Celebrating 25th Wedding Anniversary in Paris

Congrats! We spent our 30th in Paris 5 years ago and it was wonderful!

I can help on a few of your items.

1) Not the cheapest but we always take a taxi when we arrive in a major city like Paris. The Metro and buses with luggage are not fun. Worth, IMO, the splurge for safety and convenience when you are tired and jet lagged.
2) Depends on where you are staying and how far you wish to travel, but we like Le P’tit Troquet in the 7th very much and you can reserve online. Another place we enjoyed is Au Bon Accueil in the 7th and it looks like they take email reservations. We dined outside there once and had a marvelous view of the Eiffel Tower,
3) For a short stay, probably the carnet will work best, least fuss. Others may have alternate advice...
4) Look at the Paris Museum Pass to see if it will pay off for you. We made great use of it! No pre-booking required, Do buy your Eiffel Tower tickets as soon as they are on sale! Standing in line waiting is not fun.

Paris is a wonderful city I never tire of. Here are a few of my suggestions:
1.) The fastest, cheapest way to get to the city center is the Metro which means you don't have to worry about traffic causing any delays, which is helpful for your return. Taxi from CDG is supposed to be a flat rate of 55 euros, but it may vary depending on luggage and drop off location. Metro is about 12 euros each from or to CDG.
2.)Need more information about where you will be staying, what your budget for dinner is, and what you consider romantic. I have been dying to try Les Papilles, a bistro in a wine shop on the Left Bank. No menu, fixed price, must book in advance. Les Foodies, in the Marais, is a sweet fusion bistro, the chef is half Italian (mother) and the other half Thai. Delicious food you won't see anywhere else. Le Petit Retro near Place Victor Hugo is a great option too - a quintessential French Bistro down to the tiled walls. A little further down the block (Rue Mesnil) is a sweet little bistro called La Coincidence, totally a local favorite, but English is spoken.(all these places).
3.)Buy metro tickets at the metro station. To save money you can buy a "book" of ten - the machine just spits out ten tickets. If you were staying a little longer the Navigo Decouverte is a great option. It runs from Monday to Monday, unlimited use of the system with a card. But if you are there less time it pays to just buy a book.
4.)Metro tickets you can buy at any metro. Museums you can buy online if you know you will visit.

5.) I would research or google jazz in Paris by the month. Lot's of articles available, Time-Out Paris, etc.
Another of my favorite restaurants is near the Place des Vosges called L'Ange 20. Father in the kitchen, son front of the house. Unpretentious bistro, classic French but not heavy, very friendly. Near the Picasso Museum is a great little Breton crepe place called Breizh Cafe, savory and sweet crepes, high quality. If you are anywhere near the Canal St. Martin (very cool bohemian vibe, lots of ethnic restaurants) you should make a beeline to a boulangerie called Du Pain et Des Idees. There is always a line (almost always) for their fabulous wood fired oven bread, and especially their "escargot" which is croissant dough but prepared like a jelly roll. My favorite is the pistachio creme with chocolate. Order a cafe creme, and sit outside on the communal picinic tables. Folks drive from all over to go to this award winning bakery. Mostly give yourself time to wander all over Paris. The museums are fine, but just getting lost in the atmosphere is the best thing about Paris. One more tidbit. If you are on Ile de la Cite checking out stuff, just over the bridge is a tiny little chinese place with very good soup dumplings for almost nothing, great for a quick cheap tasty lunch, called Jixaou's Buns.
Have fun!!

First off Congratulations on your milestone. I hope you have many more healthy and happy years together.

So thoughts on your questions:

1. I always take the RER. If a strike affects the trains, my backup would be a taxi. It takes roughly 55 minutes to get to the center on the RER. A taxi isn't faster - except a taxi will take you straight to your lodging. With the RER, you'll need to connect to metro, get to a close metro station and walk the last part. I always have one carry on only. With bags, a taxi is much more convenient. Price is a little over 20 (ten+ each) euros. Taxi is something over 50 (for two). Not sure about 2020 pricing?

2. For a nice dinner for two in a tiny place, I'd recommend Philou (up off Canal St. Martin). The food is excellent. It's a tiny place, not really fancy, but the food and service are great and it's not overrun by tourists (at least wasn't the last time I visited). It's a little pricey for me - figure about 50 euro each for dinner and wine.

3. I've always used a carnet. It's probably worth figuring out how many trips you're likely to take to decide which is the better option. If you're staying close to the center, you will probably walk more. If you stay further from the center, you will probably be using the metro more.

4. No need for metro tickets beforehand. They have automated machines. U.S. credit cards work but take patience, you may have to try a couple times before tickets spit out. Sometimes a ticket machine isn't working but there's nothing saying it isn't. I like to use a machine I just saw someone get tickets from. Gates are the same way, they sometimes don't work but aren't signed. If a gate doesn't work, try another (and watch how the locals do it). Advance tickets for the Louvre seem to be a good idea. I've never bought advance tickets for anything except the evening concert at St. Chapelle. I always seem to see what I want (except I've never visited the catacombs because the line scared me off).

