The sun goes down pretty early in January in France, so we didn't have a chance to come during the…read moreday. Thus, the greenway to the Southwest of the canals (Square Federick Lemaire) was closed (probably to keep people out during the night time). But the canal is well lit, and there were plenty of young and old men having a good time, smoking and drinking. On the eastern side of the canal, there are quite a few nice shops, and people were still shopping. On the western side is more industrial shops, with us walking past multiple home improvement shops focusing on flooring and tiles. We were not able see any of the locks in action, but were able to cross the bridges back and forth and take some nice pictures. it's definitely worth a stop if in the area, and i understand why it would be so beautiful in the spring for a leisurely walk in the daytime.

I've been trying to get to Canal Saint Martin since 2019 and every trip since has ended in…read moredisappointment. I was very determined not to let our visit to Canal Saint Martin go down the drain. I didn't want to take a riverboat cruise but simply grab a baguette sandwich and sit at one of the benches and enjoy the view. While Canal Saint Martin was very agréable, the Paris weather was not. Periods of rain made our picnic idea a soaking mess but we happened to catch a riverboat going up through the locks. Did you know ? Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802 and construction took place until 1825, funded by a new tax on wine. The neighborhood was friendly and the views were stunning. We had a great time enjoying the sights even with the Paris rain. Best part of Canal Saint Martin is that it's free. There's no admission ticket or reservation to make. To get there via metro the 8 line takes you to République and from there it's a short walk.

Taking a Seine River boat tour is a MUST when visiting Paris so I planned to do just that a few…read moredays ago. I chose Vendettes du Point Neuf due to its proximity to the area where I was staying. It was easy to reach on the Metro as it's located on Point Neuf which is a tip of the Ile de la Cite island that Notre Dame is located on. In this case, I decided just to walk on. It was early May and I sensed that there would be plenty of room available and I was right. I arrived at 2:08 pm and immediately got on the 2:15 pm tour at a cost of 17€. I found out they have a tour boat that leaves every thirty minutes for the one hour tour. We left promptly on time sitting on top of the open air uncovered deck with great unobstructed views. The boat has a drink and snack bar on board in addition to water closets for the guests. The boat moves at about 10 miles an hour and circled the Ile de la Cite island with great views of Notre Dame and then proceed down the river passing the Orsay Museum and continuing all of the way down to the Eiffel Tower for more great views of it, There we turned around and proceeded back to the starting point arriving one hour after leaving. It was an enjoyable cruise. The weather was comfortably cool and the narrator on board did a good job of describing everything that we passed by. At the end he does stand at the exit hoping for a tip. I felt the cruise was well worth the cost and would recommend it depending on the weather.

Beware: Do not book for Bastille Day Fireworks Cruise. We booked the July 13th cruise and boarded…read moreand sailed at 9:30pm. We went down 3 bridges and parked the boat. We could only see the tip of the Eiffel Tower and very limited fireworks. There was not any information or "guide" provided about Paris or the buildings we did pass. We spent around $250 USD for 4 people. They did not offer refunds or even a cruise for another day.

Amazing store located in the 12th district of Paris…read more This fishing store is for bait caster / spin reel - lure / bait type anglers. I am fly angler and I stopped in because another store in Paris suggested I come here for my fishing license. As soon as I stepped in, the owner of the store greeted me and we spoke in broken French / English where he was able to find out that I needed a fishing license to fish in Paris. He said no problem and was able to get me the 2 day fishing license for most of France. He showed me where I can fish using that license and what type of angling is allowed while I was there (fly & non bait angling). I had no idea that there are seasonal rules in effect. I also picked up a spool of 8lb flurocarbon tippet for trout, bass, and carp angling. Very reasonable prices and he will give you a discount if you pay in Euros!

