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07/19/2014 10:20:16 AM · #1
I can't believe it!!! I'm going to Paris November 3rd-12th!!! I'm soooooo excited to be going. And I have a million questions because I don't want to miss anything "important"...I know I could spend a lifetime there and not get it all...but I need a good list to work off. We are staying at

Hilton Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
Roissypole, Rue de Rome, BP16461 | Roissy | | France 95708

I'm going to be getting the

Paris Museum Pass (unless you know of something better)
Paris Pass it appears that there are two???
Metro Pass for a week

Somethings that are not covered by the Pass - any other recommendations?

Paris Opera House (this might be included in the Paris Pass???)
Jardin d’Acclimatation

Lens I plan to take:

Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD with Piezo
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D (if I can get it working again...sigh)

Should I look into renting a better Wide Angle Lens, if so...what do you recommend.

To top things off I'm going with both my daughters - ages 25 & 30!!! What a trip of a lifetime...

And because they both work for Disney they both want me to go with them to Disney Paris...for them I'll do it...lol So I'll have 1 day for just that. They are beside themselves with excitement (as am I)!!!
07/19/2014 10:33:07 AM · #2
Visiting Paris and going to Disney... almost seems sacrilegious. :O)

Ray
07/19/2014 10:38:52 AM · #3
Originally posted by RayEthier:

Visiting Paris and going to Disney... almost seems sacrilegious. :O)

Ray


It's for my daughters Ray....

When we drove my Niece's car from Florida to CA part of the deal was that we had to go to Disneyland. We almost had to abort that part of the trip (car troubles) and they were seriously talking about leaving me on the side of the road!!!
07/19/2014 11:07:09 AM · #4
Bon voyage Janine.
One pass is enough, read the fine lines.
Carte orange is good for both metro and busses. You need a photo that you can take in a lot of metro stations. Busses are excellent is you want free tours of the city. Get a good map, they give it to you free in the metro

Read a good guide before going and let yourself get lost in Paris.
Last but not least, take an umbrella

07/19/2014 11:14:52 AM · #5
Bateaux Parisiens - take the boat tour if you have a chance!
07/19/2014 11:17:25 AM · #6
Czn't help with the lens and I can't help with any Paris suggestions but I can wish you and your daughter's the very best on this trip! It sounds amazing...even the Disney part!
07/19/2014 11:27:18 AM · #7
Originally posted by tome:

Bateaux Parisiens - take the boat tour if you have a chance!


this is the one that goes down the La Seine? Yes, we are going to do that for sure
07/19/2014 11:59:04 AM · #8
Originally posted by Ja-9:

Originally posted by tome:

Bateaux Parisiens - take the boat tour if you have a chance!


this is the one that goes down the La Seine? Yes, we are going to do that for sure


I went on the Seine boat tour of off Pointe Neuf...You won't regret it! I LOVED it.

Also, I made a point to stop at Le Deux Magots when there. Ernest Hemingway, Satre, and Picasso frequented it during their times.

Make sure to visit Notre Dame AND get there early to visit the upstairs towers. Which is where I took these photos.

ALSO, I love the cemetery (I know a little weird right?) PĂ©re Lachaise. Some grave sites to visit: Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde.

I absolutely loved Paris when I was there.
07/19/2014 12:08:12 PM · #9
Originally posted by Frakster:

Originally posted by Ja-9:

Originally posted by tome:

Bateaux Parisiens - take the boat tour if you have a chance!


this is the one that goes down the La Seine? Yes, we are going to do that for sure


I went on the Seine boat tour of off Pointe Neuf...You won't regret it! I LOVED it.

Also, I made a point to stop at Le Deux Magots when there. Ernest Hemingway, Satre, and Picasso frequented it during their times.

Make sure to visit Notre Dame AND get there early to visit the upstairs towers. Which is where I took these photos.

ALSO, I love the cemetery (I know a little weird right?) PĂ©re Lachaise. Some grave sites to visit: Sarah Bernhardt, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde.

I absolutely loved Paris when I was there.


Tell me more about the Notre Dame towers please...as I understand there are usually lines but how fast do they move and how much time do they give you up there? This is very, very high on the list...

I too love cemeteries...kind of weird but they can be really cool - St. Louis, Savannah, Charleston, Richmond all have very interesting ones!!!
07/19/2014 12:25:16 PM · #10
Originally posted by Ja-9:

Tell me more about the Notre Dame towers please...as I understand there are usually lines but how fast do they move and how much time do they give you up there? This is very, very high on the list...

I too love cemeteries...kind of weird but they can be really cool - St. Louis, Savannah, Charleston, Richmond all have very interesting ones!!!


Honestly when I was there is was December 20thish lol. It was FREAKIN COLD! I got there about an hour before they opened the doors leading upstairs (it's around the corner from the main entrance into the church) and I was like 20th in line or something. In summer I can only imagine the chaos and lines there would be at that time. It's a 387 step climb. Here is a good website I found about it. //www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article477

It says it opens at 10a. In the summer I would consider getting there maybe around 8a? When I was up there I could stay up there for however long I wanted...when I wanted to leave I just climbed back down the stairs. Not sure if it's more regulated during the peak tourist summer time though.

