Can you recommend a good four day itinerary for Paris for to women in their 20s?

Question

First time to Paris; will be staying in the Latin Quarter. Want to see a good deal of the sights and museums but also have time for shopping, relaxing, eating good food, and drinking wine. Not too interested in the party scene, but maybe a couple good clubs. Also interested in art galleries. Recommendations for restaurants and reasonably priced clothing boutiques would be great! Also, any information on good markets. Will be there first of June. Thanks!

Answer 1

Wow, props to the person who wrote everything out for you!  That's got to be helpful.  

I'm sorry, but I've only got a sec.

Don't miss the Eiffle Tower (duh!). Climbing the steps of Notre Dame was very special because you are climbing the same steps that bell ringer climbed hundreds of years ago.  You can see the worn out parts of the steps.  It's really neat.  The inside it gorgeous, so don't miss that either.  There are so many museums that you could spend eternity there are ever see them all.  If you brave the Louvre (and you should) decide in advance what specifically you want to see and have a game plan for getting around the museum.  If you want to see more art, decide in advace what type you like the best and pick your museums from there.  The French Impressionist work on display around paris is great.

Answer 2

I recommend Rick Steve's book on travelling in Paris.  He gives a bunch of different versions of X number of days in Paris.

It's also helpful for dining/lodging/culture and what not!

Answer 3

Stay away from their train stations right now.

Answer 4

First, by way of orientation, the Latin quarter is in the Left Bank which is south of the Seine and the Right Bank is to the north of the Seine. The Eiffel Tower, which can bee seen from many vantage points is to the west. So facing the Eifffel tower the your left is south and your right is north.

You'll be using the Metro over the next few days. While buying a pass is often suggested, the fact is that you'll do more wlaking than riding. The wisest thing is therefore to just buy 10 tickets at a time (which gives you a small discount). Just as for a "carnet" (pronounced "car-nay").  

Well, on the first day of your first time in Paris head for Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite, the island in the Seine where Paris began centuries before the birth of Christ.

In the plaza in front of Notre Dame you'll find the point zero marker from which all distances are measured in France. Notre Dame itself is a "working" church and the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. Entry is free to the church itself but the "treasury" and the bell tower have entrance charges. Skip them on this trip.  (This is the first place I go when I arrive in Paris. I also always light a candle at the Statue of the Virgin Mary in thanks for being in Paris again. (Odd given that I'm not a Catholic but what the heck). )

Continue on past Notre Dame and at the tip of the Island you'll find the Memorial to the Deportees. Take a moment to visit. It’s a moving experience.



Cross over the Pont St. Louis to another small island, the Ile St. Louis. This has some gorgeous architecture and is the home of Berthillion, the iconic ice cream maker. Just walk up the center of the Island on the rue St. Louis en Ile to number 31. There will likely be a line but its worth a little wait. This may well be the best ice cream you ever eat.

Now cross the Pont Marie onto the Right Bank and turn to your right. Walk along the river to the rue St. Paul and then left to the rue des Franc bourgeois where you will see the Place des Vosges on your right. The Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris is one of the most beautiful squares in the world. For more information: http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/place...

From the Place des Vosges walk west along the rue des Franc bourgeois. The Musée Carnavalet which occupies a superb 1548 palace and is devoted to the history of Paris will be on your right. You probably don't have time for it on this trip but the building exterior is worth a look. The area you are walking through is known as Le Marais, which means "marsh." It was the first area settled on the right bank and today has been extensively rehabbed. its also the center of the g*y community in Paris.

Continue on in the same direction and you'll come to the Centre Pompidou which houses the Museum of Modern Art. The big plaza in front is generally filled with street performers. Comics who do involved audience participation routines are a regular feature. Relax and check it out if you see one. Don't hesitate to join in. They are used to dealing with English speaking toruists and its all in good fun.

Now continue walking west along the pedestrian  path that leads from the south end of the plaza crossing the blvd Sebasterpol and on to the Forum des Halles. This area used to be the main food market of Paris (that's now out in the suburbs). The replacement is this huge shopping mall. Its website (in English) is http://en.forumdeshalles.com/vue/form/fo...

Continue west along the rue Berger to the Place Quetin and turn south along the rue de Pont Neuf back towards the Seine. You'll pass the Tour St. Jacques, the only surviving part of a  church built in the 16th century.

