Paris sightseeing help
 

Hi,

I hope I"m not asking an ignoring question here.

it's my first time to europe and I've done a bit of research of the places I may be interested to go.

but because I have no idea which place is close to which. if anyone could be able to help me sort out, so that I could do certain things together in a day and so on. that would be great help!

if you think some of them is not worth to go or something I have missed out, please let me know.

two things I must must do:
1. to Mont St Michel
2. theatre (i'm more into dancing, any recommendation? and where I can book ahead?)

Paris: 28-4 Jan

Paris
Must do?:
<sum> Eiffel Tower
<sum> Notre Dame Cathedral
<sum> The Louvre (=Louvre Pyramids?)
<sum> Cabarets show /can can
o Paradis Latin show (show called Paradis d’ Amour or Lido in Gustavel Eiffel)
o Moulin Rouge?
<sum> Musium (which one is worth to go?)
<sum> Champs – Elysees (what is this?)
<sum> Place de la Concorde (fountain)
<sum> Latin quarter
<sum> Arc de triomphe
<sum> See castle in Paris, where?

Not too sure:
<sum> Sein cruise?
<sum> Bastille?
<sum> Pantheon?
<sum> Luxembourg Gardens
<sum> Rue de Rivoli
<sum> Hotel de Ville (town hall) – shall go?


Don’t know what these are (only see these names from brochures):
<sum> Sacre Coeur
<sum> Opera (=Garnier?)
<sum> Montmartre?
<sum> Marais district?
<sum> Germain – des-pres
<sum> Madeleine
<sum> Bercy Marina?
<sum> Sorbonne?
<sum> Place Vendome
<sum> Tocadero?
<sum> Les Invalides



thank you so much again!

BH

Is that December 28 to Jan 4? I like to go to the library and check out as many guide books as I can and thumb through them to get ideas. You might also want to look at some books on walking Paris. What is your country of origin if you don't mind my asking?

Mont St. Michel is some distance from Paris but many tour companies go there from Paris. Last week I picked up brochures for: www.cityrama.fr , www.francetourisme.fr . Both have tours to Mt. St. Michel although kind of pricey.

I think the idea of getting some good guides is excellent and also get a good map..available at Barnes and Noble and Borders. That way you can see where the areas are and how they relate to each other and when you get suggestions and answers from other posters you can look at the map and get an over view of what they are talking about. You can also get Metro maps off the internet so if there is a reference to a particular Metro stop you can check it out on the map, mark it, or what ever.

That is one of the best things about Paris, there's so much to do and the most frustrating, you won't cover all of it in just a week.

First Mont St. Michel is in the Normandy region in the north of France and is, at best, doable on a overnight trip and I think during warm weather. It's something to see on a tour of Normandy.

Obviously, you've got the popular tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre (the Pyramid is the main entrance to the museum), Notre Dame, etc. The Champs Elysees is a broad avenue that runs from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. (You probably should get a map.)

The best thing to do is decide what you want to see. At this time of year, it's probably best to hit the museums you're interested in, art, history, etc. The Louvre, Musee D'Orsay and Pompidou Centre are the three major art museums.

As for the nightclubs, if you want to see the Cancan, then head to the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre. As for dancing, it would depend on what you're interested in, ballet, modern. There are websites like bonjourparis.com, in addition to our own beloved Fodors.com, that have up to date listings of cultural events in Paris. There are also plenty of guidebooks that will provide guided walks of the various neighborhoods, such as the Marais, the Bastille, St. Germain, the Latin Quarter (where the Sorbonne and Pantheon are) and Montmartre (where the Sacre Coeur basilica is).

Like I said, there's a lot to do and see and if you don't get to it on this trip, you'll just get to it on your next.

BigHead:
You're going to need a map once you get there, so why not get one now? Is it really useful for you just to have some vague idea of which things are close to each other? If you're interested in planning your days, which you seem to be, spend $5.00 on a good map and spend a few hours hunkered over it.
Le Mont St-Michel is a long daytrip from Paris, and not one I would necessarily do in a first week-long trip, but if it's something you've been dreaming of, go for it. Both ParisVision and CityRama - and probably others - have daytrips you can join. As mentioned, it won't be cheap, but it would be hard to plan this on your own so that may be your only choice.

