A GREAT Place to Propose

Congratulations, George! Tell us about her: is she arty, outdoorsy, etc.?

Very practical, down-to-earth, but a romantic at heart.

If the weather's nice, from the front of the Palais de Chaillot, with the fountains blasting away and the Eiffel tower in the background.....or atop the Arc de Triomphe (if you don't mind the hike up!). If you're Da Vinci Code fans, maybe at the inverted part of the pyramid in the underground entrance to the Louvre.

Hard to suggest since there are sooo many great places in Paris. One suggestion however is: Cross the Champs, in the middle of the street on the medium, and face the Arc. Do it in the evening when the lights are on. Perfect picture.

Take her to dinner at one of the restaurants on the Place du Tertre in Montmarte, near Sacre Couer. All of the options others have listed are great (well, except maybe in the middle of the Champs Elysee, unless she likes the sound of hundreds of cars honking). This one is not the most dramatic, but its a quieter, more intimate area.

I proposed in front of Sacre Coeur and she loved it. It's not too difficult to find a (relatively) private corner or bench one flight of stairs down from the entrance to the basilica. There's a nice view of the city from up there and it's a somewhat well-known but not overly cliché landmark (like the Eiffel Tower). Remember, you must turn this into a story she can tell to all of her girlfriends. If you pick a place that's too obscure it won't be a good story, but if it's too cliché it won't sound as sweet.

Personally, I wouldn't mind being proposed to in front of a favorite work of art, e.g., Winged Victory. The trick obviously is to find a relatively quiet time to propose. Maybe surrounded by the Water Lilies in the Orangerie, or surrounded by the real things at Giverney! Or even on the steps that lead down into the gardens at Versailles.

Looking down on the Seine from the middle of Pont Alexandre III--considered the prettiest bridge in Paris. At night, when all the buildings are lit up as well as the boats crossing underneath.

Both directions are beautiful but easterly you'll see the Eiffel Tower.

My wife and I celebrated our 40th anniversary under a full moon at the Eiffel Tower. It was pretty romantic even for a couple of old people.

I'm with Norm on this one...from the steps of the Palais de Chaillot (Trocadero) looking at the best view of the Eiffel Tower, in the evening around sunset.

I think the trickiest part is finding someplace quiet - and maybe someplace where you aren't going to be gawked at by a bus load of tourists when you pull out the ring and make your grand gesture.

For quiet and scenic, head to the Palace of Versailles first thing in the morning. Tell her you want to see the inside of the palace later and you want to start in the far gardens and work your way back. Rent bikes or walk immediately to the Domaine, an 86-acre section on the grounds that Marie Antoinette used to escape to. On the grounds, there is the "Temple of Love" which is a statue of Cupid underneath this domed structure (Google it for pictures) and surrounded by some nice gardens.

No other tourists are going to start there at the beginning of the day - everyone will head straight for the Palace or the gardens that are closest to the Palace.

Night time Paris is really lovely, but traffic is everywhere. Maybe you could look into a private boat tour for just the 2 of you on the Seine so you can ask her while you go past all the big sights lit up.

Or at night on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge crossing the Seine. It was good enough for Carrie and Mr. Big on the last episode of Sex & The City when he told her she was the one.

A small point...there is no traffic on the Steps of the Palais....in fact you are not near any roadways or other distractions (other than the people who would be sharing the view). The only question you have to answer is, do you want to do this with a grand gesture or do you want to do this in a quiet intimate setting..it's about what you and your GF would be comfortable with.

Bill, I agree the Palais de Chaillot is a great spot for a view of the Eiffel Tower, but quiet it ain't!

Last time I was there (just as the sun was setting), there were hundreds of people, including a group of about 20 Brazilians playing the bongos and singing at a level best suited for a World Cup match along with many Asian tourist groups videotaping everything. Also, lots of vendors walking around selling tacky little light-up Eiffel Tower statues.

Great fun, great view - not really conducive to a romantic proposal in my opinion.

Hi George,
... In front of Notre Dame. Stand right on top of the sign embedded in the pavement which says it is Kilometer Point Zero Paris. Who could forget that? Congratulations! P

In the Place Troacdero (which has an unobstructed view of the Eifel Tower) at night between the hour and 10 minutes after. During the summer at least the tower lights up like crazy and starts flashing for the first ten minutes of every hour. See this video as an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh8mSKSmnnQ

Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions! Now if I could find a sneaky way of getting her ring size (and no, she doesn't wear rings)...

This sure was a great post to read! Congratulations to you!