My husband surprised me with a trip to Paris to celebrate my birthday -- it is a huge one! Anyway, I need lots of help. Please people, recommend tour guides, restaurants, places to go and see, etc. I know absolutely nothing. Judith

We loved the owner of this tour company. He is wonderful. Many tour guides stop at a designated time (2 hours; 3 hours..he wanted to keep on going until he had shown and told us everything. I liked him the best of any private tour guide I have ever had and we have had many good ones.)

Paris à Pied
Telephone: (800) 594-9535
Email: info@parisapied.com

PARIS à PIED
145, boulevard Davout 75020 PARIS
Metro : Porte de Bagnolet
telephone number : 01 40 30 26 35
fax : 01 40 30 26 35
mail : parisapied@wanadoo.fr
www.parisapied.fr

Access for persons with limited mobility

Wonderful Guide: Marc CARPENTIER

The D'Orsay museum, the Louvre, Notre Dame, a Bateau Mouche, Tour Eiffel, Rodin Museum, Picasso Museum, Monet Museum, Christine Restaurant.

WOW!! What a great birthday surprise!!! Needless to say, there are a gazillion wonderful restaurants. One (of my many!) favorites is called Chez Andre. It's almost around the corner from the George V Hotel, just a few blocks from the Champs. What makes it special is that the food is sensational, the sevice is superb, it's a casual charming bistro with prices that (especially in that neighborhood!) won't knock you over.
:bv:

What a wonderful surprise gift...when are you leaving?

Have a great time and please send us land mail! :ch:

Judith, what a great birthday present. Tell Larry that he did great!!!!

Nancy

Judith

:woh: :woh: :woh:

What a great gift and a thoughtful husband! That's sure one that will look good, fit, and you get to keep a lifetime of memories. The PERFECT present!

What a fabulous surprise...enjoy your trip! I second the recommendation for Chez Andre. Someone recommended it to us prior to our weekend trip in May. It was a lovely place, great location and not loaded with tourists. It was a charming little place with wonderful food, especially the massive creme brulee!
Cheers, Pam

Multiple votes for Rodin Museum, my most vivid memory of Paris 20 years ago.!
Of course, Versailles's not too shabby!

I certainly second Andi's suggestions above and would add a few more:

Sainte Chapelle - within the Palais de Justice - is astonishingly beautiful, like being inside a jewel box.

The view of the city from the steps of Sacre Coeur is magnificent; and it's fun to eat frites and look at the horribly kitschy "art" in the Place du Tertre around the corner from the church at the top of Montmartre.

A visit to Versailles is a must if you have more than a few days in Paris - try to go on a day when the fountains are active.

The little street market in the Rue de Buci on the Left Bank is a marvelous introduction to the French love affair with good food ingredients.

If you like great kitchen stuff, Dehillerin is a store of pilgrimage.

To see and taste lots of good French grub (and assemble a fabulous picnic for the park or your hotel room), go to the Grande Epicerie de Paris (in a big department store, Bon Marche) on the Rue de Sevres on the Left Bank.

Have fun. Cheers, Fred

Yes, yes, Sainte Chapelle! Shortly after I was there last time a storm did some major damage, hope it has been fixed by now. I remember early French lessons about the Isle de la Cite! We CLIMBED the steps to Sacre Coeur, every one!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will write to that guide. We are staying at the Intercontinental next to the Paris Opera. I am hoping to get opera or ballet tickets while we are there.

We don't leave until March -- that is when my birthday is. We get back the night before the NCAA's begin. One must have one's priorities! Larry told me about it now because he knows I love to plan, plan, plan. We have a couple of cruises planned (Panama Canal and Asia) so I have lots to do in the next few months, and then lots of scrapbooking when we return.

Right near your hotel is a marvelous gourmet food store. I highly recommend it: Fauchon grocery stores. Ask your concierge for directions.

