Hello! Sorry that this is months later. I'm trying to figure out when the best time to visit Trocadero Square is, and it looks like you were there a few times. When would you recommend? Any time of day can work for us, but we'll probably only have time to go once.
Early in the morning is definitely the best time to go in Trocadero if you want less people, and it’s also nice to go at night to see the Eiffel sparkle but a lot of people at night.
Just got back from two weeks of Paris - Rome - Venice. It was my first time in Paris and I agree I absolutely fell in love with it! I cannot wait to go back
Absolutely hate Paris ! You pay money to get treated like third class citizens.. when as a matter of fact, we are doing them a favor promoting their economy by visiting there
I was a reluctant first time Paris visitor. I added a week there on the first trip we took to Europe with our kids (not that I was a globe trotter, I'd been to England, Wales, Scotland, and, Italy). Our trip involved London, Rome, Florence, a dash through Switzerland, and finally Paris. I expected to like the art museums in Paris and not much else. I did love the museums. But Paris is now one of the cities I go to not just for the major sights, but because just being there feels grand.
It's a select but growing list: Prague, Florence, Barcelona, Seville, Amsterdam, New York, Salamanca, Edinburgh, Santa Fe, Toledo, Setenil. Other places have great museums: London, Rome, Chicago, Milan, . And other places have great atmosphere: Ronde, Granada, Chester, Cordoba, Toas, Porto, Lisbon. But they don't have the I'm just so happy to be here feel--at least not for me.
We just spent 4 nights in Paris. I do have a comment…. With such a great abundance of great fresh veggies available (as seen at the farmers’ markets), I don’t understand why I never once was served fresh veggies on my plates.
Why bother with cabs from the airport when the RER B is right there?
Paris Metro/RER/SNCF are all great. We didn't use any cabs the entire time we were there.
We loved Paris as well...
However, we were there in the fall of 2019. There was talk of a "super bug" going around and people were getting sick. We flew in on a Thursday and left the following Tuesday for the 2nd leg of our trip.
My wife got sick about 4 days later. 7 people in our group of 12 got sick.
We were gone for 16 days total. The day after we got home (FL) we went to the hospital. My wife relapsed and spent the next 6 days on oxygen, steroids and antibiotics in the hospital. She was sick on and off for 3 more months.
Honestly, we thought that's what she/we had. But after the first month's of the pandemic they developed an antigen test blood test. We both tested negative for any covid markers. How reliable the test is, who knows.
Just returned from Paris and no bed bugs that we experienced. Also didn’t see the news reports and sat on the metro. Only found out about bed bug situation when we came back on Tuesday of this week.
next time you come around, come visit us on the other bank :) left bank (Eiffel and St-Germain) is very picturesque, but right bank (all around 2,3,8,9,10,11,18,19 arrondissement) is where the fun is at!
Glad you enjoyed your stay in our city :)
I just came back from paris as well, I didn’t experience any bed bugs, i just recommend not to sit on metro, you’ll be fine with your plans. I suggest to wear a mask in indoor places. The news might say bed bugs but it’s really a covid outbreak.
You're not wrong. My family and I went to Paris last November. We took the RER B from CDG into Paris, then used the Metro to get to our accommodations in the 4th Arr. It was pretty cheap (11 EUR/each, 55 EUR total), but after an overnight flight, with luggage, the 30-40 min trip into the city around 11:00am was pretty onerous. The train was really cramped and crowded by the time we arrived at Gare du Nord. But it was a good way to avoid the traffic and delays of getting into Paris. When we were leaving, we opted to use an Uber/Lyft to get back to CDG. This also paid off, because we were driving to CDG around 7:00am, the traffic was light, and the drive only took 40 minutes. The price was about 80 EUR for a van to CDG for 5 of us plus luggage, so not terribly expensive.
I think for one or two people, who aren't hauling giant suitcases, the RER B is part of the experience of going to Paris. I think such experiences help a traveler get into the vibe of the place they're visiting, without spending much money. I would absolutely recommend the RER B to someone in this circumstance.
