This will be our family%26#39;s first visit to Paris. We will take the Eurostar and arrive in the early afternoon on a Thursday. We have all-day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We will probably be staying at Hotel Ares in the 15th.
Hubby and I are in late 30s, our children are 7 and 11. My in-laws are early 70s but have already visited; as such they don%26#39;t care about the itinerary and are willing to do (or not do) whatever we want. We like history, some art, and science. Basically, we just want to experience the culture and vibe of Paris.
What suggestions do you have for the must sees in three days? Besides the obvious (Eiffel, Notre Dame, Louvre, Arc, etc.), what else would you recommend? Also, are there any specific times that are better for visiting certain attractions.
All suggestions are welcome and appreciated!
|||
Apart from those you have mentioned.---
The market in the rue Mouffetard,
The Musee d%26#39;Orsay,
La Sainte Chappelle,
A stroll around the streets in the Latin Quarter,
A short river cruise.
With the main sites and only three days, you will have to pick out what really appeals to you most.
William cteguide@yahoo.co.uk
|||
Bateau Mouche - boat ride on river (day or night, but I prefer the ride at night as the monuments are all lighted up).
St Chapelle - (near Notre Dame)
Place du Teatre near Sacre Coeur. It%26#39;s a little artists%26#39; corner.
In my opinion, I think you can skip the Eiffel Tower. The boat will pass it, but you don%26#39;t really have to go up the Tower. I only did that on my third trip to Paris.
Musee%26#39;d%26#39;Orsay (impressionists)
Rodin (if you like sculpture)
Latin Quarter - touristy, but can be quite nice.
|||
Hi again Monks!
With two kids, and given that you like both science and history, I%26#39;d take a serious look at the possibility of visiting the City of Science and Industry (Cite des Sciences et de l%26#39;Industrie). It%26#39;s in the northeast of Paris, La Villette. It%26#39;s very much an interactive museum, and not at all the traditional %26quot;stuffy%26quot; museum in a building. (I remember a kid telling me once that the local Nat. Hist. Museum, which was actually quite good, was %26quot;a zoo full of dead animals.%26quot;) It has a lot of things and activities specifically designed for kids. Here is a link:
www.cite-sciences.fr/english/indexFLASH.htm
It is pretty big - you could easily spend several days there - but a half day visit well planned ahead of time would be wonderful for you I think.
Other than that there is the Musee des Arts et Metiers, which basically covers all kinds of technological and engineering history - including things like cars and early flying machines. I think most kids would find it pretty cool. (I do, but I%26#39;m not a kid...) It%26#39;s in the 3rd arrondissement on the rue Reaumur, Metro Arts et Metiers. Here is their site, which unfortunately appears to be only in French.:
http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/home.php
And here is a review:
tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187147-d2…
And there is the Palais de la Decouverte near the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysees, also well worth a visit, and something your kids might enjoy. Their web site also appears to be only in French:
http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/
And do not forget the Musee de l%26#39;Armee (Military Museum) in the Invalides, along with the tomb of Napoleon, or the Musee Maritime and the Musee de l%26#39;Homme (Museum of Mankind) at the Trocadero, across the river from the Eiffel Tower.
I%26#39;m not suggesting for a moment that you try to visit all of these - just that with the ages of your kids and your interests these might appeal more than some of the other museums.
|||
I%26#39;d disagree with this:
%26quot;In my opinion, I think you can skip the Eiffel Tower. The boat will pass it, but you don%26#39;t really have to go up the Tower. I only did that on my third trip to Paris. %26quot;
We just visited Paris with my teenage son, and he LOVED the Eiffel Tower, it was the highlight of his trip. My guess is your children will really want to go up it!
We had three days too, and in retrospect I really wish we%26#39;d gone to the musee d%26#39;Orsay - instead on the last day we went to the Pompidou Centre, cause I thought my son would like the modern art, but it was a bit of a disappointment. (By the way, if you%26#39;re in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, the musee d%26#39;Orsay is free, so%26#39;s the Pompidou Centre - and maybe other places too??)
I thought the Arc de Triomphe was a bit disappointing - seemed rather low after the dizzy heights of the Eiffel Tower! And we didn%26#39;t like walking the length of the Champs Elysees, it%26#39;s very busy, noisy, commercialised.
We all loved Notre-Dame, and walking by the river; we liked the Tuileries Gardens next to the Louvre; and the Rue Mouffetard market and shops were good, atmospheric.
But there was loads we didn%26#39;t see!! Must persuade my family to go back, but they%26#39;ll only do it if I promise not to make them walk so much next time!!
|||
Thanks for these suggestions. No way would we miss the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel is not too far so we will be doing that in the evening.
|||
You should definetly visit Monmartre. Sacre Coeur the cathedral on top of the hill and there is a really nice market and sttres next to it. You can get your portraitpainted/sketched/drawn for pretty cheap.
|||
MinM I would say deffinately do the obvious that you stated, I would do the Eiffel just before sunset and it will be an amazing site once you get up there, ask the locals on here when that is and give plenty of time to get up there.
Have fun
Lemon
|||
Lemon, our plan was to do the tower in the late evening. As far as asking what time sunset was, I already asked this in the London forum and I think some thought I was a bit odd. I%26#39;ll figure it out though, thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment