Paris // Mom and daughters need a little help, s'il vous plaît.

[Cameron]

I don’t know where to start with Gardens, large and small, as there are many. I love Jardins des Plantes. It’s free, except for the greenhouses and the museums.

From the main entrance—Beyond the greenhouses, you’ll find a path up to the left, that leads uphill to a gazebo.

Before the greenhouses, there’s an alpine garden that has odd hours and a difficult entrance to find as you go under, through a short tunnel to access.

There are 3-4 small “secret” gardens in the Marais. I’ll try to put this together for you later when I have a few minutes.

 

[chachalaca]

The advice here is fantastic! Almost everyone who has responded has helped me and my travel plans over many years - these are experts to be sure. I especially like the advice of working as a team with your girls for both planning/mapping and vigilance. This sounds like an awesome trip!

There is an app called "Eat With" that has opportunities all over the world to eat with locals. We haven't done this yet, but it looks intriguing to me.

The most important advice I've received is not to overbook your days. Plan on "being" places (Giverny, Jardins du Luxembourg, a lunch, etc.) and soak up the fact that you are IN Paris, together!

This is Travel 101 advice, but scan your passports into one of your email accounts so that if one gets lost you have backup. And money belts are always wise, especially if you're bringing a back up credit card to keep separate (as the sole adult I think I'd use one w/some extra cash for the day, my passport and the back up cc in case of pickpockets or banking snafu). Oh, let your banks know you're traveling internationally.

One last point re data use on cell phone: contact your carrier to see if there is a special international plan you can purchase for the duration of your trip. We have TMobile and there's is really good.

Have a great time!

-Laura

 

[PeterCL]

Gardens, gardens — several interesting ones in the Marais for you to check out, spanning a wide spectrum.

There’s the Japanese Zen garden, the Niwa garden, in front of the Maison Européene de la Photographie.

L’Hotel de Sens houses the Bibliothèque Forney, behind which is a manicured garden à la 17th C landscaping. The building itself was built around 1507.

Jardin des Rosiers, 10 rue des Rosiers. slightly removed from the street.

Musée Cognacq-Jay, no charge to see the somewhat small, formal garden.

This is probably more of what you’re looking for: Square Georges-Cain. 8 rue Payenne. Perfect lunch spot.

Much further afield is the unusually focused Jardin Botanique de la Faculté de Phamacologie. 4000 square meters, containing around 500 different species of plants, all used either for medicinal or toxic purposes, and for the manufacture of perfumes and cosmetics. Located in that finger of land jutting out of the bottom of the Jardin de Luxembourg.

 

[PeterCL]

Here’s an apropos recent podcast — 8 Things NEVER to do in Paris. One of these about cell phones baffles me as to why it’s ever done — I see it all the time around where I live.

https://theearfultower.com

And, speaking of podcasts, here’s an excellent one for getting off the ground with speaking the French language, Coffee Break French. “Taught” by two Scots. No, it is not French with a Scottish accent.

https://radiolingua.com/coffeebreakfrench/#Season1

 

[Sandiamo]

I don’t know where to start with Gardens, large and small, as there are many. I love Jardins des Plantes. It’s free, except for the greenhouses and the museums.

From the main entrance—Beyond the greenhouses, you’ll find a path up to the left, that leads uphill to a gazebo.

Before the greenhouses, there’s an alpine garden that has odd hours and a difficult entrance to find as you go under, through a short tunnel to access.

There are 3-4 small “secret” gardens in the Marais. I’ll try to put this together for you later when I have a few minutes.

Would absolutely LOVE Marais secret garden info, if you can!! Merci!

 

[Sandiamo]

The advice here is fantastic! Almost everyone who has responded has helped me and my travel plans over many years - these are experts to be sure. I especially like the advice of working as a team with your girls for both planning/mapping and vigilance. This sounds like an awesome trip!

There is an app called "Eat With" that has opportunities all over the world to eat with locals. We haven't done this yet, but it looks intriguing to me.

The most important advice I've received is not to overbook your days. Plan on "being" places (Giverny, Jardins du Luxembourg, a lunch, etc.) and soak up the fact that you are IN Paris, together!

