Second trip to Paris - what to see now?

What kinds of things do you like to do? What did you especially like last time? It doesn't sound like you are much interested in museums. I think you've seen must sees. The sewer tour was interesting and not too smelly, but I did that after several visits and many other sights. It wouldn't be high on my list.

You could take a day trip to Reims, see the cathedral, a nice French town and visit a couple of the champagne houses for tours and tastings. Versailles is a big attraction for most people, wonderful palace and gardens and 2-3 days a week, the fountains are turned on.

I loved the Paris Walks Chocolate Tour, interesting and yummy, but only if you like dark chocolate. You can look for famous people, well their tombs, at the Pere LaChaise Cemetery.

I think there is plenty to fill your stay in Paris, Versailles is certainly a viable day trip, Avignon likely not.

I have always wanter to do the sewer tour, that to me would be a must do (Been to Paris twice, not done them yet), There are of course many more Art Museums: the Orsay and the Rodin museum would top the list. Napoleons Tomb and the Military museum at the Invalides appeal to me, and the list of museum type places could go on and on.

Luxembourg Gardens would be a nice stroll, if you like street markets, there are a number of them.

I suggest just searching for topics that interest you (shopping, sports, history, etc.) and you likely will turn up many things.

Hi JR, we have been to Paris twice and are going again in October of this year. We REALLY enjoyed a trip out to the Sacre Coeur, the views were spectacular...LOTS of stair climbing and really neat little village at the base of the cathedral for lunch. We took a train out there I believe. Versailles...not so much....took a train there too...think "cattle call" with literally hundreds and hundreds of people pushing you through room after room with no way to escape..that being said, we DID enjoy the gardens and Marie Antoinette's little village very much. Would I take teens or young people? Probably not. One thing we did that was so much fun was to just hang out after dark in the latin quarter....we attended an impromptu street musician concert down in the subway just under the quarter...it was really neat and was mostly locals...like a secret or something. Luxembour gardens was very nice as a walk through on our way to something else but not necessarily a destination. One thing we really enjoyed and have done a number of times is to go to the Eiffel Tower AFTER dark with a picnic. The park there is filled with college kids and locals at night all drinking wine and picnicing and it is so funny because EVERY TIME the tower lights up to sparkle (on the hour) everyone gasps and cheers like they have never seen it before...made us feel like locals and we loved it. One of our favorite memories of Paris was one night we could not sleep and woke up at midnight thinking it was much later...we dressed and went out for a walk. We were staying right near the Hotel De Ville in a local apartment and we walked the city until 2:30 in the morning...it was so much fun. Saw lots of bars emptying out with people socializing in the streets, even a group of italian men who dared each other to dance naked in the fountain in front of the Hotel de Ville...so funny.........all kinds of people out riding bikes at that hour since there was no traffic. THAT would be something fun to do with the kids...the streets felt very safe and we never felt concerned...we stayed around Notre Dame, the Hotel De Ville and the Latin Quarter nearest to the Seinne. Next time we go we are DEFINITELY going to ride bikes at night. They also have nighttime bike tours of the city...not sure how you schedule one but it looked like so much fun. Have a great trip!

Thanks all - good suggestions - we would probably prefer -depending on weather- not to spend a lot of time in museums. In Sept. the weather was beautiful and we are hoping for the same again. I think the bike tours sound awesome, as the picnic at night at the Tower. Will check out the sewer tour, and keep searching for unique and different things. I am kind of on board with Versailles - not sure we want to invest a full day in to it.

My son has been going to Paris since he was 11 yrs old, every year or every other year, he's now 24. He loves absolutely everything in Paris and all the day trips. Nothing bored him. He loves it all.

Luxembourg Gardens is a 'must see' in my book. It's my favorite place. Fun to watch the local neighborhood guys playing petancque (bocce ball) and interacting and teasing each other, relaxing in a comfy chair and people watching, being around lots of Parisians who are there enjoying themselves vs on the street rushing somewhere. They have two cafes, my favorite is the one by the palace.

There's the Nissim de Camondo by Parc Monceau which was the home of a wealthy family... if you like that kind of thing it's great... the French version of Upstairs/Downstairs. There's also the Andre-Jacquemart house.

Mike's Bikes aka Fat Tire, does great tours... Paris day or night, Giverny, Versailles. My son has always loved Versailles and we especially love renting bikes there (by the Grand Canal) and riding all over to see everything.

There's roller blading with a huge group on Friday nights... lots of streets closed to cars for them.

Lots of great day trips... Fontainebleau, Giverny, Vaux-le-Vicomte (the chateau and grounds are fabulous and has never been crowded when we've been there in the height of summer - it's also the chateau that they used for the Leonardo di Caprio movie "Man in the Iron Mask"), Malmaison, Chantilly, Chartres, Provins. These are all listed and described in RS Paris guide.

At night outside Notre Dame and day and night on the pedestrian bridge behind Notre Dame are street entertainers. Very fun to watch.

Climbing the tower of Notre Dame, going to the top of the Arc, the hop-on hop-off bus, Seine river boats, cafes, the military museum at Invalides, the list goes on an on. And since he's been 18, he loves the clubs (Queen, Red Light for instance) for 20-somethings for music/dancing.

Even going to a movie on the Champs Elysee (an American movie in English - look for version 'VO') is fun. Huge comfy chairs, almost like recliners.

We've also rented bikes in Paris from Fat Tire on Sundays when they have the road on the north side of the Seine closed to cars, or riding around on side streets, which was fun.

There are so many fun things to do in Paris I don't see how anyone, especially young adults, could ever run out of choices or ever be bored. We spend 1-3 mos there at a time and never run out of things to do.

