Paris, je t’aime
Posted on May 13th, 2008 – 8:20 AMBy Chris Welsch
My good friend and fellow travel blogger TravelGal scored a coup last week when her request for advice on Paris made the blog of Conde Nast consumer guru Wendy Perrin. TravelGal, also known as Cindy Carlsson, is going to Paris for the second time, after a 25 year interlude. Perrin obliged with two days of vigorous blogging and enough tips to keep TravelGal on the run for the entire week.
I think there are some cities where a carefully thought out strategy is a good idea, and some where serendipity should rule. Paris is one of those cities. I’ve been there three times now, and I’ve checked off most of the big must-sees. But my favorite experiences have been the result of letting go of the plan and letting the action on the street dictate my next move. When I was there two years ago, I fell in love with the Luxembourg Gardens, which is the outdoor livingroom of the city. Just watching people sail boats in the fountain, strolling along the paths, and pulling up a chair in the sun (as in the photo above); That was enough.
Any Paris-ophiles out there care to weigh in with their advice for TravelGal? Best street-side cafe? Hidden wonders?
26 Responses to "Paris, je t’aime"
The Parc des Buttes Chaumont is one of my favorite spots in Paris, and relatively few tourists ever hear about it. It’s in the 19th Arrondissement, which many Parisians consider to be “dangerous” or “dirty”. But it’s a perfect place for a walk or a picnic, and more in the mold of an Olmstead-style park than flat, staid expanses like the Jardin du Luxembourg. The neighborhood is pleasant if not fancy, and the only crowds you’ll encounter are native Parisians.
Les Invalides. Tomb de la Napoleon, very cool. Worth an hour or two.
EURODISNEY!!! (Jk)
The Rodin House Museum - often overlooked but an absolute gem. And puts you within walking distance to the French Senate, the military academy and Napoleon’s tomb.
Les Bouquenistes along the Seine!
The marionette store on the Ile St. Louis.
The Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson
http://www.henricartierbresson.org/index_en.htm
Fabulous collection in a hard-to-find architectural gem, tucked away below the Montparnasse Cemetery.
I stumbled upon a sobering counterpoint to the splendor of Notre Dame when I happened upon the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation at the upstream tip of the Ile de la Cite (easy walk from the Cathedral entrance). It reminded me that beauty and brutality are companions in history.
The Louvre has late night museum hours once a week, I think Wednesday. It’s worth going in the afternoon (avoiding the morning lines) and staying into the evening seeing the museum dimly lit and with nearly a person around. I explored the Egyptian sarcophaguses in the night and it was spooky as all get out. This is a must for any visitor to Paris. Tip: bring your own food. The cafes in the museum are expensive and offer very little in food selections.
Shop the Marais. Meander around walking from shop to shop, making sure to say “bonjour” when you enter is a must. It’s the Paris we all dream of.
For the best falafel ever…..L’as du Falafel on the Rue de Rosiers in the Marais. Metro: St. Paul
It’s truly heavenly!
We ate lunch at the Louvre almost every day.
It’s delicous and you can get to it without paying the museum admission.
My favorite part of Paris is leaving the city and going to the suburbs, to see all the towns and villages that I used to live in. I always find some sort of new cafe or restaurant to go and try, and it’s always very relaxing and peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
For exceptional food from southwest France - think duck, and all that implies - try La Table Du Perigord in the 6th, a short walk from the Saint-Sulpice metro stop at 13 Rue De Mezieres. Extraordinary food.
I love Paris for the adventures in food. It is the perfect city to visit for a great meal anytime of the day and at any price. The following are inexpensive must when it comes to eating in Paris. Buy a crepe from a street corner vendor and walk around the neighborhood. Visit the local street market near your hotel and buy a rotisserie chicken or whatever looks good that day with a bag of roasted potatoes. Eat it in the park or back at your hotel. Visit as many boulangeries as possible and discover that some will make a great baguette while another makes better croissants. Spend a little more for your coffee and sit outside at a café and watch the promenade of people walking by. Splurge one day with a visit to a bistrot. You can have the hotel your are staying at make a reservation.
I’d suggest spending a good amount of time in the Mariais and the Beaubourg neighborhoods, with a casual meander north towards Republique. Head further north for a walk along the Canal St. Martin (buy a bottle of wine before you go, you’ll want it when you get there). There is often some amazing music happening late nights in the cave at le connetable on the rue des archives. Hmm, for the adventurous soul, I’d try renting a bike and exploring the city via bike path (you completely miss out on a sense of the city’s layout above your head while suffocating in the metro). Oberkampf is great at night, walk through the small streets around le Pantheon (le crocodile = stiff, amazing drinks in a very hip little bar). Best hats in the city at les canotiers du marais. Restaurant Page 35, rue du parc royal for an amazing, affordable meal inside of a small gallery overlooking the parc royal in the marais (around the corner from the picasso museum). If you are hip enough, hit la fourmi on the boulevard de clichy, a block east of pigalle. For the greatest late night of your life, check out the legendary crooner for a 3 am set of tunes at Aux Noctambules, place de pigalle. You’ll never see another thing like it. Man, I want to go back!!!!!!!!!
