# Paris in October **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501 "2021-07-14T20:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/41 "2021-07-20T16:22:06Z")
by the way, adhemar, the Vigipirate plan is still in effect. That means military patrols in subway, trains, airports and around touristic hotpoints. We are used to see them, but that can be unsettling for someone. Don’t take photographs of them. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/42 "2021-07-20T16:36:04Z")
wow, did not know about that. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/43 "2021-07-20T18:24:09Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > It easier to just get there early, before the great unwashed do whatever it is they do in the morning. That was my strategy when I was there (September/October 2010 and August 2015). Another thing you can do at the Eiffel Tower if you’re able: climb the stairs to the first level instead of taking the elevator. There’s a separate ticket booth for that, and the line is shorter. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/44 "2021-07-20T20:21:09Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame, Statue of Liberty, Tower of London, Disneyland, Niagara Falls Boat, Hersey Factory, the Met, Central Park horse rides and numerous beaches/ breweries/parks were much better enjoyed by getting up early and enjoying the visit during the cooler morning hours rather than sitting in a line with the sun beating down on you with the great non-planners. I disagree with one of these - the Eiffel Tower is best enjoyed at night. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/45 "2021-07-20T20:22:15Z")
You can make an exception and do both! Make a reservation to eat at the Le Jules Verne restaurant in advance, like a year in advance. That is the one thing I didn’t get to do that I’ll plan on next time. > **[Le Jules Verne - The restaurant](https://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/en/jules-verne-restaurant/the-restaurant.html)** > > Le Jules Verne is a mythical and gastronomic restaurant. The food is graphic and refined as the Eiffel Tower itself. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/46 "2021-07-20T20:29:35Z")
Oh, yes. And if at Versailles, plan to eat at a restaurant - we ate at Angelina’s, it was very elegant. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/47 "2021-07-20T20:34:27Z")
I ate Champaign grapes from Marie Antoinette’s garden just outside of her cottage. Really wasn’t supposed to but the were perfectly ripe in early October and walking through the 30 foot long trellis they were right in my face with no one to see. C’est la vie! ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/48 "2021-07-20T20:37:31Z")
Might sound morbid, but Père Lachaise Cemetery is definitely worth a visit. > **[Père Lachaise Cemetery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > Père Lachaise Cemetery (French: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise \[simtjɛʁ dy pɛʁ laʃɛːz\]; formerly cimetière de l'Est, "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (44 hectares or 110 acres). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figures in the arts buried at Père Lachaise include Michel Ney, Frédéric Chopin, Émile Waldteufel, Édith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Georges Méliès, Marcel... ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/49 "2021-07-21T09:36:18Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > And quite frankly eating and drinking at night in places like Paris and Barcelona is not that enjoyable and is more dangerous. That all depends on where, exactly, you choose to do either. I’ve never had that experience in numerous visits to both cities. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/50 "2021-07-21T13:40:39Z")
We had no problems eating and drinking at night in Paris. And it was all _very_ enjoyable. Granted, at night we didn’t carry bags or cameras or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/51 "2021-07-21T13:55:38Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Seriously, it was like XMas Eve gift shopping at the only mall in town, all I saw was the backs of heads. Lol! We we’re on our way to find the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and in the gallery was a sea of Chinese people crowding and jostling in front of the painting, their cameras were going nuts like the paparazzi you’d think it was Elvis Presley returned from the dead. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/52 "2021-07-21T14:46:48Z")
