Trip report Paris/Munich
 

Just returned last night from 10-day trip to Paris and Munich. This was a business trip to Paris for my husband and we added extra days for a vacation. This was 4th trip to Paris and 1st to Munich.

Worst part of the entire trip: Philadelphia airport. Flew USAirways from CLT to PHL. Sat on runway two hours(!) in Philly waiting to take off for CDG, because they didn't have enough luggage handlers that Saturday. We got free drinks (beer, wine, cocktails) after we finally took off. On return trip Munich to PHL, we had to circle around for 20 minutes waiting for traffic in PHL to clear, then we couldn't get to a gate, so our pilot was driving us around all over the place to get us to an empty gate. The lines at Customs and Security were horrendous. I especially felt sorry for the visiting foreign guests, because the Customs agents kept sending them to different lines -- then they would get to the Customs official, who would send they away to another line. Not a great way to welcome visitors to our country. Then on retun to CLT, had to sit in plane for over an hour, because the mechanized jetway wouldn't detach from the plane door! Finally, we sat in line to take off for another 30 minutes.

Other than that, the trip was great!

In Paris, we stayed in the 9th at the Hotel Excelsior Opera. Nice location, but you could hear the Metro rumbling underneath. Steps from Opera Garnier and Galeries Lafayette (my favorite place to shop!).

First day, despite jetlag, we wandered around, had some wine and a croissant at an outdoor cafe, walked through Tuilieres and up Champs Elysee, where we sought out the Aviation Club of Paris, so hubby could get a picture, then took Metro (wonderful string group was playing in the station) to St. Chappelle. Magnificent cathedral. Then walked to Notre Dame, where Mass was taking place, so we didn't stay long. Walked around some more, had a quick dinner near our hotel and collapsed.

Day 2: Since we've seen the regular sites, we wanted to take more day trips this time. We bought train tickets to Reims (which strangely is pronounced "Rance" with a long "a" sound) to tour a champagne cave and see the cathedral. The train ride was very smooth and relaxing. Beautiful countryside. Toured Mumm's, only 6 people on our tour, so it was great. We especially enjoyed the tasting at the end of the tour. The town is lovely, and the cathedral is awe-inspiring. Had dinner back in Paris at a cafe on Boulevard Haussman, but I can't remember the name. I just had a salad with some wonderful cheeses and bread. Hubby had steak and fries. Shared gelato for dessert.

Day 3: We are tennis fans, so we took the Metro to Roland Garros. Unfortunately, since the French Open had just wrapped up, the stadium was closed for cleaning. We walked all around the outside and took some pictures, walked around the shops nearby, and took the train to Versailles. We bought the combo train/Versailles ticket at the station to avoid the lines. Very glad we did. It was unbearably hot, and I pitied the poor people waiting in the line to buy tickets. We walked right in. Versailles is undergoing lots of restoration, both inside and outside, so your pictures of the front will be disappointing. Also, it is so hot inside Versailles that it is hard to enjoy all the magnificence. Only part of the Hall of Mirrors is open, but you can still see a bit of how it looks. The gardens are lovely, but again, it was very hot to talk around. Unlike we thought, the combo day ticket does not include the tram ride around the gardens, so we decided not to pay extra just for that. We had a business dinner with folks from Germany and France and U.S. at Au Petite Riche. I had Fois Gras for the first time (a thin slice on a salad), which was good, even though I had reservations about eating it, because of the way those poor geese are treated. I also enjoyed a terrific baked fish, while everyone else had veal, lots of wine, great conversation, dessert of a pear cake topped with raspberries and sauce. It was a chore walking back to the hotel.


Day 4: Hubby in business meeting all day, so I took a Grayline tour to Giverny, a place I've always wanted to visit, because I'm a big Monet fan. I normally don't like organized tours, but this was a perfect trip! It didn't leave until 1:45, so I spent the morning shopping. Giverny is so beautiful, the flowers are unbelievable, and our tour guide was very informative. We arrived back in Paris about 7 p.m., despite traffic, and a very scary detour when our huge double-decker tour bus had to BACK UP about four blocks because of road construction.

