Going to Paris

[CreamPuff63]

Ooh thank you so much  only 3 days, but we can always stay longer another time. With this info under our belt we'll be set. Is the perfume cheaper or just the same price duty free?

[Mama Fergie]

I didnt look at perfume to be honest but everything else was cheaper than here due to our strong dollar.
I bought sunglasses, bags ,shoes and boots. DH bought shirts and pants. All good quality. Oh you will love it CP 

[achookwoman]

Bought kitchen stuff and posted it home.  Silicon mats, beautiful very  French baking dish and serviettes and jam labels.  I feel very excited just thinking about you both going to Paris.

[Jude59]

Oh the shoes I bought in Paris last year!!!!   DH says every second shop is a shoe shop!!! And he is right. Makes me excited to think about it and the shoes are just absolutely gobsmackingly glorious!  I bought lots I don't really buy clothes though when on holiday. 

Definitely go to Monets garden and Fontainebleau both short distances from Paris.  Le Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. I think all the museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. Night boat trip up the Seine is beautiful. Street markets always good. Luxembourg gardens very nice.   Just behind Notre Dame is a resistance museum and memorial... Very moving.  Definitely the Champs d'elysees.  I have a funny photo of DH swamped in shopping bags on the street there - haha! So many places can't think of them all. Spent a lot of time sitting in cafes watching the world go by in a nice wine induced haze stayed in st germain where they have the famous cafes hemmingway etc frequented.  Nice area .  try and stay anywhere between the eiffel tower and lle louvre.  We try do something's different each time.  Louvre last year, d'Orsay this year.

This  May/June  we are doing the basque region of France and Spain and of course a few days in lovely Paris!

[Jude59]

Oh and bought perfume and lots of Sisley makeup - better selection and prices!

[trudy]

CP, I meant to also say that seeing you will only be there a short while and time is precious buy as many passes before you go.  Last year we didn't and wasted hours in queues.  Also the Musee d'Orsay is opened late one night a week - used to be Thurs to 9.45 but check before you go.  If you wish to go to the Louvre, then go on line and plan your visit before you get there as it's broken up into wings.  This saves you so much time and then you can group things like the Mona Lisa, Napoleons appartments ect but it's a huge place and you won't have time to see everything!!!!  You can even prebook your trip up the Eiffel Tower to save the wait!!!
Planning is half the fun!!!!  Where do you go after Paris?

[droverjess]

Ow very exciting and what a mine of info on here.

DH has been and promised to take me one day, sigh.....

Enjoy MJ and CP.

[CreamPuff63]

Thx Trudy for good advice about prebooking to save waiting in queues. My DH will be amazed at all this info 

First we go to Paris for 3 nights, then on to Croatia for about 2.5 weeks, then on to London for prob 5 nights

Have paid deposit last week for flights, but haven't studied fine details yet. DH family have a house about 50m away from the Adriatic in Podgera. I think we will do abit of a trip around some islands and then possibly a ferry ride to Italy (Pescia or something) for a couple of nights. Its going to go very quickly.

[Mama Fergie]

I pre book my tours on Viator and always find them well priced and extremely reliable.
They offer good deals regularily.
We did Monets house and  gardens with them and we stopped at a beautiful old mill house for lunch on the way back and then to Versailles.
We prebooked Eiffel tower with dinner followed bt a cruise along the seine which was nice although we could have missed the cruise as we walked along the seine every day and evening as our hotel was on Ils Saint-Louis which is a fabulous area to stay. We walked everywhere from there. You will love Paris CP

[Emme]

Cp, your trip sounds exciting and wonderful. 

Marie

[achookwoman]

We have done some tours in buses .  The best part is sitting up high and looking into the back yards as you drive around. 

[judydawn]

Really Chookie, why - what do you see?

[achookwoman]

Judy,  you see how the people live.  Veggie gardens , washing on the line,  tables and chairs in the back yards.  Just like us.   Love the French country side.  Fields of sun flowers and corn,  avenues of trees along the road sides. Different to ours.  Small villages with old buildings usually made of stone.  And streets that wind through  Unlike anything here.  Old churches.   In the country villages the people are so nice.  They have tried to help us buy bread and Pâté for our lunch.  With every one saying ,  you must try this. THIS is special to this area.
We usually have enough to feed an army.   I will try and post a photo of our first meal in Paris, last time we were there.

[judydawn]

Thanks for the explanation Chookie.

[achookwoman]

Duck and peach salad, Paris