Travelnut

Is part of the issue that Hubby does not quite know what to do with his time while you are shopping? It might be nice to help identify some of his interests so he could be doing something fun for himself while you are out entertaining yourself (instead of being in a 'waiting' mode).

There are all kinds of museums in Paris, for instance, we are going to the 'Police museum' on our next trip. After I looked at the website, it seems very interesting and not your typical art gallery type of place.

Is he interested in a particular historical period or event? Jewish history?

Does he collect anything? There's a stamp market, book markets, and of course, flea markets.

Padraig

Travelnut wrote: "Does he collect anything? There's a stamp market, book markets, and of course, flea markets."

They are shopping activities.

danon

One can shop during the day and have romantic evenings ( nights??) -
the two are not mutually exclusive!

Can men find something to do on their own? Why is a women, who wants to
enjoy shopping for part of the day, obliged to "find" something for her husband "to do".
Men are not incapable of reading a guide book, or are they?

cherrybomb

I'm confused--what is he point of going on a "romantic," or even not so romantic holiday and spend all your time at the mall/department stores. It's not like they have clothes and such that you cannot get anywhere else at this point with the internets and mass marketing and such. Besides, with the conversion rates you are certainly not getting a bargain.

<i>Some</i> shopping at small boutiques, vintage, and flea markets makes some sense, but planning a holiday around the department store/mall--not so much.

Sorry if that isn't what you want to hear, though it is your prerogative to holiday as you please.

I guess I'd either ditch the husband who doesn't want to shop for this trip or get an apartment so he chill out there while you shop if he has no desire to or you don't want him to venture off and do his own thing while you do yours.

If you are planning to shop all days in doors weather should not be a spoiler, frankly walking in the drizzle or slight cold and warming up in a cafe with wine is no spoiler either--it's quite pleasant--it isn't like it gets tundra-like in Paris during the winter.

just my opinion for whatever you want it to be worth, and since you did ask in your post...

cherrybomb

excuse my typos--keyboard is sticky.

rogeruktm

My wonderful wife knows that I hate to shop. She would never insist that I park my self while she wanders off. First, we like to do things together that we both enjoy or we have a trade off, a military museum for me and perhaps the V&amp;A for her. I don't understand a trip to go shopping, seems strange and dull and way too expensive. Now, in the past, my wife has gone to Paris with a girl friend and they enjoyed the time to do stuff together. Later I did a solo tour of military sites. Based on what I have read I surely wouldn't to travel with someone with a shopping fetish.

gruezi

Dear JaneRebecca,

I absolutely hate to shop, but honestly from your post did not get the impression you have shopping &quot;issues&quot; at all! Gosh, most of my friends can shop all day for days on end. I think you like strolling around looking in cute French shops. Even I like that. (After just a couple of minutes at GL or Printemps I can be a bit cranky myself though.)

Traveling with a spouse with different interests is tricky. I've noticed a lot of Fodorite's don't have this problem, but I unfortunately do. My husband doesn't do well with a touring vacation - troubles with maps and planning and making reservations - just not his strong suit although he attempts to &quot;take charge&quot; when we travel. I've yet to go with him to Paris (which is my favorite city) because I don't want to experience his crankiness and lack of planning.

We'll be celebrating our 21st in September and we're headed to Provence. It would kill a lot of people here to hear this, but he'll be at golf school 2 days of our week together and during that time I'll go off to an art museum, stroll a village, or just sit and look at the scenery for a few hours - things that would be a bit boring for his sporty pace. I had to push him to sign up for the golf because he's sweet and felt bad about &quot;abandoning&quot; me, but I'm really glad we've worked out how to both have a fantastic anniversary trip. It has taken some time for me to be at peace with this, but I'm a lot happier now that I am. And, I do travel a lot on my own. And he plays a lot of sports on his own.

We'll meet later for romance, and a wonderful dinner and sunset, and the romance part will be a lot better because we haven't been squabbling all day and we've both had fun and he'll have a cute little tan. After he's gotten the exercise out of his system, he'll be ready for a nice country drive and long, leisurely lunch another day.

