Paris in May

I%26#39;ll be in Paris by myself for 3 days, until my friends join up. Staying in the Marais, any travel tips, ideas or advice would be divine!

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Here are my Paris notes: (This is a LONG message...you may want to copy it or print it)

I hope this info helps. Have a great trip! As far as accomodations, the last few times we were in Paris we were with a group and paid one price for the entire trip, so I%26#39;m not sure how much we paid for lodging. But this time we%26#39;re staying at the Hotel Jardin du Villiers. The price is right; it looks good but we won%26#39;t really know until we get there. It%26#39;s a 3-star hotel and the other 3-star%26#39;s we%26#39;ve stayed in have been fine. This one includes breakfast. Their website is: jardindevilliers.parishotels.it/main_en.htm… We%26#39;re paying 105 Euro per night which is very reasonable for a 3-star establishment.

I%26#39;ve got loads of info that may be useful for you. Paris is our most favorite city in the world and we%26#39;ll be there again following a trip to Venice in May.

Our favorite restaurant in the world (literally) is in Paris and called %26quot;Taverne du Sargent Recruiteur%26quot;. Several people who have been in the last few weeks due to my posting on the tripadvisor forum also loved it. It%26#39;s a 400 year-old restaurant and when you arrive and sit at your table, they bring out a basket of fresh garden (whole) vegetables and brown boiled eggs, another basket of different meats like salamis, etc., a plate of country pate, a bowl of lentils, french bread and tiny cornichon pickles. You eat all you want of this and when you%26#39;re finished, they remove the baskets. This is just the appetizer! Then you can order from about 6 or 7 different entrees, followed by dessert and a cheese plate. They have their own label of white and red wine and all you would like is included in the meal. Plan to spend at least two hours! The waiters are very friendly (not the norm in Paris!) It%26#39;s about 38 euro per person...not your cheapest meal but extremely memorable for the price.

The address is:

41 rue St. Louis-en-%26#39;l%26#39;isle (pronounced San Lui on eel). Phone number is 01-43-54-02-59.

It%26#39;s on one of Paris%26#39; two small islands in the Seine: the Isle de la cite (where Notre Dame is) and the Isle St. Louis where the restaurant is.

The metro stop is Ponte Marie.

After coming out of the metro, cross the bridge and you%26#39;ll be on the Isle St. Louis. Walk down the center street until you see rue St. Louis-en-l%26#39;isle. Turn left and the restaurant is on the left. You won%26#39;t need a reservation if you go before about 8pm (they open at 7pm) but after that it gets fairly crowded.

The beouf bourguignon is wonderful, and the chocolate mousse is so thick that you can stand a spoon in it. I%26#39;ve also had the duck (canard) which was good.

Get to the Isle St. Louis a little early because all around are charming and quaint little shops that are wonderful to browse in.

For a Seine River Cruise on the Bateaux Mouches (this is what the boats are called) here is a website that will be helpful. You%26#39;ll notice that the earlier cruise is about half the price of the later, and it gives you the added benefit of being on the boat at sunset, which is a beautiful time in Paris, not to mention the savings. www.francetourisme.fr/uk/diner_croisiere.html

The above website has the best prices that I have found on a Bateaux Mouches dinner cruise. It%26#39;s a wonderful experience as you cruise under the beautiful pontes (bridges) and by various monuments, like Notre Dame Cathedral, which will be all lit up.

Here are a few tips of things to see that my husband and I particularly enjoy: (forgive me if you already know all of this...I get excited talking about Paris even though I%26#39;m Southern USA born and bred!)

I would highly recommend purchasing the Rick Steves Paris 2005 guidebook. It%26#39;s much easier to use than others. You can probably get it at half.com. for a great price.

If you go to www.ricksteves.com, you%26#39;ll find all kinds of good info. Click on their grafitti wall to see what other travelers have to say. (This is like the tripadvisor forum) He also has some great tips on packing light!

Also in Paris - the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) is a must for first-time visitors. Trust me, spend the extra Euros and go all the way to the top. You%26#39;ll kick yourself if you don%26#39;t because you may not get back to Paris. When we go in May, we%26#39;re going back to the Tour Eiffel just to go to the top!

