3 days in Paris

[Sarah S]

Hi all

We are going to Paris for 3 days in May. (Taking train from London). I have never been there before. We have our hotel reservations we are staying near Eiffel Tower. Looking for feedback about sightseeing. The hop on hop off bus has been recommended particularly the L'Open bus any thoughts on that and also on the absolutely don't miss things to do would be much appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Nikki

 

[steelyman]

Check out Fat Tire bike tours, they meet at the Eiffel Tower and are fun.

 

[anethum]

In order to make recommendations, it would help to know your interests.

 

[photoguy]

Paris is a great city to visit. When we went we took the metro and walked everywhere. There are so many sights and I think it really is a city where you have to walk it to experience it.

For bikes, there is velib bike rental (How it works / Paris - Vélib' - vélos en libre-service à Paris - Site Officiel). They have stations everywhere and its very inexpensive. However, we never felt the need for a bike.

For guidebooks, I recommend looking at rick steves guides.

For a three day trip, I'd skip versailles unless it's of particular interest to you. I think it depends on what's important to you. If you are interested in art, you could spend a week or more in all of the museums like the louvre.

 

[Sarah S]

Thank you.
We are more interested in general sightseeing. Seeing the buildings. I had the same thought about Versailles. Nice as it would be with our limited time it may not make sense. I also would rather see a little less and enjoy the atmosphere. The bike thing looks fun but my companion would not want to do it unfortunately

 

[Meadbh]

My absolument favorite spot in Paris is the Musee d'Orsay. If you enjoy beautiful buildings (it was once the Gare d'Orsay, one of the city's main railway stations), if you enjoy Impressionist art and Art Nouveau, and if you enjoy Tiffany glass and beautiful furniture tableaux, this is for you. It's also a manageable size. Allow 2-3 hours and then wander along the Rive Gauche till you get near the Medical School, the head up to St Germain des Pres and enjoy peoplewatching with a cafe au lait at Cafe de Flore, haunt of Simone de Beauvoir.

You won't have time for this, but during my last visit to Paris I took time out to visit Monet's garden at Giverny. Beautiful!

 

[photoguy]

Here's my list of sites driven mainly by my photo interests:


watch sunset on eiffel tower from trocadero
notre dame + hanging out on the banks of the seine
catacombs
sunset on paris from montparnasse tower
people watching from cafes (all the seating is oriented so that customers can watch the street)
open air markets (depends on what days you are there)
jardin du luxembourg (basically a really nice park with lots of parisians)
bouquinistes and Shakespeare and company (wife's interest)
sunset on arc de triomphe
sainte chapelle (awesome stained glass)
pere lachaise cemetery (this is a little out of the way but you can see gravestones for oscar wilde, jim morrison, etc. I believe they've now erected some kind of barrier around oscar wilde's stone so it might not have as much of the lipstick kisses)
champ de mars (great place for picnic)

 

[anethum]

I think the prettiest neighborhood in the city is the "Marais", which is mostly in the 4th arrondissement near the St. Paul metro station. Don't miss the gorgeous Place des Vosges in the eastern end of the area. Rue des Rosiers, rue des Francs Bourgeois, and rue St. Paul are all nice streets for strolling, but so are the little side streets. Ile St. Louis (also in the 4th arrond.), the smaller of the 2 islands in the Seine, is also very pretty and a nice place to wander through.

There are dozens of excellent museums. Personally, I find the Louvre daunting. It is massive and much of its holdings don't interest me. Most visitors love the Musée d'Orsay, known for its extensive collection of impressionist paintings. Less well-known is its fine collection of gorgeous Art Nouveau furniture. There are very nice views from the top floors. The Centre Pompidou is worth seeing at least from the outside for its unusual architecture. If you go inside, you get great views from the semi-outdoor escalators as you go up.

On Sunday, some roads along the Seine are closed to motor vehicle traffic and are delightful for walking, biking, & rollerblading. The elevated Promenade Plantée is a pretty park built along disused train tracks. I suspect it was the inspiration for the High Line in Manhattan. It starts in the 12th arrond. just east of the Bastille Opera House, and goes eastward. There are lots of stairways to get up to it or to exit from it.

 

[anethum]

You won't have time for this, but during my last visit to Paris I took time out to visit Monet's garden in Brittany. Beautiful!

Small correction, Giverny is in Normandy. It's downriver from Paris near the small city of Vernon. It is especially gorgeous in May and June when the extensive perennial flower beds are in bloom. It takes more than half a day for a visit, however. You take a train from the Gare St. Lazare to Vernon, then a bus or short taxi ride to Giverny. The train ride doesn't take that long but there aren't that many trains each day between Paris & Vernon.