Hubby and I had dinner in Paris at a place called Hippopatomus (not kidding, it's a chain of cafes). We always ate outdoors, because none of these places have A/C. Hubby had steak and fries again, and I had a big salad in an edible taco bowl with grilled chicken -- delicious. We shared Creme Brulee and a bowl of strawberries and gelato.

More later, have to go to the grocery store and do loads of laundry!

Pam

Addendums to previous post: Obviously, it should have said "walk," not "talk" in the sentence about the Versailles gardens.

On Day 4, I tried to go to L'Orangerie, but I discovered that it was only open to groups in the mornings, and individuals in the afternoons. I walked to the Louvre to take some pyramid photos (inside and outside). I've been to the Louvre three other times, so I didn't visit the exhibits this time. The line outside was very long, but when I walked inside via the side/Metro entrance, where the shops and food court are, there was absolutely no one buying tickets from the self-service machine. I don't know why more people don't enter the Louvre this way! I also took the Metro to St. Sulpice (yes, I liked "The Da Vinci Code"), and I am glad I did. It is a very dark cathedral but very moving and beautiful. Finally, I also went to see the Sorbonne and Luxembourg Gardens, and I wandered around the shops in the area. Lots of walking! Loved the sculpture in the Gardens of the woman's face sticking out of the pond like she is floating on her back with just her face showing.

Day 5: Hubby and I walked from our hotel to Sacre Coeur. Not by choice but by accident, we took a circuitous route and managed to bypass the funicular and the massive staircase up to the cathedral and instead happened upon it by a winding route through neighborhoods and shopping streets. It was overcast that morning, so the view wasn't that great. Beautiful cathedral (we sure went to a lot of cathedrals on this trip), walked down the steps, only saw a few guys doing the bracelet scam, took the Metro back to Opera to visit Opera Garnier. Now, this is another place I've always wanted to visit, and I am so glad we did! It is magnificent, and it is well worth a look.
By then it was lunchtime, so we went to a place named "Lina's and shared a sandwich and bowl of fruit. Then it was off to L'Orangerie, where the line was a gazillion people long. If I had been smart, I would have reserved a timed visit here, but I wasn't smart. Next time, I will be smart. Instead, we strolled over to my favorite museum, Musee D'Orsay, and we walked right in after only about three minutes' wait. I mainly wanted to visit the Van Gogh's, the Monet's and the Manet's. Especially wanted to visit the Monet's since I had just been to Giverny. Sadly, Van Gogh's "Starry Starry Night" and Whistler's "Whistler's Mother" are still on loan elsewhere. Had dinner at an Italian restaurant (nothing spectacular, but good pizza), walked around some more, went back to our hotel to collect our luggage and off to Gare de L'Est for our overnight train trip to Munich.

More later.

Wow, no replies. Guess no one likes my report! Well, here's the Germany part anyway...

We took the overnight train from Paris to Munich. I had booked the tickets on the SNCF website a few months earlier, and paid a ridiculously low price for two second class seats. I figured we wouldn't be able to sleep much anyway, so why pay the extra for a sleeper?

I thought the second-class compartment would be one big car with rows of seats, so I was pleasantly surprised that we had our own little compartment with six seats (three facing forward and three facing backward). We had four very nice 20-something Germans in our car, and three of them found any empty compartment after the train left the station, and so there was only three of us in our compartment. We could stretch out, but the train was very "clackety," so it was hard to sleep. That, and the all-night singing of Brasilian World Cup fans in a nearby compartment, made it even more difficult. Still, it was a good experience, but next time we'll take a day train or fly.

We arrived in Munich, tired but excited, as we have never visited here. We were struck by how clean the city is -- despite the throngs of soccer fans in town. Plus, everyone is so friendly. Every time we took out a map or tried to buy subway tickets, some Munich resident would stop and ask if we needed help. Many, many Germans speak English, so don't worry if you don't speak the language here.

We stayed at the Hotel Uhland, which is in a nice neighborhood. No air conditioning, but the hotel is lovely, with large rooms, comfortable beds, a nice spread at breakfast, and wonderful owners. I would stay here again if it's not in the middle of a heat wave.

