Chris Graber

I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
weekend.

I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
. .like buy tickets etc?

I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?

Any tours that are fun (In general)?

Thanks in advance.

Ksu93dlv

A weekend is a very short time to spend in Paris. I'm sure you realize there's
absolutely no way to even scratch the surface in such a short amount of time,
so my advice would be to avoid trying to cram too much into your schedule so
you can enjoy what you do have time to see.

That being said, I would highly recommend taking a river cruise on one of the
many boats you'll find. The one I took departed from the west tip of City
Island (the one with Notre Dame on it). The best part is that you can take this
tour in the evening or even after dark after all the other attractions have
closed. With regard to museums, you can easily kill an entire day in many of
the city's wonderful museums, especially the Louvre. If art is your focus
though, it may very well be worth your time. Personally I enjoyed the Rodin
museum the most, but that's just because I really enjoy his sculptures. It's a
relatively small museum that can be viewed in its entirety within a couple
hours, including the beautiful garden (though I must warn you that you may not
want to leave the garden!). Just across the street from the Rodin museum to the
west is Invalides (please excuse the poor spelling in this post), where
Napolean is entombed. It's worth seeing, but I wouldn't bother with the
military museum there given your limited time, as it doesn't really contain
anything particularly unique.

Of course you cannot go to Paris without visiting the Eiffel Tower. I also
enjoyed a quick visit to the Arc de Triumph, which isn't too terribly far away.
For a relaxing place to take a walk and take in some beautiful scenery, you
can't beat Luxembourg Gardens. Maybe you could take a sack lunch there if you
have time.

I'm sorry you'll have such a limited amount of time, but two days in Paris is
better than none. Enjoy your stay!

Mark Fagan

I suggest you NOT go to the Louvre. It is too big and will take too much of
your time on such a short trip. If you yearn desperately for galleries, you
could choose a small museum like Cognac-Jay, or else concentrate on
something specific, like impressionist paintings at the Musée D'Orsay.

Spend your time walking. Choose different areas of the city an explore.
Along the banks of the Seine. Faubourg Saint-Honoré for shopping. The
guidebooks are pretty good at laying out the pros and cons of the various
areas, but if you stick to the centre, between Notre Dame and the Eiffel
Tower, you can't go wrong. Though the Butte de Montmartre calls out for an
Amélie tour!

"Chris Graber" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
    > weekend.
    > I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
    > See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
    > . .like buy tickets etc?
    > I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?
    > Any tours that are fun (In general)?
    > Thanks in advance.

Brenda

[email protected] (Chris Graber) wrote in message news:...
    > I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
    > weekend.
    >
    > I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
    > See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
    > . .like buy tickets etc?
    >
    > I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?
    >
    > Any tours that are fun (In general)?
    >
    > Thanks in advance.

Don't miss Sainte-Chapelle on Ile de la Cite'. If you enjoy the
Impressionists, just go to the Impressionist sector at the d'Orsay
Museum. Sit in a cafe' & watch the world go by. Enjoy!

Mean Mama

x-no-archive: yes

Sainte-Chapelle (esp. if it is sunny out) and the Musee d'Orsay are two
excellent suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And do not underestimate that value
of just poking around and doing some serious people watching!

There is aways MY favorite activity: look in EVERY patisserie window you
pass ;>


"brenda" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > [email protected] (Chris Graber) wrote in message
news:...
    > > I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
    > > weekend.
    > >
    > > I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
    > > See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
    > > . .like buy tickets etc?
    > >
    > > I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?
    > >
    > > Any tours that are fun (In general)?
    > >
    > > Thanks in advance.
    > Don't miss Sainte-Chapelle on Ile de la Cite'. If you enjoy the
    > Impressionists, just go to the Impressionist sector at the d'Orsay
    > Museum. Sit in a cafe' & watch the world go by. Enjoy!

Dave Smith

Chris Graber wrote:

    > I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
    > weekend.
    > I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
    > See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
    > . .like buy tickets etc?
    > I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?
    > Any tours that are fun (In general)?

On my second trip to Paris we booked a tour through our hotel that
included a boat trip along the Seine followed by a van tour through the
city (after dark). It was a great way to see the city.

I can't think of any special way of seeing the Louvre, though I would
recommend getting there early to beat the crowds. The last time I was
there it took us an hour and a half standing in the hot sun to get
inside. However, the Louvre is only one of a number of great galleries,
and it specializes in older art work. If you want to see the work of the
impressionists you should go to the Musee d'Orsay on the other side of the
river.

Les Invalides is an interesting spot and houses the Musee d'Armee, which
has a great collection of armour and arms, and it is right next to the
Church of the Golden Dome which houses Napoleon's tomb.

You might enjoy walking around the Pere Lachaisse cemetery, which contains
the graves of many of France's most notable public figures. It may not
sound very interesting, but the monuments are fantastic. For a livelier
atmosphere, go up to Montmartre.

Susan Wachob

We spent a weekend in Paris doing just my favorite Paris things
and had a lucious time!

The D'Orsay (museum- Impressionists) (avoid the Louvre)

Ste. Chappelle

Pere Lachaise Cemetary (Fascinating! Fantastic grave stones- though you
would never call these things grave stone. Hard to imagine or describe-
Just go!!! You won't regret it!)

Exploring the bookseller's stalls along the banks of the Seine.

A boat ride along the Seine through the city after dark.

wander/ sit at a cafe sipping coffee and watching people

Have an incredibly wonderful weekend!

Susan



Chris Graber wrote:
    >
    > I'm going to Paris for work. . .and will be arriving early to enjoy a
    > weekend.
    >
    > I was wondering if anyone had some reccomendations of places to "Must
    > See" or "Must do" . . .and is there anything I can do "ahead of time".
    > . .like buy tickets etc?
    >
    > I know the lourve. . .what is the best way to see it?
    >
    > Any tours that are fun (In general)?
    >
    > Thanks in advance.

Mxsmanic

Dave Smith writes:

    > The last time I was there it took us an hour and a
    > half standing in the hot sun to get inside.

The last time I was there (three days ago), we were inside within two or
three minutes.

We saw the "greatest hits" (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de
Milo) within about an hour, then left.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.