Paris-off the beaten path?
 

I have a one week trip starting 5/13. Looking for out of the way places to see, and any great places to eat as well. Thanks in advance....

Hey m,

How many times have you been to Paris?

What's your budget?

((I))

Do you mean out of the way geographically or sights that tourists don't normally visit.

Montparnasse Cemetery
Lock & Key Museum
Zadkine Museum
Jewish Museum
Doll Museum
Delacroix Museum
Post Museum
St-Gervais-St-Protais Church
Val-de-Grace Church
Mosque
Expiatory Chapel
Gobelins Workshop

There are more than 10,000 restaurants/cafés/brasseries/bistros in Paris. Without knowing where you are staying and what your budget is (in euros), not to mention what you consider "great eats," it's impossible to guess. Besides,, every food establishment in Paris is required to post menus and prices outside, so finding good food, unless you need reservations at Michelin-type places, is simply a matter of walking and reading.

I/we have never been, budget is a concern but not a deal breaker. I really want to go to out of the way places, including out of the city.
Thanks in advance!

If you want to go out of the city you can look at this thread to see a list of Paris day trips:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#55885554

Off the beaten path is the only Paris that I know well.

A sort of intermediate zone that you could visit for a start would be the covered passages: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-of-paris.cfm

But if you are a real off-the-beaten-path specialist, perhaps you might like to see the pet cemetery: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...of-asnires.cfm

To find many interesting ideas for Paris and the surrounding area, just click on kerouac's username in the post above and look through his wonderful photo reports.

Thank you all for you help.

Let me clarify my request….

We are staying on Boulevard Haussmann.

I was looking for places most tourist don't visit.

Another question, with 7 days 7 nights, should we try for a day trip to London?

Mary Kate

I would stay in Paris. There is more than enough to keep you busy and entertained.

'I/we have never been, budget is a concern but not a deal breaker. I really want to go to out of the way places, including out of the city."

it is rather unusual to go to one of the most beautiful cities in the world for the FIRST time and not visit museums, monuments , galleries, palaces, streets, the river,
etc.. the city is famous for.
À chacun son goût, I guess.

Staying on the Boulevard Haussmann but not visiting things most tourists visit is a bit like staying on Broadway in New York but trying to pretend you're not a tourist.

Why don't you just forget Paris and go somewhere like the Corrèze or the Lozère? Rent a flat in Ussel or Florac for a week if this is really what you're looking for.

stay in Paris, just walk around. that will take all day. if you need to take day trip, go to Versailles. eat at the local bistros/cafes unless you want to spend lots of money going to a fancy restaurant.

If the OP knows French, there is a book <u>Parcs et Jardins de Paris <i>... à pied</i></u> which offers 23 walks through Paris, some of them in the outer <i>arrondissements</i>. FNAC might carry it.

I fear that I have been unclear about my intentions. I do in fact plan on seeing the famous Paris venues, but hoped to include some of "the road less traveled spots"

I am thankful for all of your insight, and kind words.

MK

If you take the advice to just wander, you will find a lot of "unknown" things all on your own. Staying a week, you will scratch the surface of a beautiful and wonderful city. And no, I don't think you have time for a day trip to London. But it IS possible to do.

I am reading this again and see the OP is going next week. One thing to do is buy the Pariscope and see what is going on while you are there. It is not a tourist guide, but for Parisians and others to know about events.
I hope you won't think a street market too "touristy"--it is where the Parisians shop for their produce and food--and they are endlessly beautiful to see the displays, IMO.
Also, don't forget your manners when entering or leaving a shop--brush up on the little cultural things that make you nice to know as a tourist!!! ;o)

Street markets are definitely off the beaten path for the French in general, because the latest statistics showed that only 6% of the food items in France are bought at street markets (compared to 55% at hypermarkets).

Sounds as if you want to "meet the locals" means heading to a hypermart then.

Exactly!