Just for a weekend.
2007-02-01 19:53:11 · 82 answers · asked by Jenny 1 in Travel ➔ France ➔ Paris
Get a travel card, details here. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:2EcstHIViBMJ:europeforvisitors.com/paris/articles/paris-metro-tickets.htm+paris+billet+metro&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
What you see is up to you, but you should not miss the cathedral of Notre Dame, the basilica of Sacré Coeur in Montmatre, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Visit the Louvre on Sunday, when it's free. Otherwise, use your travel card to travel on the buses and look at everything around you, feasting your eyes. As Hemingway said, "Paris is a movable feast".
Bon voyage!
2007-02-02 03:27:26 · answer #1 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right, now that I've got your attention after skimming past all of those other answers, let me give you a few tips which WILL let you get the best out of this city which both my partner and I return to time and time again.
1) Decide how much you want to use the Metro system:
Do you want to do lots of walking; take the metro everywhere?
A 'Carnet' (book of 10 single journeys) is a good money saving option if you're only going to use the metro every now and again however a 'Paris Visite' pass (Travelcard) is much better value if you plan to travel for more than 4 journeys per day. You also get a handy little booklet with the pass that gives you discounts to restaurants and attractions i.e. River Cruise.
2) How long are you there for??
If you are only there for a short time I would recommend you take the tour bus (L'open Tour). There are two companys running open top bus tours in Paris but 'L'open Tour' is supported by the city's transport system and is by far the best. This can be pricey mind you!! Approx £20 for a couple of days but you get to see EVERYTHING and hear about everything by listening to the headphones provided. It's also hop-on hop-off so you can get around at the same time.
If budget is an issue then take bus route 69. This route passes many of the major sites in the city and you'll only need a single ticket (or use of your paris visite pass). Although this doesn't give you live commentry along your route, you definately get a feel for the city and hopefully will inspire you to come back again.
3) What are you planning to eat?
TOP TIP... Stay away from the main tourist routes!!!
You've come to discover PARIS, not the local shopping centre with waitors that have funny accents. Explore the side streets; see where your nose takes you and mark my words, you'll come across a lovely little family run restaurant who are GAGGING to feed you up and pump you full of wine. They'll charge a damned sight less than you'd pay for a place that gives you a view of the Eifel Tower (take a picture of it with you and place it on the table) and the 'Formules' (set menus) give you excellent value for money.
I'm not going to give you any particular links because there are so many out there that tell you anyway. Just trust what I have said and you'll have an incredible time.
Oh and if you get a chance to use some French then do so, but, it's Paris, they KNOW you're foreign, so just put on a smile, say 'Merci' once and a while and they'll be happy!
Good luck!!!!!
:)
2007-02-03 22:57:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Don't wear a short skirt during the winter months.
I went to Paris for a romantic weekend away in April a few years back. On the first night we arrived we went out for a meal, and I noticed that everyone was staring at me. I was wearing a skirt just above the knee with boots, nothing too tarty!!
But evereyone was looking at me, but I just thought I was being paranoid.
The next night the same thing happened and I started to get really upset, one women even nudged her husband to take a look. So I asked these young girls what it was all about and they said that nobody in Paris wears skirts in the Winter.
Must be just us Brits then!!! Still think it is rude to point and stare. Other than that we had a good time, didn't think the nightlife was that good though.
2007-02-05 02:34:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must see Eiffel Tower, Arc De Trio mph, Notre Dam. Do all the tourist things - there a reason why - they really are worth a good look.! Take a river trip along the Seine & eat much apple tart and the stuff your self with a crepe or two!
Enjoy , speak some French but be prepared as they will anser you faster than the tapes! Need to get Paris Vister's card - they let you fill in your date from when it starts so if you can be creative you can change the date to get more out of pass!
2007-02-04 05:37:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you wear comfy footwear when you go shopping- that champs Elysees is soo looong whether window shopping or having a shopping spree ( guess that depends on the size of yr wallet) it's soo great!
