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Paris in August...
DH and I have planned our honeymoon for next month. We were married on June 29th and had a Destination Wedding. On of our GM is also having a DW in Manchester, UK on August 18th. So we decided to make a honeymoon out of that wedding/trip.
We will be flying to Manchester and staying there for 4 days and then flying to Paris for a few days for some alone time.
I have heard that Paris in August is kind of empty because a lot of locals go on vacation and therefore some of the smaller shops/cafes are closed. Does anyone know if this is true? I'm starting to get nervous that we won't have as good of a time.
What are some must haves that we should plan on doing? Places to see? Places to eat?
We are looking for all sorts of ideas... One thing we were thinking of doing is dinner at the Eifel Tower followed by a Moulin Rouge show... has anyone ever been to one of those?
The day I married my best friend!
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Re: Paris in August...
I've been in August and you won't notice the "total shutdown" there like you would in more rural areas. Paris is a tourist area things will always be open...some of the smaller 'mom and pop' type stores/restaurants might be closed.
There is so much to see and do, what are some of your interests? What types of things do you like to do? There is tons of history, culture, architecture, really everything!
We are really into everything... one of biggest things though is food.. we are big foodies and we love to try local food. I am really interested in trying the french cafes, creperies, and things like that... Not sure if Paris is the best place for that or a smaller town...
DH is very into architecture and sight seeing...
Since I didn't think this trip was going to actually pan out (with travelling for the wedding and all) I didn't put a lot of research and planning into it besides purchasing the tickets and hotel. Now that the wedding is over and the trip is a reality, I'm starting to want to really plan out some things to do during our stay. We are only going to be in Paris for 4 days since we are spending the 4 days in Manchester before that.
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I would highly recommend Creperie Beaubourg...it's nothing fancy or expensive, but is the most authentic crepes I've had in Paris (I studied in Bretagne, the region of France crepes originated from and can tell you many of them are not authentic). It is near the Centre Pompidou in the same square as the fountain.
For architecture: I recommend touring the towers of Notre Dame...it gives you a great upclose look at the exterior of the church (and has some amazing views), but I would get there first thing in the morning because the line can get long.
Just general sightseeing there are so many must-dos, but I think the big things are: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre (I actually prefer the Musee d'Orsay), Sacre Coeur....if you can get to Saint-Chapelle it will literally take your breath away when you see it. Really just wandering little neighborhoods is so much fun.
WOW! thank you!!! This is a big help! I'm going to start working on loosely planning out our days so we can get the most out of our trip
I'm even more excited now.
One more question... so I've heard that it's a good idea to learn a few of the key phrases/words in french... everyone has been warning me that the french aren't "very nice" to Americans. 1) how true is this and 2)What is the best way to pick up some of the words/phrases in just a little over 3 weeks?
The day I married my best friend!
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I would just make sure you know key phrases like Bonjour (Hello, anytime you enter a store/restaurant you say this), Au revoir (Good-bye, anytime you leave) and Merci (thank you). Those 3 alone will go a long way. Keep in mind Parisians are used to tourists, so many of them who work in restaurants and shops speak English (but not all). That being said I find making an effort (at least a bonjour when you enter) goes a long way. They are going to be able to tell just from how you say bonjour that you aren't French and will most likely default to English. I would also try to find a list of food phrases just incase you end up in a restaurant that doesn't have an English/translated menu (also beware of translations...I've seen some pretty bad ones!). This is especially important if you or DH have any allergies. Also, in my blog I have a few Paris posts...they're not terribly exciting because I was chaperoning 6 high schoolers (I teach high school French), but it might give you some ideas for sights, etc.
I've been to Paris twice and have never met a rude Parisien. I also make an effort to use as much French as I know as well as being respectful and not your stereotypical obnoxious American. I'm sure if you encounter an obnoxious person from any country you would bristle and react negatively towards them. I honestly think Paris gets a bad rap sometimes.
I second all the mentionables on sightseeing with the previous pp. Be forewarned that if you don't want to pay to take the funicular up to Le Sacre Coeur you'll need to climb their million and one steps. But, the view from the church is amazing! After you make that climb roam around Montmartre, the little artistic community up there. Definitely get some ice cream at Berthillion. I can't remember which island it's on. Take a cruise on the Seine. The water's dirty but it's just a fun touristy thing to do. If you really want to check out the Louvre you really have to dedicate at least one day to it or at least a very long morning just to see a fraction of what they have.
Have fun! Paris is one of my favorite European cities!