Travelling to Paris with a million questions... read on :)?

Question

1) Should I buy the tours, like the river cruises, night tours, etc?

2) Is the visite pass a good deal? The city seems pretty small, could I feasibly walk?

3) Should I buy a museum pass or just pay at each museum?

4) Is it terribly hard to find your way around the city?

5) When buying wine (nothing special) are food markets the ticket?

6) What are some must-knows and must-dos for my visit?

7) What would be the best way to travel from CDG to the hotel in arr 10? (I speak veeery little french.)

I just don't want to waste any money or get caught up and take 75 tours etc. Basically I want to know what tourist-y things are worth the money. Thank you!

Answer 1

Just got back and I had some of the same questions!

Familiarize yourself with the Metro (runs top track) or the RER runs bottom track (so you always go downstairs to go to RER) http://www.pariswelcome.net/metro/metro-...

learn the arrondisments so you know where you are and what you need to get to: http://goeurope.about.com/cs/france/l/bl...

The city is EASY to get around once you get your bearings.  But the city is HUGE!  Again, they break it up in arrondisments and the zip code final number lets you know which arrondisment the place is in, i.e. 70005 (is yep, the 5th arrondisment! 70007 is the 7th, etc. etc).  Parisians walk and take the trains - Metro in the city and the RER sometimes and always RER outside of the city.  Buy tickets at train station for zones that cover where you want to go.  Wear a money pouch and watch for pickpockets in train stations and on the trains.  You might check with your hotel to see if they have a shuttle to your hotel from CDG.  It is a hassle after a long flight to land, get luggage, figure out the trains, go to Gare du Nord train station and take flights of steps UP AND DOWN with luggage to figure out where to go.  Do that once you have gotten to your hotel, checked in, rested, and are ready for an adventure.  It is worth the money to get a shuttle to your hotel -- I have done it both ways and the latter (shuttle) was WORTH IT!!!  Make sure you go to Fouquet and Hediard in La Madeline area (Metro 8 - Pink) as they have wonderful wines, chocolates.  Get a copy of "Where" magazine in the lobby of your hotel.  It tells you EVERYTHING:  restaurants, shopping (including outlets in Paris for Prada, Chanel, Dior - yes, I am NOT KIDDING!!), events, museums, etc.  The typical sightseeing is a must:  One day dedicated to The Louvre:  Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Napoleon's Apartment, David's painting of the coronation of Napoleon (it is the length of the wall and breathtaking!!), crown jewels.  Musee d'Orsay is spectacular; dinner at the Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower (make reservations), walking on alot of the bridges, walking by the Seine, walking at night and seeing all the lights, standing under the Eiffel Tower, going to Au Printempts (the shopping as well as Galleries Layfayette-- having lunch in the domed restaurant that is gorgeous stained glass, Les Halles has famous restaurants and is a business district; Les Marias has fresh fruit/vegetable stands every day (I think) and that is how Parisian's eat and shop alot, Opera Metro stop for the shopping, the catacombs if you like that kind of history, Pont d'Alma Metro stop for the infamous D'Alma tunnel where Princess Diana was killed-- dangerous to look over into but a fabulous view of Eiffel Tower day/night from here and in walking distance to ET, too;  Versailles (20 minutes away and WORTH IT!!!!!), Chateau Chantilly Govienux 45 minutes away.  Take RER train D to.  Then a free city bus.  The chateau is completely furnished in exact furnishings as left by the owner, The Duke Conde and has a horse museum with gorgeous horses (if you like horses!) that you can pet -- maybe.

Time will fly by and you will run out of time before you run out of things to do.  Be careful in train stations as the thieves can spot tourists and will try to distract you.  Don't be afraid; just be careful.  That is another reason to get a shuttle from CDG - you are an easy mark to pickpockets as you are excited/tired/confused and just need to have a driver take you to your hotel.  You can figure out trains, directions etc when you aren't loaded with luggage and jet lag!  Be careful when on trains and people bump you that your hand is on your money belt.  The children are trained to be excellent pickpockets!  How do I know?  Guess:  robbed on a train by kids!!! ugh.  So, have fun, be careful and become enchanted with a fabulous city!

Answer 2

1) I think the river cruise is a must. The plain tour typically costs 11 euros for a one hour cruise. Sure, you'll look like a tourist. But many french people do it too.

For bus tours of the city, the "opentour" pass can be interesting when you are tired of walking.

It is a pass where you can hop on and off the bus as much as you like during 1 or 2 days.

website:

http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index.php...

map: (see last page of the brochure)

http://www.pariscityrama.com/files/docum...

2) You'll need to take the metro. Otherwise, you'll be exhausted!

According to your moving patterns, you can chose between (and mix) these options:

- tickets by 10 ("un carnet"). 11.10 euros

- 7 day travelcard ("carte orange hebdomadaire"). Valid 7 days, necessarily starting on a monday. 16.30 euros

- 1 day travelcard ("carte mobilis") 5.60 euros

When purchasing travelcards, always specify zones 1 and 2 (the smallest possible area, which covers all of Paris).

3) For museum passes, my guess is that if you visit 2 museums or less per day, you're better paying each one separately. And some museums are now free (not all).

4) Keep an eye on the Eiffel tower in order not to get lost. You'll won't see it all the time however, so take a street map with you and you'll be fine.

5) For wine, any store or supermarket will do. Food markets are more for quality fresh vegetables and fruits.

7) You only have one transfer to get to your hotel. At the airport, I believe you have to take a free bus to the RER train station (5 minute trip). Then buy a ticket to Paris. Get off at "Gare du Nord". Then take metro line 4 (direction Porte d'Orleans) for 1 stop to "Gare de l'Est".

