Talk to me about things to do in Paris - I am thinking of going for my 50th

[angeldelightmintchocolate]

Will be me and DH. We are big foodies. Not into art but what else can we do ? obvs will do the Eiffel Tower.

I have visions of Paris being romantic, I am not usually a city-break girl but Paris really appeals to me, I have went once before, but that was about 25 years ago.

What else can we do? In Paris? How can any adult actually ask this question in all seriousness. Apart from which, if you search on here, there are innumerable threads already about what to do in Paris.

Do you like Mickey Mouse?

As I said, I am not necessarily a city person and would welcome some advice. I live near London .. I was on a plane recently with a couple flying into London for the week They asked me what to do/where to go .. apart from the usual Buck Palace, Thames, museums etc I had no idea,

Yes, Paris has the big tourist attractions but what else is there, off the beaten track so to speak,

Two things I always recommend is to go up the Tour Montparnasse. In itself an unremarkable building, but from the top you can see all the other remarkable buildings.
Visit the Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann and look up at the magnificent ceiling.
Plenty of others will be along to tell you loads of other things. Versailles would also be very high on my list.

I would do a walking tour of some of the bouchons recommended on various YouTube channels. Les Invalides, Notre Dame & the Rodin museum are all worth a visit. If I were going I might also have a look at a trip to Versailles.
La Coupole is an interesting food experience.

https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-samsung-rvo1&source=android-browser&q=mumsnet+paris

I know you said you don't like art, but for me the Picasso museum is the best thing we've ever done in Paris.

Tour the stade de France?

Shopping?

We always do art galleries on city breaks - what would you do in any other city and do that.

Parc Buttes Chaumont, Metro stop Laumiere on line 5.
Parc Andre Citroen in the 15th, RER stop Javel on line C. If the tethered balloon is operating, have a balloon ride.
Don't bother with the Bateau Mouches, overpriced, over touristy & the food is crap. Take a canal boat ride from the 10th down to Bastille. I recommend Canauxrama.

Get yourself a good guide book (the Rough Guide is still good), & read it thoroughly for ideas.

Visit the cathedral at St Denis. It's where the French royal family have been buried for hundreds of years. Marie Antoinette is there, and the mummified heart of her son is on display in a glass jar if that's your sort of thing.
It's quite far out but worth the trip.

Book ahead for anything you do want to do - or at least check if there are likely to be massive queues. Not sure how long you are planning to be there, but you can minimise the amount of time spent in a line.

i prefer to try not to do too much - I enjoy wandering around rather than stressing about fitting everything in.

Eiffel Tower can be a complete bun fest, and they will on occasion close the top level completely if too crowded, regardless of the ticket you have.

I like wandering around the islands, Place des Voges area,would love to take a look inside the “new” Notre Dame. Saint-Chappelle. Montmartre area can get so crowded it’s unpleasant so time that well. Good views from the roof of Galeries Lafayette - not sure if the rooftop restaurant is open in winter (location is fantastic, food was limited choice but good, although perhaps not for you if you are looking for a foodie experience - can check the menu online). We just had breakfast sitting out every day in little cafes. Look out for some of the Grandes Brasseries for some of your meals.

if the weather is not great you could consider hop in hop off bus tickets to get from place to place.

and again, please book well ahead for anything you particularly do want to see/do.

DH would disagree about the Picasso museum!
bouillon Julien for a lunch
book the glass walk at galleries Layfette
agree tour Montparnasse at dusk to see the Eiffel Tower light up
saint Chappelle
love wall

DH and I recently had a long weekend there and enjoyed climbing to the top of Sacre Coeur, the catacombs, Montmartre cemetery, wandering in Le Marais and Montmartre and Napoleon's tomb.
I was, and am always, bored rigid by The Louvre though the building is obv. very nice.
The Musee D'Orsay is fab though. As is the Eiffel tower sparkling on the hour in the evenings.

If you're going to do the Louvre, book a private tour. Go up the arc de triomphe. Live like a local. Wherever your hotel is, there are the big tourist trap restaurants on the fancy Boulevard, or if you walk into the smaller back streets, the locals, cheaper and better. Walk, walk, walk everywhere. Look at the distance between metro stops and consider walking. Visit the Marais. I'd love to do the canal tour.

Looking at the Eiffel Tower in the dark when it's all lit up is much nicer than actually being up there imo.

Go up Tour Montparnasse instead and try to be looking at the tower on the hour when the lights all sparkle.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Loving these positive posts, all I hear about Paris is that its a stinky, scary disappointment and people getting “paris syndrome” because it’s so different to expectations.

Musee Carnavalet

If food is your thing, why not base your trip around... food? Walking round different areas trying the croissants/ street food /fancy dinner/ grand grocers / E. Dehillerin for some copper and kitchen supply bits. Brocantes for cheap copper once you've seen the prices of new....

Whatever your foodie passion, just do that in Paris? No need tick off museums if they're not what makes you happy.

Go up the Champs Elysees and to the top of the Arc De Triomphe (as well as the views, its fun watching the cars go round). If you want to go slightly further afield there is Versailles. I also loved Monet's house/garden at Giverny (but I like his artwork too)

I don't understand why you would go to Paris when you have no idea of things you would be going there for.

If you are foodie, just look up good restaurants and eat out a lot? I can't help you there, as am vegetarian, and only have a small range of restaurants I go to in Paris. I think it's a wonderful city, but I'm an art lover, so will always go to current exhibitions and return to old favourites, and the opera if there's anything I like on.

Some random suggestions -- go and see the restored Notre Dame? Sainte Chapelle is gorgeous. Download a map of famous graves in advance and go to Pére Lachaise cemetery. Get a cone at Berthillon and eat it on the Ile St Louis. Walk in the Jardins du Luxembourg and along the river. Take yourselves out to Versailles on the RER, though that would take up most of one day. The Enfants Rouges covered market in the 3rd for street food? The Galeries Lafayette food court/deli? A walk around the Marais and the Place des Vosges?

I'd skip the Eiffel Tower personally and have a coffee across the river at Trocadéro, from which you get an excellent view of it.

Not all museums are art museums, either. There is a carnival museum, the catacombs, the sewers, Arts et Méiers, fashion, natural history etc etc.

Dinner cruise along the Seine. DH and I always do this.