Hi loves. I hope you can help me plan an amazing little return trip to Paris! J and I are planning a belated 10-year-anniversary getaway in late February since we couldn't be together on our real anni back in October {sniff, sniff}. But I think some time in our favorite city will make up for it!
I would be delighted to hear any tips and suggestions for some obscure places + scenes to visit in Paris. I've been to the City of Light a handful of times so we've knocked out most of the 'big things' several times over and I'm ready to discover some lesser known sights and sounds.
I do have a few things lined up on a loose itinerary for us but I'd love to add some more awesomeness to the list with your help! Here's what I have so far but please chirp in with your own ideas and suggestions:
- La Maison Deyrolle. 46 rue du Bac. Paris VIIe.
This menagerie of curiosities and taxidermy at its finest has been on my dreamlist for ages ...
- Musee d'Orsay. 62, rue de Lille.
Okay, not so obscure but we still haven't made it here and it's really a must-do, non?
- Original house of Chanel. 31 rue Cambo.
Just to marvel. Inspired by this Travel + Leisure write-up about tracing the steps of Coco.
- Ladurée. again. I've been to the original on rue Royale and the one on Champs-Elysées and the teensy one inside Versailles. Now I need to visit the one at 21 rue Bonaparte. ;o)
- Port de Vanves flea market. I did St. Ouen last spring and have to say I was sadly underwhelmed. I'm hoping the environment and energy will be a little different at Vanves. If you've been, tell me your thoughts.
My ?s for the Parisian experts out there:
- We'll be traveling from Germany by train. Any preferred Paris arrival stations?
- J wants to buy me a piece of vintage jewelry in Paris and I'm kinda really really loving his sweet idea. Any store recs?
- Moulin Rouge. Should we bother or is it just gauche?
- Any hotel or b&b recs? We have a few on our list but I always love staying somewhere new. Looking for quaint, not OTT but with a good location. Interested in Montmartre area, too.
- We've climbed the steps of Sacre Coeur and marveled at the city from the Eifel Tower - what is your favorite high spot{s} in town to take in the city?
- I've heard about a little tiny museum devoted to Marie Antionette where you actually visit the cell she spent her last night. I have to find out more! Do you know about this?
- Seeing the Nutcracker in December in Paris is on my bucket list. Anyone know the details on this? I need to start planning for next year. ;o)
Thanks for any input you may have! It is truly appreciated. xoxox.
ps. Did you hear about CB's Parisian shoot? It's still in the planning stages and we're still open to new vendor involvement. ;o) ;o) I'll be sharing a post soon all about the styling - props, outfits, ideas, etc.! So excited!
Image via Moon and Trees tumblr.
i was just in paris in november, hoping to go back this spring...my heart is longing to go back. we stayed in a funky place in the 5th called Les Degrés de Notre-Dame. it was super convenient to everything, not very 'hotel like' though. hotel di buci is a great place in the 6th as well. i personally love les arts decoratifs and the stained glass at san chapelle. have a wonderful time!
ReplyDeleteAt first I read that as: I would be delighted to hear any tips and suggestions for some OBSCENE places. Ha ha. I'm afraid I don't know Paris well enough to suggest anything, obscene or not, but I thought that might give you a laugh. Have a great trip!
ReplyDeleteblair: thank you for the great recommendations! can't wait to look these places up! xox.
ReplyDeletemy honest answer: LOVE that you read it that way and shared :D :D
What a perfectly timed post! I'm in the middle of planning our very first trip to Paris this summer, when we travel to France to shoot a wedding! I'm anxious to read through everyone's suggestions!
ReplyDeleteI imagine that the Nutcracker will be playing at the Opera Garnier, in which case you can buy your tickets online a few months ahead of time (and print them from home).
ReplyDeleteAny train station with international arrivals will be relatively centrally located/easy to navigate. I'm partial to Gare de Lyon and Gare du Nord, but again, there's not too many differences/benefits from using one over the others.
I'd recommend the restaurant at the top of the Pompidou for a nice vantage point of the city. I haven't had the food but you can at least go up and enjoy the view (or have a glass of wine).
I'm anxious to see if anyone has more information on vintage jewelry shops or about the Marie Antoinette museum. I've spent a fair amount of time in Paris and this is the first time that I've heard of it, but I'd love to go!
Lauren: Excellent tips, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAnd, after a little hunting around, I found the 'Marie Antoinette Museum.' It is actually the Conciergerie: http://tourisme.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/monuments/bdd/monument/70
... But you are supposed to be able to see the cell MA spent her last night in! It's on my list!
