Married 22 years.

First trip to Paris at 23 when still single - solo - had a ball.

Second trip to Paris at 47 - with my 17 year old daughter - had a ball.

Third trip to Paris at 48 - with my 15 year old daughter - had a ball.

Fourth trip to Paris at 48 - with the 17 year old again...oh we do love Paris and France. Best people watching of our lives at Costes. Plus I got her drunk which was very funny.

Fifth trip - will be 50 like the OP, hmmmmmm, really wanting to go solo again but may bring my husband to be nice - if so, we'll eat well, lodge well, probably get a great Hermes scarf (the sweetie understands this is an essential part of the trip) but skip the museums. There is still a lot of art I haven't seen yet and a lot I've seen but need to see again - maybe I need to plan 2 more trips to Paris to properly celebrate my 50th???

Still so much to see and do in Paris and I really think you see and do the most when solo...

Eliza - have a great time whether solo or not! and Happy, Happy 50th. Start living your dreams!!

gruezi

Poor Malelion.

When he couldn't convince us that he was right he went storming off!

LOL!

<<Does anyone else think that poor malelion's partner probably wishes he/she could travel alone.>>

"Poor malelion" is right. I doubt that he has a partner but if he does traveling with him would be torture -- he'd be clinging, watching, judging.

Sounds more like a dodo bird (extinct) than a lion.

"we are not lonely....,YES YOU ARE !!!!!!!!"

LOL. In all my days I've never been accused of being the lonely type. I'm thinking this guy can only picture "alone" as "lonely" so I'm just shaking my head and laughing.

After this exchange I just gotta say I really really love my husband. I'm off on a cruise with a dozen college friends this month, skiing with the fam in March then to Vegas with my "boys" to see Cher in April. Lonely, lonely me.
Ann Marie

I don't know.... if you look at the Lion species, the female does all the work of gathering food. Malelion is probably just like that... Depending on someone else to take care of him which would explain his fear of solo travel. Who would feed him?

Lonely....I think NOT!

I am fortunate enough to have both sides of the coin. My husband likes Paris, I love it. We often go together, he stays for a week and returns home and I stay on for another week, solo.

I love both weeks, and they are enormously different! The week by myself is so much FUN. I can walk and window shop for 12 hours, I never tire of it, this is one of DH's least favorite things to do. I walk, eat, walk, drink, walk, shop, walk, do a little unknown museum I might pass, chat with people at the cafes, go to the theater, the circus, the movies...I've never been bored or lonely durning that week.

"the female does all the work of gathering food. Malelion is probably just like that... Depending on someone else to take care of him which would explain his fear of solo travel. Who would feed him?"

Exactly. And this "male lion" has no roar, just a pathetic squeak.

Eliza here,

Thank you every one for your support. I've decided to go ahead with my trip (yeah!!)and definitely loved the positive replies.

The "old guy" better known as my husband thinks it's great that I'm still going. I think he's secretly planning a fishing trip with our sons (I hate, loathe and despise fishing). LOL

So, plans so far are: Leaving Monday 5/24 from Philly international, arrive in Paris Tuesday 5/25. Booked at the Hotel Regina in the 1st Addroisament (spelling sorry) near the Louvre and from what I've read an easy walk to many spots.

I hope you guys don't mind if I start picking your brains with questions.

Thanks every one for the links to videos and blogs.

Eliza

Eliza,

We will gladly help you plan your trip!!!

So glad you are going.

gruezi

We are at your side (sadly, only for planning)

FANTATIC! Anywhere in the 1st should be a good location for getting out & about on foot.

it's arrondissement ;-)

Eliza,

That sounds like me and my partner. He wants to go "fly fishing" Hmm.. stand in a creek and try to catch my dinner which I then have to clean before I can eat. Not really my thing! The camping and the outdoor part I am good with, it's the fishing and dealing with the dead fish!

Eliza,
DH & I will be in Paris from May 26 thru June 1, staying in the 7th. Maybe we can GTG?
I may precede DH by a week (SOLO!), if I can snag a good airfare, which is proving very hard to do thus far since prices are very high this year, and so far not a sale in sight!

Susanna, I prefer your scenario: arrive with DH and then spend a second week alone. Will see what I'm able to arrange... EJ ((#))

Eliza,

I'm so glad you have decided to go!! Here is another trip report that might further encourage you.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-to-france.cfm

Elsiejune: I actually prefer your way. I like to get there first, and wander around and shop and see everything, then I look forward to his coming...my way I have to wait until he leaves to do my cc damage!

Really, either way is great!

Barb's report was indeed memorable and worth reading by anyone thinking of arranging a trip for others. I think there's a trip report on England by Janisj that is also a must read by those who think solo trips are to be avoided at all costs. Truly entertaining but proof of the adage "no good deed goes unpunished".

I am planning my first solo trip to London/Paris in May 2010. I've seen both cities with others and am looking forward to not having to compromise. I love my friends but this trip is all about my preferences.

Would do it in a minute! Having a friend along is nice to share the experience and the cost. Doing it on your own will teach you an awful lot about yourself and that can be fun stuff to learn.

"Doing it on your own will teach you an awful lot about yourself and that can be fun stuff to learn."

Good point and often overlooked.

Barb..it may be 7 years old, but your trip report is still a good read. Thanks.

