brubenow

Paris: Seeing Notre Dame and tower on a summer morning, likely a Saturday. Planned to spend the afternoon (2 hours or so) walking and shopping in an area closeby. Would you rather walk/shop for a few hours around Ile Saint-Louis or Saint-Germain-des-Pres? Why? (Depending on how tired my family is, I'm not sure we would have the energy to walk around both areas). If you chose Saint-Germain-des-Pres, what streets are your favorite that are walking distance from Notre Dame (both for aesthetics/interesting architecture and quaint/unique stores)? If you chose Ile-Saint-Louis, what street would you go to first (looking for aesthetics as well as unique shopping)? How would you route your walking path?

Thanks in advance.

Whathello

Neither.

I mean myself I don't shop but my wife and daughters (daughters...) like to shop at Galeries Lafayette and around, also close to La Madeleine on Bd des Italiens (if it has that name there).

They also look at the collections rue St Honoré (we call it 'faire du lèche-vitrines'.

I like to watch the shops at Champs Elysées.

tomboy

St Germaine has more shops
Isle St. L has few

StCirq

Neither. There's hardly anything on Isle St-Louis except tired chain stores like Olivier, and few of them because the place is so small, and St-Germain is just overpriced.

Did you want alternatives?

brubenow

Yes I'll take alternatives if the area is close to Notre Dame.

letsgeaux

On Ile St. Louis I like to shop for ice cream at Berthillon.

KTtravel

Berthillon on the I'lle St. Louis should definitely revive a tired family.

Also, try not to miss nearby Sainte-Chappelle - stunning chapel with beautiful stained-glass windows. It is one of my must visits in Paris.

TPAYT

What are you shopping for? Clothes, gifts, jewelry, souvenirs?

We stay on ISL often and I like the Diwalli scarf store, a few small shops with women's wear & jewelry, a men's shirt shop, 2 candy shops (1 chocolate, 1 kids kind of candy) 2 small grocery stores, several bakeries and restaurants.

As far as ice cream goes, yes, Berthillon is good, but we prefer Amorino Gelatto because to make each cone they shape the Gelatto in a flower---quite impressive.
It doesn't matter how long the line is, they take care with every cone.

If you want St. G. Cross over the bridge to the St. Michel fountain then a little to the right as you face the fountain and inland from the river to the pedestrian streets.
Yes, it's all touristy but very picturesque with lots of souvenir shops & restaurants.

The shops alongside of Notre Dame will have all the same things for souvenirs.

As far as Galleries Lafayette & Rue St. Honore----it's far from Notre Dame (take the Metro) and very expensive (take your charge cards!)

Again, it depends what you are shopping for.

brubenow

Thanks for all the suggestions from all of you. We'll be shopping for whatever catches our eye: souvenirs, clothes, jewelry, candy/ice cream/pastries- mostly for my kids. Just looking for unique, specialty stores that we wouldn't see in the average mall, but are still accessible and child friendly (we are not looking for Chanel or YSL).

TPAYT- the flower-shaped gelato sounds amazing! Maybe we will try that instead of Berthillon.

TPAYT

http://www.amorino.com/us/

Here's the website for Amorino. It's on Rue St. Louis en Ile (the main st. Down the Ile.)

Don't know ages of your kids but our granddaughter tells everyone about that flower shaped cone. She also loved the tourist shops and I think she bought something for every single girl she knows.

brubenow

Thanks TPAYT! My kids will be 9 and 11. Looks like Amorino has more than one location, they are also in the 6th. So I could go there if we decided to see Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Well, there's only one street on Île-Saint-Louis that has any stores and it only takes about three of four minutes to walk the length of it so no worries there.

swandav2000

Hi brubenow,

I prefer walking, seeing, & shopping on ISL. Yes, of course, it is super-touristy and preserved and presented to be almost like an adult Disneyland . . . but I like what's presented. I find the buildings and setting to be beautiful. And, oddly enough, I have managed to find and have brief conversations with French locals living there (once while waiting at the post office and once in the building where I was **gulp** renting an apartment).

Yes, the shopping is limited, but you can find a few unique shops there -- I bought a heavy cashmere scarf from one boutique and a hat from another one.

