Been to paris 4 times - I want to go again!Be ware of the "Bosina Girls" - You will recognize them instantly - bare foot - and walk up to you and ask: "Excuse me - do you speak english" - you will notice - they do not ask anybody else - Americans are ****ERS they will rip you off! (African boys - with peace wrist band are at Sacre Coeur on Montmartre)Get several business cards from your hotel - and put them in your pockets - with several subway tickets. If you get lost - it is very helpful to show somebody the card... Or you can hand the card to the taxi driver. Taxis are *CASH* onlyDAY #1 - First thing - Eiffel Tower - Get up high and look at the city. Try to be there before 10am - Lines are huge by noon. Also it is "Tour Effiel" in french... train: "RER C" line.Take your map up there - GET YOUR BEARINGS and LOOK FOR and FIND all the major land marks in the city from the Tour Eiffel. Arch De Triumph, Montmartre, Montparnasse, Notre Dame, It is important - it helps when you are in the subway looking at maps.At base of Eiffel Tower - Look for and find: BIKE TOUR group. Like to ride a bike: This tour group is *GREAT* - we did the Palace of Versailles (all day) and the paris night tour.
http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.com/the Versailles trip is FANTASTIC - you stop at a farmers market - buy wine cheese, bread, meat - and have wonderful picnic lunch on the grounds.DO - get lunch meat in a shop, bread and cheese and DO eat lunch in the park! Wow it is great! Garden of Luxemburg, or the Gardens out side of the Lourver!!! Take pictures of the kids playing with the sail boats in the fountains.Be prepared to WALK - up and down stairs. Paris generally does not have escalators - and the do not have elevators. Ok - they do - but - if you look able bodied - they expect you to walk. Often they have a guard who looks at you really funny. Those things are for the disabled (My wife has problems with her leg) in some places - SHE could go up - we had to walk up.Buy the Rick Steves Paris guide book VERY GOOD! Take a suggestion from him: If you are going to a certian area - RIP that part out of the guide book - leave the book in the hotel take the pages.Some argue buy a cheap book or a small book His book is *THE* best. Probably 80% of the americans we find in Paris - have this book in their hand. Think of it as an insurance policy. You are spending alot on this trip - so get a good guide book!Take the train from CDG to down town - More fun. 8.5 euros one way. Includes transfer to other subway line. (Taxi: 75 to 100)Do not purchase a museum pass, do not purchase a "3 day or 4 day" orange subway ticket. Instead, buy packs of 10 or 12 tickets for about 11 euros. Quite a good deal. Better then the passes.Stay away from Molion Rouge - RIP OFF - unless it is important to you.Dinner in the Latin Quarter - (restaurants near Notre Dame) is really cool.Able bodied? Can you climb stairs - Bones freak you out? Go visit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombs_of_ParisParis is *NOT* like NYC - Paris is effectively closed around 11pm, no taxis, no subway, no bus. (Ok their is the night bus... if you can find it) In contrast: NYC is just waking up. Be within walking distance of your hotel by 11pm. Sit in the bar - people watch - get drunk and walk to your hotel. It is such fun.
www.fattirebiketoursparis.com www.fattirebiketoursparis.com 
anyone travelling to paris, france in the first/second week of august?
10-07-2007, 07:45
anyone travelling to paris, france in the first/second week of august? 