We went to the Jardin du Luxeumbourg on a scorching hot July day, and it was still a pleasure to…read morevisit, a beautiful park full of wonders, especially for the children. It reminded me of Rome's Villa Borghese and does in fact have Italian roots. The garden was built by a Medici, back in the 1600s. We were there for a little over an hour, my family, my brother's family, and my friend who lives in Paris. We'd agreed to meet up in the garden, and I figured out when we got there that we'd have to get more specific. We entered from opposite ends and converged at a spectacular central fountain, where dozens of children were racing toy boats using sticks that they thrust in the water. (My children wanted the sticks, and I declined to rent the boats just so they could thrash each other.) We walked around for a bit and ended up at the Ludo Jardin, a large contained playground with lovely equipment and an idyllic atmosphere. There was a small fee for entry, not ideal for a quick visit, but definitely worthwhile. Our three-year-old walked in and went straight for a sprinkler, where he spent the next half hour getting absolutely soaked. Our six-year-old did a little more exploring, though to be honest, I didn't pay close attention to what he was doing. After a while, both boys noticed ice cream for sale and asked for a treat. We indulged them and watched them slather themselves with chocolate ice cream and rainbow popsicle. When it was time to go, our three-year-old objected vigorously, insisting, "I didn't get to play!" He meant that he'd only splashed around in the sprinklers and had a popsicle, and hadn't explored the depths of the playground. I knew the feeling--I'd experienced it myself leaving the d'Orsay earlier that day, all those paintings and whole exhibit halls I'd missed. I do hope we get to come back to the Luxembourg Garden.

One of the reasons we chose the hotel for our April visit to Paris was the proximity to Le Jardin…read moredu Luxembourg -- the Luxembourg Garden. This is one of my favorite places in Paris. Besides the layout and beauty of the Garden itself, it is a wonderful way to experience the softer side of Paris. Despite April overcast and rainy weather, walking through the Park was uplifting as always. Tulips greeted us when we entered through the Gay-Lussac entrance. Once in the Park, we found more flowers and trees in bloom. Beyond Les Voiliers du Luxembourg -- an octagonal fountain for sail boats at the focal center if the Gaeden -- we walked through a canopy formed by rows of chestnut trees. It was great staying within a few blocks of Le Jardin du Luxembourg and visiting daily.

This is the way to live! Fresh air, plenty of exercise and an abundance of art. I'm a huge fan of…read moreclassical sculpture and this was a magical part of my trip to Paris. Most of the sculptures are either Biblical or Greco-Roman themed. There's seating around a giant fountain, a playground for little ones and a few places to buy food.

Cut and pasted from the internet: "The Jardin des Tuileries…read moretakes its name from the tile factories that once stood on the site where Queen Catherine de Médicis had the Tuileries Palace built in 1564, a palace that no longer exists today." Quality/Quantity - A good size park with limited to no shade. But beautifully manicured. Looks like they have many events here; none on our visit. Ambiance - See my few pictures and all the many other pictures on Yelp. 3 restaurants, a book shop, etc. Park hours: From 7am to 11pm in June, July, and August. From the last Sunday in September to the last Sunday in March: 7.30am to 7.30pm. From the last Sunday in March to the last Saturday in September: 7am to 9pm. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success.

A wonderful quiet but vibrant city park that is very well maintained, clean, and has security…read morepatrolling the area. There are lots of events in the huge park so there is something for everyone, even shoppers - a large mall is also connected to the parking garage. I had a chance to fish the canal using my fly rod and caught one fish on a fly I bought from the local fly shop.

This is a really interesting modern park with unique designs and a futuristic layout! It's a…read moremassive cultural center with a science museum, a dance center, concert venues, and the like. There's over 25 buildings, promenades, covered walkways, bridges, and landscaped gardens. I love the raised promenades that give a fantastic view of the park. The mirrored "geode" globe is pretty cool too; I believe it's a cinema. The play sculptures for the children are really cool. The dragon's slide is legendary. It's like two stories tall and you slide down the dragon's tongue. It's really fun and fast too! I think the sign said it was only for children up to 14 years ago (but I don't speak/read French yet, so maybe not), but there were plenty of adults having a-go, so I did too. It was totally worth it! The Jardin des Dunes (Dunes Garden) looked absolutely amazing too, but unfortunately it was closed for some reason. The ground looked like it was built up in wave formation with tons of mini hills and tunnels leading through them. It looked like it would be a lot of fun to run around in there. There was also the Jardin des Miroirs (Mirror Garden) which looked like it was probably cool in its time, but it looked like needed a little TLC. I wouldn't recommend the park on a first visit to Paris as there's so many top rate sights here, but if it's a repeat trip and you want to see more local attractions, this park is pretty cool and unique! We came for the Villette Sonique, a free music festival that was held here in the park, which was an excellent reason to come and check it out!