When I first mentioned this trip, Maureen got REALLY excited and started planning out my Paris portion of the trip. Here it is, so others can (hopefully) comment and Maureen can (definitely) edit, since we know what hotel we're staying at now... and she knows (or WILL know, from my post yesterday regarding Paris) what else I would like to do while in Paris.
May 8, Saturday: Bateau Parisiens, Sacre Coeur
1. Arrive in Paris @ 8:55am – Airport will take time, do not expect anything to happen quickly.
2. Once you have luggage head to metro station, follow signs as at information. There will be a line at the counter to get a metro ticket. DO NOT TRY THE MACHINES, they don’t accept American Credit Cards and you will not have enough change.
3. 8,50 Euro for one way ticket to Paris central. Try and get a direct train, so you won’t have to stop until Paris Gare du Nord. Buy the 3 day Paris Visite Pass at this station in addition to your other ticket. Get the 3 day zones 1-3 pass it will cost 20 Euros.
4. You will arrive at the hotel around noon or so. Drop off your bags, you will not be able to check in but they will keep you bags for you behind the desk. Do not leave anything extremely valuable in the bags but they will be safe.
5.Go get lunch, any small little café will be fine. Eat a Croque Monsieur or Madame if you like egg (most sandwiches come with a salad at a café) or French Onion Soup, yum yum and good food for after travel it isn’t too heavy but nice to sit down and eat. When at a restaurant as for a carafe d’eau (a carafe of water), it is tap water and free, which is safe but they charge you out the ass for bottle water at restaurants.
6.If time is right go check in at the hotel.
7.Two choices, both can be accomplished today but you should see what the weather is like, I am putting them in the order I would do them.
a.Bateau Parisiens – two options, get on at the Eiffel tower or Notre Dame. 1 hour tour, it is usually great for pictures and a nice way to see a lot of the sights. 11 Euros a person and 25% off with the Paris Visite pass
b. Sacre Coeur Cathedral – Metro stop line 2, Pigalle or Anvers. Walk up the hill towards the cathedral. If you are hungry find a restaurant along the way, there are some great restaurants that aren’t expensive in the area. Walk up towards the cathedral, you can take the stars of the funiculaire de Montmatre which gets you up the hill in a motorized vehicle.
If you walk up be careful of pickpockets but also of black men who ask you to see your finger, they will make a bracelet using your finger and then ask you to pay for it. There are plenty of police around so it shouldn’t be a problem but don’t even talk to them. If they touch you, be loud and say “Leave me alone” it will draw attention to you which is good for you and bad for them. (ME: I'm so overly paranoid of pick pockets in Paris now, its ridiculous)
The cathedral is free so go in but really be aware of pickpockets, keep belongs close. After you have gone through the cathedral when you come out and face the cathedral go to the left of it and follow the crowds. After walking for about 5 minutes you will see a bunch of restaurants and artists working in a square. It is fun, if you haven’t eaten you can eat there, it is more pricy but fine, but defiantly scope out the artists and such.
8. There are a lot of nice bars and a good party scene in this area which is called Montmatre. Go get a drink somewhere, listen to a band. High amount of Gay and lesbians in this area which makes it a fun, safe and happening place.
May 9 – Sunday (Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame)
1.Get up at 7am, be ready to leave by 8am, 8:15am at the latest. Eat breakfast at the hotel if possible or get some croissant at a local bakery.
2. Go to metro stop, take RER C, it will be a separate ticket and charge, it is not expensive, buy a round-trip ticket.
3. Palace of Versailles opens at 9am - 15 Euros per person. You can purchase ahead of time but also at the Chateau.
4. Allow about 3 hours for the tour of the Palace and to walk the main gardens. I would not do the other tours because it will eat up your whole day.
5. At about 12:30pm you can walk outside of the Palace, I will get you a make to a line of restaurants, you should eat at the Crepe place there, it is very good.
6. Get back on RER C in the direction of Saint Martin d’Etampes/Dourdan la-Foret (you can also look at the map to make sure) and go to the Eiffel Tower, get off at Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel and follow the signs for the Eiffel Tower.
7. You can choose any of the 4 lines to get into. Make sure to buy a ticket to stop at every level and go all the way to the top. It costs 13 Euros. Allow about 2 hours.
8. Take RER C (go in the same direction) from the Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel stop to St. Michel and change to Metro Line 4 in direction of Porte de Clignancourt, it is just one stop to the Cité stop. Get off at Cité and follow the signs to Notre Dame Cathedral. The entry into the cathedral is free even if Mass is occurring, just make sure you are wearing sleeves. Allow approximately and hour.
9. Grab some dinner somewhere around 8pm. Look at menus as you walk around Notre Dame. You can walk across the bridge to Ile Saint-Louis, which is a quaint little Island. It is Sunday night so places will be open for dinner but not every place so try and plan where you want to eat ahead of time.
10. Go back to the hotel and go to bed. I would say go party but it is Sunday night and not so fun.
May 10 – Monday. Arc de Triopmphe, Louvre Museum
1. Eat breakfast at the hotel.
2. Arc de Triomphe – Metro 1 – Stop is Charles De Gaulle Etoile. 20% off the ticket with the Paris Visite Pass. Tomb of the Unknown soldier is there and you can climb the stairs to the top and take some nice pictures. This is also where the Champs Elysee, classic shopping street, expensive but fun to look.
3. Get lunch somewhere along the way.
4. Louvre Museum – Allow 2 hours – Metro stop – Palais Royal Musee du Louvre, it is the underground entrance and a lot faster to get into. You pass through the shopping mall that is underground, there is ample signage. Cost is 9 Euro to get in.
5. Walk out the front entrance, go up through the pyramid entrance and walk into the Tuilleries gardens, it is beautiful and walk until the end of the gardens which will end at the Place de la Concorde which is where the guillotine was for a period of time.
6. Make a right at the end of the park and get on the Rue de Rivoli, cross the street so you walk on the side of the street with the shops. This is an ideal street for souvenir shopping and for pickpockets. So don’t answer anyone who asks you if you lost anything and so forth.
7. In the midst of walking down the street and the farther you get down the street the better the deal. You will see a café that will probably have a line called Angelina’s, YOU MUST stop there and get African hot chocolate and a pastry. It is slightly pricy but so worth it. Splurge! There might be a line but seriously wait and have it, the best hot chocolate ever!
8. Walk around have a good time. Eat dinner.
2 comments:
Skip the Visite Pass, get a T-10 or two for the RER / Metro (valid on both with free transfers). Metro ticket machines DO take American credit cards, though some of the readers are finicky. Also, buy the Museum Pass. Allow more time than 2 hours for the Eiffel Tower, they only have 2 pillars open (as of yesterday when we were there) and the lines are craaaazy. Allow more than 2 hours for the Louvre unless your plan is to run full speed through the museum and take no pictures.
Eat Doner Kebab everywhere in Europe. As much as possible.
Everything I read about Paris said to ONLY use the T-10 if I am spending 1 or so days in Paris; since I'm there for 4 (with one of them involving a day trip with multiple trains), the T-10 was discouraged.
I already got the Museum pass- we got a good deal through Expedia to order them online. I may still get the Visite pass like Maureen recommended, if not just for the Metro deal.
I plan on doing the stairs at the Tower-- I can hack em :) But I totally anticipate the lines.
... you haven't been to a museum with me, have you?!? I can barely tolerate an hour in a museum. Not because I'm not impressed, but because I'm the world's most impatient person. I won't last more than 2 hours in the Lourve!
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