2.5 months in Paris--what to see?
April 20, 2011 2:27 PM Subscribe
I'm going to be moving to Paris for 2.5 months, what should I do while I'm there?
Starting in May, I'm going to be living in Paris for 2.5 months, and while I'd there, I'd like to make sure I take the time to really get to know the city and also get to see other parts of France as well. Since I'm going to be working while I'm there, if I want to take trips elsewhere, I'm limited to the weekends (though I might end up taking a week off to travel).
I've been to Paris once before, for a few days, and I saw the typical tourist stuff like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. I was also in Strasbourg for a day. I'd really like to go to Normandy, mostly to see the D-Day beaches, and since I'll be in France on D-Day, I was thinking it might be cool to go then. I'm also not opposed to taking trips outside France, but since I haven't spent much time in France before, it'd be nice to take the time to explore there.
So, if you had 2.5 months in Paris, what would you do? Some more info about me: I'm male, 23 years old, and I don't speak any French (though I'd like to learn!).
Also, though it's not really within the scope of this question, I'm still trying to find somewhere to stay, so if you have any suggestions, that'd be great as well :).
Starting in May, I'm going to be living in Paris for 2.5 months, and while I'd there, I'd like to make sure I take the time to really get to know the city and also get to see other parts of France as well. Since I'm going to be working while I'm there, if I want to take trips elsewhere, I'm limited to the weekends (though I might end up taking a week off to travel).
I've been to Paris once before, for a few days, and I saw the typical tourist stuff like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. I was also in Strasbourg for a day. I'd really like to go to Normandy, mostly to see the D-Day beaches, and since I'll be in France on D-Day, I was thinking it might be cool to go then. I'm also not opposed to taking trips outside France, but since I haven't spent much time in France before, it'd be nice to take the time to explore there.
So, if you had 2.5 months in Paris, what would you do? Some more info about me: I'm male, 23 years old, and I don't speak any French (though I'd like to learn!).
Also, though it's not really within the scope of this question, I'm still trying to find somewhere to stay, so if you have any suggestions, that'd be great as well :).
I've lived in Paris for over a year, but am not as into seeing things as meeting people, so I might not be the best person to answer answer the "what to do" part of your question. However, as far as socialization goes, I suggest joining meetup.com: there are several active communities here where your lack of French won't be a problem.
As for places to live, are you a student or researcher? If so, I suggest applying to live at the Cité U. I currently live there, so if you have any questions about the place feel free to MeMail me.
posted by Dr. Eigenvariable at 2:46 PM on April 20, 2011
As for places to live, are you a student or researcher? If so, I suggest applying to live at the Cité U. I currently live there, so if you have any questions about the place feel free to MeMail me.
posted by Dr. Eigenvariable at 2:46 PM on April 20, 2011
These are some of my favorite places I went to when I was a 24-year-old male in Paris:
Centre Pompidou
Rodin Museum
Picasso Museum
La Défense (outlandish financial district full of eye candy on the outskirts of Paris; here are my photos of it)
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Parc André Citroën
Jardin Atlantique
Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris Mosque
posted by John Cohen at 2:49 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Centre Pompidou
Rodin Museum
Picasso Museum
La Défense (outlandish financial district full of eye candy on the outskirts of Paris; here are my photos of it)
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Parc André Citroën
Jardin Atlantique
Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris Mosque
posted by John Cohen at 2:49 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I would seriously make the effort to make some new french friends while living there, and get to know what it's like to just "live" in France for a while. Experiencing the local scene is my absolute favorite way of enjoying any new place.
Besides the Mefi meetups, Couchsurfing is a good organization to get yourself hooked up with, in any case - whether to meet other Parisians, other people touring through France, or to find yourself some folks to meet up with/crash at their pad in another city somewhere.
posted by lizbunny at 3:17 PM on April 20, 2011
Besides the Mefi meetups, Couchsurfing is a good organization to get yourself hooked up with, in any case - whether to meet other Parisians, other people touring through France, or to find yourself some folks to meet up with/crash at their pad in another city somewhere.
posted by lizbunny at 3:17 PM on April 20, 2011
I spent three months in Paris in 2006, and another.. four? weeks in 2007. I put a lot of notes on my blog: 2006, 2007. There's a lot of notes on restaurants which may or may not be interesting, but also other impressions and good trips.
By far my favourite thing in Paris itself was walking. Lots and lots of walking. With a camera, which is useful in getting you to slow down and really look at things, but the experiences were more important to me than the photos. I particularly fell in love with the street art, there's a lot of beautiful art on the walls if you stop and look.
