Paris
 

I have been to Paris a few times, twice actually and this will be my third time. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on what else there is to do besides the obvious. I am open to the option of going to another location in France to make things more interesting. Any impute would be greatly appreciated. I was thinking of going to St. Tropez, Monaco or Monte Carlo but the hotels weren't impressive. I was thinking about staying on a yacht for a few days. Has anyone had experiences with Seabourn?



Starting/Ending points: It would be roundtrip out of JFK/EWR.
Price: I would like to keep in at or below $7,500 for three people
Duration: 7 nights 8 days.
Date: August 2005

Well first of all, if you have only visited Paris a couple of times, you really haven't visited Paris completely yet. Not by a long shot. There are at least a dozen world-class high-end hotels there and loads of great museums and restaurants.

But if you really want to get out of town, try the Four Seasons in Provence. It would be an entirely different experience than Paris. It will be quite hot in August, but that will be true most anywhere in southern Europe. Book now as August is the high season for the south.

When I go back, I will do some of the things I did before like the Eiffel Tower and a few other notable land marks. Is there really enough to do in a 7 night 8 day stay? I have a comment also, has anyone seen the airfares to Paris lately. They are high, something like $800+ a person. I would guess that they would go down in the coming months.

Are you a little confused about the number of times you have been to Paris, considering what you recently posted here?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...62#post3518962

Yes, the George V. is a very expensive hotel. The Ritz is a great property, but it is not as good as some other hotels in the area. The rooms are somewhat small and the price is very high. If your looking for location and history, the Ritz is the hotel for you. I would suggest the Plaza Athenee instead. It is priced form $730 and the rooms are large and the location can't be beat. It is on the right bank, same as the Ritz, but is less obvious and very elegant. From the suites, you will get a full view of the Eiffel Tower. I have been to Paris many times, planning the holiday myself and giving my travel agent all the details to book. Your probably right, American Express might be high. I would come up with a price yourself and then compare. Hope that helps.

And your point? Many or a few, what is the difference. Many is 2 or 3. So no, I'm not confused at all about the number of times I've been to Paris. Thanks for you concern though.

My main objective in reading FT is to read the informed advice of people with knowledge that I don't have. My point is obvious to anybody who reads both of these recent posts of yours in juxtaposition. In the first one you claim to be an expert offering advice on Paris. In this thread, you're asking for advice about Paris. :confused:

Incidentally, Seabourn is a cruise line, not a yacht. There is a cruising thread on FT and a variety of useful sites on the Internet, e.g. cruisecritic.com.

Many is NOT 2.
2 is a few.

You have been caught lying and quite frankly I'm embarrassed for you. :td:

Good work Fredd

My advice is to skip Paris and go to Las Ventanas. :rolleyes:

Embarrassed for me? Get a life. I have been to Paris twice. A few times or many what does it matter. If you still have a problem, PM me. If you don't want to believe me that's your objective. To get back to the topic at hand, I am looking for something to do for 7 nights and 8 days in the city that is not just the usual. Thanks for telling me about the forum, I already have enough information about Seabourn and don't need anymore. I'm going to Las Ventanas this summer as well as Paris.

No one should be treated like this in a forum.
I've been to Paris many times. Does "many" mean 6? 7? 8? Who cares!?
Your point is, what can you do with more time in Paris.
I'm sure there are many fliers out there who have great suggestions.
Hang in there, First Class, the answers will come.

Thanks tc fly girl. I really appreciate you backing me up on this. :)

All he wanted were suggestions and not SCRUTINY. Come one everyone lighten up and provide information if you have any but zip it if you don't. :D

We recently did the Segway tour of Paris which was really fun! It sounded pretty hokey but our friends who live there recommended it since we had seen all the usual sights on previous trips and wanted something different. I would also recommend Vieux de Viscomtes and Fontainbleu, both half day trips from the city.

If you want to experience France other than Paris there are some excellent places to go. I would suggest Lyon for some of the best food around. Kind of like a miniature Paris, very managable. You can also try Avignon, or Annnecy. All are accessable from Paris by train or auto.

I've been to Paris 3 times and the last time in France, wanted to see something different so we went to the cities listed. It was a completely different France. Do a search and you will find suggestions.

Thankyou, I was actually looking into some of those cities so that is a really good suggestion.

There are a couple of things to do in Paris that are often listed as "beyond the obvious," but I see them listed so frequently they may be more properly listed among the obvious now. At any rate, one of these is the tour of the catacombs cut under the streets of Paris -- an endless maze of tunnels occasionally filled with stacks of human bones, disassembled and stacked in neat patterns. There's a set route that's easy to follow, but if you wander off in an un-lit direction, you could be lost for a very long time.

Another is the tour of the sewers. I haven't tried this myself, as it seems a bit too much along the lines of "They're tourists. They'll buy anything." But people do tend to report that it's worth the effort. As I understand it, some of the "charm" is connected to the romance of the sewer-chase scene in Les Miserables.

And the third is the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where many famous people are buried, including Jim Morrison.

Aside from those rather commonly mentioned second (or third) tier attractions, have you considered any of these:

1) The Musee Marmottan (full of paintings by Monet beyond those you've probably already seen at the Musee d'Orsay).