We spent the first day at the Marienplatz, and we got there just in time to see the Glockenspiel show. We climbed the 300+ steps up the nearby church to get a magnificent view of Munich and surroundings (1.50 Euro to climb the steps). The steps are very narrow, and when someone is coming in the opposite direction, you have to squeeze by or back up to a landing. Not for the claustrophobic.

We ate lunch at the cafeteria on the top floor of the Hertie's department store (at least I think it was Hertie's). They had a great selection, and the prices were very reasonable. Plus, the seating area is very pleasant. A nice break.

We also walked to the famous Hofbrau House and had the requisite beer and pretzel. It was pretty raucous with the soccer fans, but it was even more so the next day, so we were glad we had a "quieter" visit on the Friday. We got in a little shopping and headed back to the hotel because we were so tired. No dinner, but we ate some snacks I had brought from Paris.

More later, have to go to an appointment.

Thank you for posting your report Heelfan. It's an enjoyable read. All the times I've been to Paris has been in winter so I've never seen giverney-sounds beautiful.

Reims was worth the trip ? We plan to stop there in route to Strausburg, how long on the train from Paris. Also, next time in Munich, try the Hotel Amba, right across from the train station & a little more central location than the Uhland. You reside in Charlotte ?

Good report Pam. Did you ever get into the L'Orangerie? Do they have timed passes.

If you like Monet a visit to Museee Marmottan is extremely worthwhile.

Don't be disturbed by the lack of comments, Friday is sometimes a slow day at Fodors. Looking forward to reading more, Deborah

I am enjoying your report, heelfan, especially the Munich part. We were there for a few days this past December, and weren't ready to leave when our time was up! I will look forward to seeing what you did.

I am interested to here about the rest of your stay in Munich. We will be there 3 nights in August.

Your story is nice, fun, easy like a stroll. It shows that you've been to Paris before, you did your stuff in a relaxed fashion this time. It is good when you have opportunities to go to some place again.

As for Munich, glad to get a fresh feel, since I'll be going there myself very soon.

You were funny when you mentioned the lack of comments. Look now, you've got plenty!

Thanks for the report. I'm going to Paris in September and I love reading what others find interesting there. I love the trip to Giverny. I have a goal of seeing it once each of the months it is open during the year. When I go in September, it will be my 4th visit! I haven't done the tour bus trip yet but might consider it for the future. I can't wait to see it again!

Thank you for the nice comments. I'm one of those people who enjoy planning a trip almost as much as going on a trip, so I really like these forums.
Reims was well worth a visit, only an hour and a half by train through beautiful countryside. There is an excellent visitor's center near the cathedral, and the town itself is lovely.
Did not get to Orangerie this time, maybe next! You can get timed tickets.

More on Munich:
Our second full day in Munich, we took the train to Dachau. I have been a WWII buff for years (my dad served on Oahu, Guam and Wake Island after the fighting had ended), and especially after visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., a few years back, I really thought it important to visit one of the camps some day. My husband was leery of going there, because he thought it would be too depressing but after going, he was very glad we went. I thought we would only spend about an hour there, but we ended up staying three hours. It is a short train ride from Munich, and there are three city busses that will take you to the memorial site.
Dachau's grounds are much larger in area than I anticipated. There is an excellent film that is shown in different languages throughout the day, and a fine, if very long, walking tour with many photos and exhibits. The only bunkhouses are two replicas, with excellent reproductions of the living arrangements. The crematorium is terrible, of course, and I just couldn't figure out all these tourists taking pictures of every little thing in there -- to me, it was just inappropriate.
Anyway, after the visit, we took the train back to Munich and enjoyed conversation with two other Amerians who were in the city on business, and sought out the Deutsches Museum, which is the oldest and largest science museum in Europe. My husband is an engineer, and after dragging him to cathedrals and museums and Dahau and shopping, I figured we needed to go someplace he would enjoy.
This museum is a beautiful building complex on a little isle on the river. The exhibits cover everything from aviation to space exploration to bridge-building to physics to energy. My husband especially liked the walk-in nuclear reactor display (that is his field). I liked the WWII aircraft (my dad is a retired pilot). We spent several enjoyable hours there and could have stayed much longer.
By then, we needed a break, and we walked back through a light drizzle to the Marienplatz area, which of course, was packed with soccer fans. We wanted a drink and a place to rest our weary feet and legs, and discovered a beautiful oasis in a courtyard in some German restaurant near the center square area (I apologize for not remembering the name!) The drizzle had stopped, so it was very pleasant to sit outside. We wanted wine, not beer, and asked our very nice waiter to select a nice German white wine for me and a red for my husband. I had a delicious reisling, which I had not tried before (we usually drink Italian and South American red wines), and I am a convert to German wine!
After that good rest, we walked around some more, trying to find the perfect World Cup shirt for our son, and after an hour, we were ready for dinner.
We love Mexican food, and we hadn't had any in over a week now, so I suggested a Mexican restaurant called Zapata that was recommended the the Eyewitness Guide. This place was WAY off the beaten path, and it took forever to find it. Of course, it wasn't air conditioned inside, so we sat outside, but our only view was road construction going on in front of the restaurant. The restaurant was not in a touristy area, so we felt a bit out of place, but the food was good, although we wondered why the cook felt it necessary to sprinkle paprika on everything from the nacho chips to the refried beans to the salsa.
Back to the hotel where we once again collapsed.
More later on the next day's trip to Ludwig's castles.
Pam

