Cal & Patty Duke

Can anyone suggest a romantic and fun-filled <BR>itenerary for 3 full days? We have in mind <BR>perhaps a Seine River dinner cruise, the <BR>Versailles Palace, Museum highlights, fine <BR>dining at night...Do you know anything about <BR>"Pig's Alley", guided bus tours, or anything <BR>else that will make our trip more enjoyable <BR>and informative? We are staying in the 6th <BR>district at Aramis St. Germain, but look forward to venturing out also if you have <BR>any suggestions.-- Where do locals go for <BR>dining and night life? THANKS!

elaine

<BR>Hi <BR>I believer that "Pig Alley" is a very old American soldier's <BR>term for Pigalle, an area bordering Montmartre, which was (is) a draw, as it featured bars, "adult entertainment", etc.There are currently reputable clubs and bars in the Pigalle area as well, but I believe the area still has a slightly <BR>tawdry reputation. <BR>Here are my suggestions for a short trip to Paris, most of which I've done myself, some of which have been recommended by others in this forum. <BR> <BR>Lunch or snack on the terrace of the <BR>department store La Samaritaine. On the ninth floor, it offers a comprehensive view of the Seine and Paris. Pont Neuf and Louvre are the closet Metro stops. <BR>At the end of the day, walk to the western end of the Tuileries gardens near Place de la Concorde. Sit on a bench and watch the lights of Paris come on! The fountains,Hotel Crillon, Champs Elysees, Arc d'Triomphe, Les Invalides will all be illuminated. This is why Paris is called the city of lights. <BR>Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau: 127 avenue des Champs Elysees <BR>75008. telephone 08 36 68 21 12, metro stop is Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile or George V.Open every day except May 1. Branch offices in the Gare de Lyon and the Eiffel Tower <BR>(open May through Sept). Recorded information in English about cultural events: <BR>call 01 49 52 53 56. You can buy a museum pass at this agency. <BR> <BR>www.intermusees.com/ Paris museum pass, saves money, but especially time otherwise spent waiting in lines at the Louvre and the Orsay. Pass good for Versailles also. <BR>Tips on the Louvre <BR>Bring your own water bottle, since there don’t seem to be water fountains. And if you carry in a bag, you’ll have to wait in a line to check it, even if you have a museum pass. <BR>If you have the museum pass or advance purchase tickets, enter throught the Richelieu entrance. There is usually no line there, except for the women’s rest room. Thre is another entrance at Porte des Lions, between the Arc du Carrousel and the Tuileries Gardens. A highly recommended entrance is the underground entrance from the metro stop “Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre”. <BR>There are periodic guided tours or a self-directed, audio tape, in English. Many of the most important works have number codes you can punch onto your audio guide for information on that work.Another useful note: The Louvre is open until 9:45 on Wednesday nights, the d'Orsay until 9:45 on Thursday nights. <BR> <BR>Here are a few more highlights. I'll bet your guidebook has suggestions for walks and itineraries that include the following, plus much more: <BR>Notre Dame, see inside and out. It's the Cite metro stop). Then walk a few minutes to Sainte Chapelle, a masterpiece of gothic architecture and stained glass. If possible go on a sunny day to see the glass in its glory. From there it's only a few steps to the Conciergerie where many prisoners of the <BR>Revolution were held before execution. You can see Marie Antoinette's last cell, a guillotine blade, etc. <BR>At this point you can if you wish, and with museum pass in hand, head for the Louvre, or else start your day there. It is beyond overwhelming, so do a little <BR>reading before hand and decide what you absolutely must see.For a first, introductory visit, I'd allow 3 hours which will let you see the most famous works, and whet your appetite for future visits. <BR>Take a walk through the Tuileries Gardens and then head to Place de la Concorde. From Place de la Concorde you <BR>can walk up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe,or explore the gorgeous shops on rue du Faubourg St Honore. From the Arc if you’re not exhausted, you can push on to the Eiffel Tower, or save that for another day., <BR>On another day or two, explore the left bank. See the wonderful Musee D'Orsay, spend what ever amount of time you can. My strategy is to get there at opening time and start on the top floor of the museum where most of the impressionist paintings are--early in the day you can see them in relative peace. The Musee D’Orsay has a reasonably priced cafe. <BR> <BR>Walk the blvd St Germain, explore the charming side streets and cafes and shops, go to the Rodin Museum which has beautiful sculptures and a pretty garden. If you like include les Invalides where Napoleon's tomb is. You can also walk to the Eiffel Tower. <BR> <BR>On another day, perhaps take a bateau mouche boat ride <BR>on the Seine. It's touristy but especially beautiful at night. You can get them at Place de L’Alma near the Eiffel Tower. They leave every half-hour in the summer and the ride is about an hour. <BR>There are dinner cruises on the Seine, but these are quite expensive and I have heard that the food is just adequate, not worth the price. Still I’m sure it can be a memorable experience. Jacket and tie for men, and reservations required. <BR> <BR>On a short trip you might also do well to take a half-day guided coach tour of Paris such as are run by Cityrama or Parisvision. They are a bit pricey but can give you an overview and an orientation. <BR>www. cityrama.com <BR>www.parisvision.com <BR> <BR>Personally, unless you've been to Paris before, I would skip Versailles for sure if I only had three days in Paris. Versailles is wonderful, but it takes a whole day to do it justice, and three days in Paris will just scratch the surface. <BR>On another day, take a walk to Ile St Louis (stop for icecream at Berthillon) cross another bridge and then wander through the Marias area, stopping for lunch or dinner along the way, or at Place des Vosges, the oldest and most beautiful square in Paris. <BR> <BR>Paris fashion shows <BR>The haute couture shows are by invitation only. However, department store Galeries Lafayette has shows on Wednesday at 11:00am and on Friday at 2:30pm. Make reservations at <BR>http://www.galerieslafayette.com/ <BR>gbdefile.htm <BR>Printemps has shows on Tuesday and Friday at 10:00am. <BR>Other web sites <BR>www.smartweb.fr/paris/ see "Transport" for Metro info;see "Money Guide" for color photos of paper currency <BR>and coinage, also virtual visits to museums <BR>http://www.earthlink.net/~primos/paris. <BR>html <BR>It contains a personal description of Paris' arrondissements. <BR> <BR>www.paris-touristoffice.com Paris Visitors Bureau-- hotels, events, <BR>www.bparis.com/ <BR>www.paris.org wonderful site, everything you can think of about Paris. The hotel section includes comments from past hotel guests. <BR>also includes bus maps, etc <BR> <BR>I hope this helps <BR>Good luck <BR>

