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France- whatcha got? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter 3 hour lunch
- Start date
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
If the girls have never done paris, do it. It’s a must see destination. Do your research and pick an arrondissement that suits you and what you want to see. I took my wife, who had never been. We stayed in the 7th. Eiffel Tower/trocadero was walkable. Rue cler was fun for us, as we love food. L’arc de triomphe was a long walk, but doable. The 7th is more chill and has some wonderful local restaurants.
The metro is very efficient if you’re cool doing it with your daughters. We took it from the airport. The champs d elysees is a long walk. We did it from the arc to notre dame. This is a long a@@ walk. We did some shopping and eating on the way. Still a long walk we got a car to get home.
and I’d skip nice. It’s just one big city to the next. I’d do a small town, little city after paris.
have fun
The metro is very efficient if you’re cool doing it with your daughters. We took it from the airport. The champs d elysees is a long walk. We did it from the arc to notre dame. This is a long a@@ walk. We did some shopping and eating on the way. Still a long walk we got a car to get home.
and I’d skip nice. It’s just one big city to the next. I’d do a small town, little city after paris.
have fun
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Yup. That's been my experience as well.
Desert_Power
Footballguy
I liked Orsay more, but that is because I really enjoy the impressionist and nearby periods.Thanks Joe! I figure much of our dining will depend on where we end up staying, but I always like to have recommendations. Sounds like Versailles is really a must. Thought the Louvre “if you must” was interesting. Doubt we’d be able to fit both that and Orsay.I can't vouch for the quality of recommendations but Chris Munn is a guy I read on Twitter for business stuff.
Paris is the best city in the world.
So in 2018, I moved there.
Here’s my comprehensive non-tourist mega guide to the city
:
First off you need AT LEAST 4 days. Don’t try to do Paris in 2 days. It’s a mistake.
Museums
Musee D'Orsay
Picasso Museum
Centre Pompidou (Such a cool building)
Do the Louvre if you must (But Not Necessary)
Restaurants (D = Dinner / L = Lunch)
(Go to dinner late (9p). Stay out late. Drink wine. It’s Paris!)
French
-Frenchie (D)
-Septime (D)
-Les Papilles (D)
-Chez Janou (D)
-Frenchie to Go (L)
Croissants
-Dont run around the city looking. The one closest to wherever you're staying will be the best one you ever had. I prefer the pain au raisin myself)
Burgers
-Il Etait un Square (Good lord...nothing better. Seriously. Le Max Burger and please don’t ask for it to be cooked a certain way) (D or L)
-Le Ruisseau (L)
Italian
-Presto Fresco (They sometimes speak Italian, sometimes french, sometimes english) (D)
-Pizza Mancini (L)
-Il Timo (my fav fast casual spot in Paris. Imagine Chipotle but for pasta)
Thai
-Tuk Tuk Thai (D)
-Steet Bangkok (Etiennce Marcel)
The duck fried rice is RIDICULOUS
(L)
Other
-L'As du Fallafel (L)
a tourist spot but still good
-Kraft (L) (Amazing hot dogs. Yes…Hot Dogs)
-Itacate Cocina Mexicana (L) (pretty good tacos)
Drinks
-Lavomatic (Very cool speakeasy in a functioning laundromat)
-Experimental Cocktail Club
-Les Tres Particulier
If you’re in Paris in the winter, get the chaud vin (hot wine) off the street. It’s like the French Hot Chocolate…but wine!
Day Trips
-Reims - the home of champagne (their cathedral is more intricate than Notre Dame...really cool)
-Versailles (as soon as you step on the grounds you will immediately understand why Louis and Antoinette got their heads chopped off)
Neighborhoods
Le Marais
My favorite neighborhood. Lots of cool shops. Be sure to swing by La Chambre aux Confiture (the bedroom of jam). 100’s of jams. All amazing. What a place.
Montmarte
Another amazing neighborhood atop a hill. The best views in Paris are here. Van Gogh lived here.
Republique
If you like more gritty, Berlin like vibes…this is the neighborhood for you.
Opera
The nicest hotels and restaurants are here. Go here if you go out the country just to say you did it. You can even eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. (if you do this please unfollow me)
Tips
Take the train or walk everywhere. You’ll see so much more of the city that way.
Galeries de Lafayette is the most amazing department store you’ve ever seen. If you’ve been to Harrod’s in London, you can skip it…but otherwise, check it out.
Go to the grocery store (monoprix was my fav) grab some cheese and the jam you bought from La Chambre aux Confiture and sit out on the Seine. Nothing like it in America.
