I assume by the number of people recommending grabbing a bottle of wine for a picnic that there are no open container laws in Paris. Is this the case?
I%26#39;m planning my first trip there as a surprise 5th wedding anniversary gift to my wife. We%26#39;re only there for 4 days so I%26#39;d like to have a rough itinerary. I think a bottle of wine and some cheese outside sounds like a great idea, but I just wanted to see if there are any restrictions on drinking outdoors.
Also, where would people recommend as a picnic spot as a, let%26#39;s say, sundown spot to have a bottle of wine and watch the sun go down over Paris.
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What is an %26#39;open container law%26#39; (i%26#39;m french, i have never heard this expression) ?
In France, it%26#39;s being drunk that is not allowed
You are not supposed to drink while walking, in a store, a museum, a bus or such - but drinking quietly beer or wine seated on a bench, nobody will care
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Norween, an open container law in the U.S. prohibits drinking alcohol in public places outside (also in cars).
Isn%26#39;t drinking alcohol prohibited in the parks in Paris? I had read that.
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What a lovely idea Butchs, women love that sort of thing. Two quick thoughts:
Good news: Wine is food, few real restrictions (use discretion, no drunkenness)
Bad news: Unlike their animals, people are not usually allowed on the grass.
Of course Paris is a big city so to be able to see the sunset, I recommend finding an elevated location:
Drinks at Altitude 95 (Eiffel tower)
Sacre Coeur (excellent westerly view, good picnic spot)
Tour Montparnasse
Admittedly a bit pricy but as I have heard great things about the restaurant 1728, it would be a very romantic location for a special dinner.
http://www.restaurant-1728.com/
Good luck, Happy Anniversary
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don%26#39;t know quite how elevated it is, but here%26#39;s a pic I took (looking east) of the garden just to the west of the louvre. From here, looking west, you should get a so-so view down the Champs toward the Arch, albeit some distance away, but still, for a sunset, might not be a bad view. And you%26#39;ll be close to the Seine, so a walk along that can be nice, too.
Remember, though, sunset in Paris is quite late, depending on the time of year you%26#39;ll be there.
Here%26#39;s the link to my pic:
http://www.tfimages.com/europe/paris/090.jpg
Thumbnails to the rest can be found here:
http://www.tfimages.com/parindex.html
We were there from the 3rd - 10th of May, 2006, so they%26#39;re not too old yet ;)
M
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Thanks much everyone. Some good suggestions.
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Butchs !
I just returned from Paris and I actually passed a group of drunkards in the street, one of whom was drinking from a champagne bottle !!
Talk about up-scale alcolics !! In Denmark the drunks hang around with the cheapest beer you can buy in the discount supermarket.
But in Pawee. when you go down - you go down with class !
(I assume it was some vin mousseux, but the sight was so amusing anyway).
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Do not go to a public garden (Tuileries, Luxembourg, etc...) for a picnic to watch the sunset over Paris. Public gardens close at sunset and your picnic risks being cut short by park guards throwing you out.
Popular picnic spots include:
The Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge that spans the Seine from the Louvre to the Academie Française, BIG picnic spot, without a lot of privacy, but a breathtaking view of sun as it sets over the river.
The western tip of the Ile de la Cite, if you are lucky enough to get the very tip, you will be sitting with the Seine meandering by about 1m below your feet. Same view as above, slightly less crowded.
Anywhere along the Seine (particularly nice in the sculpture gardens in front of the Jardin des Plantes).
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, either on the Champs de Mars or on the Chaillot grounds. On the CdM side there are also some English style gardens to the sides that allow for more privacy than most spots.
On the grounds in front of the Hotel des Invalides, with the Alexandre III bridge. Paris in all her golden glory.
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As long as you are discreet with your wine drinking, no one will bother you, and some passersby may actually wish you %26#39;bon appetit%26#39;... I do believe it is technically not %26#39;legal%26#39; but it is often done, as I know from personal experience. We have been observed any number of times by passing police officers, who glance at our bottle ( probably thinking %26quot;how many more hours before I can go home and do that, too..?%26quot;) and keep on walking.
The grassy area on Champ de Mars just across the street from the tower is ok for this - it doesn%26#39;t close and sitting on the grass is permitted. The parks/gardens that close at dusk are the ones that have tall fences around them, ie. Tuileries, Luxembourg, Monceau, etc.
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As long as you sit no worries!
We even were 20 students sitting on the stairs of sacre cour with open winebottles, glasses, rum bottles and beercans everywhere, the police walked by several times, after 22 they told us to stop playing guitarr because of the neighbours but thats it.
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%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Also, where would people recommend as a picnic spot as a, let%26#39;s say, sundown spot to have a bottle of wine and watch the sun go down over Paris.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
Bear in mind that sunset will be later in Paris in summer than in NYC--between 21-00--22:00 (9-10 PM). For spots to picnic, most of the %26#39;..usual suspects..%26#39; come to mind---the steps around Sacré Coeur atop Montmartre; Pont des Arts or Pont Alexandre III across the Seine; on the slope below Palais de Chaillot, in Jardins du Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower; almost any bench along the Champ de Mars..........
In the course of your travels, you will probably come across the free Paris street maps distributed by Galeries Lafayette (often in hotel lobbies)...or simply ask at any Metro ticket kiosk for a free RATP Metro #2-PARIS--Grand Plan public transportation map. These make great disposable picnic %26#39;..cloths..%26#39;.
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