We will be in Paris for 5 nights in early Sept. Can anyone recommend a few great restaurants--average priced. If you read the guide books they all sound the same. Also does everyone recommend metro and museum passes?

Go to www.parismuseumpass.com and click on the photos to see what museums and monuments are covered. How many of them are on your "must see" list? Add up the entry fees for those museums. Are there museums on your list that are not coverd by the pass? How many days and hours do you want to devote to museum hopping? After you've answered those questions, decide how many days you'll use a pass or if you'd be better paying as you go. Be aware of "museum overload," seeing too much in one day so everything becomes a blur.

The best transportation pass is the Carte Orange, but it's valid for Monday-Sunday, not any seven-day period. If most of the time you'll be in Paris is covered by the pass, it can still be a better value than other passes. What day of the week will you arrive and what day will you leave? Will you be arriving and departing by plane or train?

Thanks for the reply. We'll be arriving by plane on Monday Sept. 11th(a little afraid that day) and leaving for Provence on Sat the 16 th. We will check out the museum passes like you suggested. Thanks

Another factor to consider when deciding whether you want to buy the museum pass is that the pass allows you to bypass the line, which can be extremely long at the Musee d'Orsay and at Versailles.

Monday is the perfect arrival day for using a <i>Carte Orange</i>, as its period of validity runs from Monday through Sunday. If you choose to ride the train from CDG to the city and then back on Saturday, you should buy the CO that covers Zones 1-5¹ before you board the RER at the airport. Zone 5 encompasses both CDG and Disneyland. It's valid on buses, the M&eacute;tro, RER, trams, and SNCF trains within its prescribed zones. See map: http://tinyurl.com/edkxb

You will need to present a 1&quot; square ID photo (home-made is okay) when you buy each person's pass.

¹ Orly and Versailles are in zone 4, so if you don't need to reach CDG or Disneyland, you can save a few &euro; by buying a 4-zone pass.

another plus about the museum pass is it gets you into monumments too, such as St. Chappelle. I hadn't realized that ahead of time so the pass was invaluable for me.

Besides the zone map which you can print by going to the linkRobespierre gave, you can also download and print a Metro/RER map for central Paris in pdf. the link Go to www.ratp.fr, click on the British flag to get the English version, and then click on Metro map. You can use the Journey Planner to find the best route between stations or to plot bus routes.

The English version of the RATP site doesn't give prices for the Carte Orange. Here they are:
Zones 1-2 16.00
Zones 1-3 21.20
Zones 1-4 26.30
Zones 1-5 31.50

An individual ticket on the RER from CDG to Paris costs 8.10. Double that for your return. Since a Carte Orange for zones 1-5 includes the airports, you'll only be spending 15.30 for all the rest of your rides during your stay.

Hi nsalerno, Another factor to condider, is that the museum pass is good for consecutive days. So I would suggest checking a guide book to find out each sites open hours, and then planning a tentative itinerary. I purchased the pass, and found it to be a good value, and a nice way to shorten the wait time. Plus you can duck into a museum if you are near, and not feel bad about spending only a few minutes. (Good place to use the facilites too!!)

Hi,

I've ate at dozens of restaurants in Paris - Here's a list of my favorites. Some are cheap, some are pricey. All are worth it.

http://www.parisescapes.com/paris_restaurants_top.html

Have a great trip - C

More useful than the M&eacute;tro network schematic map is <i>M&eacute;tro (avec rues)</i>, which shows the train lines in accurate geographic orientation.

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...eur&amp;fm=pdf

Also, if you happen to be at the Louvre and are suddenly a bit peckish, visit Cafe Marly, to your left as you face the pyramid courtyard from the road.

ttt