For Vanessa (or anyone else) interested in Paris.
Vanessa, congratulations on your upcoming trip to Paris! You’ll have a wonderful time. It’s one of my favorite cities on the planet (the other being New York). I’ve had the pleasure of going a couple of times. Here’s a few of my favorite things to do with links for more information.
Paris is known for its cuisine. You can go anywhere and have a great meal. You don’t have to go to the most expensive restaurants to get a feel for Parisian food.
My main interest is art and landmarks. Best thing to do is plan in advance one thing for sure that you’d like to see or do a day. That way you’ll get the most of your time. If you plan on visiting landmarks and museum, the most economical approach is to buy a landmark/museum pass for x-number of days.
What follows is a list of my personal favorite landmarks in Paris, with links to each. You can’t go wrong in Paris. People say the French are rude, not so at all. They just appreciate it when tourists at the very least attempt to speak the language. To barge into a restaurant and rattle off a string of English (even though they all speak English) is considered rude. But if you put forth the effort with a bonjour, merci, or what little French you know will go a LONG WAY. I can’ stress that enough.
If there’s anything I can do or explain further, feel free to let me know.
Bon vacances,
Clay.
P.S.
Man, now I’m thinking I need to book a trip next year some time!
* Arc de Triomphe — you’ve seen it in the movies, but it doesn’t prepare you for seeing the real thing in person. World famous landmark on the Champs Élysées (tons of touristy shops, restaurants, etc.). If you can, take the elevators and look out over Paris.
* Café de Mars (this page is in French, so be sure to translate it) — this is a great little restaurant not far from the Champs de Mars (the sprawling lawn behind the Eiffel Tower). Intimate, fantastic food, great for a quiet out of the way dinner. (This is one of the restaurants where President Obama and the First Lady dined, so it may be tough to get a reservation there; but try. It’s so worth it. Make reservations as soon as you can.)
Disneyland Paris — a stunning European version of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. A day trip outside the Paris metropolitan area. (If you’re a Disney fan, it’s a must. But if you’ve only got a day or two in Paris, I’d skip it in favor of sites in Paris.)
Les Catacombs — cool, but a little creepy. I did it, not for the faint of heart, easily creeped out, or claustrophobic.
* Le Tour Eiffel — probably the world’s most famous landmark. Get there a little before sunset and take the elevator to the TOP observation deck for a one of a kind view of the City of Lights. It’s STUNNING!! And on your last night in town it’s good to see the nightly light show. Free to the public. Great way to close out your trip.
Le Musee D’Orsay (D’Orsay Museum) — world’s best collection of Impressionist art. You could spend half a day there and see most of the collections and come away fulfilled
Musée de Louvre (Louvre Museum) — arguably the world’s best museum. It’s sprawling and impossible to see everything in a day. The museum is overwhelming with it sheer size and the amount of art it holds. My suggestion is to search out a masterpiece of art (the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon) or type of art you enjoy (Egyptian collection, Greco-Roman collection) and see that. Each collection is tremendous.
* Musée de l’Orangerie (Orangerie Museum) — home of spectacular large format Monet water lily paintings, plus stunning standing collection. It doesn’t look like much from the exterior, that’s because the majority of the museum in underground.
* Marché au Puces – Porte de Clingnancourt (Flea Markets of the Clingnancourt Gate) – I’m sure you like to shop, so you’ll have a field day here. It’s what the French call a flea market, but it’s much more than that. There’s a wide variety of shops with really antiques, a that surpasses what we flea markets. It’s really more like a quaint mall; high quality stuff and lower prices.
* Sacré Couer (Sacred Heart Basilica) — a special class of church that sits high on a hill. You may remember seeing it in Moulin Rouge. Has a great view of the city, and behind it is a great little village of restaurants and souvenir shops. Virtual tour.
* Sainte-Chappelle (Saints Chapel)— probably the most stunning example of stained glass windows ever. It’s a must see. Across the street from Cathedral de Notre Dame.
* = a must-see!