Asking for anyone that has some knowledge of Paris?

[Zazz101]

Hi All, I am taking my two daughters to Paris for their birthday, they are 21 and 24. Due to my daughter’s medical condition we need to stay in an air bnb. I have little to no knowledge of Paris and I am looking for recommendations of areas to stay and things to do so we don’t get lost in the tourist trap. I really would appreciate all and any help, as we are all so excited. Thank you.

The Basilica of Sacre-Coeur is my favourite place to go in Paris, it's beautiful and up on a hill so you get amazing views. The church itself is free to enter, and if you go back outside and down around the side you can buy a ticket (about 7-8 euros I think?) and go up into the basilica dome. Just be aware it does involve a lot of steps. Another great place is Jardin des Tuileries which you can walk through leading up to the Louvre if the weather is nice. Enjoy!

What's wrong with the tourist trap?

The Louvre is very much a tourist trap, and is absolutely worth it.

Versailles is amazing. But a full day trip.

Le Marais is fab. Palais de l'Opera - see the Phantom's box, and Chagalle's ceiling (the multimedia tour is absolutely worth it). The catacombs are great, if mobility allows.

If you go to Montmartre, go to Hardware Society for brunch (but be prepared to queue...)

Berthillon near Notre Dame for ice cream (creme au citron); and the Sainte Chappelle for awesome stained glass.

I always stay in le marais

I used to live in Paris though haven't been back to visit since before the pandemic. Le Marais is one of my favourite areas especially at the weekend and especially on a Sunday as it is the Jewish quarter and many things elsewhere in Paris are closed. Lots of great street food, pop up shops etc. the flea markets out at pte de clignancourt are brilliant for a wee walk around. One of my favourite parks in Paris and less manicured than the likes of les tuileries etc. is parc des buttes chaumont and of course if you want to be a bit touristy then the pere lachaise cemetery is always worth a visit. What type of things do you like to do?

I also stay in Le Marais when I go to Paris, it's a lovely mix of bohemian, Jewish, and artsy-hipster. Great art, food, fashion scene.

Thank you for everyone’s replies.
we would like to go out for a nice meal, look around some shops. I also wanted to take the girls to see moulin rouge, but is seems quite pricey. We were also thinking of visiting the Eiffel Tower.
when I said stay away from the tourist spots, I was more thinking of a place to stay that wouldn’t be to expensive, and some really good local food, again it was more down to cost.

Great thing about Paris is the metro is so easy so you can stay a little bit out of the way and travel in. The area called Nation is a little less touristy (marais will be expensive) but really easy to travel everywhere with lots of good transport routes, and on the rive droite (the right of the river) so close to bastille etc. and lots to do by foot

Lido Paris is a little cheaper than the moulin rouge and the same thing. All very much a total ripoff

Seconding everyone’s suggestions so far!

I recommend Angelina for the most amazing hot chocolate you’ll ever have 😍😍 And if you’re looking for a reasonably priced traditional French lunch or dinner, try out Bouillon Chartier, a chain of restaurants in central Paris - you normally have to queue a little bit to get in, but it is so worth it.

Also, if you’re looking for somewhere to eat at lunchtime, loads of restaurants will have fixed-price menus and these are normally affordable and really nice. Paris obviously also has bakeries for ten a penny, which are an option for a quick breakfast or lunch. One of my favourites is Du pain et idées, in the 10th arrondissement, near the Canal St Martin. This is fairly central, and it’s nice to walk along the canal with a pastry in hand 😊

Someone mentioned Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, which is a lovely park/meadow with lots of wildflowers and wild areas to explore. I also recommend the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is a really nice park in central Paris.

If you’re looking for good views of the Eiffel Tower, you can get a really good one by the Sacre Coeur basilica in Montmartre, or if you go up to the upper floors of Galeries Lafayette department store on the Boulevard Haussmann.

Also recommend doing a boat tour on the Seine, especially if the weather is dry and pleasant. It’s a really good way of seeing Paris.

And if you like art and museums, I recommend the Picasso museum, the Musée d’Orsay (especially if you like post-Impressionist art - e.g. Van Gogh and Gauguin).