Message edited by Bear_Music - parse link.
07/19/2014 01:01:06 PM · #11
We are defiantly going "off season"...to get the view of the Effiel Tower is that east/west? (Facing). Do the steps take you only to one tower or two? Can you take tripods?

Will read your link when I get hm

Thank you!!!
07/19/2014 01:33:53 PM · #12
Janine I am going to Paris mid September! If I have any handy tips after my trip I'll be sure to let you know.
07/19/2014 03:35:12 PM · #13
Originally posted by Ja-9:

I can't believe it!!! I'm going to Paris November 3rd-12th!!! I'm soooooo excited to be going. And I have a million questions because I don't want to miss anything "important"...I know I could spend a lifetime there and not get it all...but I need a good list to work off. We are staying at

Hilton Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
Roissypole, Rue de Rome, BP16461 | Roissy | | France 95708

I'm going to be getting the

Paris Museum Pass (unless you know of something better)
Paris Pass it appears that there are two???
Metro Pass for a week

Somethings that are not covered by the Pass - any other recommendations?

Paris Opera House (this might be included in the Paris Pass???)

Jardin d’Acclimatation

Lens I plan to take:

Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD with Piezo
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D (if I can get it working again...sigh)

Should I look into renting a better Wide Angle Lens, if so...what do you recommend.

To top things off I'm going with both my daughters - ages 25 & 30!!! What a trip of a lifetime...

And because they both work for Disney they both want me to go with them to Disney Paris...for them I'll do it...lol So I'll have 1 day for just that. They are beside themselves with excitement (as am I)!!!


I just got back last month.

The City Case got us everything we needed and charged in US$ (saves money!) and they sent it to our house before we left. Choose the options you want.

We loved the river cruise (came with it). We went to the 54th floor thing (that's one of the choices for add-ons).. .that was ok, but I wouldn't pay extra (I think it was $14 each) to do it again.

Get the Zones 1-5 passes for transportation. (You'll need it from the airport and to get to Versailles which is also included).

Get your tickets to everything ahead of time. For instance, even though we had our entrance tickets ahead of time for Versailles, the line to get through Security scan was about 45 minutes. It looked like the line for tickets was over an hour long.

Notre Dame line was about 75 yards long when we got there late afternoon). Took about 10-15 minutes. Moves very quickly... and you can stay inside as long as you like. It's free (and GORGEOUS!!).

WATCH FOR PICKPOCKETS EVERYWHERE YOU GO!
07/19/2014 03:39:51 PM · #14
Oh! Just saw your hotel! We stayed at that same hotel! It's REALLY close to the airport and the train station (which is in the airport) When you get to the CDG airport, go to the train station and go out the exit to the buses, don't bother with the Hotel shuttle. You'll see the hotel right in front of you. Maybe 200 yards through the parking lot.

Food is very expensive (for US$) in Paris. Since our room there came with a free breakfast (croissants, meats, cheeses, fruits, coffee, tea etc) we ate there and then packed a sandwich and stuck it in our bag for lunch.

Also, free happy hour... but we were only back in time for that once.

It's about 30 minutes by train to the City Center... you won't be running back to the hotel much, but it's a beautiful hotel.

07/19/2014 03:43:23 PM · #15
Oh golly! I'm blathering on... Ha!

Get currency before you leave... it's expensive to use the ATM ($5 each time, plus the conversion rate the bank charges).

07/19/2014 03:51:30 PM · #16
//www.thecitycase.com/paris-pass-package.html

Oh... if you get this... the boat trip is near the Eiffel Tower.

We had trouble finding it.

Go to the river (duh) and to the right... (not the left toward the carousel). Then it's on your left. Exchange your Pass for a ticket. It's a good trip.

And... DANG! I didn't even know we COULD go up into the towers at Notre Dame! Arg! The line I talked about was for entrance to the church, not the tower.

07/19/2014 04:08:19 PM · #17
If you are a museum fan, use the fact that your sleep schedule will be out of synch the first few days and go to the Louvre late. Rooms that are packed 12 rows deep at mid day are empty between 6 and 9:45 on Wednesdays and Fridays when everybody else is out on bus tours or home eating dinner.

Euro Disney is kind of interesting because the very subtle things they get wrong in the Disney experience are very informative of the core of what it is to be French.
07/19/2014 04:21:53 PM · #18
Blather on Dear Lydia!!!

I'm planning on doing exactly that for my breakfast...FILL my pkts (ok, folks I'm cheap when I have to be). And even if I get a baguette n goat cheese I'll be happy. I'm budgeting $40-50 per day for food (that would be my dinner)....my husband pointed out that I would need more for wine...(cough...there's that) but my niece said it's pretty cheap there (I'm sure you can find more expensive stuff....but decent is all I want)....