I hope you can find a way to make you both happy, and maybe give up on shopping with your husband. Some of us just go nutty shopping. I understand the need to find something for your husband to do. My needs help that way too... Annoying sometimes, but then I guess he married me because he saw I could help him in certain areas - just as I love that he handles all the finances, medical insurance, and keeping us supplied with light bulbs and AAA batteries...

I hope my story helps and sorry for such a long post. <i>Separate and reunite for romance</i> to summarize!

gruezi

girlonthego

My mother loves to shop and would want to spend much of her time in Paris doing so. That is her personality and so being close to it would make it a lot easier. My dad would rather people watch or read in a cafe or park somewhere. Everyone finds what they need in a vacation!
There were many hotels in the GL area. I thought I saw a Ritz Carlton there, but I am not positive. Good luck and don't listen to everyone else's comments.

JaneRebecca

Thank you Gruezi that was thoughtful and helpful.

I keep going back to read my initial post to see where I said that I want to &quot;park&quot; him in the hotel or that I want to shop all the time or find something for him to do. I actually am not a shopper or even very good at it which is why it takes me longer. Addicted to shopping? I laughed when reading that because it couldn't be farther from what my life is about. I almost never shop.
Perhaps some of you are projecting or imagining something that simply isn't so.

We have amazing travels together and actually don't like to separate during travel because we both work a great deal in our everyday lives and don't feel we see enough of each other so want to be together while traveling. (I'm sure that some of you will find some psychological fault in that,too, and suggest,divorce or that we are workaholics!!) We have done trips where he takes a language class and I take a dance class (Sevilla)and we meet up later. He has also done the military museums thing, etc, but we enjoy sharing experiences more and we are there to be together so we don't do that anymore.

In truth when we do shop I end up giving him all my attention and advice which is my pleasure, but then there's no time left for me to shop. He comes home with beautiful leather coats and I have one shawl from the outdoor market. So I was thinking of an alternative. A close place,like a hotel, to meet up, in case I take longer than expected. I'm not talking hours longer but maybe a few minutes. Is that really so bad? He's a very creative man and believe me won't be bored and probably will end up not leaving my side at all and having fun in the process.
Thanks again to those who are truly trying to be helpful.

Jane

cherrybomb

Jane: That makes sense, but no need to choose a place to stay based on a day or 2 spent shopping. How about a location that has some charm and will be near some other things you want to do. You can always taxi back if you have too much to carry. Just a thought.

BTW there is nothing wrong with going on vacation to spend time with each other, just like there is nothing wrong with splitting up for a few hours.

I abhor going to major museums/tourist attractions at this point--I hate the crowds and tour groups and stop and go meanderthaling of it all (feel free to judge), the husband digs it and schedules in his day, or 2, or hours, or whatever to go do it while I do something else. We also go on vacation to be together as our work hours don't always mesh--it doesn't make us bad people or ones who should go get a divorce. He sadly likes shopping with me though and frankly I'd rather putz online than fuss around trying on crap in stores with not only the sales staff dressing me, but him doing it as well. I try to push him into the man stores to have him get fussed over, but my wandering shopping eye doesn't always work out as planned though and I end up tired and ready for a drinks with him carrying the dress(es) I didn't mean to buy.

Take the advice you get with a grain of salt--we only know what you type us and what you typed sounded like you wanted to shop all week or whatever and &quot;teach&quot; your husband to like it--that just ain't gonna happen.

zeppole

Well, Jane, things come across on the internet different than intended.

People on Fodor's often describe themselves as shopping addicts or needing gelator fixes, so I didn't know it was such an offense. And I would have sworn you were trying to park you husband somewhere while you shopped to completion, but so what?

I've re-read your first post. The problem there is identified as &quot;he rushes me while I'm shopping.&quot;

I can't see how having a hotel nearby solves that problem -- unless you are going to ask him to go back to the hotel and wait for you, and he likes that.

Some of us would not like that, no matter how nice the hotel.

We, however, are not going with you.

How does your husband feel about this plan of being told to go wait at the hotel until you are through shopping?

Maybe he would prefer to carry cell phones, or has some ideas of his own.