Paris is a completely modern and easy city to navigate, even if you speak no French. Learn some French. A few everyday things seemed complicated at first: doing laundry, going grocery shopping, getting a haircut. If you know local folks invite them to show you how to get those everyday things done, it's more fun that way.
Two touristy things I can recommend.. Paris Walks, for casual and intelligent guided walking tours. All sorts of tour options and very low key, go when you have time and it looks interesting. And for an excursion from Paris I definitely recommend Chartres. The centerpiece is the cathedral, which is phenomenal, particularly if you take the Malcolm Miller tour or buy a guidebook to the stained glass. But the town of Chartres itself is lovely and just far enough from Paris to feel remote without being very difficult or expensive to get to.
Finding a place to live is not entirely simple. A lot depends on budget. Definitely stay within the peripherique unless you are really tight on cash. Inside the peripherique the Metro works so well that unless you're in some very remote area, getting around will be easy.
posted by Nelson at 3:25 PM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
By far my favourite thing in Paris itself was walking. Lots and lots of walking. With a camera, which is useful in getting you to slow down and really look at things, but the experiences were more important to me than the photos. I particularly fell in love with the street art, there's a lot of beautiful art on the walls if you stop and look.
Paris is a completely modern and easy city to navigate, even if you speak no French. Learn some French. A few everyday things seemed complicated at first: doing laundry, going grocery shopping, getting a haircut. If you know local folks invite them to show you how to get those everyday things done, it's more fun that way.
Two touristy things I can recommend.. Paris Walks, for casual and intelligent guided walking tours. All sorts of tour options and very low key, go when you have time and it looks interesting. And for an excursion from Paris I definitely recommend Chartres. The centerpiece is the cathedral, which is phenomenal, particularly if you take the Malcolm Miller tour or buy a guidebook to the stained glass. But the town of Chartres itself is lovely and just far enough from Paris to feel remote without being very difficult or expensive to get to.
Finding a place to live is not entirely simple. A lot depends on budget. Definitely stay within the peripherique unless you are really tight on cash. Inside the peripherique the Metro works so well that unless you're in some very remote area, getting around will be easy.
posted by Nelson at 3:25 PM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
If you're a foodie, some of the best chocolate, pastry, and bread shops in the world are in Paris (and cheese, etc.). And it's very good for walking, as others have noted. So if I were you, I'd find out where some of these places are, and any time I had a spare hour, hour and a half, I'd walk to one, and sample what they sell. You'd see great stuff during your walk, visit neighborhoods you wouldn't otherwise, and have amazing food.
I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head. but I keep seeing foodie blogs that suggest great Parisian stores. As I'm not going to Paris any time soon, I've not bothered to remember the specific stores.
[And if you're not into food, there are pen stores, stationary stores, leather goods, watch stores, etc., etc.]
posted by benito.strauss at 4:33 PM on April 20, 2011
I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head. but I keep seeing foodie blogs that suggest great Parisian stores. As I'm not going to Paris any time soon, I've not bothered to remember the specific stores.
[And if you're not into food, there are pen stores, stationary stores, leather goods, watch stores, etc., etc.]
posted by benito.strauss at 4:33 PM on April 20, 2011
I'm in my last two weeks of four months in Paris. All the above suggestions are good, but I want to second Père Lachaise and the Rodin Museum. Both should not be missed, I think.
The Louvre and Orsay are givens, but make sure you're checking their exposition schedules too! The Louvre starts a Rembrandt expo tomorrow, and the Orsay has a Manet show for the next month or two. The Pompidou, too, if that's your cup of tea.
Sainte-Chapelle, on Ile de la Cité, is magnificent. Wait until a sunny day, and wait through the line--it's worth it. Chartres and Rouen are both awesome, too. You will see Notre-Dame Cathedral, of course, but the more time you spend in and around it, the better.
On a clear night, go up to Montmartre (try to take back roads and staircases; more fun) and sip on some wine looking out from Sacre-Coeur. The view from the Tour Montparnasse is also nice, though it costs money.
Versailles is, of course, worth a trip and is easy to reach from the city. Try to go on a Tuesday morning, or sometime when the crowds are (relatively) low.
If you take a weekend to go up to Normandy (the American cemetery is right on the beach, and one of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful places I've ever been), it's worth heading over to towns like Cancale and Saint-Malo, too. You can hit Mont Saint-Michel on the way, but personally, I was underwhelmed with it. Allocate about three hours for MSM and be on your way.