Walk 2 minutes to your hotel.

Answer 3

1) Forget the tours although taking a cruise along the Seine may help you become oriented to the city.

2) No the Paris Visite is a rip off. If you feel that, on any given day, you will be doing a lot of trips on public transport, then purchase a "Mobilis" (a one day transit pass). Otherwise just buy a "carnet' of ten tickets and use them as the need arises.

3) The museum pass is only good if you intend to sprint thru as many museums as possible in a very short time. My own feeling is that one museum a day is about all that any reasonable person can deal with if they really intend to see anything. that being so the Museum pass isn't a good deal.

4) The city is not really all that hard to navigate. Just remember that it is divided into a north and south half by the river Seine. The north half is referred to as the Right Bank and the south half as the Left Bank. Wherever you are look around for the Eiffel tower. That's on the western side of the city.

5) Wine shops are the place to go.

6) Remember, you're not in Kansas anymore. By that I mean that you need to remember that all sorts of things are done differently and that, as a visitor, its up to you to be alert to them and deal with it.

Just to name a coiple of very small things: the French don't butter their bread except at breakfast or during the cheese course and special orders (hold the sauce...dressing on the side...that sort of thing) are generally frowned on.

7) Take the RER into the city and the metro to your hotel. If you give me the address of your hotel I can give you  detailed directions.

Okay...now lets have the other 999,993 questions (grin).

Answer 4

1. The introductory bus tours are a good way to get a feel for the city. Paris Vision and Cityrama (both on Rue de Rivoli, across from the Louvre and Tuileries Garden) offer these tours, complete with historical commentary via headphones. As for the cruise along the Seine, go at night...it's beautiful and offers a different perspective of Paris. The cheapest place to get the tickets isn't through a tour company. With your back toward the Eiffel Tower, go down the steps toward the Seine (the steps on the left side of the bridge).

2. I would just say no to the visite pass. Paris is a big city...it'd take a while to walk from the Louvre to Montmartre. Depending on how long you're going to be there, I'd purchase a Carte Orange (a week-long metro pass) or a carnet of 10 Metro tickets. The Carte Orange is about 15 Euros and you'll need a passport-size photo for it. It allows you unlimited rides on the Metro during that week (Mon-Sun). You can, however, stroll from the Louvre through Tuileries Garden down Champs-Elysses and the Arc de Triomphe. It's a really nice walk. There are books and web sites that offer varoius walks in Paris (Rick Steves' Paris book is fabulous!)

3. Depending how long you're going to be there, I would suggest a museum pass. At participating museums, you can either waltz to the front of the line or are allowed to get in a much shorter line. For instance, at Sainte-Chapelle, the line can be astronomical; however, waltz to the front of the line, flash your pass and you get to go in as everyone behind you grumbles. They're available at most Metro ticket booths. Cite (near Notre-Dame) is one of the less hectic Metro stations.

4. Not really. Familiarize yourself with the Metro, get your Carte Orange or carnet and you'll be good to go. When you purchase your Metro tickets, you can also get a map. There are also maps of the city and Metro in most hotels. You can even purchase a postcard of the Metro if you'd like a map that's more manageable.

All you need to know is where you are, where you're going and what stop you need to get off on (which is why Rick Steves' book or another Paris book is a must-have!).

5. A wine shop would be best, but if you're wanting a fairly inexpensive wine, you can purchase a bottle from a grocery store. There is a Wal-Mart-type of store at a large shopping center. It's called Auchon. They have pretty much anything you could want...Kir is absolutely to-die-for. It's white wine and black currant liquor. Kir Royale is champagne and black currant liquor. Tasty! In any event, Auchon has a lot of cheap wine.

This shopping center is located at the La Defense metro stop on Line 1. It's the "new" Paris...modern.

6. Wear a money belt...operate with a day's worth of Euros in your billfold/wallet. If you lose it or are pickpocketed, the trip can still go on.

Each restaurant/cafe has their menu posted outside the establishments. That way you can decide if you want to eat there (or can afford it) before going in.

The best souvenir shops can be found on Rue de Rivoli (across from the Louvre) and near Notre Dame Cathedral. When buying souvenirs, the further you are from a major landmark, the cheaper the stuff. You can buy a mini Eiffel Tower or 15 post cards for 1 Euro.

When on escalators and moving walkways, stand on the right, pass on the left.

Bring your own loofah...the hotels I've stayed at don't provide washcloths.

Alert your bank/credit card companies that you will be traveling overseas. If not, they may assume someone stole your card and will freeze your account. That could seriously suck.

When you enter a shop, always greet the storekeeper with "Bonjour Madame/Monsieur" and say "Au revoir" when leaving.

As for must-dos...my idea of a splendid time may differ from yours. However, here are just a small smattering of popular sites in Paris: Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Rodin Museum, Versailles (the museum pass is a god-send here...just don't go on a Tuesday!), Invalides, Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacre-Coeur Basilica (has the best view of Paris), La Defense, Montmartre, Pigalle (don't make eye contact!), Moulin Rouge, Sainte-Chapelle, Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Pompidou Center, Picasso Museum, etc.

7. The RER would be the cheapest route. But if you're bringing a ton of stuff, you can hail a cab, but it's going to cost. Make sure you get a phrase book!

If you want to e-mail me, I can send you the e-mails I sent to my fellow tourists (I assisted in planning tours for my alma mater).

Also...Rick Steves' web site also offers audio tours you can download (free) on iTunes.