Topping to savor after I've finished working....

Thanks for the report...sounds like a great trip thus far!

I love Munich. Its a great little city to visit. I also thought it was extremely clean. The people in Munich were also the nicest I have ever met in Europe!

I did a home exchange in Bavaria last September, but the exchange was the worst I have ever had. Let me put it this way: Germans have the reputation of being clean. My home exchangers were not why they got that reputation (and they made a mess of my house as well).

Worse than that was the car: It constantly broke down. I finally gave up with the car and just parked it after a couple of trips to their garage. While my German is limited, I knew enough to know that the mechanic was telling me they knew about the many problems and refused to spend money on the car. These were very weird people. They had no money to fix the car but megamoney to spend on opera tickets while they swapped with me.

The worst thing about the entire trip, however, was that I rebroke my left ankle. That ankle has given me a lot of trouble over the years, and, if it happens again, I am going to have to have a plate put in.

I called it the home exchange from hell. There I was in a small town in Germany in Bavaria with no wheels and an ankle in a brace. On the positive side, I learned many words for German car parts and body parts (I, of course, had to go to the emergency room). German medicine is excellent and the bill I was presented with at the end was--could you believe it?--160 euros. This included 3 visits to the ER orthopaedist and a brace for the ankle (I could walk with the brace, but, of course, there was pain and I was slow).

So, going to Munich went right out the window. I do hope, when you went to the Ludwig Castles, you managed to see the Ludwig 2 musical. With all the difficulties, that show was the absolute highlight of the trip. There is an Enlish summary you can get (free) to help you through the musical. It is sort of like going to the opera in a foreign language without surtitles. If you know about Mad King Ludwig, you can figure out the plot fairly easily. I play the CD all the time and the music is on my computer and IPOD. I did not go to either Neuschwanstein or Linderhoff because I had seen them before. I had some of the other castles on the itinerary but, of course, that got scratched due to the lack of wheels.

I did salvage my trip, but, of course, it was not what what was planned--including the car breaking down on the autobahn. There I was hobbling over to the SOS box to yell, "Auto kaputt" to the police. It wasn't funny at the time, but it makes a good story in retrospect. Their car, by the way, was an automatic, so my ankle did not affect the driving; however, it would have been difficult for me to rent a car as I would have had difficulty shifting with my left foot in the brace.

So, Munich is still on my list to visit. Fortunately there were bus day trips into Switzerland where I was staying that I took to salvage some sightseeing.

I called my trip "The Home Exhange from Hell". All things considered, I did quite a bit, but I felt I was perpetually problem solving. I did see two marionette operas in Lindau along Lake Constance.

I have done 32 home exchanges since 1990 and this was the first time I ever had an experience like I had in Bavaria. Standards of cleanliness and cars cause all the problems. Fortunately, most people are honest and check their cars before you swap.

The exchanges were still in my home when I got back. Needless to say, there were acrimonious words afterwards.

Some home exchangers you swap with and never see again. Some become life long friends. I expect to see my first set of home exchangers (from 1990 outside of London near Windsor) this August when they are again visiting in my area.