Have fun as you plan!

s

ssander

I always see lots of clothing shops in the heart of the Marais, but I'm not familiar with the prices or quality, since we don't clothes-shop when we are in Paris.

The north side of Place des Vosges has some art galleries.

ssander

denisea

I love both for different reasons. The Main Street of ISL will not take long to visit and I also love Diwali. There are lots of small restaurants that line the street. We love the cafe at the end of the street (St Regis). We always enjoy Isle St Louis.

St Germain is much larger and offers more true shopping.

I would not choose Champs Élysées at all. I find it very crowded and too commercial. It is beautiful when you look down the CE from Place de la Concorde but I never enjoy actually being on the street. If you only are shopping one day, I would not go to Galleries Lafayette, although it is massive and a great store.

The area around St Sulpice has a number of shops that you might enjoy (You could start by taking Place St Michel to rue Danton and on to Blvd St Germain at the Odeon area. I would then start at Rue de Conde and rue St Sulpice and follow rue St Sulpice to rue des Cannettes, to rue du Four on to rue de Buci, then rue de l' Ancienne Comedie to Blvd St Germain or Cours du Commerce Saint Andre). Take a look at something like that on Google maps. Tons of small shops, restaurants, chocolate shops, etc....stop in at St Sulpice or St Germain des Pres while you are there.

denisea

Oh, and there is an Amorino on rue de Buci at rue Gregoire de Tours.

Judy

I agree with denisea. Depending on the time available, they are close enough and Ile St Louis small enough that you can do both.....at least that's an option if you find you have more time.

The Amerino on rue de Buci has a few tables out front if you'd like to sit with your gelato.

Gretchen

One of the most fun shops to see, IMO, is on Ile St. Louis--down the main street on the right is a marionette store with all kinds hanging in the window. Fascinating. There is also a nice toy store on the left side of the street.

fuzzbucket

Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'ile is the main street that runs roughly from Notre Dame to the other end of the island and has lots of different shops - most of them probably won't be interesting to your kids, unless they are into gemstones and fossils, fairly expensive ethnic jewelry or food. There are several creperies, in addition to ice cream and chocolate/sweets shops on this street, also 3 good cheese shops.

You don't have to stand in line at Berthillon, if the adults would like to try some "un-sculpted" but delicious ice cream - just look for Berthillon signs in cafes and shops, which are licensed to sell the same product. You can kill two birds with one stone if you turn on rue des Deux-Ponts, where you can find ice cream, kid-friendly restaurants and little shops selling souvenirs they might like. Then go wander along the river and watch the boats go by. You can access the lower quai at the river level by using several stairways, or via the ramp at the Eastern end of the island.

If anyone wants a bunch of inexpensive "typical" souvenirs, you'll find them right across the street from where people line up to climb the towers of Notre Dame.

The shops in Saint Germain-des-Pres will be even less attractive to your kids (as well as more expensive) - and you'll have to walk a whole lot more to get there and then go looking for the little side streets leading towards the river to see interesting architecture, such as the Cours du Commerce Saint-Andre. I wouldn't go out of my way, if your kids will be tired, though. Remember that you have to get back home without everyone being too cranky. Most tourists walk a minimum of 5 miles a day, just doing basically nothing in Paris. If your kids aren't crazy about hiking, I would vote to stay on the island.

Saint-Chapelle is a nice thought if it's a sunny day so you can appreciate the stained glass, though you have to remember that you'll be waiting in line a good while to get inside.

Lexma90

Other places to add to your list - get crepes from any one of hundreds of crepe stands. One favorite memories is of our then-10yo old having his first chocolate crepe in Paris (and getting way to much of the chocolate on his shirt).

Stop in a patisserie to pick up a (small) treat that you've never had before, to share. Our favorites are a bag of choquettes or small macarons (our favorite place is Laduree).

I would think over the course of an afternoon, you could walk through both places. Ile-St.-Louis is picturesque, but small. St. Germaine is more commercial, but lots of places to peek into. None of us are big shoppers, so I cannot comment on that aspect. There are historic places of note in both areas, as well.

If you end up walking around on Sunday, your kids would likely love the bird market, on le de la Cité.