2 Days In Paris

[vacation fool]

we will be arriving in paris one week from today for 3 whirlwind days. i was quite overwhelmed with trying to organize everything i was trying to fit in. i am using sightseekersdelight dot com they do walking tours, provide stories and history of the sights. i like that better than a hop on hop off bus personally. we are doing a city tour and also one of montmarte. check out the website to see if you might like this an option. :)

[TLCOhio]

You have received lots of great ideas for your two days in Paris. I'll add a few more ideas, plus some visuals for certain of my favorites in this wonderful, charming city.

 

Much will depend on the weather. You might have a "Plan A", assuming the weather is decent. But, have that "Plan B", in the event of sharper heat and/or rain. Walking around in Paris is such great fun and very interesting. That is especially true in these two key areas:

 

LE MARAIS Area, NE of Hotel de Ville/City Hall, has Musee Picasso (structure built in 1659, opened in 1985 to settle his estate, open Wednesday-Monday 9:15 5:15) and Musee Carnavalet (built in 1540, two adjoining mansions with decorative arts from the various periods in Paris history), older area starting around metro St Paul station, has Jewish section in area with special foods and historic areas. It has the super great park and architecture of the Place des Vogue area. The Place des Vosges was the prototype for the residential squares of European cities that were to come. What was new about the Place Royale in 1612 was that the house fronts were all built to the same design, of red brick with strips of stone over vaulted arcades that stand on square pillars. Cardinal Richelieu had an equestrian bronze of Louis XIII placed in the center of this charming park. Nearby is Brasserie Bofinger, one of the oldest and classiest places to dine (http://www.bofingerparis.com). It has a gorgeous domed stained-glass ceiling over the main dining room.

 

ILE SAINT LOUIS is one of the most charming little areas in all of Paris. So nice to stroll up its main street as you walk towards Notre Dame and other key highlights. Famed Berthillon ice cream: The only true Berthillon can be found at 31, rue St Louis-en-l'Ile, where it was born. This delicious ice cream has rich colors and equally intense flavors. It comes in myriad flavors, but the rum raisin, dark chocolate (chocolat noir) and mango (mangue) flavors are incredible. This is divine dessert territory. Lots of Boutique shopping and dining places line this street in the heart of Paris. Try Brasserie Ile St-Louis, 55 quai de Bourbon, 1er (tel. 01/43/54-02-59), that Frommers calls the last independent brasserie in Paris. They note: “Far from the polished restaurants that masquerade as true brasseries, this one has as its heart old Paris.”

 

WHAT MAKES PARIS GREAT/UNIQUE: With style and sophistication, Paris is correctly proud of its cultural achievements over the centuries. This confidence is expressed in Parisian life, including its architecture from ancient structures to controversy over Hausmann's bold late 1800's master plan and more recent modern developments. Paris has taken bold decisions, including the Lourve with is now well-accepted glass pyramid by I. M. Pei.

 

Although at the heart of Europe, Paris is very individualistic and intuitive. The city has attracted great writers artists and thinkers. Historically, it has been a city of unrest, rebellion and revolution (an idea they helped finance in America and that lead to the sharp-edged 1789 removal of the Royal family). Paris has a special style and soul. It is a high-flying mix of architecture, fashion, history, idiosyncrasy, style, texture, color and atmosphere. Paris is romantic, distinctive!

 

There is always the question of what and how do you want to 'ENJOY" and "EXPERIENCE" things in France and Europe? Rush-rush and gulp it down like soda pop or beer . . . OR . . . sip and savor the moment like fine wine, doing people watching, sensing an enjoyment of life and the humanity, the architecture, history and charm?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 38,150 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

At the Tuileries, there are gardens, cafes and places to sit, watch and enjoy near the Louvre:

 

 

 

The famed 1860’s Opera House has recently restored its spectacular reception hall:

 

 

 

In the Marais, this covered walkway is a part of the Place des Vosges that was the prototype for the residential squares of European cities that were to come. These brick designs date to 1612.:

 

 

 

At the d’Orsay Museum in Paris, this was the grand dining room of the hotel that was part of the previous train station. Now, dining at lunch here breaks up the day during a long day of standing and walking:

 

 

 

At the wonderful small and charming Rodin Museum, his studio/home and the grounds are filled with his sculpture. Here’s some folks looking at the key parts to one of his famed pieces:

 

 

 

On the wonderfully charming ille St. Louis island, this flower shop is so nice along with other shops there. Lots of markets, dining places, etc., along this street.:

 

[rlse9]

Thank you very much for all of the great suggestions, it is greatly appreciated. Can't wait until this summer to travel...

