Paris (France) travel tips/suggestions... with kids

[Moliere]

I think I'm going to take my wife to Paris for our 20th Anniversary. I haven't read every page of this thread yet but any head starts people want to give on what part of the city to stay in would be appreciated. We'll be there 10 days.

Paris? Yeah, I got nothing....sorry

I've made some posts in this thread with details on what I've done. I'll see if I can dig them out and link them up if I get time.

One quick note though, you could honestly spend a year in Paris and not see everything, however I wouldn't advise spending all 10 days in Paris. Depending on your interests you should consider going somewhere for a couple days that is close enough to Paris but gets you out of the city. Some good examples would be the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy Beaches, Loire River Valley, Rue des Vins (pretty scenery but you likely won't be drinking wine), etc. Most of that stuff was in my mission so there might be others that I don't know about that are somewhat close, but you'd probably appreciate breaking up the monotony of tourist life in Paris. My recommendation would be the Mont Saint Michel coupled with a Normandy tour.

[ERCougar]

Paris? Yeah, I got nothing....sorry

I've made some posts in this thread with details on what I've done. I'll see if I can dig them out and link them up if I get time.

One quick note though, you could honestly spend a year in Paris and not see everything, however I wouldn't advise spending all 10 days in Paris. Depending on your interests you should consider going somewhere for a couple days that is close enough to Paris but gets you out of the city. Some good examples would be the Mont Saint Michel, Normandy Beaches, Loire River Valley, Rue des Vins (pretty scenery but you likely won't be drinking wine), etc. Most of that stuff was in my mission so there might be others that I don't know about that are somewhat close, but you'd probably appreciate breaking up the monotony of tourist life in Paris. My recommendation would be the Mont Saint Michel coupled with a Normandy tour.

Completely agree.
Spend a night on Mont st Michel. It completely shuts down and you feel like you're the only ones there. Your wife will love it.
Also agree on Normandy.
I'd do half Paris, half Normandy.
Oh, and spend a day in Dinan. Oh yeah, and Honfleur. And Chartres. ....

(Dinan is a little bit out of the way, but it's unlike any other city you'll ever visit. Read about it. My cousin, who has lived in France off and on for a good twenty years, recommended it and I'm really glad we made the effort to get there. I think it's worth renting a car for your days outside Paris. Driving through the Normandy countryside is really nice.)

[Topper]

I think I'm going to take my wife to Paris for our 20th Anniversary. I haven't read every page of this thread yet but any head starts people want to give on what part of the city to stay in would be appreciated. We'll be there 10 days.

The others have some good suggestions.

Here are some things I enjoy doing in Paris.

First, go to the Eiffel Tower, before they light up the lights, bring food, and enjoy the grassy knolls with your wife. When they light it up after dusk it is quite a sight. (Btw, my youngest born and reared in Vegas, fell asleep and woke up, seeing the lights of the Eiffel Tower, exclaimed upon awaking, "We're back home in Vegas?!").

Second, I agree with Mont St. Michel, and the 1st Arrondissement. I would also wonder around the 8th, as some of the cool embassies are along the Rue de Saint Honore.

Third, go to the Bois de Bourlogne.

Fourth, visit the Pont Neuf, which means new bridge but is the oldest bridge in Paris and is near the Cathedrale de Notre Dame.

Fifth, take a Bateau Mouche along the River Seine.

Sixth, compare Rive Gauche with Rive Droit.

Seventh, walk from the L'Arc de Triomphe along to the L'Obelisque and the Tuilieries Garden and Palace.

Eight, if you like French War History, go to Les Invalides. (This is weird because, they show fashion, not great victories).

(I will stop as there are so many places, I love there).

[LA Ute]

I think I'm going to take my wife to Paris for our 20th Anniversary. I haven't read every page of this thread yet but any head starts people want to give on what part of the city to stay in would be appreciated. We'll be there 10 days.

