capitolm94

I have booked my first trip to Paris with my wife for 5 days in december (6-10). We will be staying at the Hyatt vendome and I am looking for some suggestions on things to do. We like to walk, eat, spend a little time in museums but prefer to explore neighborhoods of the city.

Does anyone have suggested activities or cant miss things? I am sure well be back and we are not the type to check off the major tourist sights from our list so alternative ideas are welcome. Food suggestions are great too - willing to spend money for nice dinners (but not outrageous).

Thanks!

Wandrlst88

I love the Rodin museum, manageable- and d'Orsay since I'm an impressionist aficionado. Neighborhoods, definitely the Marais and St. Germain des Pres. Food wise, Les Cocottes is very popular but anything by chef constantin is well received. La Gazetta too. I love wandering around the farmers markets too to sample their produce and the one on rue moffetard is lovely. Enjoy!

capitolm94

Very nice. Is there anything special going on for christmas in early december?

AAL

Take a look at the walking tours offered by ParisWalks.

Rue Montorgueil and Ile St Louis are areas that you might want to explore.

Some of the Christmas markets will be open; that might be fun to see. http://en.parisinfo.com/shows-exhibi...stmas-markets/

Also the windows of the big department stores, and the lights on the Champs Élysées. http://en.parisinfo.com/shows-exhibi...tmas-in-paris/

Personally, the Musee d'Orsay and the Orangerie are art museums that I can't miss.

For restaurants, take a look at TheFork.com. You can sort by arrondissement, the listings show a price range, and I've found the diners' ratings to be quite accurate.

coplatflyer

Xmas market at the champs elysse and la defense are great.

Wandrlst88

Yes lots of christmas markets everywhere! I'm used to seeing a lot of festivities for the season and paris embraces that. Agree on the displays of printemps and lafayette--but I appreciate those kinds of things where others, it may not tickle their fancy. I also second L'orangerie, another small, manageable museum with lovely Monet. Once done, you can hop across the street through the gardens and have a must-not-miss Mont Blanc and hot chocolate in Angelina.

Oh and how could I forget macaroons? While Laduree may be their most well known, I find Pierre Herme to be far superior. In December (seasonal only!) they come out with their white truffle macaroon which is exquisite. You must try, it is unbelievable.

slawecki

just walk and walk and walk. go through the the 1,2,3,5,6 arrond. walk the length of the two islands. the best organized book for restaurants i have found thus far is a zagat guide. read the posted daily menus at the non-tourist cafes as you go by, and if something appeals, try it.

bring 2 pairs of walking shoes, and plenty of socks, in case it rains. paris is usually not that cold in the winter, but it sure is dark. sun rises at 11am, and sets by 2pm, i think.

for a cheap(not too good) lunch with a great view, eat in the cafeteria at Le Printemps. go late, so you can get a good seat. if it is a great day, you can even sit on the roof. (it is hard to get up there, go to the top floor, and you may still have to go up a flight of steps). a lot of the cafes on ile de cite are for office workers. they have good food at very reasonable prices. dec is the height of game season. go to where they have a game menu.

the metro is great. you see nothing, but get there fast. if you want to see stuff, ride the bus. take one window seat for each of you. if the tour busses are empty and you can get front seats, consider one.

b1513

The Eyewitness tour guide has some nice self directed walks. Walk a lot and stop along the way for a hot drink and people watch. You can spend days just doing that. You know, test cafe chairs type thing, this one's too soft, this one's too hard, etc. . There have been times when we never got out of our own neighborhood.

The Jacquemart Andre Museum is a lovely little place with a very good restaurant.

Personally I like buses since I get to see everything and you are in an area where the transportation is great.

Have a great time. I've yet to go in the winter and would love to.


Bobette

mcinverness

Unless it is a really dull day, you should get a bit more daylight than that... Now the far North of Scotland at that time of year is a different story

iff

Sunrise will be after 8:30 a.m. and sunset around 5 p.m. in Paris in December. It's a perfect time of year for walking around and café-hopping. In addition to the small museums already mentioned, I'll add the Musée de Cluny, which I enjoy because of its variety (not just paintings but also stained glass, tapestries, household objects from the middle ages, sculptures, etc.).

If you want a less homogeneous view of Paris, you may want to explore some of the outer arrondissements: the rue Caulaincourt/rue Lepic area of the 18th, Belleville with its Chinatown and culturally varied population, Père Lachaise cemetery in the 20th, perhaps the Buttes Chaumont park in the 19th...

I personally prefer buses over the metro whenever possible, although the system is not always easy for newcomers (lots of one-way Parisian streets can make finding the stops a challenge unless you map them out ahead of time) and certain buses can be jam-packed at peak commuter times. Otherwise, it's nice to see where you're going; when I'm in a bus I often spot things I note to go back and visit later.

The list truly is endless. It all depends on what types of activities and foods you enjoy.

aamilesslave

The La Défense Christmas market is certainly worth a trip. It's huge - the whole esplanade is filled with shops - and the warm spice wine is great on a cold day!

SalishSea

I'm another vote for L'Orangerie, Musée d'Orsay, and I'm seconding Wanderist88's suggestion to stop by Pierre Hermé for macaroons; it's just a few blocks from your hotel. (I'm partial to ispahan myself )

If you're out exploring neighborhoods, you might want to make a point of picking up a baguette from one of these boulangeries.

slawecki

get whatever the passes of the day(3 day or 5 day) are available. one for transport, and one for museums. when you go to a museum with a mile long line, ask the guard where to enter when you have a ticket. also, prepare to and do not use the coatroom. the lines at louvre and d'Orsay and d'Orsay pompidou and others can be huge, just to store your umbrella.

capitolm94

Great suggestions, thank you!

Any good places for breakfast near place vendome? Preferably less expensive than a full hotel buffet...

spankytoes

I could spend a day at Pere Lachais