By all means get a good map - we like Streetwise Paris. Get a good guidebook - good advice above is to visit the library and see which guidebooks appeal. Read about the sights and events you have listed and then make a new list of the things you want to see. Plan your days by grouping those things according to area of Paris. Then return to the forum and ask lots of questions. You will get lots of opinions!

There's also a good map at

<b>http://www.citefutee.com/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php</b>

Click on &quot;Bus Paris (avec rues)&quot; and you can zoom in to any level of detail you need. I downloaded all the RATP maps to my iPAQ so I always have them handy. The &quot;Bus touristique&quot; map shows how to get from sight to sight via surface transport.

Hi BH,

One more voice urging you to get a map and read some guide books. I also like the Streetwise Guides.

You might want to read the miniguide to Paris at www.fodors.com.

RE: the Can-Can - Save yourself a lot of money and get the movie.

Basing my advice solely on a conclusion that you haven't done too much research for a trip that is coming up in less than 3 weeks, I'd suggest you immediately immerse yourself into some guidebooks. (I reach this conclusion after reading some of your questions, such as &quot;What is this?&quot; when mentioning Champs-Elysees!)

The only thing in Paris that might qualify as being a &quot;castle&quot; would be the Chateau de Vincennes, on the edge of Bois de Vincennes on the eastern edge of Paris.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/gallery...s&amp;tpe=city

&quot;Bastille&quot; once referred to the prison famous during revolutionary period, but that was torn down. It is now a square or traffic circle with a column, and the site of the Opera House.

I would not think the &quot;Bercy marina&quot; would be a priority for a first-time visitor.

BigHead, why don't you go have a look at the <u>Eyewitness Guide: Paris</u> at any major bookstore? It has a lot of illustrations and will briefly explain about all of the things on your list.

&quot;Don’t know what these are (only see these names from brochures):&quot;

<b> Sacre Coeur</b>

Main hospital in Paris.

<b>Opera (Garnier)</b>

It's a bakery. They sell famous cakes called 'Opera Cakes'. What else would an Opera be?

<b> Montmartre </b>

Football stadium, where the Paris Dukes play.

<b> Marais district </b>

One of Paris' airports, Jacques Marais Airport. The code is (TRL), for Aeroport du Troll, the old name.

<b>Germain–des-pres</b>

The Paris Zoo.

<b> Madeleine </b>

Another bakery. Famous for Madeleine cakes.

<b>Bercy Marina</b>

Where Napoleon is buried.

<b>Sorbonne</b>

Ice cream parlor where sorbet was invented.

<b>Place Vendome</b>

I think this is made-up. That's not a real place.

<b>Tocadero</b>

Famous restaurant that serves Coquilles Saint Trolle.

<b>Les Invalides</b>

Health clinic. Not sure why you want to go there.

<b>Champs – Elysees</b>

Sporting goods store. You can buy things with the logo of the Paris Super-Trolls here.

It's also a great idea to see Mont St. Michel, which is located right in the heart of Paris in the 35th arrondisement. It is located at the corner of Boulevard St. Troll and Merde Street.

I agree that a guide book (or several) would help, but I can answer a couple of your questions. You seem to have developed your list of attractions from travel brochures, which are not very informative. To find out what the places are, a guide book is much more useful.

The Louvre is an art museum housed in an enormous, very old palace. A modern entrance was built in the form of a pyramid, although there are better ways to enter the museum with shorter lines than the pyramid entrance.

You can decide which museums you want to visit once you have an idea which ones house which kind of exhibits. The most important are the Louvre, with antiquities and art up to the nineteenth century, and the Musee d'Orsay, with later art including the Impressionists. More contemporary art is at the Pompidou Center. There are also many smaller museums.

The Bastille is a large traffic intersection, with only a monument marking the place where the Bastille used to stand. The area is worth visiting if there is something you want to do there, not necessarily just to see it.

The Hotel de Ville is a large, attractive building which has an ice skating rink in front during the winter. Unless you just want to walk by and look at it (or maybe go skating) I don't think it is a necessity.

Sacre Coeur is a large church in the Montmartre area. The opera house known as the Palais Garnier is the older of Paris's two opera housees and can be toured (or you could catch a performance).

Montmartre, St. Germain des Pres, and the Marais are neighborhoods, all worth exploring.

The Champs Elysees is a broad boulevard.

You will find much more about all these places in a good guide book.

As to things you have missed, I would add Sainte Chapelle, a church near Notre Dame with spectacular stained glass.

Good luck planning.

