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Tips for Paris

Patience

Veteran

To celebrate our 10th anniversary (+11 months) my husband and I are going to Paris in April. I know there have been some good threads about what to pack, but I have a few additional questions I hope you can help me out with.

1. Is it a good idea or bad idea to wear knee black boots in mid-April in Paris? If a good idea, would I be better off bringing the boots for tucking skinnies or the boots for skirts? If it's a bad idea, is it worth while to bring my grey docs?

2. I need ideas of what to wear for evenings. Feel free to suggest specific things from my wardrobe if you know it.

3. I'm hoping to have one shopping day. Where should I go? What should I look for in particular? Please be specific. I would love to find a white/cream jacket and/or a pair of cool shoes but I'm willing to just see what I find.

4. Any other tips for Paris that are not fashion related, i.e. things to do, places to eat? (other than the obvious)

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from Sihaya

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

I've never been so I won't be of much help, but yay! I'm so glad it worked out for you.

Inge

(website)

That's fantastic Patience!! You must be SO excited!

I have to go out in a minute, but I know you like books too and I just wanted to 'show' you these. I found them a while ago and immediately thought of them when I read your post:

http://www.littlebookroom.com/.....paris.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/parischictrendy.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/marketsofparis.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/parisbyhand.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/.....paris.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/winebarsofparis.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/.....paris.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/.....stros.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/brasseriesparis.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/histrestparis.html

http://www.littlebookroom.com/quietparis.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....ive=380601

Might be fun to browse through a few of them before you leave;-)

And congratulations on your wedding anniversary!!

marianne

Last time I went was 10 years ago, so I am no help, but it is so exciting! Happy anniversary, and what a great way to celebrate. I am very envious

shiny

Veteran

1. I have no idea, since we went in August.

2. We went with the kids and most evenings we ate at restaurants we found while we were out and about, so my recommendations won't be helpful.

3. It seems there is quality shopping everywhere you go, so it's hard to advise. Though I didn't buy anything there, I enjoyed Printemps if for no other reason than it is kinda like visiting a historic department store, if that makes sense. There's another department store next to it that was more modern and had a wider range of stuff - that's where I got my jacket. You can easily hit them both in a few hours.

I don't know if it's cheaper now, but prepare yourself for sticker shock.

4. Things to do that aren't the usual:

Do have a picnic of bread, cheese, wine at the Eiffel Tower. (Bring a blanket because the lawn is kinda nasty). Plan your visit at sunset. Stick around at night and watch the light show every hour.

Also have another picnic on Pont Neuf. That was one of our favorite memories. Take one of the boat rides up the Seine first. We actually did this not once, but twice. Sunset is a nice time to do it.

(Bring along a backpack your hubby can carry, so you can carry stuff for a picnic - the best bread, cheese, wine isn't always near the best picnic spots.)

The catacombs!!! Not for the faint of heart, and you have to get there early because of the lines, but it's pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing. If you do this, there is also a cemetary near by which is worth a good hour or two of your time. If you like this sort of thing.

Take a ride on the Ferris wheel near the Louvre. Cheesy, but the view from the top is pretty good - and you can kiss at the top.

Sit in a sidewalk cafe every day, sipping coffee, tea or wine, around 4 pm, and people watch.

Take a hot air balloon ride. (Okay, we wanted to do this - the balloon was near our apartment at Parc Andre Citroën - but we never had the luck, because of the weather. If you are interested, you can check their web site every day to find out if they are going up).

If you go to Versailles, expect to blow a whole day and to walk a lot. My favorite part of it was Hameau de la Reine.

If you're into museums, the Louvre is amazing but I also enjoyed Musee D'Orsay.

There's also a big flea market on the weekend - can't remember what it's called or where it is, but we enjoyed that too.

Patience

Veteran

Shiny, those are just the kind of tips I'm looking for. Thanks! I am SOOO excited.

Inge, those books look great-- I'm going to have to take a look at a couple.

I forgot to ask about areas to stay. I have an aunt who lives in France and she is helping me out too with suggestions. I've never been to Paris or France before so I am soaking up the ideas. Thank you!

Antje

Veteran

Oh Patience, I'm so excited for you! And for myself, too because I'll be going to Paris this August, after visiting my family in Germany. So I'll be following this and other threads about Paris with great interest.

The books Inge posted look awesome!

Ok, fashion related - knee high boots sound perfect to me, both with skinnies and skirts/dresses. If you have a comfy pair that can stand several hours of city walking, you'll probably wear them tons! In addition, I'd take some comfy flats (are you part of the Me Too fan club? If so, take those!!), and then some heels for evenings. Are you leaving the kids at home? Even more exciting!! I'd definitely take something dressy, I know you have great options, like a great dress or a couple frilly blouses and a sexy skirt. French women dress well (as do you! You'll LOVE it.)

