Paris tips

[Meadow Skipper]

don't know that yet, I suppose that's one of the tips I am looking for!

We will have the GF's mom traveling with us so will probably be looking for a 2br airbnb somewhere.

Consider the 5th Arrondissement. It is kind of classic, though not inexpensive.

[schindlerpiste]

I enjoy hanging in Luxembourg Gardens just hanging out watching old people smoking Gitanes while involved in serious [but mostly friendly] Pétanque

[TahoeJ]

I like that vibe. Paris is the most chill city ever (in parts anyway). Once my kids are all off to college I could see myself spending a few months there.

[PNWbrit]

Should we take a side trip or can we keep ourselves happy sightseeing and eating until the wedding?

If the recent London thread is your guide, then the answer is to hop on the EuroStar to London.

Yep you'll have seen everything in Paris by Thursday lunchtime.

[dunfree]

No idea how old the GF’s mom is but you might want to double check the access/egress to the abnb, as well as the bathroom situation because some might be extraordinarily shitty for the older folks.

Haven’t been in a bit, but there’s a shit ton f things to do, of all kinds. The music museum; some of the craft schools have open houses but I think that’s mid winter. Some speacialty retail is gone, now. Pretty great place to wander around and eat drink all kinds of stuff

[Meadow Skipper]

No idea how old the GF’s mom is but you might want to double check the access/egress to the abnb, as well as the bathroom situation because some might be extraordinarily shitty for the older folks.

That’s a good point. I stayed in an Airbnb in Belleville that was a sixth story walk-up, with a really narrow stairway. Not grandma friendly.

[Danno]

Grandma is around 80, a spry 80 but still 80, so will definitely keep that in mind when looking at places. I have seen a number of ground floor places and a couple with elevators. Will make sure to avoid the 6th floor walk ups.

[PB]

As wonderful as Paris is, their airport really sucks.

[schindlerpiste]

Word!

[zion zig zag]

Touristy as hell, but watching the lights of the Eiffel Tower (top of every hour?) from the top of the Arc de Triomphe is pretty damn cool.

[old goat]

This. I've been half a dozen times for leisure and another dozen times for work. All of these trips have involved the above. The work trips are fantastic because they don't start until like 10am and then at least once a week they take "lunch" at 330 and don't return because everyones half cut.

The touristy shit is pretty boring after the first church and the first museum full of old paintings you don't recognise. The real Paris is in the cafes, the food, the wine, the casual conversation and the people watching.

That's true of the real [fill in name of any city in the world] but you can only see the Mona Lisa in Paris. (OK you can't really see it in Paris either for the crowds but there's lots of other paintings with no one looking at them. ) And you can only spend so much time--granted, a lot--in cafes. Sooner or later you are going to want to do something else if you're not there for business.

If cathedrals float your boat, Chartres, probably the best preserved Gothic cathedral, is a long day trip from Paris. The one classic tourist spot I could have easily done without was Versailles. A lot of fancy rooms. A lot of people. The Marmottan Museum is worth a trip if you like Impressionists--it's Monet's personal art collection and a lot less crowded than the Louvre or the Orsay, or at least it was when we were there years ago. Impression, Sunrise, the painting that gave the art movement its name, is there and we could see it both from a distance and up close which lets you appreciate how one simple blob of paint is clearly a very accurate figure of a man when seen from farther away.

We've stayed in the 14th just across the line from the 5th. There's a great daily market nearby, convenient to the Metro or walkable to the center. We've eaten multiple times at https://www.chezlenaetmimile.fr/ in the area. We had a particularly good time talking for hours with the couple at the next table because the woman and my wife looked alike (there aren't that many tall Germanic blonds in Paris, at least not since the war) and we kept getting their orders and visa versa. I'm proud of the fact that we've closed several restaurants in France--I'm as impatient as anyone in restaurants in the US but somehow in France I can relax and take my time. That area is near the Sorbonne so a lot of the restaurants weren't pricey, if you're on a budget or you just like to eat casually.

[Danno]

I've seen the Mona Lisa, it was 35 years ago but I don't think it has changed.

I also saw Chartres 35 years ago but I would totally go see it again, in my whirlwind 20 year old me tour, that was a memorable sight.

[schindlerpiste]

Look into Hotel Le Petit Paris. Cheap. Clean. Chic. Really nice. Very close to Luxembourg Gardens, Sorbonne, d'Orsay, 5th. We have stayed there 5-66X...never disappoints. My daughter also likes the Hotel d'Orsay.

[toast2266]

I liked Versailles. Cruise through the palace and then wander the gardens. They're awesome and less crowded.

Keep a close eye on your shit on the train to/ from the airport. Pickpockets are at work.

Les Deux Magots is famous, centrally located, shitty, and overpriced. Skip it.

Book your Louvre tickets well in advance. Dunno about October, but when we were there, entrance time were very limited if you didn't book a week or two ahead.

X5 or whatever on wandering aimlessly. Stop at random cafes and people watch. One of the best cities in the world for people watching.

[singlesline]

Hopping on a bike share bike is a fun way to get around.