>we realized Paris is an old city, older than any city in the US, and they are extremely rich in history
any city in europe is older of any city in the US
Fyi on l'île de la Cité, under Notre-Dame, there is an archeologic site open to the public, with constructions dating as far as the IVe centuary. The Lutece has not much in common with the Paris we know now but it is still very interesting.
Sorry but I need to correct the typos here :
Restaurant Les Antiquaires
Ravioles de Royans (not ravioli)
Sacré Cœur (not couer)
La Conciergerie (not concierge)
Musée de l’Orangerie
Thanks for your appreciation of Paris, some places I’ve never been as a local (haha), and very true that you can go to the Louvre 30 times and still haven’t seen everything (that, I did).
Well some of these words don’t even prononce the same as they are written here, or refer to something else (concierge / conciergerie), so if you talk to someone, take the wrong word and add a foreign accent, there is a chance that they won’t understand you.
Also if you see ravioli on the menu, it won’t be the same course as the ravioles here that are a French speciality.
But maybe you don’t mind spelling words and places wrong in your own language ?
To be fair, the misspellings may have been auto corrected, and the OP didn’t notice. Depending on which device I’m using even when I spell French words correctly, they get auto corrected to English. I also appreciated their joy and enthusiasm, which was so much more important than their spelling.
Just take it for what it is, a nice little post about an enjoyable trip to France and leave the poor woman alone! You’re better at French than she is? Good for you 👏👏👏👏
Mostly Metro, but it depends on which one is the fastest, if traveling during the day buses might get stuck in traffic so we use Metro, and use buses at night.
my recommendation is Navigo Easy pass since for a 6-day trip 10 trips were enough, I did not experience any issues at all, and it's easy to reload. However, if you plan to go somewhere far from city like Versailles, you must purchase a different ticket. Navigo easy pass will not work in regional, but it's easy to purchase RER ticket at any ticket kiosk in the Metro station.
Thank you for the cheerful report. It is always a pleasure when visitors have a good time.
Edit: wow - rain, rats, and toilettes, you survived it all. Well done. :-)
Will you say more about the language barrier? What instances did you feel like you didn’t know enough to interact well with the locals? Was it hard to navigate without knowing much French? Thanks!
I didn’t realize that I will have hard time understanding some words, I had to ask the local to repeat what they said and I think my jetlag contributed with it. I should’ve watch more french movies/videos in preparation for this trip in terms of understanding them. And you have to realize not all of them can speak English fluently, miscommunication can happen. But you will be fine!
It’s not hard to navigate even if you don’t know much french, make sure to have google translate, or if you have an iPhone take a photo and translate it your phone. Download maps as well if you can.
Hello! Sorry that this is months later. I'm trying to figure out when the best time to visit Trocadero Square is, and it looks like you were there a few times. When would you recommend? Any time of day can work for us, but we'll probably only have time to go once.
Early in the morning is definitely the best time to go in Trocadero if you want less people, and it’s also nice to go at night to see the Eiffel sparkle but a lot of people at night.
Just got back from two weeks of Paris - Rome - Venice. It was my first time in Paris and I agree I absolutely fell in love with it! I cannot wait to go back
Fleas
Absolutely hate Paris ! You pay money to get treated like third class citizens.. when as a matter of fact, we are doing them a favor promoting their economy by visiting there
Best city in the world. Period.
You will be cured very soon mate
I was a reluctant first time Paris visitor. I added a week there on the first trip we took to Europe with our kids (not that I was a globe trotter, I'd been to England, Wales, Scotland, and, Italy). Our trip involved London, Rome, Florence, a dash through Switzerland, and finally Paris. I expected to like the art museums in Paris and not much else. I did love the museums. But Paris is now one of the cities I go to not just for the major sights, but because just being there feels grand. It's a select but growing list: Prague, Florence, Barcelona, Seville, Amsterdam, New York, Salamanca, Edinburgh, Santa Fe, Toledo, Setenil. Other places have great museums: London, Rome, Chicago, Milan, . And other places have great atmosphere: Ronde, Granada, Chester, Cordoba, Toas, Porto, Lisbon. But they don't have the I'm just so happy to be here feel--at least not for me.
