Paris Favorite Tips by Beausoleil

Take a walk. Paris was made for walking. Walking Around Review

Favorite thing: We live in California so have to fly over the entire United States, the Atlantic, Ireland, the UK and part of France before landing in Paris the day after we started. Needless to say, there is a jet lag problem. The easiest way to overcome jet lag (for us) is to start walking and Paris is the perfect place to do this.

Where we start depends on where we stay, but often we start by walking to Notre Dame Cathedral just to make sure it's still there. Then we walk along the Seine watching the tour boats go by with people waving. We'll walk up the Ile de la Cite to the end, cut through Place Dauphine, the hidden square most people never find and on to Pont Neuf. There we cross to the Quai de Louvre and walk towards the Louvre, cut through the Cour Carree, out into the Cour Napoleon with the famous Pei Pyramid and under the Arc du Carrousel. If the little Paul's stand is open, I'll get a coffee and then we walk through the Tuileries enjoying the antics of the many people there. At the Place de la Concorde we turn south and cross the Pont de la Concorde and start back down the other side of the Seine toward the Musee d'Orsay. We wander on into the Luxembourg Gardens and then head off to Place St. Sulpice near our favorite restaurant. By then we're ready for a meal and a rest. Afterwards, we usually take the Metro back to the hotel and sleep like babies. It's a good introduction to our favorite city after being gone for a while.

Fondest memory: Many many memories and most have been shared elsewhere on this site.

What do I miss the most? Paris. When I'm not there, I miss Paris. The entire city and all the people in it; I miss them.

3 Days in Paris with 2 kids under age 10

Favorite thing: You said you only have a half day for day one. Your idea of the Jardin des Plantes and a Seine River Cruise sounds great and the little zoo at the Jardin des Plantes is fun. There are also ducks wandering the garden that you can feed if you take a few baguette crumbs with you.

Day 2: Unless your kids are more patient standing in line than ours were, I'd just walk under and around the Eiffel Tower, buy them an ice cream cone and leave. Walk across the river to the Trocadero (great Eiffel Tower views), let the kids buy a funky souvenir from the many vendors there and then get on the Metro #6 in the direction of Charles de Gaulle-Etoile. This takes you to the Arc de Triomphe.

At the Arc de T. be sure you take the tunnel under the road; it's much safer than trying to cross the street. Walk around with all the other tourists, check the Eternal Flame and see if there is a huge line to go up to the top. If there isn't a long line and the elevator is working, go up and enjoy a fabulous view of Paris. If there's a huge line, I'd skip it.

Get back on the Metro #1 in the direction of Chateau de Vincennes and take it to Champs Elysées/Clemenceau stop (4 stations from the Arc). Now get out and walk the Champs Elysées toward the Place de la Concorde. This takes you on the Champs Elysées through a lovely garden with the Grand and Petit Palais on your right. It's a lovely walk and skips all the overpriced stores on the previous section of the boulevard.

At the Place de la Concorde, go up the stairs on either side and into the Tuileries Gardens. The kids can feed the fish in the first pond if they have a few baguette crumbs with them. Otherwise, walk through the Tuileries looking at all the fun things there. If it's summer, there's even a fun fair (carnival) in the Tuileries. There are also a couple outdoor cafes there and it would be a great place to stop for lunch with two kids. They can chase pigeons and ducks or sit and recover from the sightseeing. Lots to see and do including renting little sailboats if they wish.

After lunch you are right at the Louvre so this would be a good time to visit. You don't want to stand in line so go around toward the Seine, along the river and you will see two green lions at a doorway. This is the Lions' Gate and you can get into the Louvre there without any line at all. Check the web site and see what you think you and the kids might enjoy because you could spend a month inside the Louvre and not see everything. There's a fun Egyptian collection, the Napoleon apartments, neat sculptures . . . lots of paintings. Here's the web site: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp?bmLocale=en

That should pretty much finish your day. Hop the Metro back to your hotel. Did you know there's a zoo in the Bois de Vincennes?

Day 3: Take the Metro to Hotel de Ville. Then you can walk across the Seine to the Ile de la Cité and visit Notre Dame. You don't have to climb the towers, it's great just to walk through and marvel at how big and beautiful the church is. There is a small playground between the church and the river and you will often see street performers in front of the cathedral. It's fun and the kids will remember it forever. (So will you.)

Next you can walk down to Pont Neuf and go across in one direction or the other. If you want to visit Invalides, walk the Pont Neuf to the right bank and go up past the east end of the Louvre to the Louvre-Rivoli Metro station and take the #1 Metro in the direction of La Defense for 3 stations and get off at Concorde station to change to the #12 Metro direction of Maire d'Issy and get off at Assemblee Nationale right at Invalides. Visit Invalides, see Napoleon's Tomb and stop at a nearby cafe for lunch. A good choice might be to pay the euro or two to get into the Rodin gardens. There is a tea room in the gardens and you can eat while the kids run around in the gardens. There is a small play area and lots of French children will be there with them. It would be fun and you can enjoy the sculptures.

