The best things money can buy in Paris, and the moments that cant be bought

You can see if the offerings from Yachts of Paris appeal to you - such as their dinner cruise: http://donjuan2.yachtsdeparis.fr/index.cfm/page/lid/2/rid/3584/ or a customized cruise: http://www.yachtsdeparis.fr/index.cfm/places/

The largest wholesale food market in the world, Rungis, is outside Paris. It's not open to the general public, but you can take a tour. If you don't mind a French language group tour, it's "merely" €85 per person: https://www.cultival.fr/visites/goutez-lexperience-rungis/public_particulier. According to this blog post http://fxcuisine.com/Default.asp?language=2&Display=32&resolution=high (in his second page, on how to visit), it's over €300 for an English-speaking tourguide.

Here's another visit description, from David Lebovitz's blog: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/a-visit-to-rungis-market-france-marche/

You should find enough on this website to keep you busy for awhile

http://www.pariszigzag.fr/

Thanks for the helpful info guys.
If you are headed Florida, the city, NOLA, and I can be of any help, please feel free to send me a PM.

Harold, both of those suggestions are awesome! Thanks. I would have never found that food market and 400 kinds of cheese?! Love it. Thanks man.

75020 - That link! Exactly, exactly the type of content I was looking for. Thank you, luckily google translate saved me 'cause I'm still on lesson 1 of Rosetta Stone French

The best buys in Paris are free, definitely spend some time in parks. Churches are free too.

The best money I spent in Paris was for a Velib bike. The bikes are the same price as a metro ticket, 1,70 euro, but can be used an entire day. The price includes up to 30 minute rides (which covers a lot of ground in Paris), then you have to turn in your bike for 30 minutes before gettting another. If you use the bike longer, it's not a budget buster. I think it was one euro an hour after the 30 minutes.

Luxembourg Gardens to the Trocadero (by Eiffel Tower). From Trocaderro to the center of Marais along the left bank of the Seine. Marais to near Arc de Triomphe. All were under 30 minutes, but it helps to have a smartphone to locate pick up drop off locations using their app.

Best buy in Barcelona is the walk of the Gothic Quarter done by the TI from the Placa Sant Jaume.

I love food markets; I encourage you to visit a few as each has a different flavour as it were! I love the President Wilson, walking distance from the Eiffel Tower, but on the other side of the Seine; this market is a bit upscale but marvellous. The Grenelle Marche is under the metro starting at the Grenelle metro stop, where the metro goes above ground. It is very work a day crowd with a few tourists thrown in. The Monge market is smaller and with few tourists , it is also grand. The markets are a good way to see, smell and taste the way the Parisiens do. I often buy my lunch at the market and find a small park to eat it in. Some markets have prepared foods like ham with mustard and rotisserie chicken and potatoes. Try many different types of cheese, ask for recommendations.

I also try to go to a church service and sit with the locals, try to hum along with the hymns. I did attend a church service where the organ is famous (Rick loves it and I cannot remember the name right now), near the Luxembourg Gardens; it was quite an experience.

I do love walking along the Seine, morning, noon and night. it is just a marvel. Walk across the bridges as many as you can. The are gloriously beautiful.

Enjoy Paris.

If you like art and private tours, I recommend Art Journey Paris. I went last month to Paris with a group of 4 and we took several of his tours. The tours are limited to 4 or 5 people. The owner/guide is Guillaume. He was really fun and knowledgeable and we learned a lot in the process. I couldn't recommend it enough. http://artjourneyparis.com/

St. Sulpice is the church with the famous organ, and you can visit the organ loft after Sunday service for a demonstration. It is a great experience!

If you have a special interest that is easily defined (e.g., gardens, porcelain, contemporary crafts, the French Revolution, etc.), you might Google that subject in combimation with the word "tours", then follow up links for tours offered by cultural institutions like universities and museums. Such tours are usually verympricey on a per-day basis but they often include visits to private collections, etc. Once uou know something like that exists, you can do some further research to see how you might get access to it--perhaps via a specialized single-day tour.

you can check out this website if it helps you:
the culturetrip.com

Merci beaucoup à tous, des idées incroyables

Hey Craigo
Your daughter may like Cedric's tours or retro-tour Paris. We're doing the 2cv tour in the champagne region in September, will let you know. Also when in Paris eat soufflé lol going to la cuisine de
Philippe in the 6th arr, may end up mom dad and daughter all happy to enjoy the day. Happy travels

IMO, the best thing money can buy in Paris: First, from the patisserie, religieuse, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religieuse. Second, if easter period, baby chocolate fish in side a mother chocolate fish. Third, a picnic in one of the many beautiful parks; my favorites are Luxembourg and Parc Monceau, but any will do.

Not sure if this in on point, but may be worth a look. The author of the popular french food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, offers private tours to favorite places. She had a recent posting on selecting restaurants in Paris: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/paris/restaurants/tips-for-picking-paris-restaurant/, and invites folks to contact her for a private tour: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/contact/.

Debbie

Wray - have to second religieuse. Unfortunately we were last there for Christmas 2015 and were told that they don't make them (at least at our bakery, which had the best!) during the holidays. Guess that means another return!

hey craigo
one more option, for you or wife is to drive a ferrari or maserati for a fun time is drive-me-89E.fr in france. looks like fun to me. don't know if wife and daughter can ride with you but i'm sure you can email them. happy travels.
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Visit the memorial to the deported on the river just behind Notre Dame. You won't forget it. Last time we went, though, in 2016, it was closed with no reason given, when ordinarily it should have been open. Perhaps out of terrorism concerns, but that's just speculation on my part.

We are foodies and have enjoyed Paris by Mouth tours for two years. Doing our third next month.

One year, a long time ago, a friend and I were in Paris and found it was the week of the Paris Film Festival, in fact it was the last day of the festival. There was an American film showing at a theatre on the Champs Elysees so we opted for that. Dancing at the Blue Iguana was the name, absolutely the worst film we had ever seen. How it made its way to the Paris Film Festival will forever be a mystery but I remember it fondly just because it was so bad.