Just returned 7/17 from a week in Paris. I apologize ahead of time if this is too long but wanted to share a few observations. In one week we: went to the U2 concert at Stade de France, visited the Orsay, Versailles, Saint Chappelle, Saint Sulpice, Notre Dame, Opera house, Napolean%26#39;s tomb, Arc de Triomphe, Luxemburg Gardens, the Marais, Isle St. Louis, Montmartre, did the O%26#39;Chateau wine %26amp; cheese lunch, took and evening boat cruise, went to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, celebrated Bastille Day with 700,000 people at the Eiffel Tower, and everywhere in between! Here are my observations along the way:
Summer:
Recently I%26#39;ve read some bad comments on Paris this time of year and I will say it is possibly not the best time of year to visit if it is your first visit to Paris. I have been a couple of times before and all of my trips, including this one, have been wonderful, but I am a little familiar with the area and not intimidated by crowds so it was not an issue for us. It was, however, the most busy I have ever seen Paris with people from all over the world. To me - wonderful! But I can see how to others it may seem a little like going to Disney World. Some lines were longer than usual. If you hate crowds and are going now I suggest getting up very early in the morning, have breakfast at a cafe, and watch the wonder of seeing Paris nearly empty and then start to come alive as you sit and have your coffee and croissant. Also break away from the crowds by seeking out quite corners throughout your trip. Sometimes just a couple blocks from where you are is a quiet charming street with a little park to sit and relax.
Gypsies and pick-pockets:
The gypsies seemed to be mostly where the lines of people were. Just say no and they walk away, no issues. I didn%26#39;t have any pickpocket issues (that I know of) and was sure to be very mindful of my purse and belongings at all times. Especially since it was so crowded.
Metro Passes:
I%26#39;ve bought several type of metro passes before and this time I bought the carnet%26#39;s and felt they worked out great. For 2 people for a week we used 5- that might seem like a lot (50 tickets) but we were ALL OVER Paris all of the time and I didn%26#39;t have a set schedule so wherever we wanted to go we went, whether it was close to where we were or not. I just bought 1 or 2 packs at a time from a metro attendant- not a machine. The metro machines wouldn%26#39;t take either of my US debit or credit cards.
French people:
All the french people we met were wonderful! One nice young lady we met in the Monoprix walked us several blocks to a Darty store because our camera broke and we needed to by a new one and had no idea where to go. Another very candid french person told us that the French don%26#39;t like Americans because they think they are fake- because we are so nice that we must be fake! I have to say I was completely shocked. I thought he%26#39;d say because we were big, greedy, rude, loud - I never expected to hear fake. I wish to tell anyone French who wants to listen- Americans are not fake- basically what you see is what you get! If we%26#39;re big and loud and rude it%26#39;s because we%26#39;re big and loud rude but if we%26#39;re nice believe-it-or-not it%26#39;s because we are NICE! Also, a note to Americans- french waiters are not rude, they are just different than at home. They give you your meal and leave you be and let you enjoy it. They encounter a lot of different types of people so be patient and polite- to me they are Saints!
MacDonalds:
This is going to sound really bad- but if you need a fast cheap breakfast go to MacDonalds. Not that I%26#39;m recommending this for everyday, but for 4.50 Euros you get coffee, mini croissants, yogert with berries, orange juice and a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich. I never even go to MacDonalds at home, but c%26#39;mon- how can you beat that! There was even enough food to split between 2 people.
Best French Restaurant we visited:
Chez Janou, in the Marais. It is really small, menu is only in french, we had great provincial style food and you have to get the chocolate mousse- they bring it out in a big mixing bowl and scoop a big pile on your plate. It is so good you can%26#39;t stop eating it even though you are so full.
Whirlwind Versaille Tour:
I have been to Versaille before but my husband has not, and he is the kind of person who will stop and stare at ceiling for 20 minutes so I didn%26#39;t want to go to Versailles on our own and just let him look around because we would still be there! We took a guided %26quot;half day%26quot; tour of Versailles. Which amounted to 2 hours actually at Versailles. One hour in the palace and one hour in the gardens. Our guide spoke so fast you had to really pay attention and didn%26#39;t have much time to take pictures. But suprisingly my husband loved it and thought it was enough time and was able to absorb the information. We saw what was most important and someday we%26#39;ll go back and take our children and stay longer.
Hotel vs. Apartment:
Even though I wish we would have stayed in an apartment, our hotel was a great value, I thought. The Tourisme Hotel near the Eiffel Tower. It was extremely easy to get wherever you wanted to, there was a ton a cafe%26#39;s, retail stores, markets, grocery stores nearby. If you needed something you could walk outside and find it, and it came to about $100 US a night which to me is a bargain for Paris. I will say I thought the cafe%26#39;s nearby were overpriced - at least for breakfast, (9 Euros for coffee, orange juice and croissants) another reason the MacDonalds breakfast seemed like such a deal! But we still ate there about 5 times anyway. Next time I will get an apartment for these reasons: having you%26#39;re own kitchen, laundry, and possibly a tv with a dvd player since there are only 2 channels of English (both news) on hotel tv%26#39;s.
Speaking French/English:
I took french for 7 years and I still can%26#39;t put a sentence together in french. I know a lot of vocabulary, and I can read some, but not nearly enough to say I speak french. I blame my school system for their teaching technique - or maybe it%26#39;s because I am blonde, it is one of my greateset life failures. I actually wanted to be a french teacher until I realized that after 7 years that if I hadn%26#39;t gotten it, I had better change my plans. However- I tried my hardest. I always said bonjour, bonsoir, merci, aurevoir etc. Most of the younger people seem to speak english really well and are more tolerant so if you need help- ask someone who looks around 20-30. Many older people did not speak english but were still patient and kind.
O%26#39;Chateau wine and cheese lunch:
Loved it! If I could have wrapped Olivier up and taken him home I would have. Our class was all Americans and we didn%26#39;t stop laughing and we learned a lot, had great wine and cheese meats and as Olivier put it %26quot;got sheet faced%26quot;. It was awesome!
Sorry if that was too long or didn%26#39;t include anything that helped anyone. Even though Paris was very crowded it is still my favorite city in the world to visit and I can%26#39;t wait till my two daughters are old enough to go. Thanks for your time!
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Thankyou for a great post! It%26#39;s lovely to read someone who enjoyed it so totally!
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This is a great post!
I too loved Chez Janou
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Wonderful report - thank you!
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Great report. Funny about McDonald%26#39;s -- I wouldn%26#39;t eat their sandwiches for love or money but I would go there any time for breakfast, as would my food-conscious wife.
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Thanks for the great report, BuffaloGal. Sounds like you had a wonderful time.
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I%26#39;ve seen pictures of the crowds in Paris during the summer and have never been tempted to join them. This is probably the case with most popular destinations. We don%26#39;t always enjoy the weather but at least we avoid the crowds by traveling int he shoulder and off seasons.
Thanks for the report. I saw the Samantha Brown episode where they are eating that big bowl of pudding and I can%26#39;t wait to go there.
I hope you go back soon and get to stay in an apartment. It is so much fun.
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Chez Janou is one of our favorites in Le Marais over the past 12 years of visiting there.
Around the corner from Chez Janou is also Petit Marche and Gli Angeli which have been very good too.
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Thank you for your report, did you have a reservation at Chez Janou? TIA
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Please provide more info on the O%26#39;Chateau wine and cheese lunch. For example, how much, where, length of time, etc. I have been really looking for a cheese making class - but perhaps this may fit the bill. Thanks!
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great report Buffalogal! I grew up in Kenmmore!
love the sheet face!
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