My fiance and I are spending 1 week in Greece and 2 weeks in Italy for our honeymoon this August...and I JUST found out that due to some flight changes, what was supposed to just be an hour in Paris to switch planes will now allow us an entire day and night, and even the following morning in Paris! I%26#39;m SO excited! I%26#39;ve never been, and the thought of being in Paris and not leaving the airport was so sad...
I%26#39;m going to surprise my husband-to-be and want to have it all planned out.
My questions:
*Best hotel, price no option, in terms of location and seeing a great deal without going to much trouble - and a great view. And preferably with a great restaurant for brunch or something?
*must sights
*amazing dinner with an amazing view
Thanks so so much in advance! I%26#39;m so excited!!
happy travels, Colleen
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Congratulations on the unexpectedly surprise!
If it was me and it was my very first time in Paris, I%26#39;ll spend the day in the Louvre in the morning, Sacre Coeur/Montmatre in the afternoon and night at the Eiffel Tower.
Have fun.
--------------------
John
http://www.godblogonline.com
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I%26#39;m considering Plaza Athenee?
I should mention we are both 30 and like to go to the fun/hot spots - but not stuffy or real formal...
Thanks!
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any other toughts?
thanks!
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I%26#39;d stay at the Plaza Athenee in a heartbeat! Fantastic location. And, have an amazing dinner with an amazing view (or so I%26#39;ve heard) at Maison Blanche a few doors away. See www.bestrestaurantsparis.com for photos, menu, online reservations, etc.
If you have Comcast-on-demand or the Sundance channel, be SURE to take a look at the movie %26quot;Avenue Montaigne%26quot;. Too charming!
Keep in mind that you really need to be at CDG at least three hours ahead of your flight.
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thanks!
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still soliciting advice :)
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Perhaps a dinner cruise on the Seine.
Eiffel Tower at night is spectacular! (If you%26#39;re not at the Tower itself, be sure to find a place from which to view it at night.)
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What a wonderful surprise!
My first visit was in November 07 for one day and one night. Definitely view the Eiffel Tower at night! The Seine River cruise was very romantic at night and the city was wonderful all lit up. A dinner cruise might be a great compromise for romantic dinner, view and a %26quot;time saver%26quot; by combining dinner w/a cruise. I prefer not to spend too much time in a museum, especially if I only have a day. But, I%26#39;m not much of an art buff, just overview.
We did a lot of walking through the city from Gare du Nord to the Eiffel Tower area, mainly b/c the train workers were on strike, and it took up a lot of time but we also saw many things. I%26#39;m not sure if you would be up for a bike tour. But Fat Tire offers a 4-hr bike tour around all of the major sites. If not up for that, there is always the bus tour. I haven%26#39;t been on a bus tour in Paris but have in other cities and have always enjoyed them.
The Arc de Triomphe is supposed to offer a great view of the city, as an alternative to waiting in long lines at the Eiffel Tower.
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The Trocadero is a great place to see the Eiffel tower for the first time. Also I have heard Cafe des Hommes is very trendy with great views, though I haven%26#39;t been there myself.
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With one day and one night in Paris – on my honeymoon – I would start by walking up the Avenue Montaigne to the Champs Elysees (I’m assuming, here, you go with the Plaza Athénée) and down to the Place de la Concorde and through the Jardin des Tuileries to the Louvre. Check out the outside of the building and the glass pyramids.
This should take about 1.5 hours, depending on how often you stop to soak up sights and take photos.
From there, it’s just over a kilometre walk along the Seine and across Pont Neuf to get to the Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame. Visit the Cathedral, but you don’t really have time to do the tour of the towers – and there’s likely to be a long queue.
Have lunch at Mon Vieil Ami on the Ile St Louis, though go to Berthillon’s Salon de The and pick up one of their famous glaces for desert.
With your glaces in hand, cross back over the Seine at the Pont Marie and have a wander through the Marais, visit the Place des Voges and check out the boutiques. Love Metal Pointus bijoux, which is designed and made in Paris. I think they’re on the Rue Francs Bourgeois.
It’s probably about 16:30 – head to the Rue du Vieille du Temple and catch the 67 or 76 bus whichever comes first) to Pont Neuf. Change there for the 85 bus to Montmartre. Takes about 30 - 40 minutes, all up. Spend a couple of hours or exploring Montmartre and visiting Sacre Couer.
At 19:00, head back to your hotel to freshen up for dinner (the Number 80 bus takes you right there). One option for dinner is Les Ombres on the terrace of the Musee du Quai Branly – which is in “the shadow” (hence the name) of the Tour Eiffel. It’s walking distance from your hotel. But it gets variable reviews on the quality of its food for the price. If the food matters more than the views, Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée is another option, for a Michel *** fine dining experience. Guy Savoy (also Michel ***) is the current place to go, according to the collective wisdom on chowhound. It’s not far from the Plaza Athénée – up the Champs Elysees and one street back from the Arc de Triomphe. Alternatively, catch the 92 bus up Avenue Marceau (which will take less than 10 minutes).
Because this is my version of your day in Paris, you’re going to Guy Savoy for a 21:00 sitting.
On the way, stop to visit the Arc de Triomphe. Assuming there are no queues, take the elevator up (and thanks to InLoveWithParis for this tip) to get a 360 degree view of the spectacle that is Paris from the top. There are still 40 stairs to climb once you get out of the elevator, though, so don’t wear stilettos.
Dinner at Guy Savoy will probably take three hours, after which go for an after-dinner stroll down to the Avenue d’Iena to the Trocadero, which will give you a great view of the Tour Eiffel.
From there, head back to the hotel by crossing the Pont d’Iena, walking under the Tour Eiffel (it’s really amazing up close), up Avenue Rapp, cross the Pont d’Alma and back to the hotel.
Sleep in and have brunch in one of the hotel’s restaurants in the morning. If you have time before you have to get to the airport, consider a stroll along the Seine to the incredibly ornate Pont Alexandre III, which leads to the Hotel Invalides and, behind it, the gold dome of the Tombeau de Napoleon.
Have fun.
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