Go for it! Check out the Paris Walks tours also. They are inexpensive way to have a nice walking tour and meet other travelers. They last for a couple hours and usually have several each day. I also find eating in cafes alone less intimadating than bistros/restaurants. Try Brasserie St Louis in the 4th!

I've been to Paris alone and I've been with "friends". Alone was SOOOOOO much better.

Uh-oh, he's back. Darn.

Come on... ,,Ladies...You girls are try to tell everyone that this is the best way to travel?...alone???...by yourself?....get real !!!

Chill out,Granny....!!!!!

I'd say the only one who needs to chill out is you Mr. Lion. You are the one with all the !!!s. Ladies? Girls? Granny? I don't believe any of us need to "get real." :D
Ann Marie

Malelion55,
That Granny is so me!!!! That's how I want to be in my 80's I want to feel happy enough and confident enough to "dance" in the streets when the music moves me. LOL.

Granny would never, ever not visit a place simply because she didn't have a "man" to go with her. Any one who has the freedom to do her thing in public with flip the naysayers the bird and be on the first plane smoking to Paris.

Ladies just remmber.

Malelion can't travel alone. He needs a woman to take care of him. Just like the real species. Alone, he would stare. Sad isn't it!

(Just booked my next trip to Paris, my SO will go to Paris too... Paris Tennesse.... LOL!)

Opps. that sentence above should read "alone he would starve"

(Although he does seem to to the kind to stare, doesn't he)

hmmm very interesting...

Well, Paris, Im coming to c u in April and guess what, Im a solo traveller too (will be my first time) hopefully would enjoy...

so people any help with hotels? checked online and just got more confused.. lots of choices... (budget around 150 Eur...


thks for help :P
Jina

Jina- Have fun in April. Here is a thread about hotels you might start with...
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ank-thread.cfm

There is also a right bank hotel thread you can check out. Just use the search box.
Ann Marie

I think he is wishing to join some of the solo women travelers.

Five posts in a row makes me think lonely lion. :(

< You girls are try to tell everyone that this is the best way to travel?...alone???...by yourself? >

YES

I think he meant to post to the original Like a Virgin video with the lion but, unsurprisingly, he failed.

cigale- I would ignore. For some reason this person lifted iowagirl's comments and your comments from a different thread (why you picked your fodor name) and pasted it to this thread.

Ladies,

I would suggest ignoring this babbling, giggling idiot. His lack of proper grammar gives creedence to his low level of intelligence. Obviously, he is one of the most significant reasons to travel alone.


Saying that, I am finished with this thread.

Now, now Ladies and Gentlemen. Let's play nice.

Op, here.
Thanks everyone for the encouragement. So I've got a sketchy itinerary. I did have a question. My flight gets into Paris about 1:00 pm. I'm assuming that it will take about 1 hour to get to my hotel (I have transfers from my TA). Would you leave the rest of that afternoon open? My first thought was to immediately go over to the Eiffel tower and pinch myself but now I'm thinking after an overnight flight I may be overly ambitious.

It is likely that you will be very excited when you get there and want to walk around and see things. You might go see the Eiffel Tower, but you might not want to invest the time to go up if there is a long line.

Lots of people will tell you to walk around and stay up as late as you can with no nap. I always need to nap after staying up all night on the plane, but I might get out first in the neighborhood. I would leave it open and see how you feel when you get there.

eliza61:

If you're staying near the Louvre and arriving at your hotel in the afternoon after an overnight flight, you might not want to try the Eiffel Tower on that first day. You'll want to get settled and get your bearings. You might want to roam a bit but yet stay within the general vicinity of your hotel, stopping at a cafe and relaxing for a time and maybe scouting out the area for restaurant possibilities. I've found that if you try to do too much on that first day in a major foreign city you don't know, you can get overly tired and even somewhat confused by it all. That could color the rest of your trip.

As for dining alone, I've done it several times in Paris, and I've had uniformly good experiences. You will too.

Another solo female traveler chiming in here. I travel for work and holiday (often hooking holiday onto a work trip) and Paris really is a great place for a solo visit. I do find French men to be pretty persistent (more persistent than, say, Italians), and the worst (in my experience) is along the Champs-Elysees.

Whether you make it straight through your arrival day without sleep or take a nap, do make a point of spending time outside (after your nap if you take one) so that your internal clock can figure out what's going on. Eat meals according to Paris time, ignoring your body (unless you wake up at night and are hungry---have something in your room to eat in case this happens). Even if you're not particularly hungry, go ahead and stop for a light meal.

"malelion" has been removed! Yay!

On my first afternoon I like to visit the huge Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arr. for lots of great people watching and beautiful scenery.

I enjoying walking around to see the fountains & gardens and to take in the action on the boule courts (courts?). There are children on the elaborate playgrounds, at the puppet theatre, on the carousel and sailing model boats in the basin/pond. You can sit on the green metal chairs and people-watch near the Palace.

Bordering the garden is rue vavin a lovely street for strolling with a nice mix of womens' and childrens' clothing stores, cafes, and at 3 rue vavin, a Jean Paul Hevin chocolate shop that calls my name. It looks more like an upscale jewelry store than chocolate shop.

Stroll down rue vavin by clicking the link below. Apologies for not using tinyurl. I'm having trouble with it... http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...229.48,,0,4.91
Ann Marie