Solo 3 days in Paris

[MadamePeriwinkle]

I'm squeezing in a trip Bank Holiday at the beginning of March and looking for ideas for what to try and fit in.

I'm arriving at CDG 10.20 Saturday morning and need to be back at the airport by 5pm Monday.

Love art, would like to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame etc but not sure I want to go in them as would probably rather spend the time mooching and soaking under the atmosphere. Recommendations of places with good people watching and views where I can park up with coffee and a sketch book would be great. Genuine, reasonably priced French restaurant recommendations also very welcome!

As I'm travelling alone I'm planning to spend most of the days out and about and chill at my hotel in the evening. Have got a kitchenette so will have main meal midday and stock up on cheese and wine for the evenings!

Montmartre for drawing and watching the world go by.
If you want beautiful views then (as well as the top of the hill at Montmartre in front of the Sacré coeur) there's a terrace on the roof of the department store Galeries Lafayette which you can go up for free. There's a bar up there too but half of the roof is just people to pop up for free, very nice view of the Opéra and you can see absolutely loads. It also has a gorgeous stained glass domed roof!

To eat, I would just go for any nice looking bistro type place for lunch, maybe check out Google maps reviews but if you're not in a v touristy area you can't go too far wrong. If you fancy an affordable meal at a famous location, Bouillon Chartier (the one on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre) is great.

Have a lovely trip!

If you want to see the Eiffel Tower, I would go to Trocadero Metro, turn left as you exit, and you will soon see the Eiffel Tower beautifully framed between a couple of grand museum buildings, with parks and fountains leading down to the Seine, which you have to cross to actually get to the Tower. (Personally I'd then turn round and go back into the Metro and somewhere more interesting, but I do know most people don't share my intense dislike of the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings 😬).
If you fancy being an arty flaneur, I suggest the 5th Arrondissement and particularly the Place du Contrescarpe- quintessential Paris.
You could spend all day wandering round that area, taking in the Jardin des Plantes, perhaps having a hamam (I hear it's exclusively for women now, and it's beautiful ) at the Grande Mosquee de Paris, followed by pastries and mint tea in their lovely tea room, visiting the Pantheon and the church of St Genevieve, then descending the hill past the Sorbonne and crossing to the Ile de la Cite to visit Notre Dame (which I hear recently reopened), stopping at Shakespeare and Co bookshop on the way, where the adjacent cafes would be great for a spot of people watching). I highly recommend visiting Sainte Chapelle on the Ile de la Cite, and maybe crossing over to Berthillon on the Ile St Louis for an expensive but delicious ice cream.
The Canal St Martin is also lovely to walk along....if you go as far as the Porte de la Villette end it's a pretty happening area...

Last time we went we happened upon a funky little restaurant called Lautrec in the vicinity of Boulevard de Pigalle, and had an amazing meal (even though I'm vegetarian 😱😱😱)

I would also say don't eat at most of the restaurants in Montmartre, especially the ones with traditional French menus, as they can be tourist traps.

Oh, the catacombs are also worth it, and Place Denfert- Rochereau, their Metro stop, looks like a good hunting ground for a nice restaurant. Lunch is always a better deal than dinner in France as well, the set menus (Formules) are usually good value.

Just walk. Maybe pick a circuit each day and explore. You will find some lovely spots/parks etc. to sit and draw and people watch. Mark out the sights you want to see and fit them into your daily circuit. I haven't been to Paris for years, but it is a great city for a visitor.

Oh and by the way.... where and what is the name of this hotel with a kitchenette in Paris! Thanks 😊

Erm, what bank holiday at the beginning of March?

If you want a travel buddy let me know, I LOVE Paris

I'd also agree to avoid restaurants in Montmartre- to be honest unless you're fine with massive crowds I'd avoid it full stop!
You could sit in one of the cafes opposite the Luxembourg gardens to sketch (or to warm up after sketching in the park). St Germain nice for a mooch.
Tuileries pretty too.
Rodin museum and gardens is very nice. I agree with recommendations of Jardin du plantes and the mosque.

