Is there a more ridiculous question to pose than "what to do in Paris?"  But if you're an obsessive compulsive travel planner like me you want to know what you don't know.  Those secret little tidbits of advice that you can only get from someone else's experience.  One little piece of insider advice -- prepare for rain.  Pack an umbrella (or check your hotel lobby for an industrial size one).  Prepare to find indoor activities (museums, restaurants, cafes, shopping) to get out of the rain for sudden outbursts.  And then when you have the luck of a sunny day, make the most of it! Here's some of my favorite sunny Paris to-do items.


You can bike to the Eiffel Tower and get some other nice tourists to take your photo --







Heloise and Abelard are buried here side by side.  Read their story if you need a reason to care about this brutal and sadly true tale of star-crossed lovers.


Jim Morrison's grave is barricaded off, but mourners don't need much convincing to jump the ropes.

By the way, if you are planning on touring the cemetery, maybe not the best day to wear your x-ray dress. Lesson learned.





Little boat rental stands are available for grandparents to teach their little ones how to sail in the most picturesque way imaginable.  I mean, look at his little Gilligan's Island hat.

There are few things I will stand in line for an hour and a half in the pouring rain for. Apparently, getting into the Catacombs of Paris makes the list.  This museum has been open to the public since 1874, and time has only increased its gothic appeal.  About 6 million Parisians are buried within the catacombs, moved here in the late 1700s in an attempt to reduce the public health risks of overcrowded cemeteries.  What's the draw?  That's a hard question to answer.  For me, catacombs have been a peculiar obsession since watching Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade as a child. There's as much mystery in death as there is fear, and the combination of those two makes for a heady experience.  No, I didn't unearth the answers to any ancient mysteries down there surrounded by artfully piled remains, but I did leave feeling disturbingly human -- an experience that is hard to replicate except when face to face with death.  My bones were no different, my life no more or less than those people stacked on either side of me.  I held my husband's hand tightly and felt scared and happy and sad and alive.






What you need to know:
Cost: 12 Euro
Times: Tuesday through Sunday 10 AM to 8 PM
Tickets can be purchased at the door or online here.  There is no shorter line for people that have already purchased tickets.

The line is legit -- one of the longest lines you'll encounter at any Paris museum.  People love the catacombs; especially Americans.  I think almost everyone we were in line with in our general area was an American tourist.  Bring an umbrella if it is even calling for a chance of rain because the line is uncovered, wrapping around a small park.  Bring snacks and maybe even a book to pass the time.

What you can and can't bring:

Like most museums, large bags are discouraged.  They don't want you sneaking someone's bones out (which is incredible disrespectful but some people have no trouble disassociating bones from the humans they once belonged to it seems).  Also, no dogs.  Let me recount a fellow American's unsuccessful plea to get past this:

Line attendant: "Sorry ma'am, no dogs allowed inside."  (yes, he even said this in English).
Lady holding a chihuahua in a bright orange vest: "But he's a service animal.  See, he has his vest on."
"Sorry, he still can't come in."
"I want to talk with your supervisor!  He's not a pet, this animal is part of my medical care."
Supervisor comes over.  "Sorry ma'am no animals inside.  Not even service animals.  There is no place for an animal to use the bathroom down here and this is a memorial site for the dead."
"Ridiculous!" Storm off commences.

Ever since  this moment, I've wondered why this person felt like she should bring a dog into the catacombs. Seriously, what was going through her head?  Let's just assume that this dog really was a service animal and not just dressed in a vest off Amazon.  She's carrying a chihuahua, so we can safely rule out seeing eye dog here.  So this must be an anti-anxiety or anti-depression dog? And if you had anxiety or depression should you be going into a pitch black tunnel with no easy escape route filled with 6 million dead bodies?  Seems like your doctor would not advise it, with or without your chihuahua in tow.

The unflattering look that is being both excited and scared at the same time descending down into the catacombs.  The tunnels are small and dark, not ideal for anyone with claustrophobia.

You're now entering the kingdom of the dead.

