Arc de Triomphe!
My family and I just had a wonderful six days in Paris. We got to see most of the important sights, but not all. There is always more to see of Paris, for the next trip! So here are some things we learned, to pass on to other travelers who visit this lovely city. Mind you, these tips are for travelers on a budget. We are teachers, so we travel in comfort, but not in luxury!
1. Don’t book pre-packaged tours!
There is no need for tours, not even the “Hop-on, hop-off” bus. Paris’ metro system is excellent. There is a metro stop close to all of the famous (and not so famous) sights of Paris. You just need to spend a little time to figure out the metro map.
No caption needed:)
2. Buy an unlimited public transportation travel pass (a car in Paris is NOT recommended)!
They are good for metro, buses and RER network trains.
There are four choices: Navigo Decouverte Pass, Paris Visite Pass, and a carnet (book) of ten tickets, or single tickets for 1 Euro 50.
The Navigo Decouverte is the least expensive. The catch is that it starts on Monday and ends at midnight on Sunday. It makes financial sense if you arrive between Monday and Wednesday, but not if you arrive in the second half of the week. You will need a 1 X 1.2” passport style photo (can be purchased at the airport or most metro stations in one of the automated booths for 5 Euros). Then you go to the ticket window and purchase the pass (5 Euros) and load it with a week of credit. The pass is good for ten years, so if you return to Paris you can add more credit on it and go. Be sure to ask for a Navigo Decouverte, not just a “Navigo” pass. The “Navigo” pass is only for residents, whereas the Navigo Decouverte is for any adult. If you are traveling with children, you will need to buy them a child’s Paris Visite card.
http://parisbytrain.com/paris-train-metro-week-pass-navigo-decouverte/
If you plan to use public transport to and from the airport, and if you plan to visit Versailles, it is best to purchase the Navigo Decouverte that covers zones 1-5. Round trip to the airport (20 Euros) and to Versailles (12 Euros), and the pass is only 33 Euros.
The Paris Visite Card can be purchased for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. The price varies depending on how many zones you want. If you want it to cover Versailles and the airport, it is best to get zones 1-5.
http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21894/paris-visite/
Montmartre, my favorite area of Paris!
3. Pack a picnic lunch.
Eating out in Paris is expensive, especially for those who earn in dollars or other non-euro currencies. Stop at the local market to buy a fresh baguette, cheese, sandwich meat, fruit, and a bottle of water. Bring along a knife of some sort to slice the cheese and fruit. There are dozens of lovely places for a picnic in Paris!
My French friend Nathalie showed us around on our first evening in Paris. Yes, that’s the Cathedral of Notre Dame!
4. See the Louvre for free or for a discounted price.
The Louvre is free the first Sunday of the month. It is discounted for adults, and free for anyone under age 26 on Friday evenings after 6pm.
http://www.louvre.fr/en/hours-admission/admission#tabs
The Louvre (yes, it’s my photo)!
5. MUST SEE: Paris by night on a cruise on the River Seine!
Our eighteen year old daughter, Samantha, offered to babysit her seven year old brother, and we took her up on it! We arrived at Bateaux Mouches around 10:30pm (It doesn’t get dark until 10 pm in the summer). Paris by night is magical!! There was commentary in six languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. We got to see many of the places we hadn’t been able to see yet. In retrospect I would do the cruise at the beginning of our stay, because you cruise past amazing sights you could plan to go see in the following days.
http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/en
Paris by night!
6. Avoid Versailles on the weekends!
We didn’t, and it was horribly crowded. Take the RER train: it is a short, pleasant ten-minute walk to the palace from the train station. Once you arrive, divide and conquer, if you have two or more in your party. Send one person to stand in the massive line to buy tickets (or better yet, buy them online ahead of time, or at the ticket shop across from the train station). The other person can wait in the massive line to get into the palace.
The Hall of Mirrors!
7. HIDDEN GEM: Take a day trip to Chartres!
I am a Lonely Planet Guidebook junkie, but all it told me that was worth seeing was the magnificent 13th century cathedral. Wrong! Chartres is a lovely medieval city, perfect for strolling the quiet streets and it is oh-so photogenic. Go to the tourism office and ask for their free city map: it has an easy-to-follow walking tour. Discover more medieval churches, quaint houses with flower boxes, a canal, and more! Best of all, it wasn’t mobbed with tourists. We found a great place to eat with reasonable prices, right opposite the cathedral (thanks Lonely Planet). It is called Café Serpente.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Chartres
The lovely town of Chartres!
Enjoy your stay in this wonderful city!
Place du Tertre in Montmartre.
global nomad family 