Hi ,
Me and my husband will be in Paris first weekend in October ,first visit so have drawn up initial itinerary after reading guidebooks ,but would welcome any comments ,as not sure how long we need to allocate to certain things
We are arriving by Eurostar approx 2.30pm Saturday ,staying at hotel adajacent to Luxembourg Gardens on boulevard Saint-Michel .
Saturday:-
afternoon - dump bags at hotel , walk or take public transport to Notre Dame /Ile Loius.
evening- meal in the Latin Quarter ( any suggestions for restaurats would be welcome with emphasis on good food rather than surroundings)
Sunday -
Morning - walk by Seine ,Eiffel Tower (or would this be better on Monday morning not sure if it gets more busy at weekends)
Afternoon/ evening - Mont marte/Sacre Couer again would welcome any suggestions for restaurants / bistros/bars
Monday
Morning- Arc de Triomphe /Champs Elysees
Afternoon - Boat trip on Canal St Martin
Evening- St Germain area
Tuesday -
No plans at this stage other than Luxembourg Gardens.
We are buying a Paris Visite travel pass in advance ,so hope to get around on PUblic transport so if anyone can suggest the best way to get from Luxembourg Gardens ( I believe there is a station very close to our hotel) to main places I%26#39;ve listed that would be great.
Would really appreciate any comments/suggestions.
Thanks
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It%26#39;s an easy 10 to 15 minute walk to Ile St. Louis/Notre Dame from your hotel, so no need for public transportation.
LQ restaurants with very good food that I%26#39;ve personally tasted: Le Reminet, 3 rue Grands Degres, and Allard, 41 rue St. Andres des Arts; I%26#39;m sure others will have additional options for you. You%26#39;ll need reservations at both, and both are an easy walk from your hotel.
You don%26#39;t mention museums at all, so I%26#39;m assuming that you aren%26#39;t interested in them. You have a nice relaxed schedule here, you%26#39;re not trying to jam 1,000 things into each day, which I think is a good thing. If you are looking for something to add to your Tuesday, I%26#39;d suggest a walk from the Luxembourg Gardens over to the rue Mouffetard street market, which will offers tons of outdoor cafes to enjoy a nice lunch and some people-watching.
Cheers!
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Thanks for the suggestionsespecially the rue Mouffetard street market as I hadn%26#39;t picked that up from the guide books.
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definitely stroll down to Notre Dame that first day -- it is a nice area to walk between the Gardens and the Isle --
a restaurant in Montmartre where we had a good meal was %26#39;L%26#39;Homme Tranquille%26#39; on rue des Martyrs just around the corner from the Abesses metro stop -- call ahead that noon or a day ahead for reservations -- it is tiny and while we had no trouble booking, when we dropped by the evening before (and when folks dropped by when we were there) it was always reserved full up -- I had a lamb dish that was really wonderful -- not fancy food but good food
we had some awful meals in Montmartre where we had an apartment this spring -- it is a touristy trappy part of town and my usual good luck in just strolling by and picking places didn%26#39;t work as well this time
I would rethink the canal trip -- once on the boat you are stuck for a very long time -- and while I am sure it is exciting to go through a lock the first time, I am betting it gets very tedious -- we have walked along the canal many a time and while worth doing it is not the most picturesque part of Paris -- we considered the boat trip --but I think it would be pretty boring -- with so little time in Paris, if I were you, I%26#39;d plan some more neighborhood walking trips, or seek out small particular museums (e.g. Nissim Camondo or Jacquemart-Andre are both museums that preserve homes of collectors for example and the Marmottan is a small exquisite collection of impressionists)
I%26#39;d go to Versailles for half a day before the canal trip
if you want to get on the water -- doing a Seine boat tour might be interesting -- we did Vedette Pont Neuf at night and while I guess I%26#39;d rather stroll along the Seine and around Notre Dame at night (really an experience not to be missed) -- it was still certainly worth the time and money -- you can get the tickets on line and save 4 Euro apiece
you are sure you don%26#39;t want to see the Louvre? or the Orsay?
add in Ste. Chappele
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I agree about the canal trip - if you%26#39;ve ever done the barge trip from London to Hampton Court you have had the equivalent experience. It takes a LONG time, and unless you%26#39;re seriously into that it likely would get very old very quickly. However, walking along the canal is a different matter.
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Graceh9
I like the sound of the Vedette Pont Neuf at night.You may be able to help me with a query , you mentioned you booked online and got the 4 euro reduction in price , do you have to book a set time when you book your etickets or can you just turn up with the eticket at a time that suits you ?
Thanks
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you get a coupon which you exchange for a ticket at the booth -- and can do this any time -- so no need to plan a specific time -- you can pick a good weather night or afternoon
the pre purchased Orsay ticket works the same way -- you can enter at the %26#39;reserved %26#39; door any time for a year once you have it (except the day you buy it) -- we would save it for a rainy day
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You can see a great deal of Paris in 3 1/2 days but certainly not everything. I would suggest that even if you are not a fan of museums you should go to both the Louvre and Musee d%26#39;Orsay if not for the art then for the architecture. Both museums have great art, are part of Frances history and are magnificent architectural buildings. You won%26#39;t regret that you have gone to either.
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