JR,

Google is your friend.

how about-

• Catacombs
• sewer tour as you suggest. Just an fyi. sewers are sewers for a reason. In my opinion, they dont smell as bad as humans do or can.
• Musee d' Orsay

you can also have those "young adults" take on some responsibility and figure out what THEY may like to do and see. I found that if "I" had some SAY into where i was being DRAGGED into going, i found it a little more interesting and fun.

happy trails.

edit to add,

if you kiddies into military stuff, the Army Museum/Napoleons Tomb is cool too.

Lucky you! I also highly recommend the Paris Walks Chocolate Tour. Took my teen kids on the bike tour of Versailles, Fat Tire. You go through the town of Versailles so you get to see a nice small French town and you picnic by the canal. It does take all day but you aren't in the Chateau all day. If you do go to a museum try the Orsay. Walking through Louxembourg and through the 6th neighborhood is a great way to spend an afternoon. You are going to have great time because the pressure to see the big sites is off. Now you just get to be in Paris.

I have done all the Fat Tire Bike tours( over time not all on one trip !) .. and they are fun. I especially recommend the ones to Giverny and the Paris by Night bike tour( includes a boat cruise) . They are easy enough for anyone to enjoy. Getting out to Giverny was really a nice change from being in the city.. most of the ride is along a river on a bike/pedestrian path that used to be a railway line. You stop for a picnic etc..

These are all good suggestions. I second the catacombs though. Its not the normal tourist thing and it is quite interesting. Good to read Graham Robb's book on Paris before going there though. I would also consider Pere Lachaise cemetery as well for a quiet un-crowded stroll. For day trips from Paris, Reims is ideal as is Chartres. For longer day trips, you could do Normandy beaches (albeit briefly) or Avignon (also briefly). Trains to Bayeux take about 2-2.5 hours and trains to Avignon will take about 2.5-3.5 hours one way. For Bayeux it would be best to arrange a guided tour before you go. I hope this helps some.

I'm with Susan. There is so much to see and do. The Michelin Green Guide will give you the most complete information on every neighborhood you could imagine.

Thanks everyone! You have given us so many great ideas. We are definitely going to do the bike tours, and all the sights you have recommended. Can't wait!

Forgot to suggest walking around and through Ile St. Louis, the little island east of Notre Dame, my favorite neighborhood in Paris... very charming.

The basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris; Chani's suggestions all sound good; Reims and Chartres. Musee d'Orsay. I did a daytrip to Vezelay but I wish I had spent the night there as well.

You could visit a scale model of the Statue of Liberty on Ile des Cygnes. Several scale models of the Statue of Liberty were built in France before the final model and one of them is on Ile des Cygnes, near Pont Grenelle. We were told that a smaller model used to be in the Luxembourg but is now in the Orsay, but we didn't check it out. We visited this site last week when we walked from the Eiffel Tower. This is a small island in the river which is mainly a nice walking path with benches along the way from one end to the other. At the far end is the approximately 35 foot tall Statue. You can read about it here http://www.french-at-a-touch.com/Statue_of_Liberty/statue_of_liberty_ii.htm#built_several_scale_models_for_construction and here http://www.french-at-a-touch.com/Statue_of_Liberty/statue_of_liberty.htm#Swan_Ally,_Paris. I have also read that this copy was given to France by the US. and the plaque on the statue says something to that effect. Maybe the US paid to have the statue preserved and mounted at that site. Whatever the history, it was a great sight to see 'our' Statue of Liberty in Paris. From there you also get a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower.

What about a Fat Tire segway tour? I did the evening one a couple of years ago. Lots of fun to zip around on them, and you get to see all the best bits of Paris at night, well, almost all - we didn't go as far as Notre Dame.

Luxembourg gardens are definitely worth it. Also check out a fat tire bike tour of Paris. Versailles is worth it too. I also love a lot of the smaller museums: Rodin museum, Orangerie, Picasso. Don't forget to spend time strolling and enjoying the Parisian lifestyle at a cafe.

We stayed in the Latin Quarter last summer and loved Paris. We really enjoyed grabbing a lunch to go and walking through the Luxembourg gardens. We tried to do the Catacombs twice, but the line up was all the way around the block. If you want to do that, go really early. We also did Versailles. My two kids loved it. You can even do it on the cheap, skip the Palace and the hordes of tourists and just walk through the gardens. They are worth it in themselves, so beautiful and vast. You can also do a bike tour through them with Fat bike tours. The Sorbet down towards the Petite Trianon is a nice way to treat yourselves. A nice break from the bustle of Paris. The train didn't take too long, you can purchase your tickets in advance and hop on the next day. A walk along the Seine was great, especially if you get off the street and walk along the Quay from the Notre Dame along the river.

Getting lost in the Latin Quarter and enjoying the little shops and street food around the Pantheon was wonderful.
Hope you have a great time,
Tania

Another "chime in" from RB Abe suggests day trips from Paris to the Normandy beaches or Avignon???

I love the musee d'Orsay, the architecture is marvelous. I really like the Rodin, the gardens with the thinker is great. I love to walk along the Seine, the bridges are works of art. One of my favorite things todo are the food markets, each is different. Seeing how the Parisiens shop is a truly cultural experience. Perhaps seeking out the perfect macaron, or baguette, or pain de chocolat? Or trying the house red in cafes. i love the Paris feel, just being in Paris, walking where Romans walked thousands of years ago, is the greatest. I enjoy the Luxembourg gardens too. And I must see the Eifel tower's twinking lights at night every night.

I am going for the 5th time, for 3 weeks, and may not leave the city! I may try the big flea market, so they might be outside the city proper! I am in love with Paris, is it obvious?!

Doug, I thought the same.