Have a Lil breakdown of the exchange rate- so you know if you really ARE getting a good bargain
Get a travelcard for the metro- and download the map and track your journey from the airport to where you're staying-so you will know what to look out for
Get a phrase book and actually learn how to say those important phrases properly- otherwise you could be subject to rude looks
Find a supermarket to save £'s and if buying booze better to get it there than in duty free
Oh and have a great time- Don't forget the Eiffel Tower,and yep the queue to get to the top may be loong- but sooo worth it- AMAZING!!
2007-02-02 11:38:50 · answer #5 · answered by *Twinkle* 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1. Use the Metro and RER services as much as possible - they are relatively clean, very efficient and ludicrously cheap. Get a Carnet (book of 10 tickets) or Carte Visite (day/week pass) from any Metro or RER station.
TIP: RER suburban trains are much faster but stop less frequently. If you need to get across town in a hurry, RER is the way to go.
2. Eating: take the time to walk 10 or more minutes from any tourist destination to find where proper French people are eating. The food will be (a) cheaper or same price and (b) infinitely better. (eg: Near Eiffel Tower/Pl. Concorde: walk 10 minutes from Place de la Concorde to Pl. Mexico for "Le Kiosque", which I recommend).
There is, however, one place that's both a tourist destination AND still the regular hangout of locals - Cafe Les Deux Moulins, as seen on screen in breakout movie hit Amelie. It's a real, working cafe, the regulars from the meat market across the street are still there along with Japanese tourists and curious film buffs, and nothing's changed except an added special on the menu (giant and delicious Creme Brulee). They used to have the autographed gnome from the movie as a thank-you, but someone nicked it. Find it at 15 rue Lepic, nearest Metro is "Blanche". It's also a good gateway to:
3. Montmartre - tourist heaven and the best place to view Paris from above. You'll need to dodge rabid packs of street artists, but do go - especially to the Church of the Sacred Heart. If you want to stay in the area, look up Timhotel Monmartre on the net. It's tiny (even by Euro standards, REALLY REALLY tiny) but great to wake up to.
4. If you have a full day to spare, don't miss the Palace of Versailles. Forget Buck House, forget Hearst Castle, forget P. Diddy's pad - you have never seen anywhere as ludicrously indulgent as this place. For example - most people just buy a wench or milkmaid's outfit for... ahem... "playtime". Marie-Antoinette had an entire REPLICA VILLAGE to keep things in character. And - to be honest - that's the gem of the tour. Walt Disney would have killed to get something that surreally beautiful on screen...
But beyond the sheer awe-inspiring largesse, there is true beauty to be found here as well. Definitely go if you can, but bear in mind it will take a full day to itself.
5. TOURIST TRAP WARNING:
Moulin Rouge: A grindingly dull girlie show of the kind Vegas stopped doing decades ago, worse food than you'd find on British Rail in the bad old days and a feeling of desperation and terminal nostalgia. And if you didn't feel you got mugged enough at the ticket office, be aware that the Pigalle area can get very dangerous after around 10pm.
6: GOOD TO KNOW:
Wrap up warm when going up the Eiffel Tower this time of year - queues for both entry and each level's lifts are lengthy, and due to an accident of geography there's not much between you and the North Pole. Certainly feels like it.
If you want a good place to hang out French-style on a warm day, grab a picnic find the park next to the Boulevard St-Michel. Stunningly beautiful, and filled with the gentle hum of young dreamers.
2007-02-04 20:54:47 · answer #6 · answered by DreamWeaver 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Learn some basic french before you go and take a phrase book to help you.
Don't try and cram in too much, stroll around and 'soak up' the atmosphere too. If you live in the UK it's close enough to be able to go back quickly enough. Save some Airmiles to get a free flight too, you don't need many.
Places -
Eiffel tower - will take a couple of hours to lineup, and get up and down. Can be really busy.
The Louvre - even if just to walk around and see its glass pyramid
The River Seine - few minutes on foot from the Louvre
Take a river boat trip - quite good value
Ignore any Parisian 'rudeness' it won't be personal!
The Champs Elysee - very expensive shops. Have coffee along it, even if it's just at the McDonalds on it, near the...
Arc De Triomphe - at 1 end of the Champs Elysee
Notre Dame Cathedral - you've heard of the Hunchback for years, go see where he 'lived'
Sacre Cours - beautiful white stone cathedral, high up above Paris, near to...
