Paris Itinerary - suggestions?

[Destin Mom]

Hi Andy. I finally have something to share. A few notes for you (with a concentration on activities that our children have enjoyed):

 

- your son will be free for all of the museums except for Cite des Sciences (Parc de la Villette). I would caution against that many museums in one day. That is a ton for an adult and based on the crowds right now in June, I don't know that you could physically do it even if you jogged :) .

- consider bringing a light weight stroller (the Maclaren Volo has been a life saver) as there is a ton of walking. Also, with the stroller, you bypass the line outside at the D'orsay completely even without the advance tickets. There are ticket machines in the Louvre so you don't have to wait in line.

- in general, avoid museums the day before or the day after the Tuesday closure dates so Sunday is a good day for this. Also, avoid museums if it is the 1st Sunday of the month- they are free to everyone and beyond packed.

- the Louve and the D'Orsay have a children's guide called 'Mission Louvre' and 'Mission D'Orsay'. They give the kids some works to try to find and then give great kid friendly history, perspective and have questions for them to try to answer. This kept our kids entertained. The strollers were great to keep the kids seated and to keep track of them. The Louvre was SLAM packed and is completely overwhelming in terms of size. There are lots of steps in both museums so you will want a very light weight stroller. It is easier to just take the stairs as opposed to waiting for elevators constantly. Our kids loved the Egyptian exhibits in the Louvre- the mummy, large sphinx, etc. They were not so interested in the paintings and we cut those short with the exception of the pieces in their guides (Mona Lisa, Josephine's Coronation, etc). At the D'Orsay, start at the top and work your way down. The best works (IMHO) are up top. People rave about the restaurants at the Louvre and the D'Orsay. Personally, I'd eat lunch before hand and spend my money at a great cafe with more atmosphere. We ate at both.

- Cite de Science was a huge disappointment for us. It is huge and full of exhibits. I think if our kids were a little older (maybe middle school age), it would have been great. We did the full day thing including the trip to the children's play area and the planetarium movie. I don't think it is worth doing IMHO in a 4 day trip. There was a huge and very impressive looking playground outside that was completely closed off- didn't look like it would be reopening anytime soon.

- We loved Musee de L'Orangerie- huge bang for the buck. Monet, Renoir, Mattise, Picasso...amazing...not crowded and easy to navigate. You can do this one in an hour and truly appreciate the art.

- Our kids truly enjoyed the Picasso Museum- his work appeals to them and it is a much smaller museum and not as crowded.

- Montmarte was not what we expected. It was seedy, and we have a great view of Sacre Coeur from our apartment terrace. The artwork inside the church is beautiful though. There is a carousel and playground down below the church (take the stairs in front straight down).

- the Pompidou Center/ Museum of Modern Art was fun for the kids. It is easy to navigate and not crowded. There is a great kids park in Les Halles overlooking a church- Saint Eustache. You are pretty close to that. If you walk to far into Les Halles, you will see signs that say 'E30 a plaisir' with a picture of a partially clothed lady. That would be time to turn around.

- we took the River Seine cruise on the Bateaux-Mouche. You pass the model for the Statue of Liberty just past the Eiffel Tower.

- Eiffel Tower will be SLAMMED. We made reservations at Altitude 95 to bypass the lines at the bottom. You will still have to pay to go to the top and wait in line after dinner but it gets you through the biggest mass of people at the bottom. If you son is into horses, you can ride ponies at the park- our kids enjoyed this. Great picture taking as you can catch your child on the pony with the Eiffel in the background.

- Luxemboug- awesome! Our apartment is right here so we are biased. There is a great pay playground to the left of the museum (if facing the front of the museum)...carousel, food and ice cream. Our kids spent a day here. Great place for a picnic. Park closes at 7 pm...playground pass is good for the entire day. There were a ton of English speaking children here. There is horse back riding on the weekends. Also, you can rent a little toy sailboat to sail in the pond (any day of the week). Our kids loved this.

- I would spend an hour strolling through St Germain des Pres and save a cafe experience for Les Deux Magots or Cafe Flore. We love this area- again staying right by here so we are biased.

