I am getting down to the end here and just have a few logistical questions before I start putting my itinerary together. Any input you can offer would be appreciated.


1. We arrive on a Saturday and will probably take it a bit easy. What would you recommend doing on this day? Any suggestions for the evening for two non-foodies?
2. I don?t know if most places close early or not, but it seems like a good evening to just relax. Any ideas for how to spend Sunday evening?
3. I know you have to make reservations for Altitude 95 months in advance. Is it possible to just pop up for drinks though?
4. Are there audio guides for Notre Dame?
5. Are the ATMS?s in English?
6. What is the dress code for the dinner cruises?
7. I?ve read up on many of the dinner cruises. Does anyone have any recommendations on which ones to use or to avoid?

Personally, I would avoid ALL the dinner cruises; they're quite expensive, and the food isn't all that good. You could go on the cocktail cruise or the evening cruise if you'd like to see the buildings along the Seine lit up at night.

What places do you mean in "most places close early"? Certainly not restaurants, as Parisians tend to diner late; it's usual for restaurants not to open earlier than 7:30 p.m.

If you like museums, I'd head straight to the Louvre early on Sunday evening. Rates are reduced for the evening hours and crowds are much less. However, if it's the first Sunday of the month, the museum is free and thus more crowded.

I've never seen audio-guides for Notre-Dame, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

You don't have to make reservations at Altitude months in advance, usually the morning of the day you want to go. Thats what we did on 2 trips during high season.

The majority of ATMs will offer a language choice when you insert your card.

On the Sat. you arrive, depending on weather &amp; time of arrival, either just walk around &quot;your&quot; neighborhood (check out local cafes, bakeries :, etc.) or plan to do 1 thing-the Rodin museum (or one of the smaller museums) or a visit to Place des Vosges come to mind. In the evening, take a cruise on the Seine <i>without</i> food. You can (&amp; should) do this over &amp; over again!

I don't know where you are staying, but there is an ATM on rue Sts Peres around rue University. We used that one and one on Blvd St Germain all the time, they have choices of many languages.
When you arrive, leave your bags in the room and just walk. The fresh air will help with the jet lag and you will enjoy the walk, no matter where you look, it is wonderful.
Non-foodies will enjoy the same thing as foodies Just walk into any place that appeals to you and ask for a table .. if you are a bit earlier than 8:00 pm, you will probably get a table, they eat late in Paris.
We always go to the Marais on Sundays. There is an abundance of restaurants, cafes and delis and shops open. Sit in the Place des Vosges and absorb the atmosphere.
I do believe there are audio guides for the Louvre.
Everyone I know that has done this, takes a regular Bateau Mouche, not the dinner cruise. It is the sight that you want to see, not the food. Go just as it is getting to be evening, as the lights are going on, it is amazing.

mclaurie,
Can you tell me more about the evening cruise you mention? Are they the same companies, just different boats? Are they crowded boats? Are there dress codes? Sorry for all the questions, but this is interesting to me.

My 'close early comment' applied to Sunday only. I thought perhaps some places close early on Sundays as they do here in the US, in the UK, in Italy and so on.

Does anyone know where I can find mass times for Notre Dame?

Re: Mass times at Notre Dame-I got this from Paris Digest:

Mass can be attended on weekdays, at 8am, 9am, 12am, 6.45pm, on Saturday, at 6.30pm, on Sunday, at 8am, 8.45am, 10am (sung), 11.30am, 12.30am, 6.30pm (with the bishop of Paris).

Hi Scarlett, the times should they be instead &quot;12:00 p.m.&quot; and &quot;12:30 p.m.&quot;?

Hi
I guess so! I didn't pay attention, just copied it for mdtravel.
LOL, or is it the late night revelers mass?

Here's the website for Notre Dame - it gives times for Masses and also the Sunday concert which you might want to attend. http://www.cathedraledeparis.com/EN/0.asp

On Saturday after you arrive, if you are going to buy museum or Metro passes, you could take care of that.