That and getting back to your hotel will give you a full but fairly relaxed day.

Then you are off to Disneyland the next day and that will be a full day.

If the kids can carry their own luggage, take the Metro out to CDG for the trip. Otherwise, you might find it easier to take a shuttle and let the driver deal with your luggage. We have used Paris Blue Shuttle and it's always been on time and reasonable. http://www.paris-blue-airport-shuttle.fr/order_en.php

If you only do half of this, you will still have a memorable vacation and the kids will make it more fun. BTW, Parisians and the French in general, love kids so people will be happy to help you and give you directions. Just tell the kids to smile a lot and say "merci" a lot. Everyone will be enchanted.

Have a great trip.

Fondest memory: Too many memories to choose one. I suspect the most dramatic memory was our first sight of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Another outstanding memory is our delight in the number of trees and green spaces in the city. It is just so beautiful, trees, grass, flowers, people, architecture, parks . . . just wonderful.

Where is that hotel / restaurant / sight ? Arrondissements (sections of Paris) Review

Favorite thing: What is an arrondissement? It is a section or district in the city.

Paris is made up of 20 districts, each having its own city hall and administration. These districts are called arrondissements and arranged starting in the center of town on the Seine and going around in a snail-like pattern. The snail makes it difficult to figure out where you are.

#1 is in the center of town on the north side of the Seine and called the Right Bank; #2 is above it so not near the river. #3 is east so also not on the river. Then you turn south to #4 that is actually beside #1 and on the Seine.

Next you cross the Seine still headed south and come to the Left Bank (south side of the Seine) and arrondissement #5 that is called the Latin Quarter because it is where the universities are and they all used to speak Latin. Relax, they don't do that now!

Continue west along the Seine on the Left Bank (south side) into arrondissement #6 or the St. Germain district. This has many famous literary associations. Continue west along the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower into arrondissement #7.

You again cross the Seine to the Right Bank (north side) into arrondissement 8 and the snail continues up and east, then down and west and repeats until you end at #20 on the eastern side of the city.

The postal code in the address is the key to finding what you are looking for. If you are looking for a place to stay, any of the central arrondissements are near tourist attractions and safe. Look for arrondissements #1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 for starters. If you find a hotel you like, look at the address. The last two digits of the postal code are the arrondissement number. Hence, a postal code ending in 05 would be in the 5th arrondissement or Latin Quarter; a postal code ending in 06 would be in the 6th arrondissement or St. Germain district. You get the idea.

To further confuse the issue, some arrondissements have popular names. #5 is the Latin Quarter; #6 is St. Germain; #4 is the Marais and they are often referred to by these names instead of their numbers. The word-names are a bit more fluid than the numbers so use the numbers when looking for hotels, restaurants and tourist sights.

Paris is a very well organized city. 8^)

Fondest memory: Too many to print . . .

Miss the most: everything.

2 days in Paris for 13 to 14-year-olds

Favorite thing: In answer to a specific question on the Forum to a mother who was traveling to Paris, had only two days and was accompanied by her 13 and 14-year-old children, I came up with this one solution. Many more ideas are here on Virtual Tourist. Type Paris with children into the VT Search Window above and scroll down to Keyword Search, and click "GO!"

Notre Dame Cathedral (note gargoyles, climb up if lines aren’t too long)
Eiffel Tower (long wait to climb; perhaps just look and walk underneath for photo ops)
Rodin Museum and garden
Cluny Museum (Musée de Moyen Age) perhaps with a picnic in the garden
or . . . a picnic in the Tuileries or Luxembourg Gardens (you should visit one of these gardens)
Musée d’Orsay if you can arrange it

Not so famous but the Cité des Sciences at the Parc de la Villette is great fun. It’s the largest technical and scientific museum in Europe with lots of interactive exhibits. The famous Géode, a theater with a 180-degree screen would be fun too. There is also a Musée de la Musique in the same park with more interactive exhibits. You could turn them loose in the park for a while too.

Fondest memory: Skipping the memories, here are some web sites for the suggestions above.

http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/index.html
http://www.musee-rodin.fr/
http://www.cite-musique.fr/anglais/cite/contacts.html
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html?S=0
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/en/cite-des-sciences

Top Ten Paris sights in 3 days

Favorite thing: Often folks say they have 3 days in Paris and ask what to see. We all have a different idea of what to see, but I took my 10 favorite sights in Paris and arranged them so they could be visited within the 3-day period. It would be lovely if you could spread them out over a week, but it is possible to do this in 3 days and still enjoy a long, leisurely evening meal at a nice restaurant. Buy a carnet of 10 Metro tickets and then walk from place to place.

