Paris Vacation

November 14, 2006 3:40 PM

Will be in Paris for 3days

I will be in Paris for 3days for a 1day business meeting.
I've never been to Europe... and There are just too much info on the net regarding paris...

I just want a quick and dirty info on what i should do for those three days...

I will be arring to CDG airport and the meeting is in Versailles on the last day....

I am an American in his thirties...

I am not too in to sightseeing... nor run around trying to see everything.... .... although I would like to experience a nice street cafe with my morning coffee in somewhere Paris... (sort a like the movies)
Maybe a museam....

I need to know if i would need a rental car or is taxi cab do the job in Paris...? Of course I don't speak any French... I just want a nice easy vacation out of this occation....

Hotels? $100 a day I can manage....
How much Franc or dollar in CASH do I need?

The office tells me take a cab from CDG to Versilles.... Is that possible..?

posted by curiousleo to Travel & Transportation around Paris, France (19 answers total)

If you visit a museum, I might recommend Musee D'Orsay or the Pompidou Centre over the Louvre...unless you know what you want to see in the Louvre, have a guide, or have a couple weeks, it can be a little overwhelming.
posted by johnsmith415 at 3:47 PM on November 14, 2006

How much Franc or dollar in CASH do I need?

Well, for a start, you'll be in real trouble if you turn up with a pocket full of francs. They changed to the Euro (€) almost 7 years ago.
posted by afx237vi at 3:58 PM on November 14, 2006

Search on here, this exact question (limited time in Paris, what do I see?) has been asked a few times and there is plenty of info besides.

Cafe de Flore is one of the most famous cafes in Paris. Other famous cafes are La Rotonde, Le Select, Le Deux Magots, Le Dome. Check google for those..they are all fantastic in their own way.
posted by fire&wings at 4:07 PM on November 14, 2006

Picasso Museum is great and there are lots of nice cafes in the area around it. Learn some basic phrases before you go - in my experience, making no effort at all to speak the language doesn't go down too well in France...
posted by janecr at 4:32 PM on November 14, 2006

Take a Bateau Mouche (sightseeing riverboat) for a tour of the city by water at night.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:32 PM on November 14, 2006

Taking a cab is up to you but the RER trains run from CDG airport into Paris and from Paris to Versailles and are much cheaper. You'll find cafes anywhere you go. I can't suggest a hotel but those are plentiful and most of Paris is easily accessible by walking or the Metro so you don't necessarily need to confine yourself to any one area.

I agree that the Louvre could be very overwhelming for a short trip but the Musee D'Orsay is a nice few hours and is right on the bank of the river with lots of things to see around it.
posted by marylynn at 4:44 PM on November 14, 2006

A great guide to food, dining and market options can be found on the food blog Chocolate and Zucchini
posted by rosebengal at 4:55 PM on November 14, 2006

You'll never do the Louvre in a day, but if you read up ahead of time you can still see the bits that interest you the most.

The Orsay is nice if you don't mind being absolutely bludgeoned by impressionist painting.

The Musee National du Moyene Age (National Museum of the Middle Ages) is a very charming smaller museum between Rue Saint-Michel and Rue Saint-Jacques, right near the river. Built over a Roman bath.

The Pantheon is very interesting- you can see Foucault's pendulum and the spots where they filled in the bullet holes after 1871.

I would strongly advise taking a walk through le Marais on the right bank, to see a Part of Paris that Hausmann never got to. Try la Rue des Francs-Bourgeois.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:01 PM on November 14, 2006

go to place des vosges and around there, e.g., rue saint antoine. the whole area over there is very nice. many nice places to get coffee and breakfast.

also, do not miss Rue Mouffetard.

also, be sure to check out the pantheon and surrounding area.
posted by milarepa at 5:35 PM on November 14, 2006

The cafes mentioned by fire&wings are of course, wonderful - if you are at all literary, a stop at Cafe Flore or Les Deux Magots would be a nice idea, as they were each favorites of many famous writers. However, they are also, consequently, rather expensive, especially if you sit at a table instead of standing at the counter, and still more if the table is outside. Luckily, good cafes are pretty much everywhere. (I enjoyed a couple of visits to Cafe Hugo in the corner of the Place des Vosges.)

