Quote:
Originally Posted by Not Bob
So, I have a friend* who will be going to Paris for the first time later in the fall. While she** would like to stay at Le Meurice or reenact Hemmingway's liberation of the Ritz, she is a mere working girl*** and the budget is probably more along the lines of a Marriott.
Suggestions? Areas of the city that you recommend to stay in or to avoid?
Re things to do, anything that is Not Obvious? For example, the Musee d'Orsay is obvious to me; something like Shakespeare & Co. is less obvious to me.
As they say in the City of Light, "mucho gracias."
*Yup, a friend.
**Yes, I have chick friends. Although my wife doesn't know this one. But asking for advice on behalf of said friend on a sorta anonymous lawyer chat board isn't cheating, right?
***Really? Don't say it. I will be very disappointed.
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I'd recommend staying in the area around Montparnasse. It's fun, there are cheaper hotels, and unlike being in the Latin Quarter or other more popular tourist areas it is not overwhelmed by Americans or by people in their 20s (since she's your "friend," I'm assuming she's a bit older than that). I've stayed in a couple of hotels on Rue Delambre which were reasonably priced..
She should go to the recently reopened Picasso Museum. The Musee de Quai Branly (art from African, Native American, etc. traditions) is also beautiful. The Montparnasse Cemetery is worth a visit but Pere Lachaise is even more so.
The outdoor markets can be a lot fun. Some are selling food, others artwork, others all kind of random stuff. There is a fun one on Blvd. Edgar Quinet, which is right in the area I'm recommending.
I could go on and on and on. We go to Paris nearly every year (though it's been two years now and I am itching to go back). Feel free to PM me if you want to ask for details based on what your "friend" actually likes to do.
