Help me plan my Paris vacation
March 23, 2016 6:47 PM   Subscribe

I am going to Paris for six days in early May (super-excited - I was just fondling my passport this morning) and am looking for suggestions for interesting things to see and do.

This will be my second trip to Paris so I have already visited most of the famous, touristy stuff. For this trip I am interested in your off-the-beaten path, not-in-the-Rick-Steves-Guide type suggestions; anything from a restaurant to an obscure museum to a hidden park to neighborhood food market that was your favorite. Whatever you remember from your own trip I want to hear about (and if it's something you still dream about, then I totally want to hear about it).

I know a question like this somewhat revolves around the question "well, what do you like to do?" and my answer is pretty much everything. For example, on my first trip some of the highlights were finally meeting my spirit wife Sarah Bernhardt in Pere Lachaise, seeing the Vermeers in the Louvre and drinking a cafe au lait while waiting for laundry to finish next door when 30 or so teenage girls came in after school and completely took over the cafe (then started hand-rolling cigarettes).

Help me plan my Paris vacation. Help me paint the town rouge ;)
posted by codex99 to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (28 answers total) 35 users marked this as a favorite
 
I enjoyed visiting the Cimitière des Chiens just north of Paris, a pet cemetery full of cute and poignant monuments to dogs and cats past (and a few other critters). I went because my dog had just died, but I don't think that's necessary to appreciate the place!
posted by moonmilk at 7:20 PM on March 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


Le Musée de la musique. A bit off the usual tourist path, well worth a visit if you have any interest in the universe of musical instruments. Years ago its predecessor was in a funky old building more centrally located where you could handle and even play the instruments if you asked politely. The collection is now in a much larger space, more museum-like but very well arranged.
posted by Creosote at 7:21 PM on March 23, 2016


Best answer: If you haven't visited the Musée Jacquemart-André, make it a priority. It's in a late 19th-century mansion that was built by art lovers who rivaled the Louvre in their ability to buy top-notch art, and when Nelie Jacquemart died, she left it to the Institut de France, which has preserved it with their exquisite collection.

The nearby Musée Nissim de Camondo is also worth a visit: a beautiful tribute by a loving father to his son, who was killed in the first world war, made even more tragic by the fact that Nissim's sister and her family were later deported and died in Auschwitz.

Restaurants: where will you be, and how much do you consider a reasonable price to be? I am a big fan of Macéo, in the rue des Petits-Champs on the north end of the Palais Royal: they offer a refined experience at a reasonable price, and they have a real vegetarian (though not vegan) menu. A few other favorites: Les Allobroges (in the 20th), Le Cotte Rôti (in the 12th, rue de Cotte), Miel et Paprika (just up the street from Le Cotte Rôti), le Dôme du Marais (though it can be weird), Bouillon Racine (in the 6th, good traditional food in a beautiful Art Deco setting). But there are many others. If you want a top-notch (3-Michelin-star) meal at a reasonable (for the quality) price, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is worth it.

I've spent about four years, all told, in Paris, so if there's some kind of thing in particular that interests you, MeMail me and I'll see what comes to mind. And in terms of cultural events, including gallery exhibitions, museum exhibitions, concerts (many of which are free), and tours, check out PariScope and L'Officiel des Spectacles, both of which now have websites.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:25 PM on March 23, 2016 [6 favorites]


Ride the ferris wheel at the Foire de Trone and you will get some great pictures/views because it is a slow ride. The fair has free admission and the ride ticket was about 5 Euros. It is a bit like the midway at a state fair here in the US.
posted by soelo at 7:40 PM on March 23, 2016


Best answer: I went for the FIRST time in December, and I stumbled upon the Paris Greeters program before I went and signed up for a tour. This is a service that sets up one-on-one walking tours between you and an enthusiastic volunteer who just wants to show tourists something super-cool. You tell them what kind of stuff you're interested in and want to see and what days you want to take your tour, and one of the volunteers writes to you with a couple suggestions; you pick the one you want, you meet up and off you go.

