Must do's in France- hidden gems recommendations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Verdun. I’ve toured so many battle fields but that one has stuck with me for decades. The scarred land and the buried bayonets

My teen had no interest in WWII battlefields.

That's great, b/c Verdun is a WWI battlefield. All snark aside, Normandy is a beautiful part of the country regardless of the historic significance.

That's great, except Verdun isn't in Normandy.

[Anonymous]

Blois, Rouen, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Carcassonne, Uzes.

Ok, I don't like Paris very much. My favorite visits in France have been to small towns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going to France with DD (15) for her Spring break in March. Would love recommendations of things to do that are off the beaten path/hidden gems. We are flying in to Paris and have the usual big items planned.

I'd skip the usual big items unless you want to spend half the day in queues. The Eiffel tower looks better from the ground than up it. Smaller museums or less popular wings of the Louvres are more enjoyable. The queues to see the Mona Lisa in the past were silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mont Saint Michel

I had the best meal I have ever eaten in Saint-Malo. The fruits de mer and the lamb were both absolutely fantastic.

+1 If you have 8 days in France and are spending most of your time in Paris, I'd take two nights and go to Normandy. I'd tour battlefields, go to the visitor's center, and see the beaches and the cemetery. I'd go to Mont. St. Michel part of that time, too. I expected to enjoy my visit to Normandy, but it was stunning. We also went to chapel services at the top of Mont. St. Michel while we were there.

The Bayeux Tapestry is amazing.

[Anonymous]

I do not think that is too long to stay in Paris because you want to figure in time to people watch at an outdoor cafe or hit a flea market, just wander and explore!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Verdun. I’ve toured so many battle fields but that one has stuck with me for decades. The scarred land and the buried bayonets

My teen had no interest in WWII battlefields.

Good luck with AP world history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going to France with DD (15) for her Spring break in March. Would love recommendations of things to do that are off the beaten path/hidden gems. We are flying in to Paris and have the usual big items planned.

I'd skip the usual big items unless you want to spend half the day in queues. The Eiffel tower looks better from the ground than up it. Smaller museums or less popular wings of the Louvres are more enjoyable. The queues to see the Mona Lisa in the past were silly.

We walked up the Eiffel Tower and there was no line, the climb took about 20 minutes. If you get the Museum Pass you can skip the lines at pretty much all the museums, although I do agree with you that the Louvre and the Mona Lisa in particular are a bit overwhelming with the number of people. Going during one of the night hours periods is awesome- entire rooms at the Louvre are empty, and the Orsay is perfect. If you are the type of person who gets "museumed out", I would recommend the Orsay and the Orangerie ahead of the Louvre- so much more manageable. But the Louvre does have some absolutely amazing things as well, of course. The Middle Eastern/Egyptian art in particular (probably half of it stolen by Napolean's men) is remarkable.

Unfortunately it looks like the Louvre night hours aren't available right now.

https://www.louvre.fr/en/visit/hours-admission

The Orsay's night is Thursday- open until 9:45 PM.

https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/visite

[Anonymous]

One of the best things we did was have a private tour guide for the Louvre. The one we chose was tailored to kids. So worth it. And she took us in a different entrance and avoided all the lines. Pricey, but really enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

It's Paris, a city with 30 million tourists a year. There are no hidden gems, in the sense of something worth seeing that there won't be a hundreds of other tourists visiting. But if you get a guidebook (I like Lonely Planet, but many are good) and go past the "top 10" lists, there will be dozens of museums and sites that won't be as packed as the Louvre or Arc De Triomphe. Take a few hours to read through and find what appeals to you.

For the places that will be crowded, try to get there at off hours: right at opening or in the evening. I once got to the Orangerie at opening, walked straight to the Water Lilies installation, and was the only one there (at least for a few minutes).

Also, take some time to just wander for an hour or two without consulting a map.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seconded for Sainte Chapelle. If you hit it on a sunny day, it’s breath-takingly beautiful. It’s nighttime events can also be extraordinary. Really my favorite place. Buy tix on the app and avoid the long line.

Agree that if you're going to do Sainte-Chapelle, it's worth going for an event (even if you think the music is not your thing).

https://www.theatreinparis.com/en/show/sainte-chapelle-concert-series

[Anonymous]

We've done Fat Tire Bike tours in Paris twice; once to Versaille and once to Giverny. I LOVED them both, but Giverny just a bit more. They drove us out to Denton(?) where we shopped for picnic supplies, picked up our bikes and we rode to a lovely picnic spot near a historic bridge. Then, we biked to Monet's house and had quite a while to explore. I will dream about those gardens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not think that is too long to stay in Paris because you want to figure in time to people watch at an outdoor cafe or hit a flea market, just wander and explore!

I agree with this. We spent 7 days in Paris (multiple times) and there is so much to see. You can just walk around all day and not get bored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've done Fat Tire Bike tours in Paris twice; once to Versaille and once to Giverny. I LOVED them both, but Giverny just a bit more. They drove us out to Denton(?) where we shopped for picnic supplies, picked up our bikes and we rode to a lovely picnic spot near a historic bridge. Then, we biked to Monet's house and had quite a while to explore. I will dream about those gardens.

My bad, it was Vernon.

https://inside-europe.com/photo-from-france-old-mill-in-vernon-normandy/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not think that is too long to stay in Paris because you want to figure in time to people watch at an outdoor cafe or hit a flea market, just wander and explore!

I agree with this. We spent 7 days in Paris (multiple times) and there is so much to see. You can just walk around all day and not get bored.

100% agreed, as someone who has been there 4 times. Minimum I would say is 4 days, optimal is probably 6 or 7. Such a variety of things to do even just within the city. Last time I was there spent a wonderful afternoon walking around the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and then eating an early dinner (by French standards) at a nearby bistro. Not really part of the regular tourist trail (athough its a very popular park with great views), but only 25 minutes Metro/walking from the center of the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've done Fat Tire Bike tours in Paris twice; once to Versaille and once to Giverny. I LOVED them both, but Giverny just a bit more. They drove us out to Denton(?) where we shopped for picnic supplies, picked up our bikes and we rode to a lovely picnic spot near a historic bridge. Then, we biked to Monet's house and had quite a while to explore. I will dream about those gardens.

But they are going in March.

I think this thread is just triggering everyone’s magical French memories. We are so hungry for travel!!