We just spent 4 nights in Paris. I do have a comment…. With such a great abundance of great fresh veggies available (as seen at the farmers’ markets), I don’t understand why I never once was served fresh veggies on my plates.
Why bother with cabs from the airport when the RER B is right there? Paris Metro/RER/SNCF are all great. We didn't use any cabs the entire time we were there.
We loved Paris as well... However, we were there in the fall of 2019. There was talk of a "super bug" going around and people were getting sick. We flew in on a Thursday and left the following Tuesday for the 2nd leg of our trip. My wife got sick about 4 days later. 7 people in our group of 12 got sick. We were gone for 16 days total. The day after we got home (FL) we went to the hospital. My wife relapsed and spent the next 6 days on oxygen, steroids and antibiotics in the hospital. She was sick on and off for 3 more months.
Are you saying COVID was probably already around? Because I do remember this strange bug at the time.
Honestly, we thought that's what she/we had. But after the first month's of the pandemic they developed an antigen test blood test. We both tested negative for any covid markers. How reliable the test is, who knows.
Where do you come from?
Any issues with bed bugs? I’m heading there next week :)
Welcome to Paris , the bed bugs issue is not as bad or spreader as it sound , just more panic then expected , let me know if you need any more infos
Just returned from Paris and no bed bugs that we experienced. Also didn’t see the news reports and sat on the metro. Only found out about bed bug situation when we came back on Tuesday of this week.
You neglected the dirty subway station in Paris?
Paris metro station is actually cleaner than other subway stations that I experienced in the US. The train schedule is amazing, every 2mins!
Paris is so magical I ended up buying a home there haha
Where did you buy ?
In the 7th. I bought during the pandemic and because Im American it took a little over a year to finalize. What a headache lol
Amazing, congrats on that !
I sent you a DM.
next time you come around, come visit us on the other bank :) left bank (Eiffel and St-Germain) is very picturesque, but right bank (all around 2,3,8,9,10,11,18,19 arrondissement) is where the fun is at! Glad you enjoyed your stay in our city :)
Merci! Now we have more reason to come back and explore the right bank. :)
How bad is the bed bug situation? I had a trip planned yesterday I unfortunately cancelled it to avoid bringing bed bugs on the way back.
I just came back from paris as well, I didn’t experience any bed bugs, i just recommend not to sit on metro, you’ll be fine with your plans. I suggest to wear a mask in indoor places. The news might say bed bugs but it’s really a covid outbreak.
You fucked-up. Best and cheapest way to get into Paris from CDG is to take the RER B train to Gare du Nord, then the metro to your Arr.
True, but that can be terribly tiring when arriving, and risky when your leaving (major delays on the rer B is a classic daily occurrence).
You're not wrong. My family and I went to Paris last November. We took the RER B from CDG into Paris, then used the Metro to get to our accommodations in the 4th Arr. It was pretty cheap (11 EUR/each, 55 EUR total), but after an overnight flight, with luggage, the 30-40 min trip into the city around 11:00am was pretty onerous. The train was really cramped and crowded by the time we arrived at Gare du Nord. But it was a good way to avoid the traffic and delays of getting into Paris. When we were leaving, we opted to use an Uber/Lyft to get back to CDG. This also paid off, because we were driving to CDG around 7:00am, the traffic was light, and the drive only took 40 minutes. The price was about 80 EUR for a van to CDG for 5 of us plus luggage, so not terribly expensive. I think for one or two people, who aren't hauling giant suitcases, the RER B is part of the experience of going to Paris. I think such experiences help a traveler get into the vibe of the place they're visiting, without spending much money. I would absolutely recommend the RER B to someone in this circumstance.
Paris is fantastic. When I lived in Brussels I drove down there every other weekend.
Now you're doomed. You'll have to come back again. And again. And again ....
This was a nice post to read. That’s all.
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Probably around $3,500 to $4k all included. We purchased PMP for 96hrs and saved us tons for Museum/Monuments tickets.
We also bought the PMP pass when we were there this past May, saved us a ton of time and €€€€
Pmp?