Has anyone climbed to the top of Notre Dame? Is it worth it?
ReplyDeleteWe honeymooned in Paris last summer. I have to say, we loved the Moulin Rouge show - it was much better than I imagined it would be. The costumes were just amazing! We had dinner there which was not the best (very mass produced and of course overpriced) but I wouldnt miss the show if you have time - honestly, I was surprised how lovely it was and I loved sitting there sipping champagne while watching all the feathers and sequins float past us on the stage. We were lucky to get a really great seat (you cant choose your seat it just gets allocated to you) so perhaps that helped with the "old parisian world" I felt we had stepped into but regardless I dont see how you wouldnt enjoy it :)
ReplyDeleteI studied in Paris and just visited last summer with my boyfriend. It's such a beautiful city!! To answer your questions, most trains have a set station they arrive in (like taking the train from London you can only arrive at Gare du Nord). But any train station you arrive in will be connected to the metro and you can easily get to where ever you need to (granted you don't have a ton of luggage!). I never saw the Moulin Rouge but most people who did see it say it was overpriced and not as original as they expected. My bf and I stayed in a charming apartment in the Marais we found on vrbo.com - it was perfect! I love love the Marais but staying with a view of the Eiffel tower is always charming. I think the best view of the city is from the top of the Arc de triomphe. The Eiffel tower is pretty but you don't get to see it! I'd go with the Arc over Notre Dame. There's also a pretty view from the Pompidou center (take the escalators all the way to the top - I took my bf and he was impressed I knew the hidden spot. And the Conciergerie was pretty interesting. We went there by chance (went to Sainte Chappelle and it was next door and admission was free with our museum pass). It was really pretty inside and I learned about the French Revolution. It may be better to take the audioguide because most of the signs were in French but overall I'm glad we went. Look into the museum pass - depending on when you go it may not only lower admission prices but also help save time (not having to wait in the ticket lines). I'm not sure if the Nutcracker plays, but check out Opera Garnier to see if there is a performance while you're there. It's absolutely beautiful inside!
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI really recommend you leaving out of Thionville,France, about 45min-1 hour drive from Bitburg, leaving your car there is safe and very cheap. If you go on the SNCF website, you can find round trips for less than 60 euros, depending on the dates and times. It will also get you into Paris Est station in less than 2 hours. As far as I know, that is WAY cheaper and faster than travelling with the German railroad.
Once in Paris, the Conciergerie is actually quite large, and the history is very interesting and some of the room incredible (such as the salle des gens d'armes, with its incredible arches). The cell in which Marie-Antoinette spent her last night has been altered a great deal and looked nothing like the way they had it, but they explain to you how it really was so you can imagine it. Very cool anyway. There is a combination ticket for the Conciergerie and the Sainte Chapelle, which is right next to it. The line in front of the Sainte Chapelle might be long, but it's only because you have to enter through the Justice Palace so they make you go through Xray machines etc, but it goes very quickly, and it's a MUST-SEE!
For an incredible view of Paris, you can go to the Tour de Montparnasse. The enclosed observatory on the 56th floor has a café-bar. The open-air terrace level—the very top of the skyscraper,is reached by 65 stairs up from the 56th floor observatory. Up on the terrace all is open,and you get incredible view of all of Paris. It stays open until 10:30pm so it's a great option for a night view of Paris.
The Montparnasse area is also where you will find the Creperie quarters, with its dozens of creperie restaurants all lined up on RUE de Montparnasse (Metro Edgard Quinet), very off the tourist beaten path.
Also, if you haven't been there already, go to the Rue Mouffetard (in the 5th arrondissement, south of Notre Dame), a quintessential, historic market street with an open market. open Tuesday-Sunday
Lastly, I have seen "Feerie" at the Moulin Rouge and I am glad I did. The show is beautiful, the dancers SO freaking talented and the costumes incredible. Don't bother buying tickets with the meal option, you don't want to go there for the food (overpriced and not that great), just book a simple ticket (about 105 euros, which also gives you a 1/2 bottle of champagne, or 95 euros, without).
Unfortunately, I can't recommend any B&B since I have always stayed with family, but I am sure you will pick wisely :)
As always, I am very jealous that you get to be where my heart lies, and until I move back for good, I will continue to live vicariously through you :)
Such fabulous tips! Thanks everyone - I'm so excited for our trip next week. :o)
ReplyDeleteparis! paris! I went there almost 5yrs ago...it was stunning...I want to go there again!
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