A few question about some of the sites in Paris.

LovesTimone

Christmas Day 2017
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
Bonjour

We are getting pretty dang excited about our up coming trip... I do have a few questions for my pals here on the board...

Has anyone made the climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe? There are 284 steps... and I have a bad knee... going up would be the problem, coming down I really don't have any problem with doing... I have asked all of our friends that have been to Paris and none of them have made the climb except one and it was when she was a college student....So how hard is the climb and is there a spot to stop if needed....

Sacre' Coeur and the Montmartre area... What else is there to do in this area? Our friends told us that there is a street fair were a lot of artist are showing their works, and are pretty inexpensive to purchase is this daily occurrence or more on the weekends? We are thinking about touring and going to Moulin Rouge in the evening.. Is this an option or would we need to go back to the hotel to change for the evening? Or are jeans and nice tops okay to attend in? Our other friends have told us not to go into this area very sketchy and scary.... due to all the thief's and robbery's & assaults that have happened, our friends were robbed at knife point they went to Moulin Rouge for the show, walked down to a pub to have a drink and where waiting on Uber to pick them up...luckily all they got was a few euros and a cheap watch... He had put their CC and money in his money belt thing that was tucked in his pants...

The catacombs - I have some claustrophobia, but I can get on elevator and such, this is something that DH and I really want to do... Is it really tight? day time ~vs~ evening... and did you enjoy it and was it worth it.? and anything else to check out in this area.?
 
Paris is wonderful! The Arc de Triomphe actually has an elevator. You can ask the people at the ticket window to access it. We used it when we were there 6 years ago with my mom who was 79 at the time. My DH and I climbed it 10 years earlier, but it is tough on any with joint problems or out of shape. In the Montmartre area, you can find the street artists right behind Sacre Coeur. There is a touristy "petite train of Montmartre" that you can take and it was pretty cheap if I remember correctly. It gives you a good overview of the area (which is quite hilly). It ends across from the Moulin Rouge. We didn't go to the Moulin Rouge or stay past late afternoon so I can't comment on the show or the safety of the area at night. If you want to see a show, look into the Crazy Horse. It's supposed to be very good and it looks like it is in a better area. We're going to try it the next time we are in Paris.
 
Paris is wonderful! The Arc de Triomphe actually has an elevator. You can ask the people at the ticket window to access it. We used it when we were there 6 years ago with my mom who was 79 at the time. My DH and I climbed it 10 years earlier, but it is tough on any with joint problems or out of shape. In the Montmartre area, you can find the street artists right behind Sacre Coeur. There is a touristy "petite train of Montmartre" that you can take and it was pretty cheap if I remember correctly. It gives you a good overview of the area (which is quite hilly). It ends across from the Moulin Rouge. We didn't go to the Moulin Rouge or stay past late afternoon so I can't comment on the show or the safety of the area at night. If you want to see a show, look into the Crazy Horse. It's supposed to be very good and it looks like it is in a better area. We're going to try it the next time we are in Paris.

I will check out Crazy Horse... thanks for the info on the Arc de Triomphe, I did know that an elevator was offered... Merci...
 


We climbed to the top of the Arc the Triomphe, but I really don't remember the climb up, which probably means it was uneventful and easy :) I do remember there were some levels with displays (like an entire floor with the square footage of the arc the triomphe), so you could rest there, but I really don't remember how many and how far in between they were. We also climbed the Eiffel tower the same trip (by stairs) and boy do I remember that ;) So it's easier then that.

Thanks for the info.... I did not realize that there were other levels with some displays and such... I think that we are going to go for it...
 
How many stories is the Arch? Trying relate that to climbing at work.

Thanks

---Paul in Southern NJ
 
There is a dress code for the Moulin Rouge. I've also been warned about being in that area after dark and have read that the French don't go to the Moulin Rouge, just tourists. So, we crossed it off of our list. It's very expensive and if it's more of a tourist trap than anything authentic, I didn't feel it was worth the $ or the risk of being out late in that area. Plus having to deal with a dress code when we will be in comfy shoes and touring all day -- just is a hassle. So we may walk by it during the day or take a night bus tour to see it lit up at night.

There is a small Montemartre museum that gets good reviews. I think mostly people just like the feel of the area with the cafe's and artists, etc. And Sacre Coeur has nice views of Paris. We are planning to tour that area on a Tuesday so I hope it has some activity going on during a weekday.
 


I will check out Crazy Horse... thanks for the info on the Arc de Triomphe, I did know that an elevator was offered... Merci...

Moulin Rouge is in Pigalle and its not a very good area after dark. Like others said, check the Crazy Horse instead. It is in a much better part of town around the area of the Champs-Elysees.

Speaking of the Champs-Elysees, I suggest checking the flagship french brand stores out. The one for Guerlain is spectacular and I picked up some incredible perfumes for my mom there. They sell their perfumes in unusual forms, such as "extrait de parfum", which is the actual pure perfume.

My favorite restaurant in Paris is off the beaten path and would need to be uber'ed, but it was incredible. It is called Bang! Restaurant and their specialty is beef from all around the world, prepared in the french style. https://www.thefork.com/restaurant/bang/17213
 

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