Photography is allowed, but no touching the bones (which, again, why would you do that?  That's really, really weird to be touching someone else's body).   I have to admit, photography down here is odd -- you're not going to stand in front of a bunch of skeletons and smile right?  What kind of selfie is possible down here that's not entirely inappropriate?  The catacombs are at their heart an artistic tribute to the dead as much as a sanitary solution to a world that was just beginning to understand the risks posed by bacteria.  The bones are lovingly arrayed in shapes and patterns, and shrines to the dead are present at every turn.  It's a solemn place; as much about honoring life as it is about honoring death.



Visiting the Catacombs Illegally
Of course you can read about secret underground trips through the Paris sewers to areas of the catacombs otherwise off limits, but can you imagine anything scarier than getting stuck in a labyrinth largely unmapped in the pitch dark without cell phone service?  And despite the cheesy ending, As Above So Below is a truly terrifying B-rate horror film.  No thanks; I'm good.

I'm not even going to pretend like this is an exhaustive museum list, because Paris seems to have a secret amazing collection of art and history around every corner.  But if you love museums, or you need to spend some time indoors and out of one of Paris' classic rainstorms, then here are few suggestions well worth your time.  Check this post for some tips for the Louvre!

Musee d' Orsay: If you're a fan of Impressionism then this museum is a no-brainer.  From Van Gogh to Monet, you'll see plenty of your favorites.  The museum itself is also spectacular -- housed in an old train station, there's a huge clock on the top floor that you can see through for a great view of the Louvre and Sacre Coeur in the distance.  Entry is 12 euro for adults but is free the first Sunday of the month.

These sculptures are outside of the museum; you'll have plenty of time to admire them as you wait in the long lines to get in.  This is one of the most popular museums so expect a large crowd.  You can purchase tickets in advance and skip the longest lines if you know the day you want to go.  You can also couple your ticket with Monet's Water Lilies exhibit at Musee de l'Orangerie  for a discounted rate for the two.

One of Monet's Water Lilies paintings.  The best place to see these famous works is at another Paris museum, though, Musee de l'Orangerie.

You an see Sacre Coeur way out there in the distance.

Musee Rodin: When we visited Paris last August, the indoor area of the Musee Rodin was under renovation.  This is one museum where you'll still have plenty to enjoy if you skip the inside museum and just buy the garden tickets at only 4 euro a person.  In the outdoor gardens you'll see Rodin's most famous masterpiece, The Thinker, and the visual overload that is The Gates of Hell.  We also found the crowds here in late afternoon to be surprisingly sparse, but that could have been because of a nearby protest.  Parisian police take protests seriously -- the entire area was pretty much barricaded by the time we left the museum.

The Thinker

The Eiffel Tower and Napolean's Tomb at Les Invalides peek out over the hedges.

The Three Shades

The Gates of Hell is Rodin's depiction of Dante's The Inferno.  It is completely overwhelming at first -- just under 20 feet tall and covered in minute sculptures.  You can pick out of some Rodin's famous works among the depictions here -- including The Thinker right on top. Some consider the inclusion of this recognizable work to be a depiction of Rodin considering his masterpiece or maybe the biblical Adam considering the fate he doomed mankind to with his choices in the garden of Eden.

Musee de Cluny:  We didn't make it here on our trip, but it tops my list for if when we make it back to Paris.  Here you can see the spellbinding Lady and The Unicorn tapestries, dating to the 1500s.  The tapestries are an exploration of the senses, and during the Medieval period of religious solemnity are a striking show of humanity, passion, love, and even lust -- scandalous for its time.

Not scandalized yet?  This tapestry is an illustration of desire.  Is she denouncing the necklace and the temptation of riches or lusting after it?  We'll never know.  via

Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature:  I saw this one on my favorite Paris travel blog, Messy Nessy Chic.  My stomach for taxidermy is quite touchy after seeing a really horrific siamese calf in New Harmony last year, but I might be able to work up a tolerance for a place as quirky and curious as this.  The collection is a odd combination of royal hunting party's collections and modern art; perfect for the person who thinks they've seen everything a museum could possibly deliver.

Want to sit inside a taxidermy bear?  Nope, me neither.  But this is the kind of weird Paris stuff you can do here. via