any reccomendations for a good way to spend a weekend in paris with Mrs T.

hotels, things to do, citybreak companies...all that stuff is stuff i know nothing about so lots of info please

T

ps- if paris is cack any other ideas?

 

Avoid small men with big dogs?

 

not a fan of Paris personally. Bruges (Belgium) is much better for a short break. Beautiful town which you can get to by Eurostar. It is not very big though. Full of cobbled streets, canals, windmills and stuff like that. Just a thought.

Steve

 

Leave Paris and go somewhere decent?

Been to Paris many times...dirty, noisy, full of incredibly bad drivers, arrogant people, thousands of tourists jamming cameras up your nose, but the architecture's nice.


Mice <---- who STILL cannot understand why Paris is reportedly romantic

 

What about the Eden project & Heligan down in Cornwall. We stayed at a superb hotel which I'd recommend to anyone. Depends if you're into gardening and plants and stuff, but even if you're not, Eden is a must-see.

 

I love Paris..

Things to do.. Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Cour, Marble Arch (in-joke), walk down the Champs Elysee. The Louvre is awesome but start early and takes a long time to see everything.

If you try your french in bars, no matter how poor, you will get a better reception and probably a reply in English.. Never found it to be any more rude or dirty than London. Use the METRO it's very simple and you can get a CARNET, book of 10 tickets pretty cheaply. Be careful where you you at night, some of the areas are rough/ dangerous so stay near the bright lights.. Sacre Cour is worth seeing but I'd go in the daytime.. the area is full of druggies at night and pretty scary.

As for hotels, always done this cheaply as never in the thing for more than five minutes.. I did stay of the boulevard St Michel once and found this to be a good place and safe on a night..

Have a good time..

 

Tiggs,

The Sofitel in Chateux de Versailles(sp?) is a really nice place to stay.

Went there for a special occasion a few years back (with old girlfriend) and when we went up to the room there was champagne on ice waiting....top service.

It's about 25 mins on the Metro to get to central paris.

Cheers



Iain

 

Mm-hmmm...wouldn't go there for a break, either. (And not just because it's only 60 miles away when I'm down south. )

 

Go to Prague ....... beutifull city, full of buzz, bars, cafes, small narrow streets, it realy is a romantic city

Kate

 

I absolutely love Paris, and I can't think of many things more romantic than watching the moon rise over Paris from the steps of Sacre Coeur.
I've used 3 different chain hotels, all of which were in walkable distance from the bright lights areas.
Mail me off here if you want an itinerary, I've given it to a few people, and all have enjoyed it. It's better in the warmer weather though.
Alcazar
Forgot to ask how you're getting there? Eurostar would be my choice, followed by self-drive.

[Edited by alcazar - 10/10/2002 11:12:13 AM]

 

Paris is great place. I worked there for six months last year and can reccomend the Belmont although its probably not that cheap (5 mins from Champs Elysee) . Try www.ratp.fr for more info, theres an 'English' tab on the top right of the site case your french is sh*te..like mine. Also www.voila.fr is good although I cant remember seeing an English tab.

Many places as mentioned by others + Try Musee D'Orsay as it has more modern works (1850+) and you can view the lot in about 3hours. The Lourve is awesome but will take 4-5 days to see the lot! The view from the Arc de Triomphe/Eiffel Tower are both great. A boat trip taken from near the Eiffel tower down to Notre Dame and back is a good way to spend an hour.

Steer clear of most of the restaurants down the right side of the Champs Elysee unless your on expenses except the Moules Frites restauarant near the bottom which is excellent. The 'Hippo' restaurants (side streets off Champs Elysee) are all good and cheap with it. McDonalds is on the Champs Elysee and you can get a beer with your BigMac!

Now if your after a bit of home life try a pub called the 'The Freedom' which is on the Rue de Beri (road on the left of the Champs Elsyee as you go down the hill). All the working brits seem to meet up here and the beer is cheap. They also have a happy hour during the week. Also theres a Eurosport near by.

