In this travel class, Steve Smith suggests strategies for touring Paris — the Louvre, Orsay, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, Rodin Museum, and Montmartre — plus tips on sleeping, eating, and getting around affordably. Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more European travel information.
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France: Paris
February 21, 2023
So many smokers in the streets. the whole city smells like second hand smoking.
I like this guy that is lecturing. Classy, calm and common sense.
Best quote from the video: "Tax was not boozed."
Rick tell me how is Paris to spend all my life in there
Here are my notes from this excellent and very informative talk:
Stay in 4 neighborhoods: Rue Cler near Eiffel, Marais (hip and trendy), Luxembourg Gardens, Montmartre (budget).
Paris Walks for tours, everyday at 10. $20 for 2.5 hours.
Museum Pass, 60 museums, covers 90% of major museums, 2, 4, 6 day increments, $15 per day vs. average site cost of $11. Bypasses ticket lines, but not security lines.
Versailles – tour gardens first since palace is less crowded in afternoon. Don't go on Tuesday since museums are closed.
Eiffel to Louvre is one hour walk along river.
Europe's best subway system. Bus 69 has great views from Eiffel and Rue Cler to Rodin, Orsay, Notre Dame, Marais, Pere Lachaise cemetery. RS audio tour. Bus is $2.
Buy bus/subway tickets in carnet of 10.
Day 1: Historic Paris
Notre Dame (1163, 200+ years, 400 windy steps)
St. Chapelle (stained glass, Louis IX, 1200s, crown of thorns)
Latin Quarter (old universities)
Cluny museum (medieval, St. Chapelle original stained glass, Lady and Unicorn)
Luxembourg Garden (rent toy sailboat, sit and watch).
Day 2: Louvre and Champs-Elysees – Tullieres Gardens, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Cafes
Louvre – RS audio tour, go at night, WF until 9:30.
Arc de Triomphe – Napolean, 420 steps, open until 10:30 or 11.
Champs-Elysees – RS audio tour, Go at night. Louis Vuitton, appt. needed. Grand Cafes – 10 euros for coffee. Stay as long as you want.
Day 3: Impressionist Paris
Montmartre – Sacre Cour inside not interesting, where Renoir painted, Moulin Rouge, Toulouse Latrec
Orsay – train station on Seine, best impressionist art, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Van Gough, Latrec
Orangerie – across the river, Monet's water lilies.
Rodin – 15 minutes from Orsay, not crowded, see gardens for 2 euros.
Day 4: Marais District – hip and trendy, medieval, centered at Place des Vosges, Memorial de la Shoah.
Self-guided walking tour
Modern Art at Pompidou Center – RS audio tour
Picasso Museum – 400 works
Jewish History Museum
Old Opera House – 1875, guided tours a couple of times per day.
Galleries Lafayette – right next door. Department stores. Free open roof terrace. Cheap meals.
Eiffel Tower – 1063 feet, best view is from Place Du Tricadero, Cafe Carlu has a great view (since replaced and now expensive), nice museum at square. Book tower three months ahead. Faster if you walk up to first or second platform (best views) and get elevator there. Go late in day to see sunset. Looks great lit up at night.
Paris is wonderful, just try to avoid Hotel Westminster Paris. I booked their Deluxe 25m room and received 11,8m room (N. 114) with dirty bathroom instead. France….In any other country this would be unimaginable, but at Hotel Westminster Paris it is a norm. Bait and switch without apologies or price reduction for a room less than half a size of what is advertised. By the way they have free WiFi up to 5MB, so you can upload 4 pictures from your phone then you have to pay 19.99 for every additional 20MB. That is at 4 star hotel….Pathetic, they don't deserve two stars. That is another way their management openly lies to their customers in order to pick their pockets. You have been warned dear travelers.
Cafe Carlu is no longer there. Replaced by a much more exclusive and expensive restaurant.
a journey i made 20 years ago. thanks to rick steves for his great guide book. i hope to journey back someday
Just remember even with the museum pass you have to queue to book a time and date to go up Notre Dame. You cannot just go there with your pass and expect to go up immediately.
Great video of the world's greatest city. Thanks Steve.
How to deal with the migrant invasion? Paris, Nice, and Marseilles are absolutely overrun right now. :/
museums On strike
Pomidou being renovated
sorry…..
Wouldn’t recommend a trip there now until the French Government gets back to taken care of it’s citizens.
21:24 "Tax was not boozed"
9:47 Carnet does not mean "ten of something." It simply means "notebook" (or "book of tickets" when referred to as a carnet de tickets/billets).
Rick Steeves has the best job in the world.
Who turns up to the Louvre without buying a ticket in advance?
this isnt steve smith
I want to go back! We spent 3 weeks in Paris and had a great time. We used Rick's guide books of course and enjoyed running into others on "the grand tour" of central France. It was an easy way to start up a conversation with a stranger – and the best thing is that after studying his videos & books is you can avoid acting like an idiot.
Rick Steve's rocks