Ooh this is great - lots of stuff to check out which is a bit different.

Catacombs and Shakespeare & Co already on the wishlist. And will spend a happy evening checking out some of the other suggestions.

It's beginning of May I'm going 🤦🏼‍♀️ and staying at an Aparthotel Adagio to the SW of the city so it's a little way out but that's the budget and I'm happy enough to walk or hop on the metro.

Is Monmartre good for street artists? I'm hoping to pick up a reminder if my travels.

I second the Rodin Museum and Sainte Chappelle suggestions, and am going to throw in the Pompidou for art and views.

I’ve always found the Jardins du Luxembourg a perfect people-watching spot. The Medici fountain is one of my favourite spots in the world.

Don't be shy of eating alone, it's very normal to get a table for one especially at lunch time

Thanks! That doesn't bother me at all fortunately.

Medici fountain sounds lovely. I'm trying to be a bit organised as my hotel is a fair bit out of the centre so I want to figure out where I want to go so I can spend each day in a specific areas.

If you go to the Louvre, book the 9 am slot and arrive early for the queue. When you’re in, go straight to the Mona Lisa. Then you can leisurely mooch around the rest of the museum!

You’ll probably need to get the Metro sometimes. It’s worth getting the app (Bonjour RATP), much easier than using the ticket machine.

When are you going? If it’s on the first Sunday of the month, then many museums inc Rodin will be free; just search up ‘premier dimanche du mois’. Some, like Orsay, need to be booked the month before.

My favourite museum is the Jacquemart-André. Spectacular art and building.

Visit the Petit Palais, half way down Champs-Elysées. Great pit stop. Free. Fabulous art. Great cafe and courtyard. Decent loos.

Dont bother with travelling to Tour Eiffel. Either see it from one of the boat trips, or go to Trocadero as mentioned above for the view. Or go up Tour Montparnasse instead; much cheaper and easier to book, and you have great views of everything.

Take in one of the fashion museums. Galerie Dior is amazing, or there’s the city fashion museum at Trocadero. LV Dreams is still on opposite La Samaritaine and is free.

Notre Dame is free but currently requires booking (3 days ahead), or brave the queue.

Favourite super cheap restaurants: Julien. It’s a bouillon, so v reasonable menu but in a beautiful Art Nouveau setting. Or hunt out the side streets around Opera as there’s loads of Japanese and Korean offering formules for under €20.

The Place du Tertre up in Montmartre is full of street artists. Obviously a huge tourist trap though. If you’re going, walk up from Abesses metro, starting at the Mur d’Amour, via the Bateau Lavoir, Maison du Dalida and Maison Rose. You’ll come up behind Sacre Coeur and it’s a stunning view.

Seconding the Grande Mosquee de Paris. I love their tea room/terrace! My favourite place in Paris.

Also seconding the Musee Rodin - it’s lovely to walk around both inside (so light and airy) and out (gardens are full of sculptures).

You guys are amazing! I've done solo trips away before but only in the UK and although I speak a bit a of French I'm finding the logistics of Paris a bit intimidating.

All this info is so helpful!

@Oriunda is LV Dreams in/near the Louis Vuitton gallery as I'm looking at the David Hockney exhibition there as a strong possibility?

Are you flying or taking the Eurostar? Because if the latter, you can buy a Navigo pass (like a Parisian Oyster card) with a few trips preloaded on it at the bar on the train, which will help you hit the ground running.

@crackofdoom flying, which I realised after booking probs wasn't the best option. That said the logistics of getting to and from Gatwick are probably easier and no less time consuming for me that going by Eurostar.

No, LV Dreams is by the Pont Neuf in the centre. The Fondation LV is in Neuilly (metro Les Sablons). It's an excellent gallery though, and you can walk out the other side into the Jardin d'Acclimatation for free, which is a wonderful garden.