Crossing the Pont Neuf (the "New" Bridge is actually the oldest bridge in Paris) you're back on the Ile de la Cite. Turn to your right and the medieval fortress called the Conciergerie is there. This building was used to house prisoners during the Revolution. It was here that Marie Antoinette was imprisoned before meeting her death on the guillotine. You can view her cell and the courtyard where prisoners waited to be taken to their deaths.

Continue on along the river to the small park at the end of the Island. This is where Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar was burnt at the stake. It is said he proclaimed his innocence as the flames engulfed him and called upon the KIng and the Pope (who had connived in his arrest and torture) to join him before God for judgment. Eerily, both men died mysteriously within the year.

The little Tavern Henri IV which you will  see across from the park is a nice place to stop for a glass of wine and end your first day of sightseeing.

DAY TWO

Start the day at the Louvre. In a brief visit it is always difficult to say how much time should be spent here. This is a vast museum and to even spend a minute or two looking at each of the 35,000 objects would take a couple of months. You might want to do a bit of homework and check out the offical museum website to figure out just what you want to see. http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_fla... To be honest I find anything more than a few hours here to be exhausting. I'll assume you would agree in planing the rest of the day.

After the Louvre head towards the small Arc du Carousel at the west end of the Louvre grounds. This is one of three tirumphal archs arranged in more or less a line with the Arc de Triomphe in the Middle and the modern Arc de la  Defense at the other end.

Continue walking and you'll be in the Jardin des Tuileries, all that remains of what was once the site of a palace built in the 16th century by Catherine de' Medicis, widow of King Henry II. (the palace burned down in 1871).



You'll exit the gardens at the Place de la Concorde. This is where the guillotine stood in revolutionary days and where the King and Queen along with hundreds of other Royalists were executed. Today there is an Egyptian obelisk on the spot.

To you right is the Jeu de Paume, a museum of contemporary art, (http://www.jeudepaume.org/site/frameset.... and to your left the Orangerie (http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/documents/... Either or both is worth a visit but you may already be museum weary today.

Crossing the Place de la Concorde you are at the beginning of the Champs Élysée. This stretch is surrounded by greenery and you'll find several little crepe and sandwich stands. Remember that people don't eat dinner untill 8 or 9 so you may find a little snack is in order. A crepe with ham and cheese is quite sustaining (you order it by saying "crepe avec fromage et jambon s'il vous plait).  

At the intersection of the Avenue Winston Churchill you'll see the Grand ( http://www.rmn.fr/gngp-gb/index.html) and Petit (it houses the collection of the City of Paris)  Palais to your left.  The Palais de la decouverte is also here (http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/index.ph...

To the north along the Aveneu de Marigny is the Élysée Palace which is the official residence of the President of France.

Continuing on along the Champs you'll be passing thru some of the most glitzy shopping in Paris. In truth, this is probably not the best place to buy but its certainly a great place to look.

At the end of the Champs is the Place Charles deGaulle (formerly the Place D'Etoile) in the middle of which is the Arc de Triomphe. don't try to cross the street but take the underground walkway that you'll see on your right. Under the Arc is the French tomb of the Unknown Soldier and an Eternal flame. There is also a tribute to the American troops who fought in France.

You can take an elevator to the top of the Arc and this is highly reccomended as one of the best views in Paris.

You should now be exhausted and can grab the metro back to the left Bank concluding your second days sight seeing.

DAY Three

Take the Metro line 2 to  the Anvers stop. Get out and look for signs directing you to the Montmartre Funicular. It will cost you one metro ticket each to ride it to the top where you will find Sacre Coeur, the national church of France in all its white onion domed splendor and what is arguably the best view of Paris.

You can spend a little time just wandering around Montmartre. Picasso and Utrillo, among others, used to frequent this area. The Lapin Agile, once just a local bar, was the haunt of many an artist  but the area is largely a tourist trap these days.

The Place de Tertre is where you will find one of the world's largest collections of really hideous art for sale.

Still the view and the church is worth the trip.

Walk down the staris on either side of the Funicular and head back to the Anvers metro station. Turn right on the blvd there and walk to the Place Pigalle. This is the infamous "Pig Alley" as GI's in World War II called it. The haunt of some of the least attrative streetwalkers on Earth (but quite safe...at least during the day).

Keep walking and in a few blocks you'll find the famous Mouin Rouge (it means Red Windmill). Its now an expensive tourist trap but the exterior is worth seeing given its history and association with the artist Toulouse Lautrec.

Continue down the street and turn left of the rue Batignolles.

Get on the metro at the Place Clichy and take line 13 marked "Chatillon Montrouge" to the Miromesnil stop. Change to line 9 direction "Pont de Sevres" and take it to the Trocadero stop.

