Hi, I just got back from Paris, I spent 10 days in Paris, plus a week in Nice. I want to thank everyone on this forum for their insightful tips and advice. There are too many to thank, but I will take a few names; Irish Rovr, ArrowCapet, Bob Saccamano, Truffaut, WizardofAus, graceh9, Shoesy. Thank You!
Some of my observations/tips:
1. Paris is indeed a beautiful city, drenched in art and culture, Parisians are really lucky to be living there. Anyone into art or even architecture would love this place, it can truly inspire a creative person.
2. I had a great time, what ruined it just a bit was the weather, it was too hot for some days. I travel to Europe every July, but never again in July, will try mid or end September next year. There are some things I did not do or see due to the fact that I was exhausted because of the heat.
3. Fashion tip: I saw people wearing everything possible, I would recommend really comfortable clothes and shoes, particularly in summer. At the same time also choose trendy clothes, so try to blend comfort with style, the way the locals do. For instance if you want to wear jeans, wear the european kind, they are more dressy and trendy. Best is to buy some clothes once you land, this is what I did.
3. Do have lunch in the restaurant on the 9th floor of Printemps( the maison building, not the main building or printemps homme.), it has a great panoramic view of Paris. And you can just go there for the view, you do not even have to eat over there. If you are going to any restaurant in the summer, see that it has an air conditioner first.
4. The same goes for hotels, stay in only air conditioned hotels in summer, it can get very, very hot otherwise.
5. You will be walking a lot, even if you use the metro daily like I did (I used 2 carnets in 10 days), so wear very, very comfortable shoes, I took my canvas sneakers, but they were black with a white sole, plus a good brand. There is really too much to do and see in Paris. I think one of the reasons that most Parisians are so slim is because they walk a lot, plus many of them eat very healthy.
5.The best times were when I was basically relaxing and not doing much, just watching the world go by in the Luxembourg gardens or my favourite place, the Sacre Coeur area in the mornings, so peaceful and relaxing to just sit there for some hours and just listen to the music being played by the musician there. Bliss!
6. One of the highlights was watching the world cup soccer finals with thousands of screaming French fans at the Charlety stadium in the 13th (thanks to Anneparis for the tip). Everyone was in a very good mood, very friendly, singing and dancing and cheering, until of course Zidane was sent off. Plus things got a bit ugly when some people got a bit violent.
7. I did not speak a word of French besides %26#39;merci%26#39; and %26#39;bon jour%26#39; %26#39;bon soir%26#39; (for I would have truly murdered the language had I attempted any more. I think no one can speak French the way the French do, it sounds so soft and refined and cultured on them), yet people were very friendly and helpful.
8. Have observed that Paris hotels are generally more expensive than hotels in other parts of Europe. Also there is much more variety in the breakfast offered in hotels elsewhere in Europe. For instance, my hotel in Milan last year cost less that the Paris hotel, plus the breakfast there was just amazing, I could have cappucino, iced mocha, ham and cheese, delicious home made biscuits and cakes, etc. As against the croissants and butter/jam, orange juice and plain coffee in the Paris and Nice hotels. Same goes for other hotels in Amsterdam, Germany, Belgium, etc. have paid less and got a much better deal.
thats all for now, pls excuse spelling mistakes, typos, if any, am still jetlagged.
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Thanks for sharing. Almost all my great memories involve your #5 - the time doing nothing in an amazing place.
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Whizzz
It sounds like You had a Wonderful time. I am so happy for you. I have to agree with the French People regarding the Language or lack of in My case. Both times I%26#39;ve been to France everyone and I mean everyone was very kind, understanding and spoke some English or got by with hand signs or notes. I had a hand held translator and I%26#39;d write things down in a pinch or not and it worked perfectly....
I got lost in Nice last March and I was so confused I was crying. I swear I walked in circles for 2 hours. I was so upset I couldn%26#39;t remember the name of My Hotel. I walked into a Hotel, and a very nice man got out a phone book and a map and He and I put our heads together and BAM I remembered the area and We were able to come up with the Hotel%26#39;s name. He could see how upset I was and teary eyed (embarrased beyond belief) but He was a true Gentleman and called a cab for Me and I got back to the Hotel safely so I could have my breakdown in private;)
I would run to Paris in a Minute. Thanks for the Post...
Theresa in Detroit.......
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Very interesting. The weather- we have a heatwave in Europe this July, yes even in the UK, where the highest ever temperature for a July day has just been recorded. It is not usually this hot- thankfully.
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Hi Theresa.
The first thing I do when I land in any new place is to look for the tourist information center for a map, even if the place is small, like St.Paul de Vence near Nice. Once I have the map, I feel relaxed. From Nice, I visited Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, St. Paul de Vence, even San Remo in Italy. In San Remo, I could not find the tourist center so I went to a street magazine vendor and purchased one, it cost me 6.5 Euro, but was well worth it. Alternatively, if you are staying in a hotel, they will always give you a map, though I must say, the Paris map was slightly more difficult to read, there was too much on it, so much to do and see, too much information all at once.
I just cannot do without maps. I also always carry the hotel address with me. Still, as you have learnt, people are mostly nice and helpful, even in the world we live in today.
All the best for your future trips!
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whizzz....hard to believe you%26#39;re back already, but it sounds like you had a pretty good vacation. I like your honest comparisons between Paris hotels and those in other cities. As much as I adore Paris, I definitely have to agree with you about the breakfast thing. Personally, the best breakfast I%26#39;ve ever had at a hotel was at the Ledra Marriott in Athens. The only thing I%26#39;ve seen in Paris that%26#39;s ever been comparable was at the Grand, where the buffet breakfast was certainly the biggest I%26#39;ve ever seen (in Europe), but was a whopping $30 back in 1990!!!
Have you posted any comments on the Nice forum? I%26#39;m interested to read about your trip there as well.
Welcome back.
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