 

[Katsmeow]

We spent only one day in Paris - taking the train over from London in the morning and the train back in the evening. So we had little time but we did do the hop on and hop off bus. As I recall there were 2 main companies that did this. One had just one route and the other had I think 3 routes. They had a little bit different schedules.

Anyway, the bus was great, just what we wanted. They give you headphones so you can hear the narration which was nice. We always sat on the top level since you have the best view there. We hopped off at several locations and then would catch another one when we were ready to go.

 

[anethum]

I forgot to mention that Paris is geographically compact, especially compared to London. It is easy to get around on foot, metro, or bike. I have found the buses to be slow due to the heavy traffic.

 

[Meadbh]

Small correction, Giverny is in Normandy. It's downriver from Paris near the small city of Vernon. It is especially gorgeous in May and June when the extensive perennial flower beds are in bloom. It takes more than half a day for a visit, however. You take a train from the Gare St. Lazare to Vernon, then a bus or short taxi ride to Giverny. The train ride doesn't take that long but there aren't that many trains each day between Paris & Vernon.

Thank you, I have corrected my original post.

 

[Lsbcal]

I too would recommend the Rick Steves' Paris guide book.

Here is one nice day's ideas:
1) take the #69 bus which gives a pretty nice view of Paris, or the Metro to the area of the Tuilleries gardens
2) visit the Orangerie museum with fantastic Monet paintings and a great collection of Impressionist art
3) stroll through the gardens and maybe have lunch there at one of the open air cafe's
4) check out the obelisk monument
5) walk up the Champs Elysee and check out the fancy stores
6) visit the Arc de Triomphe and do the climb up to the top. Great views of all of Paris.

I think this sort of walk is detailed in the Rick Steves book. We used the book for 2 weeks in Paris last year.

 

[urn2bfree]

Get the museum pass. it comes in various lengths of time- it saves loads of time wasted waiting in lines to buy tickets AND allows you to skip most entry lines, too. I twill also give you a ready ,axe list of places to check out that are included in the pass.

Besides the obvious,
Take thigh light river cruise on the Seine.

Sainte Chapelle when the sun is shining is a must.
Musee d'Orsay is also great.
Check which days each place is closed, and also which ones are open LATE to maximize your limited time.
The old department stores are a sight to see as well.

 

[UserRequested]

3 days is a short trip. Must see's are

1.Champs Elysee & Arch de Triomph (and of course the shopping/food there is great)
2. Moulin Rouge (see the show at the Red Mill)
3. Louvre Museum
4. Notre Dame cathedral
5. Sacre Coer
6. Last but not least the Eiffel Tower (go right to the top)

 

[anethum]

I would say you should absolutely, positively, avoid the overpriced tourist-trap shows at the Moulin Rouge.

 

[UserRequested]

I would say you should absolutely, positively, avoid the overpriced tourist-trap shows at the Moulin Rouge.

You only live once. And if you can afford it, blow the money and enjoy the show

 

[Original Wally]

3 days is a short trip. Must see's are

1.Champs Elysee & Arch de Triomph (and of course the shopping/food there is great)
2. Moulin Rouge (see the show at the Red Mill)
3. Louvre Museum
4. Notre Dame cathedral
5. Sacre Coer
6. Last but not least the Eiffel Tower (go right to the top)

+1 This is a great short list. They are all WONDERFUL.

 

[Meadbh]

I would say you should absolutely, positively, avoid the overpriced tourist-trap shows at the Moulin Rouge.

Overpriced, yes! But a unique experience. I'm glad I went, 21 years ago, but I have no desire to go again.

 

[laughingduck]

Hi all

We are going to Paris for 3 days in May. (Taking train from London). I have never been there before. We have our hotel reservations we are staying near Eiffel Tower. Looking for feedback about sightseeing. The hop on hop off bus has been recommended particularly the L'Open bus any thoughts on that and also on the absolutely don't miss things to do would be much appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Nikki

We went a couple years ago, stayed a week. We stayed on Grenelle, walking distance from the Eiffel, nice area. As others have noted, 3 days is gonna force you to concentrate on your interests. Take the metro everywhere and walk from the stops, we never got into a cab and went anywhere anytime probably quicker and cheaper on the metro. My interests would dictate (if I had only 3 days) the Louvre - that's a whole day! Oh, and it's not far from Notre Dame, so maybe dinner near Notre Dame and take the metro home. Versaille is up to you, that's almost a whole day if you do Marie Antoinett's estate. Arc de Triomphe was almost anti climactic, but quick. Latin Quarter good for shopping and relaxing, Sacre Couer def worth the trip, great pics and grand architecture. O, and of course, the Eiffel. O, and there's a really flavorful and HUGE Farmer's market on Grenelle to stroll through, but it's only on one day a week, I think Wed., but check around. Good way to see and sample local raw groceries, close to Eiffel. We got a wine, bread, and cheese there and ate brunch in Champs du Mars near the Eiffel while planning the day. Bon Chance.

