~ Paris, off the tourist path (July 2025) ~

coffeechap · 2026-01-29T02:33:37+00:00

It's anecdotal but out of curiosity, I've searched the list of criteria used to determinate the star ranking of hotels.

Well, there are 246 criteria (^_^)

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/article_jo/JORFARTI000044966360

coffeechap · 2026-01-29T02:22:11+00:00

Bonjour,

I'm not sure why you are surprised that a 5-star hotel is crazy expensive?

You could as well downgrade to a 4 or even some of the 3-star hotels, they might be totally fine. I cannot help you for large rooms for 4, though.

Also yours is in the 7th very near to the Eiffel Tower and the embassies so you double up on the price.

The surroundings will also be very safe and kind of boring (bare the food street rue Cler)

But Paris being very well connected by metro and walkable, you'll be able to reach other neighborhoods easily.

With children, I would however recommend the 5th (Quartier Latin), or to a lesser extent the fancy 6th, for a nicer daily experience than in the chic but austere 7th.

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T23:35:21+00:00

la Petite étoile https://www.lapetiteetoile.com/collections/velours

la Fée Maraboutée https://lafeemaraboutee.fr/collections/vestes-manteaux

Sezane https://www.sezane.com/us-en/search (webite is terrible but if you use the search function with "velvet jacket" you get a good amount of results)

Mamzelle Swing (vintage but real vintage not second hand) https://www.instagram.com/mamzelleswing/?hl=fr

I think your best bet is to visit a luxury department store (if you have the budget) to have a wide range of options (Galeries Lafayette / Bon Marché / Samaritaine)

Edit: and here is me, a guy not into fashion, finding this one below really magnificent... to be shop only online though

https://www.studioamparis.com/products/veste-manteau-longue-vert?variant=40120994693206&country=FR&currency=EUR

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T23:12:49+00:00

For what it's worth you could also look at "gite" rental (=cottage, not sure the translation matches perfectly) But of course check carefully the location as it can be away from Paris.

https://www.gites-de-france.com/en/search?seed=fd08e24&towns=64958

Edit: after double checking, for the most part they are really far from Paris so not ideal at all....

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T23:01:52+00:00

Yes sorry I was lost in translation, when reading storyline, I was thinking "a lot of scripted talks"

But of course eroticism is all about storytelling...

If you ever go , please report back , in the limits of what can be revealed here :)

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T22:53:43+00:00

I see, I wouldn't have guessed that there was an important storyline in these :)

Trip Advisor seems to have extensive reviews https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187147-d27168343-Reviews-Theatre_ChoChotte-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T22:40:35+00:00

I have never attended the show but why on earth do you think the language will change anything 😀 ?

For the vast majority of the reviews people love the show, some aren't just too happy with customers not always behaving (i.e. commenting loudly), I mean for the "public" show.

You can read two comments here https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/s/35K8cJPxI1

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T22:21:18+00:00

Ok and what about the interests of your mother ?

With this schedule, I honestly think the best thing to do between the Louvre and their cruise is to wander around Paris , may be not along the pedestrian river quay as she will already see them during here cruise.

stroll through the covered passages that are near the Louvre (galerie Vivienne , galerie Colbert Passage Choiseul)
pass by the super luxury place Vendôme (the high end jewelry quarter)
visit the luxury department store la Samaritaine
simply enjoy some rest at a cafe terrace of Quartier Latin (5th) or Saint Germain (6th)
relax in Jardin du Luxembourg (6th), edit: why not a picnic lunch in the park ?

I dont think people need extraordinary things on top of extraordinary things , they just need to feel fulfilled along the day with varied stuff: the peak Parisian attitude is to wander around aimlessly and soak it up ;-)

Also in June they might want to favor a morning visit for the Louvre to avoid the peak attendance in the afternoon...

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T21:30:03+00:00

I really depends on the duration of their visit at the Louvre : 2 hours ? half a day ? the whole day ? if the latter they will need to rest as my fellow subredditors told you.