Feel free to MeMail me with any more questions, too.
posted by Comic Sans-Culotte at 5:06 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Louvre and Orsay are givens, but make sure you're checking their exposition schedules too! The Louvre starts a Rembrandt expo tomorrow, and the Orsay has a Manet show for the next month or two. The Pompidou, too, if that's your cup of tea.
Sainte-Chapelle, on Ile de la Cité, is magnificent. Wait until a sunny day, and wait through the line--it's worth it. Chartres and Rouen are both awesome, too. You will see Notre-Dame Cathedral, of course, but the more time you spend in and around it, the better.
On a clear night, go up to Montmartre (try to take back roads and staircases; more fun) and sip on some wine looking out from Sacre-Coeur. The view from the Tour Montparnasse is also nice, though it costs money.
Versailles is, of course, worth a trip and is easy to reach from the city. Try to go on a Tuesday morning, or sometime when the crowds are (relatively) low.
If you take a weekend to go up to Normandy (the American cemetery is right on the beach, and one of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful places I've ever been), it's worth heading over to towns like Cancale and Saint-Malo, too. You can hit Mont Saint-Michel on the way, but personally, I was underwhelmed with it. Allocate about three hours for MSM and be on your way.
Feel free to MeMail me with any more questions, too.
posted by Comic Sans-Culotte at 5:06 PM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wikipedia:
In psychogeography, a dérive is an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually urban, where an individual travels where the subtle aesthetic contours of the surrounding architecture and geography subconsciously direct them with the ultimate goal of encountering an entirely new and authentic experience. Situationist theorist Guy Debord defines the dérive as "a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances." He also notes that "the term also designates a specific uninterrupted period of dériving." The term is literally translated into English as drift.
posted by ovvl at 6:27 PM on April 20, 2011
In psychogeography, a dérive is an unplanned journey through a landscape, usually urban, where an individual travels where the subtle aesthetic contours of the surrounding architecture and geography subconsciously direct them with the ultimate goal of encountering an entirely new and authentic experience. Situationist theorist Guy Debord defines the dérive as "a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances." He also notes that "the term also designates a specific uninterrupted period of dériving." The term is literally translated into English as drift.
posted by ovvl at 6:27 PM on April 20, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your answers so far, this is very helpful! I really wish I could make the meetup, but unfortunately, I'll be arriving a day late :(
posted by deansfurniture5 at 6:47 PM on April 20, 2011
posted by deansfurniture5 at 6:47 PM on April 20, 2011
I lived in Paris for 6mos, years ago. I loved perusing museums (I've been to nearly all that were mentioned above) and just doing the french thing by sitting at a cafe reading, people-watching, drinking coffee or wine (often in between activities) and sneering at tourists.
This link is awful but I wandered into this madness: Paris Music Festival. I made fast friends, squashed up against strangers in the metro (what a mess!), and enjoyed the wine and music. Coincidentally, I also sat on a bench towards the end of the day waiting for a bus to get home on a peripheral street and was suddenly surrounded by 250 roller skaters as they passed by, but I digress.
Another silly thing that I remember, there is a cafe on the roof of the Printemps. Well it used to be a cafe. i think it's fancy spot now, but check it out. Nice view and different view of the city.
Paris is awesome. I'm jealous.
posted by getmetoSF at 8:13 PM on April 20, 2011
This link is awful but I wandered into this madness: Paris Music Festival. I made fast friends, squashed up against strangers in the metro (what a mess!), and enjoyed the wine and music. Coincidentally, I also sat on a bench towards the end of the day waiting for a bus to get home on a peripheral street and was suddenly surrounded by 250 roller skaters as they passed by, but I digress.
Another silly thing that I remember, there is a cafe on the roof of the Printemps. Well it used to be a cafe. i think it's fancy spot now, but check it out. Nice view and different view of the city.
Paris is awesome. I'm jealous.
posted by getmetoSF at 8:13 PM on April 20, 2011
Enjoy a bottle of wine on the banks of the Seine at night.
posted by j03 at 10:38 PM on April 20, 2011
posted by j03 at 10:38 PM on April 20, 2011
If you go to the d-day beaches, take a friend and a car. It will be so much cheaper and a better experience.
posted by raccoon409 at 10:47 PM on April 20, 2011
posted by raccoon409 at 10:47 PM on April 20, 2011
Rather than checking off a list of tourist sites, if you really want to get a feel for the city, focus on visiting neighborhoods. Plan on walking a lot, or use the Vélib (rental bike) system to get from place to place. Here are a few of my favorites:
St. Michel - Lots of shops including the fabulous Gibert Joseph bookstore; the Cluny Museum; the Sorbonne and its student population; the Luxembourg Gardens, where you can put your feet up on a green metal chair and watch the Parisian world go by.