We are headed there in about a week. I'll piggyback on your request for advice. We're already planning on Normandy. This being the 70th anniversary year makes that part of the trip all the more interesting. I've always wanted to go.

[Moliere]

For those interested here are my recommendations:

Must sees in/around Paris

Tour Eiffel: You have to do this and you have to go up it just to say you did. I've done it during the day and night and both are spectacular. It gets windy up there so bring a jacket just in case it’s cool on the ground. If you are athletic and want a little challenge you can take the stair to the second etage (level) and from there you have to take the elevator to the top. It’s a surreal feeling as you get to the top of the tower and there is very little iron around the elevator. Also, I’d recommend fist going to the Trocadero metro stop just across the Seine and taking pictures and then walk down the steps and cross the bridge to the base of the tower.

Notre Dame: If you have time, take a self guided tour that allows you to climb up the bell tower and see more of it. The best view of Paris is from the top of Notre Dame in one of the columns (Tour Eiffel is a cool view but it's too high to really see much in detail).

Montmartre: Home of the Sacre Coeur, it is a cool building from the outside. Make sure you visit the square that is just to the left of the building (on your left when looking at it) as it is full of artists and little cafes. This is my favorite place to sit down and enjoy an Orangina (if hot) or hot chocolate (if cold) while watching people walk around (people watching). The Salvador Dali museum is around here too and it's cool if you like existential art. Be careful in this area as the north side of Paris is not the best place. Stay in the touristy area here and you'll be fine.

Musee D'Orsay: Great and famous museum on the opposite side of the Seine from the Louvre. It has A LOT of impressionist works that are more familiar to everyone including Rodin, Van Gogh, and Monet. It is housed in an old railway station, which adds to the coolness of the museum. I actually prefer the Musee D’Orsay to the Louvre.

Louvre: Honestly, unless you are a painting buff I'd avoid spending a ton of time in the Louvre. It has so much stuff it's amazing but also overwhelming. If you are going to visit it, plan before hand what your are going to see (Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, etc.) by finding a map online and marking where you will go otherwise you’ll spend hours looking at art that you are not familiar with. I would recommend Napolean III chambers as they are pretty cool and on the opposite side of the museum from the Mona Lisa.

Versailles: I lived here for 6 months and would always recommend it. Take the RER (regional train) from Paris (Train C I think) to Rive Gauche station (you could go to Versailles Chantiller or Rive Droit but it's a longer walk but they used to sell Dr. Pepper at one of the little stands in Chantiller which was a gold mine as a missionary). Make sure you check that Versailles is open the day you go since it is usually closed once a week. Take a walking tour of the inside with one of those phone like things. Then rent a bicycle and pedal around the gardens and be sure to visit the little village out by the petit trianon. If you go into a pastry shop in Versailles and see a “Royale” you should get it as these are typically only sold in Versailles and they taste good of course.

Bateau Mouche: Boat ride on the Seine that takes about an hour. Fun ride and you can sit down and relax. I think this departs by the Louvre or Pont d’Alma. Will take you by the touristy things.

Arc de Triomphe/Champs Elysees: The arc is okay and worth the look. You can go up it from where you will have a nice view of Paris. It’s also fun to watch the traffic in the roundpoint below. I once drove that roundpoint in the heart of rush hour and survived to tell the tale. From here you can also walk the Champs Elysees, which I don’t strongly recommend but it’s fun. Everything in this area is expensive so you might plan to shop/eat somewhere else.

LDS Church/St. Merri Building: The church's biggest presence in Paris is at the St. Merri building, which is by the George Pompidou Center (museum of modern art) and not far from the Louvre and Notre Dame. If you have time it’s worth the visit. In 1999 they had exhibits of the church there and it was staffed by missionaries. They also hold church services here and I’d imagine you might find a translator as I’m sure they get tourists every week. There is also a good ward in Neuilly and another on the east side of Paris. Ironically enough the church building is on the edge of the pink district, but don't worry, gay French people are just as nice and kind as gay Americans.

