Unique or unusual ideas for Germany/France trip

[rubybeth]

I'm looking for any fun, unique, or unusual inexpensive or relatively cheap ideas for things to do in Cologne, Germany (or near there) and Paris in July. I'll be traveling with my husband, mother, and sister. My husband and I are of the 'walk around and look at stuff' type of travelers--we can be entertained with very little effort. My mom enjoyw this style of travel, as well, but also seems to be looking for 'things to do,' and I'd like some tips from any locals or travelers who get off the beaten path or know of hidden gems. We're going to do a fair amount of touristy stuff (museums, churches) interspersed with lazy activities (picnics in parks, walks in gardens). Tips for Versailles and Giverny trips are welcome, too (my mom is a huge Monet fan and this side trip will be her birthday present, and my husband wants to get to Versailles). Any and all ideas welcome!

[bogart]

I don't think it's off the beaten path, but I loved the museum of chocolate in Cologne.

In Paris, I'd say catacombs (you can google, if you don't know of them; I didn't).  I felt very clever as an undergrad heading up the Eiffel tower (on foot, of course) near but shortly before dusk, as it meant I got "double value" for the entry fee -- view of Paris from the tower by daylight and at night :) !

[Villanelle]

Check out the Rick Steves travel guides (likely available at your local library).  He has walking tours of most cities, big and small.  Also, check out his app (free).  From within the app, you can download walking tours of many large cities and museum.  They are generally the same tours you find written in the books, but it's nice to have someone reading the tour to you as you walk around so you can get your nose out of the book.  I don't know offhand what he has for Koln or Paris, but I'm sure he has something, at least for the latter, and probably several.

In Paris, my very favorite spot is free.  Go to MontMart.  Climb the stairs and enjoy the view.  Then head left (with your back to the stairs) for about 2 minutes and you will pop out in painters' square, where a bunch of artist sit and practice their craft and sell their wares.  Spring for a cup of coffee at a cafe on the square, and enjoy.

[brewer12345]

Go have lunch or dinner in one of the many Kolner brauhausers.  In addition to getting to sample the local beer (Kolsch - wonderful) right at the source, you will get to have a regional cuisine meal and be served b one of the Kobesse ("'Kobes" because the stereotype is that they are all named Jakob).  The Kobesse are famous for their, um, tart service and conversation that stems from being independent contractors to the restaurants they work for which traditionally have wildly overbearing management.  Lots of fun.

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Check out the Rick Steves travel guides (likely available at your local library).  He has walking tours of most cities, big and small.  Also, check out his app (free).  From within the app, you can download walking tours of many large cities and museum.  They are generally the same tours you find written in the books, but it's nice to have someone reading the tour to you as you walk around so you can get your nose out of the book.  I don't know offhand what he has for Koln or Paris, but I'm sure he has something, at least for the latter, and probably several.

In Paris, my very favorite spot is free.  Go to MontMart.  Climb the stairs and enjoy the view.  Then head left (with your back to the stairs) for about 2 minutes and you will pop out in painters' square, where a bunch of artist sit and practice their craft and sell their wares.  Spring for a cup of coffee at a cafe on the square, and enjoy.

For Paris, +1 on walking around Montmartre--Rick Steves' walking tour of Montmartre is quite good (though don't take his restaurant suggestions--expensive & touristy). Visit the Sacré Cœur while you're there. And, Versailles is worth the money in my opinion--stands out in my mind as one of the most interesting tours I've ever taken. The Pompidou (modern art) is also fantastic as is Notre Dame cathedral. Don't bother paying to go up in the Eiffel Tour--sit on the lawn for free and look at the tour instead. Also, this may be controversial, but, I wouldn't bother paying for the Louvre (I did so the first time I visited Paris, but the second time we skipped it in favor of more unique & interesting museums, etc). And as you surmise, walking is truly the best way to see the city. Enjoy!

[rubybeth]

Thanks for the suggestions so far!

My mom and I have been reading the Rick Steves guidebooks for years, and my mom bought the most up-to-date copy for Paris when we started planning the trip. I downloaded the app and the associated walking tours already, so glad to hear that's a good thing to do!

Interesting about the Louvre. I doubt I could convince my mom to skip it since this may be her only trip to Paris, but we'll see. :)

Edited to add: I think we'll mostly plan to 'eat out' for lunches or do picnics. We are staying with friends in Koln and renting an apartment in Paris (Marais area) so we can cook dinners in for a break before our evening strolls.

