I am going to Paris, France. What is it like in August? What kind of clothes should I take? Places 2 shop?

Question

What are some really good hotspots to visit and shop? I am on a budget too. I know Paris is the fashion capital of the world so I look forward to going shopping. I am also taking a young child. Any child friendly places to visit in Paris. I do not wish to visit Euro Disney. I also love to eat. Please tell me about good places to go eat . Thank you. MG

Answer 1

In Paris in August expect the following:

LOTS of Tourists (long lines), not so many Parisians

Warmest weather of the year (25 degC/77 degF average, not very often above 32 degC/90 degF)

Gardens and Parks at their most beautiful

Sunsets at 9:45 PM for great outdoors dining

For clothing, pants/skirt and a medium to lightweight shirt will be fine.  Bring a light jacket with you on those cooler days.  Also, comfortable shoes are a must.  You will do alot of walking in Paris.

For shopping, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps on Boulevard Haussman (Metro Opera) are massive stores with decent prices.  Both are popular and accomodating to tourists.  They should also be able to sell tax-free to tourists, which means ~20% discount.  Also along rue de Rivoli next to the Louvre and the Champs Elysee are good shopping opportunities.

Regarding child friendly, I really don't know a whole lot in Paris.  The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame should be winners.  Check with the concierge or reception desk at your hotel.  If your child is still in a stroller, or you plan to bring one, be warned.  Public transports in Paris are not very well equipped for this, especially the Metro.  Lots of stairs and almost no elevators.  Buses are a bit more friendly.  Bring the smallest, most compact one you have.

For restaurants, don't worry too much about finding good ones.  In France you have a very strong culinary tradition and great agricultural products.  Many restaurants are very good quality and part of the fun of this city is finding a little out of the way place for that something unexpected.  And even if the dinner isn't great, you are still dining in Paris, and that's never a bad thing!

Bon voyage!

Answer 2

I'm going too!!! =D

I don't know what we're doing yet, so that's not much help....

But oooh la laaa.

www.virtualtourist.com

www.wikitravel.com

Answer 3

pack light!  comfortable clothing for day, fancier stuff for night if you want to go out.  the weather has been unpredictable lately so bring a light jacket.

some of my favorite places to shop:

just for fun: colette, 213, rue Saint-Honoré, Paris - [phone]; outrageously expensive but fabulous.  this will take you into a neighborhood that is great for boutique shopping.

zara: various locations; while zara has recently come to the U.S.A., the clothing they have in europe is differenent and, i would argue, better.

Answer 4

It will be hot.

For shopping, I don't really know as its expensive and I haven't done much.

HGwever, i took my nine year old there and her favorite activities were Notre Dame - climbing up to see the gargoyles, the rooftop of the Arc d' triomphe, the eiffel tower, and walkin around the left bank eating nutella crepes at the sideealk vendors.

Try to carosel in the Tulieries, and a train ride to Versailles on Sunday morning to see the fountain show and wander in the gardens. Go the Rodin museum and have your child pose alongside the thinker.

If you have one who is into the macabre a bit, go to the catacombs and wander the maile underground of fantastic stacked piles of bones form the graveyards that were moved to make way for Paris.

A walk around Mont matre and a treat at a cafe was fun after visiting Sacre Couer and climbing around the top of it gives a great view of Paris and is fun for kids. Walking along the Seine and lokking at the little shops set up along the sidewalks, most of which have been there decades, is also fun, and you can see artists work there.  the caricaturists are not worth it, in my opinion.

As far as food, I usually like to eat well at lunch, because food is just as good but half the price, then grab a baguette and cheese and meat and fruit for dinner in the park. Buy a metro pass and you can ride subways and buses with a card for the week- buses are nice because you get to see the city more than you do on the metro.

I have also found that the Parisians are not rude if you make the effort to be polite. Know how to count to 10, say please, thank you, excuse me, make an effort to know some French and they will be happy to help.

beware of pickpockets, they can be children or old folks, and keep your money and credit cards under constant guard and don't flaunt large wads of cash.

clothes: short sleeve shirts, shorts, comfortable walking shoes, something nice if you want to eat at nice restaurant.

Europeans typically dress a little nicer than we do so skirts would make you blend in a little more

Answer 5

All the fun tourist places such as the Eiffel Tower, the museums - the Louvre and Jeu de Pom. A trip to the palace at Versailles and river boat ride down the Seine are also fun. Most of the street side cafes / restaurants are good, just check out the menu and see if there's anything appealing. August is hot and humid, the time when the Parisians usually leave to vacation by the coast so it'll be fairly quiet except for the tourists!! There could be cooler days with rain so be prepared a light jacket should suffice. There are usually some sales on so bargains can be had just keep an eye out for signs in shop windows. Going to flea markets is also fun altho fewer bargains to be had. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

It is hot!!! I don't know where you're from, but I lived there in the winter, and the temp wasn't that low, but the humidity there makes every weather situation extreme.  Don't wear sandals, but don't wear tennis shoes.  You will look like a tourist, and they can be rude to tourists.  One of my favorite places to go was Sacre Coeur.  I would also recommend any of the museums.  Just wandering is fun, but don't do that too far out of the central city it can get scary.  Good luck and have fun...I'm jealous.  If you're looking to travel around from there, Easy Jet has way cheap flights from country to country.  One of my round trip flights from Switzerland was around fifty dollars total!  I also liked eating at a sandwich shop across the street from the George Pompidou Centre and just south/west of the museum is a great crepery!