What do you think of Paris?

[AGHHHH]

I've just visited for the first time and my first experience has been marred by the riots and constant rain (as well as the fact I got lost multiple times, knocked a basket of stuff over in the first shop I went to, had the buses go out of service halfway to my destination with no clue how else to get there, trying Uber who also dropped me off 20 minutes away from my destination still...) nightmare

Plus it seems like it could pretty much be any European city

The Eiffel Tower did take my breath away though.

I would like to come back at a better time, preferably with someone though. I'm sure it's much better than it has seemed.

What do you think of it?

Thought it was rubbish. We had great weather too.

You have to pick the best time.

Gilets jaunes - not the best time, though unforeseen

Any time the Parisian schools are on holiday - Paris half empties of parisiens, leaving just tourists. It's a different atmosphere. Most noticeable at Christmas, February break and August.

I didn't like Paris much the first time I visited. Now I've lived here 12 years and it's home. We don't often do touristy stuff but I love the architecture and there are some fab parks and playgrounds for DC.

This winter and last winter are harsh though. Late spring is better

I like Paris a lot. There's so much going on, lovely city.
I've always found people there to be very nice and helpful. I was there with my kids a few years ago who had begun learning French at school and everyone was so patient and encouraging at their attempts to speak.
Agree about the food though. I found it hard to find good, well priced restaurants. But food in the supermarkets and boulangeries etc is ace!

I prefer Vienna. Amazing beautiful city with culture, atmosphere, clean, such friendly people, and pure, clean, fresh, sparkling spring water from the mountains coming out of the taps!

It’s not my favourite city but we’ve always had fun when we go. We potter around and drink lots of coffee rather than “doing the sites”.

Agree with the posts about Berlin, I fell in love with it.
As for Paris, I'd happily never go back!

I always travel on my own and thought Paris was interesting. I had a scary moment when a WW2 Air raid siren went off when I was at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It transpires it was a factory on the other side of the city alerting its staff it was lunchtime. It took me some time to calm down from that! 😂 😂

Paris is a wonderful city for lovers of art - the museums are just incredible. And the very central areas are beautiful to wander in. However, it isn’t a good city for casual eating - you need a substantial budget and to reserve ahead in order to eat at all well.

Bucharest has an Eiffel Tower, amazing art without queues, good coffee and is much cheaper.

We took the DC on a blistering hot weekend this June and had an absolute ball.

I was very disappointed by Paris. I found the people rude, I was called a chien anglaise by a waiter, which was lovely. There was dog shit everywhere. Fuck Paris. Go somewhere else

We went this year, last went 15 years ago and really enjoyed it, didn’t see any dog poo, everyone was friendly, food hit and miss. Lots to do.

I loved it. Have always done a combination of sights and pottering and feel that works well. I tend to stay away from Champs Elysee area and stick to the Marais and thereabouts which is more chilled. I actually think it's pretty easy to eat and drink cheaply, it's the in betweeny meals that are a problem! Everything nice is either cheap bakery or very high end, IMO.

Can't see myself going back soon, mind you - DH did not like it at all.

@CherryPavlova- I’ve lived in Bucharest and have a certain affection for it, but amazing art? I can only remember one art museum, and everything in it pre 19th century was an icon.

Admittedly I was last there in 2002 so maybe there’s more of an art scene now.

whataboutbob. It was a miniature arc de triomph not an Eiffel Tower! Yes we went to a huge gallery with incredible old masters without queues, where we could take pictures and get really, really close to the paintings. We really enjoyed Bucharest.

On my most recent visit to Paris I found it a bit run down. Needs a bit of money spent on its public spaces and streets. For example, I took the DCs to the Pompidou Centre and all of the fountains outside it were broken and empty with no water.

IMO it’s a place you need to plan before you go as you need to pre-book the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Catacombs.

Also the various arrondissements make a big difference to the whole pavement cafe culture. Any good concierge will direct you to a great restaurant.

It’s super depressing in bad weather, it’s an outdoor city and you get the best views from the Seine or an open top bus.

The Rodin museum is awesome and I wish they’d just house the Mona Lisa in a gallery all on its own so the people that tear through the Louvre ignoring all the other brilliance can just fuck off there with their stupid selfie sticks.

@cherrypavlova- it certainly has a mini arc de triomf! Glad you like Bucharest, I find it fascinating but not always easy to like at first approach. There’s so much history there and unexpected interest.

whataboutbob Yes we had a brilliant long weekend with friends. Went to a sort of Romanian Eistedfford in an open air museum of lots of vernacular buildings, went out to Transylvania, went to a vast art gallery and, of course, Ceacescu’s mansion which was mind blowing in scale. Also had lovely hot chocolate, appalling plum brandy and couldn’t move after eating dumplings smothered in cream and cherries. Loved it.