- Tuillerie gardens- there is a playground on the back left hand side (if coming from Place de la Concorde). Also, they are setting up a large fair right now just behind the playground.

- since you are coming in July, July 14th is Bastille Day and also the Tour de France will be going on.

- on eating in general, if you have a budget or want to watch your spending...be careful in Paris. You can pay anywhere from E3.50 for a large sandwich with a drink to E12 for the same thing...and if at one of the museums, even more. We found the E3.50 spots that had great sandwiches and used these for picnics along the Seine and park lunches. We tried to save our money for the great cafes with atmosphere. In the cafes, we dropped $25 on 2 glasses of apple juice and a bottled water. Good news is that the wine is excellent and much less expensive!

- you didn't mention Arc de Triomphe but that is worth a visit.

- for Notre Dame, we were so excited to see the crown of thorns in the Treasury but found out after we paid for the tour of the treasury that it is on display on the 1st Friday of the month only. Definitely a bummer. Walking through the church is free...there is an audio guide for E6. There is a charge to go up to the towers. We did not do this as the line spanned way too far. Again, strollers were great to keep track of the kids.

- we loved the area around Place des Vosges. It felt like we were on a movie set.

- check out the gold ring scam thread I posted. Also, lots of crazy boxes set up along Montmarte with coasters and people gambling. If there was a spot where I felt sure we would be pick pocketed, that was it.

- subways were easy to navigate for our trips to Parc de la Villette and Montmarte. We have walked everywhere else (for which the strollers have saved us!).

- for museum audio guides and the sailboats, most will take a credit card or 50E bill for collateral. Exception was at Parc de la Villette where you had to have a picture id. Many of the museum audio guides are half priced for kids so you can do one adult and one child to save a little bit. Our kids had no interest in the audio guides- just wanted to look at the pictures in their kid's guide (see above).

- one note on children in the parks- not all of them appreciate the concept of waiting in line. You may want to explain to your son since our kids were shocked the first few times.

- never underestimate the power of an ice cream cone and a trip to a park to keep a little guy going.

- and finally (sorry as this is probably way more than you wanted or needed)...it doesn't get dark until 10:30. This makes it much easier to keep the kids going and experience more of the city.

 

Have a great trip!!

[Destin Mom]

Forgot to say please ask if you have any other questions...we've been to most of the parks, art museums, science museums, and kid stuff in the city while also fitting in the adult things. All of us are having fun and the kids don't want to leave. Always a good sign when you are on a vacation :)

[happysinglemom]

Wow Destin Mom - that is a lot of great tips - Thanks!!!

 

AndyB...I still have not firmed up the car thing - problem is that I am heading to Bayeux on Sunday. We arrive in Paris (via Eurostar) at 11:17, and there are two Corail trains I can take: 12:00 and 2:30...not sure if we'll be able to make the noon train or not...so I am hesitant to book it in advance. I've been told to allow 30 min to get from Gare Du Nord to St Lazare...but I am a little nervous about cutting that close. And if we miss the noon train....I don't know if our tickets would work on the later one. :confused: So there is that quandary...and then the rental car place in Caen is closed on Sunday...but the Hertz is open in Bayeux...however the car costs a LOT more there. :mad: I hate to book the 2:30 train and find out we had plenty of time to make the earlier one...and then we have 2.5 hours to kill, with luggage. Not good. So....I'm still working on it!!

[AndyB]

Forgot to say please ask if you have any other questions...we've been to most of the parks, art museums, science museums, and kid stuff in the city while also fitting in the adult things. All of us are having fun and the kids don't want to leave. Always a good sign when you are on a vacation :)

 

Wow, Destin Mom, thank you, what great information! I'm glad to see that Luxembourg will be a good choice for DS and me. DH is determined to see every last museum, but I don't mind sitting on a bench with an ice cream cone and watching the little guy play - in Paris! Obviously we will split up some so DH can cover more ground. We may have to rethink the D'Orsay for that day. DS is already excited about Cite Des Sciences - he is really into technology. Too bad about the playground there, though.

