass though, and didn't have the brochure that was mentioned when a ticket is purchased, but I don't think it will ever be my fav. I wouldn't discourage anyone from going there, though.

Never had any interest in Moulin Rouge or any of that type of entertainment.

I have loved the food though and that is where we always focus most of our planning and resources. If you read my trip report from last Christmas, you know that's the best part of the trip for me.! :-)

In general, I'm disappointed when I don't have some background on what I'm looking at. I've been in churches looking at the artwork only to find later that there was a piece by a famous artist that I would have been interested in, had I known. I'm not well-schooled in biblical or art history, so a Rick Steves-style description of some of the art helps me to appreciate it more.

Some places just aren't worth it in the wintertime, e.g., Canal St. Martin in February (near Chez Plume)...more of a nice spring/summer day destination to enjoy the scene of people sitting out by the canal and at canal-side cafes.

The third level of the Eiffel Tower. Some would say (and have said), not to even bother going up at all and I can understand that argument, too. But if you do, you'll get all the view you need from the first stop on the elevator ride. No need to queue up again for the longer wait to the very small, usually crowded top room of the tower.

I wasn't thrilled with Versailles. Just not crazy about huge palaces, I guess.

I found the Pavillon de l'Arsenal pretty uninteresting, but it was free and down the street from the apartment where I was staying so nothing much lost there. Not on most casual visitors' lists anyway.

While the Tour Eiffel is iconic and I have enjoyed going to the top, I find the area just around it annoying and filled with people trying to get me to take those gold rings they keep picking up off the ground. I was hassled so often during a recent attempt to take some photos that I just left.

There seems to be an epidemic of ring-finders lately in some areas of Paris, especially near the Eiffel Tower.

As you would expect...what some think is boring/uninteresting...others have a different perspective. My perspective on the Champs Elysees is grounded in an event a long time ago.

When my wife was in high school she visited Paris with a group and walked down the Champs Elysees. She remembers the moment she dreamed of doing the same thing with her husband. Jump ahead to our 30 year anniversary and yes we walked down the Champs Elysees. All of a sudden she says "stop...this was it. This is where I had my dream of doing this with you." We stopped, kissed and enjoyed the moment.

So...it was very special.

Also, La Conciergerie was haunting to me especially knowing a little about the history. The picture below gives a feel of the main hall. I stood for quite a while soaking it in.

http://tinyurl.com/LaConciergerie

I loved Paris...there is definitely something for everyone.

But this thread is about disappointments....I didn't care much for Saint Severin. The church was interesting but the streets were packed and it was only April. It must be crazy in summer.

DaveMM

Angelina's tea room on rue de Rivoli. We spent a week in Paris in December 2010 and as it was cold and lightly snowing we walked to Angelina's for their famous hot chocolate.
What a disapointment. Very run down and extremely average hot chocolate. The hot chocolate I had at McDonalds also on rue de Rivoli some days later was as good!

Les Marronniers on the rue des Archives (in the Marais) has good hot chocolate. They bring out the chocolate in a little pot and you can mix it with milk to your taste. Less expensive than Angelina, as I recall, although the taste of Angelina chocolate is distinctive.

I was disappointed to see that someone had chipped off something in the area "below the waist" from the frieze on Oscar Wilde's tombstone in Pere Lachaise.

Also that Hemingway and Arthur Rimbaud were no longer in residence.

@DaveMM...love your Champs Elysee story (we just didn't enjoy muscling our way through the throngs and didn't have a dream fulfilled, but that's a way to improve anyone's experience on the CE

have heard such mixed reviews on Angelina!

still interesting!