[KCcruisin07]

I'm working on planning a post-cruise trip through Italy, Switzerland, and Paris for late July/early August. I've pretty much finished the Italy and Switzerland portions and I starting to plan the Paris portion.

 

 

We lived in Paris for a year and never exhausted all there is to see and do. Our last visit was 4 days post-cruise last year - so here are my suggestions for an abbreviated version:

 

Walk the Champs Elysee from Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde.

 

Museums--

Louvre, D'Orsay, and L'Orangerie. The L'Orangerie was designed by Monet to showcase his works- Truly a unique museum starting with the stark white decompression chamber to get visitors ready to absorb his works. It is a small museum, but one of the highlights of our trip. It is near the Place de la Concorde at the corner of the Tuilleries Gardens. I would suggest going there then walking through the lovely Tuilleries to the D'Orsay. There is a combo entry ticket for both the D'Orsay and L'Orangerie that saves a little money.

Rodin Museum is lovely too- especially if sculpture is your thing

 

Notre Dame-- then nearby do not miss Saint Chapelle- my DH's favorite site-- try to hit it when sun is out for the most glorious stained glass windows-- then hit Berthillon for ice cream

 

Arc De Triomphe-- we went to the top near sunset for glorious views down the Champs and then stayed for looking at the first light show on the Eiffel Tower Note: all the guide books talked about climbing stairs, and I finally convince DH to go-- When we got to the front of the line someone asked about an elevator and YES they do have an elevator if you ask. So do not skip going to the top just because of the stairs.)

 

Eiffel Tower- from the Champs de Mars you can see the scale of La Tour but for the light show, I would suggest viewing it from Trocadero with the lovely fountains framing it.

 

Gardens- Tuilleries(as mentioned above), Luxemboutg near the Latin Quarter-- if it is June there is a fabulous Rose exhibition at Parc de Bagatelle(probably a little far out for a 2 day visit to Paris)

 

Then of course just roam and stop at cafes for the ambiance- many enjoy the latin quarter or walking Pigalle. Be prepared for a lot of walking- that is the way to be really immersed in the city.

 

If you take the Bateaux Mouches, I would suggest a sunset time to see the lights on the monuments and hope for a lovely sunset.

 

 

Rise9--you said you had completed your Switzerland plans, so could you share those? We are leaving in 2 weeks on a TA to Rome and are then going from Italy into Switzerland so I do not want to miss something great.

 

I would suggest getting a book about Paris, such as the Rick Steves book, and choosing your priorities. Then develop a plan with a good map.

 

When we were in Paris for a few days last year, we bought the Hop on Hop off bus tour and also the Batoboat ticket, so we combined the two to get around the city. We also took the Metro a little bit.

 

On the Hop on Hop off tour we went to the Eiffel Tower as well as many of the main sites. We walked from our apartment to the Louvre and walked around there, but I had learned that we would not have enough time for all the art there.

 

I went to the Musee D'Orsay, as it has many popular Impressionist works. My husband, the outdoorsy type, hiked along the Seine River while I enjoyed the works of art.

 

We spent one morning on the Left Bank in St. Germain. We were supposed to meet a French volunteer there, but that fell through. However, armed with our Rick Steves' book we found that this area is chock full of history: Cafe Le Procope hosted Napoleon (he never paid), Robespierre, and Benjamin Franklin. We visited a pastry shop and enjoyed meeting some Americans there. Be sure to read the Steves' chapter about the Left Bank to pick up on other historical tidbits for this area.

 

We also went to an evening with Jim Haynes. He is an American expat with Louisiana roots who has lived abroad for decades. He has guests from France and all over the world to his home on Sunday evenings. My husband was skeptical about going to France, and I thought this would interest him. He loved it.