Tony

 

We went last year and had a great weekend (and we both hate French people )
Get a day ticket for the river boats, many of the top attractions are along the Seine so you can save a lot of shoe leather. They operate like a bus service and stop at all the best spots.
The Metro is excellent, just ask for a carnet (10 tickets) should be enough for a few days.
If you look around a bit it's not too expensive and the food is very good.
Just watch out when crossing the road as the drivers over there are mental.

 

If you want cheap eats, cross the river towards the Boulevard Saint Michel, from Notre Dame. There's whole streets of restaurants, ranging from French, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, if you can't find what you want there, it doesn't exist. (Well, nearly!)
Alcazar

 

alcazar, YWHM but your mailbox is jam packed

 

My Mailbox? The one from my profile? Just looked at it, and I had no messages apart drom my usual ones relating to p*nis extension(!!), buying Viagra(!!!) or getting free farmyard ****(!!!!)
Are you sure you're using my right address?
Alcazar
PS: you're not selling Viagra, farmyard **** or p*nis extensions are you?

 

I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago and love the place. I hadn't been there for 25 years as well

Best restaurant was Bar Fly in Rue George V, just off Champs Elysee. Great food and one of the best atmospheres I have eaten in. Don't go if you are averse to being in the company of very beautiful people.

I've heard that the Budda Bar, (opp American Embassy at Place de la Concorde) is even better, but you need to book a weekend table a few weeks in advance.

Lunchtime eating was pavement cafes along Rue St Honare, where your missus will DEFINITELY want to go shopping. Prada, YSL, Gucci, Versace... they all have massive stores there.

You can go up the Eiffel tower until 11pm and I bet its a fantastic sight.

Its not somewhere that I would want to drive around. The standard of driving has to be seen to be believed.

We flew Stansted to Charles de Gaule for £70 return including taxes and stayed in an IBIS 15 minutes from Champs Elysee by Metro, for £50/room/night.

 

Around the Rue Mouffetard is great for small bars and excellent bistros where you can have a belly-buster of top nosh for a tenner each

 

another paris lover(going in march again for the rugby...)

you must go to the champs elysee,via the metro to place de la concord,when going up the steps out of it cover your eyes,then open them at the top, you will be gosmacked(we i was the first time my missus took us there! then walk up th C E,preferably at dusk,quite a walk but worth it. also the C E,has car dealerships that are open all night with bars/restaurants in them,the renault one is fab,loads of racing/rallying memrobillia.

all the previous posts have interesting things also,just do them all and to heck with sleep!

regards
dave

oh and ryanair are probably the cheapest way to get there from stanstead,to bovais which is a 45min bus ride to the center

[Edited by D Noble - 10/10/2002 8:28:47 PM]

 

cheers people- i will study the replys in depth later and form a list of things to see!

Tiggs

 

I went to Paris a few weeks ago, booked through Travelocity, very efficent and they were concerned about the price! Were worried they couldn't find anything cheaper and thought it was an expensive trip.

I went Eurostar from Ashford, only a 30 minute check in and takes you right into Paris Centre within 2 hours.

If you are after a romantic weekend then an evening dinner cruise on the Seine is well worth doing. Its expensive but the food is great, the bottle of wine each (Supossed to be 2 bottles between 3 but if only 2 you still get 2 bottles!), lovely music etc.

I stayed opposite the Opera House at Bastille, very central however the bed was rock hard, might as well have slept on the floor!

Did Versailles (watch it I think it is closed on Monday) Eiffel Tower, Champs Elyses, Sacre De Coeur (or however you spell it!) etc.

However Prague is great too, better for a stag night though as then you can see the very risque shows!

 

Paris at this time of the year? Brrrrrrr

If you want a city break, why not go further south like Barcelona...I'd love to go but have sworn I will never fly again. Not because of September 11 but because I had a really moment in turbulance when landing in Toulouse once - I swore never again (even though I had to get two flights home )