What to do, what to do? Part of me wants to plan ahead for some of the things that we'd like to see and do, while in Paris. Book now for our trip out to Versailles. Make sure now that there are tickets waiting for us for a day at the Louvre or a cooking class with a great chef.
Another part of me wants to just wing it, totally. If we want to go to the Louvre, we'll just go, take our chances or at the very most, prebook a day or so in advance. If we'd like to go for a cruise on the Seine? Well, walk down to the river and see what time we can go. No prebooking, no purchasing tickets online, no remembering to pick up those same tickets.
Is it crazy to go to Paris without prebooking or pre-planning anything other than a couple of things? Especially in the summer? I can't believe I'm worrying about this!
Any advice? What do you do, and what advice would you give to TiaD and her nervous Nellie grandmother?
"Keep good company - that is, go to the Louvre." ~ Paul Cezanne Brenda
We are here for 2 weeks and except for 1 dinner reservation, we didn't book anything ahead of time. We really wanted to take it one day at a time and see what struck our fancy that day. So far,we've had no problems seeing or doing anything we have chosen. I have a list of restaurants I want to go to and we've been able to reserve the day before or even the same day at all the ones we've gone to so far. Same with the museums, the churches, etc.
We may do Versailles this week if we feel like it, today is probably the Canal St Martin if the weather holds up.
I may be wrong, but I think one of the great things about Paris, is there is so much to do that winging it becomes easier. If one plan doesn't work out, there are always a dozen others. When I was there with Chris, I just made a list of possibilities for each day (based upon openings), and then in the morning, looked at my list, the weather, and chose some things, then still changed a bit as I walked around.
I never pre-book (though I suppose for a Londoner that's easy to say about Paris, since it's on the doorstep).
A cooking class with a particular chef (or a specific performance at the opera) is obviously likely to have limited space and it would pay to pre-book.
I certainly don't see any point pre-booking for museums - though it probably helps to get to the Louvre early to avoid queues, and I believe there's a second entrance where there are fewer queues.
For river boats, and possibly Versailles, a compromise might be to check when you arrive whether it's worth booking then and there, though I doubt whether there's much advantage to it.
Other ways to think about this might be to see it as an opportunity to practise your French in emails or by phone, when you contact places direct to ask their advice - or as an excuse to come back another time...?!
I agree there's no need to pre-book, except for that cooking class or for very special restaurants. For the cooking class, you may already be too late, so don't delay in inquiring if you really want it.
Hi Brenda, as everyone above I wouldn't prebook anything. Even Versailles, just decide that morning when you get up and head to an RER and away you go (fountains only on Sunday, but obviously more crowded then). We didn't plan anything other than knowing the late night openings for the museums and going then if we still wanted too.
We "sort of" planned each morning over our croissants where we thought we'd head to that day. A few times we all went off in our own directions and met up back at the apartment later.
Last year we made a dinner reservation and ended up having to cut short our visit to the Eiffel Tower, which wasn't a big deal for my husband and I as we'd been before, but it was too bad for my brother and sister-in-law. We ended up rushing back to the hotel to quickly clean up and head out again. You could be totally enjoying yourself at one end of the city and have to leave and rush off to a "reserved" activity.
Just FYI....if you are planning on doing museums you might want to pick up the 2 or 4 day passes. You can bypass ticket line ups, but still have to stand in the security lines. Also the Louvre is open late Wednesday nights, so we headed over there around 5:30-6:00 and left Mona for last when the crowds had dispersed quite a bit. The d'Orsay is open late on Thursday and we did the same thing. When we were there they had closed the Richelieu entrance for the Louvre, so had to go through the main entrance.
Does your granddaughter have any "must sees"? We "tried" to plan our daily travels in arrondissements or areas, one day we did the Latin Quarter, which included shopping (Shakespeares Book Store for me and Blvd St Michel for the girls) and the Pantheon...a great dinner in one of those tacky Greek restaurants that they break the plates at. This is a great website for what to see in that area http://www.aparisguide.com/latin-quarter/index.html . The next day we headed up to Sacre Coeur and ended up spending about 3 hours more in Montmartre than we thought we would. In the 7th, the day you do the Eiffel Tower, head down to Rue Cler and the Rodin Museum, then the d'Orsay that evening (if a Thursday). etc etc etc...... At the end of the trip there was still much we hadn't seen, but that just means you have to go again!! (this was my 3rd trip in as many years and I would go yet again in a heart beat!!)
