Hello
We will be in Paris for 4 nights and 5 days. We would like to spend time in the above three areas but would like to know the highlights or %26quot;not to miss%26quot; streets, attractions, cafes etc. Any thoughts? Can we do both Isles and the Latin Quarter in a day or should we split them up? I would really appreciate any relevant help here. Thanks as always!!!
|||
I always have drinks and usually dinner at the Brasserie D%26#39;Ile St. Louis, 55, quai Bourbon.
babette.smugmug.com/photos/10405146-L.jpg
Pjk
|||
The islands are very small, but a lot is there (especially on Ile de la Cite, which includes Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle and Conciergerie). How much time you should allow depends on what you want to see, of course, and also what time of year - I assme this is soon?
If it%26#39;s summer and you want to climb the Notre Dame towers (wonderful views from on top), you need to be there at least 30 minutes before the posted opening time to get in line, or you will spend a great deal of time just waiting.
Summer also is a very popular time for Ste Chapelle, and the lines to get through security can be long plus it likely will be crowded once you are inside - my recommendation on that is to get tickets to one of the evening concerts (preferably early evening, as the late sun coming through the windows is beautiful), which gives you a lovely musical experience as well as a chance to see the upper level of the chapel (the lower level is open during the day, but isn%26#39;t as stunning because it was for use by %26quot;lesser mortals%26quot; whereas the upper chapel was for royalty). I have bought tickets on site a day or two in advance (still requires standing in line, just to get through security, and the line can be long and slow) but others have commented that it%26#39;s easy to get tickets right before the performance and avoids the lines.
Unless you stop for lunch or to do a great deal of shopping, an hour or two would be enough for Ile St Louis (don%26#39;t forget Berthillion ice cream - world%26#39;s best!). That said, there are a lot of nice shops that aren%26#39;t outrageously expensive (particularly for women%26#39;s clothing and accessories, and for unusual and non-tacky souvenirs to take home).
The time needed for the Latin Quarter also depends on what you want to see. The Musee du Moyen Age (also known as the Cluny) is small but very interesting IMO (this is the location of the %26quot;Lady and Unicorn%26quot; tapestries). The Jardin du Luxembourg is very large, and fun to walk around (often there are art installations scattered around, which change periodically). The Pantheon (about two blocks from there) is also very interesting (and if you climb to the top, you will be rewarded with a great view over the city).
Suggestion: get a guidebook and see what looks interesting in those areas, and then check the map to put together a logical order. You may or may not want to do all of the above - if not, a day would be enough (but if so, you might want to allow more time).
Have fun!
|||
-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-
This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Removed on: 5:21 am, September 07, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment