PARIS - Short break (No kids!). Please help me plan :)

[Milliways]

So, it's our 25th this year and I am being truly spoiled :)

We are having a family safari in July, but DH has said he will take me on a city break over our atual anniversary in September. Budget is c.£1k - to include most to the spending money if poss. We have been recommended a Hotel, and I have always wanted to do Paris.

How many nights is needed to "do" Paris? We can probably afford 4, but if 3 is enough then more money to spend.

Also - what is a must see/do. (I have been recommended a boat trip on the Seine, want to see the Tower & the Louvre - but what is worth a look?)

TIA :)

You lucky thing! We went last year and definately needed 4 nights.
A good tip is to pre book anything you can on the internet before you go. This way you avoid the queues and it is very satisfying walking past loads of people as they are waiting for ages. Stuff like the Eiffel tower, Louvre , probably most things are bookable. WALK EVERYWHERE!
Something we would have loved to do is the SEGWAY TOUR which looks great but our daughter wasn't old enough.

Check out the ice cream parlour , Berthillon , on the Isle de France up near Notre Dame. I had prune and armagnac ice cream to die for!
Have a lovely trip.

Ooh, Thank you!

Segway Tours? Just looking at the link and imagining falling off
DH would love to do that!

Oh. I'm jealous. Go up the arc de triomphe instead of the eiffel tower. you get better views.

Sainte chappelle on ile de la cite is fantastic. much better than notre dame.

You can get fab views from the top of the institute de monde arabe. THere's a cafe at the top.

what sort of things are you into? museums, history, art?

I love views, and Architecture. I quite enjoy museums, DH would do some but not loads. He would just walk & phtograph everything! I would like to plan a few walking routes.

We are looking at this hotel which gets good reviews on Tripadvisor.

Not sure about a Moulin Rouge show - seems VERY expensive (we love West end Musicals though). Would like to do one posh meal at least though, but otherwise happy with cafe/Bistro type places. Def fancy the ice cream parlour blowbroth mentioned though!

If you book one of the restaurants in the Eiffel Tower you don't have to queue! My top tip! A stroll in the Jardins du Luxembourg plus Le Marais - Place des Vosges - and there are some lovely shops near there - delis, posh coffee places, bakeries, nice cookware - how shops always SHOULD be in my opinion . Also, everyone always seems to say avoid Montmartre, but I love it early on a Sunday morning.

I find the Louvre a bit full on but I love the Rodin Museum and the Musee D'Orsay is always worth visiting. The Batobus is very good value for money.
Le Petit Zinc is lovely for Art Nouveau decor and very nice food.

And we spent dh's birthday at La Perouse where you can book one of the private rooms where the Parisien top notch used to take their mistresses. You ring a little bell when you want attention. Twas pricey but a real experience.

Good tips - Thanks,

Tour montparnasse is great for views. Definitely do to the sacre coeur and look at the view from Montmatre

I was there a few weeks ago and my favourite bit was taking some champange to a park and sitting in the early evening sun with loads of families and people all being very Parisien. You can't really go wrong but I would suggest allowing plenty of time for just wandering around, sitting down and eating and drinking stuff.

As it's your anniversary you must go to the Ponts des Artes.

Besom - that sounds lovely :)

Choufleur - adding Ponts des Arts to my (getting long) list!

Lots of lovely ideas here - Thank you so much :)

Is the pont des artes the one with the padlocks? Very romantic.

As a frequent visitor I am not so keen on the louvre the key exhibits are in different wings so hard to visit them all. I love and go back time and again to the Musee d'Orsay the impressionist museum.
I prefer climbing the steps at the Sacre Coeur to the Effiel tower I just feel the view is nicer to see Paris sloping away from you.
We love Versaille get there for opening time before the tour buses arrive.
We have used Top Table to book some fab places to eat well off the beaten track.

Pere Lachaise cemetery. Not central but worth the trip out. Polidor is a fantastic neighbourhood restaurant - great food with no fuss.

Thank you.

We have now BOOKED!

Going for 4 nights in September so have plenty of time to plan & research all your fab ideas,but will def get the Paris Museum/monument pass.