Romantic Paris

Gary,

Im not married so you can take that as you see fit.

But the way i see it and if you choose wisely, just taking your wife to Paris will get some serious bonus points.

when i was on top of the Eiffel tower and noticed some couples on top, you could tell that they guy was going to get lucky that night.

it was just something i observed and is just my opinion.

Happy trails.

How about a dinner cruise on the Seine ? City all lit up, a little wine ... I'm about your age, and would think that was a great romantic anniversary. Maybe go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset, then the dinner cruise ? There are recommendations on this website listing the better cruise (use "search")

Gary, My husband and I celebrated our anniversary in Paris last September. (He's 70, I'm 57.) Everything we did was romantic and any one of them alone would have been "special" if it had been the only "special" thing we had done! We had dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel and LOVED it! We took a dinner cruise on the Seine and LOVED it! We did not have seats by the window, but soon realized we could see more and better from our vantage point than if we had been at the window. We used Localers (www.localers.com) to book some very special private tours and our favorite was the Eiffel Tower (area) Food Tour - with private tastings at local shops in the area. One tour that I thought would have been romantic but we did not do was the photography tour where Localers provides a photographer to photograph you in great places all over Paris! Have fun!! I'll be glad to email you my itinerary if you'd like. Just message me.

You could try getting a padlock engraved with your initials and wedding date, clamp it on the Pont des Arts, or one of the other bridges over the Seine that attract these mementos. Throw the key into the Seine to symbolize unbreakable love. Ours is on the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne.

To each his/her own and with all due respect, the Seine cruise I took was very smelly with boat exhaust and noisy, not romantic at all. And you know the locks people put on the Pont des Arts are cut off and discarded from time to time. I would consider romantic walks around Paris (Luxembourg Gardens, Place des Vosges, along the Seine, Palais Royale gardens, Ile St Louis, the view from Sacre Coeur), a picnic lunch, a cozy dinner, and a jazz club.

I find the padlocks on the bridge disgusting. Thousands of them ... they look ugly and the people who attach them throw the keys into the river, thus adding to the pollution. Please don't do this. And, yes, the locks are periodically sawed off and discarded ... just like a jilted lover!

@Grier - yes, the locks do get cut off, but @Sam - wow, romantic idea! Good one.

I'd vote for taking her for a glass of champagne at Flute, 19, rue de l’Étoile (17th). I believe that Tuesday is two-for-one day! I've not been on Tuesday, but when I looked it up to get you the address, that's what I discovered.

In any event, it's tiny, it's adorable, it's got a "special" feel, it's romantic as all get-out, and it is a short stroll from the Arc de Triomphe. The drinks are marvelous - besides champagne, they have all kinds of fancy, delicious champagne-based cocktails.

We also LOVE the bar at the Hotel George V - 31, avenue George V - which is small and swanky and dripping with class. We stumbled in for a drink one night not realizing that we were entering a Four Seasons Hotel bar, and have been back a few times because it's just soooo romantic.

Another romantic thing is standing at Trocadero and watching the light show on the Eiffel Tower. In May, with soft breezes off the Seine and the scent of flowers in the air, that place is a KILLER app for - well, you know. ;-)

Frankly, almost anything you do in Paris will be romantic, as you know. A picnic (fresh berries, good cheese, a few slices of saucisson, a baguette, a bottle of bubbly, and a decadent pastry) on the lawn at the Place des Vosges would be primal Paris and oh so dreamy.

Well Gary, for me you're halfway there already. What would be wonderful for me is if my husband actually did PLAN the evening - and planned it well. It wouldn't have to be anything special, but if he thought of something that interested me, figured out how to get there and back, and made some decisions, well that would be wonderful! I'm the only planner and I sometimes get grumpy at some stages of our travels because of the responsibility.

We went to Paris for my 40th birthday. We went on a day trip to Chartres (planned by me of course). At the risk of TMI, I saw some beautiful Parisian bras and bought one and matching panties. Very expensive but nice. The ladies in the shop were very attentive and helpful, but then I was able to tell them in French it was my 40th and was celebrating.

But I digress. Ok, so figure out what she would really love to do. Is it shopping for designer bags? Is it some kind of guided walk about something she's into? Cooking class? Wine tasting? Maybe a high end spa for a couples massage? Plan something she loves and do it with a smile (and without looking at your watch).

The best day my husband and I had in Paris was strolling through Luxembourg gardens and having a burger and a beer at the cafe in the park, simple and very romantic. We also love Le Petit Chatelet next to Shakespeare and Company bookstore and across from Notre Dame. The food and atmosphere is wonderful inside this small restaurant and Notre Dame is beautiful lit up in the evenings. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187147-d719202-Reviews-Le_Petit_Chatelet-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
that is the link for tripadvisor. Good Luck! And Happy Anniversary! Perhaps we will see you there, we are traveling to paris in early May also.

If it were for me, and Monte planned it ( which doesn't happen BTW-love him anyway ) I would love to take a bottle of wine down to the Seine, right next to the water, sit and enjoy, just at the beginning of dusk. ( I guess you can still do that) Then take a stroll along the river to a preselected small, quaint, romantic restaurant with fabulous French food. For me, not stuffy, not expensive, just very good. After dinner, when it is dark, you stroll along the river seeing all the bridges lit up, see the Eiffel Tower lit up and just contine to stroll enjoying the beauty of Paris. Maybe you could sneak some macaroons or nice dessert back to your room for dessert that you could surprise her with at your return.

That's what I'd love. Simple and alone is what I'd like vs. being with tourists, even a Seine cruise ( which I loved) or up the Eiffel Tower wouldn't feel as romantic for that special day as just the two of you in Paris.

Ah, sounds fabulous! Maybe those that know Monte can tell him to do it for me :-).

Have a wonderful time Gary! Let us know what you decide.

I so agree with Susan and with Andrea. To add to that, what I would love more than anything (in addition to Susan's restaurant choice for dinner) would be my husband/bf to say that specific day is all mine. We will do everything I want to do, all day long, and my husband/bf will do it happily and cheerfully. Doesn't have to be pre-planned (except dinner), we'll just go where ever, and do whatever, I want all day. That's my kind of perfect day... : )

I like what the Susan's have to say. And Susan, I will plant a suggestion in Monte's ear. You can do the same with Jim!

Just a quick note to thank everyone who contributed on this! I wasn't sure what kind of response I'd get and it was refreshing, enlightening and enjoyable to read the responses. There's really alot more to consider than I expected. I really feel that I've got alot of great ideas to work with. I also appreciated the multiple points of view - makes one really consider the big picture.

Thanks again - gary