You could look into staying in the 11th arrondissement. I used to live there and it’s a nice area. There’s lots going on even though it’s out of the way of the main touristy areas. There are a few reasonable accommodation options and good restaurants too.

This is all making me miss Paris 😭

Same here- my favourite area.

Love Paris. My kids favourite was Sainte Chapelle. Round the corner from Notre Dame. The most stunning place. Even better than the photos.

Book in advance for everything and you will be queuing for your time slot. But at least you will get in.

We did Airbnb. Lovely 3 bed apartment. Close to metro. 20 minutes walk to Notre Dame. Lots of cafes. Bastille area.

We stayed in Montrouge was a very reasonable air BnB with direct views of the Eiffel tower and easily accessible by the metro. Also had a fantastic local restaurant called Les Babines.

@Zazz101 agree re Le Marais, possibly pricey?

Would suggest the 10th arrondissement, still close to the centre, may be more affordable?

e.g. would the girls mind sharing?

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/46910590?

eta; https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/fr/collection is wonderful.

Just to add to the recommendations, I would highly recommend the Musee D’Orsay over the Louvre as the art museum that you have to see. And then if you like modern art you must go the Centre Pompidou. The building itself is fascinating as well as the art.

Generally avoid eating anywhere next to a major attraction or on a major tourist street. I can recommend some nice gluten free restaurants if you need!

Another vote for Bouillon restaurants. We felt like we'd committed a crime with how little we were charged after such a wonderful meal!

So far it would appear that no one has mentioned the pick pockets OP, maybe because people are generally aware of them in a city, but please do be very aware and alert to this sort of thing. Make sure any money, phones, cameras etc. are stored safely at the front of you, in zipped bag or pocket. Enjoy your time, as it's a beautiful city, but do be mindful of what is going on around you.

Following for ideas as we are going later this year.

I remember the pick pockets complaining about the higher police presence at the Eiffel Tower and that they should left alone and ‘be able to work’. Made me laugh at the time.

This is a great post and a sadly much needed point to be made about the city of lights

if you come in via Eurostar for example at Gard du Nord, and you decide to walk to Montmartre, you may walk through the area with the station Barbes-Rochechouart. This area is a bit mad and lively to say the least! You have people coming up with random packets of (fake, counterfeit) cigarettes trying to sell them to you. Meanwhile someone is trying to pick your pockets. It’s noisy, it’s hectic and gets livelier later at night.

that’s not to say it’s a “no go zone” - I’ve been around there plenty of times and not had incident - but just to illustrate that it’s worth planning your trip well with the good recommendations above, rather than wandering around straight away especially at night

Areas to Stay:
Marais
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Montmartre
Canal Saint-Martin

Joanna Goddard of Cup of Jo just came back from a Paris trip and enjoyed staying in the 11th.

@JacquesHarlow when was the last time you were in Barbes-Rochechouart?
I lived in Paris (briefly, long time ago) and hadn’t been for about 10 years. Recently booked a hotel in Porte de La Chapelle and honestly I was properly scared walking there in the evening from the metro - crack addicts everywhere. Actually took a taxi about 500m from the metro in the end - I’d got about 250m, took one look at the underpass and decided it was dangerous. I (too late really!) read some articles in the French press about the crack issues there and people coming there from the Sangatte clearance, and the articles mentioned that Barbes-Rochechouart was very similar. It was heartbreaking, those poor people 😢

For an airbnb, I would look at central arrondissements such as Le Marais, the 11th, or the area near Nation. The 13th is quiet but fine. Further out but still on a metro line, Montrouge or Vincennes are both nice areas. I'd personally avoid the areas near Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est, La Chapelle, Belleville, Barbes or Porte de Clignancourt. I'd also avoid St Denis. Generally OK ish areas in the day time, just can be dodgy later on.

I would go to a market if you get chance - Bastille is lovely on a Sunday morning. Le Marais and St Germain areas are lovely to walk around. The best thing about Paris imo is wandering around and discovering hidden gems as you go!