I would definitely buy a metro pass (5 day = E27.50 for all zones in Paris). We used these a lot. As much as I enjoy walking from point A to point B there were just somethings that you wanted to save the shoe leather (and the feet, especially the girls since they aren't "walkers" and endured very sore feet the first couple of days) for, such as wandering around the Pere LaChaise Cemetery.....not morbid at all, very serene and beautiful or that walk down the Champs Elysees and through the Tuileries and on to the Louvre (where you will also walk a lot!) We also bought a 2 day bateaubus (hop on/off) pass, which was great in the morning and late afternoon when they weren't too crowded.
Just relax and wander....I think Paris is meant for that, there aren't really any places that don't offer something around every corner.
You will have a great trip, no matter what you decide to do.
We've purchased our tickets for Musee D'Orsay on line and will pick them up at FNAC. We can then go whenever we feel in the mood. I hate waiting in the line there.
Sharon J
Posts: 650 | Location: Houston, TX USA | Registered: 01 November 2003
Merci beaucoup, mes amis! You tipped the scales for me, in favor of winging it! On my own, I'd not plan most things, but with my granddarling along, I wanted to make sure she didn't miss anything. I was actually worrying about it, for goodness' sake! A good wake-up call for me...just chill out and trust the flow, right?
TiaD has no idea what she wants to see and do, because this is her first trip to Paris, and she has only been to London, Wales and Ireland with her school tour group last year. That's not slow travel! They touched down in several locations, took a few photos and hit the road again, so this will be a vastly different experience for her. Her Christmas gift this year was an all-Paris gift basket that included a fantastic travel guide book for Paris, so she's been browsing through that.
I like the idea of going to the Louvre in the late afternoon or evening. We are staying within walking distance, so that's an easy decision.
"Most of my treasured memories of travel are recollections of sitting." ~ Robert Thomas Allen Brenda
We walked by the D'Orsay one day because we wanted to check it out for doing an English language tour for the following day. There's a door perpendicular to the main waiting doors where you go in and buy tickets that are good for a year, but not on the day of purchase. So we bought our tickets and went the next day! Saved a lot of time.
By the way, I like to wing it on a daily basis, but have all my info ready so I know what's open when and how to get to places, etc.
Sophia, I'm with you...I have a Word document started, with ongoing entries listing the things I'm interested in, how to find them, contact numbers and addresses. That way, we can take a look at the list when we are ready to plan something, and off we go!
I am really hooked on the Segway Tour with the Fat Tire Bike Tour company. Has anyone taken this? It would allow us to have an overview of the areas without stressing my ankle.
I am recovering from a badly sprained ankle and I'm realizing that I might not be in top shape when we arrive in Paris. I'm also realizing that I better have a Plan B, in case my wonky ankle isn't A+ by the time we get there. I'm looking for easier ways of getting around the city, rather than my usual walk-everywhere mode of travel.
So far, I've found the following hopefully-painless ways for me to travel with TiaD: Bateaux Mouches Segway Tours Hop-off Hop-on bus Paris city bus
Any other thoughts or ideas? I thought about biking, but it also might aggravate the injury, so I'm hesitant to try it.
"April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, holiday tables under the trees." ~ E.Y. Harburg Brenda
We only book a cooking class at the Galleries Lafayette ahead of time. So much depends on the weather and what captures your interest. When are you going? I'm taking my granddaughter this summer, and we've tried to talk friend into taking their granddaughters- we were going to do "the little princesses visit Paris", but everyone else was scared off by the low dollar. Still, a visit to Sephora and the Luxembourg garden should make her happy.
The city buses are great, Brenda. We used them a lot on our last trip. They're not as fast as the metro, but much more entertaining since you get to watch Paris go by. There's a little book called "Le Bus" or "Le Bus Parisien" that you can buy at a newstand that shows all the routes and stops--very handy.
Brenda, Try bus #69 - use your metro tickets. It goes everywhere and you're above ground. We like being able to see where we're going, as an alternative to the underground - especially on beautiful days. Also, far less stairs - those metro stations can have a lot of stairs, bad for the ankle. Check out Jo's blog to see all of the places they have traveled on that bus #69. She also mentions the Canal St. Denis, which sounds like a fabulous trip.
