There is so much information posted about the Left Bank, St Germain, Latin Quarter...

Doesn't the Right Bank have any fans? Aren't there interesting museums, good cafes, enticing little shops and intriguing strolls to be found there?

Come on, there's nothing Wrong with the Right Bank, let's have your 'perfect day' posts.... Merci!

Breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien on the Place du Marché St-Honoré, followed by a walk along the Rue St-Honoré, with all the interesting shops. Then a stroll around the Palais Royal, followed by a visit to the Opéra Garnier and the Madeleine and the adjacent shops of Fauchon and Hédiard for gourmet food. Lunch upstairs at Hédiard, perhaps.

For the afternoon, the Louvre, followed by a visit to the Place des Vosges and Mariage Frères.

Dinner in the 1st at L'Ardoise.

And so to bed.

We're going to try for the English tour of Opera Garnier this next visit, and then a couple of the 'passages couvert' that are nearby...

More, please...

Well obviously the Louvre is on the right bank but if you're talking about "smaller" sights, there are still plenty. My first few trips to Paris I felt like I liked the Left Bank much better but after my last trip I've learned there's a lot on the right too.

I'd start in the Marais, just wandering around the shops and cafes. I'd buy some croissants and eat them sitting on a bench in Place des Vosges. Rue Charlemagne is a nice street and there's a piece of the old city wall that is still there. Village St Paul is right near there and there are lots of antique shops there.

Then I'd walk over to the Hotel de Ville just to look at and appreciate the beautiful building. And right next to it is BHV, one of my favorite stores anywhere (not just in Paris). It's a seven floor department store with everything except clothes. I've gotten lots of great things there (hardware for furniture, like drawer pulls, etc., actually just today someone was commenting on some armoir knobs that I got there - but they have tons of other great stuff). I could spend the whole day there.

Next I'd go north up past Les Halles to Rue Montogueil, a "market" street like Rue Mouffetard or Rue Cler. If you go just a little north of the end of that street you come to a "different" Paris, one that most tourists don't bother with. The Sentier Area is kind of lower income housing and shops, but interesting to take a look (and it happens to be the area that the woman who wrote "Almost French" lived in). On my way back down Rue Montogueil I'd buy something yummy for lunch, including some great dessert from this pattissere whose name I forget (begins with an S) - not only do they have great pastry but the paintings on the walls and ceiling are georgous. I'd eat my picnic lunch in the small park like area around St Eustache, a beautiful Gothic church which I believe is the 2nd largest in Paris, after Notre Dame. Right near there is the Fountaine des Innocents which is worth checking out.

Then I'd head over to the Jardin du Palais Royal, another wonderful park, great place to sit and people watch and enjoy a snack. Just north of there is Galeries Vivienne and Colbert, two of the covered Passages. There are several others in the same area. Oh and Place des Victories is a nice square in that area that's worth strolling through.

Now you're not too far from the Opera. An absolutely incredible building. Definitly worth the €6 to go inside and look around. And just behind that is Galleries Lafayette department store. Even if you're not in the mood for shopping it's worth going into to see the beautiful dome. There's a cafe on the top floor with nice views and decent food. And you don't have to be eating there to look out the windows at the view, it's self service cafeteria style. I had some fruit salad with a whipped yougurt sauce that was to die for.

And then down to the Place de la Concorde for the views of the Arch de Triomph down the Champs Elysees, not to mention the Tour Eiffel in the distance. By now I'd definitly need a rest in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Isabel, the bakery is Stohrer at 51 rue Montorgueil.

These ideas and mental images are wonderful...

continue...

A walk 'round the Place Vendôme, taking in the arcades with the shops dripping gorgeous jewelry. Then over to the Rue de Rivoli for a quick browse, followed by soaking up the sun on a bench near one of the fountains in the Tuileries Gardens. In the summer, an evening visit to the Foire d'Eté, a fine specimenn of amusement park set up along the Tuileries. Then a stroll over to the Place de la Concorde to see the statues and the fountains. Perhaps a walk up the Champs Elysées with tea at Ladurée, even a visit to the science museum (with fine gift shop) near the Grand Palais.

Stay, if you can get a room, at the 3* Hôtel Mansart, just off the Place Vendôme: old-world charm, helpful staff, great location.