A couple of tips...
1) The metro is not a safe haven. It is great if you wear a money belt, do not flaunt your cell phone or purse. Use it but be careful. Use only cabs at night.
2) Use your concierge or tour guide to recommend good restaurants. The French rarely cook at home and often take out, so most neighborhood places are excellent and the concierges can recommend some that we and the guidebooks don't mention. We have never been steered wrong by a concierge in Paris.
3)One special thing to do for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday is go to the elegant flea market in a horrible area of Paris. Wear a money belt! It is a wonderful experience.

Puces de Saint-Ouen

Open on Saturday (from between 8 and 9am to around 5:30 or 6:30pm) and Sunday (from about 9 or 10am to 5:30 or 6:30pm), as well as on Monday (from between 9 and 11am to 5 or 6:30pm) – all times very ish – Saint-Ouen’s flea markets are just to the north of Paris, M° Porte de Clignancourt. Take your time to wander around and enjoy the atmosphere, bearing in mind that Friday is “dealers day”.
What I like about this flea market, the biggest in the world, is the sense of being in another place and time, far away from the “real” world. You’ll have a sense of being removed from everyday reality, and the more you wander, the better it gets. This may compensate for the fact that you probably won’t find super bargains here, although the prices are lower than inside Paris proper. You also have all the advantages of buying from authorized dealers (like – if anything comes up later, you know where to find them!).
The official market is organized into sub-markets, each with its own character and ambience. City walls used to separate Paris from its outskirts, and many of the poorer people who lived on the “other side” sold junk and old clothes to survive. Plus, there, they escaped city taxes! By the 1880s customers were already coming from the capital in search of secondhand items. Around 1920, when the walls were destroyed, the dealers organized themselves into official markets and sub-markets. As you browse around, you’ll also spot private businesses among these.

Have a great time, Judith! What a wonderful gift from Larry!

You'll love Le Grand InterContinental. Beautiful property and impeccible service!

What a wonderful gift Judith - have a great time!

Judith,
Hope you had a wonderful time! Hope you and the other experienced Paris travelers (I don't think there are really many tourists on this board) might extend some advice for our upcoming trip.
As I've said Gretchen has been recalled to active duty and is stationed at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. I'm taking the kids over for a two week visit this June and they wanted to see Paris. It's quick trip not doing real justice to anywhere (3 days Paris, 3 in Garmisch with stops at Ulm and Rothenburg on the way and a couple of "day trips" from Landstuhl (up the Mosel Valley, Speyer, Trier)).
My question is has anyone had any experience at either La Fermette du Sud Ouest or Bofinger restauraunts? Both show up in various guidebooks as anything from "Great Value" and "a Parisian institution" to a blunt "Don't go there!" I'm hoping to get away for 40E per person. I hope I'm not totally daft. We're staying at a hotel in the 3rd arr. near Pompidou Center; so, I don't think anything is terribly far away.
Any help, suggestions, and/or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Andi, I will keep your post about the Flea markets a secret though or we'll lose Gretchen for the whole visit!

Greg

I have eaten at La Fermette for lunch. It was a great deal ... a lovely little bistro. The fixed course dinner menu was the best deal at night and would definitely keep you under $40 Euros. The duck confit was excellent.

Ask your hotel manager for a good local place that he/she would take his family to that is reasonable in the neighborhood (1st or 3rd arr) and you will probably find a gem. That is the key to finding good restaurants in Paris. I always do this in Paris. My favorite restaurant is Le Christine on the Left Bank. It is not cheap, but not horribly expensive. A real great afternoon is to go to the food area in Galleries Lafayette. Bring an empty suitcase. I brought back lots of souvenirs and goodies. William Sonomo sells the same brand of sea salt for $10.50 that I bought for $3Euros. There are wonderful mustards, candies, and and seasonings from all over the world. I have never seen anything like it anywhere...even Harrods. I looked all over NYC and there was no place in the city that had any place that equalled this. If you like to cook, this place is a wonderland. They have a nice lunch restaurant there.Go to the main store near the Opera House.

If you like hot chocolate, Paris is the place to get it. It is made with melted chocolate. It is fantastic.

Have a wonderful time and give Gretchen our very best. If you want to know any other tips, let me know, I was just there.

