Bonjour

 

Me n Mrs Jules are heading to the French capital this weekend (her treat to me for my 40th).

 

I’ve not been since I was a kid; so what’s touristy but good to do / see in a weekend? Also, what’s the best way into the city from the airport? I believe it’s a way out. We’re staying near the Arc De Triomphe...

 

Friday night we’ve got some swanky restaurant so that’s taken care of. Gotta wear a jacket n all that

 

Eiffel Tower?

 

Notre Dame?

 

Would the Louvre be wasted on a heathen like me?

 

Best to book stuff up front?

 

Ashamedly I know next to fuck all about the place

 

Ta

 

PS. I won’t be watching any of that cycling shite

I stopped via Paris on the way to atletico. That's my Paris knowledge sorry. Enjoy

Worth going up the Arc de Triomphe. View is supposed to be better than the Eiffel.

I flew Manchester - CDG - Philadelphia  and returned the same way. I didn't even see the Eiffel Tower. happy to help.

Truly wonderful place

 

We go every other year, at least

 

I’ll write up some notes

 

40?

Truly wonderful place

 

We go every other year, at least

 

I’ll write up some notes

 

40?

She booked it 10 years ago

 

Cheers BD

Ok

 

Jump on the train from CDG

 

Straight into Gare du Nord

 

Ticket machines are shit and busy, though, so be patient about the bureaucracy!

 

Where are you staying? How long?

 

Paris is a walking city. A great walk is from Arc Du Triompge, down the Champs Elysees, over place Concorde, through the Tuileries, raking a bit of time for lunch and to feed the fish. Then? The Louvre? Hmm. If you are into millennia of art, feel free to wander. It’s free on sundays, but packed, bien sur. Picnic in the Tuileries is our usual lunch.

 

If not the Louvre, carry on to the Marais, a nice old area full of cafe and restaurant etc

 

Another great walk is from Blance or Place du Clichy, up Rue Lepic, taking a left up to Montmatre.

 

Restaurants? You can’t have a bad meal in Paris? Yes, you can! Fork website is fine, but also a small magazine, Pariscope.

 

There are some beautiful gardens to explore

 

Have a look on the islands if you can; posh, old Paris.

 

Bateau Mouche is good for tourists

 

Do th’Eiffel; for the views

 

Paris is the European capital of jazz, if you are interested, I’ll do a separate response.

 

Just walk around and soak it up

 

Drink is expensive, so pre load, but beer is cheap in supermarche

Edited July 24, 20187 yr by boltondiver

Oh and buy a carnet for the metro

when I went first time, I walked from the Eiffel Tower down one side of the seine to notre dame, then back up the other side past the louvre (didn't go in), through some park, up the champs elysee and to arc de trimophe, then back to eiffel tower, not a bad circuit and you see a lot of the main sites (I went in April 98 so also went to the tunnel where Diana had recently crashed)

 

takes a few hours, but ticks a lot of sites off the list, and you may as well go up the tower whilst you're there

 

I like Montmatre, which is a different part of town but worth going for the sacre couer and the moulin rouge area

 

last time I went was for a supergrass gig and we stayed the night but didn't bother with a hotel, so stayed out drinking as late as we could (about 3am), then hung around in the pissing rain till the metro opened (about 6am, a long 2 or 3 hours when you're pissed with nowhere to go and nothing to do), so I'd definitely recommend getting a hotel

DP

Edited July 24, 20187 yr by ZicoKelly

Make sure you walk thru the catacombs. Amazing place. Fav city bar none.

Stayed in St. Germain last time. It was superb. Loads of tiny little bars and eateries. Proper Maigret type backdrop.

 

Having seen them before, avoided the usual tourist traps.

 

Never been to a city that stinks of piss so much. Every fucking alleyway seemed to absolutely stink of it.

Love it, been a few times

 

BD nailed plenty

 

Favourite area for me in Saint Germain, just south of the river (for casual food and drink anyroad)

 

The underground is good but you’ll walk most of it, take appropriate footwear

also in paris in Jan for her 30th

Oh, and we found a place (shithole) with beer at £2/pint a couple of year back

I like Paris - BD covers it really and I agree about the walking.

 

Be prepared to queue like fook though for any of the big tourist attractions.  I'd also suggest looking in the small streets for little Brasseries that do set menus for the locals - always excellent. 

 

i'd suggest brushing up on your French as well to avoid the inevitable huffing that comes from the natives when an Englishman opens his mouth  

 

My ex was French Canadian and our trip to Paris was ace - folk fell over her wanting to chat and that.  I've been with English lasses since and not had quite the same reception . . .

Went last summer. Loved it.

 

Paid extra for a private hire from the airport. Was worth every penny.

 

We found all the tourist stuff great. Hop on/off buses, river cruise, sights etc

 

Eiffel tower after 8pm is a lot quieter and well worth it. Take lots of cash!

Oh and buy a carnet for the metro

Is that some kind of travelcard ?

 

I'd like something that covers me for all public transport around Paris for 24/48 hours, preferably including CDG. Any ideas.