Le Marais - There's chic, there's gay, there's orthodox Jew...felafel at l'As du Felafel or bagels at Korcarz on the rue des Rosiers; tea at Marriage Frères; a sit-down in the Place des Vosges; strolling anywhere between rue de Rivoli to the south, rue de Turenne to the east, rue des Francs Bourgeois to the north and rue Beaubourg to the west.
Belleville - My favorite. There's a mini-Chinatown on the rue de Belleville; excellent and funky bars, cafés and restaurants around métro Pyrenées and Jourdain (Café Chéri, la Bellevilloise, les Folies, le P'tit Bouquet, le Café des 3 Arts with its Sunday afternoon jazz jam session); picnic in the Butte Chaumont, or have a drink at the Rosa Bonheur; the gorgeous and little-known view of the Eiffel Tower at the top of rue Piat (have a drink la Mer à Boire); rue Ménilmontant.
Paris is a collection of great neighborhoods. Here are some more ideas from other MeFites. Enjoy your stay!
posted by Paris Elk at 2:20 AM on April 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
St. Michel - Lots of shops including the fabulous Gibert Joseph bookstore; the Cluny Museum; the Sorbonne and its student population; the Luxembourg Gardens, where you can put your feet up on a green metal chair and watch the Parisian world go by.
Le Marais - There's chic, there's gay, there's orthodox Jew...felafel at l'As du Felafel or bagels at Korcarz on the rue des Rosiers; tea at Marriage Frères; a sit-down in the Place des Vosges; strolling anywhere between rue de Rivoli to the south, rue de Turenne to the east, rue des Francs Bourgeois to the north and rue Beaubourg to the west.
Belleville - My favorite. There's a mini-Chinatown on the rue de Belleville; excellent and funky bars, cafés and restaurants around métro Pyrenées and Jourdain (Café Chéri, la Bellevilloise, les Folies, le P'tit Bouquet, le Café des 3 Arts with its Sunday afternoon jazz jam session); picnic in the Butte Chaumont, or have a drink at the Rosa Bonheur; the gorgeous and little-known view of the Eiffel Tower at the top of rue Piat (have a drink la Mer à Boire); rue Ménilmontant.
Paris is a collection of great neighborhoods. Here are some more ideas from other MeFites. Enjoy your stay!
posted by Paris Elk at 2:20 AM on April 21, 2011 [4 favorites]
If you like classical music, Sainte-Chapelle has regular concerts at night when the whole chapel lights up like a box of jewels. I saw Vivaldi's Four Seasons, which was lovely. (I also managed to see Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers in Notre Dame - so keep your eyes peeled for concert opportunities which will probably be posted in or around the venue.)
Take a little trip out to Chartre to see the cathedral there.
Whistler's mother hangs in the Orsay, unless she's traveling (and she's HUGE).
The Rodin Museum. Don't think. Just do it.
Also, if you're headed out to Normandy, don't miss Mt. St. Michel. And do yourself a favor by staying a night at Roche Torin Manor. Drink a little calvados, eat a little salt grass lamb, and enjoy the best view of the island monastery you can get.
posted by jph at 8:02 AM on April 21, 2011
Take a little trip out to Chartre to see the cathedral there.
Whistler's mother hangs in the Orsay, unless she's traveling (and she's HUGE).
The Rodin Museum. Don't think. Just do it.
Also, if you're headed out to Normandy, don't miss Mt. St. Michel. And do yourself a favor by staying a night at Roche Torin Manor. Drink a little calvados, eat a little salt grass lamb, and enjoy the best view of the island monastery you can get.
posted by jph at 8:02 AM on April 21, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
We're planning a meet-up already to welcome you
There are a lot of good weekend destinations from Paris, but be warned that during the summer everyone leaves Paris on Fridays; the train stations are mobbed and the ticket prices are jacked up. You might even consider buying your weekend tickets now to get a better rate.
Places to go for the weekend: Rennes, St Malo/Mont St Michel, Lyon, Brugges/Ghent (Belgium), Rouen, and Etretat are among my favorites.
Places to go for the day (and not subject to wild price changes): Versailles (castle), Fountainbleau (castle), Giverny (Monet's house), Eurodisney (if you are into that)
As far as Normandy, I hear that D-Day itself isn't that big of a thing anymore unless it is a big even number celebration. Also, it's much easier to do by renting a car.
posted by whatzit at 2:43 PM on April 20, 2011