Go eat here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fxfcaqgugGeHrQtB8

My wife’s Parisian friends took us there last fall and honestly it was almost as good as the $$$ 3-star tasting menu place the night before. Just a delightful neighborhood bistro where you order a starter, main (and maybe dessert) from a normal sounding rotating menu…but all the details are nailed perfectly.

Definitely need a reservation though, both because the place is tiny and because getting reservations is a "thing" in Paris.

[singlesline]

Yes, x10 on wandering (or biking) aimlessly. Not a place to aggressively plan anything besides 1) timed entry museum tickets, 2) scheduled tours, 3) dinner reservations

Also don't skip the Musee d'Orsay...its much easier to fit in to a small window than the Louvre which is such a massive (and crowded) undertaking.

[TahoeJ]

Versailles is indeed a bit of a shit show but it’s still worth seeing at least once in your life.

My parents go to Paris at least every other year and have stayed several times at The Langlois. It has big rooms and big bathrooms and it’s cheaper, relatively speaking. Has an elevator. It was featured in a not so good remake of The trouble with Charlie ten or so years ago with Mark Wahlberg. Good location.

[Meadow Skipper]

I Keep a close eye on your shit on the train to/ from the airport. Pickpockets are at work.

More good advice - be super-alert on any metro ride and in crowds. According to my Parisienne partner on one visit gitanes are the worst. She alerted me a couple times when she saw pickpockets were sizing me up on the metro.

IME Louvre reservations aren’t too hard to get in autumn, but still plan ahead.

Fancy restaurants are nice and everywhere, but sometimes coffee, a fresh baguette, and some cheese in a park are awesome. The French do not fuck around about food.

This thread makes me want to be there.

[Peruvian]

We stayed in Le Marais and it was a good central location. We walked everywhere which helped that sense of folks suggesting getting lost. Each day choose a spot - Montmarte, a museum, the Eiffel Tower (although best at night), passage Jouffroy, etc and walk there. Stop at whatever cafe looks inviting for lunch. Remember dinner doesn’t start until 7:30.


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[MakersTeleMark]

Lots of up-to-date Paris info on this channel, including how to avoid the pickpockets who thrive there:

[bennymac]

I thought the musee d'orsay was great - and I’m not usually someone who liked spending a long time in a gallery.

[warthog]

We stayed here-
https://www.luxembourg-paris-hotel.com/en/

October 2019. When we go back, it will be in October. The weather was perfect, and it wasn't overly busy everywhere.
Close to most everything we wanted to be near. Latin Quarter, Sorbonne, Luxembourg Gardens. Quick walk to the Seinne. The neighborhoods around it were awesome, safe, and VERY active with students and locals. It never seemed too touristy in that area.
My sister lives south of Paris in Sceaux, and she recommended the 5th and 6th as the place to be that time of year.

Lots of cool stuff to do. Agree with just hopping on the Metro and seeing where you end up. Research the spots you don't want to end up though.

We did a really cool skip the line tour of the Louvre. It brings you to the highlights and ends with a wine tasting here-
https://www.cavesdulouvre.com/en/

From the website-
This private mansion was built by André Eynaud. A great Parisian bourgeois, he was one of the twenty-five privileged wine merchants at the court of King Louis XV.

These cellars were extended by tunnels to the Louvre palace and, as the story goes, they allowed the palace to be supplied with wine in complete discretion…

Highly recommend this tour.

Musee D'Orsay was also a highlight.

We did the ultimate touristy thing and took a night boat to see the Eiffel Tour and Notre Dame(what was left of it at the time). It was actually a really cool way to see a lot of the city and it gives you a really unique look at what used to be the original Paris before the outward expansion from the Seine.

For some exercise, take the stairs at Abbesses on the Metro. Maybe leave grandma behind for this one.
Noone enjoys when the lifts of the Abbesses metro station – on the line 12 – are out of service. Set 36 meters (118.11 feet) below the Butte Montmartre, this station is the deepest one in the Ile-de-France metro station with tiring 176-step spiral staircase.

Montmartre used to be my favorite part of the city, but it isn't what it used to be. My sister lived there - right around the corner from where they filmed Amelie. Still an awesome area during the day though, and Sacre Cour and the views are amazing. It just isn't as safe a night spot as it was in the late 90's when she lived there.

Have fun. Je suis tres jalouse.

[dunfree]

Keep a close eye on your shit on the train to/ from the airport. Pickpockets are at work.

Oh yeah. And they work as a group.

there’s a bunch of classic French places that are probably long past their prime (les deux maggots, le tour d’argent, shakespeare & co) but that’s life

[mcski]

I Lived in and worked at Shakespeare and company in the 80s. That place is great and so glad it still around. It’s an anachronism but a legit historic establishment

[spanky]

I’ll second/third/fourth the Musée d'Orsay. Also, the Musée de l'Orangerie (just to see Monet’s waterlilies) and the Musée Rodin are easier/smaller than the Louvre.

While touristy, Le Relais de l’Entrecôte is a must do if you like steak frites.

If you’re looking to impress, L'Ambroisie is fine dining at its finest. Be aware, the menu is only in French and only the male gets the menu with prices listed.

I’ll echo the sentiment of just walking about and stopping/eating wherever.