Anonymous wrote:If you go to Paris and skip the Louvre you should turn in your diploma

Exactly. And, duh , Eiffel Tower?

Agree about Saint Chapelle being a must.

Surprised no one has mentioned the flea market (Les Puces), if you're there on a weekend. You can take the metro the Clignagncourt (sp?).

If you go to Paris and skip the Louvre you should turn in your diploma

Take a day trip to Versailles (short trip on RER commuter train), but don't just do the standard tourist walk-through. Instead, there are guided visits led by docents, including some tours in English. Here is a link: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/prepare-my-visit-/single/tickets-and-rates/billets-et-tarifs/visites-commentees-1-en [English version] It's been a while, but I really enjoyed the docent tours I took.

And like PPs have said, just wander! The Left Bank is my favorite area.

Oh, and if you're going to see a lot of museums/monuments, a Paris Museum Pass may save you money and queuing time. http://en.parismuseumpass.com/ Last I used one, the options were 2, 4, and 6 days.

The restaurants in the Louvre are surprisingly good (at least compared to museum food here). We sat on a second floor outside terrace and had a nice respite.

Maison Kayser is a great (bread) bakery with several locations throughout the city-- can pick up great sandwiches there too.

16:51 offered a great list. I love Pere Lachaise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Ice cream on the Isle D' Louis.

That's http://www.berthillon.fr/, mentioned above, and I am dittoing.

Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle -- you go in, and it seems nice enough, and you go upstairs, and BAM.

Yes! We almost left after being in the lower chapel, thinking, eh....then we saw people going upstairs. Whoa.

My tip - buy the museum pass. Saves you from standing in line at most places. We walked right into many museums with lines, including the Louvre. No lines. Just get a guide book and figure out where the pass entrance is. I used the Rick Steve's book and it was great. We popped into several museums we wouldn't have gone to otherwise, like the Pompidou.

Since you're a photographer, you can't beat every nook and cranny of Notre Dame. There are other cathedrals you can photograph as well - we stayed in a hotel near St Sulpice near Luxenbourg Gardens.

Anonymous wrote:Personally I would go to the Pompidou Center and the D'Orsay and skip the madness that is the Louvre, but I guess you it's one of those places you kind of have to go.

The last time I was in Paris I had a great meal at Cafe d'Angel on Rue de Brey (?). An intimate friendly little restaurant near the Arc d'Triomphe, chef in the kitchen, the waitress serving us smiled and said in halting English "eat good food and everything else in life is good." Not too expensive or touristy, delicious food and wine, heaven.

Have to agree on skipping the Louvre and go to the D'Orsay instead. It's in a former train station and the architecture itself is amazing to look at. You can understand why Monet painted train stations so much.

Every morning DH and i would grab a baguette and some cheese at a local market and lunch somewhere along the Champs Elysee.

Note the days museums are closed. The Rodin used to be closed on Mondays.

Anonymous wrote: Ice cream on the Isle D' Louis.

That's http://www.berthillon.fr/, mentioned above, and I am dittoing.

Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle -- you go in, and it seems nice enough, and you go upstairs, and BAM.

Personally I would go to the Pompidou Center and the D'Orsay and skip the madness that is the Louvre, but I guess you it's one of those places you kind of have to go.

The last time I was in Paris I had a great meal at Cafe d'Angel on Rue de Brey (?). An intimate friendly little restaurant near the Arc d'Triomphe, chef in the kitchen, the waitress serving us smiled and said in halting English "eat good food and everything else in life is good." Not too expensive or touristy, delicious food and wine, heaven.

Oh my...more like what do you need to eat!?!

-DEFINITELY L'auduree for macaroons BUT they also have a restaurant on the Champs Elysees and the food is amazing!

-Pizza Pino on the Champs is also the BEST italian I have had in my life

-Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower for dinner but its tres expensive and there is a waitlist

-Crepes in Monmarte (and going in general bc its beautiful)

-Flower Market by the Notre Dame

-Any little hole in the wall for a bauguette with butter and red wine.

So jealous have a blast!!!!!

I'm with 17:59. Nothing beat the catacombs for something I could never see anywhere else.

*sigh* sounds delightful

The Picasso Museum is closed for another year or so.