 

We have not had a stroller for some time, but DS has gotten used to walking a lot. As long as there are ice cream breaks, we should be okay! Too funny about the Mission guides at the Louvre and D'Orsay - I just finished making one of our own for DS from the 10-don't-miss-works tour on the Louvre website. Of course I don't have the kid-friendly commentary.

 

Did you take the funicular up to Sacre Couer? I've seen it mentioned, but not a lot of detail. If we don't change our Wednesday morning plans, we'll arrive at the Anvers metro station. Is it worth doing?

 

I knew about Bastille day (we'll be gone by then), but what days are the Tour de France?

 

You're giving me a lot to think about, and I don't have much time left to think!:)

[Destin Mom]

Hi AndyB. Our kids haven't used strollers since last years trip to Europe (and prior to that, it was several years). I definitely understand not wanting to lug one around. I would consider asking a friend though if you know someone who has a higher end umbrella stroller (the Maclarens hold up to 55 lbs- our kids are extremely independant but have no problem riding in one). On a 'normal' day, we are walking atleast 8 miles not counting being on our feet at the sights. Of course, your child may be entirely different. The D'orsay (although a highlight for me) was probably our children's least favorite museum. My son kept wondering where the trains went (museum is in an old train station) and at the end of the day, told me (while blushing) that he was very sorry because he had seen alot of 'bottoms' in the museum pictures. It's become our new museum joke and makes him blush every time.

 

On Cite de Science, I totally understand. My 5 year old daughter wants to be a scientist when she grows up and our 6 year old son does experiments at home on a regular basis. We probably had too elevated of hopes. Also, there are extra fees for most of the other exhibits there (the submarine, rocket, planetarium, childrens play area, etc). We did them all but didn't get as much out of it. Please be sure to share your experiences as I would like to hear how your child likes it.

 

Tour de France schedule is here http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=232434

If you hit the Arc de Triomphe, that is the finish line so kind of cool as you will see it on tv if you aren't there for it.

 

As to Montmarte, I know this is a matter of personal preference- if it were me, I would skip it. We took the subway there and then walked the stairs up. (we didn't take strollers here with the steps and we were taking the metro- more for days when we want to cover lots of ground). St Chapelle is so much more amazing IMHO. (note that StCh closes M-F from 1-2:15- best time to hit it is around 2:00- wait in line until it reopens- even if the line is long, trust me, it will be nothing compared to what you see when you leave). Also, if your little guy is into history (sounds like he could be with the trip to Normandy), you can see the Conciegerie next door pretty easily. There is a combined ticket to St Chapelle and Conciergerie for 10E- kids are free. Read up on Marie Antoinette, French Revolution and the times...fascinating stuff.

 

Not sure how the crowds will be in July but things are becoming more and more crowded each week that we are here. It reminds us of Rome in July in terms of the congestion on the streets, around the sites, and inside. Still amazing though...just plan for crowded conditions.

 

Also, remember to bring a canvas bag for the grocery store. They don't give you bags (unless you are going to the neighborhood store). The larger grocery stores are the Monoprix- prices MUCH lower, better selection, great cheese and wine but you need your own bag. If using the local market, check expiration dates before you buy. We found orange juice that had expired 6 months ago and accidentally purchased chicken that had expired the week before.

 

Finally...we befriended some locals who sent us their restaurant recommendations via email. I can forward to you if you would like. Just let me know. However, finding a great place to spend money on delicious food is hardly a problem! :p

[jmkoilers]

Absolutely fantastic thread. While it is will only be my wife and I planning a week-long stay in Paris next May, the information on the site has been great. Thank you for all the DETAILS as they make planning a trip that much easier. As a side note, how are the crowds the middle to late May? We spent 3 days touring London before our last cruise which had just hours in Paris so we're going back to really enjoy ourselves. If anyone has questions about London, let me know - we hit all the high spots.

[Destin Mom]

Hi Jmkoilers. The crowds have steadily increased over the past three weeks. I suspect that in May, you will find the city to be very manageable. The first week we were here, it was wonderful.