5. There are tons of jazz shows around town at small clubs. The one I went to was a small, not touristy, crowd. It was two jazz bands. The opener was a Canadian group that was really good. The second band was from Paris but just okay. I believe there is a website or publication that lists shows but I didn't search for this, I went as a guest. People say Moulin Rouge is worth seeing, even if it is touristy, but I've never gone.

Taxi from CDG is supposed to be a flat rate of 55 euros, but it may vary depending on luggage and drop off location.

It does not vary according to either luggage or drop-off location. Taxis to/from the airports and the city of Paris are fixed-rate by government decree.

By the time of your trip, the fixed price will have gone up to €53 for Right Bank destInations and €58 for Left Bank destinations (the first increase since the fixed rates were implemented in 2016).

Extra fees apply if you call to reserve the taxi, or if you have more than four people. I am presuming on an anniversary trip that there is just the two of you!

KIM: Thanks for the update.

Congratulations! You will have such a great time.

1.) I agree with Laurel about the taxi. It will either be 50 or 55 Euros depending on which side of the river your lodging is. While this may not be the cheapest/fastest, it is worth the convenience when you are dealing with jetlag. I've learned to take the easiest option when dealing with jetlag.

2.) Depending on where you are staying, there are a couple of places I would recommend. Tannat (https://www.tannat.fr/tannat) in the 11th is a little pricey, but definitely worth it. I also love La Marine right on the Canal St. Martin. Not a lot of tourists, reasonably priced and cozy.

3.) I would see how many trips you will be taking on the metro before deciding between carnets or the 3 day pass.

4.) For museums, I would see if the Paris Museum Pass would save you money. This can be purchased as a 2, 4, or 6 day pass. We have always found them extremely useful. Keep in mind, you will need to reserve the Louvre even with the museum pass. I would recommend going to Atelier des Lumieres. It is my favorite museum. The art is project onto all the walls of the museum and set to music. There is nothing like it. If you want to go up the Eiffel Tower, you do need to purchase these tickets in advance. They go on sale 90 days prior to the date you are reserving.

5.) There is a restaurant that has live music every night. While I haven't been there yet, it does get rave reviews. La Vieux Belleville in the 20th has music nightly. Tuesday's are Edith Piaf night. You can find the schedule on the their website. https://www.le-vieux-belleville.com/en/

1. The fastest/cheapest way from CDG to Paris is the RER B/métro. The métro itself does not go to the airport. However, the easiest transfer is taxi from the official taxi queue. Kim´s information about taxis is correct.
2. Bistros are not, by definition, romantic locations. Benoit, in the 1st, is the only Michelin starred bistro in the city and worth consideration. You might also consider reserving (about 10 days in advance) at les Ombres with breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower.
3. Given your dates, consider purchasing Navigo Découverte cards (5€ each) and loading them with zone 1-5, weekly (Monday to Sunday) Navigo fares at 22.80€ each. This fare is good for travel on the RER, métro, funicular, bus, tramway, and Transilien trains. The Navigo weekly fare also covers transportation from CDG into Paris by RER/métro or Roissybus.
4. Purchase tickets for an Eiffel Tower visit as soon as they become available which is typically, but can vary, 3 months in advance. Navigo Découverte cards/fares are not available in advance of arrival. The card requires the bearer's name to be printed in the space so provided and his picture. Museums passes may be of value but many people pay more than they need to pay when purchasing the pass. It depends upon how much time you spend in museums. All the advantages of the museum pass (skipping ticket lines for example) are available to anyone purchasing tickets in advance from a museum’s own website. You should weigh the pros and cons.
5. Paris has a very active Jazz scene. Check with the Jazz Club Network or Paris Jazz Club locations.

The Eiffel Tower now opens booking usually 60 days out -- this is a change from years of 90 day ticket drops like clockwork. You won't get a reservation if you wait till you arrive; We are taking our grandchild to Paris in April and will get tickets as soon as they are available. (and hope for good weather -- last time we did this it rained -- but it was okay as at least the tower wasn't fogged in.

It is your anniversary; take a cab from the airport (official queue only). If you can easily handle luggage on stairs and are pickpocket proof then the RER B/metro is a cheaper choice. Pickpockets are ubiquitous on public transport so no wallets in pockets or backpacks. Purses if used are worn in front with your arm over the top in crowded places. Consider a money belt under the clothes while in transit - then stow passport and valuables in the hotel safe.

Les Ombres is a romantic spot with a view to the Eiffel Tower through the glass ceiling. You can check out their menus on line and see if the fixed price dinner (or lunch) appeals to you.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their expertise and good wishes, it is much appreciated. I am reviewing all the excellent commentaries and suggestions. I will make the reservations for the Eiffel when available and anniversary dinner ideas.

We are staying on the Rue du Faubourg du Temple. Any suggestions on good markets, patisseries, boucheries nearby for picnic supplies? Tx! Bea