BigHead- all of your choices are great! Listen to all but &quot;OC&quot; who is really clever! Must have too much time on his/her hands??? Paris is a great place to visit and visit and visit so see what you can of the &quot;usual&quot; sites and then plan for others when you return- you will want to return- again and again. Merry Christmas to all.

BigHead hasn't responded, I wonder if providing info is useful or not

Ms BigHead has made quite a few posts recently regarding this trip and seems not to be a troll but also does not seem to follow up on most of her posts with responses.

Since the original message was posted only twelve hours ago, and I believe the poster lives in Australia, reports of her departure from the building might be a little premature.

As for theatre, you do realize regular theatre will be almost entirely in French? There are occasionally some English-language productions, but I think you may be thinking of London or something. As for dance, do you mean to see a performance or to go dancing yourself?

It sounds like seeing, so I would recommend the Paris Opera Ballet as they are a very good company. Over the holiday, they are doing Swan Lake at the Bastile Opera House, which should be nice. YOu can see all programs for the ballet at www.paris-opera.fr

For the cabarets, I think I said on another post (maybe not to you), that if you want the more traditional cabaret and with can-can, you must go to Moulin Rouge. I think that is the only one doing that now. I think I have heard the Paradis Latin cabaret show is good for those cabaret things -- actually I'm not positive they don't have cancan, but on the Right Bank only Moulin Rouge does. The Lido is more a glitzy Las Vegas show with lasers.

All of your must-sees are fine, espect maybe cut out the castle requirement in Paris.

Your &quot;not too sures&quot; are actually a fairly good decision, as they are of lesser interest or not as good in winter.

Get a guidebook so you know what those things are that you don't. Forget Bercy. Sorbonne is the University of Paris but not a must-see. Others are pretty important sites or areas of Paris.

QC - When I glanced at the headings in your message I thought, &quot;Oh, how helpful.&quot; Soon after, I was doubled-over laughing!

BigHead - I am going to risk the wrath of most everyone here by suggesting that you plan *not* to visit most of the tourist attractions that you have listed -- at least not deliberately.

It's up to you whether to experience Paris waiting in lines, rushing from place to place on tour buses, and squinting at works of art so popular and so precious that you can't get close -- or whether to really experience Paris.

You certainly should start by borrowing some guidebooks from your local library, so that you'll know how the city is laid out and what the major tourist sites are &quot;about&quot;.

Next, make a list of your interests and do some research online. If you like good food, perhaps you'll want to stay near an open air market, or come prepared with reservations for fine restaurants. If you are interested in Roman life but bored by big churches, perhaps you'll arrive at Notre Dame and want to skip the cathedral, opting instead to visit the adjacent archeological crypt. If you like a particular artistic movement, perhaps you'll want to visit a small museum that's just right for you -- rather than dodging crowds at the Louvre.

Next, figure out how to get around. To really experience Paris, you should walk (assuming that you do not have a disability; alas, Paris is not very friendly for people with limited mobility). Use the bus when you want to cross the city and see things, or the Metro when you need to travel fast.

Leave time, between planned stops at museums and monuments, for the unexpected. Go in to that cute little shop; spend an hour at that sidewalk cafe; pop in to that museum that just happens to be open on the day when all the others are closed; pay a visit to those distant friends and relatives. If you're really adventurous, even try to meet people (in an appropriate setting, of course).

Your time abroad is precious. Use it to create experiences that you really cannot have at home.

For guidebooks, I'd suggest Rick Steves, who covers the tourist sites and also gives you tips for traveling independently. I'd also recommend &quot;Pariswalks&quot;, which lays out independent walking itineraries.

Paul Marcelin-Sampson
Santa Cruz, California, USA

QC, I just read your reply to this posting, and I was laughing as I did not laugh for a long time. I was so interested, that I found some of your other replies, especially your older replies for those ridiculous postings about Paris. You are so funny! What are you doing for leaving??? If you are not writing, you should drop everything and start writing!!! Hilarious!
I wish to see more postings from those cultural morons, so I can read more of your replies! :)

OC, I love your humor and I think it fit a need to lighten up on the travel. Ive been to about six cities and never have done extensive research/
I found it too exhausting and can be a killer. We must rush from one museum to another since that are sights to see. However, you miss the in=between delightful experiences.

Sorry to get so heavy here, but I find it is best(again for me) not to 'do' the sights as if there is nothing else to do in Paris.