Thanks Andi,
I was hoping you'd weigh in. I really appreciate it! Are the Galleries Lafayette open Sat and/or Sunday afternoon? Or should we plan on going Friday afternoon after we check in? Sarah will be with us on this trip too. I'll pass on your best to Gretchen and Sarah. Sarah will be thrilled to hear you liked the La Fermette; she still remembers the tour of Port wine you orchestrated on the Voyager for her. So do Gretchen and I.

Greg

Sorry, Double post.

They aren't open on Sunday, but they are open on Friday and Saturday until 7:30(they open at 9:30 am). There are visitor books handed out at the hotel which give 20% off everything in Galleries Lafayette except the food. It also gives immediate tax credit of 12% off right in the store. Our daughter went crazy there. It is an incredible store. You needn't shop anywhere else!! One stop shopping. All of the boutiques have boutiques inside this store. I don't mean to cost you any money!!
Galeries Lafayette PARIS HAUSSMANN
40, boulevard Haussmann
75009 PARIS
Metro stop : Chaussée d'Antin La Fayette

For a beautiful view, try to have dessert at Georges at the Pompideau Center. I was NOT impressed with the restaurant, Georges. It is overpriced and not that good, but the view is incredible.

If Sarah or Gretchen sews, don't miss the fabric area by the Sacre Coeur..it is incredible. I've never seen so much beautiful material.

For art...There is a hidden Monet museum...Musee Marmottan. It has the largest collection of Monets in the world. My other favorites are the Rodin Museum and the D'Orsay. If you like art, these three museums should not be missed. Of course, if you like modern art, there is the Pompideau Center.

This is one city I would skip the on-off busses. They are awful. You will waste too much time. It is better to do the metro or walk. Don't take the metro at night. It is not safe. The regular busses are fine. If you have time, Versailles is worth seeing.

My favorite areas are the Marais area and St. Germaine for wandering through the neighborhoods. The Champs Elysees has become honky tonk.

I hope this helps and that the three of you have an absolutely wonderful time and hope to see you again on our travels on when we are in AZ. How long will Gretchen be gone?

I'll write to one of my friends who was there this weekend and see if she has any tidbits to add.

Thanks again. Gretchen left last October and is scheduled to be back in Sept or Oct this year. But like my Grandpa used to say,"When you're up to your ears in horse s**t, look around quick. There's gotta be a pony somewhere!" So, we're using the opportunity to do some touring. Gretchen has been to Brussels and skied Interlaken and a couple of other shorter trips. We're using the opportunity to take the kids over and (as you may have read) visit Amsterdam in Tulip season. I'll be going back over in July with Gretchen's cousin Cheryl. We're going up to Schleswig-Holstein to track down some of the Frahm Family roots (Gretchen's maiden name). Gretchen's brother and his wife are going over to visit in August. It's sort of like when I was in high school near DisneyLand; ALL the family came to visit.

Greg

PS Gretchen does sew...a lot; but, I think I'll keep the fabric shops just between us ;)

Then stay away from the Sacre Coeur or walk VERY quickly...she will see them.

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Sounds like you and Gretchen are doing just what Doug and I did when I was over in Basel on my rotation. We were apart a bit over two years. We took advantage of every moment and made the best of it. So many folks thought we were separating!!

Have a terrific time just like we did. You will have many beautiful memories.

How old are "the kids"? I just returned from a trip to London and Paris with 2 11 year olds and we had a blast. The kids really enjoyed a restaurant called "Le Relais Entrecote". It is just steak frites. Thats it. Only choice is how do you want your meat cooked. And it was really good. The line is out the door but probably because there can be no lingering over the menu, it moves pretty quickly. If you have the chance the absolute highlight for us was Monet's gardens at Giverny. it was like seeing the impressionist's paintings come to life. Have a great trip. it's a wonderful city and contrary to popular belief the Parisienes(?) were very nice people.
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Helen

Our "kids" are 29 and 25 :rolleyes: but out of the house :banana:
Greg

The one kid I met is great--a lovely young lady and that was three years ago!