Revisiting Paris (suggestions needed)

Hi all,

I am new to this board, so I hope you'll bear with me as a "newbie,"
while I find my feet, so to speak. I visited Paris for ten days in
the fall of '04. I stayed at a superior tourist class hotel in the
1st arondissement while made Toulierres Gardens and the Louvre right
next door and the metro just 2 blocks away. I am looking for
suggestions as to what I missed.

While I took in a lot (and ate some fantastic food), I visited the
following:

Louvre & Toulierres (as mentioned above);
an outside metro ride to the Eiffel Tower, but did not go in;
Musee d'Orsay;
Notre Dame;
Versailles;
a day trip to Chartres;
Salvador Dali museum;
Sacre-Coeur cathedral;
Pere Lachaise cemetery (totally to see Jim Morrison's resting place);

I did not get to Giverny, and if/when I go again, have that as the
highest priority. Does anyone know about whether or not you can get
lunch there, or even if you can stay overnight at Giverny -- or, do
you have to stay in a hotel nearby? Or, can it be done on a day trip
from Paris?

I didn't see any shows, and I didn't get to Ile de Cite. Does anyone
have any suggestions regarding which is the "best" show to see (Moulin
Rouge?) and I've heard a lot about Ile de Cite and if anyone has been
there, I'd love to hear about the highlights of it.

Any other suggestions in Paris are more than welcome! With the
current ratio of the Euro to the Dollar, I am not sure of the most
economical things to do other than taking the metro and staying in a
decent, but cheap hotel (I only look at hotels as a place to sleep in
between tours.

And restaurants -- does anyone have any totally outstanding
restaurants they prefer? I loved this one called Le Souffle in the
1st arrondissement, just down the street from my hotel. Excellent
french food -- very small.

Thanks so much for any input. I do appreciate it.

Pam

On May 25, 11:04*am, wrote:
Hi all,

I am new to this board, so I hope you'll bear with me as a "newbie,"
while I find my feet, so to speak. *I visited Paris for ten days in
the fall of '04. *I stayed at a superior tourist class hotel in the
1st arondissement while made Toulierres Gardens and the Louvre right
next door and the metro just 2 blocks away. *I am looking for
suggestions as to what I missed.

While I took in a lot (and ate some fantastic food), I visited the
following:

Louvre & Toulierres (as mentioned above);
an outside metro ride to the Eiffel Tower, but did not go in;
Musee d'Orsay;
Notre Dame;
Versailles;
a day trip to Chartres;
Salvador Dali museum;
Sacre-Coeur cathedral;
Pere Lachaise cemetery (totally to see Jim Morrison's resting place);

I did not get to Giverny, and if/when I go again, have that as the
highest priority. *Does anyone know about whether or not you can get
lunch there, or even if you can stay overnight at Giverny -- or, do
you have to stay in a hotel nearby? *Or, can it be done on a day trip
from Paris?

I didn't see any shows, and I didn't get to Ile de Cite. *Does anyone
have any suggestions regarding which is the "best" show to see (Moulin
Rouge?)

I don't know a show to recommend but based on what you say below about
'economy', then the Moulin Rouge is probably out of your ballpark --
e89 for an 11pm show only and up to e175 for dinner and show. And,
who knows, you might not even like the show anyway. Just have someone
snap a photo of you in front of the red windmill next time.

http://www.moulinrouge.fr

and I've heard a lot about Ile de Cite and if anyone has been
there, I'd love to hear about the highlights of it.

If you were at Notre Dame, then you were on the island in the Seine
called Ile de la Cite. You probably should not have missed Sainte
Chappelle and the Conciergerie which are on the other side of the
island. I don't know if these two have websites.


Any other suggestions in Paris are more than welcome! *With the
current ratio of the Euro to the Dollar, I am not sure of the most
economical things to do other than taking the metro and staying in a
decent, but cheap hotel (I only look at hotels as a place to sleep in
between tours.

You didn't mention a Bateaux Mouches cruise or any of the other
cruises on the Seine. You can even get on such a cruise right at the
Pont Neuf which is the bridge you may have walked across from the
Louvre to the Ile de la Cite.

http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com

You also didn't mention the Musee Rodin, Musee Picasso, Musee
Marmottan or Musee d'Cluny -- all of which, I probably would not miss.
Otherwise, I think your choices were excellent for a first time to
Paris.

http://www.musee-rodin.fr/
http://www.musee-picasso.fr
http://www.marmottan.com/uk/



And restaurants -- does anyone have any totally outstanding
restaurants they prefer? *I loved this one called Le Souffle in the
1st arrondissement, just down the street from my hotel. *Excellent
french food -- very small.

Thanks so much for any input. *I do appreciate it.

