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Originally Posted by Reese1  Oh no, you got stuck with the ash problem! Wow what timing!
So which district did you stay in? We are leaning towards the 6th (St. Germain)
Did you take the city buses at all? That's been recommended by some over the metro because of steps, my Mom can get around but she doesn't have the best knees & she's had surgery on her feet.
I've been reading about pick pocketing. We plan on wearing the little things under our shirts, not carrying purses really.
I want to see the Louvre, but I'm more interested in the Orsay, did you go there?
We definitely want to do a cruise on the Seine. I think we will be typical tourist & do a hop on/hop off bus tour too. Did you do that?
We are so interested in exploring cafes, little shops. We want to go to Versailles. I know it's expensive in Paris!
My main worry is picking the right hotel right now that is convenient to public transportation & shops. Then I will worry about getting around in general, lol.
We do not speak French, but we are trying to learn a little online. Should be interesting!
Any restaurants or other places that stick out in your mind?
McDonalds, huh? I never thought about that being there! |
I'll be honest with you. I cried through my entire Paris trip due to the volcano eruption. When the news hit, we realized we were stranded in a foreign country for days. My family had to spend $12k to get home a week after our flight (long story).
Because of this, I didn't really enjoy my stay too much. I am originally from NYC so I can get around quite well. However, with Paris and the entire French language, it was extremely difficult. I still don't understand how the districts work. Thank goodness I went with my parents who have been there several times.
We didn't do the hop on/off bus tour which I totally regret. I remember it being expensive and we had to save everything we could for food/lodging. We didn't do the Orsay because we did the Louvre.
I would suggest seeing the Eiffel tower and then cruise the Siene from there. The boats are right across from the Eiffel tower (literally across the street). I would also suggest maybe a dinner or lunch cruise as I don't think those are much more money than just the regular cruise.
I'm useless when it comes to where to stay. Like I said, I just was lost my entire time there. Buses should be no problem at all.
Do as the Parisians do. Sit at a cafe and eat and drink and just people watch. You'll be shocked how they eat together. Everyone crammed shoulder to shoulder facing towards the street. It was bizarre to me, yet very cool.
When people are not dining at a cafe, they are walking down the street eating sandwiches on baguettes. EVERYONE is.
McDonalds serves gourmet home made pastries.