My husband and I will be in Germany 3 years. We'd like to go to Paris, France for Christmas, any suggestions?

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Rillifane

Paris is a wonderful place to be during the Christmas season. Keep an eye on weather forecasts though since my experience is that they don't seem to be as well prepared to deal with snow as we are in the United States.

I always suggest my favorite hotel, the Hotel St. Andre Des Artes at 66 rue St. Andre des Artes in the 6th arr. Metro stop is Odeon. Its 85 euros for a double with ensuite toilet and shower. Breakfast included. I've been staying at this place for over 30 years and the location is great. Its a short walk to Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Cluny Museum, and the Luxembourg Gardens. Right across the street is the Mazet where Jim Morrison had his last drink. There's a street market half a block away and the area is filled with cafes, restaurants and clubs.

Restaurants in Paris have special dinners on Christmas Eve and you should give some thought to booking well in advance. Some places I reccomend with websites (so you can book in advance):

1. Le Coupe Chou http://www.lecoupechou.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=17d8ae5ee71ea0e209cf3313d06d8e58
2. Le Bon Aloi http://www.lebonaloi.com/index_english.htm
3. Alcazar http://www.alcazar.fr/Home/index.php?page=restaurant&Spage=home_restaurant
4. La Lozere http://www.lozere-a-paris.com/

tearsofthemoon00

Dress warm,it will be very cold and rainy.

micho

yea can i come with u

Rhonda

It sounds wonderful. Make sure you get your passports early, since beginning 2007 EVERYONE will need one, even to go to Canada or Mexico.

Enjoy!

Silvatungfox

I would recommend you get a hotel room in something like the hotel Duquesne (there are some rooms with a view of the Eiffel Tower although they are a bit higher priced than the ones without a view.) I would get reservations for the cafe in the Eiffel Tower, I would visit the Louvre, and the Museum D'Orsay. (there is one sunday a month, I think it is the first sunday that is free entry to the museums)
I would do all my bookings well in advance since things will probably be full up alot over the holidays..
There are all kinds of things to see in Paris, a boat ride down the Seine is always on my list, a visit to Notre Dame, there are always artists along the Seine selling their work which can be quite fun to walk through and look...
Make sure you take a good camera and plenty of film or extra cf cards (or whatever your digital camera uses for storage media)
another idea would be to take the Orient Express train ride.. it can be quite romantic.. but I do love Paris.

Take me with you. I travel light.

daff73

I have been to Paris twice, and absolutely loved it! It is a great city to tour around in. Even if you're on a budget you can still see it very well. My sisters and I went last time together and got a room close to most of the main attractions. You are literally down the street from the Louvre Museum. There are many great little cafes all around there too. Also, the many bus tours go right by your area, so you can get a pass for two days and jump on and off whenever you want. It was wonderful. It was called the Paris L'Open Tour. It is located on Place de la Madeleine. It will go by the Eiffell Tour, Catacombs, Louvre, Champs Elysee, etc... Do it, it will be something to remember. I really like the artists who have their things along the Seine river for sale, that was pretty neat.

lee f

english channel, just an hour north of paris. for a day. lot's of snow and maybe ice skating. have fun and congratulations!!!

stan l

Paris is a great place to go if you want to spend a lot of money having a bunch of assholes treat you like ****. Explore Germany, Greece or Italy.

BerniMAC

How I envy you! My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon in Santorini and Paris. He proposed in Paris last fall and we promised each other that we would return to Paris for our honeymoon.

Yes, there are Parisians who despise Americans. But remember that Paris is one of the most traveled cities in the world and they have to share their turf with tourists all year-long. We have been fortunate to encounter very friendly Parisians during our two trips to Paris. You don't know how many times we have been on a street staring intently at our maps and looking very lost when some stranger has approached as asking us (albeit in French) if we need help. We have resolved that the utter beauty and romanticsm of Paris greatly outweighs any rudeness that we encounter. I hope to visit Paris at least once every other year for as long as I live!

I think it would be a great idea to go for Christmas. Make sure you do your research as far as what monuments and museums you'd like to visit. The main things that you cannot miss are the Eiffel Tour, Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame Cathedral, a ride down the Seine on a bateau mouche (a long boat), Sacre Cour in Montmartre, the Luxembourg Garden, and Versailles if you have time. A stroll down the Champs Elysee is also a must, especially as you approach the Arc de Triomph.

You can skip the Moulin Rouge (overrated) and Tour Montparnasse (in my humble opinion).

As far as museums, the top two are the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay (especially if you love impressionism).

Make sure you bring very comfortable walking shoes, but they have to be fashionable! You must take a table outside of a cafe at least once, order kir, and watch the French people go on about their day.

Shopping - If you're a lover of luxury, definitely check out Avenue Montaigne off the Champs Elysee and Rue de Faubourg St. Honore for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, etc.

Eating - You cannot miss Laduree (two locations, one on Rue Royal near the Louvre and one on the Champs Elysee) for its stellar macaroons (don't leave Paris without having at least one). Their regular menu isn't too shabby either. You will find that Paris has almost every ethnic food covered, from American to Japanese and Indian.

Good luck and bon journey!

KANDY_GIRL

ya just go stop thinking about it!!

the_horrible_thunderpants

Yeah, quit bragging about "traveling the world" and shut up.

YES, stay away from Paris. BOYCOTT France. Your money will be better spent in Germany, Italy, Greece, etc. The French are running a special on WHITE Flags. They stink and they hate Americans.

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