Need advice for my trip to Germany/Frandce

[Sage Cicada]

Howdy folks,

I'll be in Mulheim Germany and Paris France this upcoming july and was wondering if anyone here had some good places to visit that they'd like to recommend. I'll be out there for about 12 days and I do have a wedding to attend, but other than that, I'm yours and will take some sweet photo's of whatever I do get too.

Lemme know.

[Blueberries]

Ooh! Paris is my favorite city in all the world. For real. Here's a cut-and-paste of some info I sent to my sister last year when they were going over and wanted to spend a day in Paris (hence the part about not going in).

Here are some good lists. Check them out and make a list of the things that are most interesting to you. Remember that you don’t have to go IN to all of them, some are interesting just to see from the exterior (the Pompidou Center & fountains, for example).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tourist_attractions_in_Paris

http://goparis.about.com/od/sightsattractions/tp/ParisTopTen.htm

http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/parisattractions.htm (Biggest List)

Must-dos:

- Visit a Boulangérie (they will be all over) and eat a pain au chocolat. Do not tell me about it because I will be envious.

- Get a crepe with Nutella from a street vendor

- Buy a bottle of wine and a baguette and have a picnic in a park or by the Seine

- Apparently all my must-dos involve food

Lots of basic info about trains, etc. on the front page of that blog: http://parisbytrain.com/

Basic French words and phrases: http://about-france.com/tourism/french-phrases.htm

[Sage Cicada]

Lol, Awesome. Thanks a ton!

[Cléo Xymore]

Awesome things tourists always seem to forget: the Paris catacombes (entrance @ Denfert-Rochereau), Sainte-Chapelle (on île de la Cité, you'll definitely be around to see Notre-Dame and such, so just swing by. One of the oldest buildings in Paris; on that note, you can also go for the Roman amphitheater and medieval museum at Cluny). You probably will not forget Montmartre, but I recommend timing it so that you are at Sacré-Coeur before nightfall. Enjoy the city view... And then get down the hill (you'll definitely find your crepe there--my husband calls Montmartre the crêpe district!)

Be aware that the neighborhood at the bottom of the hill looks a bit seedy (Pigalle, with Moulin Rouge etc.), but it is absolutely not dangerous and there are plenty of subways there.

Other than that, the tourists spots are recommended (though I hate the Champs-Elysées, feels like you have to walk them, right? From the Arc de Triomphe to Concorde/ Madeleine or the other way around. Same with the Eiffel tower, the Opera, Notre-Dame, the Louvres, les Tuileries, etc.)

For going out at night, Canal Saint-Martin and Rochechouart areas are fun. Montorgueil is nice (and it's central), esp. for a brunch or just for hitting a boulangerie, walk the cobblestones and see a traditional French "main street." If you do go, go during the day, don't miss on the grocery shopping "action".

Any specific question--feel free to ask!

[Sage Cicada]

Man, there's gonna be a million things I've gotta go/do and see. I'll definitely be taking these lists and making a plan of action (which I'll try to post on here before I go) I'll be staying just south of saint-denise so I'm pretty close to Montmartre but I'll be at the mercy of my old exchange student's schedule, though I"m sure she's got stuff in mind as well. I"m not gonna chance just sitting around at the apartment though, so yeah plan plan plan.

Thanks again for all the great advice! I keep googling this stuff and can't decide what I want to do first, but I'll definitely keep you updated when I decide.

Lastly, I'll be posting pics either here or on a photobucket account or something and I'll shoot you guys the link.

[Blueberries]

Enjoy your trip! If you're in Paris over Bastille Day (July 14), there will be lots of fun celebration. I lived near the Eiffel Tower, so we spent it watching the fireworks there. If you'll be there toward the end of July, look to see when the Tour de France should be finishing on the Champs-Elysées if that's something you're interested in.

[Sage Cicada]

I'm headed out the 18th of July. So I'm gonna miss bastille day, but I'll be there till the 29th now I think, and I'm definitely down with watching some Tour de France. (and hopefully the Tour de Utah here soon too).

[Sage Cicada]

France... WAS... AMAZING! I'm already feeling weird not being there and had the most amazing couple to stay with who had an amazing apartment near the Garibaldi metro station.

I visited:

Monmatre at sunset with some pan au chocolate

The Eiffel tower with a Gros Madeline au cafe

The louvre (and walked the palace garden to the eiffel tower)

St. Ouen antique market where I had bone marrow on bread and escargot

The luxemburg gardens to watch the old men play cards and chess while it rained.

Hotel Invalides to see some military history and the tomb of Napoleon (ritzy)

Drank wine every night, and even some beer.

Drove past the Moulin Rouge at night and hung out with some legitimate french friends at an easter bar with great choice of music.

Bastille

Bought a treat from every little bakery I found

Ate my first fresh fig

Visited Notre Dam along with a myriad of other tombs, crypts, and catacombs.

Ate probably 6-15 some odd crepe's (lost count)

Saw the Obelisk

Meandered past opera's

and walked till my feet were purple in my chaco's and I had to find a place to prop them up till I could scribble down more places in my moleskin that I wanted to try and wander past.

Thank you all for your suggestions! You helped make this an amazing trip.

P.s. I took nearly 800 photographs and 3-4 video's of street performers. I'll try to get them uploaded here soon but it may take a little while