Travelnut, thanks for getting this started. The Passages are always a great way to spend a rainy day:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34455833

We spend more time in the Right Bank these days than in the Left Bank. Our favorite hotel is in the Right Bank (Sofitel Le Parc); the Place Victor Hugo is our favorite neighborhood in Paris and the Wed/Sat morning market at Michel-Ange Auteuil our favorite street market. We happily spend our time in the 16th without feeling any regrets that we're not over with the teeming crowds in the Marais or the Latin Quarter.
A perfect day in the 16th? Breakfast on the terrace at the Sofitel, sitting under the trees, visiting one of the nearby museums (Marmottan or Guimet, for example), then lunching at any of several nontouristy bistrots/brasseries, some shopping along the Ave. Victor Hugo, unwinding with late afternoon cocktails or tea with fresh mint at the ultra-modern and always buzzing Cafe Scossa, picking up some chocolates at La Maison du Chocolat around the corner, strolling back to the hotel to relax and change for dinner at one of the 16th's Michelin-starred restaurants, and finally watching the late night sparkle of the Eiffel Tower from a cafe by the Trocadero.

Rue Saint Roch is an old street that might be worth a look;

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...UTF-8%26sa%3DG

This won't be enough for a full day, but these are basically the notes I've prepared for spending 2-3 hours in the Marais tomorrow. The objective is to look at art galleries, hotels particuliers, and to go shopping. The sources are various guide books (the main ones are Time Out Paris and a Michelin guide with walks in Paris written in French). There're some notable exceptions -- for example, Place des Vosges is left out. There'll be a great deal of overlap with other people's notes, no doubt. Hours come from guide books and have not been checked. Accents have been left out.

Hotels Particuliers
===================

Hotel de Sully (*), 62 rue St-Antoine
Courtyard and garden: 8:30-19:00, Free
Patrimoine Photographie: 10-16:30, Tue- Sun

Louis XIII courtyard architecture

===

Hotel de Lamoignan (**), 24 rue Pavee
Now the Bibliotheque de la Ville de Paris

Built in 1585 for Diane de France, illegitimate daughter of Henri II.

===

Hotel Carnavalet (**), 23 rue de Sevigne
Free admission, 10-18, Tue-Sun

Construction started in 1548 and retouched by Mansart in the 17th century. Escaped reconversion which affected many other buildings in the Marais during the Revolution.

Turned into a museum on the history of Paris in 1866.

===

Hotel de Rohan/Hotel de Sorbise (**), 60 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Now the National Archives and Museum of History of France

Hotel Sorbise dates from the 14th century and is the oldest hotel in the Marais.

===

Hotel de Sens (***), 1 rue du Figuier
Just noticed that I didn't take notes on this one, but this is a nice link:

http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Hotel.de.Sens/

Basically, one of the few medieval buildings left in Paris.

===

Maison Europeenne de la Photographie, 5-7 rue de Fourcy, 11-19:30, Wed-Sun

Located in Hotel Henault de Cantorbe and organizes the biennial Mois de la Photo (next is Nov. 2004).

****************************************

Art Galleries
=============

Usually closed Sunday and Monday, late July to early September (so not sure if they'll be open tomorrow).

Cosmic Galerie, 76 rue de Turenne
Spacious gallery over three floors of building.

Galerie Pierre, 22 rue Debellyme
Ceramics

Galerie Karsten Greve, 5 rue Debellyme
Cologne gallery with retrospective displays (for example, Soulages, Dubuffet).

Galerie Yvon Lambert, 108 rue Vielle du Temple
Probably France's most important art gallery with NYC outpost.

Anne Barrault, 22 rue St.-Claude
Photographs.

La Galerie d'Architecture, 11 rue des Blancs-Manteaux
Contemporary work of architects.

****************************************

If time permits, I intend to have tea at Mariage Freres, 30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg.

111op, enjoy your area exploration. Here's some research I did last year:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34454657

Yes, degas -- I saw your detailed notes. Quite inspirational!

Mine are a bit more modest. Some overlap, definitely. I've been to the Marais a few times and have never really spent time looking at the buildings more closely. I plan to do so tomorrow.

What we need is a master navigator like degas to incorporate all of this thread's info into one route, assuming one has a 36 hour day, unlimited stamina, and an unlimited food appetite.

I don't have my map in front of me so please overlook any inefficiencies or ragged routes, but here are my ideas of things to do.

Metro to St Paul, see Memorial of the Unknown Jewish Martyr, 17 rue Geoffroy-l?Asnier. Perhaps go to Carnavalet Museum, browe Rue St Antoine and other
shopping streets, visit Victor Hugo Museum at Place des Vosges, lunch at Ma Bourgogne, outside under the arcade.
Walk to Ile St Louis, have ice cream or gelato (Berthillon, Dammans, or,Amorino) admire rear view of Notre Dame.