Things may be randomly closed in August because the owner is on “vacance”
The train from CDG (airport) goes right into the heart of Paris. But feel free to Taxi as well. Not much to see on the ride.
If you’re a shopper go during Les Soldes. Amazing sales. 2x per year.
If you want to go to the Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triomphe, or Champs de Mars…GO EARLY.
If you want to stick out, wear athleisure. If you want to fit in, chinos, tee shirt, scarf if its cold)
If you want to feel “nature” Bois de Boulogne is their central park. Jardin du Luxembourg is also nice.
Their neighborhoods (arrondissements) are numbered from 1 to 20. Starting in the heart of the city with 1 and moving clockwise like a shell.
Quick hack: the last 2 digits of the zip code of a store/restaurant says what arrondissement it’s in. i.e. I lived in 75003. Or the 3rd arrondissement)
As long as you say "Bonjour! Parlez vous anglais?" to anyone, they'll be very nice. The french are big on greeting people (so say hi) and people attempting French. Everyone in Paris speaks english.
Paris is my favorite city in the world. If you go to any of these places, I’d love to see it. I miss it greatly.
Sante mon amis!
I prefer the Orsay to the Louvre
The Z Machine
Footballguy
If you stay at an airbnb that has a kitchen or if you have time / inclination for a picnic lunch or dinner, go and check out the food markets on the bottom level of rhe fancy parisian department stores. The selection of cheese, pate, cured meats, and ecwn produce are incredible. If you like food, París is amazing.
Judge Smails
Footballguy
Wow - I’ve been to all of those cities and loved Paris. We did a Paris-Florence-Venice-Rome trip that was great. Find people are divided on Venice the most. Some think it’s magical, others sorta meh. I was in the latter category. Also did a London- Amsterdam-Barcelona trip. All great cities. Happy to send our itin from Paris if you like. Think we were there 3-4 days. Chose Italy after Paris over over cities in France like Versailles. Hard to get everywhere and for 2 weeks we limit it to 3-4 places max
Judge Smails
Footballguy
GREAT call. We went to the markets by the Eiffel Tower. Went to different shops for the best bread, meats, cheeses, produce even macarons. Brought it all and a blanket and had lunch next to the Eiffel Tower. Will never forget that day
Mrs. Rannous
Footballguy
Buy a Rick Steeves guide. That should cover the pro tip stuff.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
I would say if you have the museum pass you could probably hit the highlights of both. I preferred the Louve to the Orsay simply because it was more recognizable to neanderthals like me (the building and its works) than most of what is at the Orsay. We hit the impressionists at the Orsay and the major highlights of the Louve as my family knows nothing about art and we aren't really museum folks to begin with (but its cool to see the famous onesThanks Joe! I figure much of our dining will depend on where we end up staying, but I always like to have recommendations. Sounds like Versailles is really a must. Thought the Louvre “if you must” was interesting. Doubt we’d be able to fit both that and Orsay.I can't vouch for the quality of recommendations but Chris Munn is a guy I read on Twitter for business stuff.
Paris is the best city in the world.
So in 2018, I moved there.
Here’s my comprehensive non-tourist mega guide to the city
:
First off you need AT LEAST 4 days. Don’t try to do Paris in 2 days. It’s a mistake.
Museums
Musee D'Orsay
Picasso Museum
Centre Pompidou (Such a cool building)
Do the Louvre if you must (But Not Necessary)
Restaurants (D = Dinner / L = Lunch)
(Go to dinner late (9p). Stay out late. Drink wine. It’s Paris!)
French
-Frenchie (D)
-Septime (D)
-Les Papilles (D)
-Chez Janou (D)
-Frenchie to Go (L)
Croissants
-Dont run around the city looking. The one closest to wherever you're staying will be the best one you ever had. I prefer the pain au raisin myself)
Burgers
-Il Etait un Square (Good lord...nothing better. Seriously. Le Max Burger and please don’t ask for it to be cooked a certain way) (D or L)
-Le Ruisseau (L)
Italian
-Presto Fresco (They sometimes speak Italian, sometimes french, sometimes english) (D)
-Pizza Mancini (L)
-Il Timo (my fav fast casual spot in Paris. Imagine Chipotle but for pasta)
Thai
-Tuk Tuk Thai (D)
-Steet Bangkok (Etiennce Marcel)
The duck fried rice is RIDICULOUS
(L)
Other
-L'As du Fallafel (L)
a tourist spot but still good
-Kraft (L) (Amazing hot dogs. Yes…Hot Dogs)
-Itacate Cocina Mexicana (L) (pretty good tacos)
Drinks
-Lavomatic (Very cool speakeasy in a functioning laundromat)
-Experimental Cocktail Club
-Les Tres Particulier
If you’re in Paris in the winter, get the chaud vin (hot wine) off the street. It’s like the French Hot Chocolate…but wine!