 

Since you will be here with your wife, thought I would mention that the 1/2 price theater/ ballet/ opera ticket window is at Montparnasse...look for the very large brown high rise building all by itself. There is a carousel next to it and the ticket place is right there. We have not gone to the theater...if Phantom or Les Mis were playing, we would have plied our kid's with ice cream and gone. Opera Garnier is supposed to be fantastic...if it were my husband and I alone, we would have attended something.

 

Also, St Chapelle has concerts throughout the summer- Mozart by the Paris Symphony playing currently. If you visit St Chapelle, you will understand why this would be an unbelievable life experience. I would do a Google search to see what is going on if you have an interest in classical music. Paris Scope is sold at the local bookstores and has a schedule of all theater, concerts, etc going on around town.

 

As to your French, just smile and greet with a 'Bonjour Madame' or 'Bonjour Monsieur'. From there, ask 'Parlez vous anglais' (parlay vu onglay which means 'do you speak english'; if the answer 'Oui' pronounced we, you are set). In general, the French are friendly if you attempt to say hello before launching into English. Most of them speak English well.

 

Have a great trip!

[happysinglemom]

I rented the car in Bayeux. The car rental places in Caen are closed on Sunday, and since that is the day we are coming in, I couldn't get a car. So we'll take the train to Bayeux, stroll the town Sunday night, and the next day I have a tour with Overlord schedule. Tried to get Battlebus but they are on holiday that week. But Overlord has very good reviews as well, so I'm sure they'll be fine. We get back at 6, and then we'll pick up the car (it's open until 10pm, surprisingly) and do some exploring. Next morning we'll get up early and drive to Mont St. Michel, to beat the crowds. Turn the car in, and take an afternoon train back to Paris...for the final four days!

[AndyB]

Well, we've finally made it to Paris. Our arrival was less than perfect, to say the least. We're staying in an apartment rental, and they were not crazy about checking us in at 10 pm. So when our connecting flight from Frankfurt was delayed over an hour, they really weren't happy about checking us in at midnight. They were fine, though; but the shuttle company they booked to bring us into Paris were horrible. Apparently they were combining customers in one van, and since our flight was late, they held the other customers up for nearly two hours (sitting in the van). Then when we got there the guy fussed and complained to me about holding them up.

 

After being up for 24 hours straight and 16 hours in airplanes or airports, I had no patience - or attention span, it seems, because somehow the guy managed to pull us through an exit without going through customs/immigration. I don't know how it happened, but we'll have to go back and get our passport stamped, or we will have all kinds of trouble when we try to leave on Wednesday. So now we'll have at least a half day wasted trying to take care of that. The apartment rental company, Trips Europe, is helping us get details on the shuttle driver and help us work it out on Monday. I still can't figure out how it happened. I have never been through an aiport where it is possible to get to an exit without going through customs and immigration.

 

Okay, thanks, I had to get that out. We were still pretty tired this morning, but we headed out to the market nearby to get bread, etc. Not much is open early here, which I was used to in Hong Kong, but I thought markets would be jumping by 8 a.m. Maybe not on Saturday? We got some coffee and pastries and came back to the apartment where the Trips Europe lady came to complete the check-in and show us how everything worked. We stocked up the kitchen with staples from the local supermarket next door, then we had lunch at a cafe nearby and went to the Louvre. Our weather outlook is not great for this week (rainy and chilly), so we started with a museum. My 5-day plan is getting moved around already! But we knew it would. We got through the must-see Louvre works before DS tired out, and we headed back for a nap (at this point I had only had about 4 hours sleep in the past 30). At about 11 pm we went to see the Eiffel Tower, which was nice. The rain had stopped and it was just chilly. We didn't go up, but get some good pictures, a souvenir for DS, and had come crepes before heading back. Now it's about 1:30 and DS has just fallen asleep - I'm hoping he'll sleep in a little tomorrow morning and not get me up at 6 again! Getting him over jet-lag is never easy.

