We visited Paris for 5 days especially to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary. Our trip was fantastic – we absolutely loved Paris. We booked months ago and used Trip Advisor Reviews to help us decide on our hotel, we chose to stay at the Hotel D’Albe because of its location – I’ve posted a separate review under the hotels section, trip report one posted earlier today covers general FAQs feedback.
Monday 17th - Arrived at CDG, bought our Carte Orange and duly arrived at hotel via RER Line B about 5.30pm. We didn’t waste anytime and went out for a walk discovering the surrounding streets in the Latin Quarter and to visit St Severin. We loved the area with its array of colour, restaurants, cafés etc. Fabulous! We found a little Italian eatery (my husband’s a vegetarian) close by, which was very good value and atmospheric inside. The food was good too. I can’t remember the name unfortunately but we ate there twice during our stay.
Tuesday, 18th Oct – Our 25th wedding anniversary, we started the day by visiting Notre Dame, bought our Cartes Musées et monuments 5 day pass, and went up the towers. I was fascinated by the gargoyles. After getting our breath back, we walked to visit Sainte Chappelle, the interior was beautiful. We followed this with a River Cruise using Vedettes Pont Neuf, within easy walking distance from St Chappelle. As we’d sat on the open top deck, we were freezing by the end – wrap up warm, wear a hat and extra layers for this! We still thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and decided that we’d return on our last evening for a ‘night’ cruise too. After having eaten and a rest, we walked (yes walked) to the Eiffel Tower from our hotel and went on foot up to the first level. I know what you’re thinking – Notre Dame Towers, walking to and up part of Eiffel Tower on the same day – they must be mad! We stayed until they lit up the Eiffel Tower, before dashing back, to get ready for the Moulin Rouge 11pm show – no we didn’t walk this time, we went by Metro!
We’d read a lot of mixed reviews about the Moulin Rouge – I have to say, we thoroughly enjoyed it, we were given front row seats and thought the show colourful and very entertaining. The comedy act that involved 4 members of the audience participating was hilarious; I had tears rolling down my cheeks. We dressed up, well it was a special day for us, and the ticket said ‘dinner jacket and tie’, however, I was very surprised to see so many casually dressed. Getting back to the hotel afterwards was easy, we caught a taxi within a minute of being outside and it only cost €10.
Wednesday 19th Oct – Visited the Louvre in the morning, highly entertained by the attendants shouting at people trying to take photos in the Denon wing! Another entertaining moment was a gentleman asking me in French (he was French Canadian) if I’d like him to take my photo (my husband had wandered off with his camcorder), as I was clicking away by myself (not in the Denon wing obviously!), I answered him in French and he obviously realised I wasn’t French by my accent, and asked me if I was Italian (I’m English!). Afterwards, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, via Jardin des Tuileries, Place de la Concorde and along Champs Elysees. We ate in Italian restaurant (Vesuvio) along the way. We then took Metro back to hotel for a rest, before catching Metro for photo opportunities at night on Pont Alexandre and the Eiffel Tower; well, we had to see it twinkling as we’d just missed it the night before, we viewed this from the platform at Trocadero. Caught another Metro back to Arc de Triomphe and climbed to the top for more night photo opportunities.
Thursday 20th Oct – Spent the day at Versailles, we got there using RER C line. A lovely day – well worth the visit, even though Hall of Mirrors is under restoration, there’s still enough to see. While in ‘Le Café’, I knocked a full cup of hot chocolate over, the attendant was most helpful, sorting out a cleaner and giving me a free replacement drink, for which I was very grateful.
Friday 21st Oct – We visited the Musée D’Orsay in the morning – We loved this museum, we have always liked and admired the Impressionist Painters. We then took the Metro Green Line 12 to Monmartre, (we took the advice of previous Trip Advisor posters and got off at Abbessess) to see Sacre Coeur and just enjoy walking around the area. I wore a flared skirt this day, and spent most of my time holding it down!!! It was very windy up there. We had a meal outside but under cover in Place du Tertre. As this was our last full day, we had our promised ‘evening cruise’. This time, no flared skirt, two layers of jacket, over jumper, trousers plus fake fur Russian hat!
Saturday 22nd Oct – Sadly our last day, we spent the morning visiting St Sulpice (yes, we’ve read the Da Vinci code!) and the Pantheon. We finished off by having a picnic on a bench in front of Notre Dame, before collecting our luggage and taking RER back to the airport.
All in all – a most fantastic stay, we enjoyed everything, the sights, the café culture etc. We came home with over 600 photos – thank goodness for the digital age! There’s so much we missed too, ah well, another visit, another time! A huge thanks again for all the info Trip Advisor Forum gives to us novices – brilliant.
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DandB... your trip report was brilliant! Thanks for taking the time and sharing your adventures with us! All that walking you did made me tired! =) I love that you got out there and enjoyed it though! Counting down... 12 more days, and I%26#39;ll be the one doing all the trekking! =) Thanks again!
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Dandb, Loved both of your reports. Thanks so much. My hubby and I are going in June for or 35th wedding anniversary.
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Great trip report....you%26#39;ve almost inspired me to write my own. Our trip was last month!
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glad you had such a lovely time for your anniversary. thanks for the report, it helps stave off the %26quot;two more months until I can go%26quot; jitters. :)
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Thank you to all who replied and for your lovely comments about our trip report above. For those of you still to visit Paris, here%26#39;s hoping that you have a fabulous time too.
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