Day Trips
-Reims - the home of champagne (their cathedral is more intricate than Notre Dame...really cool)
-Versailles (as soon as you step on the grounds you will immediately understand why Louis and Antoinette got their heads chopped off)
Neighborhoods
Le Marais
My favorite neighborhood. Lots of cool shops. Be sure to swing by La Chambre aux Confiture (the bedroom of jam). 100’s of jams. All amazing. What a place.
Montmarte
Another amazing neighborhood atop a hill. The best views in Paris are here. Van Gogh lived here.
Republique
If you like more gritty, Berlin like vibes…this is the neighborhood for you.
Opera
The nicest hotels and restaurants are here. Go here if you go out the country just to say you did it. You can even eat at the Hard Rock Cafe. (if you do this please unfollow me)
Tips
Take the train or walk everywhere. You’ll see so much more of the city that way.
Galeries de Lafayette is the most amazing department store you’ve ever seen. If you’ve been to Harrod’s in London, you can skip it…but otherwise, check it out.
Go to the grocery store (monoprix was my fav) grab some cheese and the jam you bought from La Chambre aux Confiture and sit out on the Seine. Nothing like it in America.
Things may be randomly closed in August because the owner is on “vacance”
The train from CDG (airport) goes right into the heart of Paris. But feel free to Taxi as well. Not much to see on the ride.
If you’re a shopper go during Les Soldes. Amazing sales. 2x per year.
If you want to go to the Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triomphe, or Champs de Mars…GO EARLY.
If you want to stick out, wear athleisure. If you want to fit in, chinos, tee shirt, scarf if its cold)
If you want to feel “nature” Bois de Boulogne is their central park. Jardin du Luxembourg is also nice.
Their neighborhoods (arrondissements) are numbered from 1 to 20. Starting in the heart of the city with 1 and moving clockwise like a shell.
Quick hack: the last 2 digits of the zip code of a store/restaurant says what arrondissement it’s in. i.e. I lived in 75003. Or the 3rd arrondissement)
As long as you say "Bonjour! Parlez vous anglais?" to anyone, they'll be very nice. The french are big on greeting people (so say hi) and people attempting French. Everyone in Paris speaks english.
Paris is my favorite city in the world. If you go to any of these places, I’d love to see it. I miss it greatly.
Sante mon amis!
thanks Judge. My daughter seems pretty intent on Nice so I think that’s pretty set. Wife and I did Florence-Rome-Positano a few years ago and loved it though. Always tough to make choices!
Tick
Footballguy
Don’t try Mexican food anywhere in Europe.
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
don't share any cabs with cute young men
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
I found this to be true everywhere in France except Paris. This was many years ago, but in the half dozen times I was there I found that no amount of effort to speak French was satisfactory to most waiters, service staff, etc. In smaller cities and towns everyone was always appreciative of my bad French. Parisians are truly the rudest and most arrogant people in the world. Great city, but I can do without personal interaction there. The approach I settled on was just to speak my normal bad French and then ignore them when they pretended not to understand.
"Dun moi une sandwich avec jamon e fromage e un beer silver plate" [ignore the blank stare and go back to reading my paper; eventually they bring my sandwich and beer]
Our family of four (me, wife, two teenage kids, 18 and 14) were just in Paris a month ago for four nights. We stayed in St Germain, which is a great neighborhood. We got an Airbnb, which was spacious but expensive. Paris is probably my favorite foreign city, so I'm definitely biased, but if your daughter already wants to go, she's bound to have a good time.
We went in mid-June, which is right on the cusp of when it starts getting really crowded. I don't know when you're planning to go, but when I booked our Airbnb, it was about 2 1/2-3 months before our trip. (We spent two weeks in London, Berlin and France.) I kept checking after we booked the place, and the availability definitely dried up the closer it got to our trip.
I booked as many sights as I could in advance. My son's birthday was during the trip, so I was able to get tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower for his birthday, but you have to buy those as soon as they go on sale, two months in advance. I also bought tickets to Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre in advance. (The Eiffel Tower was purely for the "happy birthday!" effect, but it definitely wasn't worth it -- tickets were for 10:30 pm, and it took almost 2 hours of waiting in lines to get to the top. I would also recommend Musee d'Orsay over the Louvre -- smaller crowds.)
