Paris tips

[XXX-er]

Apparently they mined that ^^ rock ( limestone ) to build Paris

At least in summer shops close for 2 hrs so if you expect to stop for lunch forget it, the regular drill while bike touring was to get coffee & a patisserie in the AM where GF would get to practise her french, then I get a second coffee while she wanders off to find a chunk of cheese and a baguette for lunch

there might be different hrs in the fall but ?

[mcski]

Yep. The tunnels under Paris are very extensive. I’m sure there are still Lots of youthful hijinks still going on in the more obscure sections even now

The first time I went to the catacombs , you were supposed to bring a flashlight as There was very little to no lighting.l down there. Of course, my cheap and broke ass college self didn’t have a flashlight, but went down there anyway. Creepy as fuck as I literally had to feel along the wall until my eyes adjusted and luckily a couple that had flash lights came along and saved my ass. I hadn’t got to the bone section yet, but never having been there before, I had no idea what I was going to touch along the wall. Horror movie levels of freaky. Then relief when I found I wasn’t feeling bones and then amazement when we got to then stacks. One of my fave memories of Paris. lol

It’s incomprehensible how many people are parked down there for eternity

[babybear]

Don’t forget to swing by The Two Maggots


We stayed in the Sarbonne and it was great.
We used the tourist bikes to get around a bunch which was very convenient (Andrew made me ride around the Champs Elysees)

[old goat]

There's a big every day street market near the Sorbonne on a street lined with food shops, near our favorite hotel. We shopped there every day. Don't touch the produce. (I was shopping at the Truckee farmer's market the other day. A woman was having the sales person pick out and bag her fruit. Then I heard the French accent.)

[warthog]

Another tip, more of a general Europe tip. Eat dinner around 8:30 or 9 unless you like dining with Americans.

Maybe you knew that one, but the later we eat, the more interesting the company is.

[Danno]

Revisiting this thread since my trip is in a few weeks.

I've got dozens of restaurants to recommend, but not sure what arrondissement youre staying in?

We're staying in the 5th, right near the Luxembourg Gardens.

[Danno]

Hopping on a bike share bike is a fun way to get around.

Go eat here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fxfcaqgugGeHrQtB8

My wife’s Parisian friends took us there last fall and honestly it was almost as good as the $$$ 3-star tasting menu place the night before. Just a delightful neighborhood bistro where you order a starter, main (and maybe dessert) from a normal sounding rotating menu…but all the details are nailed perfectly.

Definitely need a reservation though, both because the place is tiny and because getting reservations is a "thing" in Paris.

going to try to go to this place for a fancy dinner with my lady friend (and ditch the almost-MIL).

[riser4]

going to try to go to this place for a fancy dinner with my lady friend (and ditch the almost-MIL).

Is she your lady friend or are you just trying to help her conceive?

[Danno]

Is she your lady friend or are you just trying to help her conceive?

trying to help her conceive as often as I can, but I don't think it's gonna work

[riser4]

trying to help her conceive as often as I can, but I don't think it's gonna work

Keep trying!

[Peruvian]

a few thoughts:
- When you walk into a shop/cafe/restaurant/whatever, say "bonjour" before starting the conversation and asking them for whatever it is you want.
- If you can speak any French at all, try to open the conversation with as much French as possible and let the French person decide if they're going to try their English on you, rather than just speaking English at them. These two minor politenesses probably relieve most French vs English tourist grumpiness.

I have found saying “Je ne parle pas Francais
“ and asking “Parlez vous Anglais?” gets me far in France and Quebec.

[old goat]

Revisiting this thread since my trip is in a few weeks.



We're staying in the 5th, right near the Luxembourg Gardens.

The open air market I mentioned is on the Rue Monge, very near where you're staying. Google says it's open Wed, Fri and Sunday. The street is also lined with food shops. The Cluny Museum is worth a peek since it's nearby, if you're into the middle ages. Restaurant Chez Lena et Mimile is also very close. It's been years but they served wine from Chile--how's that for unpretentious in Paris.

No need to ask people to speak English. Start to speak French and they will immediately switch the conversation to English.

[MakersTeleMark]

trying to help her conceive as often as I can, but I don't think it's gonna work

[mcski]

Always say bonjour. Unless it’s nighttime

[zion zig zag]

Always say bonjour. Unless it’s nighttime

Lots of hand wringing over this, but if a non English speaker told me good morning at 7pm I could give a shit less.

[skaredshtles]

Lots of hand wringing over this, but if a non English speaker told me good morning at 7pm I could give a shit less.

You're obviously not a golfer...

[babybear]

Lots of hand wringing over this, but if a non English speaker told me good morning at 7pm I could give a shit less.

I would find that totally amusing

But we did have to be told about not saying hello or even acknowledging others you pass on the sidewalk etc.
It was super hard for my husband who is overly friendly

Also has anyone mentioned how a lot of places are closed on Mondays?- Lots of museums and such

[irul&ublo]

trying to help her conceive as often as I can, but I don't think it's gonna work

PM digitaldeath about vacuum pumps. Or any Red Sox fan.


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[old goat]

I would find that totally amusing

But we did have to be told about not saying hello or even acknowledging others you pass on the sidewalk etc.
It was super hard for my husband who is overly friendly

Also has anyone mentioned how a lot of places are closed on Mondays?- Lots of museums and such

OTOH everyone we passed on the Tour du Mont Blanc--which was a lot of people--said bon jour (in France, Italy, and Switzerland). But no one was friendly in the huts. I think I already posted that, maybe here.

[zion zig zag]

You're obviously not a golfer...

Yeah, I have no idea what that even means.

[Buzzworthy]

Yeah, I have no idea what that even means.

I also wondered

[OldLarry]

I have found saying “Je ne parle pas Francais
“ and asking “Parlez vous Anglais?” gets me far in France and Quebec.

Open the conversation in whatever little French you have and apologize for it not being better and they are WAY cooler. How would you react if you were a New Yorker running to a meeting an some c u next Tuesday started blocking the line sidewalk and babbling at you in French? Lol


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[OldLarry]

Have not spent real time I Paris in a couple of years but was in Versailles this summer- way cooler than I expected, which was a fair bit actually. Go for a run around the grounds- puts Central Park, Hyde park, bois de Bologne, Richmond Park, etc to shame. Fkna awesome-


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[OldLarry]

That’s the best part of Paris, it’s unapologetically French.

Wake up and have a leisurely coffee at a cafe on the street. Walk around browsing shops and people watching. Eat a 2 hour lunch with at least one bottle of wine. Have sex after lunch. Smoke cigarettes (maybe) and drink more wine. Wander around more surrounded by beauty talking about anything. Eat dinner at 10pm with more wine. Sleep late.

The French have life dialed.

Yup


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[Danno]

Another tip, more of a general Europe tip. Eat dinner around 8:30 or 9 unless you like dining with Americans.

My reservation is for 730pm. I feel attacked.

Guess I'm dining with the Americans!