When I think food, I think crepes, and picnics in one of the great parks with baguette and cheese.

No suggestions for interesting outings, since my last time in Paris was 20 years ago. I'll take my clues from you!

Oh, and the latest issue of Lucky, I think, had a whole spread on Paris shopping!

CONGRATS on your 10 year anniversary!

Antje

Veteran

Oh, forgot about neighborhoods. A friend who's very familiar with Paris just told me about the Latin quarter, which sounds very fun and central. I can get more details if you like.

shiny

Veteran

Places to stay - we did a home exchange with another family, which saved a lot of money (free housing, full kitchen so we could save $ on food, etc). We were in the 15th district which is residential. The apartment was right on the metro so it was easy to get anywhere we wanted to go. I think you're fine as long as wherever you stay is convenient to the metro.

Here's a list of districts and what each one is like, which may give you a better idea:

http://www.parisnet.com/parismap.html

I would definetly recommend looking into a vacation apartment rental versus a hotel, if you are looking to save money and want more of a "live like a Parisian" vacation. Our apartment had balconeys all around so another favorite memory was DH and I hanging out on the balconey, watching the street life go by, after the kids had gone to bed. Very romantic!

julijuli

Patience have a great (and romantic) time! Congrats on your 10th anniversary. It's been many years since I've been to Paris but I do recall loving all the museums.

bella

(website)

Veteran

I wanted to chime in on the footwear issue. During the month of April, the average high temperature in Paris is between 55-60 degrees F, and the average low temperature is between 40-45. If this happens to be a warm spring, the boots might be too warm, imo.
Congratulations on your anniversary and have a great trip.
As for shopping, not to be missed is Galeries LaFayette. Like Shiny mentioned, it would be for the sake of visit rather than actual shopping but it must be seen.

bella

(website)

Veteran

Forgot to add, there is also a small park just behind Notre Dame Cathedrale. We picnicked there. You can feed the pigeons and watch the boats go by. Did you see the final episodes of Sex and the City, the tv series, which takes place in Paris? In one of the scenes Carrie is sitting alone on a bench, eating a piece of bread and waving to strangers on the boats. That's the park!

hanna

(website)

congrats on the anniversary!!

i am no help at all in the fashion department, since the last time i was in paris i was a teenager and woefully unfashionable. but i do remember loving specific things:

- Galeries LaFayette. go. if only because it's something you should see, as bellacville says when i was there, there was also a little street bazaar thing just outside that my dad and i enjoyed combing through while my mom and aunt were busy in the store.
- the paris shopping spread was the march issue of lucky, with camilla belle on the cover, i believe...let me know if you don't have it, i can scan it for you and send it over if you want
- the louvre is awesome, but really needs a long time to appreciate it properly - i went with family that got impatient so i left before i had time to see everything :(:(
- MONTMARTRE. I LOVE MONTMARTRE. it gets all caps because i love it that much. if you're into art, it's a must-visit. i want to go back.

shana

Veteran

I love the Rodin museum in Paris but honestly, it's easy to get all museumed out in Paris (I spent several weeks as a student and saw everything very leisurely but still got sick of museums after awhile..my recent trips have been shorter and we've restricted ourselves to only 1 museum per trip) - better to pick one and enjoy it thoroughly if you're going for a short time. Plus there are so many historical sights, churches etc that are all along the same vein (historical/cultural). The Louvre is massive & exhausting but does have some of the most popular works in the world like the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and a very impressive Egyptian collection (thanks to Napolean). If you are a fan of the Impressionists, you are better off at the Musee D'Orsay because you will see so many great Monet's & Renoirs.

Definitely plan on an entire day for Versailles (and it is totally worth it!).

Take one of those sunset cruises on the Seine - so romantic!

Montmarte is wonderful - visit Sacre Coeur and take a leisurely walk around watching the artists make sketches in the square.

The biggest flea market is the one at Clignancourt/St.Ouen and it is massive but lots of fun.

In addition to eating all the fabulous pastries, crepes, breads etc, get some Berthillion ice-cream on the ile saint-Louis - it is amazing! I try ice-cream/gelato/sorbet everywhere I go in the world and nothing compares to the pear ice-cream I've had at Berthllion. Oh and get some hot chocolate & pastries at Cafe Anglelina!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Fabulous! We used to live there. Where are you staying? Is this your first time? Do you eat cheese and pastry? You’ll be VERY well prepared by the time you leave:0).