[Moliere]

Other fun stuff in/around Paris

Paris Opera House: The actual place where the Phantom of the Opera is supposed to have happened. I’d recommend not only seeing it from the outside, but you should find out what is playing and try to see a performance. We were allowed to do a cultural activity around Christmas time and we went to a ballet here. Obviously any performance in there is top notch and the tickets weren’t too expensive, although we sat in the highest section. It’s absolutely gorgeous from the inside.

Catacombs: These are cool to see. You get to walk around underground and see walls of bones. I can't remember where the entrance to this is since it's been over a decade since I've been down there.

Latin Quarter: I'd recommend eating dinner somewhere in here. It is by the Sarbonne. Don’t choose a restaurant beforehand and just walk around and pick a restaurant, there are seriously tons of them in this area. Their menus are all up for display beforehand. I'd recommend eating outside if it’s not too cool as just about every restaurant will have patio seating.

Rodin Museum: This is by the Eiffel Tower and has some of Rodin’s works. I lived on Rue Valadon while I was in Paris, which was just over a stones throw from this museum but never visited. I finally made it there a couple years ago and it's a great exhibit set in a beautiful garden. If you like impressionism and you like sculpture, Rodin is the place to go.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery: Sounds odd to see a cemetery on vacation but this one has some famous people’s graves including Chopin, Moliere (may he rest in peace) and Jim Morrison. If you have the time and interest then visit, if not then skip it. If you do go, either buy a cheap map or take a picture of the map with your phone as you enter. The roads in the cemetary are very difficult to follow unless you have a guide as they turn around and around and there is little in the way of permanent markers from which to gauge your position.

Les Invalides: More of a military museum. It looks cool from the outside with the large gold dome and I toured it once but was not extremely impressed enough to remember what I saw.

[Moliere]

Other stuff not too far from Paris

Etretat: Again, this is a ways from Paris but I highly, highly recommend it. You can get there by train/bus by taking a train from the Saint Lazare railway station to Le Havre and then a bus to Etretat but I’d recommend driving there. It is on the coast in Haute Normandy (not near the D-day beaches which are in Basse Normandy) and is an awesome town at the base of a place where the cliffs come down and meet the beach. Eat some "moules-frites" (mussels and fries) at a local restaurant. Climb the cliffs on both sides. This is at least a day trip. You could always get up early on Sunday morning and drive to Rouen to attend sacrament meeting in an old church building across from the cathedral (a fairly good sized ward) and then drive one more hour to Etretat and enjoy it the rest of the day.

Rouen: I served here for 6 months and actually cried when I left. It’s a large city on the Seine in Haute Normandy. It’s appeal is that it is one of the few large cities in which the centreville was preserved during the war. It therefore has the old Norman type construction in the middle of town. It’s about an hour train ride from Paris (take the train from Saint-Lazare) and visit centreville. This is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and they have a church/marker for that. The cathedral here has the tallest steeple in the world (or so I’ve heard) but the stained glass windows are lacking.

Chartres: If you are a cathedral buff, then visit Chartres. It is about an hour train ride south of Paris and has probably the second or third most famous cathedral in France (after Notre Dame and Reims). It’s a decent sized town but I didn’t spend much time here as I only visited it a couple times. There is also a castle/palace in Rambouillet, which is on the to Chartres that would make for a great detour...although I never did stop here.

Giverny: If you like Monet you'll have to visit this place. You can get there by train (via Vernon I think) but it's easier by car. Awesome gardens and awesome museum and definitely worth the trip if you like Monet or impressionism.

Normandy: I highly recommend visiting here. I was here once over Memorial Day and it was very special. I'd recommend that unless you are an expert or at least well versed in the D-day landings and history that you book a tour. I booked a day long tour through http://www.overlordtour.com/ and our guide was fantastic. The tour started and ended in Bayeux and we got to see all the big sights and even some smaller ones in one day. The tour guide was very knowledgable, but there are many, many other tour outfits there. You'll be surprised how much stuff there is in and around the beaches and it was nice to have someone that knew the hotspots as well as the more interesting things off the beaten path.