Munich, however, is still on my list. Sigh!

heelfan, I am enjoying your report. I just got back from Honduras on Saturday so did not see your report sooner. I am going to Munich in October and am interested in the rest of your visit there. Thanks Barb

A sleeper has a close-fitting door, to keep out the noise of Brazilian song, and the suspension and mattress in the bed render the train less clackety in feeling. The extra 50 euros a person are worth the money, and you arrive rested, fit and fed at Munich main station. I have on disc a note on getting the best from sleepers, which I can copy to anybody who asks me.

Germany is flourishing in her role as world host for the football fans, and I hope people who think first of France, Britain, and Italy for visits will now think also of Germany, and that those who know west Germany will learn more of east Germany, still under-visited, and cheaper than the west.

Ben Haines, London
[email protected]

Hi Heelfan. I'm enjoying your trip report too. I will be in Munich and Paris in August.

Mr. Haines, I did read your extensive writings on train travel, and they are very informative! But, when I made the train reservations, the cost of the second-class compartment versus the sleeper was a lot more than 50 Euros! We got one of those really cheap advance tickets which was 60 Euros for two second-class tickets, and the sleeper was something like 180 each. So being the cheapskate that I am sometimes, I figured we would rough it. It really wasn't that bad, but like I said before, we're too old to go through that again! It was an adventure, though, and we did meet some nice young Germans!

Back to the trip: Our last full day was Sunday, June 18, the day that Brazil played Australia in Munich. So we decided that was the best day to get out of town! Our hotel arranged a bus tour through the local Grayline affiliate to Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Oberammagau. They picked us up at our door, which was nice. The cost was only 47 Euros each, but we later found out that didn't include the admission to the castles (another 15 Euros per person).

Anyway, the bus tour was excellent. I had debated between Zugspitz and the castles; we have been to Mont Blanc and Chamonix in France on a previous trip and loved it there. But I knew we couldn't leave Germany without seeing Ludwig's masterpieces. I also thought that it would be difficult to do the castle trip via train -- if we'd rented a car, it would have been fine, but for us this time, the bus trip was a great choice. Ludwig was a strange character, for sure -- I don't really think he was "mad," just eccentric and lonely. He was obsessed with Louis IV (which was interesting to see that obsession played out at Linderhof, since we had just been to Versailles) and with Richard Wagner (which was evident at Neuschwanstein).

The bus drive was lovely, our tour guide, Clark from Seattle, was funny and very knowledgeable. We met yet another interesting American on the trip, a guy who works for the U.S. Treasury department, dealing with currencies in developing countries. I just love how you can meet nice people everywhere you go on trains, busses, restaurants, etc., on these trips.

Linderhof is Ludwig's homage to Versailles. We arrived just in time to see the beautiful fountain display, which made for some great photos with the shooting fountain in front of the castle. This isn't a castle in the traditional sense of the word -- it's small but very ornate and extravagantly decorated. Ludwig spent most of his time here, on the second floor, mostly in his room. Loved the way his dining table would drop through the floor to the kitchen, so he didn't have to have the servants come into his space!

On to Oberammagau, which is the most lovely town, with great shopping! We only had 45 minutes here, which wasn't nearly enough -- I could have stayed all day! I bought a few gifts, and we walked around a bit. The story of how the Passion play came to be was very interesting, and the cross on top of the mountain outside the town is beautiful.

We had lunch in the little town at the base of Neuschwanstein. Hubby and I shared a sandwich, and the best potato soup I've ever tasted. For dessert, he got the apple cake, and I got Bavarian Cream -- they prepare it when you order it, and it was so pretty I had to take a picture of it! It is like a vanilla pudding, only much better! It was topped with two fruit sauces, about 10 pieces of different fruits and fresh whipped cream! Ooh, la la!

After lunch, we managed to get on the bus that takes you to Marien's Bridge (instead of hiking 40 minutes uphill) right before it left. The bridge offers the most gorgeous view of the castle and the Alps. The day we were there, there were lots of paragliders flying about, which was fun to watch as well as photograph.

