Paris - Weenend Tips and ideas please

chocolatepennyfarthing

Going on a surprise trip to Paris by Eurostar next weekend with my Husband. Will be there for the best part of three days just wondering if anyone has any hints, tips or ideas of best places to go or places to avoid. Staying in the Business district. Really looking for advice on best value options, should I book things now or wait until we are there? Quite fancy a city tour so would welcome recommendations. Thanks

PompeyPete

Business District, do you mean La Defense or somewhere else?

chocolatepennyfarthing

Yes La Defense.

hollydays

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3346966

hollydays

I think it's helpful if you know the sort of things you
Like to do.

I find Paris is one of those cities that you do need to plan the right places to go to match your interests.

chocolatepennyfarthing

As we haven't been before was hoping to do a few of the main sights, tower, poss river cruise, maybe louvre and Notre Dame. See that they do tourist hop on/off busses, are they good to get sights done? Perhaps a show or river cruise/dinner one night.

zenmaster

We got some Clubcard deals -

River Cruise

Montparnasse Tower, where my wife uttered the immortal words

Woooow. This is what birds see all the time.

Just before sunset is the best (and busiest) time to go.

maman

chocolatepennyfarthing wrote: »

As we haven't been before was hoping to do a few of the main sights, tower, poss river cruise, maybe louvre and Notre Dame. See that they do tourist hop on/off busses, are they good to get sights done? Perhaps a show or river cruise/dinner one night.

Obviously dinner cruise will be more expensive than just river cruise so you needn't do both. I enjoyed an evening at Moulin Rouge.


I'd also suggest Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Great views as well as interesting area to visit. Definitely a stroll along the Champs Elysee on your way to the Louvre maybe?


You seem to have plenty of ideas to fill the time but if you can, and you like stately homes, then go out to Versailles.


If you plan to visit shops then do see Galeries Lafayette, the building is worth seeing.

Want2BMoneySavvy

Seine cruise is lovely - we went at night and saw all the buildings lit up, it was really special. Wasn't expensive either.

Montmartre is a great area for people-watching and having a coffee, very near Sacre-Couer too.

Sitting with a coffee in Jardins Tuillerie is a nice way to spend an hour.

Go somewhere on the Metro! If you don't have an underground system where you live, it's pretty amazing.

chocolatepennyfarthing

Any other ideas /Tips please?
Pompey Pete have you stayed at La Defense ?

PompeyPete

chocolatepennyfarthing wrote: »

Pompey Pete have you stayed at La Defense ?

Nope. But we lived a few RER stops a bit further out of Paris, and I used to take that RER Line every day to work in Paris.

As La Defense is only one or two short RER stops from the top of the Champs d'Elysees, it's not a bad place to base yourself for a few days, but you'll need to get the RER into town to see the major sights. Get off the RER at either Charles De Gaulle Etoile or Auber stations.

La Defense has quite a lot of shops, and places to eat too.

Providing the weather is kind, then you can see a lot of central Paris on foot, and cover a lot over a long weekend.

One tip with the River trip. Do it when the tide is in otherwise all you'll see is a big wall.

A couple of interesting places to visit are The Catacombes, and the Paris Sewers....

http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/visit/access-opening-times-accessibility/access-and-timetables

http://next.paris.fr/english/english/visit-the-paris-sewer-system/rub_8118_actu_130854_port_19237

Plenty of McDonalds in Paris, always good for a free loo stop.

If you're in a restaurant and order a bottle of wine, make sure it's corked in front of you, or you might find you've got a bottle full of cheap plonk!

Watch out for pickpockets in busy places like metro stations. Nothing to worry about but just be aware of your immediate environment.

It's 16 years since we left Paris [was there for 4 years], so I haven't got any idea about the current price of things.