Mont Saint Michel: This is probably my third or fourth favorite place in France. It’s an old abbey that sits on a large mound in the Channel. It’s part of the land during the day and the tide comes in at night and surrounds mound making it an island. I'd strongly recommend this place, especially if you are visiting the Normandy beaches (they are a bit far apart but if you see one then you might as well see the other) though and you can rent a hotel room and sit on the balcony and watch the tide come in and surround the island. Truly a wonderous place to see and visit. If you do visit and want to rent a room, do it in advance so you can have one that faces the water so you can see the water come in. They are currently renovating the entry way to the Mont so I don't think they let you drive right up to it, but it's still accessible.

Chantilly/Pierrefonds: These are actually northeast of Paris and you'll need a car but they are pretty cool. Chantilly has a beautiful castle that looks like a palace and Pierrefonds is more of a middle ages type castle. Both are open to tourists and can be fun to see. The drive to Pierrefonds is really beautiful as you will go through many Robin Hood type forests and the town is gorgeous.

[Moliere]

Some traveling suggestions

You will not want a car in Paris. Instead, buy a “carte orange” from any ticketing booth and use it to get around. Usually if you buy zones 1 & 2 you can get anywhere within Paris. Then if you want to go to Versailles or take a train somewhere else or just get back to the airport you can just buy a special ticket to do that.

You’ll need some cash for street vendors or pastry shops. They might take cards now, but usually having 100 Euro in cash is a good idea. All decent restaurants should take credit cards.

I never bought the museum pass or anything like that mainly because I was there every two weeks and never knew when I’d be transferred out of the area. It might be worth it if you are there for a week or two and are hitting a lot of tourist sites. However, buying tickets in advance over the internet for the big items (Louvre, Eiffel Tower, etc.) is highly recommended. That way you won't have to wait in the line for tickets and then wait in the line to go up the tower. Ticket lines can be long during the higher tourist times.

Pastries: You have to eat a lot of them and from patisseries and not the grocery store. I'd recommend the following: Millefeuilles (these are my favorites and are addicting), religieuses, royal (only served in Versailles), beignet au chocolat, pain au chocolat, pain aux aumands. Sadly my favorite pastry places are all outside of Paris (mostly in Normandy) but Paris probably still has some really good ones I'm sure. Also buy a bagette sandwich for lunch. They are cheap and very good. If you dare you can also buy a bagette and some cheese (brie or camembert are milder) and eat that for lunch. Also if you dare, eat a grec, at least that is what we called them. They are basically gyros or kabobs, but are very good in some places in paris. Also, eat a crepe from a crepe stand on the sidewalk. I prefer the Nutella ones. If you end up in a creperie, try a galette (basically a dinner crepe with origines from Brittany).

If you want a romantic dinner (not likely with kids) I'd recommend "Le Ciel" which is a restaurant on the 50-something floor of the Montparnasse tower (the only skyscraper in Paris). It has a window view of the eiffel tower. Here's the website http://www.cieldeparis.com/. My wife and I were there on our honeymoon and we eat dinner and watched the sun go down on Paris and the Eiffel Tower. The food is good (not crazy good) and of course it’s a little spendy but you are paying more for the ambiance and view. In my opinion it is worth it.

Be careful of pickpocketers and purse snatchers. Always travel light and keep your wallet and other stuff in an inside pocket or zipper pocket. It’s not too often you would run into them but they are out there in the tourist areas and if you lose your stuff that would suck on vacation. I always carried my wallet in my front pocket or on the inside pocket of my jacket. I once had my wallet stolen while I was in church since I left my jacket hanging up in the closet by the door.