[boarder42]

During the week you do not have to pay extra to visit the Garden at Versailles its open to the public for free.  the palace is worth every bit of the 15Euro fee.  I'm in France now and spent 2 nights in versailles its remarkable.  The Garden at night show offered on most Saturdays is a great show just fantastic.  but pricey at 26Eu p/p. i saw some people with 15eu tickets though so shop around.  there is a wine bar in Versailles just google versailles wine bar and it will be the second one.  Great place cheapest wine i've found here for quality stuff.  and the owners are fantastic.

[mrgrump]

Buy the museum pass and go to notre dame louvre Montmartre. The Eiffel Tower is not included in the pass but you can get to the top of ND cathedral (450ish steps) and the top of arc d triumph (elevator or stairs) with it. Having been to the top of montremarte, ND, and the arc you can probably the saving money and the time in giant lines going up the Eiffel.

Skip the Paris pass and take the subway. The "Paris pass" only adds a hop on hop off bus tour but it's pricey.

Versailles is cool and also included on museum pass. Compared to Rome or London all the sites are very spaced out. So you may want to plan on taxis buses subway or something.

[boarder42]

get a viste pass.  gets you all buss and trams throughout paris

[SMP]

I would highly recommend the Cathedral, but it's not unique or unusual.
http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=17&L=1

For other ideas visit just the website of Cologne's tourist information:
http://www.cologne-tourism.com/

If you want to have lunch/dinner in an typical Brauhaus, i would highly recommend to book a table, at least on weekends.

[FrugalZony]

In Paris, buy a bottle of wine, some cheese and a baguette and head to Sacre Coeur right before sunset.
Find a spot on the stairs leading up to the cathedral where you can see the Eiffel Tower.
Sit down, pour yourself some wine, snack on cheese and bread and watch the sun set over the city and the lights come on at the Eiffel Tower.
Always been one of my favorite spots to take people.

The view is a bit better from the dome of the cathedral, but they charge you 6 Euros or so to climb the stairs ;)

There's a walking tour of the catacombs, it's been ages since I have done it. The entrance is near the Denfert Rocherau Metro.
Don't remember how much it was. But I am sure you can find it by googling.
It's a bit creepy though. You'll see lots of skulls and bones.

One of my favourite ones used to be a (cheap) coffee on the rooftop coffeshop of the Samaritaine department store, but unfortunately that one has been closed for many years now. There's always rumors about a renovation, but not much seems to be happening.

Cologne has a lot of attractions concentrated right around the Main train station (the cathedral is there, you can walk through the Altstadt and find one of those Brauhauses that have been mentioned), there's a bunch of Museums in that area too.

If you have it in the budget river sightseeing tours are fun in both cities Paris and Cologne, but they are $$$
You can do a harbor cruise in Cologne too, which is quite fun!

Both cities are really great to walk around in, take public transportation and just get lost and go with the flow, if you like that way of travelling...

Have fun!! Sounds like you are planning an awesome trip!

Edit to add: An awesome spot in Cologne are the Rheinterassen
You'll have a great view of the city, there's even a beach, where you can chill and have a Koelsch
Food is a bit $$, but decent quality
It's a spot you will enjoy any time of the day, at night when the cathedral is lit it's spectacular, but
it's also awesome during the day, with the boats floating by and the view of the city.

[Blackadder]

Personally, when I visited Köln, I was surprised how little there was to see (no offense intended).

If you don't mind going out of your way to see unusual places, I would also recommend visiting one or two spots the Ruhrgebiet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhr). It is one of the biggest (former) industrial/coal regions in western Europe, with great industrial and cultural significance for the western part of the country. Now, this may not sound quite as enticing as a cathedral, but after visiting the 20th cathedral, museum or Kneipe it's really refreshing and interesting. There are some pretty awe-inspiring industrial plants that have effectively been changed into art installations that you can visit. Examples are the Gasometer in Oberhausen (a gigantic former gas storing facility, http://www.gasometer.de/en/) or the Zeche Zollverein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zollverein_Coal_Mine_Industrial_Complex).

             

Also, depending about how much time you have, I would think about visiting Amsterdam. It's a very beautiful, young and lively city and can be reached in about 3 hours by train from Köln.

