My Top Picks When I Go to ParisSo, what are my favorites? When I'm only there for a week, here are my top choices!
1. Musée d'Orsay - This is a fabulous museum full of impressionists and art nouveau. I've read guide books that give you three hours, but short of running through the museum and looking at the art in using peripheral vision, it should take longer. Plan on a full (4 hours) day with a break to enjoy lunch in the restaurant.This museum has sentimental meaning to m because I accompanied a friend to the "exclusive" opening of the museum in 1987. I was also able to see how long the line was from my little window where I lived. Alternative - if you don't want to spend a whole day but want to see impressionist art, visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, located at the far end of the Jardin des Tuileries. 2. Musée Carnavalet - Located in the Marais, this my favorite history museum as it's all about Paris. I'm enamored with the tableaux of the city when the outer arrondisemtents were still countryside. It also includes artifacts dug up from the Parisi, the first tribe to inhabit the island, Île de la Cité where Notre Dame is located, back in prehistoric times. You can do this museum in about a half-day. Alternative: Musée National du Moyen-Âge-Thermes de Cluny - This is my other favorite history museum as I love the Middle Ages. This is where you will see the famous "Lady with a Unicorn" tapestry. You can also do this in about a half-day. 3. Tour Montparnass - This is one of my radical choices as it is, for me, a welcome alternative to the crowds of the Eiffel Tower which is usually crowded and slow. The Montparnass Tower is the only sky scraper allowed within the Parisian city limits. It is still the tallest one in Europe and still controversial among the older generation. It rises above a busy train station, RER and metro station, and a huge center of commerce (mall). The line always seems reasonably fast (like 15 mins!) and you are whisked up a super fast elevator to the observatory floor at the top. It is air conditioned and includes the most amazing 360 degree view of the city and the suburbs beyond. There are little maps all around so you can identify what you're seeing (like that's the Eiffel Tower down there), a dark room with informational movies, a gift store, and a (probably) super expensive cafe. And did I mention it's all air conditioned?! My favorite part, though, is that you can walk up the final flight of stairs to the roof. I have a great memory of watching a lightning storm, far away over the country side, with my daughter. Despite my choice for the sky scraper view, you MUST at least walk underneath the Eiffle Tower. It's one of the most amazing sights you'll ever see - and one of my favorites. Warning - eat before hand as the most expensive street vendors, I'm sure, are located here! And of course, the pick-pockets will be busy along here too. 4. Le Chateau de Versailles - This is just an amazing day trip. You do not need to go through every room to enjoy it. Just walking around the grounds can be enough. Unless you are up for a long day, I suggest you choose between the Chateau or the Grand and Petit Trianons and Marie Antoinette's petite hameau. This will be an entire day trip! |
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WHAT, THAT'S ALL?
So, you are probably aghast at what I've left out! But let me say that many of the must-see sites I consider appropriate for those in-between activities:
1. Notre Dame de Paris - must-see. It does not have to be a long visit. However, you can visit the museum under the Parvis which shows the ancient part of the cathedral, parts of Paris that have been built over, and archaeological findings of Parisi.
2. The Latin Quarter - after you've wandered around Notre Dame, cross the bridge to St. Michelle and wander the streets. The cafe's are fun, the restaurants are reasonable and there's great street food and shopping. It's a lively place to be at night too!
3. Sacré Coeur - I love this church as it's turn of the century (1900s) mosaics are beautiful. The area around the church is lively and fun. And the view is amazing!
4. Arc de Triomphe - If for nothing else, this is worth visiting because until you're there, you can't imagine how huge this is. I've never seen pictures that have done it's size justice. You can walk to the top for, again, an amazing view. The other part of this that you shouldn't miss is the traffic circle that runs around it. You will simply be dizzy if you don't have an anxiety attack imagining driving around it! Don't worry, there are underground walk-ways to get from one side to the other!
5.The Champs Élysées is surprising. It's REALLY long, in case you decide to just walk from the Jardins des Tuileries to the Arc de Triomphe! And I find it's not all that interesting. There are a lot of touristy stores, cinemas, touristy cafe's, incredibly expensive boutiques, expensive night clubs, and fast food joints. However, I do like the Virgin Super Store! If you want to see it, take the bus.
6. The Pompidou Center - This is the city's super-center of modern art and all things funky and rebellious. If you are a real fan of the modern art, you may want to put this on your must see museums. However, for everyone else, just seeing the controversial museum can be enough. You can also take escalator in the tube scaling the outside of the museum to the top The area around here is funky and fun. Lots of good places to eat and shop inexpensively. I love to come here just to hang out. And it's close to Les Halles
7. A Seine River Cruise - There are lots of companies that do this. I would not pay the extra for dinner on the cruise though. It's a perfect activity for the first night there - after you've had your nap and are in that confused, jet-lagged, I-don't-know-what-to-do place. I will often buy my tickets on Expedia while I'm buying my plane ticket. The cruise during the day is great, but I prefer the evening!
