Trip to Paris

Trooper_IHB

Trooper_IHB

New member
After my recent wake up call, I've decided to plan my first trip to Europe. My destination is Paris....sometime at the end of March or beginning of April. I checked airfare and from LAX to CDG it's $618.00 round trip with all taxes and fees. I can also get a free trip with my airline miles, but it would take up every last one I have.... might want to keep them for a more expensive flight.



SO, other than the obvious Arch, Eiffel, Louvre, Notre Dame and Sorbonne.....who has suggestions and/or tips for me?



I've also recently discovered an alternative lodging type site called www.couchsurfing.com . Someone else recommended it to me when I was talking about how expensive travel is right now. So I signed up for the (free) site a couple of weeks ago and already have offers to lodge in Ireland, Granada, Kiev and Istanbul. (!) Once my travel dates are set, I'll begin fishing around for Paris couches. *No need to shout out warnings about how risky it is, the site has numerous "checks and balances" in place. As a matter of fact, I just had a Ukrainian from the site sleep on my couch for the past four nights. I had a wonderful time hearing about his country and his travels thus far....all of his lodging has come from careful planning via the couchsurfing site. IE: FREE.



So, I'm hoping to keep the costs down that way. I'm assuming it will be rainy, hence the cheap airfare...but that's ok b/c I figure I'll be inside the sites for much of the time.



Also, a little help with currency exchange and how that all works. I've only exchanged dollars with loonies before, and they were very close to each other at the time, so not too difficult to figure out.



Thanks!



<a href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/">Couchsurfing.org and .com...same thing.</a> Their motto? "Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time"
 
Congrats on your planned trip. You'll have to toast to Jacqui when you get there. :)

Keep us updated on the details.

I'm excited for you!
 
1) <a href="http://www.eurail.com/eurail_why_order#prices">Europass</a>

2) Let your credit card company know you are traveling.
 
Very good!, a young and single cousin used that site to find new friends and he went to Central America: Costa Rica, etc.



The weather around that time frame could be cold, one of the perfect times to visit Paris is August/September and because the weather is nicer there a lot of outdoor activities.
 
I just went last October. Paris is wonderful. How long will you be there? You could spend two weeks and still not see everything.



Getting around: The Paris Metro is very reliable and not terribly expensive. Buy and cheap Metro map and plan your routes ahead of time. A cheaper and more fun alternative is to rent a bicycle. There are automated bicycle rental stalls every other block or so. You just use your credit card, hop on and ride to another stall and return it. I think it's a Euro per half an hour.



Places to visit: Three of my highlights not mentioned on your list: the Latin Quarter (walking distance from Notre Dame), a cheapo tourist cruise down the Seine and the Basilica of Sacr?-Coeur at night. Low point was Versailles - I recommend avoiding it at all costs: It's far, crowded, expensive and not terribly interesting.



Eating: If you don't speak any French, I would highly recommend Rick Steve's book on Paris. He's a total geek, but his restaurant recommendations usually mean good food, good value and American friendly businesses.



Currency: Use ATMs and pay cash when ever possible. ATMs typically use the most favorable exchange rates and they are also safe. The good news is the Euro is about as low as it's been in the last 2 and a half years, so you should get some good bang for your buck.



Have a wonderful time!



<A HREF="kevinandanna.com/blog">Here </A>are some of our pictures if you are interested.
 
[quote author="Serious Weapon" date=1234925204]Troops going to "Gay Paris"... Get it? Har Har.</blockquote>


Once in Paris, you can go to Amsterdam...
 
I can see it now:

<blockquote>

Trooper fails a random LAPD drug test because she spent the night on a couch in Amsterdam.

</blockquote>
 
[quote author="Trooper" date=1234905503]SO, other than the obvious Arch, Eiffel, Louvre, Notre Dame and Sorbonne.....who has suggestions and/or tips for me?



