If this is your first trip to Paris, I can help you navigate and sink into the rhythm of the city.
Paris is my favorite city in the world and I have been visiting Paris as a student, business person, and tourist for more than 25 years. Here are my recommendations (prices are based upon my last visit in fall of 2013).
Paris is my favorite city in the world and I have been visiting Paris as a student, business person, and tourist for more than 25 years. Here are my recommendations (prices are based upon my last visit in fall of 2013).
1. STUDY city map and metro (maps) BEFORE going in order to familiarize yourself with the city. (I do this for every city I visit).
2. Buy a good, pocket-sized guidebook such as Rick
Steves’ Paris and/or Marco Polo guide to Paris. Read BEFORE you go
to Paris!!!!
Paris Overview:
The city is divided into 20 arrondisments—Everything is coded (even zip codes) by
arrondisement. My favorites are the the, 1st, 4th,
5th, 6th, 8th and 9th. http://www.parisnet.com/parismap.html
Of note, The Eiffel Tower is in the 16th (16ieme).
From Paris.net------In Paris arrondissements are named
according to their number. For example, you might live in the 5th
arrondissement, which would be written as 5ème (or 5e) in French. Looking at
the Paris Map you can see that the districts spiral out from the center in
numerical order. If you know the postal code of any address in Paris, you can
easily identify which arrondissement it is located in because Parisian postal
codes take the form of - 75XXX - with the last two digits being equal to the
arrondissement (e.g. 75008 is the postal code for the 8th arrondissement). The
suburbs are called the banlieues. The areas to the west
of the city (Neuilly, Boulogne, Saint Cloud, Levallois, Versailles) are the
most desirable and they are generally more peaceful than the city. Each of the
Paris neighborhoods and arrondissements has its own special character.
-Latin Quarter/Boul-Miche (St Michel Metro in
5th) near Notre Dame is my favorite spot. There are great cafes, Greek
Gyros, and Moroccoan restaurants there. It is vibrant, youthful,
and diverse.
-Le Marais/ Place Des Voges/Bastille (3rd/4th
arrondisement) is my second favorite area.
--Other favorite spots and must sees: Jardin Du
Luxembourg, Champs Elysees(PM), Trocadero metro(AM and PM for best Eiffel tower
photos) , MontMartre, "Beaubourg" and the Centre
Pompidou and Canal
Saint-Martin
My Paris recommendations/tips:
---Paris is a great walking city and the Metro and buses are convenient for moving around. Buy Metro booklets of 10 tickets and you can use these tickets on both the metro and the buses. I used my Metro App to guide me on how to connect. A book of 10 metro tickets cost 13euros30. The single ticket price is 1,70€. (September 2013) See excellent article on how to use the Paris Metro here: http://parisbytrain.com/tag/paris-metro/
---Paris is a great walking city and the Metro and buses are convenient for moving around. Buy Metro booklets of 10 tickets and you can use these tickets on both the metro and the buses. I used my Metro App to guide me on how to connect. A book of 10 metro tickets cost 13euros30. The single ticket price is 1,70€. (September 2013) See excellent article on how to use the Paris Metro here: http://parisbytrain.com/tag/paris-metro/
---Take the metro to St. Michel and walk all around Notre Dame area , up and down the Blvd. St Michel and St Germain des Pres, then back across and along to the Seine river.
---Take long bus rides from one end of the city
to the other where you will pass some of the most famous sites such as the
Opera house and famous plazas such as the Place de la Republique, while you are
completely above ground. This is obviously a great alternative to taking the
Metro because you are able to see all the sights along the way. Also,
whenever I took the bus, it was never crowded. I could easily get two or four
seats to myself and I had ample room to take out my camera and snap sights
along the way. Buses #69 gives a scenic east-west city tour.
Bus line # 20 stopped right near my hotel, at my metro stop: Chemin Vert.
Of note, metro tickets are valid on city buses.
---Take nightly strolls through vibrant areas.
Tops were lively
quartiers of St Michel area, Champs-Elysées, Bastille area, Montmatre
(Nice sunset panoramic views over the city) and Le Marais.
--- Take self-guided tour: Historic Paris Walk
from Rick Steves book---5ieme
---Prisunic and Monoprix are good stores for basic needs. The larger ones are like Target—with everything from food and wine to toiletries and clothing. There are 24-hour ones on Champs Elysees.
