Paris to Normandy on Scenic Any advice?

[Cruising Quilter]

We've made our choice and will be sailing on the Scenic Gem in September. My husband and I are so excited! Anyone have any advice on which things to do at each stop? Sometimes all of the choices sound good. Any tips on places to see when we are on our own? We will be spending an extra day in Paris (our first time) and need on advice on what is not to be missed. Thanks for any advice.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Get an advance ticket to the Eiffel Tower as soon as possible. The lines are terrible, but the experience is fantastic! If you can't get tickets on the official website [we couldn't even with a purchase click at the exact second, because of the bots], we had very good luck with Fat Tire Tours [recommended by Rick Steves] -- in fact we realized that the tour guide added enough to make the extra cost absolutely worthwhile. Even if you decide not to go up the tower, be sure to be in the vicinity after dark -- there is a spectacular light show every hour on the hour:

Edited March 24, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[notamermaid]

The Scenic Gem is supposed to be able to sail all the way to Honfleur - tide and authorities permitting. I hope it works out for you. It would mean you are closer to Bayeux than if you were on a ship with, say, Viking.

 

The Bayeux Tapestry has been highly recommended to me. It depicts the story of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings. that Battle, of course, changed the course of British and ultimately world history.

 

notamermaid

[Canal archive]

We did the first Scenic Gem cruise in 2014, it was superb, although then the required approval for mooring in Honfuer had not been signed, it has now, I think I would even do the cruise again just for that. Due to the shorter lock lengths on the Seine Gem is smaller than most of the Scenic fleet so less passengers and it is noticeable. The 1st WW trip is a long day but so worth it the 2nd WW day won't be so long for you due to docking in Honfluer, Scenic gives every passenger poppies to place on war graves if they wish. A few people for various reasons could not make these trips so I ended up with several poppies. Just makes sure you have plenty of tissues. Giverney is wonderful, don't complain about getting there early there was no one else there when we arrived, when we left it was packed with long queues to get in. The Van Gough trip was well worth it, I am a bit of an art history buff and the insight into his life was very interesting the short film is not to be missed.

Enjoy your cruise and any other questions just ask. CA

[notamermaid]

Hello Canal archive,

 

your description makes the Seine more appealing, I might consider it, perhaps with CroisiEurope. They also go as far as Honfleur, their boats are of the 110m design as well.

 

Have you seen the Bayeux tapestry? I have been to Battle - great audio tour - but seeing Caen and Bayeux would complete my history lesson. ;)

 

My own family's war experiences are in different regions of Europe but I would like to see area around Caen and perhaps a British cemetery.

 

Enjoy your cruise on the Scenic Diamond.

 

notamermaid

Edited March 24, 2016 by notamermaid

[Live4cruises]

Hi Quilter,

 

I'm excited to see this post as we leave in less than month to spend some time in Paris before we board the Gem. I'll be happy to answer any questions I can when we return.

 

Your first trip to Paris! DH and I had done a fair bit of traveling before we first went to Paris. I recently told him that I was glad we'd been to a lot of places before we went to Paris, because we don't want to go anywhere else now! For a one-day overview . . . If art is high on your list, I suggest getting a one day Museum Pass (the Paris Museum Pass is a separate card from the Paris Pass) so you can avoid the lines and more easily go to several places. At the top of my museum list is L'Orangerie, not only for the breathtaking Monets, but also the others, for me the Renoirs in particular. The D'Orsay is DH's favorite. There will be lots of people. If your one day happens to be on the day that either the D'Orsay or the Louvre has late hours, later might be a good idea.

 

If museums aren't what you have in mind, consider seeing Ste Chappelle, Sacre Coeur and/or Saint Ettienne. These 3 are well-scattered, but the metro is easy to use with a little pre-planning. The HOHO bus might be worth considering to get an overview of the city. We haven't done that, but have had locals tell us that they learned new things about their city. Rick Steves also recommends the city bus route 69, but of course there's no commentary with that.

 

Can you tell I can't wait? :) Now I've got to get ready for work so I can pay for it.

[Canal archive]

We had already seen the tapestry and I don't think it was one of the choices and it seems from the brochure that there have been some changes to the itinerary for some of the excursions. As our cruise was the first there were a couple of Scenic guys on board evaluating the cruise so we were able to chat first hand on the pluses (there were many) and the minuses (only a few) and it looks like they have taken notice. The textile museum at Bolbec was very interesting even my other half enjoyed it. This was the trip that only us took, just us our guide a trainee from Scenic our driver and a Mercedes Limo it was fascinating.

CA

[cruiseryyc]

Did this trip on the Scenic a Gem last September and had a great time. The days visiting the Somme battlefields from WW1 and then the beaches of Normandy were very emotional. We were really fortunate the day we sailed into Honfleur was absolutely beautiful and everyone was on deck watching as we backed into the very small harbour.

 

We spent a couple of days in Paris prior sailing and did one day on the hop on, hop off bus which is a great way to see everything.

[Cruising Quilter]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm getting more excited with each posting. I believe we made the right choice of cruises. Is there anything special we should bring along? Also where is the best place for shopping? Thanks again!

[CPT Trips]

Ohh! Ohh, (channeling Kotter's classroom) we did score tickets for the Eiffel Tower - next Tuesday at 1400. Hoping our flight that morning and transfer to the ship go smoothly. I was up at "oh dark thirty" and online right away to get the tickets and print them out.