Neuschwanstein is unbelievable. It's one of those postcard places you have to see to believe (like the Grand Canyon). You take a timed tour (which our bus tour guide had arranged). The castle was about a 15-minute walk downhill from the bridge area. Ludwig died (under mysterious circumstances, drowning in a lake near Munich with his psychiatrist), and the castle wasn't finished. What was finished, however, is spectacular. We had a nice guided tour, and the castle is completely different from Linderhof. Glad we got to see both.

The drive back was also pleasant, loved the scenery. When we got back to Munich, the soccer match was in full swing, so we strolled through the pedestrian zone to the Marienplatz. Fans were watching TVs set up in windows, in bars and outside in the pedestrian zone. The Hofbrau House was so crowded that they weren't letting any more people in! We then decided to seek out the famous Augustiner biergarten, which was filled to the brim, also! Loved seeing the giant beer mugs and the unusual foods (whole fried fish on a stick!), and all the fans having a jolly good time!
We decided not to eat dinner there, but instead found a nice Italian restaurant not far from our hotel. There are lots of Italians in Munich, so there are plenty of good Italian restaurants, and best of all, gelaterias! We ate gelato every day in Munich! Anyway, this turned out to be one of those three-hour meals, but it was fine, we were in no hurry, we watched jubilant Brazilian fans come in and sad Australian fans, and watched the next match between France and whoever it was they played (maybe South Korea?) Had a nice bottle of Chianti, a huge salad and bread and pizza. Just the type of filling and tasty meal we were craving.

The next day was travel day -- we took the train to the airport, which was an easy way to get there. Our flight was overbooked, and we got on the bump list, but unfortunately, we didn't get picked.

It was a wonderful trip, and I just wish we had longer in Germany. But I hope we'll go back soon, maye so, since the company my husband works for has offices in the country!

Random notes: We were really confused in the Munich subway, because you have to validate your ticket in a little machine before you go to the trains. We noticed most people just walked right by those machines, and we wondered why -- does nobody buy tickets? Well, we found out later that you only validate the ticket once (we bought partner day tickets, which was only one ticket for the both of us, which bothered me that we only had one ticket not two, but it didn't matter). If you get caught without a ticket, of course, you get fined.
Also, don't worry if you don't speak any German -- we didn't and we got along fine. In the department stores, the clerks we dealt with didn't speak English, but you just look at the price on the register, hand them Euros or credit card and say "Danke!" I had to use more French (which I speak) in Paris than German in Munich.

The water in Germany is pure -- from the Alps -- so don't worry about ordering bottled water at restaurants. The tap water is excellent.

You have to do a LOT of walking when you visit Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, so if you have health problems, be aware!

Any other questions, feel free to ask!
pam

Thank you for your story. I enjoyed it and I also got a glimpse of things to come for me.
I'll be in Munich in a few weeks.

Thanks, Pam, for the trip report. Lots of great information. Sounds like you guys had fun.

Boy, I get appalled when I see all the typing mistakes I made in this report! The worst was Louis XIV, which I typed as Louis IV. Let me apologize for those typos! And I write for a living, so that makes it even worse!

Two other things I wanted to mention: Firt, people are always asking about cell phones. This time, I had a Motorola Razr, and I signed up for the $5.99 world service (I have Cingular) for one month. The phone worked great, even in remote Bavaria. I used it more than I should have, and I might regret it when I get the phone bill, but since our daughter was celebrating high school gradation at the beach that week with her friends, and our 16-year-old son was at home with various older relatives, including a few days with his 80-year-old grandmother who had been visiting us for the graduation, I really felt better being able to be in easy phone contact.

Second, this time, I bought those beautifully-photographed guide books that you can get at any tourist destination. These have made good reading and memory-jogging for us. The booklets are usually reasonably priced (the Oberammagau one was only 2.50 Euros) and a nice memento.

Pam

Pam, I'm a sucker for those books also. They make great reminders of a site, and the photography is just a *bit* better than mine! Very valuable for those churches and other destinations that do not permit photography.

Guide books?! So cheap? Oh no! They usually make the most weight of our return luggage. We buy them at almost every place we go. Good mementos indeed.

I have the same problem with souvenir books. One of these days I suppose I will unload them on ebay--or my kids will throw them out when I kick the bucket.

Unless I write something for the print media, I hardly ever look at them afterwards, but I can't bear to throw them away.