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Notre Dame, Paris
Les Invalides - Army Museum
Eiffel Tower
Inside.....
Does anyone know if Thanksgiving or Christmas would be busier that the other?
I would to prefer to go when it is not high tourist season such as summer months.
Any insight?
Christmas is a holiday all over Europe. Two of us went to Paris between Christmas and New Years and there were still lines everywhere.
Thanksgiving, however, is a US holiday (or a Canadian holiday if you are Canadian), and not a holiday that they celebrate in Europe. So I would think (although I have not traveled there at that time), the end of November would be better than the end of December for that reason. There is also a lull in travel between the end of November and the middle of December.
I was there last Christmas (Dec 24-30)and there's a LOT of tourist everywhere!! The only "peaceful" place was in the cemetery when we visited the tomb of Jim Morrison and there's a tourist who would drop by every 2 minutes =)
Thanksgiving does not exist at all in Europe.
Christmas and Easter are the two busiest period outside the July/August highest season...but you will find plenty of visitors in Paris (and other European capitals) all year round.
'Quieter' times would be Jan/Feb (or March, depending on when Easter falls) or November. Not brilliant weather though.
Thank you all for clarifying! Looks like I will book near the end of November instead of Christmas. I would have never known this without VT! Thanks!
The only reason why 27/11 might be busy in Paris would be if a heap of Americans decided to celebrate it by going there. Or if there was a big trade fair at the time, but the motor show is in mid-October and fashion events, especially in January and in June.
As many have already replied, Thanksgiving is unknown to most Europeans so the end of November is 'low season' regarding tourists; and as many have stated, the weather will probably be far from glorious - great for visiting museums, churches and so on. September and October are much nice and my favourite month in Paris is May (but be careful - lots of long weekends here).
Baguette is popular, restaurants are expensive, I didn t have good experience with meat but pasta was great.
Ah, you should not ask for coke in a dinner, it s really expensive (around 4 or 5 dollars), just ask a 'bouteille de l'eau mineral' which is...yes! mineral water...for free, and you will can save good money in a restaurant. yes
I didn t think I could fall in surprise in front of Eiffel, but it s a must!
In the beginning of XIII AD Philippe-August King built the fortress on the right side of Seine and it had a name Louvre. The King lived in Cite Island and his treasury and archives were kept in the fortress. In XIV Karl V renovated the fortress (for example, library was built) and began to live there. The transformation to the palace began in the middle of XVI century and proceeded up to 1682 when King Court moved to Versailles. The present view Louvre has since 1871 after fire. In XVI century Francis I King began to collect paintings and collection was filled up afterwards, especially by Napoleon I, when conquered countries paid contribution with paintings, sculptures and other forms of art. Nowadays Louvre is the biggest museum in the world and besides it has the richest collection in the world.
The nearest transport station is Palais Royal Musee De Louvre metrostation, lines 1 and 7. From metro station you may go in Passage Richelieu (shopping center) and there is an entrance to the museum. Of course, as many other places in the center, you may get Louvre by walk.
Museum works from 9 am till 6 pm. I read that since September 10, 2004 there are evening openings in Wednesdays and Fridays till 9.45 pm. The ticket is EUR 8.50
Some views of the museum are in my travelogue.
For us cyclists, it is comforting to know that the Paris police are on our side.
Second photo: A policeman on a bike on rue de Rivoli.
Third photo: Three policemen on bikes on rue Vaugirard.
Fourth photo: In touristy areas like the Eiffel Tower or the Left Bank you can also see some police on horseback, which to me does not seem very practical in terms of actual law enforcement, but perhaps it is just a matter of maintaining visible police presence as a deterrent.
A Restaurant Tip:
Non-French speaking patrons of French -- and especially Parisian -- restaurants need to be careful of the term 'entrée.' It means 'entrance', or maybe more accurately, 'entered', and applies to 'starters.' Unfortunately, my French is quite limited. Anyway, it does not mean 'main course' as it is interpreted in the U.S. This bit of info may well save you a few patronizing 'sniffs' from waiters.
Being a huge fan of all things Art Nouveau, I was, of course, in visual rapture much of the time I was in Paris. It is impossible to pick up any book on Art Nouveau and not find a description of 29 Avenue Rapp. This was a sight I would not miss.
The building was designed by architect Jules Lavirotte and won the Concours des Facades de la Ville de Paris (a contest of facade designs) in 1901 but not without some controversy. I have seen descriptions of the building which used such words as "subversive" and "disgusting". I, on the other hand, found it impossible to look away from the complex organic splendor of the building.
As Carol and I stood in front of 29 Avenue Rapp, I couldn't help think what a fabulous address this would be.
Intro Photo: You don't often see a gecko as the subject of a door-pull but there he was in all his not so veiled erotic glory.
Photo 2: The entrance, to this still occupied apartment building, gives meaning to the phrase "over the top".
Photo 3: The detail over the main entrance demonstrates what many Parisians of 1901 must have found scandalous. In this photo even the reflections in the windows seem to conspire to complete the Art Nouveau scheme.
Photo 4: Throughout Paris we found plaques such as this which identified the architect...in this case J. Lavirotte.
Photo 5: Sometimes it seems so unfair. Not only do the residents of 29 Avenue Rapp get to enjoy this spectacular building...they also get this as the view out their windows!
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