Paris - Top Tips Please

[KeeperofthePeace]

DH and I have booked 4 nights in Paris in August, we are staying in the Ibis Styles Buttes Chaumont in the 19th district. We are only planning on sleeping there so nothing too fancy needed.

However, I have never been and this is our first get away for a while without the kids. What are peoples top tips? We plan to get. Paris Pass for two days.

Specific questions I have are:

Is the Moulin Rouge worth booking?
Are coeliacs catered for as a matter of course?

We haven't got a huge budget, so any money saving tips would be gratefully recieved too.

Thank you 😁

I wouldn't bother wih the Moulin Rouge unless it's really really your thing. Coeliac-friendly food is widely available in supermarkets. For eating out I'd go for buckwheat crepes (crepes au sarrasin) which are cheap and cheerful. Get a three-day pass mobilis for travelling around.

Yes to Moulin Rouge, but it is pricey.

You can just catch the show (9pm or 11pm), no need for dinner first.

We were in the VIP balcony area (champagne included), cost was €200 each. Cheaper at floor level but drinks add up.

there are other less famous cabarets that will be cheaper if you really want to do dinner and a show.

I wouldn't bother with Moulin Rouge.
The hotel is very close to a metro station so going anywhere will be easy.
One of the great beauties of Paris is just wondering around.
If art is your thing Musée d'Orsay, the Lourve ( if you must)
Take the boat trip to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night.
The bookshops around Notre Dame.
The Paris Beach alongside the picturesque canal known as the "Bassin de la Villette" (near metro Jaures/Stalingrad), in northeastern Paris (19th arrondissement).

If you want to go up the Eiffel Tower, go first thing. You avoid the huge queues that way.

When I went we were on a budget and we had a few meals out but mainly bought bread, hummus and other snack foods from a local supermarket and ate in our room to save some cash.

Paris Pass for two days is 130Euros
You can get a Mobilis Pass for all the Metro, RER and buses for 7.50 a day.

Comfortable shoes are a must.

I second comfortable shoes. DH and I walked 28000 steps recently on the day we were doing the main sights, which are quite spread out.

Walk along the left bank from Notre Dame if you plan to go (mostly in hoarding due to refurb/after fire) to Effiel Tower and you can go via the Musée d'Orsay (best museum in Paris imo). Allow an afternoon/evening for this alone to take in book stalls along the Seine and stopping at cafes.

Go to the Institut du monde arabe for great views over the river and notre dame for free.

Thanks for the heads up. I see that booking the Eiffel Tower directly is cheapest and you can skip the queues, so will do that.

I am not sure about Moulin Rouge.... Are there any smaller but interesting theatre or other shows? My DH prefers a smaller intimate venue.

Um yeah, there's loads of theatre and shows in paris... depends what you're into. Maybe the Caveau de la Huchette or the Sunset Sunside if you like jazz.

Go to the Sacré Coeur as you get a great view and can see all the artists on the hill. Also, there's a building opposite the Eiffel tower that you can have a coffee in and pay less than going up the Tower.

we went recently. there's a brilliant exhibition on at the pompidou centre (modern art) about prehistory and how it's been viewed/interpreted through the ages.

Really enjoyed the louvre too - their cafe is very overpriced, but has a lovely balcony you can sit on overlooking the courtyard with the pyramid in, so worth it if it's a nice day.

sacre coeur definitely worth a visit, walk along the seine, wander round ile st louis.

Generally I don't think things like the Paris Pass are great value unless you really want to cram stuff in. Half the beauty of paris IMO is wandering the streets and soaking up the atmosphere eating croissants or charcuterie and drinking coffee/wine.

A little wander through the pretty La Mouzaia neighbourhood?

Enjoy your Paris trip!