Pack light when you are out during the day. Try to take only what you need (but don’t forget an umbrella if it is the slightest bit overcast). A small backpack is good. You will be walking everywhere and riding the metro, which often times requires a lot of steps and standing, so mobility is the key. When you have the opportunity to sit down (metro, train, waiting in line, etc.) take the chance and sit to rest your legs. You'll be back on them shortly so might as well rest them when you can.

Never feel bad about ignoring or bluntly saying no to street vendors. You don't need to be polite to them. One guy started cutting out a silhouette of my face once and I ignored him and kept walking. He followed me and kept working on the silhouette thing and I told him "No". When he finished he gave it to me and demanded 20 francs. I told him I didn't want it and he got upset. I just kept walking and ignored him. They (street vendors) will do all they can to make you feel like you owe them something but just bluntly say no and ignore them.

If you are staying in an apartment and will be buying food, you will need to bring a bag to the supermarket as they are not provided for free. I guess you could buy one there, but if you have a bag or backpack then bring it.

Getting to and from the airport is easy on the train as long as you are mobile. If you have one rolling suitcase per person and know where you are going then by all means take the train to get to Paris and the subway to get to your hotel. If you are a bit nervous about getting around the first time, especially while hauling luggage, then take a cab to the hotel. You can always take the train back to the airport when you are more familiar with the subways and trains. It’s cheaper to take the train, but honestly when I’m on vacation I’m not as interested in saving money as I am in getting around easily. Also, Paris metro stations are not very luggage friendly. Be prepared to go up and down steps without escalators. Sure there are escalators in many stations, but you'll need to be able to carry your stuff up and down some steps at some point. If you are worried about that, then take a cab when you are hauling your suitcases. Personally when I go to Paris I take a large backpacking bag. This allows me to carry most of my stuff on my back and then I'll have a little carry on bag that I wheel around that's not too heavy.

If you rent a car (which you should if you are visiting Normandy) then get a GPS device. You'll need it.

[Mormon Red Death]

I really liked the rodin museum. See the thinker and the gates of hell and the kiss

[PaloAltoCougar]

Moliere, that's a great list. We've seen most of the things on the list but now need to go back to finish them off (and I know there's still way more to see). Everyone has to go to the Louvre, but I agree the D'Orsay was more enjoyable.

And anyone going to Chartres (worth it!) should arrange a tour with Malcolm Miller. He is probably the world's expert on the cathedral, and has been doing tours there for well over a half century. Assuming he's still kicking, he'll give you a couple of hours that will help make your visit very memorable.

And LAU, you've probably already done this, but either arrange for a tour of Normandy with a good guide or do LOTS of self-study if you're going the self-guided tour route. We hired Ellwood Von Siebold who really knows his stuff. He lives in what was the mayor's house on the town square in St. Mere Eglise, across from the church where the American paratrooper got his 'chute got on the steeple.

[kccougar]

Some light Sunday afternoon reading! Thanks, all.

[Topper]

Great list Moline.

[Moliere]

Great list Moline.

Thanks, but if you want a list of Moline, IL I can do that as well but it'll be much shorter . I put this thing together after my last trip with MJ. I was getting a number of people asking for tips/advice on trips to Paris so I just wrote it all out one night. I need to go back and edit it....or wait for DH to finish reading it so he can make the edits.

[Moliere]

FYI, if you guys end up at the Mont Saint Michel (truly, if you go to Normandy and don't visit the Mont then shame on you) I'd highly recommend staying at the Auberge Saint Pierre and ask them for a room with a terrace and a bay view. You'll need to climb some steps and squeeze through some small doorways, but the experience is worth it. MJ and I planned to sit on the terrace and watch the tide come in, but we missed it for one reason or another. Now we have to go back and watch for it again.

http://www.auberge-saint-pierre.fr/uk/index.php

[Jacob]

Just got back from Paris. We really enjoyed 3 days in the Loire valley. Stayed in Amboise and visited several towns and chateau in the area.