I went to Paris last month for ten days to distract myself from (I mean, celebrate) my 50th birthday. I planned this trip for months, and spent untold hours lurking on this site. And first of all, I have to thank all the wonderful regulars. And I will apologize from the start to Shoesy, Berthillion was closed for the week when we went by, but I fell in love with Amorino Gelati and visited many times (rue de Buci, but they're everywhere).
We stayed in the 6eme. (Hotel Luxembourg Parc - loved it.) I read somewhere that if you stay in the 6th then you run the danger of never seeing any other neighborhoods in Paris. This could be true. Le Jardin Luxembourg in full bloom, a gardener's Disneyland. And so many many cafes, restaurants and boutiques!
Things I learned:
1) Make your planned itinerary...but be flexible. My husband was not too thrilled with the Museum Pass "crack the whip". The problem may have been that we bought a four-day pass, and I had so many museums I wanted to fit in. (Don't get me wrong... the skipping the line thing was great, especially at the Louvre.) We saw D'Orsay, Rodin, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Archeology Crypt, Louvre, Centre Pompodou, L'Orangerie, Petit Palis (actually that one was free, and I just had to go to the bathroom.) I had to let go of so many others, but I guess that means I'll have to go back. My favorites if you're looking for a quick visit recommendation, d'Orsay, Rodin and L'Orangerie.
2) Use the Metro. It took us a couple of days to venture into the Metro, but it was so easy, very well marked. I was ready to buy Carte Orange, but by the time we got there, I thought it wouldn't be that economical. In total we bought two 10 ticket carnets. And that was perfect. I recommend the Streetwise Paris map, easy to carry and refer to the Metro map.
3) Don't sweat the details. I worried about where to eat, what to wear, the shoes, the raincoats. Dumb. It never rained once. There are so many places to eat, the problem is to decide how many meals you can stuff in. The Parisian woman dress so well, there is no way to compete. I guess I passed: I wore my scarf, my best jeans, nice tops, but yes, I wore my New Balance walking shoes. I have orthotics, I needed the support. No one pointed. No one laughed. I was comfortable. I was even mistaken several times for a Parisian, don't ask me why. Je ne parle pas le francais.
4) Don't be intimated by the rumors of French rudeness. Everyone was incredibly nice and helpful, and usually tried their English with us. The only rudeness we encountered was in Gerard Mulot pattisiere on rue de Seine. The counter help there fulfilled the predicted haughtiness scenario, but the food was so damned good, we went back again and again, and laughed each time a new person was terribly snotty to us. Don't be deterred. This is some of the best food we had. We would get quiche and pastry for a picnic in the park.
5) Don't let reservations get in the way of a good meal. We also ate at Le Comptoir Relais, which all the postings were lamenting was too crowded, no reservations available. The tip is to eat early or on the weekend. It was fantastic food too. Every time we saw a table, we'd take it. I even had Pig's Feet there, unbeknownst to me (should have studied my French better), just following the waitress' suggestion, and it was fantastic too.
6) Don't eat all your meals in restaurants. There is great food in the falafel stands, Paul pattiseries are everywhere for sandwiches and salads, and lots of other great easy stops. I particularly loved eating at D'orsay and Rodin museums. Lily's Brownies (rue de Dragon) had the best cappuccinos I've ever tasted. Good sandwiches too. We went there every day.
7) Eiffel Tower is totally do-able at night. My husband was dreading this stop, the crowds, the waiting in line... We ate at a little cafe (Le P'tit Torquet) at about 7 (19:00) and then walked over to the Tower to find a very small line. We were up on the 2nd tier just as the first sparklings hit. And it was so beautiful watching night fall on the city and the lights coming on. Don't miss it. Also don't miss the night cruise on Le Seine if you are a couple, very, very romantic.
8) You don't have to spend money to enjoy this city. Just walking around, window shopping, enjoying the scenery, the people, was my favorite thing to do. I brought home pictures of many of my favorite "windows," more fun than shopping (and totally free).
Now I know why French women don't get fat... they walk so much. I didn't gain a pound.
