On my upcoming trip to Paris what should I do/see/eat???

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Chai Latte Girl

There's so much to do/see/eat in Paris - you'll have so much fun! :-)

Yes there are a number of must-see sights like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Louvre, etc. You definitely should start with those. If you have more time, there are a number of other great gems in Paris. A stroll through the Rodin Museum and Gardens is quite nice - many sculptures of Rodin line the gardens and it's great to spend an afternoon there. Sacre Coeur is another great place to visit. It's a basilica located on top of Montmartre with sweeping views of the city. Afterwards, you can walk around Montmartre and enjoy the boutiques, street artists, etc.

One of my favorited things to do in Paris is to go to their open/farmer's markets where you can just pick up some fresh fruits, some cheese and bread and enjoy yourself a picnic. One of the most popular farmer's markets is on Rue Mouffetard. Check it out If you get a chance (I think it's close on Mondays or Tuesdays though).

If you enjoy nightlife, there are several great areas to hang out - one around Bastille (metro stop: Bastille) where there are endless number of bars. There are also some cool bars/clubs around Place de la Republique (metro stop: Republique). Or if you just want to kick back, there are a lot of coffee shops that open late on Rue de Buci (metro stop: Odeon).

As for things to eat, I can go on forever! You can find great pastries in most Paris bakeries (patisseries) but I would recommend a few of the following: Pierre Herme for dessert and their macarons (the French are addicted to macarons), Fauchon for madeleines and a number of gourmet items, Angelina's for hot chocolate, and Berthillon (on Ile St Louis) for ice cream. (Note that Berthiloon is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and there are usually really long lines on the weekends.) There are also a lot of good restaurants but it depends what kind of price range you are willing to spend. Check out my travelogue for more recommendations (there are just way too many)!

Have a great time and enjoy the fabulous city!

Bruce T

Get a good guide book before you go on the trip. You'll get some good ideas on what to see. You might want to take a bus tour (usually 1 1/2-2 hrs with many tours avail in English) so you can quickly see the city and then decide which places you want to spend more time. Get some pastries at patisseries (pastry shops)-- you'll really love those delicious pastries. The eclairs in France are different from those in the US (filled with chocolate or coffee custard instead of the yellow custard). The pain au chocolat (rolls with square of chocolate) are great for breakfast. But don't be too disturbed if you see the clerk grab the pastries with bare hands. Many don't use tissue paper like in the US. The chocolates are also great and you can buy them by the piece if you don't want to eat too much. Try to avoid the restaurants/cafes that are close to tourist attractions. The prices are high and many cooks will assume that tourists will come and eat regardless of the quality (Michael Caine the actor mentioned this on a tv show and I believe he's right).

have fun -- mostly just kind of follow locals around and you will find the good spots and feel free to ask. learn the difference between restuaurant and cafe. restaurants will set you back a small fortune and cafes are light fare and lots of drinking. drinking is cheaper in europe than in the united states and doesn't carry the social stigmas. drink lots but don't fall down drunk. parisians are friendly they just look put off all the time -- its not their nature to wear fake smiles cheesy stuff like that. oh and try to respect them -- don't run around in tacky tourist clothes like shorts and flip flops -- dressing a bit helps -- its doesn't have to be expensive -- just not tacky. europeans love their homes and expect you to show some respect when visiting. walking around in cities dressed poorly is the equivalent of stripping down to your boxers while having thanksgiving dinner.

if you are doing museums do musee d'orsay and centre pompidou over the louver. the louver is kind of creepy to me.

the markets are a lot of fun -- you can play parisian and grab a snack and soak up lots of parisianess.

hit up the eiffel tower, notre dame cathedral, arch de triomphe -- they are all free.

a night of cabaret is about 150 euros at moulin rouge or lido -- it comes with dinner at least.

carmen m

See: Sacre Coeur,Montmatre, le quartier Latin, notre dame
larc du triumphe, place de la Concorde, les champs eliysees, at night les folies bergere, le moulin rouge,. Also les bateaux mouche, To eat: anything is good but "not trop cher" croque monsieur, pate de campagne, steik and frittes, salads, des fromages. couscous, etc etc...

luckythirteen

You can't eat under the Eiffel Tower. If you can, go see the monuments at night. A boat trip on the Seine is the best way to do that. They really look spectacular at night. Otherwise, I'd say hit the obvious sites like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Palace of Versailles (which is technically not in Paris but worth seeing). Maybe do some window shopping on the Champs Elysee. If you want more advice I'd get a tour book of Paris. A good one will tell you where everything is and where the nearest Metro station is. I've only done tours to Paris so I can't really tell you what to eat except for maybe croissants, preferably the chocolate ones! Bon voyage!

Destiny P

My advice, yes the tourist spots are great and def. worth seeing, but only plan a day or day and a half to do that. The rest of the time I recommend just going to different shops and restauraunts, people watch at sidewalk cafe's, explore side streets, I've always had my best experiences in little hole-in-the-wall places. Also check out La Pere Lachaise, it's the most gorgeous cemetary I've been to (I went mainly for Jim Morrison) but check out the catacombs. There's also this little Greek section just a few blocks from the Lourvre that has some of the best pasta ever. I also recommend checking out the Loire Valley, Mont St Michel, and possibly the Channel Coast if you have time...hope you have a great trip

HOUSTON Texans

go eat some lunch under the eiffel tower.

and meet some french women with no body hair.

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