Stroll to Picasso and/or Pompidou Museum
(I wouldn't myself, but they are popular museums.) Visit Jewish Art & History Museum on rue de Temple if that interests. Have pastry or felafel (if you didn't lunch earlier) on rue de Rosiers, Sacha Finkelsztajn has traditional Jewish pastries and cheesecake at #27.

Waddle to Hotel de Ville, visit the BHV department store, don't miss their hardware dept but be aware that doorknobs and such that you buy there may not fit what you have at home.

Visit the Louvre. You will need stamina and several hours at least, but this is an imaginary day.

Stroll around Palais Royale, perhaps book a dinner for the next day at Le Grand Vefour.

Visit the Jacquemart-Andre museum, a private collection housed in a formerly private mansion. 158 Boul Hausmann. Website says it is open every day of the year without exception.

Visit the Opera Garnier, either stroll through on your own (I think this is still allowed) or take the 45 minute tour.
Walk to Place Vendome, have a drink at the Ritz Bar. Buy some perfume, either at Michel Swiss (rue de la Paix, near athe Opera) or at Catherine, rue Castiglione (from Pl Vencome.) On rue Royale have some pastry or buy some macaroons at Laduree on rue Royale, because you haven't eaten for five minutes.

Walk up rue Faubourg St Honore for a while and windowshop or shop. Go up as far as the Elysee Palace. Take metro to La Muette and visit Marmottan Museum. Walk to Eiffel Tower, don't wait in the line, just see it. For a better perspective, walk up to Pl Trocadero and see it from there.


Walk to Arc de Triomphe, visit if you like. Then metro to Concorde or Tuileries, enter the Tuileries Gardens and have another stroll. Since this is a fantasy day, perhaps the Orangerie museum will finally have opened and you can sit for a few minutes to admire Monet's large Waterlily panels.

Go back to the hotel and change for dinner.

Take metro to Franklin Roosevelt stop, walk down Ave Montaigne, have dinner at the Alain Ducasse restaurant in the Plaza Athenee hotel, or at Lasserre or at Ledoyen which is right at the Rond Point (little park area) of the Champs. (There are other wonderful restaurants, but many of my other favorites happen to be on the left bank.) After dinner, continue walking down the Champs to Pl de la Concorde, so you can see it, and the Eiffel Tower in the distance, lit at night. Have nightcap in the bar at the Crillon or Meurice hotel.

Have doctor on standby for EKG.

Hmm, based on some French Foreign Legion experience in my younger years, I can develop a real "death march" route, except the "foodies" will drop out every few blocks for grub and the "clothes-horses" will pop in and out for fashion shows on the Grand BLVDs.

111op, you don't have to leave the Place des Vosges out. The back of the garden of the Hotel de Sully opens onto the Place des Vosges.

Yes, I should include the Place des Vosges, but I was too lazy to write down a complete set of notes (like turn left here, turn right there, etc.). At one point I did, but then I realized that I'd never be able to follow a walk like that. Since I should my guide books and maps with me, I'm supposed to be able to look at them and wing it a little. Basically the notes are there to remind me of stuff I may want to pay attention to should I find myself on a specific street. There's so much to look at, so what I've given is my own little idiosyncratic list (for this specific exploration).

Oh I love Le Pain Quotidien! and don't forget the Art Squat across from the Gap in the Marais. Quite interesting! In the winter ice skating at the Hotel de Ville

ttt

Having just explored the Marais this past weekend, I just wanted to reiterate shellio's point that the Sully opens onto the Place des Vosges. I forgot this and had a hard time trying to get to Hotel Sully. (But of course, the trick is to figure out which corner of the Place des Vosges is relevant -- SW, maybe? Double check with a map.)

Basically Jeu de Paume organizes photo exhibitions at the Concorde and the Sully locations (the Sully location has an exhibition on the Warsaw uprising at the moment, which I skipped).

For something different, notice that around the Madeleine area, you'll be able to find another branch of La Maison du Chocolat. Rue Royale is where Laduree is located (this joins the Madeleine church with the Place de la Concorde). You can turn into rue St Honore from rue Royale for some shopping, and further down the street is the branch of yet another chocolatier, Jean Paul Hevin. Near the "concept store" Colette is an entrance for the Tuileries gardens, which opens directly into a fountain.
This can all be easily done in an hour or two and you can shop for gifts and window shop at the same time.