You can bank on mild Winter weather unless you’re very lucky. If you look back at the pictures that I posted last year, I was there in the last week of May and wearing a quilted trench coat. This is Western Europe. It’s not a warm place.

Before I go into any detail, for what it’s worth, my favourite parts of Paris are: il de Cite, Place des Vosges and Le Marais. Those aren’t touristy and very Parisian.

Patience

Veteran

We have not booked a hotel yet so I'm not sure where we'll be staying. My aunt recommended the Opera quartier and to eat on the "Boulevards" (her quotes). It is our first time to Paris so we will be doing touristy things like seeing the Eiffel Tower and probably pick one museum. I love cheese and bread and have a major sweet tooth.

HannahC

Patience, have a great time!

On the museums front, I recommend L'Orangerie (the huge Monet waterlilies paintings) and also Marmottan (the later Monet) - this if you like Monet, of course.

Knee high black boots are perfect for the Paris weather in April. Definitely take dressier clothes even for everyday, because people in Paris are tres chic.

Eating: crepe avec creme du marron (crepe with chestnut cream) - my favorite! You can find a crepe stand at every corner. Also, Rue Mouffetard is a fantastic foodie street, with vendors, small stores, and a market filled with delicious food.

Shopping: Printemps is great, and very expensive I remember doing all my shopping at La Defense mall - it is huge and filled with stores with reasonable prices. Also, the La Defense area itself is worth visiting - it is very modern and the great arc there offers a view on Paris.

(All my information from about 13 years ago - I worked in a company which had business ties with a French company located at La Defense in Paris, so I went there every couple of months for a week).

Have a fabulous time!

Louise

Veteran

If doing the Eiffel tower get there early the queues are terrible we got the after lunch and the queue was hours long so we gave up!

Tanya

Veteran

Since I have never been to Paris I don't really have any tips to offer, but I wanted to congratulate you on your anniversary and wish you a wonderful trip!

Elika

How nice!
I just moved back from Paris (which is why I have hardly looked at the forum) and it is such a fantastic city! I'll just write down some things off the top of my head.

For areas to stay, I would suggest the left bank, because it is historically and generally a bit more arty and has a nice atmosphere (5th, 6th, 7th, 14th arrondissements).

Shopping is really good around de 'rue du four' area, where you'll find designer stores to browse and look at, but also european chain stores, and fun local shops that are a lot more budget-friendly. Also, le marais is fantastic! Definitely browse the art galleries and fab accessories stores around there.

Eating out is generally ok everywhere, but I especially like the Montmartre area.

For seeing and doing, definitely stay out of the great tourist traps and enjoy the real paris. Go to a street market, drink coffee on the sidewalk, just stroll around the Seine. Don't go up the eiffel tower; its not worth it and the lines are huge. Instead, go up the Notre Dame or centre pompidou for the same great view and something much more interesting to see inside.
A huge tip; go to the Opera! It's amazing!

As for clothing; you're from Texas, so it will be cold from your perspective. Boots are a great choice!

Well, that's some general things; I hope it's a little helpful. I absolutely love Paris and still miss the city a lot, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask because it's nice to share your preparation fun

Oh, and this is a website that I feel really hits the spot when it comes to Paris: http://www.tomsguidetoparis.com.

Lena

Patience, congrats on your anniversary. I wish you a wonderful time in Paris!

Ana

(website)

Veteran

No tips, but congratulations on 10 years!

Also, I'm very jealous. If I give you some money, will you bring me back something French? Maybe a baguette or something?

shiny

Veteran

Okay I feel better that we were there two weeks and never made it up the Eiffel Tower!!! We tried twice, but the lines were awful, and we don't suffer lines all that well.

Patience - it is true you don't have to go up - just picnicking on the lawn at sunset or after dark watching the hourly light show is pretty fabulous in and of itself.

Sihaya

Veteran

Buci Latin, if it's still around was a great hotel we stayed at. Rooms are small but you'll get that in the big cities. Wonderful location, right in the heart of the Latin quarter. Favorite places: Musee D'Orsay (I enjoyed this more than the Louvre), Latin Quarter, Montmarte on the way to Sacre Couer which is also lovely. Also St. Denis though go there during broad daylight - higher crime area. And eating crepes (with warm Nutella, mmmm...) at every street corner. Shopping is great just about anywhere. I loved browing the stores on the Champs Elysees though I sometimes found better deals on the streets that just adjoined it. Congrats on your anniversary. I hope you have a rocking time. Bon voyage!