Pam

On Sun, 25 May 2008 11:04:38 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:
I did not get to Giverny, and if/when I go again, have that as the
highest priority. Does anyone know about whether or not you can get
lunch there, or even if you can stay overnight at Giverny -- or, do
you have to stay in a hotel nearby? Or, can it be done on a day trip
from Paris?

Easy to do on a day trip - about a 40 min train ride to Vernon, then
cab or bus to the gardens. I ended up sharing a cab with others both
directions, very inexpensive.

Thee was a small cafe (baguette sandwiches mostly, IIRC) across from
the train station when I was there - don't know if it is still there.
I would take a small picnic lunch if I went again.

On Sun, 25 May 2008 11:04:38 -0700, pammiller293 wroteÂ*:

Hi all,

I am new to this board, so I hope you'll bear with me as a "newbie,"
while I find my feet, so to speak. I visited Paris for ten days in the
fall of '04. I stayed at a superior tourist class hotel in the 1st
arondissement while made Toulierres Gardens and the Louvre right next
door and the metro just 2 blocks away. I am looking for suggestions as
to what I missed.

Have a stroll in Le Marais. Many old steets, ancient houses, Museums and
in the Latin quarter (rue Mouffetard, around Saint-Severin, Saint-Germain
des Pres church).
http://www.parislemarais.com/
http://www.pariserve.tm.fr/quartier/00marais.htm

Musée Grevin wax museum and XIX. century passages.
http://www.parisinconnu.com/passages/verodod1.php

Go to Vincennes dungeon.
http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/

Visit the reopened Catacombs.
Musee Guimet.
Musee des Arts et Metiers
Roseraie de Bagatelle.
Saint-Germain en Laye (Castle, Museum, pleasant small town center with
not too expansive restaurants).
http://www.ot-saintgermainenlaye.fr/
Auvers sur Oise
Fontainebleau castle and town.
http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/

Museum magnaged by the City of Paris are free.
National museums are free on sunday.
Free organ concert in Notre-Dame on sunday afternoon.

Huge choice of things to see and do here.
http://www.parisinfo.com/

Have a day trip to Reims, its Cathedral and Champagne caves or Amiens.
Or spend a night in Lyo (cheaper than a day trip).
http://www.reims-tourisme.com/
http://www.amiens.fr/decouvrir/tourisme/index.asp


Cheaper hotels near place d'Italie, or Republique.
Or in nearby clean suburbs Malakoff, Ivry, Chatillon, Boulogne.
Bercy is nice too when no concert or sport event in the nearby stadium.

examples
http://www.hotel-erasmus.com/
http://www.etaphotel.com/
Ibis porte de Chatillon
B&B hotel Malakoff
www.hotel-bb.com/

To locate them choose the name of a metro station on the RATP map with
convenient access
http://www.ratp.com/

Locate the nearby hotels in yellow pages checking the nearby box.
http://www.pagesjaunes.fr/trouverles...nnels/index.do

Pam

wrote:
wrote:

... I visited Paris for ten days in
the fall of '04. *I stayed at a superior
tourist class hotel in the 1st arondissement
while made Toulierres Gardens and the Louvre
right next door and the metro just 2 blocks away.
*I am looking for suggestions as to what I missed.

Particuarly if one is looking at saving some money, what was
apparently missed was the Rick Steves guidebook for Paris. FWIW, I
find the Rue Cler neighborhood interesting & fairly frugal.


and I've heard a lot about Ile de Cite and if anyone
has been there, I'd love to hear about the highlights
of it.

If you were at Notre Dame, then you were on the island
in the Seine called Ile de la Cite. *You probably
should not have missed Sainte Chappelle and the
Conciergerie which are on the other side of the
island. *I don't know if these two have websites.

I've been to Sainte Chappelle only once; keep on forgetting to walk
over there each time that I have some extra time to kill, instead of
just doing another lap around Notre Dame. Worth the price of
admission.


You also didn't mention the Musee Rodin, Musee Picasso,
Musee Marmottan or Musee d'Cluny -- all of which, I
probably would not miss.

Or Les Invalids (tomb and military museum), although there is an
admission there too.


-hh

"Carole Allen" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 May 2008 11:04:38 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:
I did not get to Giverny, and if/when I go again, have that as the
highest priority. Does anyone know about whether or not you can get
lunch there, or even if you can stay overnight at Giverny -- or, do
you have to stay in a hotel nearby? Or, can it be done on a day trip
from Paris?

Easy to do on a day trip - about a 40 min train ride to Vernon, then
cab or bus to the gardens. I ended up sharing a cab with others both
directions, very inexpensive.

Thee was a small cafe (baguette sandwiches mostly, IIRC) across from
the train station when I was there - don't know if it is still there.
I would take a small picnic lunch if I went again.

And there's a cafe at the American Museum across the road from Giverny.

Marianne