I ended up walking around the suburb of Boulougne-Billancourt for a couple hours with a retired filmmaker in his 80's who was seriously into architecture, and at some point he snuck us into this private side street that was created by a bunch of millionaires in the 1940's who were all friends and all wanted to be neighbors, and also all wanted every one of their houses to be in a completely different design style. It was like a life-size architect's class showroom or something.

And it's all totally free. The web site itself asks for a donation of about ten bucks when you initially place your request to keep the web site running, but that's it. My guide even bought me coffee and a croissant when we were done.

Tell the Paris Greeters what you want to do and you'll probably find someone who's got an idea. (And if you want to meet with my guide, his name was Luc.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:58 PM on March 23, 2016 [26 favorites]


One of the highlights of our trip was the Musée des Arts Forains (Museum of Fairground Art) in the Bercy neighborhood. Even the Parisian guy whose Air B 'n B we stayed in didn't know about it. It's like falling down a rabbit hole and coming out in another world. You can't just wander through, though. You have to take a tour. But don't worry if the only tour available is in French. There are English descriptive cards, and you really don't have to understand much of the running commentary.

And seconding Paris Greeters. Our greeter showed us around the Marais, with plenty of strong political opinions thrown in. A wonderful chance to meet a real Parisian who is yours for a couple of hours.
posted by Joleta at 8:09 PM on March 23, 2016


Last visit, we tracked down this secret Champs Elysees garden and spent a little time there. It was lovely! (Link is from the Messy Nessy Chic series of posts called My Secret Paris--you might like looking through those.)

We also enjoyed a couple of free concerts at the bandstand in the Jardin du Luxembourg...Here's the link to the page with each month's musical schedule (it's the March schedule right now--check the link closer to when you go).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:13 PM on March 23, 2016


My friend runs Cool Stuff in Paris with the subtitle "a guide to the weird and lesser-known" so it sounds like exactly what you need. I know it was helpful on my most recent trip.
posted by komara at 8:29 PM on March 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


My Parisienne friend took me to the massive flea market on the north end of the city, which I loved. It's a completely different experience from tourist Paris: loud, chaotic, etc. But it's also incredibly diverse and gives you a view into the huge immigrant communities in the Paris suburbs. There's also an excellent antiques/vintage area where I bought lots of little things as gifts and souvenirs.

Apparently pick pocketing is a problem there, though, so leave the passport in your room and keep your wallet close.
posted by lunasol at 9:08 PM on March 23, 2016 [2 favorites]


Tea at the Grand Mosque?
posted by praemunire at 9:47 PM on March 23, 2016 [4 favorites]


The catacombs! I didn't go when I went to Paris and I regret it every time I think about it.
posted by Georgia Is All Out Of Smokes at 10:37 PM on March 23, 2016 [4 favorites]


I had a really great dinner at Le Gorille Blanc, which is near the Place de la Bastille.

If you like craft beer, Le Supercoin (a bar) and La Cave à Bulles (a shop) are the essentials.
posted by neushoorn at 1:05 AM on March 24, 2016


I was very impressed with the restaurant l'ami jean. Great French cuisine, as in michelin star quality, but with a friendly atmosphere. We had I think a 7 course lunch tasting menu for like 60€ a head. You do need to book like a week ahead though.
posted by cotterpin at 1:39 AM on March 24, 2016


Doubling down on the tea at the Grand Mosque - my mum and I were staying two blocks away and we did tea the night before we left - it was the perfect way to finish our trip.
posted by chronic sublime at 2:59 AM on March 24, 2016


Seconding the catacombs.
posted by mbarryf at 5:54 AM on March 24, 2016


I enjoyed looking for these little fellows. They are in other cities but the highest concentration is in Paris, and there are likely to be a few anywhere in the city you go.
posted by nat at 5:59 AM on March 24, 2016


The Paris Sewer Museum was one of the high points of my trip! Yes, it's in a sewer and smells as such, but it's a fascinating overview of the growth of Paris from a Roman town of 1,000 to what it is today, told through the story of getting fresh water in for its people and getting waste water out (and reclaiming it). Fascinating stuff!
posted by ejs at 7:10 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


David Lebovitz is one of my favorite food bloggers and his website is a treasure trove of Paris recs. You might check his list of flea markets and thrift stores, the entire travel tips category, and he has a Paris Pastry Guide app.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:52 AM on March 24, 2016 [3 favorites]


Last time I was in Paris, I wanted to try the Ballon Generali, a tethered helium balloon, but the weather didn't agree. Next time it'll definitely be on our list again. It looks thrilling.

