WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
shamma
Posted:
Member since
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
I am so excited now I am about to bust. London is taken care of thanks to having family and friends living there and all the great suggestions you ladies gave. Now that we are including Paris, what are some of the things we must see and do?? Thanks
If you have restaurant recommendations I am open. Did anyone venture on the Metro? is it easy to understand?? it looks more confusing than the NYC subway map
merf99
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
I think the subways are easier than NYC subways. But beware- some stop running after a certain time so just check. You have to see the Eiffel Tower and go up, The Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, The Latin Quarter, the shopping on Blvd Haussman- Printemps and another dept. store but can't remember the name. If you like thai food, theres a great thai restaurant in the Bastille area called the Blue Elephant- I think it's a chain cuz there's one in London too. Also, take a boat ride up the Seine. We did a quick tour of the opera house and it was BEAUTIFUL. That should start you off!
jennyg
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Definitely the Eiffel Tower (duh), The Louvre (Mona Lisa and Venus DeMilo), and the Catedral Notre Dame with the rose window. Right next door is Les Deux Magots, a pretty famous cafe. Also, the artist district is so cool (not sure of the official name - its been a number of years) where there are portrait painters lined up, lols of cafes, galleries etc. It is such a romantic city and you could sit for hours drinking a cafe au lait and taking in the river. And we did use the subways everywhere so it couldn't have been too hard to navigate! Have an amazing trip.
alina
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Definitely Musee d'Orsay, the highlight of our trip.
Also, the subway is extremely confusing, and we've gotten lost on it at least once a day, one time boarding an icky train (RER).
Definitely be careful and keep pocketbook close to yourself.
Also visit the shopping area of Gallerie Lafayette, climb the arch of Triumph for an awesome view, and take a walk down the champs elysees (sp)
shamma
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Just reading your responses I am getting chills, from all the reading I have been doing, I recognize what you ladies wrote. YIpee!!! I am excited. We will be careful, after all we are 2 black girls from Brooklyn I have the digital all charged and ready to go, I will take lots of pix, I promise. The hotel we are staying in offers free hi speed internet, so I might be able to log on in the night..YIPEE!!!
alina
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Shamma, I take it you're not stayng in the hotel I recommended. Which one did you pick?
I am just curious.
shamma
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Alina, I was afraid of not staying somewhere 'nice'. I think its the bathrooms that scared me. I am so darn scared and picky of not liking the hotel when we arrive, so I went with something well known.
We are staying at the Warwick Champs Elysees Hotel. I liked what it saw and it is close to a lot of good stuff. FOr my first time I want to be in the heart of everything, being that we are only going to be there for 2 days.
dubliner
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Shamma - I will be copying this information and any more you have when you get back - we are going there for our HM
alina
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Shamma you're hillarious!!!
I usually don't mind staying in plain places, as long as they're clean, but I love to be in the center of everything, so I usually will sacrifice luxury for proximity. Honeymoon we're making an excepting and staying in fancy hotels!!!
Rob-luvs-me
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
You can hop on a train for a short ride to Versailles, we go there whenever we are in Paris (5 times). Metro is fine to take just be as careful as you are in NYC subway. There are a lot of pick pockets who LOVE to hit the americans (esp in the morning b/c they feel that is when most tourists take out the money for the day- I have had 2 friends who live in NYC and take the subways on a daily basis who were pick pocketed - they give you a little shove or step on your foot) The other girls have made GREAT suggestions! There are these great maps that they sell at Barnes & Nobles and other books stores - One is for general sights and the other is for Museums and churchs to look at. They list all of the museums and churchs worth seeing and othen their entrance prices and hours of operation. This would be my list - I don't know how much time you have or your interests but here is my list you should check them out and decide what appeals to you. 1) Eiffel Tower 2) The Louvre 3) CHAMPS-ELYSÉES - 4) Musée d'Orsay 5) Notre Dame Cathedral (even if you are not religious it is just beautiful to see the inside of) 5) Sacre-Coeur 6)MONMARTE - great place to walk around lots of artists and a great place to sit at a cafe 7) Boat cruise on the Seine is always nice 8)Arc de Triomphe (end of Champs-Elysees) 9)Sainte-Chapelle**** this is a must - but do it on a sunny day - it is a chapel with the most beauiful stain glass you will ever see 10) Versailles - I would highly recommend taking the train to see this beautiful palace These are the basics - But there is so much to see you could be there a month and not see all that Paris has to offer. I am probably forgetting something (in fact I know that I am) but I hope this is a good start for you
shamma
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Alina, they just had renovations in 2002
Here are some pix
Dubliner I will take great notes just for you and pix too
shamma
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Christine, what an awesome list, I am going to print these all out and tell my concierge, point me to all these I will try to do as much as we can.