I am hoping if I get the earliest appointment I can to enter the Louvre I can hit the Mona Lisa gallery before it gets too crowded. I have been told to use the Carrousel du Louvre entrance as the lines there are usually much shorter than the main entrance. there is also a tour that will skip a lot of the lines, hit the highlights including the Mona Lisa and then you are free to roam the museum. it had an early morning entry time as well. right now I am waiting on my passport ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/53 "2021-07-21T15:19:34Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > We had no problems eating and drinking at night in Paris. And it was all _very_ enjoyable. Granted, at night we didn’t carry bags or cameras or anything like that ^^ This is also my experience, in two visits. And the first time we were definitely staying in a “non-touristy,” lower-rent area of town. Anecdote: my first trip to Paris was, I think, in 2012. My wife and I went to the Eiffel Tower at midnight for the light show, then walked all the way back to our apartment all the way across the city. It took at least an hour through a variety of areas - no problem at all and a beautiful nighttime stroll. Of course, it’s a city, you have to be aware and smart; but then, I live in a city, so maybe I’m just used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Sooner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sooner/32/7875_2.png) [@Sooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sooner)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/54 "2021-07-21T15:35:50Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > Musee d’Orsay, see the stained glass at Sainte Chapelle These would have been my first two suggestions. Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/55 "2021-07-21T18:42:22Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Lol! We we’re on our way to find the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and in the gallery was a sea of Chinese people crowding and jostling in front of the painting, their cameras were going nuts like the paparazzi you’d think it was Elvis Presley returned from the dead. And most of them weren’t even taking shots of the ML, instead doing group selfies in front of it. A huge sea of people jostling to do their selfie. Hello, can I look at the painting? Totally not worth even entering the area. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/56 "2021-07-21T19:15:04Z")
I was in Paris 5 years ago. We landed on a Sunday and found only one restaurant open in our neighborhood (the 6th). Neither of us had any great desire to go to the Louvre, but we felt we HAD to, so we did the Louvre express. The Mona Lisa (oddly enough, room was deserted), Venus, and Winged Victory. In and out in an hour. We did go to the top of the Eiffel Tower in late afternoon, had drinks/dinner nearby, watched it light up, and rode the carousel. You should know French for the basics: hello, good bye, please, thank you. I found no problem with the French because I am polite to a fault. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/57 "2021-07-21T19:48:03Z")
I’m guessing part of the problem is that visitors are underwhelmed by the _Mona Lisa_. I’ve taken a few people there and the first response is always a confused “That’s it?”. Since they don’t understand they look at it for a few seconds and then do the next most important thing: take selfies to post on social media to brag about what they’re doing and how much culture they have. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/58 "2021-07-21T20:57:40Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > It took at least an hour through a variety of areas - no problem at all and a beautiful nighttime stroll. The last two times I was there it was in December, and the sunset was around 5 pm. We did a lot of walking in the evenings with no issues at all, it was quite nice. One of those trips was shortly after the yellow vest protests had flared up again. My wife did have a yellow rain jacket, and one afternoon a teen girl approached her and asked if she was a protester. The jacket was reversible, and it was soon turned inside out to become a purple jacket. I suppose we were lucky to miss any disruption due to the protests, but we were, of course, affected by a transit strike. Nobody visits Paris without getting affected by a transit strike. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/59 "2021-07-22T05:58:28Z")
The Mona Lisa is hung on a freestanding wall in the middle of a gallery space, with one of those barrier-snake queues to approach it. There are other artworks on the walls of the same gallery; the queue occupies the middle of the space, with the perimeter left clear for access to those other works. Some of those other paintings in the gallery are genuinely great, and worth seeing. They’re just not, y’know, massively famous. And because they’re in the same room as the Mona Lisa, they get largely ignored. The people who are there to check off seeing the famous painting don’t bother to look at them, and the people who like art for its own sake typically avoid the gallery because they’re irritated by the crowd. That means those other works get underappreciated, and it’s a shame. So here’s a bit of a protip. If you do have an interest in art, go ahead and visit that gallery, but don’t bother getting in line for the Famous One. The perimeter walking space is usually less busy, because the “serious” patrons avoid the room, which gives you good access to the other paintings on the surrounding walls. Plus, you can see the Mona Lisa anyway, peripherally, and feel the thrill of being in the same airspace as this world-famous piece. (If you want to feel genuine awe at Leonardo’s work, go to Milan and see the Last Supper. It’s an astonishing, humbling, truly sacred experience.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501/60 "2021-07-22T13:50:10Z")
Directly opposite is the _biggest_ painting in the Louvre, the Veronese _Wedding Feast at Cana_. And it’s a treat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paris-in-october/946501.md?page=4)