ooh what did you do, alikat? Was the weather OK?

We went to Paris in April 2005 and had a great time...we were lucky with the weather too, so did all the "outdoor" things and are saving the museums etc. for another time.

We're going to Paris next March for my 55th birthday, staying in a friend's apartment in Montmartre.

So would love to know what you saw and recommend visiting, as I've never been to Paris before; but have holidayed in France many times!

Ann

We've visited Paris twice in the last 18 months, both for five day visits and enjoyed the city immensely.

I would recommend walking! Yes your feet hurt (invest in good shoes and wear them in before you go - I did that the second trip and it paid dividends) but when travelling on the metro you miss so much! Obviously it is necessary to use the metro to get to some places but where you can plan to walk between places of interest. You get a real feel for Parisian life that way.

The best thing I did for both our trips was to loosely plan an itinerary for each day by thoroughly researching everywhere we wanted to go. This meant I had all the metro routes sorted out and all the walks in between. We didn't always stick to our plans but at least we didn't waste time thinking about what we were going to do next.

Our recommendations are:

The usual such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Le Louvre, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. Essential to climb/travel to the top of each tower etc available for the views. Paris is a magical city when viewed from the top of something tall and each building has a different aspect which reveals something new. A very good view can be had from the top floor of the Pompidou Centre, nice restaurant up there too albeit expensive. The art is interesting to say the least!

We also recommend the Catacombs which if you are staying in Montmartre are on your doorstep. A sobering experience but very interesting and also lovely and cool if the day is hot and they cost virtually nothing, unlike the rest of Paris! The Parc de Vincennes is lovely, not as large as the Bois de Bologne but prettier. The zoo is there plus lots of museums around the perimeter and on a Sunday afternoon it feels as though the whole of Paris and its wife are there enjoying the place but it doesn't get crowded.

I would also recommend doing the day trip to Versailles. 20 euros for the non standing in queues gets you into everything day pass, which can be bought in advance and worth every single penny. Magnificent palace.

If you need anymore advice please do ask!