EARLY SPRING
GETAWAY TO PARIS

March 18-24

 

DAY ONE (Saturday, March 18)

Depart in the afternoon via US Airways with a connecting transatlantic flight in the evening. Tickets will be confirmed coach. If you want to use miles to upgrade, please let me know. An upgradeable fare may be slightly higher.

DAY TWO (Sunday, March 19)

We arrive at Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport early to mid-morning. Our private chauffeur will meet us after we clear customs and take us directly to our fabulous hotel! We will stay at the luxurious le Grand Hotel. Napoleon III built this for his empress Eugenie! It is very ornate, chic, and fashionable! We’ll be on the club level of the hotel and can freshen up in the private lounge after checking in. Champagne is served all day! We then head to Fauchon, a foodies’ delight! Here, we will have a relaxing welcome lunch with champagne! After lunch we’ll head over to the left bank of the River Seine to see the world’s most famous Impressionist art pieces at the Musee d’Orsay. You’ll see “le Cathedrale de Rouen” by Monet. Degas’ ballerina sculpture is here, as is Van Gogh’s haunting self portrait. An option before or after is a river cruise past some of Paris’ most famous landmarks. We’ll then head back to the hotel and enjoy the fabulous cocktail hour with fancy hors d’oeuvres and decide about an early dinner!

DAY THREE (Monday, March 20)

We’ll awake at our leisure. This is the day many people have a hard time getting up. We’ll explore the Left Bank today! We’ll start at Notre Dame. Then we’ll walk through the charming St. Germain area and the intellectual Latin Quarter. We’ll see the ruins of the famous Roman arena that gave rise to the original city! We can also stop in the St. Sulpice---now famous for the rose coloured line in “The DaVinci Code.” We will also visit the small mansion and gardens where Auguste Rodin had his studio. “The Thinker” is here! We can stop for some people watching at a charming left bank café!

DAY FOUR (Tuesday, March 21)

Today is shopping day! We’ll walk one block behind our hotel to the exquisite department stores: Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps! You’ll receive 10% discount coupons to almost everything in the stores! Lunch today will be at the small Musee Jacquemart Andre which has a delightful restaurant in the courtyard of this private mansion-turned-museum! The afternoon is free! This would be the ideal time for a half-day trip to Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, a spa treatment or Tea at the Ritz!! We can meet again for cocktails and dinner!

DAY FIVE (Wednesday, March 22)

Today we’ll wander uphill toward the Montmartre area! We’ll take a peek at the Moulin Rouge! This is an “interesting” area, somewhat seedy, and given to people of all personal orientations! We’ll walk up the hill along the street where Theo Van Gogh lived (Vincent’s brother), take a look at the building where Picasso painted “Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon” and end up at the Basilica of Sacre Coeur with its breathtaking view of Paris. We can also walk through the artists’ square to watch artists at work! Lunch today will be in the basement of the famous Madeleine Church! It’s a well-kept secret! Every weekday, an informal lunch is served by volunteers as a fundraiser for the church! I guarantee we will be the only Americans there! Then we’ll stop by some of the landmarks on the Right Bank, which has a distinctively more upscale ambience! We’ll marvel at the Place de la Concorde, where Marie Antoinette lost her head, we’ll walk through the Place Vendome with Princess Diana’s favorite—The Ritz, and we’ll shop the tony rue Faubourg St. Honore with Hermes and Longchamp! We can even walk down to the Presidential Palace!

DAY SIX (Thursday, March 23)

We’ll spend the first part of our day at the Louvre! We’ll see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samethroce! We can then meander through the stunning courtyard at the Palais Royale! The rest of our day can be devoted to last-minute shopping and errands! We can head to a nearby grocery store for inexpensive, yet impressive gifts! The evening will find us at the Arc de Triomphe. We will then stroll down the busy Champs Elysees and have our farewell dinner in one of the lovely restaurants in this area!

DAY SEVEN (Friday, March 24)

Alas, we must depart today. After breakfast, our chauffer will once again meet us at hour hotel for a private van trip back to Charles de Gaulle airport for your travels home. I will guide you through the complicated detaxe process at the airport to ensure you get all the French government tax refund you are entitled to!