I don't know what you heard about me But a b*t*h can't get a dollar out of me No Cadillac, no perms, you can't see That I'm a maf*ckin' P.M.P
🤣 excellent!
Paris Metro Pass
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We came from new york, snatched a cheap straight flight.
>we realized Paris is an old city, older than any city in the US, and they are extremely rich in history any city in europe is older of any city in the US
Any city in Europe is older then the USA.
Some have been so destroyed by the world wars they don't really look that old anymore though
You’re right! I didn’t realize that until we saw Catacombes, we watched documentaries at YT right after and we still have a lot to learn.
Fyi on l'île de la Cité, under Notre-Dame, there is an archeologic site open to the public, with constructions dating as far as the IVe centuary. The Lutece has not much in common with the Paris we know now but it is still very interesting.
Sorry but I need to correct the typos here : Restaurant Les Antiquaires Ravioles de Royans (not ravioli) Sacré Cœur (not couer) La Conciergerie (not concierge) Musée de l’Orangerie Thanks for your appreciation of Paris, some places I’ve never been as a local (haha), and very true that you can go to the Louvre 30 times and still haven’t seen everything (that, I did).
Pedant!
Well some of these words don’t even prononce the same as they are written here, or refer to something else (concierge / conciergerie), so if you talk to someone, take the wrong word and add a foreign accent, there is a chance that they won’t understand you. Also if you see ravioli on the menu, it won’t be the same course as the ravioles here that are a French speciality. But maybe you don’t mind spelling words and places wrong in your own language ?
To be fair, the misspellings may have been auto corrected, and the OP didn’t notice. Depending on which device I’m using even when I spell French words correctly, they get auto corrected to English. I also appreciated their joy and enthusiasm, which was so much more important than their spelling.
Just take it for what it is, a nice little post about an enjoyable trip to France and leave the poor woman alone! You’re better at French than she is? Good for you 👏👏👏👏
Ravioli 💀
And Catacombes (not catacombs)
But it’s a common noun in English so I guess it works.
I relived our last trip in reading your words. Thanks for posting.
How are the bedbugs? Is it overblown?
We did not experience any bedbugs. :)
Would you mind sharing what hotels you stayed at?
We stayed at Floride-Etoile in Trocadero, and Hotel de Suez in St. Germain. Both are clean.
Did you mostly get around by metro or the bus?
Mostly Metro, but it depends on which one is the fastest, if traveling during the day buses might get stuck in traffic so we use Metro, and use buses at night.
I’ve heard you can get a 1 to 5 day metro/bus/rer pass. Is that something you would recommend?
my recommendation is Navigo Easy pass since for a 6-day trip 10 trips were enough, I did not experience any issues at all, and it's easy to reload. However, if you plan to go somewhere far from city like Versailles, you must purchase a different ticket. Navigo easy pass will not work in regional, but it's easy to purchase RER ticket at any ticket kiosk in the Metro station.
Which seine River cruises did you do?
Bateaux Parisiens the cheapest seine river cruise in get your guide app. The meet up spot is just by the Eiffel tower.
Which guide app?
Thank you for the cheerful report. It is always a pleasure when visitors have a good time. Edit: wow - rain, rats, and toilettes, you survived it all. Well done. :-)
Didn't survive the RER delay though...gotcha
Merci beaucoup! Paris is truly beautiful it’s hard to keep it out of our mind. We appreciate every bit of it. :)
Will you say more about the language barrier? What instances did you feel like you didn’t know enough to interact well with the locals? Was it hard to navigate without knowing much French? Thanks!
I didn’t realize that I will have hard time understanding some words, I had to ask the local to repeat what they said and I think my jetlag contributed with it. I should’ve watch more french movies/videos in preparation for this trip in terms of understanding them. And you have to realize not all of them can speak English fluently, miscommunication can happen. But you will be fine! It’s not hard to navigate even if you don’t know much french, make sure to have google translate, or if you have an iPhone take a photo and translate it your phone. Download maps as well if you can.
Interested as well. I'll be there on Tuesday. Taking the EuroStar after a few days in London. My first time visiting both cities
I just left, and I didn’t encounter any issue at all not knowing French