Hi everyone,
First time on the Paris board, so I figured I should introduce myself before expecting boatloads of information from all my fellow TAers.
My Hubby and I will possibly be taking our first trip to Europe (the UK) together in October-ish of 2009 and I am going to try my hardest to convince him to take the train to Paris for a few days.
Here%26#39;s what I need:
1. Recommendations for a reasonably inexpensive ($150 USD per night or less hopefully) hotel that is located in an area that would be good for a lot of walking and use of public transportation, since we won%26#39;t be renting a car. Preferably, I would like to stay near the Eiffel tower...but I%26#39;ve never been to Paris so I don%26#39;t even know if that would be ideal or do-able.
2. Must-do%26#39;s for first time visitors to Paris that would like to get a feel for the city and still see the main touristy type of attractions (i.e. the Eiffel tower, the Champs de Elysees, the Louvre, etc.)
3. Recommendation for a reasonably priced hotel with a romantic atmosphere - if all goes as planned, we will be arriving in Paris on our wedding anniversary and I%26#39;d love it if we could have dinner somewhere to celebrate.
4. Any advice for a first timer? I have a tendency to plan plan plan and pack as much into a trip as possible and I%26#39;m wondering if a more laid back approach might be better for this trip.
5. Disneyland Paris anyone? If we take this trip, it will be because we are skipping Walt Disney World at Christmas...so if possible, I would like to spend a portion of one day here. Disneyland Park or Walt Disney Studios Park?
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1. I would suggest that near Eiffel Tower would not be the best place to stay. There is not much in the way of hotels or restaurants nearby. You could perhaps stay in Montmartre, which has a very nice village feel. I have stayed at the Regyn%26#39;s on Abbess square, just yards from the Metro station. Information is at hotels.parishotels.com/hotel-direct.php…
2. Champs Elysees is a straight tourist trap along its entire length. Do not THINK of eating there. It%26#39;s an unremarkable Paris boulevard, notable only for being crowded with tourists. On the other hand, although the Louvre is crowded, it is possibly the world%26#39;s best art gallery. Don%26#39;t forget Musee d%26#39;Orsay either.
3. I assume you mean a reasonably priced restaurant? Paris is full of them! But avoid restaurants that are right at a main tourist area, any that menus in five languages, and those that have a waiter on the sidewalk trying to drag you in. If you stay in Montmartre, you will find a choice of six or more.
4. Don%26#39;t plan every minute. Paris is for wandering around.
5. Personally, I would not go anywhere near anything Disney, but to each her own.
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If it%26#39;s your first trip to Europe, and you%26#39;re only in Paris for a few days, I would forget about Disneyland. There%26#39;s little or nothing French about Disneyland - and there are probably better Disney parks much closer to your home. Spending %26quot;a portion of one day%26quot; at Disneyland Paris will probably turn out to be a full day - it%26#39;s 40 km from Paris, so you will spend about 1 hr going to DLP, and another hour back...
The Eiffel tower is probably Paris%26#39; best-known monument and a %26quot;must-do%26quot; - go see it, but I suggest you try to resist the urge to climb it. Unless you go very early in the morning, there are always long queues. Instead, climb the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs Elysées. (There%26#39;s a pedestrian tunnel, so don%26#39;t try to reach the Arc by running through the traffic!) If you want to go see the Eiffel tower, go to metro stop Trocadéro, where you can get a wonderful view, and walk down the Trocadéro gardens and the Pont d%26#39;Iéna to the tower.
Bear in mind that a lot of attractions (mainly museums) are closed on either monday or tuesday. If you%26#39;re in Paris on those days, check the websites of the places you plan to visit, to see on which day they%26#39;re closed. On sundays, a lot of the shops are closed - except (to a degree) along the Champs Elysées and in the Marais area.
With regard to which area to stay in, it is often said that the one-digit arrondissements are the best choice - Paris is divided in 20 arrondissements. These arrondissements are numbered, more or less spiralwise, from the centre, so the ones numbered 10-20 are a bit more outlying. Nevertheless, don%26#39;t rule them out completely - an address in the 7th may be only 10 m from one in the 15th. You can alway see in which arrondissement a hotel is located, by looking at the postal code - 75001 means the 1st arrondissement, 75020 is the 20th. www.mappy.com is a good website to look up locations.
Have a nice trip!
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%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;I would suggest that near Eiffel Tower would not be the best place to stay%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;
Much to the contrary, this is where I always stay when in Paris, either on business or pleasure. The 7th or 15th arrondissements while not as animated as the 5th or 6th, are perfect for those who have graduated to the more livable neighborhoods. I absolutely love the shops along the rue du Commerce. There are many excellent restaurants among these more somber blocks and the métro/bus connections makes other part of Paris only minutes away.