Cal

Elaine, <BR>WOW! How much do I owe you. This is my <BR>first internet experience on receiving <BR>"firs-hand" info and your suggestions <BR>certainly helped. And to Fodor's.-- <BR>Thanks for this valuable service!

Vincent

Personnally, if I were to indulge on a "romantic" 3 day stay in Paris, I would skip the museums, at least the mammoth ones, such as Orsay or the Louvre. I know it doesn't seem culturally correct, but I think you'd be better off soaking up the atmosphere. The few "locals" left in the 6th shop for their groceries on the street markets bd Raspail (close to your hotel, but not every day), or, for a surer bet, rue de Buci, in the Odéon area (that's a daily feature). I don't know your age or your interests, but the real "in" places are further East, at the Saint-Maur and Oberkampf streets, or in Bastille. One unusual romantic stroll would be to follow the "Promenade plantée", a former train viaduct that goes all the way from Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. It has been recently rehabilitated to a nice alley/garden, it's very romantic, quiet, and being 100 m above the ground, you get the feeling you are flying above the roofs of Paris ! <BR>For quieter museums, try the Musée de la Vie romantique in the 9th, a former bourgeois mansion devoted to 19th Century life in Paris. The neighborhood is very nice too. Or the Delacroix museum, close to your hotel, on the most romantic square in Paris, place Furstenberg. <BR>I would follow Elaine's advice on embarking on a bateau mouche night cruise, as corny as it might seem : it's really magic ! To be more original, you might try another cruise on our canals : it starts at the Bastille harbour, all the way to La Villette : you'll get a feel of the real Paris, since we also have our canals. This has to be done in the daytime. <BR>One original thing is to discover Parc André Citroën, maybe one of Paris' best parks (it's a new one). It stages our first millenium attraction : a hot air balloon that looms 150 m above the ground. It's fun, free, with no lines on week days : a great view over Paris without the hassles at the Eiffel Tower. Speaking of views, the best one might be available from the top of the new Jardins de Belleville : it's in the Eastern part of Paris, and can be combined with a visit of the charming Père Lachaise cemetery. At the corner of rue des Envierges and rue Piat, you'll get the ultimate view, with no tourist in sight, and the real Paris around you ! <BR> <BR>Feel free to e-mail me directly to have more details.

Lori

Cal/Patty,

Lori

Cal/Patty,

Lori

Cal/Patty, <BR>Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night and watch the lights come on all over Paris .. incredible, memorable and romantic. I'd skip the dinner cruise, the cruise itself is fine, the food is supposed to be pretty bad and quite expensive tho. With all the great places to eat I'd not waste my money that way. There are so many beautiful places in Paris you will find 3 days no where near enough! As someone else said Versailles is wonderful but you need time there, like a full day to do it justice and experience the full flavor of it. I might be inclined to save that for a longer trip unless it is a place you simply "must" see. Probably most tourists find Paris "romantic" so a walk down the Champs Elysees and along the Rue de Rivoli are fun, strolling along the Seine is great too. We've been many times so perhaps my idea of "fun" is different than that of first time tourists, just sitting in a park, watching the people, and eating an ice cream cone is fun to us too. "Fun" is what makes you happy. Paris has so many places to go/see that no matter what you do it will be special and memorable.