ETA: Another thing on my list for our next trip are the street art walking tours, of which I've heard good things.
posted by sively at 8:03 AM on March 24, 2016


I always point people to the Musée des Arts et Métiers -- a museum of the history of science & industrial design. Early flying machines, calculators, & cameras, Lavoisier’s chemistry set, Foucault’s pendulum, suspension bridges, looms, all sorts of machines... all explained well and gorgeously laid out in an old abbey. If you’re at all scientifically inclined (or if you’ve ever let your gaze linger on anything remotely steampunk), it’s just the best.
posted by miles per flower at 8:22 AM on March 24, 2016 [8 favorites]


I enjoyed the Curie Museum.
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:28 AM on March 24, 2016


I would recommend Pomze restaurant, on Hausmann in the 8th. Small, charming, casual but very polished (and fairly reasonably priced). The concept is basically everything apples; each dish has apples incorporated in some way. It may sound a bit gimmicky, but they're remarkably inventive with their menu, and you never get a sense of apple-overload. Bookend your meal with some apple cider to start and some calvados at the end, and it's a very memorable experience. They have a small store downstairs that sells the cider and other apple products as well. It's been a few years since I've been there, but by all indications they've maintained their standards; just googling it now I see that the Michelin Guide gave it a "Bib Gourmand" for excellent value.
posted by Kabanos at 11:50 AM on March 24, 2016


I went to an open air market, can't remember the details as it was years ago, but it was really fun.
posted by theora55 at 12:40 PM on March 24, 2016


The Museum of Nature and Hunting/Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature is a delightfully bonkers museum of taxidermied animals and hunting weapons. If you enjoy the aesthetic of Hannibal, you'll want to check this place out. To continue the theme, visit the Deyrolle taxidermy shop.

Be sure to get some ice cream from Berthillon on the Ile Saint-Louis.
posted by Rora at 5:36 PM on March 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


L'Institut du Monde Arabe
Make a day trip to Meaux and see Le Musee de la Grand Guerre.
posted by brujita at 10:57 PM on March 24, 2016


Seconding Arts et Métiers. We had it nearly to ourselves and it was truly delightful.
posted by donnagirl at 2:58 AM on March 25, 2016


Response by poster: Everyone:

I just wanted to thank you for your recommendations. This is exactly the list I was hoping for. Aside from Arts et Métiers (which I found very interesting and which has the best subway station I've ever seen), all of your suggestions are things I didn't do last time or didn't even know existed. I have a lot of new trip planning to do. So again thanks -- you guys are awesome!
posted by codex99 at 4:55 AM on March 25, 2016


Many of my favorites have already been mentioned, but a few more:

A l’Etoile d’Or for chocolates. And Jacques Genin for chocolates and caramels. (I went to the Rue de Turenne branch.)

If you like cats, Le Café des Chats is a nice place for lunch or just a cup of tea. I went to the Bastille branch. It was nicest in the off hours when it wasn't as crowded.

I liked seeing the replica Statue of Liberty at Pont de Grenelle as well as the two others. (I saw the one at the Musée d'Orsay when it was still in the Jardin du Luxembourg.)

Les Enfants du Monde at Parc de Bercy were fun to see, although some had graffiti on them. That may have been removed by now.

Musée Guimet is great for Asian art. And the first floor of the Cité de l'architecture and du patrimoine was fascinating to me.
posted by jeri at 6:47 PM on March 26, 2016


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