What to do in Paris on Sat. and Sun.?

[missypie]

We will arrive in Paris on Saturday, March 13th. The guide books say to avoid the major sights on the weekend. What should we do on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday when we first arrive? (BTW, we will be traveling with children 13, 11 and 8.)

[LHR02]

You should post this question for CT.....she is currently living there and has her very own forum! It's under 'travel reports' toward the bottom of the main screen....Curious Toronto.

[Kim]

How long do you have in Paris, missypie? (As in besides the weekend, how many days are you spending in Paris..)

The kids might like Paris Disneyland - it's not nearly as good as the Californian one but I don't know if you can go wrong with the whole Disneyland - kids thing! It's very easy to take the train from Paris. It would be fine on the weekend, esp. considering it's March.

Kim

[CuriousToronto]

CT to the rescue!!!!!!!

First of all I'd just like to say that guidebook stuff like that applies to normal tourist seasons. And unfortunately due to the recent cool in Franco-US relations the tourist season this year has been anything BUT normal.

Even though you might arrive and see tourists there really aren't quite as many as there usually is. So I would say ignore the guidebook and if you really want to go to a big site this weekend DO!

Now I do have one suggestion in particular - this weekend is the wine festival in Montmartre!!

www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com/

You can go on the website and check out the schedule. And I know you may be thinking it's no place to take children but there are a lot of things to see. It's a small slice of French folklore.

The very last vineyard in all of Paris is in Montmartre so the festival is held to celebrate the new vintage. There are things like parades and an evening of musical fun. Even if you don't stay the entire day you could head up to Montmartre anyways and have a look around (Sacre Cour and etc . . .) and drop in to the festival whenever you'd like.

Now if you're feeling really energectic I should just mention that there are fireworks at Versailles every saturday this month at 10:30 pm. You can find extra info here: www.chateauversailles.fr/
Alternately on Sunday afternoons they turn the fountains on (rarely done) and set them to music. I'm not sure how cool the 13 year old will think that is though!

Now something else I would recommend would be to take one of the Mike's Bike tours: www.mikesbiketours.com

You travel mainly through trails in parks and sidewalks, you never break a sweat, and it's a fantastic way to see the city!!!! They meet at the foot of the Eiffel tower and go on tours of several hours. They're totally irreverent and I'm sure more to the taste of the younger ones in your crew.

And lastly I would say just stroll around this fantastic city. Head to the Ile de la Cité and stroll the banks of the Seine. If you want go inside Notre Dame and certainly look for a place on the adjoining Ile Saint Louis that sells Berthillon ice cream. BY FAR the best of the creamy stuff in Paris! If you want you could jump on one of the Seine boat tours after your walk.

Whatever you do just have fun and enjoy this city!

But as a final word of caution - DO carry an umbrella with you at all times as Paris is temperamental at this time of year.

Here's hoping you have a fantastic time!


Cheers! ;D

[CuriousToronto]

Just an update on the Montmartre wine festival thing. I went Saturday with a friend of mine and we had loads of fun!!

Granted it was exhausting but I'd gladly do it again.

Oh and a word of warning if anyone plans on going the parade blocks off the access to the food purveyors so if you want wine and etc . . . buy it before hand. I had to leve witout going back for another glass of champagne!

And another word of warning when in Montmartre DO watch your bags closely. It has the highest concentration of pickpockets I have ever seen in this city. Also if someone asks to see your wrist DO NOT show it to them. They'll tie on a bracelet you won't be able to get off and then charge you for it.

But all in all it is a fantastic time! As a North American it's hillarious to see how the French can engage in silly brotherhoods of the corkmasters and stuff like that. They all march around in the parade with a straight face . . .

It really is a slice of French Floklore - I would highly recommend it - this year or any other!!

[izaguf]

The people that tie bracelets onto your wrists are they gypsies or something? Also what kind of bracelet is it that can't be removed or taken off? Just curious, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't show anyone my wrist and I wouldn't pay for anything someone forcibly tied around it.

[Kim]

I remember something like that happening on the Amazing Race - they were in Morocco, I think.

The Amazing Race guy pretty much had to drag the bracelet guy along with him until he finally let go of his wrists.

The same thing goes with shaking hands. We were in Milan and this guy approached us and started talking to us and went to shake my hand. Being friendly, I shook his hand but then he wouldn't let go, he just kept trying to sell us stuff! I think I either asked him to let go or managed to shake him off and he did, so it wasn't scary but I would avoid it!

I think they bank on the fact that you don't want to make a scene so for example, with the bracelet thing, they know if they start yelling that you stole from them that you will probably just give them the money to shut them up.

I don't shake any strangers hands now or take any sort of phamplet or anything they try to hand you, just shake your head and keep going. It's so hammered into us not to be rude, but your safety and well-being is always the most important thing.

Kim

[CuriousToronto]

I haven't seen any gypsies try it. For the most part the people doing this (that I've seen) have been young black males.

It's not that it's impossible to get off it's just that before you know it they tied it using a not that you probably can't get off very easily.

The only disturbing experience I've had with Gypsies was in Florence. We were in a restaurant and a little boy walked in selling roses. We said no. Then he went away. He then came back and sat there harrassing us. I mean he proceeded to put out our candle with his fingers and just wouldn't leave. Finally we had to give him a euro to get him out of our hair. We were pretty surprised they'd even let someone like that into the place! Wouldn't you want your customers to be left in peace?

The only thing I would say about Montmartre is that you SERIOUSLY have to be carefull of your bags. And if you feel safer taking the funicular rather than climbing the thing by all means do it!

We did . . . we figured we'd either get followed by some over-zealous male or get pickpocketed. So for us it was clearly the best way.

Just be careful but don't let that stop you from going or anything.

Cheers!