Exit the station and you will be at the Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. This is the best view of the tower.

Walk down and cross the river and have a look. Its really not worth going up. There are usually long lines and the view is really not that good. Turning your back to it you will see a large park. This is the Parc Champ de Mars.

 

Walk thru the park to the Ave. de la Motte Picquet. which will cross your path at 90 degrees. You will see a peace memorial and across the street the Ecole Militaire.

 

Turn left and walk up the Ave. de la Motte Picquet to the corner where the Ave. de Tourville crosses. Turn right and continue a few blocks and you will see the Invalides on your left. This was built by Napoleon as a hospital for his wounded troops. The French army museum is here. There is a large church on the right side of the grounds which houses the tomb of Napoleon and of his son the King of Rome. Both buildings are open to the public.

Continue down the street to the Blvd. des Invalides and turn left. the Rodin museum will be immediately to your right (cross street is rue de Varenne). When you get to the rue de Grenville the street you are on a street that takes a jog to the left and changes name but simply continue in the same direction until you reach the river.

Across the river you will notice the Grand and Petit Palais which you saw yesterday. Crossing the river to your left is the Pont Alexander III, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. (If you've seen the movie "Desirée" this is where Michael Rennie play Marshal Bernadotte meets Jean Simmons playing Desiree Clary)

Turn right along the Quai d'Orsay and the French National Assembly will be on your right.

Continue walking and the Musee d'Orsay built in a refurbished train station will appear. This houses the Impressionists and is thought to be the best of the Paris Museums. If the lines not too long and you have the time and engergy it is certainly worth a look inside.

Past the Musee d'Orsay you'll be heading back to what should be, by now familiar ground as Notre Dame appears ahead of you.

Turn right on the rue des Saints Peres and walk to the blvd. St. Germain. turn left and you pass the Cafe des Deux Magots where existentialist Jean Paul Sartre used to hang out and then the Church of St.  Germain des Pres, a beautiful little gothic neighborhood church.

This concludes your third day of sightseeing.

Day Four

Today you will visit Versailles. You could do this any day and I suggest you take advantage of the first nice, sunny day to do this.

You can pay a lot of money to go there on a tour bus but its also easy to get there by public transport. While most guide books suggest using the commuter train, the station is a lengthy hike to the chateau.

Here's what I suggest.

Take the Metro to the Pont De Sevres stop. Exit the station and you will see a long covered bus stop. There is a bus that is clearly marked with a destination of Versailles. Ride it to the last stop and you will be at the gates of the Chateau. The bus ride will require three metro tickets in each direction (a total of 6). When you get on the bus take the three tickets and insert them in the slot of the ticket machine nect to the driver. The machine punchs them and then you remove and save them (to prove you paid).

The Chateau and grounds with its secondary palaces and various other attractions is really worth a day trip even when only in the area for four days.  Take the time to look at the official website (in english) : http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/

Versailles is one of history's greatest monuments to both esthetic grandeur and utter folly. Its gorgeous architecture, manicured landscapes and sheer excess should be viewed with the understanding that at the time it was built the average Frenchman lived in a hut made of sticks and mud and ate meat only a few times a year.

The rulers who lived there never could understand why the common people despised them nor conced for a moment that this was not their birthright.

See it and think about it. Believe me, its worth it.

Now, as to evening entertainment, I suggest Aux Trois Mailletz at 56 rue Galand in the Latin Quarter. They have a piano player and various singers (I sing there when I'm in Paris) who do everything from bits of Opera to Jazz to pop standards. The crowd is a mix of locals and tourists and people of every age group and  is very friendly. They have decent food at reasonable prices or you can just have a glass of wine and hang out. Down in the basement there is a nightclub scene that something that hasn't been seen in the USA since Sinatra and the Rat Pack played the Sands in Vegas.

Another very nice place is the Petit Journal at 71, bd St Michel. Check out their webpage (its in French but you'll get the general idea) http://perso.orange.fr/claude.philips/

Answer 5

Do you not want to see the City?  Go to the Place des Pyramides, kitty-corner from the Louvre, and take a bus tour of the city.  Then go to the Pont d'Alma (I think) and ride up and down the Seine on the Bâteaux Mouches - you could have your lunch or supper on the boat.  

The REER will take you to the Eiffel Tower and, of course, you must not miss a visit to the Arc de Triomphe - climb to the top and see the street design!  Paris is a fascinating place.  Wish I was joining you.