To save money everywhere in Europe, go to little markets and buy food for picnic lunches. Picnicking is wonderful there because everywhere you look there are sights to see. (Imagine your picnic sitting on the steps of Notre Dame!) Spend the most on dinners. Keep in mind that in most of Europe, tips are included. There%26#39;s also a cover charge to eat at a restaurant served by waiters/waitresses...this is normal.

For other affordable sightseeing in Paris:

Notre Dame Cathedral is free and gorgeous. It does cost a few Euro to get into the reliquary where you%26#39;ll see lots of Gold, sacred instruments, etc., mostly given as gifts to the church) Consider going for one of their masses (regardless of your religious affiliations). They translate into English and hearing the organ is unbelievable in this cathedral.

The Louvre is 11 Euro after 6pm and 13 Euro before 6pm. If your time is limited, go to the Denon Wing - you%26#39;ll find Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and other pieces you%26#39;re familiar with. The first Sunday of every month the Louvre is free. You can spend all day in the Louvre and only see about 10% of it! For all the info you need about the Louvre, go to www.louvre.fr

The Paris Catacombs - really weird but worth seeing unless you%26#39;re kind of freaky about bones...it has very limited hours daily (it%26#39;s not expensive).

Location: Metro Denfert-Rochereau

Open: Tue-Fri 2-4, Sat-Sun 9-11 2-4.

Fee: Adults 33 FF, Children 22 FF - this is old info from their website because France is on the Euro now...but it%26#39;s about $7-8 per person.

NOTE: The Paris Catacombs are closed until sometime in May, 2005. No one seems to know the exact date that they will reopen.

Consider visiting the cemetery close to the catacombs, because European cemeteries are fascinating. Very different than ours...they have lovely sculptures and tiny buildings amidst beautiful scenery.

The Paris Metro (subway) is easy to use once you know how. We had a friend explain it to us before our first trip and then we had no problems. If you%26#39;d like help, feel free to call me. It%26#39;s worth it to buy a carnet (book) of tickets if you%26#39;re going to be on the metro quite a bit. We take the metro pretty much everywhere. Look at this map:

www.webscapades.com/france/paris/metro.htm

and if you like, I%26#39;ll be glad to talk you through it on the phone. It%26#39;s hard to explain online, but it%26#39;s really simple when you learn the tricks. My phone number is

(904)743-6753.

Versailles is not something that you%26#39;d enjoy unless you%26#39;re really into portraits...rooms and rooms of portraits, and in the winter the gardens won%26#39;t be blooming. I%26#39;d skip it. (Kids would be bored silly!)

Favorite chapel - St. Chappelle - it%26#39;s wonderful. It%26#39;s a rather small chapel built by Louis XIV, and the second floor is nothing but stained glass...if the sun is shining you%26#39;ll feel like you%26#39;re in a kaleidoscope. The website is www.paris.org/Monuments/Sainte.Chapelle/ The prices are still in French Francs, but the entrance fee is modest - about 6 - 8 Euro (or less) and very worth it. This particular website has quite a bit of good Paris info.

Also, go to www.nytimes.com and click on travel and then Paris. You%26#39;ll find more interesting info there.

One more website that%26#39;s really interesting is Jack%26#39;s Paris Pages, found at http://www.jack-travel.com/Paris/ParisHtml/ He tells you about %26#39;hidden%26#39; Paris with some very interesting information on things you probably wouldn%26#39;t find out yourself.

The Conciergerie used to be the prison. You can go on tours and see where they held Marie Antoinette before her beheading, but this really isn%26#39;t that interesting unless you have a lot of time or you have a special interest in old prisons and/or Marie Antoinette - they actually have a wax figure of her in her cell and a small chapel dedicated to her.

Invalides - (On-va-lee%26#39;-dess) where Napoleon%26#39;s tomb is...again, not very interesting except for Napoleon%26#39;s huge monument/tomb but they have a big armor museum there. It%26#39;s free.

The biggest flea market in Paris the St. Ouen (Puces) flea market. It%26#39;s got everything. A couple of years ago I bought 2 leather jackets there - $15 each. You do have to walk past many %26quot;junk%26quot; sellers until you get to the nicer booths and stores. The website with lots of info is www.parispuces.com and the bottom right hand corner of the picture lets you click on an American Flag to see the info in English. It will give you location, hours, etc.