---Prisunic and Monoprix are good stores for basic needs. The larger ones are like Target—with everything from food and wine to toiletries and clothing. There are 24-hour ones on Champs Elysees.
---Have a meal from a pastry shop. My
favorite is to go window-shopping in a pastry shop and settle on a quiche
Lorraine or quiche with 3 cheeses, freshly baked, hot from the oven.
These rich snacks cost under 3 euros.
---Have picnics in Jardin du Luxembourg or in
park in front of Eiffel Tower.
---Visit my favorite history museum of the city
of Paris, Carnavalet. This museum showcases art and artifacts of Paris
with an emphasis on the Revolution and new republic periods. What I like
most is the variety of artifacts from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries
including metal shop signs, guillotine miniatures, personal items (hair combs,
cutlery, pistols, hair of famous Parisians), and portraiture.
---Stay in hotel near a Metro stop.
---Consider taking walking tours from Paris –
walks.com. Expert guides provide about 10 or 15 different 2- hour-long walking
tours daily, for only €12. There are tours at 10:30 AM and it 2:30 PM,
daily. http://www.paris-walks.com/
I took 4 excellent walking tours conducted by smart, passionate, witty guides from a company that offers 3-6 daily tours, rain or shine. They feature more than 20-themed tours. My small group tours cost 12 euros each. Here are the brief tour descriptions, of tours I took, written by Paris-Walks.com:
I took 4 excellent walking tours conducted by smart, passionate, witty guides from a company that offers 3-6 daily tours, rain or shine. They feature more than 20-themed tours. My small group tours cost 12 euros each. Here are the brief tour descriptions, of tours I took, written by Paris-Walks.com:
THURSDAY 2:30pm The Marais Circuit 2
Stories of royalty, mistresses and intrigue in this beautiful historic
neighborhood. On circuit 2 we explore the Northern side of the Marais. Elegant
classical mansions with graceful courtyards and gardens, the old Jewish quarter
with the picturesque rue des Rosiers, and the peaceful place des Vosges, the
city’s oldest square. Meet at metro St Paul There is always an extra tour on
Sunday.
FRIDAY 10.30am Hemingway's Paris
Explore this charming district in the Latin Quarter with the old houses of the Mouffetard
market street, an impressive fragment of the medieval city wall, and
the lovely historic church of St Etienne-du-Mont. It is associated with many
writers: Joyce, Orwell, Balzac, Hugo, and Verlaine and immortalized by
Hemingway in A Moveable Feast. Meet at metro Cardinal Lemoine.
I took this tour IN THE RAIN!
MONDAY 10.30am Ile de la Cité and Notre Dame Read the stories in the medieval sculptures, and hear how the cathedral was built. We explore the history and architecture of the Island, the old streets, the flower market, quiet gardens, secret courtyards and the poignant memorial to the deported. Meet at metro Cité BTW, Notre Dame turned 850 in 2013.
---Go to Trocadero (metro stop) (Eiffel Tower
observation point)—This is a great photo spot! (for the best shots of you in
front of the Eiffel Tower.)
---The Marais is a charming area just north of the Seine in the third and fourth arrondisements
---Have café and croissant in the AM.---The Marais is a charming area just north of the Seine in the third and fourth arrondisements
---Prisunic and Monoprix are good stores for basic needs. The larger ones are like Target—with everything from food and wine to toiletries and clothing. There are 24-hour ones on Champs Elysees.
---Neighborhood shops—every neighborhood has
its own boulangerie/patisserie bakery/pastry shop (buy your morning croissant
and quiche snack from here. (They will heat up/warm treats for you) and
alimentation grocer.
---Visit market streets i.e., Mouffetard market
street and Sunday Bastille Market
---For
a memorable evening, sit on the steps of the Sacré Coeur with a Perrier or a
bottle of wine and watch the Eiffel Tower come to life and sparkle every hour
on the hour until midnight.
---Visit some of Paris’ 200 museums. Choose
them based upon your time and interests.
---Visit
the breathtaking and serene Jardin de Luxembourg. It was as much of a
feast for the eyes as I had remembered.
---Remember---on the menu, “entrée” is the
appetizer.
---Sit in a café (near a window or outside) to
people watch.
---Say, “bonjour” when entering shops and “au
revoir” when exiting!!
------------------------I have lots more to add but I want to send
now!!!