We either walked or took the Metro everywhere. (Before arriving in Paris, we were in the Loire and had rented a car, which I returned in Paris. I owned a car in Manhattan and had driven there for years. Driving in Paris is way more insane than in Manhattan.) If you do go to Paris, get the app called Paris Metro Map and Routes. I used it while we were there, and it made getting around so much easier. It'll tell you the closest station to where you are, and you put in the station for where you're going, and it'll tell you the route, with transfers. Plus, using the Metro makes you feel like a local. (Get the Navigo Metro card -- one for each person -- and just load it up to make it easier. For the time we were there, I got 8 rides per card, and that was enough, but we also did a ton of walking.)
Finally, you don't need to know any French. I took French in high school and college, and I know enough to communicate, but my accent is so bad that as soon as I spoke French to anyone, they immediately responded in English. The wait staff at every restaurant spoke English fluently, as did most everyone else, at stores, museums, whatever. (We had visited the French countryside before arriving in Paris, and service employees in those cities definitely spoke much less English, if at all. I'd imagine that people in Nice would speak much less English.)
We went in mid-June, which is right on the cusp of when it starts getting really crowded. I don't know when you're planning to go, but when I booked our Airbnb, it was about 2 1/2-3 months before our trip. (We spent two weeks in London, Berlin and France.) I kept checking after we booked the place, and the availability definitely dried up the closer it got to our trip.
I booked as many sights as I could in advance. My son's birthday was during the trip, so I was able to get tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower for his birthday, but you have to buy those as soon as they go on sale, two months in advance. I also bought tickets to Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre in advance. (The Eiffel Tower was purely for the "happy birthday!" effect, but it definitely wasn't worth it -- tickets were for 10:30 pm, and it took almost 2 hours of waiting in lines to get to the top. I would also recommend Musee d'Orsay over the Louvre -- smaller crowds.)
We either walked or took the Metro everywhere. (Before arriving in Paris, we were in the Loire and had rented a car, which I returned in Paris. I owned a car in Manhattan and had driven there for years. Driving in Paris is way more insane than in Manhattan.) If you do go to Paris, get the app called Paris Metro Map and Routes. I used it while we were there, and it made getting around so much easier. It'll tell you the closest station to where you are, and you put in the station for where you're going, and it'll tell you the route, with transfers. Plus, using the Metro makes you feel like a local. (Get the Navigo Metro card -- one for each person -- and just load it up to make it easier. For the time we were there, I got 8 rides per card, and that was enough, but we also did a ton of walking.)
Finally, you don't need to know any French. I took French in high school and college, and I know enough to communicate, but my accent is so bad that as soon as I spoke French to anyone, they immediately responded in English. The wait staff at every restaurant spoke English fluently, as did most everyone else, at stores, museums, whatever. (We had visited the French countryside before arriving in Paris, and service employees in those cities definitely spoke much less English, if at all. I'd imagine that people in Nice would speak much less English.)
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Yeah. Definitely do not recommend renting a car in France.
3 hour lunch
Footballguy
Thanks. We are going in March. Definitely not getting a car. That’s crazy on the Eiffel Tower….a 2 hour line even with a ticket? Yuck
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
Its odd that everyone else here says the same thing. Try to speak and they will be fine.
On the way from calais to paris, yeah the locals genuinely arent good at english, but made every effort to help.
In Paris i did not encounter one rude frenchmen to me and i only knew Parlez Vous Anglais.
If you are a frequent traveller and encounter this all the time, how on earth do you present?
I have seen numerous french people be very rude to foreigners and then be as nice as pie to me.
I realise the french can be enigmatic though so i would be looking inward and wonder how on earth they see me if i had your experiences
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
Yeah i cant underestimate how much wasted time you will have before going up the tower. Time is precious when in Paris.
You can walk up and down the Champs Elysee, see the Arc De Triumphe and have time left over before youve even got anywhere at the eiffel tower.
Because of the skyline you will see it everywhere you are in paris and odds are you get close enough to take a photo anyway.
I would recommend looking at local calendars to make sure there arent any holidays or elections at the time.
The french are notorious for taking direct action rather than protest.
Anytime the farmers have a complaint they drive truck loads of manure to the parliament and dump it at the entrance
For the Eiffel Tower, we waited in line to take the elevator to the top of the base. Then you get into another line to take the elevator to the top of the tower. Then you try to navigate around the crowds at the top, then get into another line to take the elevator to the top of the base, then get in line for the final elevator to take you to the bottom. I shouldn't have said it "definitely" wasn't worth it -- we had fun, and it was something we can say we did, even if we never do it again. It just took too long.
However, if you're going in March, I'd expect you'll deal with much fewer people. My wife and I to Paris went by ourselves before kids at the end of April almost 20 years ago. Weather was in the 60s, overcast, but we had a really great time, and I don't remember many crowds.