For first time visitors however, I recommend either the 5th or 6th arrondissements because of their proximity to the numerous, well-known tourist destinations: Le Louvre, Musée d%26#39;Orsay, Notre Dame, and Isle de la Cité.
The %26quot;laid back approach%26quot;? highly advised. Are you on vacation or a forced march? Personally, I prefer the %26quot;blank%26quot; itinerary, but do contact the following and arrange for one of their tours:
http://www.parisgreeter.fr/
As for Disney, plan at least a full day. Arrive early via the RER A and stay late because there is much to see and the crowds can sometimes be daunting. The studio tour is interesting but for first time visitors, I recommend concentrating on the main park.
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My suggestion would be to stay in the 4th, 5th of 6th arrondissements. You can go to venere.com and search by the arrondissement for a hotel in your price range and then look at the reviews and ratings. I%26#39;ve stayed on both sides of the Seine and in different areas and I think for a first trip, those areas would be best -- especially for walking. I%26#39;d even narrow it down more to the 5th or 6th if I were forced to.
As far as %26quot;must do%26#39;s%26quot; -- you named the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but even on a short trip I%26#39;d try to add Notre Dame, Musee d%26#39;Orsay, a cruise along the Seine, Sainte-Chapelle.
Advice for a first timer -- take advantage of the metro and familiarize yourself with it a little before you go so you understand how it works (it%26#39;s very easy, but can be confusing at first).
I%26#39;m afraid if I had only a short trip to Paris I wouldn%26#39;t include Disneyland Paris. I love Disneyland and Disney World, so I understand the appeal, but who knows when you%26#39;ll visit Paris again and there%26#39;s so much beauty and history in the city I wouldn%26#39;t want to waste a minute.
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Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I know nothing about the various neighborhoods and subdivions of Paris, so the maps with all the districts will definitely come in handy.
As far as taking the laid back approach to things, I can definitely manage that. I don%26#39;t want to feel like I%26#39;m on a march...I more meant, are there certain things I really MUST DO while I%26#39;m there so that I don%26#39;t regret missing them? I am very into photography and was basically just trying to get a feel if I should have a list of things to see, or if Me, Hubby and my camera could just mozy around finding the things we wanted. I know for a fact I want to see the Eiffel Tower and definitely the Arc.
The Louvre is SO HUGE, is there really much point in going if I am just going to designate a matter of hours to see it? Any recommendations for a smaller museum that would be equally as interesting to visit??
Thanks again!
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The Musée d%26#39;Orsay is much more manageable in size. And there%26#39;s also the Musée de l%26#39;Orangerie - both museums are well known for their collecion of impressionist paintings.
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Get a Frommer%26#39;s Paris guidebook. It has suggested itineraries for stays of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. It also lists hotels in all price ranges in most of the central arrondisments. I%26#39;m sure the Fodors and Rick Steves guidebooks have similar listings.
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Even though the Louvre is huge and yes, it is impossible to see everything in one visit, I still think it is a %26quot;must see%26quot; - not just for the amazing art, but for the building itself. Just choose the areas you are most interested in and focus on those, plus you should check out the %26quot;medieval Louvre%26quot; exhibit about the original building before it was a palace. Don%26#39;t feel like you have to see the whole thing, and think about going on one of their late nights (Wed %26amp; Friday).
For smaller museums: the Carnavalet was definitely one of my favorites--focuses on the history of Paris, incorporating both art and fascinating historical artifacts. Also the Marmottan, in a lovely neighborhood setting, which is mostly Monet works plus some other impressionists, displayed in a lovely mansion.
I love Disneyland too (am heading there next week!) but if I only had a few days in Paris, I wouldn%26#39;t take the time to go to Disneyland there (especially since you go to WDW every year) - there are so many wonderful things to do and see in Paris, why spend the time doing something that you can do better at home?
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Friday would be PERFECT. We are flying into London and planned to hop a train to Paris that day, which wouldn%26#39;t get us there until around 1:00pm. By that time, it would be nice to check into our hotel, rest for a bit and then head out...so if the Louvre is open late that night (although I don%26#39;t know how late) that would give me an excuse to go and HAVE to leave at a specific time. I feel like if I go first thing in the morning, I will want to stay and see as much as possible all day, which will leave much less time for other things like the Arc and the Eiffel Tower.
As far as Disneyland, I am a bit of a fanatic. No, I%26#39;m not someone who has a Disney room in their house, or has a Disney tattoo...but I do like it a lot. I make it a point to go as often as possible...ahtough not every year (we like to do a real vacation every other year and then on the off years, we do Disney for a week since it%26#39;s only a 2.5 hour flight away). I do understand everyone%26#39;s points about not taking time away from the city to see something I could see here...just thought it may be neat, but the more I think about it the more I think I might just cross that off the list of to-do%26#39;s.
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