 

I really enjoyed Paris. After taking French in college, I always wanted to go and now we would love to go again!

[sammiedawg]

We will be in Paris next weekend for 3 days, very excited, first trip.

We are going to Versaille on Sunday. We plan to buy the museum pass but we've read it does not provide weekend access to the gardens. Does anyone know if you can pre purchase the garden pass? I've looked on line and cannot find a way to do that.

Is there an expedited line for pass holders to purchase the Versaille garden ticket? We don't want to spend time waiting in a long line.

Am I better off purchasing a Versaille 1 day passport n line and saving the 2 day museum pass for the other 2 days? Thanks

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I don't think you can buy any of the tickets on line.

[Hlitner]

This thread makes me really want to be back in Paris, which is DWs favorites city in the world. It would be easy for us to suggest all kinds of itineraries for the OP, but we think Paris becomes a very personal city for those that fall in love with this amazing place. My advice is very simply.....walk, walk and walk some more. Sure, there is a great Metro system and also decent public buses, but to really discover Paris means you must walk. We could give you suggestions on where to walk, but again, everyone will have their own preferences. You also should take a bateau on the Seine. We have mixed emotions about the dinner cruises (because there are so many better places to eat) but taking one of the boats day or night can be magical.

 

Hank

[giraffelt]

I don't think you can buy any of the tickets on line.

 

Of course you can buy passes on-line. We will be in Paris this summer and have purchased most of our passes. The Versailles pass however can only be purchased 60 days or less in advance. We always buy passes on-line to save the wait time. In Amsterdam last year we avoided at least an hour's wait for the Anne Frank museum by buying our tickets on-line before we left for Europe.

[joandian]

My BFF bought me 3 day Metro passes and the Paris Museum passes for my birthday and she purchased them online.

[CruisinCrow]

This is wonderful information. Thank you all!

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good guide book? What is the weather typically like in mid-June?

[Devon Bloke]

This is wonderful information. Thank you all!

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good guide book? What is the weather typically like in mid-June?

 

Best guide books we always use - for any city/region we've visited are the DK Eyewitness Travel guides. They've never failed us in Paris, Rome, Istanbul, New York, Tuscany. And their books always give some really great suggestions for self-guided walks.

 

Also suggest Time Out Paris and Rough Guide to Paris - both always consistently good, realistic, and honest!

 

Best Online guide "Time Out Paris" at http://www.timeout.com/paris/

 

Weather in June? : Nowhere near as hot as July and August! Day time temps around 70° F, lots of sunshine.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[CruisinCrow]

Thanks, Andy! I just ordered the Eyewitness travel guide from Amazon.

[drdaddy]

You guys have such interesting ideas and help on Paris.

 

Our situation is a bit different. We have ONE day to see Paris. I know, that is stupid but we are doing the TransAtlantic on the Eclipse the first week of November. We plan to take the ship's bus and they will drop us at the Eiffel Tower. We will have approximately 5 1/2 hrs. I figure to get a cab or the Metro to Champs Elysee and stroll up to the Arc d'Triomphe and probably back. Then get back to the Tower for pickup. (If we miss the boat, the next stop is Cherbourg so we would probably make it to Cherbourg faster than the ship! But we don't plan to do that).

 

What we need is a recommendation on:

 

1. Which Metro stop to get off at to maximize our time. Or would a cab be better?

2. A recommendation for a nice spot for lunch on Champs or just off it. I know, they are probably all tourist traps but we do have limited time.

3. Where to deviate up to that other street where the more interesting shops are, like Hermes and Sotheby's.

 

Is this a good plan given our probable docking time is 7 AM, a 2 1/2 - 3 hr bus trip in to town, and sail away is 7 PM, I think?

 

We did the ship's excursion 10 years ago where we waved at most of the sights as we zipped by. Don't want to do that again. But we did get the lunch on the river boat and that was probably the best meal of our 16 day cruise.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Calgary3]

When my friend and I were in Paris a few years ago, we used the Paris Greeter Service. This is a volunteer organization that links you up with a person who lives in Paris and wants to show you "their" Paris. We had a fabulous lady who spent two hours with us showing us places that we would never have seen on our own.