 

A short note about our apartment - nice small one-bedroom, nothing fancy but a home base. We're on rue Montmartre in the 2eme, between Etienne Marcel and Sentier metro stops. I think it's a nice convenient neighborhood, if a little noisy - it's a pedestrian street so lots of bars nearby. Tomorrow we'll probably do Ile de la Cite, then I don't know what else. DS says he wants to go to the Science Museum. We'll see.

[JSR]

AndyB- I would no worry about the stamp. We did not get one when we entered Paris. We did not go through customs or immigration. We had no trouble leaving. We left via the train to London and had to clear both French and British customs, etc before boarding the train. No one cared that we did not have a stamp for entering Paris. Did someone say you would have trouble? Just curious. We entered Paris via Paris Orly Airport and since our plane came from Barcelona it was considered a domestic flight. If your flight came from Frankfurt that two would be considered a domestic flight. As both France and Germany are EU countries. My MIL flew to Paris to meet us via Berlin and did not go through customs or immigration in Paris either.

[RSF Cruiser]

I went through customs at CDG, and do not have a stamp in my passport. The safest thing is to probably check with an official agency - USA or French, but doesn't sound like you'll have a problem - shame on French customs for not having a tighter system!

[AndyB]

JSR and RSF, thanks to both of you - I feel a little less nervous now. I did call the US Embassy this morning, and they said the same thing. The lady there just said to make sure we had our flight information in case anyone asked. I think I just freaked out a little, with the shuttle driver yelling at me and all.

 

Anyway, we have stopped worrying and are enjoying our holiday - mostly by eating our way through Paris! So far the food is our favorite part!

 

Yesterday we made it to Notre Dame, but the line was so long for the Tower Tour that we skipped that. Then DS and I spent some time at Luxembourg gardens - he loved the sailboats! - while DH looked for the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore. We met up at the Pantheon, which was not crowded at all, and pretty interesting. Then went to St. Sulpice and then headed back to the apartment. Rested for a while and had a light dinner in a nearby cafe (our favorite pastime).

 

Today's Monday, so the D'Orsay is closed. We are going to try to get to the Invalides and Rodin garden, and maybe back to St. Chappelle, which we somehow missed yesterday. I'll check back in later!

[sea-explorer]

I agree with the others, I wouldn't worry about having your passport stamped. I'm really not sure if the French ever stamp passports. It may depend on Nationality & whether or not a visa is required, but as a UK citizen, I have never had mine stamped in France.

 

Are you sure you didn't pass through customs & immigration?...it could well have been an empty hall or passageway, with people lurking in the background ready to jump out at random if the mood takes them. :D

 

I'll admit I have never flown into France but have visited via Eurostar & am a frequent visitor on the cross channel ferries. All the checks are done on departure, & upon our arrival in France, we have always been able to just drive off the ferry & go. ..the same with Eurostar, no checks, just walk off the platform. I think it is the same scenario from arrivals from anywhere in Europe, so as mentionned before, if you came in on a flight from Frankfurt there would probably be no extra checks.

 

(Checks are more stringent in the UK...they stop cars at random, but not all cars are checked, & passports are checked on entry at airports.)

[happysinglemom]

Thanks for the update!!! Okay...so what is "chilly"? I have only about 5 weeks left now so I am to the point of giving attention to my packing list. And since we are doing carry-on only, I have to give it some serious thought!

[AndyB]

Chilly for us has meant temps in the upper 60's to los 70's during the day, so when the sun is out it's quite pleasant, but when the clouds come over (as they have a lot this week) and the wind kicks up, you need your sweater or light jacket. We have not needed anything heavier than a light sweater or windbreaker.

 

I do remember that last year we visited Paris for only one day in early August, and it was downright HOT - a very sunny day and we were out on the HOHO bus. This year, about a month earlier, much cooler. The temps have been fantastic, and even the rain has not been a hindrance. Just light on-and-off showers. We've had a lot more sun than the weather man predicted.

 

We took the Metro for the first time today - up to now we've been walking or taking a taxi. Bought the carnet of 10 tickets, and it's been very convenient. The Metro system is very easy to navigate.

