Going to Paris, what should we see and do?

[vonsmog]

Taking my wife to Paris for a week in March for her birthday, we have somethings we would like to see, but there has got to be a bunch of stuff to do. So far we have take a tour of the Catacombs, go to the Louvre, would like to see the palace of Versailles, the Eilffel tower, and Notre Dame. Having never been there, and don't know much about France, anyone have some suggestions on other "must" see and do while we are there?

[LWJ]

Muse D'Orsay (I could have really butchered that!). I liked it better The Louvre. Much more accessible.

The Pompadou (again, butcher??) is a modern art museum that is fun.

I have heard there is a flea / antique market in Paris once a week. That might be fun. Might be awful as well.

I think there is a museum of torture somewhere? I haven't been. Sounds interesting.

Dress warmly. Paris is about the same latitude as you. It will be warmer but not warm in March.

Take an electric bike tour. My wife did this last visit and she raves about it. Cover lots of ground easily.

We mostly walk around and day trip. Sounds like you have the basics. I would prioritize a few items inThe Louvre and see them. It is HUGE. Think Mona Lisa and Venus. It is overwhelming.

Read what Rick Steve's has to say. He has great ideas.

Should be fun!

[aigel]

The Catacombs are a must indeed! Make sure you know how the wait and tickets work, can be very long waits otherwise. Maybe pay some money for a private tour.

If you haven't reserved your hotel yet, I recommend getting something nice outside of the immediate city center, in a decent neighborhood that is low on tourist attractions so you can get a nicer hotel for the same price and more importantly, spend dinner in the great everyday places folks frequent there.

I recommend taking the bus more than the metro. And in the interest of time, don't be shy booking a tour bus (hop on / off) to see everything and get off where you like to go.

G

[wdfifteen]

+1 on Musee D’Orsay. Don’t bother going into the Louvre unless you find a way to avoid the lines. The wait isn’t worth it. Go up to Sacre Couer in the afternoon and check out the artists and snack on a crepe or some ice cream. Stay long enough to watch the lights of Paris come on. Sit in cafes and watch people. There are hop-on, hop-off tour busses that get you all over the city and you can explore at your own pace.

[mepstein]

Take a ride in one of the boats that travel up and down the city at night.

[Alan A]

Reims and or Epernay. It’s not far and it’s quite a bit cleaner. Plus you can drink champagne all day, which for a birthday is usually a good way to spend it...

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Muse D'Orsay (I could have really butchered that!). I liked it better The Louvre. Much more accessible.

^^^ We wanted to do this, but there was a strike. That’s something that can goof up your plans. Remain flexible and be ready with a Plan B.

[kevin993]

Rodin Museum

+1 on the night boats (Bateaux Mouches)

[kanadary]

+1 on the catacombs. Get tickets in advanced. Not sure of the lines in match but we went last time in aug and it was about 3 hrs wait if you didn’t get advanced tickets. Also. If you want to go to the top of the tower, you should get advanced tickets there as well. If time we got the museum pass as it gave you access to a bunch of the museums. Dorsay, louvre, Rodin, pacaso, etc

[reachme]

Go to Louvre and get lost in your favorite section. I have been in hallways alone and been with a crowd of people and I am always alone mentally. Except at Mona Lisa (Jaconde), always a crowd there you cant even get close.
Notre Dame absolutely and walk along the Louvre.
Montmartre for some exercise and to see street art and another cathedral
arc de triumphe

Versailles is not really in Paris. Kind of a haul out there to see a huge, ostentations rooms. One after another after another. The history of the place is amazing but if you like Trumps bathroom/gold toilet type of stuff you will love it.

Gardens of the Toulleries in early afternoon. Can hit the museum L'Orangerie if you like Money and water lily paintings.

Each section "arondissement" has an open air food market I think twice a week. You can look up schedules but go to one close. you will buy much more than you need and its a pain to carry back/ on the metro.

may be able to catch soccer at Stade de France depending on dates, to see a european football game is fun.

avoid the yellow vest protests if you see them because tear gas is not fun. Not sure if they are still tear gassing them anymore but best to avoid. but walk, walk walk

[LWJ]

I disagree with getting hotel out of the core city. My best trip we were right in the left bank. Perfect walking location.

[stuartj]

Im pretty certain Notre Dame is closed, and likely will be for some years. Paris is a fabulous walking city, and combined with the red tourist hop on/off buses to get t all the major sites. Just walk and take it in, stopping regularly for coffee. Strongly recommend doing small format walking tours (districts, food, a particular museum, churches) after youve had a good walk around yourself. There are lots of inexpensive small walking tours available. If you can get into the very low key evening recitals sometimes performed in Saint Chapel, in the Justice complex, highly recommended.

[GH85Carrera]

I hear there are a few old churches there.

[abisel]

If you get the chance and have the time, rent a car and drive to the Normandy coast to visit the D-Day invasion sites. Three days minimum would be needed.

Stay at Hotel Le Churchill in Bayeux (5 miles south of Omaha Beach)
Le Churchill Hotel Bayeux | Hotel Bayeux 3 stars France
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux

And sign up for a guided D-Day tour with Overlord Tour:
https://www.overlordtour.com/?pk_campaign=Adwords-US-2&pk_kwd=d%20day%20tours%20from%20bayeux&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw_TC6Jnv5gIVAtbACh2KJQOrEAAYBCAA EgIFg_D_BwE&cn-reloaded=1

I did this back in '07 and it was humbling to say the least. Bayeux was wonderful too. Lots of history.

If I can find them, I can provide you with D-Day GPS coordinates for your GPS and you can drive around on your own. You could spend a week there and not see everything.

[jwasbury]

If you want to book a special dinner, I recommend this place:

La Grande Cascade | Restaurant gastronomique étoilé au cœur du Bois de Boulogne à Paris

Its in the Bois de Boulogne, which will be a decent taxi ride from the city center, but its a pretty spectacular spot, and a wonderful fine dining experience. It was recommended to me by a long time colleague who was born/raised in France.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1022477-trip-paris.html

[aigel]

Originally Posted by LWJ

I disagree with getting hotel out of the core city. My best trip we were right in the left bank. Perfect walking location.

The point of that recommendation is to get away from tourists and immerse yourself in everyday Paris life, specifically neighborhood cafes, brasseries and restaurants. You may not even find an English menu everywhere, which is when it gets interesting in my book. But this is a matter of preference, of course.

G

[Rick Lee]

Take a day trip out to Reims. That church crushes Notre Dame. Seriously, I stumbled upon it and it rivaled the Terra Cotta Army, almost brought a tear to my eye. Napoleon's tomb is in Hotel des Invalides. Best place to view the Eiffel Tower is from Trocadero, but it's crowded there at night. Definitely get your Louvre tix online in advance. The lines can be rough. Hell, the crowds once you're inside can be rough.

This is how ridiculous it can get. And believe me, the Mona Lisa isn't in the top 100 best paintings there. Most famous, sure. But most people know nothing of Italian Renaissance painting.


You can really lose yourself in the Louvre and find some great stuff you've never heard of (and is thus of no interest to the mobs of Chinese tourists).

[scotricker]

When my son was about 17 ish, he went with a group to Paris.
When he got home, I asked, well how was it ?
He said " Oh, Man ! I had this ham and cheese croissant.....
So, that must be the best think in Paris, go get one and let us know.

[908/930]

As Alan A mentioned Epernay is quite nice for a couple of days if you have the time,(if you were going for more than a week) much slower pace than Paris, watch your wallet near any train stations, lots of real pro pick pockets. I was there about 3 months ago and person next to me in the airplane grabbed a guy who reached for his wallet.