I strongly suggest taking a walking tour of the Marais; there is an organized group (or do your homework and do it on your own) that leads tours in this and other Paris neighborhoods. The Marais is one of Paris’ oldest quarters…. with narrow streets and arcitectural styles of Medieval and Renaissance-era Paris. The walking tour group posts times / meeting places around the city.
Check out the “I surrender” museum, a must see! I also really liked the “Learn German Quick” museum.
What I love about Paris is that everyone who has been to the city has their own Paris. I always go to Mariage Freres, 35 rue du Bourg-Tibourg. It’s the epicenter of French tea culture. But for someone else it’s going to be another discovery, another angle. I like the Mike approach; explore the neighborhood outside your hotel and don’t let someone else decide what is best for you.
I agree with the article that Les Jardins du Luxembourg is a wonderful place to visit - you can sit there for hours taking in the scenary and people watching. I recommend exploring the bridges, as they are each a piece of art. Notre Dame is awing - the thought that it took over two hundred years to construct, and the beauty that she is still today. If you venture outside of Paris - Versailles is wonderful for the gardens and Hamlet (the palace is okay), but my favorite place to visit is Giverny, the home of Claude Monet. The water gardens are amazing! There are so many things that you can see or do in Paris, and if you let the city be your guide, you shouldn’t be disappointed. Just go with an open agenda, an open mind, and good walking shoes! Bon voyage!
To learn about the history of Paris, I highly recommend the Carnavalet museum (Musée Carnavalet in French)– which is also in the Marais.
Another fine spot: Place des Vosges. It’s a small little park, popular with moms an toddlers, but in one corner you’ll find the home of Victor Hugo — worth the tour, especially if you are a fan of the writer.
I already told Cindy but go to Angelina’s on the Rue de Rivoli in the arcades next to the Louvre for the best hot chocolate in the world. Its like liquid fudge.
Thanks for all the great advice! Clearly we are going to have to make a return trip someday 
Right now I’ve figured out that we’ll do lots of museums, shops, and galleries if it is raining and lots of wandering the streets (taking pictures!) if it isn’t. And, of course, plenty of eating rain or shine!
I am a college professor who has been traveling to Paris on a regular basis for about 10 years. I’ve put together a 30-page Paris travel guide that people find most useful.
Don’t worry, there are no ads, no promotions. I just did this as a labor of love.
Download it (its in MS-Word format) at http://www.travelingprofessor.com
An absolute must is a concert at Sainte Chappelle - we go as soon as we get to Paris, find out what’s available and get tx right away.
Best to go early evening to enjoy not only the acuostics but the most beautiful stained glass windows I have ever seen.
I LOVE Paris. In Sept. 08 I will be taking my twin daughters there for a girls week! As they are young adults and abroad for the first time, they are planning the sights and wanders hey want to do. However, I have a few avorites. First and foremost is a visit to Sainte Cahpelle, not far from Notre Dame. Ascending the tower at Notre Dame gives you an unprecedented bird’s eye view of the city’s landmarks. Last is a picnic in the little park on the tip of Ile de Citie. If you think you are going to visit two or more sights a day, consider buying a museum pass as it saves a lot of money. Also purchasing a carnet (pack) of metro tickets saves money in the long run and let’s face it, wandering the streets is an adventure, but sometimes it rains or the feet are tired. Learning to ride the metro is an adventure in itself! Tickets are one time use, but a carnet can be use by more than one person. They also work on the buses. Bus #69 (I think) gives a good overview of the city. Have a wonderful time. You will start saving for your next trip there the minute you get home!
St. Sulpice, St. Michelle, Saint Germain, Qua D’Orsay. I love the left bank. Visit the Bastille and Montmarre (sic).
Laisez le bon temps roullez.
Paris is gorgeous. Travel south to visit Fontain Blu (sic). Mille le forret is on the way, there is a restaurant just on you left after exiting the A6, I can not remember the name. They make the best roasted chicken and sweet peas I have ever had — anywhere.
Finish your trip at Sacré-Cœur and sit on the steps gazing out over the city. It is said that if you do that it is your destiny to return one day.
The last time I did was 1993 after spending three incredible months in Paris.
I guess it is time to go back. If only I had a free weekend to jump on the train or drive I would go.
Input from Regensburg, DE
Kerri Westenberg has globe-trotted for National Geographic and other magazines. Now she zips around the region, on the lookout for travel news you can use.
Elizabeth Larsen lived in Salzburg, Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe and the Americas. She can say "diaper," "bottle" and "crib" in four languages.
Troy Melhus has heli-skied on glaciers, dived alongside Monk seals and raced for 24 hours on a mountain bike. All this, and he rarely spends more than $500 on a trip.
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