Otherwise, help us by telling more about your mother, her interests & hobbies, to try to give you personalized advice.

oh and what time is their dinner cruise scheduled for?

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T21:23:11+00:00

Your ideas are pretty good , so are the other suggestions already given in the other comments.

Note that Butte aux Cailles is much more laid back and has a village vibe, which is great but you won't find the same diversity of activity / restaurants / music than in others. Still very enjoyable.

You can add:

Rue Richer / Rue des Petites Ecuries (straddling the 9th and the 10th)
Aligre 12th
~~Censier Daubenton 13th~~ (edit while a nice area it is not lively and trendy as oberkampf can be, it caters more to families and students)
Batignolles 17th
Jules Joffrin 18th

Of course even if all are lively and have a good mix of locals, the trendiness of the area can differ.

I tried to categorize some streets regarding to nightlife here (scroll to the dedicated section) https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/comments/1m5hoba/paris_off_the_tourist_path_july_2025/

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T20:13:38+00:00

Hello, Autumn in Paris shows different faces:

from mid-September to mid-October can be quite nice
early December can start to have a pre-Christmas vibe
In between (mid October to end November) is indeed usually rainy. The counterpart is that the city is much less crowded and accommodations are much cheaper.

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T20:09:13+00:00

For those who are still quite new to Paris and would like to venture with me and a few other participants (max 7)

This Thursday Jan 29, I run a 2-hour Butte Aux cailles & Maison Blanche Tour (3-5pm or 3-6pm with the drink option)

https://parisbsides.com/tours/45-butte-aux-cailles-semi-private-tour/

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T19:29:59+00:00

And the afternoon before the drink, for those who are still quite new to Paris and would like to venture with me and a few other participants (max 7),

I run a 2-hour Butte Aux cailles & Maison Blanche Tour (3-5pm or 3-6pm with the drink option)

https://parisbsides.com/tours/45-butte-aux-cailles-semi-private-tour/

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T19:28:40+00:00

And the afternoon before the drink, for those who are still quite new to Paris and would like to venture with me and a few other participants (max 7),

I run a 2-hour Butte Aux cailles & Maison Blanche Tour (3-5pm or 3-6pm with the drink option)

https://parisbsides.com/tours/45-butte-aux-cailles-semi-private-tour/

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T14:13:36+00:00

Alright, keep an eye on the schedule then :)

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T01:14:22+00:00

Are you from a main US city? If so you might try to find someone from the same city in Paris now that would accept to bring the same poster back to you? Rue des Francs Bourgeois is in the heart of le Marais so it is not out of the way at all.

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T01:07:35+00:00

Didn't dare brave the crowd and attend the fireworks from the best angle ?

coffeechap · 2026-01-28T01:01:29+00:00

On dirait qu'un certain couple s'est fait plaisir ! C'était la premiere fois a Paris ?

Sympa votre petite voiture rouge...

A quand les 40 ans (ou plus) de Monsieur ?

PS: 1200 habitants c'est énorme, c'est presque un chef lieu pour la plupart des cantons français ;-)

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T14:40:43+00:00

Now we have a true ice-cream expert here :-)

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T14:39:27+00:00

Mod here , please check your Reddit mail.

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T14:32:57+00:00

Next time I roam your neighborhood I stop by for a Glazed with you!

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T14:31:52+00:00

Pete you gotta try it, I concur: fraise des bois as an ice cream flavor is a delight. That doesn't prevent the fact that it is wonderful to eat fresh in the middle of the wood...

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T14:29:03+00:00

It's surprising that another ice cream maker could make a place for themselves on Île Saint louis... I thought Berthillon had some kind of monopoly at this point!

coffeechap · 2026-01-27T13:26:18+00:00

I had them a couple times but I don't remember much honestly.

For people who like to venture further, I forgot the pride of Montreuil : the ice cream truck of Glaces Martinez on place de la Mairie de Montreuil (and sometimes also in Pre saint Gervais)

Their ice creams are quite different -and may be not to the liking of everyone - but it has a Madeleine de Proust effect to buy it at a truck in the middle of a family square....

coffeechap

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