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Similar experience here. I think it was worth it, but not enough to do it again.
The General
Footballguy
Man got to disagree here. Amazing city.
The General
Footballguy
The Croissant MexiPizza Chaulpa is worth the wait.
The General
Footballguy
Have done a couple trips there and don’t remember an issue. I speak zero French.
The General
Footballguy
Will be tons of good advice in here.
My additions are for Paris. We used the Rick Steves guide. He’s a dork but had very good advice on how to get into the tourist spots you will want to see and broke down neighborhood sights into sections with good timelines for how to get stuff in in a realistically sane timeline.
We did a walking tour called “Paris By Mouth” which we enjoyed. Tons of good ones I’m sure based around your interests. This one stopped at various food shops and gave some history (first cheese shop in Paris!) and then you ate the stuff at a wine spot.
The city is truly amazing to walk around in so big fan of that and chilling at an outdoor cafe.
Versailles and this place were a nice trip outside the city: fancy castle
Got lucky on the second place and was there when they light the castle and grounds up with candles at night which was impressive.
Enjoy!
Look forward myself to reading some of the stuff in here about the smaller towns in the South.
My additions are for Paris. We used the Rick Steves guide. He’s a dork but had very good advice on how to get into the tourist spots you will want to see and broke down neighborhood sights into sections with good timelines for how to get stuff in in a realistically sane timeline.
We did a walking tour called “Paris By Mouth” which we enjoyed. Tons of good ones I’m sure based around your interests. This one stopped at various food shops and gave some history (first cheese shop in Paris!) and then you ate the stuff at a wine spot.
The city is truly amazing to walk around in so big fan of that and chilling at an outdoor cafe.
Versailles and this place were a nice trip outside the city: fancy castle
Got lucky on the second place and was there when they light the castle and grounds up with candles at night which was impressive.
Enjoy!
Look forward myself to reading some of the stuff in here about the smaller towns in the South.
Sand
Footballguy
That would be something to see! I would love to go.
DA RAIDERS
Footballguy
When I was in europe right after high school, I had no clue about the tdf. When we got to Paris, all of the grandstands were still up on the champs. We missed it by one day!
El Floppo
Footballguy
Yeah I've had identical experiences to eeph throughout my life in and out of paris. In paris...Don't. Speak. I speaka ze eengleesh. Outside...overjoyed to hear my toddler level mumblings. Every time but this most recent time.. the Parisian attitude seemed to have chilled out a bit.
Senor Schmutzig
Footballguy
Don't sleep on Sainte-Chapelle. Went there on our list trip and it was beautiful. Really stunning.
Redwes25
Footballguy
I have rented a car in France multiple times and been fine and it is great for driving outside of Paris. Driving in Paris itself can be a challenge but so is driving in any major city. Driving in Paris is better then driving in London and probably on par with NYC but langauge issues make it a bit harder.
Tick
Footballguy
I found the same - in Chalon-sur-Saone, the small town I was working in, people helped me improve my poor French if I tried. In Paris, they were just annoyed/annoying about it.
First time I tried to order a crepe avec jamon et fromage, I was saying hamon like in Spanish, and it was a debacle. I eventually got the crepe.
Also, I loved Paris, but it certainly isn't perfect. This was 20 years ago, but the entire city smelled like urine, which makes sense since nobody has a public restroom. I ate at a McDonald's just to pee. Also some form of transportation was out due to strikes pretty much every time I went to France.
I don't think anyone mentioned the military museum next to Napoleon's tomb, but it was more interesting than the tomb.
Judge Smails
Footballguy
My biggest issue with Paris was the sheer amount of cigarettes. Butts everywhere stacked on the curb
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Now do Rome.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
100% that waiter knew exactly what you wanted to order. Great city though no don’t. I’ve had some good times there.
Drunken knight
Footballguy
One of our trips, we picked up our car in Munich, then drove into France for the remainder of the trip... ending in Paris. We had a specific date to drop it off and knew we did not care to do much driving in the city. Driving in we had a "Big Ben. Parliament" moment in a 6 lane round about. happy to park and drop it off the next day
Redwes25
Footballguy
Yeah, that seems terrifying and haven't ever tried that.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
I went to a wedding outside Rome with my girlfriend, my mom, and her boyfriend. I was 25 and mother booked the rental car for the drive out to rhe wedding venue. My mother hadn't driven stick in like 15 years. taking the car from Termini station to the autostrada was... not enjoyable. Why I or my wife didn't insist on driving, I don't know.
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