8. And in case you wonder where the Musée du Louvre is on my list? Well, it's enormous and you will walk by, around, and in front of it many times while you tour the city. And did I say it's HUGE? Although much of the ginormous building is actually offices and other museums, it's a week-long, or more, museum experience.
For many people, they can not think about leaving Paris without doing this museum. Here are my suggestions: 1. If you are in Paris for a short time, choose a smaller museum to experience amazing art - there are many. Don't go here simply for bragging rights. 2. If you really want to visit the Louvre, purchase a guide book or study their web site. Find out which couple of sections interest you the most, and thoroughly enjoy those.
SO MUCH TO SEE, SO LITTLE TIME!
It always happens to me, no matter how well I've planned my trip. I run out of time.
With so much to see and do and eat in Paris, your only defense is to have the attitude - on our next trip. The urge to fit it all in can be overwhelming, but the price of trying to can be too high. Tempers flare as the fatigue sets in, one museum blends into another, and the trip can turn into a quest to check things off your list.
I can not encourage you enough to plan lite, enjoy the city, relax in parks, discover neighborhoods by mistake and sit in cafes for long periods of time and even take naps. You want to be sure you're climbing onto that plane home planning your next trip rather than thankful to be finally leaving.
1. Notre Dame de Paris - must-see. It does not have to be a long visit. However, you can visit the museum under the Parvis which shows the ancient part of the cathedral, parts of Paris that have been built over, and archaeological findings of Parisi.
2. The Latin Quarter - after you've wandered around Notre Dame, cross the bridge to St. Michelle and wander the streets. The cafe's are fun, the restaurants are reasonable and there's great street food and shopping. It's a lively place to be at night too!
3. Sacré Coeur - I love this church as it's turn of the century (1900s) mosaics are beautiful. The area around the church is lively and fun. And the view is amazing!
4. Arc de Triomphe - If for nothing else, this is worth visiting because until you're there, you can't imagine how huge this is. I've never seen pictures that have done it's size justice. You can walk to the top for, again, an amazing view. The other part of this that you shouldn't miss is the traffic circle that runs around it. You will simply be dizzy if you don't have an anxiety attack imagining driving around it! Don't worry, there are underground walk-ways to get from one side to the other!
5.The Champs Élysées is surprising. It's REALLY long, in case you decide to just walk from the Jardins des Tuileries to the Arc de Triomphe! And I find it's not all that interesting. There are a lot of touristy stores, cinemas, touristy cafe's, incredibly expensive boutiques, expensive night clubs, and fast food joints. However, I do like the Virgin Super Store! If you want to see it, take the bus.
6. The Pompidou Center - This is the city's super-center of modern art and all things funky and rebellious. If you are a real fan of the modern art, you may want to put this on your must see museums. However, for everyone else, just seeing the controversial museum can be enough. You can also take escalator in the tube scaling the outside of the museum to the top The area around here is funky and fun. Lots of good places to eat and shop inexpensively. I love to come here just to hang out. And it's close to Les Halles
7. A Seine River Cruise - There are lots of companies that do this. I would not pay the extra for dinner on the cruise though. It's a perfect activity for the first night there - after you've had your nap and are in that confused, jet-lagged, I-don't-know-what-to-do place. I will often buy my tickets on Expedia while I'm buying my plane ticket. The cruise during the day is great, but I prefer the evening!
8. And in case you wonder where the Musée du Louvre is on my list? Well, it's enormous and you will walk by, around, and in front of it many times while you tour the city. And did I say it's HUGE? Although much of the ginormous building is actually offices and other museums, it's a week-long, or more, museum experience.
For many people, they can not think about leaving Paris without doing this museum. Here are my suggestions: 1. If you are in Paris for a short time, choose a smaller museum to experience amazing art - there are many. Don't go here simply for bragging rights. 2. If you really want to visit the Louvre, purchase a guide book or study their web site. Find out which couple of sections interest you the most, and thoroughly enjoy those.
SO MUCH TO SEE, SO LITTLE TIME!
It always happens to me, no matter how well I've planned my trip. I run out of time.
With so much to see and do and eat in Paris, your only defense is to have the attitude - on our next trip. The urge to fit it all in can be overwhelming, but the price of trying to can be too high. Tempers flare as the fatigue sets in, one museum blends into another, and the trip can turn into a quest to check things off your list.
I can not encourage you enough to plan lite, enjoy the city, relax in parks, discover neighborhoods by mistake and sit in cafes for long periods of time and even take naps. You want to be sure you're climbing onto that plane home planning your next trip rather than thankful to be finally leaving.