Thank you all so very much
Rob-luvs-me
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
If you can think of any other questions I have been to paris 5 times and my parents just spent 3 weeks in France last May. They went to Paris, and then rented a car and took the train to about 5 cities. They had an awesome trip. The last time I was in Paris we took day trips to Rouen, and Chartres. Again I have no idea how long you will be in Paris but if you have a lot of time you could look into hoping a train to another town in the morning, walk around, have lunch, then take a 4 o'clock or so train back. I would be happy to ask them what restaurants they ate at. I know there is one we always eat at - they ate their on their honeymoon
Red30NY
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
One thing I have to stress about sightseeing in Paris is GET A MUSEUM PASS. You can get these passes at any museum giftshop or cashier. They come in either one day, three day or five day passes and will give you admission to most of the major museums in the city. You'll also be able to go directly to the front of the line at all museums. Don't sightsee without it!
shamma
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Thanks Red30NY, I am going to be like a tourist on 42nd street with all my papers and my camera around my neck stopping to look up and the tall buildings.
Christine we are there for 3days 2 nights
alina
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
Shamma, the hotel in you pictures is a gazillion times fancier than the hotel that I suggested. As long as you don't mind the $$$, then all is well!!!
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
I love Paris!!!
Probably one of my favorite cities...you could go for weeks at a time and still not see everything
my faves...
**Picasso Museum (I think it is in the Bastille area) - Picasso lived in France and owed the French govt a lot of money in taxes...so when he died, they seized the works he had in his paris home (including a lot of Matisse work)
The Louvre is good to see...but you should definitely map out what you would like to see before
**Versailles...so beautiful...if you can get the walking tours on headphones...you can go at your own pace and hear it in English
**Pere Lachaise Cemetery...Jim Morrison of course, but there are so many great people buried here...Balzac, Oscar Wild, Collette, Diederot, Clemenseau, Moliere, Chopin...tons of others, whom I can't think of...but also my FIL is buried there...
**Eiffel Tower...a must BUT
**Arc d Triomphe has a better view...with the Eiffel Tower in the background
**St Chapelle...beautiful stain glass
**a walk along the Seine
**A few years ago I went to Paris and found a English literature walking tour of Paris (more so the Latin quarter)...they showed us where all the famous authors (joyce, hemmingway, etc) lived and some interesting funny stories about them...
**Mike's Bike Tour...this is such a MUST...I have never been on the one in Paris, but I have been on the ones in Munich and Barcelona and they are SO MUCH FUN!! you get old style Schwinns - very comfy - and they bring you all around the city...all tour guides are native English speakers...heres a link...
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
also...although in current times Americans are not well liked by France...I found that if I needed help, I would find a younger person on the street and ask them in French 'Par le vous Anglais' (Do you speak English), people were more than happy to help.
LisaT
Posted:
Member since
Re: WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT I MUST SEE OR PLACES THAT I MUST GO WHILE IN PARIS??
in addition to all the sight seeing, don't forget to take the time to relax and soak up the culture...
but a crepe on the street and enjoy it sitting by the Siene.
enjoy a glass of wine at one of the cafes along the Champs-Elysees
those are some of my favorite memories of Paris.
oh, and we found the subway very well organized and easy to use. We took it everywhere.