 

Google them - we'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[moyaroo]

Dr Daddy/Rob

 

At least the weather will be cool which is more conducive to a whirlwind tour. I would think about the Trocadero (across the river and up the hill from the Tower) as a place to eat. Lots of cafes IIRC touristy but the Champs Elysee is not a real great spot for eating. From the Arc you can zip on the metro line one to Hotel de Ville (chatelet is possible but huge, the city hall stop is easier to navigate) and catch Notre Dame. (Trocadero to Arc is 3 stops on the line 6) Strolling the lower reaches of the Champs Elysee near the Place Concorde will be more peaceful. Major over priced shopping available at Place Vendome (turn away from the river at place Concorde) or on Avenue Montaigne home to lots of first name people, like Coco and Thierry, that Winston guy has a little shop that sells baubles . . .

[CruisinCrow]

Got the guidebook and it's great. Thanks again, Andy!

 

About adapters. What kind would I need for things like hair dryer and camera battery charger?

[Hlitner]

Got the guidebook and it's great. Thanks again, Andy!

 

About adapters. What kind would I need for things like hair dryer and camera battery charger?

 

You first need to check each of your electronic items and see if they will operate at 220 volts AC. Many products will tell you that they are fine for 110 - 220 which means you do not need a voltage converter (the voltages are usually written on the applicance or the actual plug). As to France, they use the standard European plug which is simply 2 round prongs. They sell these cheap adaptors at most travel stores, kiosks, and places like Radio Shack. If you will be going to the UK (i.e. England) you would need a different adaptor.

 

Hank

[CruisinCrow]

Thanks, Hank!

[moyaroo]

Got the guidebook and it's great. Thanks again, Andy!

 

About adapters. What kind would I need for things like hair dryer and camera battery charger?

 

 

220 Hair dryers that are dual voltage and bought in the US don't work as well on 220 (at least in our experience) we bought a 220 dryer in France several years ago and it was a good investment for not much coin. You can use 220 on most cruise ships as the plug ins for most things on the ship are standard Euro plugs and thus you free up plug space by having some 220 availability.

[Hlitner]

I should have added something about voltage converters. These are what you need if you have an appliance or electronic gadget that only works on 110-115 volts, and you really need to take that item on a trip. This gets complicated because a majority of the voltage converters will only work for specific wattage ranges. Put simply, some of these converters are meant for low wattage things like chargers whereas other converters are for high wattage items like hair dryers. They also sell some more expensive converters that can handle any wattage, but these are often heavier and cost quite a bit more. So, if you are in a position of needed a converter (you have something that cannot handle 220) you need to also consider the wattage. Finally, even these converters do require that you have the appropriate adapter so you can plug the converter into the outlet.

 

Hank

[CruisinCrow]

Yeah, it's getting complicated. :) I started looking into converters and decided that I will leave my hair dryer at home and use the one in the hotel (although I hate hotel hair dryers!). And I'm going to take the camera that uses regular batteries, not rechargeable. So that just leaves the question of my cell phone charger. I'd rather not buy a converter if I don't have to since I probably will never use it again. I will definitely get a plug adapter. They seem pretty cheap.

 

Edited: Just checked the phone charger and it says 110-240, so I'm good.

[moyaroo]

Your battery charger most likely is dual voltage a well, easy enough to flip it over and check.

[Devon Bloke]

Got the guidebook and it's great. Thanks again, Andy!

 

You're welcome - you won't be disappointed, the DK guide books really do what they say on the cover!

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[AliceS]

How about some suggestions for places to stay that won't break the bank? It'll be late October for a short visit for me.

[hubofhockey]

This is a great thread. My wife and I have never been to Paris and plan to do 3 days in Paris before our British Isles cruise starts in Southampton.

I had been looking at Sight Seeker's Delight Unique Walking Tours for two walking tours (4-hour Paris along the Seine tour and the 2-hour Montmartre tour). The main reason for the Paris along the Seine tour is to orient ourselves in Paris and help us to better come up with a gameplan for the remaining couple of days. She seems to get good reviews on Trip Advisor and we would still have plenty of time to spend on our own after these tours on consecutive days. My big problem will be that the cruise will probably seem like a big letdown after spending three days in Paris. We'll make the best of it. ;)