[rubybeth]

Thanks for the tip on Amsterdam! I might be able to convince my DH to make a side trip if it's only 3 hours away...

[Runge]

The only time I've been to Koln was during Gamescon a few years back...don't judge...haha. It was a waste of time and money, really...

But anyway, the thing I loved about Germany in general was the ample bike paths that lead you through very small towns between cities. If you can get a hold of some bikes, just go for a ride outside the city and "get lost." You'll be able to find some really neat places throughout Germany (and I'm assuming France as well). Look for side hiking trails, small lakes and ponds, or just a local restaurant/cafe in a small village. I don't know the area around Koln, but there's bound to be places nearby that you can bike around to.

[rubybeth]

Great tip, Runge! I'm sure my DH and I could get some bikes, either borrow our friends' bikes (if they have them) or rent some. We love exploring of that type. We 'got lost' by just walking around on Bainbridge Island last year when we visited Seattle, and it was an awesome afternoon.

For the Cologne portion of our trip, our friends have said they will 'show us around' and likely take us on some side trips. They are big into surprises, so we have no idea what they might have planned for us. We also appreciate the slow travel style of doing one major site per day and then just taking it easy with down time to cook and eat leisurely meals at home and go for a walk in the evening. Just found out yesterday that my mom is dealing with bursitis in her knee (and NOT the knee on the leg that had the broken hip a few years ago! Oh, growing older... why must you involve pain?) so we might be taking it even easier than originally planned. I think she's getting a cortisone shot to help, but her max seems to be about a half hour of walking and then a nice long rest.

[socaso]

Rental bikes are part of the Paris Metro system. There are stations to pick up and drop off. One of the nicest things we did was shop in the small specialty shops for food. When we went to the Lourve we took bread, cheese and apples and ended up having a wonderful picnic on the grounds of the Lourve before we toured the museum. It's a very large museum and we found that the easiest thing to do was for each of us to choose two sections we wanted to visit and just go to those. If you want a smaller and more manageable Parisian museum I just loved the Musee D'Orsay. It has a great art and furniture collection and is housed in a beautiful old rail station. Easily seen in half a day.

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Rental bikes are part of the Paris Metro system. There are stations to pick up and drop off. One of the nicest things we did was shop in the small specialty shops for food. When we went to the Lourve we took bread, cheese and apples and ended up having a wonderful picnic on the grounds of the Lourve before we toured the museum. It's a very large museum and we found that the easiest thing to do was for each of us to choose two sections we wanted to visit and just go to those. If you want a smaller and more manageable Parisian museum I just loved the Musee D'Orsay. It has a great art and furniture collection and is housed in a beautiful old rail station. Easily seen in half a day.

Oh yes, the Musee D'Orsay! +1! Forgot to mention it in my post. Definitely a favorite.

[FrugalZony]

You can rent bikes in Cologne. There's a bike rental at the main train station and several other locations in the city, one being right on the rhine river.
It's starts at 5 EUROS for a few hours and then goes does the longer you rent the bikes!

And yes, love the Musee d'Orsay in Paris +1

[iris lily]

I'm looking for any fun, unique, or unusual inexpensive or relatively cheap ideas for things to do in Cologne, Germany (or near there) and Paris in July. I'll be traveling with my husband, mother, and sister. My husband and I are of the 'walk around and look at stuff' type of travelers--we can be entertained with very little effort. My mom enjoyw this style of travel, as well, but also seems to be looking for 'things to do,' and I'd like some tips from any locals or travelers who get off the beaten path or know of hidden gems. We're going to do a fair amount of touristy stuff (museums, churches) interspersed with lazy activities (picnics in parks, walks in gardens). Tips for Versailles and Giverny trips are welcome, too (my mom is a huge Monet fan and this side trip will be her birthday present, and my husband wants to get to Versailles). Any and all ideas welcome!

non-French though it is, I would have to visit Jim Morrison's grave in Pere La Chase cemetery.

I would geek out on the art noveau subway stations.

