Evening activities for non-French speakers

[mez]

Hi guys!

Well, I need your help. I've got 6 nights to fill in Paris and need some suggestions. My French language skills are rudimentary at best and I'm running out of ideas about what to do while there.

So far my only night event is one ballet and I'll also fit in visits to any museums/galleries that are open late at night.

I could go to a VO movie but to me that's not really exciting - I'd rather sit in a cafe and people-watch. I was going to see a football match, but that's been given a collective thumbs down.

So, if anyone has any ideas please speak up!

Oh, the nights I'm there are Oct 2-Oct 7. I'm female and travelling solo.

Thanks, Mez

[Truffaut]

Don't forget that you probably won't want to eat dinner until around 9 or 9:30, when most of the locals eat. Even dining alone, you can count on at least 1-1/2 hours for dinner, so you wouldn't even be finished with dinner until fairly late.

If you are interested in seeing some of the local nightlife, you might enjoy a stroll through the Oberkampf neighborhood. There are lots of bars, it's very busy and quite safe. You could easily stop in for a drink alone. Most of the younger people in that area speak at least some English, so you'll be almost certain to find somebody to talk to.

You might also consider saving the Louvre for the nighttime hours (fewer crowds), and even some of your shopping at the big department stores. BHV is open late on Wednesdays, I'm not sure about GL, BM or Printemps.

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

How about an early evening concert at Ste Chapelle, while the sunlight is still coming through the stained glass windows? By the time you finish (assuming you go to the 7:00 p.m. performance) it will be just about time for a civilized dinner which, as Truffaut points out, will take up at least the next two-plus hours! Then a bit of a stroll, and your evening is complete . . . ;D

[mez]

Thanks guys.

St Chapelle was on my list but fell off the radar because I was going to buy tickets once I got there.

And how on earth did I forget about the shopping??? That's definitely going on the list.

As I was writing the post I was dreaming about sitting near the ET looking at the twinkly lights.

Mez

[geordy]

Yes as pointed out dinner can be your evening's entertainment in Paris. I love the idea that you don't have to curtail your daytime activities in order to get back to your hotel/apt. , drop things off, relax, freshen up and change for dinner, When you are dining at 9pm at the earliest you have plenty of time.

Since dinner does not tend to last quite as long when you are dining solo if you still feel like being out after dinner you can always stop for a night cap at a cafe. And in the more touristy areas some stores do stay open later. The Champs Elysees has a "seaside broadwalk" quality at nite and the Monoprix is open late..as is Sephora and Virgin.

[pjk]

Every year my friend and I buy a bottle of wine and spend part of an evening with, it seems, everyone else in Paris, on the Pont des Arts. Some people just stand by the rail or sit on one nebches, others bring an entire picnic dinner. There is usually music. And everyone waits for the hour to watch the tower sparkel.

Pjk

[Truffaut]

pjk said:

Every year my friend and I buy a bottle of wine and spend part of an evening with, it seems, everyone else in Paris, on the Pont des Arts.

Uh oh, apparently the quality of posters is going down--now we're attracting the winos. Welcome, PJK ;D

[GitteK]

>>my friend and I buy a bottle of wine<<

Sissies, a real wino would never dream of sharing her bottle with anyone, not even a "friend". ;D
And what kind of friend is that who expects you to give him one half of your bottle, if I may inquire ?!

[geordy]

Yes indeed, welcome!

[pjk]

Thanks everyone. My frined finally convinced me to visit Paris five years ago and I loved it so much we have been back every year ever since. The last was over this past Easter week and one of the reasons this was the best trip was that the weather was so good. We like to walk everywhere. She bought a pedometer and we tried to keep track of how much we walked each day; we almost hit 150 miles, averaging 18.5 for each of 8 days. It's a good thing there is a cafe every block or so in Paris.

Pjk

[Sarastro]

Mez,

If you are interested in meeting other English speakers in Paris, you may have luck with these two web sites:

www.metropoleparis.com/aclub.html
www.wice-paris.org/

[joan1]

Hi Mez, have you thought about doing a Fat Tire Tour. There were two or three single ladies on our tour, and regardless of that,, it was really FUN!

[Jody]

What about the sunday dinner with Jim Haynes? Several friends of mine have done it and had a great time.

www.jim-haynes.com/

[Darcy]

Demarais, you beat me to it, I was just going to suggest that!

[Darcy]

This has been on my list too, Gitte. Next time!