2) The Orangerie -- just across the river from the Orsay, a relatively small museum that houses Monet's huge, panoramic water lilies paintings. If you've only seen his smaller paintings (the size you might be able to get into your house), you should not miss these.

3) The Rodin museum.

4) The museum of the history of Paris (I believe it's called the Carnavalet, or something similar) -- pretty interesting, but best if you can read French.

5) The base of the old Louvre fortress, accessible from the basement of the new Louvre museum

6) The Medieval museum, in the Latin Quarter

7) The Roman amphitheater, near the Medieval museum

8) The Eiffel Tower (oops, nevermind)

9) If your trip is in cold weather, go ice skating in front of the Hotel de Ville (town hall, not a hotel)

10) On Sunday morning, attend 11:00 services at the St. Sulpice church, and stay for a 15-20 minute organ concert immediately following the service. This church is where Charles-Marie Widor was concertmaster, and the spirit of his music is retained in the sound of the organ and the selection of music played in these concerts (if you're not familiar with Widor, find someone who will lend you a recording of the Toccatta from his 5th symphony, commonly known as "The Widor Toccatta." And if you're asking your friends if they have a recording you can borrow, remember to pronounce "Widor" like "Veedore.")

11) The Conciergerie -- the prison that held many of those who were beheaded during the French Revolution(s), including Marie Antoinette's cell.

12) Any of several flea markets or the flower market or the bird market.

13) And if you want a tour of the Louvre and/or Orsay museums that will change the way you look at art forever, fly me over, with my wife, first class, all expenses paid, and I'll be happy to provide it.

Now, you also mentioned that you're looking at other parts of France. Most Americans, at least, first consider the Normandy beaches, Mont St. Michel, the Loire, and Provence when looking for French destinations besides Paris. But let me suggest you also consider the Dordogne region. The Dordogne is a river that runs from south central France westward to the Atlantic at Bordeaux (after becoming the Gironde River). The most captivating part of the region is in the river's middle section, where it flows through a beautiful landscape of rolling hills peppered with charming small towns and castles. The roads are all small and nothing moves fast in this region. During the Hundred Years War, the Dordogne sporadically formed the border between English and French lands, so there are medieval castles on every cliff and seemingly at every bend in the road. Many of the villages retain their medieval character, as well. At Les Eyzies, there's the famous Lascaux cave paintings. Many other examples of prehistoric art can also be visited in the region. Prices are quite moderate in the region for accommodations. It's wonderful to stay in a castle and spend the day in a canoe floating down the Dordogne, passing medieval towns and castles at every bend, stopping at a beach along the way for your "pique-nique" of a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and, well, whatever else pleases your fancy. And most of the Dordogne region is coincident with the Perigord, from which we get Perigord black truffles, foie gras, cassoulet, and other wonderful French "home cooking."

Does any of that sound appealing?

Are you confused about starting this thread over here within a few minutes of starting this thread? :rolleyes:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=384619

Like I said earlier in this thread, if you are still having a problem understanding what I am saying PM me instead of hijacking my thread. :rolleyes:


Am I confused about starting this thread over here within a few minutes of starting this thread, no. End of conversation.

The Catacombs sound very interesting, my son would really enjoy that. The Musee Marmottan sound good as well. When I was there in the past, I did not get a chance to hit most of the museums. The history of Paris would be good. I can speak some French so I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea. I have done the Louvre the past times I was there and did not go to that part so again that would be good. You mention the Eiffel Tower, I had only gone to the second level, my wife chickened out to go to the top. It would be also nice to go through their flee markets like you say, it sounds like a good experience. Would the tour of The Louvre or The Orsay be private? All of the places you suggested that are outside of Paris sound very nice. I'm still deciding whether or not I am going to go anywhere else beside Paris. It seems like I missed many great things. I really appreciate your suggestions, they are very helpful. Thankyou. Do you travel to France often? one more thing, I forgot to ask about the price. Do you think that I should be able to come under $7,500 for 7 nights and 8 days at a luxury hotel. I have in the past, but this year it seems that Paris is more expensive.

Spamming
 

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As you probably know, I'm not the only one that has done this. Yes, it was wrong, but several people are also guilty of this.

FlyerTalk contains a great deal of advice, and Paris is one of the most-discussed places, for both on- and off- the beaten path sites. It's not at all clear to me that the OP has taken the time to read such advice, as he certainly seemed to have no specific questions.

I'd also thank Fredd for his/her efforts in helping the rest of us evaluate the reliability of the OP, and the extent to which any of us might be willing to go to provide assistance.

That's a round about way to say you think I'm not telling the truth.

I'm thinking it could be tough to make that budget for a week in Paris. Have you thought about an apartment? Chezvous.com is a web site that lists properties and although I have not personally used it we do know people who have with good results. Also, if you go in warm weather don't miss a walk on the Ile St. Louis making sure to stop at the Bertillion shop for ice cream (lots of restaurants have the Bertillion sign indicating they sell it but go to the original for best selection of flavors). And I would recommend a visit to the Saint-Chapelle - preferably on a bright sunny day when the light coming through those wonderful stained glass windows just dazzles. If you're going to museums get the museum card if for no other reason than that it allows you to avoid the entry lines!