[stevesteve]

It's pretty hard to go wrong walking around Paris but here are a few things you may have interest in after seeing the main tourist area:

• Place des Vosges... great park, architecture and arcades
• The Pantheon... it's a good place to see on a left bank walk if you're going to the Jardin du Luxembourg
• Le Marais... the old Jewish part, nice old streets and falafel

[li]Quai de la Seine... not on the Seine but near Stalingrad station northeast of Gare du Nord.  I like the canals and the above ground metro.  There's nothing specific to do there but I enjoy it.
[/li][/list]

And, I can't recommend it because I haven't seen it but I want to see the promenade plantée.  If you like linear parks it might be fun.  Same goes for Monceau Park--I really want to see its main entrance since I love the structure.

Also, Paris has great viewsheds so how you approach things can really change how you take them in.  For instance seeing the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero is a great way to stumble upon it.  Make sure you go to Sacre Coeur from the front and then walk down the stairs in the back and see the rest of Montmartre.  There is where I guidebook should help.

[bonjourliz]

Montmartre & Sacre Couer for sure.  Place du Trocadero is the best place for pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower (but beware pickpockets!!)

The area around Hotel de Ville is cool at night, too, and close to the Marais.

Musee Rodin was my favorite museum.  In a beautiful old mansion, lots of impressionist works (incl Monet) and gorgeous sculptures (IIRC, the kiss was there).  I preferred it over the better known museums. 

Sainte Chappelle is not as well known as some of the other churches, but the stained glass is absolutely incredible.  Stunning.

In July, Paris may be having their Beach... They make a sandy beach along the seine.... A sight to see!

[chouchouu]

I liked the Louvre, I think it is worth it. You can also get tickets for the boats that your the seine for not too much by Paris prices, it wasn't expensive, just don't get the ones that serve food. I think I got a discount ticket from a tourist map, which can be found in any hotel lobby or department store. If you go to the Luxembourg gardens there is an excellent patisserie nearby called Gerard Mulot, the food is excellent and you can grab a few things and picnic in the gardens. Also on rue Monsieur le Prince on the left hand side leading up to the gardens is an ancient restaurant (I think 200 years?) the prices are excellent by Paris standards and the food authentic. I think about 20 euros for a full meal with wine, which is cheap compared to 15 euro a glass nearby on St Germain. The steak tartare wasn't good but I've been there a few times and everything else was great.

To get around I would go for a 20 pack of metro tickets, each ticket lasts for one hour. I find Paris walkable and only use the tickets if I'm seeing something on the other side of the city.

Are you taking the train from Paris to Cologne? I would stop in Brussels or brugge. Both walkable cities worth a day trip. Brussels has gorgeous art nouveau architecture in St Gilles and the Horta museum. The Grand Place is stunning and there are cheap and excellent beers at bistros on every corner.

[DMoney]

We enjoyed renting bikes to tour around Versailles when we went a number of years ago!

[jubilantjill]

The forests outside Fontainebleau are lovely for picnics and boulder scrambling.

[Trudie]

I went to Paris two years ago on a Rick Steves trip and loved it.  We stayed on a couple of extra days.

Side trips to Giverny and Auvers Sur Oise (both possible by commuter train) are worthwhile trips.

Auvers Sur Oise is where Van Gogh spent the last months of his life, and there are interpretive signs all over the town where you can see the inspiration for his art work.  You can walk to the top of a hill and see where he is buried next to his brother Theo.  It is quite moving.

The self-guided tour is totally free.  There is a nice little grocery store on the town's main street (not very large) where you can buy lots of nice picnic supplies and eat in one of the local parks.  The wine is cheaper than water!  And comte cheese is the best!  The French picnic really is a treat.  I always just pack a couple of lightweight reusable grocery bags so I'm prepared.  If you're checking your bags pack a corkscrew.

I think Rick Steves has the best travel guides and if you go to his website you can find many free and low-cost suggestions.  You can even download free podcasts for touring sites on your own.  Rick Steves is very Mustachian in his views of travel.  He places high emphasis on experiences and connecting with people; very little on shopping and expensive restaurants.

We had no trouble with the buses and trains in Paris.  Just a word about the commuter train stations -- try to allow extra time to get your tickets.  The only rude experience I had with anyone in France (not representative) was at the train station.  I know some French but had a hard time explaining I wanted a round trip ticket:  "aller et retour."

In Paris we enjoyed going to the American interdenominational church (which Rick Steves recommends)... if that is your thing.

I was underwhelmed by Versailles, but could highly recommend visiting the "Potager du Roi" while you're there -- these were the king's vast kitchen gardens, which are a sight to behold!