Paris, France
We love, love, love the city of lights. Been there a few times and here are some recommendations.
Transportation
Getting from Charles De Gaulle (CDG for most international arrivals from the US) to the city is a choice of Taxi, Bus, Uber or Train. If you are traveling light, the train is a great option. If the bags are heavy, leave the lifting to others. The taxi rate from CDG to city center is pretty steep, you need Euros, they usually don’t take credit cards or US Dollars!
Paris is a great city for walking. Even in inclement weather plan on putting in plenty of steps in your day. Wear comfortable shoes, there are some spots where the pavement is uneven, and the sidewalks do get crowded near the major sites.
Fear not the the Metro! Yes like any other major city you have to mindful of crooks and pickpockets. Learn the drill, wallet in the front pocket, carry only what you need, secure your bags, don’t be the most inviting target. Then go to the nearest Metro station and purchase the Metro pass that makes the most sense for you. If you are going to be around multiple days, check out the discounts for the number of days you may be touring and the location of the places on your list. If there is any amount of distance between the points, the Metro is a great way to cut down on walking or cabs. It’s one of the easiest systems to navigate around. Plus it’s a pretty cheap form of entertainment!
Here is a link to more information regarding the Metro and RER trains which will take you to Versailles. Plus more information than you want to know about the Paris train situation www.parisbytrain.com
Culture, culture everywhere. Paris is a city where you run into culture by accident. Just wander around gazing at the architecture and keep an eye out for the little surprises. No wonder every city in the world wanted to be just like Paris. Here are some of our favorites:
La tour Eiffel – The Eiffel Tower
The most famous icon of the city. View from the park at Champ de Mars, view it from a river cruise boat, view it from one of the famous Ponts on the Seine, but whatever you do, try to catch a view of it at 10PM when the lights twinkle for about 15 minutes. It is magical! Never been up to the top, but knock yourself out if heights are your thing.
Churches and Cathedrals our three favorites
Notre Dame – www.notredamedeparis.fr/-English
Sacre Coeur Basilica – www.sacre–coeur-montmartre.com/english/
High atop the historic Montmartre section of the city, this Basilica is awe inspiring. The view from the front is unmatched in Paris. The whole city stretches out before you. Two tips, if you have a Metro day pass it will get you on the Funicular, which is much nicer than taking the steps up and down. And two, this is an infamous location for pick-pockets and petty thieves so extra caution is prudent.
Sainte-Chapelle – http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/
Some of the most beautiful stained glass in the world. Usually a line to enter, but worth the wait. Enter into the smaller chapel and near the back of the room are two very narrow, steep stairways. One is for up and the other down, don’t worry they will keep you straight on which is which, there is no room for two way traffic. Up the stairs is the amazing glass.
Museums – we’ve narrowed it to a few
Louvre – http://www.louvre.fr/en
Musee d’Orsay – www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.htm
Impressionism masters galore, Matisse-Monet-Degas, in a very manageable space. Don’t get me wrong, this is a big museum with an incredible amount of some of the worlds finest art, but compared to the Louvre, it is contained.
Musee de l’Orangerie – www.musee-orangerie.fr/
Musee Rodin – www.musee-rodin.fr/en/home
This one is great for a sunny day, as it combines the great sculptor’s work on display inside the restored home, with a sculpture garden containing some of the most famous work in the world. Small, intimate and worth a few hours of your time. Coming up on The Thinker in the middle of a Paris garden is a very cool memory.
Musee du quai Branly – www.quaibranly.fr/en/
Not filled with the great European Master’s art. This building houses art, cultural artifacts and collections of other objects from every continent except Europe. The spiral walkway will take you through time and distance, winding you through items you would never expect to be in Paris.
Other than Museums
Tour the Paris Opera House, Palais Garnier – https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/
Get your tickets online, schedule a tour with an English speaking docent and prepare to be amazed. One of our favorite tours in Europe, the art and architecture are breathtaking.
