lmc07

We're giving our parents a trip to Paris from NY for their 40th Anniversary in January. Any advice in helping put this together would be appreciated. We're looking at Hotel Westminster Opera or any equivalent. I've read posts and have a few good restaurants such as Le Florimand. Any ideas for nightlife? The trip will be 5 days.
Thank you

palette

If they have been married 40 years, I am assuming they are close to my own age. For "night" life, I just have a good dinner, walk around the Seine or some other interesting area, and go back to the hotel to sleep. You might try to find them a church concert for one evening; they usually are around 7 p.m. or so, and dinner can be afterwards. Or if you have the money and they have the interest, an opera or ballet performance. The night cruises on the Seine usually run up to about 10 p.m., and the city is spectacular with all its lights. The Louvre is open on Weds. nights. You could find the route for the Friday night rollerblade run (there's a website with the map each week), and they could park themselves somewhere to watch (it starts around 10 p.m.). I watched it from my hotel window, getting out of bed to do so since it was by then midnight. And, can I adopt you and place myself in line for the next gift?

elaine

HI
let's hear just a bit about their stamina first, are they active? Good walkers? And what have they expressed interest in?

I don't know the hotel, what are you looking to spend on the hotel per night?

Have you looked yet at the Paris info that you get to by clicking on Destinations at the top of this screen?
Good suggestions for a five day trip, it might be a place to start.

Get them a good map, most bookstores (and amazon.com) carry Streetwise Paris, an easy-to-use, compact, map for most of Paris. Only downside is if the eyesight isn't too good, and that covers lots of us, either glasses or a magnifier will be needed, but that's true of most maps.

I have a long file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me at
[email protected]

mamc

If I was being given such a wonderful gift, I would enjoy participating in the planning. Perhaps you can give them the gift and then work with them to establish an itinerary with suggested restaurants, concerts, etc. For us, planning and looking forward to the trip are a significant part of the fun. I'm sure your parents will be thrilled to pieces and will want to be included in the planning once they know about it.

Michel_Paris

Lucky them!
Are you going with them? If you search on this board you will find many itineraries and restaurants discussed. Do they have special interests of faves (art, boat rides, strolling Champs Elysees), high energy or strollers (i.e. start day at cafe, hang for a while, then go). Have a look at Fodor's ides for sprending the days. Five dyas will be plenty to get a feel for Paris, but never enough to not need another trip

Stuff, in no order, to think about....
walk along Champs Elysee, Louvre, walk along Rue Rivoli, Notre Dame island and church including St Chappelle, walk on Ile St Louis, Eiffel Tower (at night better) approaching from Trocadero for maximum effect, walk Rue St Germain, visit Jardins de Luxembourg, go to Place des Voges, Opera Garnier, Rodin Museum, Cluny (Middle Ages) Museum, strolling Rue St Germain, Montmatre and Sacre Coeur, Marmottan museum for Monet paintings, boat cruise along Seine (Bateaux Mouches at Place D'Alma for large boats or Vedettes du Pont Neuf are smaller boats, go at night when buildings and bridges lit up)...and more

You might also consider a 1/2 day bus toru when you get there (if jet lag allows). Get commentary and good overveiew of sites. Parisvision is one company that runs from location across from the Louvre. In my opinion, I would skip Versailles unless it is one of their must-sees. Not that it isn't fantastic, but you could fill your time easily in Paris. Plus gardens not as nice in January.

Figure out up front how to get from Airport to Centre of Paris. You can train it (RER) cab it, shuttle bus it or take an Air France or Roissybus. The last two go to specific drop off points.

Metro is everywhere, so you can easily use it to get around. Consider buying a carnet (10 tickets).

All restaurants will post menus and prices outside, so you can judge/translate before goin in.

ATMs will work over there with their cards, so that is not a problem.

There, a rapid dump.

mvor

We gave my in-laws a trip to Paris for their 40th and they were thrilled. Since it was their first trip to Paris we did as mamc's suggests and gave them the gift and then let them plan out their trip with our help.

All of the siblings/spouses came home and we took them out to a nice anniversary dinner (which they thought was their gift) and then during dessert we had the waiter bring us champagne and then he handed them a card noting the trip along w/a guide book and map). It was really delightful to see their faces as they read the card--tears all round, even our waiter.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Christina

That's not a lot to go on, as restaurants may depend on type of cuisine preferred and budget, of course. As for nightlife, again, you should state age and what they like to do. Someone can be married 40 years and be from age 55 to 100, and it does make a big difference in activities and timing.

If they really like classical music, there are very good performances at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees (which is a beautiful theatre, also), such as the National Orchestre of France, Radiophilharmonic, etc. They are having Kurt Masur and Sir Colin Davis directing in January. www.theatrechampselysees.fr Opera or ballet at the Opera Garnier would be wonderful, of course, if they like that kind of thing, and depending on what's playing (not much opera there, but some).

If they don't attend opera or concerts regularly, but you think they might enjoy some concert, the ones at Sainte-Chapelle could be lovely. Some people hate anything like that, though.

My top suggestion for being special for Paris that might suit a lot of tastes is the light musical operetta La Vie Parisienne by Offenbach. They are doing that at the Opera Comique. www.opera-comique.com