I also stress the learning of some basic phrases. It makes a massive difference. Particularly when attempting to experience less-touristy areas.

You might have a look at Rick Steves' Paris guidebook. It did me a world of good. (Ignore that one foolish Amazon.com reviewer on that link - I swear they don't know what they're talking about. Instead read the reviews of the previous edition.) It lists lots of hotels for right around $100 a night in several nice areas of the city. Also good restaurants, cafes, etc. And he has write-ups of several different walking tours, which I found helped me the most, because he's got all the details written out there in the book along with maps, so you don't need a tour guide or anything. Probably the best is one that starts with Notre Dame, includes a bit of the left bank, and Sainte Chapelle - this is the real "heart" of the city - from that area you'll also see many other famous landmarks are nearby. That tour, plus the Eiffel Tower and the Arc du Triomphe, I think, would be a really good basic list of sights for a short first-time stay.

Everyone's also right that the Louvre is insanely huge - really, I thought I understood that before I got there but it still blew my mind, the sheer mass of great stuff that's accumulated there. But the Steves book has a decent tour written up in it that can get you through the highlights in just a couple of hours, as long as you don't let yourself get distracted by everything else. (This is another reason I recommend his book - his museum write-ups save you the expense of renting audio tours, and also provide descriptions of the important pieces so you don't need to read the French-only signs next to them.)

I don't know what your taste in art might be, but another good small museum is the Rodin Museum. Particularly good if you've never seen his sculptures in person before - photos can't do them justice.

For transport - I took the RER train into the city from CDG airport. It was fine but as you say it's your first time in Europe and you don't really speak French I think you might go with something else, as you might find it a tad confusing after the long tiring flight. To get back to CDG I took a shuttle bus operated by Air France that leaves from, if I remember right, the Gare de Lyon train station. It was less expensive than a cab, more comfy and less stressful than the RER train.
posted by dnash at 5:43 PM on November 14, 2006

For a museum, definitely either the Centre Pompidou (if you like modern art) or the Musee d'Orsay (if you like older stuff). Cafes are everywhere; just pick one and it'll be great. The Metro is really easy and intuitive. I would check out the Montmartre district, which is a nice area to just walk around in.
posted by The Michael The at 6:49 PM on November 14, 2006

Was just there a month ago.
Louvre is (very!) big, full of tourists. But worth seeing (esp. Napoleon's Apartments)
Eiffel tower is cool, but once again full of tourists (unless seeing it at 5 in the morning, which is what I did)
Sainte-Chappelle is cool, doesn't take long to see/appreciate, and has fewer people.
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is pretty awesome (if you're into that sort of thing), and has very few visitors.
The Chateu at Versailles (about 45 min train ride out of Paris) has beautiful grounds, although the building itself is under renovations right now (hard to take nice pictures when there are cranes and workmen everywhere).
Notre Dame is amazing, and has free entry (although I think it cost you to climb upstairs).
I found the most enjoyment just walking around, enjoying the architecture.
It's not a huge city (well, not the inner part, at least), so you can get around a lot by foot. Otherwise, the metro is dead easy. Just get a carnet or 10 tickets (cost about 10 euro), and each one will cover you for a single trip from any point in the inner city, to any other point.
The food is good fucking awesome almost everywhere (especially the bread). I recommend eating out in the Latin Quarter at least once.
If you're going to learn anything, learn "Je voudrais..." (I would like...), and remember to end your sentences with "s'il vous plait". That way, you can go to any cafe and pretty much order anything you like, provided you can pronounce the french word on the menu (and failing that, you can always point), without really needing to ask them if they speak english (which they do, but are much nicer when you at least TRY to speak French).
3 days, 150 euros would cover you comfortably (I lasted a week on 200).

