clarky1982

i made the huge mistake of telling the old ball and chain that paris is a sh[t hole. i then found out 2 mins later that she has booked us a weekend in paris for our 6 yr anniversary as a suprise. ooops.
how can i get myself out of this huge hole i have found myself in.
is paris any good in your opinion
any places you can reccomend in paris
cheers people

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Woops............:

Firstly, tell her that either when you went, or your mate, something awful happened to you/him, which has coloured your view somewhat, but you need to see it again with her as it's the ideal romantic place to take her............grease grease etc etc.

Personally, I love the place. I like the food, the scenery, the atmosphere, and yes, even the Parisiens! But I do have good French, so they get back what they give, which calms a lot of the rude ones!

We usually have a day sightseeing: get off the metro on the Champs Elysees, and walk towards the Arc, on the right hand side, soaking up atmosphere, looking in shops etc. Just before the Arc, is a monoprix, with a nice supermarket under it where we buy picnic lunch inc wine, (don't forget your opener), and take it to the gardens overlooking the fountains on the opposite bank to the eiffel tower...........really nice spot!

Walk over the seine, have a look at/go up the tower, and then take a Bateaubus, (MUCH cheaper way to see stuff) up to the Ile de la Cite, and go round Notre Dame.........(nice park in the back for another rest stop, with toilets, clean).

Go and have a look at the stained glass in St Chappelle.....the best in the world, they say, and then have a glass of wine over the river in Place St Michel, while relaxing. Don't drink in the cafes near notre dame, not if you don't want to pay about £15 a glass!
Spend the next hour or so choosing where to eat in the little streets behind there, and finally back to your hotel.
Next day, go up to Montmartre, to see Sacre Coeur, and have a browse round some of the clothes shops etc. Then back to the Seine for shops with wifey!

Enjoy.

Alcazar

Chip

Paris in the spring.

What could be more romantic than that. Its a wonderful city.

Chip.

GaryCat

I've worked in Paris quite a few times and I really like it. The Metro is great to get around, there are some fantastic sights as alcazar says. I would also add the "La Defense" area if you like modern architecture and the palace at Versailles. Visit the Latin Quarter for some superb little cafes & restaurants.

For a little excitement, find an eastern european taxi driver and ask to be taken round the Arc de Triumph - A much scarier ride than anything at Eurodisney.

As with any tourist spot watch out for pickpockets.

HankScorpio

I've been to Paris a fair few times on business and had a pretty low opinion of it like you, but going with the missus last year, it went up in my estimation.
It's very much a couples city and going as a couple, it was much better than with mates or colleagues.
(You could try that, you never know, it might work..! )

clarky1982

cheers lads sounds quite interesting. does it depend on where you go as to the prices cuz 15 quid for a glass of anything sounds a bit pricey to me.
i think its the latin quarter that we are going to, any thoughts on this

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

IIRC, the latin quarter starts at Place St Michel, and takes in the Boulevard St Michel,( Boule St Mich) and the area behind it.

Chock full of tiny streets, tiny restaurants of all persuasions, tiny churches and interesting little shops.

I've lost count of the number of times I've been, and I've never eaten in the same place.

After dark therer are aften pavement artists.........my two lads both have amazing paintings in their rooms, done using spray paints, of Sci-Fi type landscapes/planetscapes. Cost £10 each.

I'd recommend a decent map/guidebook, (The Paris Mapguide is the one I use, by Michael Middledittch, ISBN:0-14-046962-1, £4.99).

Ask for a metro map when buying tickets, and ask for a "carnet de dix billets" for the metro, which gives you 10 tickets for the price of about 6. Every metro hjourney is the same price: 1 ticket, whether it's one stop, or right across the city.

Alcazar