</blockquote>


If you like modern art (modern by European standards: mid 1800s to early 1900s), you must visit the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. The building is architecturally interesting because it is housed in an old train station (the former Gare d'Orsay). Here in LA, you might see a couple of Monets at the Getty, or a couple of Cezanne's at the Norton Simon; but at the d'Orsay, there are leterally rooms full of Degas, Gauguin (I love Gaugan), Monet, Van Gogh, C?zanne, Renoir, Sisley, Seurat, Signac, Manet, Rodin, Delacroix, etc. It is absolutely astounding:



<img src="http://www.destination360.com/europe/france/images/s/musee-d-orsay.jpg" alt="" />



Other required viewing in Paris is Malmaison, the home of Napoleon and Josephine. You can see how short Napoleon's bed is, it looks like a toddler bed. Here you will learn of the tragic end of Napoleon and Josephine's relationship:



<img src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/11/bc/a8/chateau-malmaison-and.jpg" alt="" />



Not in Paris but nearby is the city of Fontainbleau (in France, not Las Vegas). The famous Chateau there is remarkable, so much history and architecture:



<img src="http://www.georgianindex.net/Napoleon/Fontainebleau/gardenfontb.jpg" alt="" />



I would suggest a day trip from Paris to the Champagne region (about 2 hrs train ride). Reims and Epernay are the big cities in the area. I really enjoyed visiting Moet & Chandon's cellar in Epernay and "tasting" lots of Dom Perignon:



<img src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/WN/rd_champagne6_070918_ssv.jpg" alt="" />



Yes, Versailles is crowded with foreign tourists but so much history happened there you really need to see it. For example, Germany was created at Versailles: in 1871 Wilhelm, King of Prussia, was crowned modern Germany's first Emperor (Kaiser/Caesar) in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. This is also where Marie Antoinette allegedly told the starving mob to go eat cake:



<img src="http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/Europe/France/Paris/images/Versailles01.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="skek" date=1234929160]

Lastly, where you sit in a restaurant in Paris determines how much you pay. If I recall, sitting at the bar is the cheapest. Sitting indoors is next. If you sit on the patio with the view of the plaza, you pay a premium. They don't tell you this, so be careful if the patio seems surprisingly empty in spite of it being a beautiful night for dining out...



</blockquote>


Years ago, I bought a drink at a Parisian bar and then walked outside and sat in the patio of the establishment. All of a sudden, an angry waiter came out and shooed me away. I learned that day, as skek advises, that the price is different at different places of the same establishment.
 
Thanks for the advice so far ! I will definitely add d'Orsay onto my "must see" list, thx HG and Skek.



This is going to be one big adventure ! I'll keep you posted with my progress.



Anyone else?
 
Great! Be sure to bring lots of pictures. Too bad you can't pack over there... socialists! BLA!



Want to head to Ireland, maybe england. My dream is to drag my mustang around the countryside burning up lots of petrol! Just call me Hooligan!
 
Troop, my wife and I went to Paris a few years ago during the same time of year that you are going. It rained some, but it didn't ruin the trip.



d'Orsay - d'effinitely!



We rented a car and drove out to Mont St. Michel. It is incredible to see. You can walk to the top and take a tour that points out a lot about the architecture. It was also fun to experience driving there and to have the freedom that day to explore. Of course, if you are only in Paris for 4 days, it probably wouldn't be something to do.



Oh, and also I recommend taking the tour up Notre Dame. We happened by the line early one morning. It was cool to get to walk up it. You get to stand on the outside deck area and look over Paris. I think the line gets long pretty fast though.
 
My favorite spots in Paris (or around Paris Metro area):



<a href="http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.862661,2.329354&spn=0.002244,0.006362&t=h&z=18">Les Tuileries </a>



<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode;=&sll=48.816133,2.22559&sspn=0.07189,0.20359&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=48.805189,2.119095&spn=0.002494,0.006952&z=18">Chateau de Versailles</a>



<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode;=&q=Montmartre&sll=48.821333,2.470551&sspn=0.287532,0.553436&ie=UTF8&ll=48.886245,2.343001&spn=0.001598,0.004506&t=k&z=19">Montmartre</a>



Press F11 to maximize the maps pictures, works for IE and FF.



Google has street view enabled for <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode;=&q=Montmartre&sll=48.821333,2.470551&sspn=0.287532,0.553436&ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=48.885901,2.343382&spn=0,359.991009&z=18&iwloc=lyrftr:lmq:Montmartre,17612074361952052337,48.88745,2.344556&layer=c&cbll=48.88589,2.343093&panoid=hGAsxiBsuXDznJSz-EgBHw&cbp=12,17.939671300057206,,0,-6.445654537336021">Montmartre</a>, very cool!
 
I 4th or 5th the Orsay rec. Great museum... Versailles is a bit of a pain, but worth the trip in my opinion. I ended up spending most of my time in the gardens, very beautiful there... Pack in a picnic.



As a general rule, I found the food in Paris distasteful. Ended up eating crepes for many a meal.
 
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