You'll love it there.
posted by kisch mokusch at 7:56 PM on November 14, 2006

Oh, didn't answer your question about hotels: Nice, 3-star hotels cost about 60-70 euro a night, which is pretty much $US100.
I stayed at the Hôtel Aladin, which was more than adequate.
(the 150 euro I mentioned above was spending money ;-)
posted by kisch mokusch at 8:01 PM on November 14, 2006

I lived in as an American in Paris for a year, so here's my (10-year outdated) 2 cents.

If your meeting is in Versailles and you have the time, you should definitely do a tour of the place: I remember that when I went, there were a bunch of Americans saying, "Ohmygawd, it's so beautiful!" and all I could think of was, "This is why the Revolution started". It's stunning in a really wierd way.

Are you staying in Versailles? (Your question about a cab sounds like it.) If so, from the airport I would definitely take the Metro and then the RER. I usually take a cab from CDG to Paris proper, but going to Versailles in a cab would probably cost you at least $100. If you have a choice of staying in Paris proper or Versailles, the former will be more expensive but more fun; the latter cheaper and, well, cheaper. As other posters have said, it's extremely easy to get to the Versailles business district from Paris via the RER.

Don't bother trying to "do" Paris in a couple days; I was there for a long time and never even made it to the Eiffel Tower. So, not knowing you, I would suggest just walking around (the architecture is fantastic, the storefronts are beautiful); going to the Marche de Puces (the oldest flea market in the world; don't have a good link right now) which has everything--I mean EVERYTHING--you could possibly be interested in. And it's on the last stop of the Metro. And the Bastille district is freaking fun!! Tons of crazy shops/bars/restos.

Oh, and food food food! Besides the usual suspects, definitely get some good couscous if you can (check out Zagat's Paris guide).

Have a great time!
posted by sfkiddo at 8:01 PM on November 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

Just go for a walk. Seriously. It's the best thing you can do in Paris. If you want a bit of guidance, check out this walking tour of Marais.
posted by jaysus chris at 12:22 AM on November 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

Depending on the weather, you might try to get on to a segway tour. If you're geeky enough to post questions on AskMeFi, you're geeky enough to enjoy it.
I've done it twice, and it was hilariously fun both times.
posted by Kreiger at 5:29 AM on November 15, 2006

I was in Paris last week, my taxi from Charles de Gaulle airport to the centre of the city took about 30 mins (at 5pm on a sunday) and cost 50 euro. I did use the metro a lot in my time there though, despite being initially clueless, its incredibly easy to get around. I used a few taxis late at night also, and never had any problems with those.

I'll second the Rue Mouffetard as a great place to stroll through. Its featured (briefly) in the movie Amelie if you want a look. Its also been recommended in nearly all the Paris threads here on Ask.

I'll also second the Musee D'Orsay, especially for a shorter trip, as it wont take you a full day or more like the (albeit excellent) Louvre would.

If you're strolling around the Latin quarter or Montmarte you'll be spoiled for choice for cafe's to watch the world go by. Have fun.
posted by kev23f at 5:33 AM on November 15, 2006

Another nth for other museums over the Louvre. I've done the 3 days or less in Paris thing twice, and each time we bailed on the Louvre because the lines just to get in were so long -- a waste when time is at a premium. The Musee d'Orsay is a great substitute, in my opinion (and others' here).

Paris is meant to be experienced on foot, without any plans. Walk around, look at stuff, grab a bite here and there, and just be in Paris.
posted by penchant at 7:56 AM on November 15, 2006

just a quick update on the louvre here - when i was there (twice) last week there were next to no lines, so it being winter and all you could be in luck with regards to queues of tourists if and when you go.

(i also saw a segway tour, they do look like great fun, looked very surreal seeing 12 of them bombing towards the Arc d'Triomphe - almost like a Far Side cartoon.)

And just to second penchant above, some of my best days there were the totally unplanned ones, where we just walked about at random.
posted by kev23f at 8:48 AM on November 15, 2006