 

Hotel des Invalides was a big hit for my guys today, although I tired of the armor and guns after a while. The church and dome area with Napoleon's tomb were more to my liking. Still didn't get to Ste. Chappelle. DS wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower, so we split up again. DH never found the Shakespeare bookstore yesterday (lesson learned - NEVER leave the flat without the guidebook!), so he wanted to try again today - and yes, he did find it and loved it. DS and I got some good pics at the Eiffel Tower - we even had a rainbow.

 

Tomorrow is Normandy and we have to be up early, so we ate in tonight and are turning in early. So many shops nearby the flat, it was easy to browse through a few for bread, cheese, ham, fish and put together a fantastic meal - again I am very pleased with this neighborhood!

 

I know my "live report" is a bit scattered, but if anyone has specific questions, please let me know and I'll try to answer.

[happysinglemom]

You're doing fine!! :D We'll be there in mid-August so I expect it will be a bit warmer...if not hot.

 

I can't wait to hear about Normandy!!!

[AndyB]

I am physically and emotionally exhausted, but this has been by far my favorite day of our holiday - it truly had a little bit of everything - scenic drives, important historical monuments, great food, castles, quality family time, etc.

 

Very glad we decided to take the train from Paris to Caen. I think that additional 5-6 hours driving would have killed our enjoyment of the day. With the train, we had some down time before and after our tour that was beneficial. The Avis at Caen train station is right across the street. They close at 7 pm but had an easy drop-off of the key with the station master. The Avis guy talked us into the GPS, which I had never used before. We had a lot of fun with it, as Tom Tom seemed to get confused quite a bit, looking for roads that were no longer there. A couple of times we instead relied on the Overlord Assault driving tour signs, which were very reliable.

 

HappySingleMom, further to our weather conversation, the Normandy beaches were cold and windy! A sweater didn't cut it for me, I was freezing some of the time. Luckily the rain cleared out quickly, but that wind cuts through a sweater like it was nothing.

 

We were without a plan today, so our route may not make any sense, but here's how it went:

 

Arromanches (Mulberry Harbor B); the Arromanches 360 film was very moving. They alternated shots of the area now with footage from the invasion. No language issues as there's no narration, just the footage and music.

 

Bayeux - Battle of Normandy museum (wish we had looked up the Tapestry while there, because when we got back to Caen DS got very interested in William the Conq.)

 

Colleville s/Mer - American Military Cemetary and Omaha beach

 

Our time was short at this point so we didn't make it to Utah beach and Ste. Mere Eglise. Headed back toward Caen and went to the Pegasus Bridge Memorial, which was DS's favorite site.

 

Back to Caen where we spent some time at Chateau Ducal and had a quick dinner before boarding the train back to Paris.

 

It's hard to believe tomorrow is our last day in France! I'm going to try to hit the D'Orsay and Ste. Chappelle, which I missed earlier. Get last minute souvenirs and pictures of the neighborhood, then it's off to London for a couple of days before going home.

[happysinglemom]

Sounds like a great day AndyB!! I am taking a light rainjacket, so hopefully that will be enough to handle any chill winds that come about. I have heard so many peopel say that Normandy was their favorite...I expect that will be the case for us too! I am wondering about London though...don't want the boys to be bored with it...so I'm trying to find the "coolest" things to see, so let me know what you find!! :)

[AndyB]

We are back in the States now. I want to say THANK YOU again to everyone who posted their suggestions and tips on this thread. I hope others find it useful as well.

 

We had no trouble at immigration getting out of Paris. London was mostly for the boys, and our itinerary there only included the Imperial War Museum and RAF Museum. The boys decided against the RAF, and went to the IWM Duxford instead. Wouldn't you know it, we missed a big airshow by just one day!

 

Here's a link to a few pictures, not in any order.

 

http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj58/APBowman/European%20Vacation%202008/?albumview=slideshow

[FreewayFortune]

I enjoyed reading your review and loved the pictures. I am leaving for Paris on August 1st and you've helped me to get even more excited:) :)