Hi all, Im traveling to Paris with my boyfriend the day after Thanksgiving, and we're staying until the following Wednesday. So we will have approximately 5 days. I've been to Paris already but my boyfriend has not. He woe love to see the D-day beaches and Mont St. Michel. I've been to the beaches and I would love for him to see them too but am worried this itinerary might be a bit too ambitious. I know the weather won't be that great and it will getting dark very early. We are defo itself planning to go to Versailles as a day trip. What do you suggest? I'm wary about spending so much time traveling somewhere to only spend a tiny amount of time actually seeing the sights. (never mind about the costs to get to these places). Doing the beaches, MSM and Versailles would only mean having a little more than two whole days in Paris. I loved Paris. I want my boyfriend to love Paris, too. But I don't want him to miss things he would really like to see. Can anyone offer advice? Many thanks!
Posted by
OP
New York, New York, USA
40 posts
Sorry for all the typos. iPhone auto-correct!
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4091 posts
Your instincts are sound. Better to spend the time getting to understand a few prime attractions than to rush around trying to "see" everything and check it off a list. I have visited Paris 20 times and still have lots that I want to do. In your short visit, a day trip to Versailles is all the time you could take outside Paris and still get a genuine feel for the city. St-Michel and Normandy are both over-nighters at a minimum; do them next time. If you aren't run to a frazzle, he will certainly want there to be a next time.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA
2030 posts
I just took the GrayLine tour of the Normandy beaches and it was very good. Lasts one (long) day from 7am to about 9pm. Doing a tour is kind of un-hip I guess and there is the extra cost for this of course, but to me it was worth having everything taken care of. This could be an easy way to see this area. You could probably do Versailles also in the time you have, but Mt. St.Michel sounds like pushing it a lot. I agree, that it's hard to resist the impulse to try and see everything. I think your boyfriend should like Paris and find lots of things to interest him there, but you are the best judge of this.
Posted by
Park Ridge, IL
524 posts
I vote for Paris and Versailles. First, I don't like big group bus tours and second, I think the weather will be awful, chilly, and rainy with the winds off the channel. And if the weather isn't blue sky and sunshine, I would skip Versailles too. The gardens beat the Palace everytime for me. IMHO, it would not be worth it to take the relatively short tour of the Palace for the time it takes to get there and back. Here is one of my travel credos, even if you didn't ask. And it applies both to Normany and Versailles. Add up the amount of travel time to get to and from your destination and compare it to the amount of time you are at the destination. Don't forget to include your time from the hotel to the departure spot, getting lost, waiting to leave, and actual travel time. This eats up a LOT more time than you would think. Check out RS Paris. He has all of the info on both of these locations.
Posted by
OP
New York, New York, USA
40 posts
Thanks, everyone! I was thinking specifically of the weather, since I was last at the D-Day beaches in the summer when it was nice, warm and sunny outside and we had hours of daylight to see everything. We've agreed to stick to Paris and Versailles and hope the weather holds out. He's a foodie so I think he'll most interested in visiting as many restaurants as humanly possible anyway! :)
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
141 posts
Kara, You didn't ask about this either...but since you are staying several nights, I would suggest renting an apartment vs. staying in a hotel. For the same amount of money (or less!) you get much more space, a kitchen and possibly a washer/dryer. While you probably won't use the kitchen much, you can at least make coffee in the morning and get something the night before (quiche, pastries, etc.) to have for breakfast. Look at vrbo.com, vacationinparis.com or cobblestoneparis.com. We used cobblestonparis.com this past spring and stayed in a lovely apartment on Ile St. Louis. Just a thought.