Drink red wine.

Watch the Can-Can Girls.

Chuck an onion seller's bike in the Seine.

Visit Quasimodo.

Throw a penny off the Eiffel Tower.

See The Mona Lisa.

Eat at Rene's Cafe.

Goose-step down the Champs-Elysee.

Rent a shabby cold water Garret and become a struggling artist, top up your meagre earnings from your endeavours with a plongeur's wage and eventually die, undiscovered, from alcohol poisoning and consumption.

 

Never been.

Ok

 

Jump on the train from CDG

 

Straight into Gare du Nord

 

Ticket machines are shit and busy, though, so be patient about the bureaucracy!

 

Where are you staying? How long?

 

Paris is a walking city. A great walk is from Arc Du Triompge, down the Champs Elysees, over place Concorde, through the Tuileries, raking a bit of time for lunch and to feed the fish. Then? The Louvre? Hmm. If you are into millennia of art, feel free to wander. It’s free on sundays, but packed, bien sur. Picnic in the Tuileries is our usual lunch.

 

If not the Louvre, carry on to the Marais, a nice old area full of cafe and restaurant etc

 

Another great walk is from Blance or Place du Clichy, up Rue Lepic, taking a left up to Montmatre.

 

Restaurants? You can’t have a bad meal in Paris? Yes, you can! Fork website is fine, but also a small magazine, Pariscope.

 

There are some beautiful gardens to explore

 

Have a look on the islands if you can; posh, old Paris.

 

Bateau Mouche is good for tourists

 

Do th’Eiffel; for the views

 

Paris is the European capital of jazz, if you are interested, I’ll do a separate response.

 

Just walk around and soak it up

 

Drink is expensive, so pre load, but beer is cheap in supermarche

Big thanks for the recommendations - especially BD

 

Staying at Hotel Nolinski. It says it's right by the Pyramides underground station - near the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe etc?!

 

We land Friday morning and leave 5pm Sunday 

 

We're heading to Le Cinq on Friday night so looking for less formal surroundings the rest of the time

 

Mrs Jules is pregnant so all the wine is for me and we will probably have to limit the walking a little!

 

That walk sounds ace.

 

Should we pre-book the tower?

eventually die, undiscovered, from alcohol poisoning and consumption.

 

 

 

Jules is already a way down this path

The lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower broke halfway up the last time I went. Took 30 minutes for us to move. Great view from the top though but they've put loads of obstacles in the way to stop schoolchildren spitting off the top now.

 

Go on riverboat cruise, it's proper romantic is that.

 

Otherwise, it's like most cities only a slightly stronger smell of wee from the sidestreets.

I went France v England 2001 The tunnel where Lady Diana had her crash, unbelieveable how it felt, didnt realise the scale of impact she had on us.

Enjoyed it here way more than I thought I would.

 

Randomly, I love the signs at the Metro stations, those ones for the Metropolitain Line are ace

 

The blue cheese as well, eat all the blue cheese.

Trip on the river is nice

Show at moulin rouge ?

"Place de la concorde" at the end of the champs elysees is nice - great view right down the C E

Cathedral at Notre Dame good to

 

Can get on a coach from Airport - quite frequent

 

 

Very expensive to eat and drink around the main tourist attractions - it's the usual street or 2 back for the better value.

Is quite tiring (particularly if hot), so amble and plenty of pit stops is the way forward.

Went last June for three days then on to Euro Disney.

 

The Tour de France ends in Paris on Sunday and although you should be gone before it gets there, I would imagine there will be all sorts of preparations / security going on along and around the Champs Elysees and the Arc Du Triomphe leading up to it, so if you intend to do this area you might want to consider doing earlier on in your stay.

 

I would also guess with it being the TdF weekend that the usual tourist places will be packed more than usual.

 

I do like a bit of history and culture but I found the Louvre to be boring and unless you really want to see the Mona Lisa painting in the flesh I recommend you give the place a swerve.  A much nicer place and just up the river from the Louvre (heading towards the Eiffel Tower) is a little museum called The Orangerie  (Musee de l'Orangerie) which is lovely and in a beautiful setting and is all you need for your culture fill, as it contains the only remaining wall of the Bastille, Water Lilly pictures by Monet a lovely little sit down café and isn't that big to walk around.

 

The Eiffel Tower is a must.  They only let so many people at a time go to the very top, so depending at what time you go you may well have to queue,  Worth it though.

 

As for walking, if the weather is as hot as it is now, you may want to go early morning or late evening, otherwise take plenty of water and keep in the shade the best you can.

 

I didn't have time to go to Sacre Coeur or Montmartre this time but I think it would be ideal for an evening out for yourselves.  The church is a church at the end of the day (I'm not religious) and looks better on the outside than on the inside to me but the area is ideal for tourists to eat and relax there.

 

I suggest also you do the riverboat cruise first because all the major tourist places (apart from the Sacre Coeur) are all close to the river and the cruise points them out and gives you a good idea where everything is and gives you your bearings for the rest of the weekend.

 

Have a great time.