Bonnie’s favorite Cemetery in Paris
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
http://www.pariscemeteries.com/pages/perelachaise.html
Not kidding, this place is incredible. I thought it would be creepy, ghoulish even to tromp around cemeteries, but this one was a blast. Might have helped that we had a bottle of sparkling wine on a rest stop, but the famous graves, and the imaginative tombs were pieces of art. For those of a certain age, this place is famous for The Doors lead man, Jim Morrison’s grave. For those older, there are plenty of others. Here is a site to download a map, in English & French.
http://www.pariscemeteries.com/pdf/Plan-sepultures-Pere-Lachaise.pdf
Bonnie’s favorite little country home – Versailles – http://www.chateauversailles.fr/homepage
Buy a round trip ticket on the ‘C’ RER train and come see what could spark a revolution, off with their heads! I can only wonder what took them so long. Ticket lines are very long and this place is not open on Monday (we found that out the hard way) but the gardens are open 7 days a week and you could spend a whole day exploring them.
Claude Monet’s Home in Giverny –
giverny-impression.com/visitor-information/
Another excellent day trip that you can access via the train, RER, or if you rent a car it’s only a 45 minute drive from the city. The gardens inspired some of Monet’s most famous work including the Water Lillies. If you would like to stay overnight, we have a B&B to recommend.
Saved the Best for Last – FOOD!
Knowing that tastes vary, let’s start by saying that we don’t always go to the fanciest, most trendy places. Our strategy for Paris is to find some high quality Bistros that may have an affordable prix fixe, fixed price, menu that reflects some traditional French regional cooking. So you won’t see the big guns like Guy Savoy or other Michelin three star joints on our list, but if that’s your thing, go for it! Some of the best places for food are the food market streets like this one Rue Montorgueil.
Boulangeries
Throw a rock and it will land close to an artisan bakery where the bread is so much better than you will find in the US. Our personal favorite, based on convenience and quality is any of Eric Kayser’s locations – www.maison-kayser.com/en
But some of the best bread, croissants and other bakery items are scattered across the city, a good source for research is Paris By Mouth website http://parisbymouth.com/tag/boulangeries/
Creperies
There are plenty of choices here, we recommend that you go down to the Montparnasse area of town and get a table at Creperie Josselin for an authentic Brittany experience. Get the savory buckwheat based crepe as a first course and then follow that with the Salted Caramel Crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream. Wash it down with a pitcher of hard cider, which is on tap. The family run business is a delight to watch in action. Cash only, no reservations.
Bistros
Our top three, which we try to hit each time we visit the city are all in the 7th arrondissement. A meal can be topped off with a stroll towards the Champ de Mars to take in a night viewing of the Tour Eiffel. You will need the walk!
L’Ami Jean – www.lamijean.fr/
Here you sit shoulder to shoulder with your fellow diners, whether you know them beforehand or not. Chef Jego has arranged the maximum amount of seats in this small space. Watching him command his tiny open kitchen from your table is amazing entertainment. The food is rustic, and fabulous. Whatever route you go for the appetizer and main course, choose the rice pudding for dessert. The best ever and a single order could serve a family of four. Highly recommended!
Le P’tit Troquet – https://fr-fr.facebook.com/Leptittroquet
A ten table tiny bistro that has become a tradition for us. We visited it on our first trip to Paris and we go at least once every trip back. Bonnie and the Manager Marie have become BFFs. All of the dishes are fabulous, the house wines very tasty and I recommend the cheese plate for dessert (save some of the wine or order more)..JPG)
La Fontaine de Mars – www.fontainedemars.com/
A very touristy spot to get some of the best of traditional bistro fare. It would be a sin to not order their cassoulet, but they will keep filling your plate, so Bonnie and I have learned it is a dish best split between two. If you want to be able to taste their fine Baba Rhum for dessert, and you do want to experience this sponge cake, which you soak with dark rum to your satisfaction with the bottle left on the table, covered in whipped cream. Killer!