The Pere Lachaise Cemetery (I know...strange again) is actually beautiful and very interesting. They have all of these little family chapel-monuments. It%26#39;s like a museum in and of itself. Many famous musicians and artists are buried there including Chopin, Bizet, Poulenc, Sarah Bernhardt, Maria Callas, Delacroix the artist, Honore Balzac, and even Jim Morrison of The Doors. It%26#39;s worth it to buy one of the little guides being sold outside the gates for about 2 Euro so that you can find the monuments that you%26#39;d like to see. Chopin%26#39;s has a beautiful sculpture.

Let me know if you have questions...and for great souvenirs in Paris (they%26#39;re very expensive!) go into a supermarche (supermarket) and buy chocolates and preserves, jams and honey. With their French labels, they look so gourmet! This is far less expensive and no problem with customs to bring back to the states. We usually put together little gourmet baskets for our friends back home and spend about 5 - 6 Euro each on stuff from the supermarket - our friends love it and they think we%26#39;ve spent a fortune!

To translate Euros into Dollars: go to www.xe.com They have an easy converter. I typically convert several dollar amounts before I go making it easier to figure out when I%26#39;m there. In tiny print, I%26#39;ll print the conversions of $1, $5, $10, $20, $25 and any other amounts you need. Printed on a small piece of paper and put in my wallet; it comes in handy.

One more tip that I use in Europe and on cruises: take ziploc bags in your suitcase and save rolls, pastries, cheeses, etc. from breakfasts to add to your picnic lunches.

Also, you probably already know you%26#39;ll need an electric converter to use any appliances in Europe. In Paris, it%26#39;s a two-pronged round converter.

Another important piece of info: (we learned this one the hard way) Make a copy of your passport, write your hotel name, address and phone number on it and/or itinerary if you%26#39;re going to more than one place, then make several more copies with the hotel info on it and put one in every piece of luggage you have including your wife%26#39;s handbag, camera bag, etc. If something is lost or %26quot;swiped%26quot;, when found, the finder will know how to reach you.

A few years ago in Paris someone grabbed our video camera bag with the video camera inside (the still camera was there also). They ran...we chased...they went around a corner and were gone. Early the next morning our concierge called and told us that we needed to go to the police station, that they had our camera. We hadn%26#39;t even reported it stolen, and we wondered how they found us! Well, we had a luggage tag with our name attached to the bag. When we first arrived in Paris, my husband videoed outside our balcony up and down the street. The detectives got together, watched the video and isolated the area where they thought we would be, and started calling hotels until they found us! Amazing! And they say that Parisians are rude! Got the camera back, nothing missing. It would have been much easier if our hotel info was inside the bag, though.

For the most amazing view of Paris, go to the Montmartre district and go to the church of Sacre Coeur - it%26#39;s on a hill and you can look down at a breathtaking view of the city. It%26#39;s a great place for a picnic lunch. The church itself is also something to see, and again, free.

Things to consider taking: a knife for picnics (spreading condiments, cutting meats/cheeses etc.) It%26#39;s fine to take...just make sure you put it in your checked luggage. Single Shout Wipes and a small bottle of clothes detergent in the event you just HAVE to wash something out. These little bottles with spouts are available at discount stores like Walmart.

To pack liquids like shampoo, bath gel, etc - take the top off, put a small square of Saran wrap over the opening and then screw the top back on...this really helps keep liquids from spilling. I also then put them in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag to further protect my clothing.

Definitely take all medicines and at least one change of clothes in your carry on. We found this one out the hard way, too. You think it can%26#39;t happen to you...but luggage does get waylaid and you%26#39;ll be glad to have extras.

For the plane - wear shoes that are either loose or like sandals or slip-ons. The problem is that on a transatlantic flight, your feet may swell. If you%26#39;ve taken off shoes like sneakers, you may not be able to get them back on for a little while.Yep...learned the hard way! I pack a pair of socks in my carry on just in case of cold feet. As soon as you board, ask for a blanket and pillow just in case they run out.

Have fun! Hope this info is useful to you.

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When will you be travelling alone in Paris. I will be there for 9 days from May10-19th, and I am also travelling alone. Maybe we can meet up?