I think We're going to go with this pass - it's 56 Euro's vs 173 Euro's (4 day) and we'll pick it up there to avoid the mailing costs. There are only 3 things that aren't on the pass, Opera (10 E), Boat Ride (30 E), Jardin d’Acclimatation (3 E). And all the other "Major" attractions are there otherwise.

We'll do a 4 day Pass and 7 day train/metro pass.

My niece, sister and her cousin have been multiple times (3 wks last October), so they are well acquainted with the layout of the city (yea!!!). At this time there will be 9 of us going from my family...all female....

Notre Damn Tower - my goal is to go up around 3:30....

Will definitely do the River trip no matter what...I remember doing it in '79. But I won't pay to go up the Eiffel Tower...I'm more interested in the ground pictures....

Brennan...great suggestion...to go later...I like museums but can only take so much of that and I'll only be able to pick one area to see. They do a guided tour of the Opera on Wed/Sat/Sun....so I figure the only day I have for that is Wed. But I'm not sure if I want a guided tour or just wander around and shoot away...

What kind of lens do you guys recommend for indoor shooting...my Tamron 18-270mm is my widest lens I have...
07/19/2014 04:48:30 PM · #19
Paris is a great place to visit. No advice from me, but the Eiffel tower is great and don't forget to have a look at Mona Lisa and David:) Have fun!
07/19/2014 05:09:00 PM · #20
So if you had to choose from one of these lens to take for indoor/outdoor wide angle pictures...which one would you choose (bang for the buck)

remember I'm taking

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR
Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD with Piezo - this is my "walk-about" lens

and if I get it working....

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D (to replace this it's only $149 - NEW) I guess it's been "upgraded" lately???

Message edited by author 2014-07-19 17:09:32.
07/19/2014 05:17:35 PM · #21
Originally posted by Ja-9:

my husband pointed out that I would need more for wine...(cough...there's that) but my niece said it's pretty cheap there (I'm sure you can find more expensive stuff....but decent is all I want)....


Yup, it is tough to find a bad wine in France, but it can be done. Just know your terms and know that if the Maiter offers you a Pamplemousse, what you are getting into. Bring glasses a cutting board, a bottle opener and a knife and the streets are your restaurant. A cheap bottle, a batard, some charcuterie and a dry bench.....yum.

If you want a weird side trip, visit a Carrefour and visit the wine, which is usually a couple of rows, and the bottled water section, which is huge. There is one by the RER station that serves CDG.
07/19/2014 05:22:42 PM · #22
Originally posted by BrennanOB:

Originally posted by Ja-9:

my husband pointed out that I would need more for wine...(cough...there's that) but my niece said it's pretty cheap there (I'm sure you can find more expensive stuff....but decent is all I want)....


Yup, it is tough to find a bad wine in France, but it can be done. Just know your terms and know that if the Maiter offers you a Pamplemousse, what you are getting into. Bring glasses a cutting board, a bottle opener and a knife and the streets are your restaurant. A cheap bottle, a batard, some charcuterie and a dry bench.....yum.

If you want a weird side trip, visit a Carrefour and visit the wine, which is usually a couple of rows, and the bottled water section, which is huge. There is one by the RER station that serves CDG.


My eldest daughter is a Wine Sommelier (first level of three) for Disney, my other daughter works for Landry's (she's a manager). So I'm counting on the fact that with them leading me on...I should be fine...

Good suggestions about the "utensils"...wouldn't have thought of that...but it's on my pking list now!!!

ETA: Traveling collapsible wine glasses...ahhhhh - great gift for each of us!!!

Message edited by author 2014-07-19 17:25:13.
07/19/2014 05:39:31 PM · #23
Or swig it from the bottle! :D

Or Dixie cups... I've seen it all.

I know you'll have a great time!

IF you don't get pickpocketed.

PLEASE zip and double zip.

ALL the time... but especially when a "distraction" is going on... Like you're taking a photo ... or a person's limb gets stuck in the Metro train's door... or a stranger stops to ask you something or... or... or...
07/19/2014 06:06:11 PM · #24
Originally posted by LydiaToo:

Or swig it from the bottle! :D

Or Dixie cups... I've seen it all.

I know you'll have a great time!

IF you don't get pick pocketed.

PLEASE zip and double zip.

ALL the time... but especially when a "distraction" is going on... Like you're taking a photo ... or a person's limb gets stuck in the Metro train's door... or a stranger stops to ask you something or... or... or...


Sounds like you had a problem???

I plan to sew special pkts into my pants, 1 for the pass port, one other for CC and another for Cash...I did this for my daughter when she went 10 years ago...it's a simple pkt with a velcro closure, light weight and "inside" my pants, easily removed later...I'm think'n they be ask'n for a good hard "B-slap" if they go inside my pants...

What did you do for phones?
07/19/2014 06:18:17 PM · #25
Originally posted by Ja-9:


What did you do for phones?


Put them on vibrate and put it down your pants too ..... only joking.

I went to Paris with Wife and 2 Leica's we never had any trouble at all. I used my Lowepro back trekkor when zipped up and you are wearing it makes it impossible to get into it without taking it off.

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