SAnParis2

Just correcting your first line &quot;I love -insert here- SHOPPING in Paris&quot;. Seems to me a trip to Paris with such differences present should involve a little give &amp; take. I'm not even sure why your husband is going, honestly. Although I could find plenty to do while my spouse wasted her time shopping all day...but then I wouldn't be married to her anyway...so...do your husband a favor &amp; leave him at home, or at the very least let him stay someplace decent. Anything in moderation is fine, but your,.. um fetish, seems to expand well beyond that...Since Paris is not a frequent occurance, is it really that important to spend all your time shopping ? Let's face it, the same chains are now everywhere, &amp; if you are truly shopping Paris boutiques, you better have plenty of Euros. $500 won't buy you a wallet @ LV.

RM67

Isn't there are hotel in Place Vendome....?

Christina

The Ritz is in Place Vendome, but now we are really getting out of hand if someone would stay there just to do shopping at the Place Vendome - which is very expensive shops.

I hate shopping, also, so had my own opinions about the original thread, but whatever other people want to do, really doesn't affect me, I know.

However, one really cannot say that they have no idea why people thought this was about a shopping addict and that the husband was being coerced and being parked somewhere when the main point of the thread was that a hotel was specifically needing to be near good shopping and Galleries Lafayette. That's what it said. It also said that the husband has been re-educated to learn that shopping is great fun and therapeutic. Someone who hardly ever shops would not plan a visit and hotel around it nor say things like that. It also said the hotel had to be near the shopping so that he can wait there while she shops and she will know where to meet him when she is done.

So the later claims simply contradict the entire original post, that's all.

I hate shopping and can't imagine describing it as therapeutic as it's not. There is one ad on TV right now saying that the US is a consumer society &quot;and there's nothing wrong with that&quot;... blah blah. It's an ad for a store or credit card, I forget which. But that ad made me ill because that is part of the problem -- there is something wrong with that. Why do people find it therapeutic to buy things? I truly do not get that. Especially ordinary things in dept. stores like dept stores anywhere else. Most brands are international, there's nothing that special about shopping in dept. stores in Paris. The only thing that is a little special is just seeing the old architecture and the dome in GL, for example, that's worth it.

oakglen

Try to ignore the trolls that sometime haunt this site. Hotel Ambassador should work nicely; just a few steps away from GL. And don't forget, GL has a bar/resto as well. Because this area has lots of office buildings, there are many cafes etc in the immediate area.

RM67

''Why do people find it therapeutic to buy things?''

Because it may be that they're getting pleasure from thinking about actually using the item, or searching out something that'll make an unusual present for someone else.

I've bought cookware in France and antique glassware in Austria and enjoyed both the looking for them, and actually using them to entertain other people. I've bought old books as presents, vintage costume jewellery - all sorts of things that can't be sourced in modern department stores, or that aren't necessarily easy to assess the condition of on the internet.

Overseas, you might be looking for things that serve as a momento of your trip. Or that cannot be sourced at home, or are more expensive at home.

As long as you aren't racking up huge debt, and slinging stuff in a cupboard, unused and still wrapped up - or completely forgoing the chance to see the country you're vsiting - what's the problem with using part of your trip to shop?

brady

JaneR,

I live near the Meridien Hotel, Palais des Congres and it's a lovely area for walking around and hitting cafe's that are not exclusively pricey - also has the theater (if you both have some French), and excellent shopping in that Mall (Max Mara and MANY otheres). Quaint neighborhoods and easy access to Metro when you decide you're ready to see some sights or museums. There are also many English speaking neighbors so your husband might make some friends while sitting in a cafe ...

Good luck!

kerouac

It seems to me like it would be very simple to set aside one day as the &quot;shopping day&quot; and just tell the husband that the next rendezvous will be for dinner.

Any normal man would have no problems finding something to do.

JaneRebecca

Thank you Oakglen; I didn't realize that there was a trolling problem here and took the bait. I rarely participate in Forums anymore and am out of touch with the problems. I have always found the Fodor's forum people to be so helpful. I will be aware of the problem from now on.

Thanks to those with your good ideas and understanding. It's most appreciated.
Jane

Padraig

JaneRebecca wrote: &quot;Thank you Oakglen; I didn't realize that there was a trolling problem here and took the bait.&quot;

Jane, nobody trolled you in this thread. Trolling involves posting something untrue or unreasonable or outrageous simply to provoke reaction. You were the one who provoked reaction.