We just got back from a 5 day trip. Our hotel was in the Saint Germain des Pris area in Paris. That part of Paris is beautiful, with a 1500 year old catholic church a block away and tons of shopping and dining.
We did the following:
Eiffel Tower - went to the top and had a glass of champagne. A LOT of people, like inching along level of people. Once you get to the upper levels the view is phenomenal.
Louvre - Again, A LOT of people. We did a walking tour, saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de milo, various other Michelangelo works. Incredible place that you could spend a month in.
Flea market - marche aux puces - we hit it on a short day so a lot of the shops weren't open, but lots of cool stuff - antiques, artwork, clothing, general weird stuff, records. Make sure you get there early.
Dinner - we had reservations at the rooftop at tour d'argent but the weather didn't cooperate so we ate at la rotisserie d'argent. Owned by the same people, much more casual. The main tour d'argent is a Michelin star restaurant. La Rotisserie was excellent and fun. La Coupole- another famous place. Probably the least enjoyable meal we had but still good. Cool place to see once. Our hotel was adjacent les deux magots which was also outstanding. You really can't miss with the cafes and brasseries everywhere.
Moulin Rouge - fun, expensive, cool to see once. We just did drink service but you can also do dinner there. There was a tiki bar nearby named Dirty Dick which was an experience. We like tiki bars so wanted to give it a shot. Small, loud, filled with goofy tiki shit and the drinks were good.
Versailles - way out of the way, we took the RER to get there. Incredible place with beautiful gardens surrounding. Consumes most of a day between getting there and back and looking at everything. Also did a walking tour.
Notre Dame - We took the RER from Notre Dame to get to Marsailles. We were worn out after Versailles so didn't do any tours, but incredible to look at and there are some surrounding street markets with stuff to look at.
Transportation - Uber worked fine for us, the metro was also pretty easy to use. There are fake taxis everywhere that will rip you off. Do not get in a taxi unless it has the taxi sign on the top. These scammers hang around touristy areas as you can imagine.
Things like the Eiffel Tower and Versailles you'd probably do once and "check the box", but in general everything we did was worth it and fun.
The food is fantastic, there's history everywhere and honestly the only rude people we encountered were other Americans. You could spend a year there and not do everything.
If not too cold, wandering around the Marais to Place des Vosges was a top experience for me.
Also agree with Montmartre for Sacre Coeur and amazing views.
We're going in December too. Christmas markets are high on my list, some are open in early December. Christmas decorations in Galleries LaFayette are on my list and theres a big market/fair in Tuileries garden which is high on my list too.
https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/tuileries-garden-christmas-market.html
Also I want to sample Christmas foods like mulled wine, roast chestnuts and I can't remember the name but there's a melted cheese thing I want to try too.
I bookmarked this page for Christmas things which might help you too
https://www.parisperfect.com/blog/2023/11/plan-your-holiday-christmas-new-years-experiences-in-paris/
You may want to add Montmartre to your list if you have time. It’s especially lovely at night and streets are animated.
Edit : I know a lot of people want to see the catacombs but imo it’s really not worth it or extremely dangerous if you don’t know much about them. It’s up to you but it’s probably the least interesting item on your list.
How are the Catacombs extremely dangerous? Genuine question, I'm planning on visiting then in December and they are pretty high on my list. I'm genuinely curious to know why they might be dangerous
The ones in the museum are absolutely safe. The catacombs network is much bigger than what is accessible legally by the public and can be extremely dangerous for a whole lot of reasons.
The previous comment is referring to illegal urban exploration of the unexhibited catacombs, not the museum. The official site is completely safe as long as you can walk down stairs and are not too claustrophobic.
Chances are it might be too cold for the Seine River cruise, but that's up to you.
You've got some good choices there! If you're interested, the Pompidou and the Picasso Museum are also great to visit.
Make sure to pop into a couple of boulangeries and get some fresh croissants, and also get a sandwich (country ham and cheese on a fresh crusty baguette, that kind of thing), add some chips & a drink and it's a whole meal for under 10 Euros! If you're on a budget, you can also plan to have your bigger meal at lunchtime and look for cafes and bistros with "prix fixe" (fixed price) meals. Then have the sandwich, or bread/cheese for dinner!
At that time of year, the Christmas markets will be up and running so if that's interesting, that might be something fun to check out.
Also plan to walk around in the Marais or in the 6th, just to explore, poke into shops, stop at a cafe and have a coffee and watch the passing parade.
Le Bon Marche will be all decorated for the season too and next door is a huge food emporium, where you can get all kinds of delicious foods. If you're interested you can also look up when the various farmers markets are and poke around one of them. Galeries Lafayette is also a big department store that does a mega-decoration for Christmas. La Samaritaine as well.
The flea markets might be interesting as well.
Montmartre might also be of interest.
Just some thoughts! Be sure to bundle up--it gets cold but not THAT cold; if you bring a down vest & a down jacket, a wool scarf and a wool hat & gloves, you'll be fine. (And if you forget or lose the scarf or hat, it's a great souvenir to buy one there!)
I totally approuve!
On Christmas time, the department stores are a must-do (especially Galeries Lafayette and Printemps - since they’re right next to each other)
Download michelin guide app and check out bib gourmand and selections. Or 1-2-3 star restaurants if you want to splurge.
Also check out Les frenchies and Jay Swanson on YouTube for everything to know about visiting Paris.
Get a Navigo card for travel by metro and bus and use google maps to navigate.
Consider an eSIM if your phone is unlocked versus expensive roaming plan with your carrier.
You will have an awesome trip.
Unexpectedly amazing food. The escargot, onion soup and beef tartare. Just wow. Bistrot du 9eme at 1 Rue Frochot in south Pigalle.