This is Travel 101 advice, but scan your passports into one of your email accounts so that if one gets lost you have backup. And money belts are always wise, especially if you're bringing a back up credit card to keep separate (as the sole adult I think I'd use one w/some extra cash for the day, my passport and the back up cc in case of pickpockets or banking snafu). Oh, let your banks know you're traveling internationally.

One last point re data use on cell phone: contact your carrier to see if there is a special international plan you can purchase for the duration of your trip. We have TMobile and there's is really good.

Have a great time!

-Laura

Thank you so much! I am so appreciative of all of this great advice. Do you always carry your passport around? I have traveled to Europe before, and actually never did this!

 

[Mark]

You should, You should wear and under garment money belt or stash like this

https://www.magellans.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=112,3720&T1=MSV013

 

[Sandiamo]

Gardens, gardens — several interesting ones in the Marais for you to check out, spanning a wide spectrum.

There’s the Japanese Zen garden, the Niwa garden, in front of the Maison Européene de la Photographie.

L’Hotel de Sens houses the Bibliothèque Forney, behind which is a manicured garden à la 17th C landscaping. The building itself was built around 1507.

Jardin des Rosiers, 10 rue des Rosiers. slightly removed from the street.

Musée Cognacq-Jay, no charge to see the somewhat small, formal garden.

This is probably more of what you’re looking for: Square Georges-Cain. 8 rue Payenne. Perfect lunch spot.

Much further afield is the unusually focused Jardin Botanique de la Faculté de Phamacologie. 4000 square meters, containing around 500 different species of plants, all used either for medicinal or toxic purposes, and for the manufacture of perfumes and cosmetics. Located in that finger of land jutting out of the bottom of the Jardin de Luxembourg.

This is amazing! Thank you so much!!

 

[chachalaca]

You are *supposed* to carry your passport at all times, but...we don’t. We both have passport cards (we ordered at same time as passport renewal) . Before that we carried copies. A Frenchwoman who does a great podcast, "Join Us In France", says that everyone (the French everyone) knows how difficult it is to replace original documents. Most carry copies and if there’s an issue they bring the original into the gendarmerie within 24 hrs. IF you choose to have it with you wear it in a money belt.

 

[PeterCL]

This is amazing! Thank you so much!!

About L'Hotel de Sens, quite an unusual sight here: in the courtyard there is an embedded cannonball in one wall from 1830.

 

[JustTravel]

Square St-Gilles du Grand Veneur is one of those secret gardens, a small, quiet, pretty place -

 

[JustTravel]

And then, there is the Parc de Bagatelle, especially the Roseraie -

and Albert Kahn Museum and Gardens -

 

[SMJ]

What a wonderful adventure you have in store for you all!
Just a safety tip: if you get separated at all, make sure everyone knows to wait or reconvene at the last place you were all together; whether it be a street corner or a Metro Station.
Each of you carry a written note each of where you are staying; and put in your landlord's/ host's/ hotel phone number into each of your phones.
If you're in a hotel, each carry a card from the hotel with you.
There's usually a little map on the back.
Bon voyage, and hope you'll let us know how the trip was when you return!

 

[Cameron]

This is one garden in the Marais for a quiet setting.

Just Travel mentioned one of my favorites

Square St-Gilles du Grand Veneur is one of those secret gardens, a small, quiet, pretty place -

Access to that one isn't obvious. I usually approach from Place des Vosges.

 

[Cameron]

Not a secret, but fun. Using Bastille as the starting point for directions.

The Coulée verte René-Dumont or Promenade plantée or the Coulée verte is a 4.7 km elevated linear park built on top of obsolete railway infrastructure in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France.

 

[Cameron]

Another good one in the Marais, is Jardin Anne-Frank.

 

[Cameron]

Okay, now my disclaimer. These parks are more for picnics, taking a break, getting a feel for how locals live, relaxing, people watching. They aren't "destination" garden attractions.

 

[Steve R.]

Totally off the topic, but what the hell. If anyone reading is an adventurous eater and wants excellent preparations of offal dishes, Cameron's middle map shows Amarante (location near the Bastille). We had one of our best lunches there. Details available if anyone's interested.

 

[Sandiamo]

Okay, now my disclaimer. These parks are more for picnics, taking a break, getting a feel for how locals live, relaxing, people watching. They aren't "destination" garden attractions.

I love gardens, so any garden will make me happy. Thank you so much for taking the time to send me all the info. So grateful!