Just this April, my friend and I were able to eat quite well by just going back to places we had passed earlier and asking for a table. We were on the early side (7:30ish) and never were turned away. I don't particularly want to be tied to scheduled dinner reservations.

I have taken the Seine tour from under the Pont Neuf, no dinner. You can also ride the Batobus, which is a water bus which runs up and down the river during the day; of course, there is no narrative, but a good map would do the same. There certainly isn't a dress code on the paid cruise boats.

Here's the link to the Pont Neuf boat rours; they are a bit smaller than some of the other tours which appealed to us. http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/

mdtravel:

1. Use Saturday to unpack, go have a light lunch, walk around a bit to familiarize yourself with your neighborhood, and get plenty of fresh air and sunshine (vitamin D, which will counteract the jet lag). Pick up a copy of Pariscope from a kiosk so you know what's happening in the city for the duration of your stay. Get your museum passes and metro tickets and whatever else you need for the trip. Have a light supper and go to bed around 10 pm, and you should be fine the next day and thereafter.

2. No, Paris is a big city, and places don't close early on Sunday necessarily - some restaurants ae cloed on Sunday, though. Check your Pariscope for Sunday evening concerts.

3. You should be able to get into Altitude 95 if your hotel calls for you the day you arrive.

4. No, there are no audio guides for Notre Dame that I know of, but every good guidebook has detailed information.

5. ATMs are everywhere. They all have an English-language option.

6. I wouldn't do a dinner cruise on the Seine. Just take a Bateaux-Mouches or Vedettes-Parisiennes ride and have a decent bistro dinner afterwads.

Bonne vacance!

There's a place for drinks on 56th floor of Tour Montparnasse. I've been to the 59th floor terrace and can say it's the best overlook of Paris I've seen yet (includes a view of the Tour Eiffel, too!).

http://www.tourmontparnasse56.com/montparnasse/uk/

Another option for a cruise is the Batobus. Ride as much as you want during 2 days (day or night) for 13 euros (show your Carte Orange and it's only 9 Euros for 2 days). There are 1 days passes too. The route makes 8 stops on the Seine. The boats are very clean, with open backs and glass roofs so you can see really well. We rode a few times at night as it was very relaxing to glide along and look at the buildings without anyone &quot;barking&quot; out the names of the sights! Here is the website: http://www.batobus.com/english/8escale.htm

I haven't been on a dinner cruise, but from what I've read they do have dress codes. They are really suggestions, because they want to make it a nice experience. Basically, don't dress in day-time sightseeing casual clothes.

I think you've gotten your answer on the cruise question, mdtravel. There are, 2 different boat companies-the Bateaux Mouches and the Vendettes. They elave from 2 different places. The only website I don't think you were given was for the bateaux mouches

http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/English_index.htm

According to the websites, the vendettes is 10e/person (with a discount web coupon of 2e it becomes 8) and the bateaux mouches says it's 7e/person. I think the vendettes boats in addition to being a bit smaller are also a bit nicer. I don't know which of these has the cocktail cruise that Underhill mentioned. Enjoy!

Thank you for all of your help folks...I think I'm set.

Somewhere someone wrote that having cocktails at the top of Tour Montparness was so terrific because the Tour Montparness was NOT part of your view!

Have a wonderful trip

Take the Metro to Palais Royale Musee du Louvre, then walk through the Louvre complex and across the Pont des Arts, the little pedestrian footbridge right below the Ile de la Cite. This is one of the lovliest spots in Paris. Hoplefully it will be a nice day and lots of people will be about, it being most enjoyable to be in the midst people enjoying themselves. On the other side it is a nice walk along the quay.

For a longer walk, and particularly if the weather is fair, start a little north...Bourse Metro, down Rue Vivienne and through Gallerie Vivienne and then through the gardens of the Palais Royale.

Go here or to any park on a nice day and you will see lots of people relaxing...maybe reading a book or a newsplaper, or just conversing with friends or napping. And then linger here for a while...forgetting about rushing around and &quot;seeing things&quot;...but just soaking up the tranquillity and the beauty of it all. Interesting and also sad that the nice park down the street from my house, except for the children's play area, is usually deserted...