I’ve explored Paris as a bachelor twice tearing through the city at a crazy pace on a hostel/single backpack budget. Now I will be returning with my wife next month for four nights and trying to research how to make our time more memorable at a less hectic pace/more normal budget.
Open to all suggestions, but particularly, I’m hoping for suggestions on booking a the best walking tour we can to start our time in the city. Thanks!
One thing I suggest is skipping Versailles. It is a crush of people and has not been well-maintained at all. Also bc it is a ways out of town it will take up an entire day. For the same “punch” (maybe better), take a self-guided tour of the Palais Garnier, the national opera house, which is right outside the Opèra subway station. I know that doesn’t sound great but it is actually STUNNING in the gold hall and very worth seeing. It’s not expensive, and can be done in an hour. The Crown Jewels room and the furniture rooms at the Louvre are also like Versailles, but better.
The Marais neighborhood is very romantic and pretty. The Places de Vosges is a beautiful square, one of the loveliest places in Paris, with very good restaurants on all sides.
The Monmartre is neat but packed with tourists and very hilly.
My son really wanted to go up the Eiffel Tower and it was worth it — really cool structure. But, the view from the 2nd platform is far better than the summit and that highest level rocks and sways — not really worth it. I stressed about getting tickets ahead and the walk-up line went faster.
One really nice meal we had and that I recommend was at Les Frères Bretons (a crèperie). It and most restaurants take reservations which takes away a lot of anxiety. Try to go on a weeknight, it is VERY popular on Fri/Sat w locals and service is slow whereas on a weeknight they will be super attentive and talkative/helpful.
Look at Paris Walks.
Paris Walks, by all means for a guided walk. But don't overlook Rick's own self guided Historic Paris walk on his audio app.
I will disagree with the opinion on Versailles upthread, but for such a short visit, I would agree that it could wait for a later visit unless your wife has a strong desire to see it. Under the Explore Europe section Rick has a list of the usual Paris sites: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/paris
See which ones most pique your interest and figure on 2 per day, with a few B list places only if you have time. Dont forget an evening cruise on the Seine. This is something we do every time we visit Paris. It never gets old.
In Jun, Rick Steves has an updated Paris guidebook (25th edition) coming out with six excellent self-guided walks that I highly recommend taking. Of course, you don’t have enough time to take them all but every walk is worth taking.
Versailles is wonderful, disagree with the poster above. The grounds, and the Petit Trianon are my favorite. You can rent biles there which is fun. March is a great month to go, it will not be packed with tourists. It’s well worth the time but with only 3 full days i wouldnt make it a priority unless you love the history of it.
The best way to experience Paris, imo, is not the tourist sights and not the museums, it is walking and exploring. Along the river, the 2 islands, through wonderful neighborhoods and parks (especially the Luxembourg Gardens). That is the best of Paris imo.
That said, we went up the Eiffel Tower two weeks ago (have done it 12+ times) and it’s very fun.
The Opéra Garnier is wonderful but the front is covered in scaffolding, getting ready for the Olympics and being on the world stage. Lots of scaffolding and cleaning going on in Paris now.
Agree with Place des Vosges, it’s beautiful. Carette at Place des Vosges is one of my two favorite cafés.
I am not a fan of Montmartre. Save your time for exploring along the Seine river and the Marais, St Germain, Latin Quarter areas.
The Frommer 24 Paris Walks book has excellent walks -- one of our favorites is the architecture walk in the 16th. There are lots of walking maps and books.
Versailles is something everyone should see once -- depends on how interested your wife is in seeing it.
Book a restaurant with a good tasting menu. We like L'Initial and Ecipses, but there are many others.
...how to make our time more memorable...Open to all suggestions...
In addition to the walks suggested above, consider a river cruise in the evening. Dinner cruises are offered by several companies. The reviews have been mixed in the past; some good, some not so good. We think it's better to have a great meal somewhere before the cruise. Then we can concentrate on the views of the city and not have to split our attention between eating and watching the views. That's just our opinion. Vedettes du Pont Neuf is a river cruise company we've used several times and It is not a dinner cruise. We never had to have a reservation. You might want to google them to see if that is still the case. The evening cruises with the city all lit up give new meaning to "the city of light". Especially when the Eiffel tower twinkles.
City of Light not Lights
Yes, City of Light, meaning “enlightenment”, nothing to do with lights or being lit up.
Yes, City of Light, meaning “enlightenment”, nothing to do with lights or being lit up.
Hmm. There's a t shirt slogan just waiting: "I got lit in the City of Light."
Hi!
One of my favorite things my family did in Paris was this small tour in the Saint Germaine area. It was with a company called Flavors of Paris and they took us around to different local shops, cafes, markets, etc., and had us do different food tastings. It was a highlight of the trip for us for sure. I'll link it for you, it's worth checking out if you want to get out of touristy areas and attractions!