Laura
Posts: 570 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 01 April 2006
Brenda, I had never been a big fan of hop on/off buses until our very short trip to Barcelona! We only had a day and half to see whatever we could and besides Sagrada Familia and La Ramblas we didn't have anything specific in mind.......then we ended up doing the hoho bus....we discovered many, many places that we would have visited had we had more time. So for the first day using the hoho would be a great way to "see" a lot and pick out the things that catch your eye for a visit later in the week.
The metro passes are good for the buses too so I think buying one of those is a good investment, especially if your ankle isn't cooperating. If the weathers crappy, use the metro, if it's nice use the bus!
Another thing you might want to check on is where the weekly "roving markets". They sell everything, food, flowers (great to brighten up your apartment!), purses, scarves etc. Here is a link to a website that give you some ideas too for "clustering" things to see. http://www.learnfrenchinboston.com/travel/index.cfm
You only need to book your classes with a chef. You need not book or plan the rest (and especially not PRE-book or PRE-plan ). If you want, you can make a list of visits that are suited for rainy weather. Bon voyage.
Loie and I fall somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. We would agree that the contingencies of weather and crowds and unexpected stuff preclude truly regimented prebooking. But preplanning --at least in the sense of research into feasability-- is sometimes essential. For example, it might work out OK to decide to pop into the station, by an RER ticket to Versailles and go. But it would also be helpful to know it takes an hour to get out to the station and walk to the entrance. And that there can be lines waiting to buy RER tickets. And that the forfait loisir package ticket (round trip train fare and palace entrance all in one) is a good deal and avoids waiting in line to buy tickets at the gate at Versailles. And that the maps of the gardens listing the times of display of the various fountains are only available at the Garden gates, not in the Palace, thereby saving yourself the time asking around for them. Etc. etc.
I offer this as an example (perhaps not the most persuasive one!) of the value of research. And this site for researching. In other words, we feel if there's something in which you're interested, it usually pays to know the ins and outs of doing it. After that, though, it's always better to kind of go with the flow of the trip, and avoid the frustration that comes with having the best laid plans getting balled up. Which, if one travels enough, they sometimes will!
If there's a place, though, that offers enough opportunities for Plan Bs to make winging it truly easy, it's Paris.
Thanks! Bucky "Trying To Slow Down" Edgett
Posts: 711 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 24 April 2006
This is why I love Slowtrav! Thank you so much...such good advice! Ethrush, How old is your granddaughter? How lovely that you are taking her to Paris! My grand-darling is so unbelievably thrilled about this trip, I cannot believe it. We've added 7 days in London before we travel to Paris, so that made her whole year! She is such a warm and delightful child, and this trip with her will be a joy, I'm sure.
Chris, Thank you for your help...I am re-reading your blog again, because it puts me right there! I agree with you about the city buses. The last time I was in Paris, I really enjoyed the whole experience of riding the bus. Maybe it was because I was there for the first time, so it was like a mini-tour every time I took another bus. The bus gave me a bit of an orientation and an introduction to the city. I think I have a copy of Le Bus somewhere on my travel shelves!
Laura, I can't find the #99 route on my map. Is it a new line? Or, maybe it's on the map and I'm not able to find it. I totally agree with you about the steps to and from the metro...not for me, I'm afraid. I'll be taking the easy way around, every time!
Linda, I've never heard of the roving market. That's a fantastic idea...I'll watch for them. Thanks for the link, lots of good info there! I am definitely taking the hop on hop off, without a doubt!
A. in P., I thought I'd pre-book a couple of things, and now, the more I think about it, the less I'm inclined to do that! Truly, I'm a free-floater when traveling, but with the grandchild, I want to make sure she has a wide variety of experiences this time. So, I'll be as flexible as possible...thanks for the good advice!
Kendall...pack your bag, girlfriend!
Bucky, I agree totally with you. I have a several-page-long Word Document with all of the little snippets of advice and info that I've been given on this wonderful site. Taking the time to do the presearch makes all the difference for me. Besides the fact that I love doing it, it's like a backup ...or Plan B!
"How can anyone govern a nation that has 240 different kinds of cheese?" ~ Charles de Gaulle Brenda
Did you book a cooking class yet? I had bookmarked this site mainly for the links to restaurants and markets. Cooking classes seemed to pricey for me with the weak dollar.
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