Day 1
(1) Tuileries Gardens (summer fun fair with Ferris wheel, carousel; winter art, cafes and people)
(2) Louvre Museum (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus, etc.) Avoid lines at the Lion's Gate entry.
(3) Musee d’Orsay (the Impressionists)

Day 2
(5) Cluny Museum (Musée de Moyen Age) (Lady & the Unicorn tapestries)
(6) Luxembourg Gardens (people and fun)
(9) Latin Quarter walk starting at Square Viviani

Day 3
Morning:
(4) Ste. Chapelle (gorgeous stained glass)
(8) Notre Dame Cathedral
Afternoon:
(10) Eiffel Tower and area (can get the Batoboat here for tour)
(7) Rodin Museum (The Thinker, The Kiss, etc.. nice garden & tea room)

Fondest memory: Visiting my Top Ten sights as often as possible. ;^)

What do I miss the most? All of it, well, perhaps except for the evening traffic jam.

My Top Ten Favorites in Paris

Favorite thing: Often people on the Forum will ask what to see in Paris. Of course this depends on your personal interests so you will want to fill out your Virtual Tourist Home Page including your travel interests so you can get more helpful answers. However, as a generic what to see . . . or what do I like to see, here is my list of ten things we enjoy in Paris and try to see each time we are there.

(1) Tuileries Gardens (summer fun fair with Ferris wheel, carousel; winter cafes, art and people)
(2) Louvre Museum (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus, etc.)
(3) Musee d’Orsay (the Impressionists)
(4) Ste. Chapelle (gorgeous stained glass)
(5) Cluny Museum or the Musée de Moyen Age (Lady & the Unicorn tapestries)
(6) Luxembourg Gardens (people, playgrounds, concerts and fun)
(7) Rodin Museum (The Thinker, The Kiss, etc.. nice garden & tea room)
(8) Notre Dame Cathedral
(9) Latin Quarter walk
(10) Eiffel Tower and area (can get the Batoboat here for tour)

Type Paris into the VT Search Window above. This will take you to the VT Paris Travel Pages. There are lots of Tips about hotels, restaurants, things to see and do, all written by VT members. There are reviews, photos and web links to help you plan your trip.

Also, you can click on the name of anyone who answers you here and go to their Home Page on Virtual Tourist. Click on Travel Pages and choose Paris to see what they have written. There are wonderful Tips on hotels, sights, transportation, restaurants . . . and lots of photos and web links. It's a great resource here on VT and lots of fun.

Fondest memory: Too many fond memories to choose one.

What do I miss the most? Being totally surrounded by beauty . . . trees, fountains, beautiful buildings, lovely people, everything being picturesque, the vibrancy of a big city with the compactness of a much smaller place, something to do all the time . . . and, of course, the food.

I am not a city person and didn't even want to visit Paris the first time. Once we spent some time in Paris, I was hooked. It may be the only city in the world I truly look forward to visiting. There is an underlying friendliness that is almost small-town.

Where do I start? Arrondissements (sections of Paris) Review

Favorite thing: If you are used to spread-out American cities, Paris is compact. Most tourist sights are in a central area. There are many hotels and restaurants within the center and they come in all price ranges. If you want to avoid spending your sightseeing day on the Metro, find a hotel in the center of town. This would be arrondissement (district) numbers 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

How do you figure out where that hotel is when you start looking?

A hotel in Arrondissement (district) number 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 would be the most central. Look at the hotel street address. The postal code is the secret to its location. The arrondissement or district numbers are the last 2 digits of the postal code. For example, arrondissement 1 would be 75001, arrondissement 2 would be 75002; arrondissement 4 would be 75004. You get the idea.

You will also see reference to the Latin Quarter, St. Germain and the Marais. The Latin Quarter is mostly 75005 (or the 5th arrondissement); St. Germain is mostly 75006 (or arrondissement 6); the Marais is generally within 75004 (or arrondissement 4). 75007 is the Eiffel Tower area. These names are not as specific as the arrondissement numbers but give you a general idea. Just check your postal code and you'll be fine. (01, 04, 05, 06 and 07)

BTW, you do not need to stay within this central zone because the public transportation system (Metro) is wonderful. We stay there so we don't have to spend precious sightseeing time on the subway or bus. You will do a lot of walking because the city is so beautiful so be sure to take comfy shoes.

Have a great trip.

Fondest memory: I think our first sight of Notre Dame on our very first trip was the most memorable. Suddenly it was all so real to us.

Second memory is of a summer downpour in the Tuileries Gardens. Everyone ran for cover but us. We went to a garden cafe, got a tart and coffee and had a lovely romantic snack in our very own Paris Tuileries.

Other fond memories involve introducing our daughters to Paris, singly and in pair. That was fun.

What do I miss most? Wow, that's difficult. I think being surrounded by so much beauty constantly. There is just so much to see, hear and do in such a compact area. The art, architecture, music, gardens, river, canal, parks . . . there is just so much to enjoy and it's right at your doorstep.

I must admit I miss Parisians too. They have always been informative and helpful to us and we always look forward to returning soon.