Place de tertre - artists hang out here, doing portraits in chalk etc. Interesting to watch someone else being massacred or made to look beautiful. Otherwise this are, Montmartre, is full of (somewhat expensive) cafes and restaurants.
Moulin Rouge - home of the famous can can dancers. My sister loved the show with her husband, otherwise, go see it at night, it's so famous
Boulevard Haussmann and its famous large department stores, like Galeries Lafayette. Free to wander around of course.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés - area with great charm and loads of different types of restaurants
These are my faves. Have a wonderful trip!
2007-02-03 00:38:20 · answer #7 · answered by Rob E 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Be very careful on the metro..they have some of the best pickpockets in the world, don't think you are too alert to be robbed, they wait for tourists to leave their hotels and follow them onto the metro, sometimes an innocent looking family around you may be a team of pickpockets. The railway stations collect hundreds of wallets with driving licences still in them, the thieves are after cash and cards only. The Paris police are brilliant ,they will automatically put you in touch with a stolen card centre. Just be warned and enjoy your trip. The main metro line 1 to the eiffel tower is the prime target area, but check it out. Be prepared for a long queue at the eiffel tower, you will see asians pushing their way to the front of the queue, be patient have a good time.
2007-02-04 19:37:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
As others have said, the Metro (underground) is a fantastic way of getting around. To use it, look on the map for the stop you are heading for, and then note the station at the end of that particular line - Chateau de Vincennes, for example. Then, find the way to the platform by following signs that say "Direction Chateau de Vincennes". Some of the stations (especially Chatelet) are huge, and you seem to have to walk for miles.
I wouldn't spend too much time on the Champs Elysees, apart from visiting the Arc de Triomphe.
Museums are sometimes closed on Mondays or Tuesdays; they are often cheaper, or free, on Sundays, so expect crowds.
The Green Michelin Guide to Paris is a good guidebook, as is the Time Out Guide to Paris.
A smile and a cheery "Bonjour M'sieu/Madame" to waiters and shop assistants is usually appreciated.
Service is usually "compris" - included - but it's customary to leave any minor coins which arrive with your change in cafes/restaurants.
2007-02-02 21:39:09 · answer #9 · answered by andrew f 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Polish your French, even if it is only a few phrases, and get the pronunciation right. The French are extremely disgusted with people who EXPECT them to speak English -- reasonable, and the inverse is true, too -- so get a phrase-book, and learn to pronounce their beautiful language like a native. The fact that you TRIED to speak their language will warm their hearts to you.
Unless there is an accent mark, French is pronounced with the emphases on the second-to-last syllable. It's actually fairly phonetic.
There are some NASAL sounds which do not exist in English. The 'r' sound is also very different. In Southern French, it's rolled. In Northern France, it's more of a gargle (if you know any German, it's like the 'rr' in 'Herr'.
Vowels sounds must be absolutely pure -- no hint of 'uh' at the tail end. This is not easy for native English speakers, and next to impossible for people from the USA. It is, however, true of ALL languages OTHER than English dialects. Listen to someone like Shilpa Shetty, saying 'cat', and you hear 'qatt', or 'don't, which she pronounces more like 'daunt'.
Native English speakers unconsciously put a faint 'uh' after our vowels. 'Do-uhn't', 'si-uhk', 'boi-ul'. Try to not do that, when speaking any language other than English. It will make your pronunciation SO much better, that you will be greeted with pleasure, in virtually any country!
Apart from that, have an excellent trip, and expect to spend indecent amounts of €€€€€! Paris is bliss, and I am quite green.
2007-02-05 04:10:57 · answer #10 · answered by protectrikz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Never get into a taxi without agreeing a price first, if you are not happy with it don't get in!!
Try and find cafes and bars a few streets over from the tourist traps, you'll find you save about at least a third on the bill. If the place looks full of locals then it is probably good.
Get a sightseeing tour bus from outside the Eiffel Tower, good way to see lots in an afternoon.
Enjoy plenty of wine!!
2007-02-03 18:35:03 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