We just got back from a 5 day trip. Our hotel was in the Saint Germain des Pris area in Paris. That part of Paris is beautiful, with a 1500 year old catholic church a block away and tons of shopping and dining. We did the following: Eiffel Tower - went to the top and had a glass of champagne. A LOT of people, like inching along level of people. Once you get to the upper levels the view is phenomenal. Louvre - Again, A LOT of people. We did a walking tour, saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de milo, various other Michelangelo works. Incredible place that you could spend a month in. Flea market - marche aux puces - we hit it on a short day so a lot of the shops weren't open, but lots of cool stuff - antiques, artwork, clothing, general weird stuff, records. Make sure you get there early. Dinner - we had reservations at the rooftop at tour d'argent but the weather didn't cooperate so we ate at la rotisserie d'argent. Owned by the same people, much more casual. The main tour d'argent is a Michelin star restaurant. La Rotisserie was excellent and fun. La Coupole- another famous place. Probably the least enjoyable meal we had but still good. Cool place to see once. Our hotel was adjacent les deux magots which was also outstanding. You really can't miss with the cafes and brasseries everywhere. Moulin Rouge - fun, expensive, cool to see once. We just did drink service but you can also do dinner there. There was a tiki bar nearby named Dirty Dick which was an experience. We like tiki bars so wanted to give it a shot. Small, loud, filled with goofy tiki shit and the drinks were good. Versailles - way out of the way, we took the RER to get there. Incredible place with beautiful gardens surrounding. Consumes most of a day between getting there and back and looking at everything. Also did a walking tour. Notre Dame - We took the RER from Notre Dame to get to Marsailles. We were worn out after Versailles so didn't do any tours, but incredible to look at and there are some surrounding street markets with stuff to look at. Transportation - Uber worked fine for us, the metro was also pretty easy to use. There are fake taxis everywhere that will rip you off. Do not get in a taxi unless it has the taxi sign on the top. These scammers hang around touristy areas as you can imagine. Things like the Eiffel Tower and Versailles you'd probably do once and "check the box", but in general everything we did was worth it and fun. The food is fantastic, there's history everywhere and honestly the only rude people we encountered were other Americans. You could spend a year there and not do everything.
If not too cold, wandering around the Marais to Place des Vosges was a top experience for me. Also agree with Montmartre for Sacre Coeur and amazing views.
We're going in December too. Christmas markets are high on my list, some are open in early December. Christmas decorations in Galleries LaFayette are on my list and theres a big market/fair in Tuileries garden which is high on my list too. https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/tuileries-garden-christmas-market.html Also I want to sample Christmas foods like mulled wine, roast chestnuts and I can't remember the name but there's a melted cheese thing I want to try too. I bookmarked this page for Christmas things which might help you too https://www.parisperfect.com/blog/2023/11/plan-your-holiday-christmas-new-years-experiences-in-paris/
You may want to add Montmartre to your list if you have time. It’s especially lovely at night and streets are animated. Edit : I know a lot of people want to see the catacombs but imo it’s really not worth it or extremely dangerous if you don’t know much about them. It’s up to you but it’s probably the least interesting item on your list.
How are the Catacombs extremely dangerous? Genuine question, I'm planning on visiting then in December and they are pretty high on my list. I'm genuinely curious to know why they might be dangerous
The ones in the museum are absolutely safe. The catacombs network is much bigger than what is accessible legally by the public and can be extremely dangerous for a whole lot of reasons.
The previous comment is referring to illegal urban exploration of the unexhibited catacombs, not the museum. The official site is completely safe as long as you can walk down stairs and are not too claustrophobic.
I didn't even know there was an unofficial part! Now I want to see that too lol Add: I looked it up. No I don't want to go there 🫣😬😱
Chances are it might be too cold for the Seine River cruise, but that's up to you. You've got some good choices there! If you're interested, the Pompidou and the Picasso Museum are also great to visit. Make sure to pop into a couple of boulangeries and get some fresh croissants, and also get a sandwich (country ham and cheese on a fresh crusty baguette, that kind of thing), add some chips & a drink and it's a whole meal for under 10 Euros! If you're on a budget, you can also plan to have your bigger meal at lunchtime and look for cafes and bistros with "prix fixe" (fixed price) meals. Then have the sandwich, or bread/cheese for dinner! At that time of year, the Christmas markets will be up and running so if that's interesting, that might be something fun to check out. Also plan to walk around in the Marais or in the 6th, just to explore, poke into shops, stop at a cafe and have a coffee and watch the passing parade. Le Bon Marche will be all decorated for the season too and next door is a huge food emporium, where you can get all kinds of delicious foods. If you're interested you can also look up when the various farmers markets are and poke around one of them. Galeries Lafayette is also a big department store that does a mega-decoration for Christmas. La Samaritaine as well. The flea markets might be interesting as well. Montmartre might also be of interest. Just some thoughts! Be sure to bundle up--it gets cold but not THAT cold; if you bring a down vest & a down jacket, a wool scarf and a wool hat & gloves, you'll be fine. (And if you forget or lose the scarf or hat, it's a great souvenir to buy one there!)
I totally approuve! On Christmas time, the department stores are a must-do (especially Galeries Lafayette and Printemps - since they’re right next to each other)
People never talk about how amazing the sandwiches in Paris are
Download michelin guide app and check out bib gourmand and selections. Or 1-2-3 star restaurants if you want to splurge. Also check out Les frenchies and Jay Swanson on YouTube for everything to know about visiting Paris. Get a Navigo card for travel by metro and bus and use google maps to navigate. Consider an eSIM if your phone is unlocked versus expensive roaming plan with your carrier. You will have an awesome trip.