A few more thoughts. (Yes, I’ve just come back from Paris)
The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in the north-east, is an amazing artificial lake with an artificial island in the middle. And a suspension bridge.
While we’re talking buttes, there’s an area called the Butte-aux-Cailles which has a high concentration of good bars and resturants. I have eaten at the Auberge de la Butte on the Rue Butte-aux-Cailles and it was great and not expensive.
Finally, look up the Rue Mouffetard. It’s quite a long hill lined with restaurants and bars, covering just about every ethnic variation.Have eaten at Le Tournbride and it was good. Nearest metro is Censier-Daubenton.
We also liked the Rodin museum–a bit off the beaten path, but accessible on the Metro. Much of the sculpture is outdoors, so save this one for a day when you’d like to be outside.
Take the Metro to the Trocadero stop after dark and walk up to the gardens/park for Instagram-worthy views of the Eiffel Tower. Actually, it’s lovely during the daylight hours as well.
Oh, yes! Aside from The Thinker, you can also see The Kiss and sculptures by Rodin’s wife/mistress, Rose Beuret. There is a wonderful café on the grounds.
My wife and I ate at a nice little restaurant a few doors down and the food was very good in general whilst the ice cream at the end was spectacular. I commented on this specifically to the waiter and asked if it was made in-house. He said that of course it would be under normal circumstances but seeing as they had the world’s greatest ice-cream maker just across the road he’d be fool to do anything other than serve Berthillon.
I stayed at the Tonic Hotel Du Louvre a couple of years ago and it was fine. Not great, but fine. What it has going for it is that it is right in the center of things and inexpensive.
Le Musée des Arts et Métiers was incredible and I highly recommend it.
Just to say it again, y’all are awesome. I’ve just about got accommodations settled and from there I’ll be making my plans for things to do - there’s a lot of options in here I wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
There is a lot to see in Paris, but if you have friends in London you want to see, then why not? Paris is a truly beautiful city. I speak passable French and did not find the Parisians rude. However, some are willing to take advantage of tourists, like many places.
Stay in a hotel close to a metro station, the subways are easy to use and convenient. I couldn’t really say about AirBnBs, I have heard the hostels are nothing special. Taxis are pricey, and soda pop and many tourist trap restaurants can be overpriced. Look for a restaurant filled with locals and be prepared to walk some distance from the Seine and famous landmarks. Paris has many good restaurants cheaper than the mediocre ones. If on a budget, grocery stores like Montprix have amazing cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables where you can stock up fairly cheaply. Paris has many wonderful bakeries and famous cafes. Chocolatines are croissants filled with chocolate, and are particularly good with coffee.
I like the Louvre but there is a lot to see and miles to walk. La musee d’Orsay is smaller with more modern works, and on the whole is more enjoyable. A day trip to Versailles is highly recommended. I also went to Chartres which also has a lovely and famous cathedral. I had no wish to see Euro Disney nor La Defense but have heard many people recommend them. Le Tour Eiffel and L’Arc de Triomphe (and connecting Champs-Élysées and Tuileries) are great. I liked Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame as well, but don’t know much about Notre Dame’s current state.
There are many wonderful smaller museums and galleries. There are also many picturesque neighbourhoods - including Saint-Germain and Marais. I rode a boat along the Seine which was okay but hardly mandatory. It might be fun to hang out at Paris Beach (all artificial) though I have no idea.
Seeing a movie in Paris is a fun experience. It has many wonderfully strange book and antique stores, and lots of very expensive fashion places which was of limited appeal to me. There are some okay parks. I did not go to Marseilles, Nice or the Loire Valley and you may have to save these for another time.
By all means learn a little French. But being respectful with shopkeepers and waiters/waitresses goes a long way. Taking a little cooking class might be fun, but I didn’t do this.
It occurred to me today that I never came back to this thread - 2020 has been so weird that January feels like it was forever ago. I remain so glad I got the chance to go, and there are moments when current events seem so surreal that I close my eyes and remember that this happened this year too, and that the year’s not been all pandemic and unexpected dental surgery and the like. I appreciate all the suggestions I got from this thread!
But I had a fantastic time on this trip. I happened to be there toward the end of the transit strikes - the first week I was there, they were still going on, so I did lots and lots of walking. The day I had my Louvre tickets, there was a small manifestation in the Louvre, but I was still able to see the exhibit and the museum did open for the day - the next day they actually didn’t open. The next week, the trains were running well again for the day I had a Versailles ticket.
I generally planned one thing a day, then let serendipity carry me the rest of the day, and I ended with some fantastic things. I happened to be walking back and saw the Rodin Museum on my last day, so I went in - and there was the Judy Chicago exhibit up for just a few days after the Dior Paris Fashion Week show.
I didn’t make it to London and my friends didn’t make it to Paris. We were concerned about the strikes causing problems. I did end up taking first (and then second) semester French through my workplace- it gave me a little more confidence going, and I found that my comprehension was generally ok, but yes, as soon as I attempted French, most people switched to English.
Reading threads like this makes me happy to relive the times we’ve been to Paris (and Rome and London), and glad we did the trips when we could do so. It’s a good “life lesson” to take that trip (or go to that play or that concert) when you can, before the cathedral burns down or the next pandemic!
Museums are gradually re-opening in Paris - D’Orsay on June 23, and the Louvre on July 6. Masks are mandatory. Always check the closing days - i.e. D’Orsay is closed on Mondays, and the Louvre on Tuesdays (I found out the hard way).
If you like decorative arts museums (i.e., furniture, fixtures, decor - not fine art in the sense of paintings, although there are plenty of those too), I very highly recommend the Musée Nissim de Camando in the 8ème. Absolutely spectacular house, and a very sad story as to how it came to be and what happened to the family who owned it.
For restaurants, I also recommend Chartier in the 9ème. There is also one in Montparnasse, but I prefer the original.
Whenever I go to Paris, or anywhere really, I almost never make firm hotel reservations. I get off the plane, get on the Wi-Fi in the airport, and look for Express Deals or Name Your Own Price on Priceline. It has not gone badly yet. I’ve done this all over the world. If you are slightly adventurous, you can get some incredible deals this way. You can always make a cancellable reservation just in case you don’t find something suitable on the day you arrive.
I couldn’t disagree more with the just wing it strategy of throwing darts at Priceline to just find me a hotel on the day of arrival. If I’m spending the money to go abroad, I’m picking where I want to stay in advance. Advance booking rates are just as good last minute Priceline deals these days.
Anyway, the OP has come and gone. It’s just another reminder that it’s always easy to ‘wait til next year’ for international travel but you should really just do it. You never know how your life will change or what crazy things could happen. As crazy as 2020 has been, the USA will probably be in a shooting war with Canada by year’s end!
doesn’t look like I will be able to go… maybe 2021.