 

We also have tickets for d'Orsay; we thought about getting a combo with l'Orangerie but we didn't want to rush as we also plan Notre Dame that day. All aboard is 1730 for departure shortly after.

 

There are combo tickets available on-line for d'Orsay and either Rodin or l'Orangerie that are a much better deal than a museum pass. You need to be planning on visiting 4 or 5 museum/monuments to come out ahead on a two day museum pass, even more for the four day pass.

[acwmom]

My husband and I arrived in Paris 2 days prior to departure. Our hotel had our museum pass waiting for us (2 Days). In that 2 days, we managed to see: The Louvre; Notre Dame; the crypts under Notre Dame; we climbed to the top of Notre Dame; Sainte Chapelle; we climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe; went to the catacombs; and, on embarkation day, after dropping off our suitcases, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When we returned to Paris on our last day, we skipped the Uniworld tours, and went to the Louvre, again (Uniworld gave us tickets). If there is a smog alert, the Metro is free. If not, you can get a book of 10 tickets for a very reasonable price. The combination of the 2 were more than enough for us. Exhausting, yes. Exhilarating-absolutely. Would do it all again in a heartbeat!

 

I checked the Eiffel Tower website, and the furthest you can book out today is 7/11.

 

Robin

[Alberta Quilter]

I highly recommend the Behind the Scenes Tour of the Eiffel Tower: https://www.cultival.fr/en

 

The cost includes the pass to the second level. You also get to see the elevator engine room, and the bunker under the Champs de Mars. If you want to go to the top level, then you will have to purchase the tickets on your own after the tour.

 

I also recommend a tour of the Palais Garnier. It's a fascinating building, and even more so, if you're a fan of Phantom of the Opera. We just went there on the day that we had available and managed to get in to a tour about 2 minutes later.

[nancyevans]

Definitely get your Eiffel Tower tickets in advance. Seeing it sparkle at night is magical. The Paris Museum Pass is very useful but:

Get a good map and mark the places you want to see and what you want to see in each place. You don't have to tour an entire museum, just the sections that interest you.

Check opening times and closing times carefully. Some may be open late on certain days of the week.

If you chart things out, you can really see a lot but be prepared to be flexible with your planning.

[Got2Cruise]

My advice besides what has been given is to watch out for pick pockets and scam artists in Paris. Watch the movie the Longest Day for Normandy background information. Eat and drink at the sidewalk cafes. We also enjoyed Montmartre. Versailles was unbelievably crowded but the gardens were not and they alone are worth the visit.

[Cruising Quilter]

Thanks for the advice! I just reviewed the itinerary and have a question. Are all of the activities listed or are their additional things that are not listed? I was wondering if there are more lectures or movies or demonstrations, etc. Also, does the cruise line have umbrellas? There are many walking tours and I'm trying to plan for what the weather might be like in the fall. My biggest concern is that it will be difficult to see much of Paris in the short time we have.

 

Thanks again for all of your advice and please keep it coming!

[notamermaid]

Hello Cruising Quilter,

 

I am afraid you will definitely not see much of Paris, as Paris is big and there is so much to see. It is one of the most populated towns in Europe. The Louvre is like a little town in itself. I have been to Paris twice (six days in all) and cannot comfortably claim to have seen much. I did the arts stuff intensively, but would go back to the Louvre to see more of it. To see the Mona Lisa with about 10.000 other people (it feels like that) on the day you go is an experience but not a must...

 

If I had a day in Paris - let's say from 10am to 5pm, I would go to the Musee d'Orsay, have lunch in Galeries Lafayette as part of a shopping spree, emerge from the department store at three in the afternoon, have a canal tour and that would be the end of my day in Paris.

 

If I had never been, the Eiffel Tower is the first thing I would head to...

 

For those interested in French history I recommend le Dome des Invalides, the resting place of Napoleon. The website that follows is for the whole area of museum and church: http://www.musee-armee.fr/en/english-version.html. The architect Mansart inspired an architectural style used in other European countries for many decades after.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

[Ritabob]

There are two major department stores in Paris. Make sure you check both of them out. Unfortunately I can't remember which is which but one has a rooftop deck that you can access for free....just keep going up until the final staircase. You will see an awesome view of Paris from there. The other has a beautiful dome over the restaurant. Oh, and shopping is not too shabby at either one!

[cruiseryyc]

Umbrellas - yes these are provided on Scenic Ships, along with walking sticks. Each cabin also has a couple of heavy blankets to use while sitting on deck, I find having an Irish Coffee also kept me nice and warm!

[nancyevans]

Pick pockets are especially bad on the Montmartre funicular. We actually fended one off. Watch Trip Advisors for the latest scams. Lots of beggers in the sidewalks and public transportation.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

 

The Bayeux Tapestry has been highly recommended to me. It depicts the story of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings. that Battle, of course, changed the course of British and ultimately world history.

 

...

 

For those who are into tapestries, and are perhaps in Paris longer than a day, the tapestries in the Cluny (Museum of the Middle Ages), called "The Lady and the Unicorn" are really amazing:

 

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/lady-and-the-unicorn-tapestries-return-to-view-in-france/?_r=0

[Cruising Quilter]

I love all of your suggestions! Are there any good places to shop at the other stops?

[nancyevans]

Look at Trip Advisor for shopping ideas. The department store with the rooftop deck was Samartaine. Store closed. Building being developed. There is a website in French.