 

[donheff]

I'm going to be there for a few days in May too. What is the Open Bus?

 

[marko]

If time it tight, get a pass on the Bateau Mouche. Hop on/off for a day on the boats going up and down the Seine. Worth it even for an hour or so.
Get to see a lot of stuff from the river.

 

[Corporateburnout]

We went a couple years ago, stayed a week. We stayed on Grenelle, walking distance from the Eiffel, nice area. As others have noted, 3 days is gonna force you to concentrate on your interests. Take the metro everywhere and walk from the stops, we never got into a cab and went anywhere anytime probably quicker and cheaper on the metro. My interests would dictate (if I had only 3 days) the Louvre - that's a whole day! Oh, and it's not far from Notre Dame, so maybe dinner near Notre Dame and take the metro home. Versaille is up to you, that's almost a whole day if you do Marie Antoinett's estate. Arc de Triomphe was almost anti climactic, but quick. Latin Quarter good for shopping and relaxing, Sacre Couer def worth the trip, great pics and grand architecture. O, and of course, the Eiffel. O, and there's a really flavorful and HUGE Farmer's market on Grenelle to stroll through, but it's only on one day a week, I think Wed., but check around. Good way to see and sample local raw groceries, close to Eiffel. We got a wine, bread, and cheese there and ate brunch in Champs du Mars near the Eiffel while planning the day. Bon Chance.

+1 for the metro. We visited our daughter twice in Paris where she spent her Junior year of college. She got us metro passes and we were able to see the whole city from the 1st to the 18th arrondissement.

The Notre Dame, Luxembourg garden, Saint Germain de pres (Latin quarter) and Champs Elysee are all close and can be walked in a few hours. The Sacre Coeur cathedral is beautiful. Les Invalides is within a 15 minutes walk from the Eiffel tower. And if you decide to visit the Louvre museum make sure to check out the best croissant and cafe au lait at Angelina across the street.

 

[tinlizzy]

Loved Paris - everyone's so grouchy it's comical. I went with my child 10 years ago.

I second the Paris Metro for transportation. Getting a chicken sandwich on a baguette from a street vendor was my favorite. Real mayonaise!

 

[deserat]

OK - I've read everyone's recommendations - I've been to Paris many times and the following are my favorites:

St Chapelle - behind Notre Dame, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe - it's like a stained glass bird cage.

Underneath Notre Dame are the Roman ruins - really cool

Musee du Moyen Age (also the Musee du Cluny) - this was a cloister and before that a Roman bath - it has the Unicorn Tapestry room along with a lot of artifacts from medieval times up close and personal

Musee du Orsay - mentioned before - amazing collection of impressionistic paintings as well as other historical paintings

Louvre - uhhh, the most interesting part here for me was all of the mosaics that had been unearthed and brought to Paris; the French history wing which has paintings of French history - many from Napoleon's seven battles - notice in each painting he is a tall or taller than any other person in the painting even though that is no true in reality - the largest painting in the Louvre is in this wing and of Napoleon crowning Josephine...also cool to see the winged glory (sans arms, of course). I personally hate the Mona Lisa and tried very hard every time I was in the Louvre to avoid it - alas, no such luck. Leonardo had many other more interesting pieces of art, in my estimation.

If you are near the Eiffel Tower, you are near Les Invalides, which is the military museum and behind that is where Napoleon is buried - both times. The Focault pendulum is also in the same building and is still swinging. Les Invalides has one of the largest armories (armor from from medieval times) I've seen - they also had a museum on the third floor which was art from the soldiers in WWI and WWII - very sobering. On the top floor are scale models of every French fort.

Outside of the Louvre is a beautiful walking garden - when I was there in April, they had orange tulips with black flowers. Another nice garden is the one outside the museum of anthropology (in another part of town). I believe in the Tuileries gardens has working apiary as well. Another interesting place is Les Halles - lots of shopping and near a church is a large sculpture of a head laying on its side - cool place. The Georges Pompidou Center has some very modern colorful sculptures in a fountain outside one of the more ugly buildings in Paris. Also, notice a lot of Egyptian obelisks throughout a walk through Paris (saw more in Rome, but Paris had quite a few as well).

For shopping, do not miss Galeries Lafayette - amazing store just to walk around - the food area is usually on the ground floor or basement - you can get so many French specialties to go. Also, there is usually a floor or half a floor devoted to women's lingerie - there is a saying a French women spends more on her underwear than an American woman spends on her jewelry - the underwear is exquisite (with a price to match) - pieces of clothing art.

The left bank has some interesting restaurants....creperie's are usually quite good and fairly inexpensive.

Enjoy your trip - PM me if you want some more info.