2 1/2 Day First Time in Paris Itinerary Help
Jun 21st, 2016, 09:18 AM
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2 1/2 Day First Time in Paris Itinerary Help
Hi fellow Fodoreans. My husband and I will be traveling to France for a wedding in the Loire Valley. Before heading to the wedding we will be staying in Paris for 3 nights. We would highly appreciate any suggestions as to where to stay, what to see, and where to eat. We are a young couple who likes adventures and explorations. We appreciate local culture, food, and like to have a great time.
We will arrive to CDG at 1:45 pm on 8/31 (Wednsday) and head to the hotel (based on the forums I read here, we will probably stay in the St Germain/ Latin Quater area). After checking in we hope to grab lunch/early dinner and to visit an attractions or two. May be do a night boat cruise.
Then we will have two full days of exploring. (9/1 and 9/2)
On 9/3 we will check out at around 11 grab lunch and head of to Loire Valley where we have to be by 4-5.
While in Paris we would like to see: Eifel Tower (we won’t go up), Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Louvre (go in), Arc de Triomph, Sacre Coeur and Monmartre, Jardin Luxembourg, Champs Elysé.
If you have any suggestions as to our itinerary, place to stay, and anything else, please advise us!
Thank you for your input.
We will arrive to CDG at 1:45 pm on 8/31 (Wednsday) and head to the hotel (based on the forums I read here, we will probably stay in the St Germain/ Latin Quater area). After checking in we hope to grab lunch/early dinner and to visit an attractions or two. May be do a night boat cruise.
Then we will have two full days of exploring. (9/1 and 9/2)
On 9/3 we will check out at around 11 grab lunch and head of to Loire Valley where we have to be by 4-5.
While in Paris we would like to see: Eifel Tower (we won’t go up), Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Louvre (go in), Arc de Triomph, Sacre Coeur and Monmartre, Jardin Luxembourg, Champs Elysé.
If you have any suggestions as to our itinerary, place to stay, and anything else, please advise us!
Thank you for your input.
Jun 21st, 2016, 09:42 AM
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My first trip to Paris was for 2.5 days, 3 nights. I think you have a reasonable list of things to see and do that can be executed in the time you have.
Depending on how you handle jet lag, doing something the first night can be a godsend or a calamity. I did a Fat Tire Bike Tour my first night, which included a 45 minute or so boat tour up and down the Seine. It was a lovely way to kick things off. So dinner and a boat cruise could be great.
I would suggest putting the Louvre on Friday September 2, since the museum is open late that evening, and crowds are typically thinner (I have been once by day and once later in the evening, and the evening was absolutely preferable).
For an action packed perspective, you may be able to cluster together say Thursday September 1 morning at Notre Dame de Paris and Saint-Chapelle (cross fingers for a sunny day!), then keep with places of worship and either easy metro or long (but nice) stroll through the Marais to Sacre-Coeur, then lunch in Montmartre and explore the neighborhood. Maybe back to hotel for rest, then stroll the Champs-Elysee and run straight into visiting Arc de Triomphe later before dinner. If you're planning to climb it and see the views (which I recommend and it gives you a great view of the Eiffel Tower), time it for just before sunset which in Sept is around 8:30 PM or thereabouts if it's a sunny day, the Arc is also open pretty late (11 PM when you visit).
Then the next day you can move about at a slightly more relaxed pace: breakfast, stroll from hotel to Jardin du Luxembourg, probably time in there for a few other sites if there's something else you'd like to see. Musee d'Orsay might make sense since it's not far from Jardin du Luxembourg. Lunch, hotel break if needed, then Jardin de Tuileries and the Louvre. Either eat a slightly earlier dinner or snack to tide over and eat after the Louvre.
Recs on where to stay probably depend on your budget and preferences (big chain, boutique, B&B, etc).
Have a fantastic trip!
Depending on how you handle jet lag, doing something the first night can be a godsend or a calamity. I did a Fat Tire Bike Tour my first night, which included a 45 minute or so boat tour up and down the Seine. It was a lovely way to kick things off. So dinner and a boat cruise could be great.
I would suggest putting the Louvre on Friday September 2, since the museum is open late that evening, and crowds are typically thinner (I have been once by day and once later in the evening, and the evening was absolutely preferable).
For an action packed perspective, you may be able to cluster together say Thursday September 1 morning at Notre Dame de Paris and Saint-Chapelle (cross fingers for a sunny day!), then keep with places of worship and either easy metro or long (but nice) stroll through the Marais to Sacre-Coeur, then lunch in Montmartre and explore the neighborhood. Maybe back to hotel for rest, then stroll the Champs-Elysee and run straight into visiting Arc de Triomphe later before dinner. If you're planning to climb it and see the views (which I recommend and it gives you a great view of the Eiffel Tower), time it for just before sunset which in Sept is around 8:30 PM or thereabouts if it's a sunny day, the Arc is also open pretty late (11 PM when you visit).
Then the next day you can move about at a slightly more relaxed pace: breakfast, stroll from hotel to Jardin du Luxembourg, probably time in there for a few other sites if there's something else you'd like to see. Musee d'Orsay might make sense since it's not far from Jardin du Luxembourg. Lunch, hotel break if needed, then Jardin de Tuileries and the Louvre. Either eat a slightly earlier dinner or snack to tide over and eat after the Louvre.
Recs on where to stay probably depend on your budget and preferences (big chain, boutique, B&B, etc).
Have a fantastic trip!
Jun 21st, 2016, 10:39 AM
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Thank you so much for your recommendations!
As for the hotels we were looking into the following:
Hotel Luxembourg Parc,
Hotel De Buci by MH,
Hotel Elysa Luxembourg,
Hotel Saint-Jacques
They are all around $200-300 per night, which is our budget. Any input on hotels and restaurants we should visit?
As for the hotels we were looking into the following:
Hotel Luxembourg Parc,
Hotel De Buci by MH,
Hotel Elysa Luxembourg,
Hotel Saint-Jacques
They are all around $200-300 per night, which is our budget. Any input on hotels and restaurants we should visit?
Jun 21st, 2016, 10:52 AM
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Jun 21st, 2016, 01:45 PM
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I just stayed at the Hotel Les Rives de Notre Dame. http://www.rivesdenotredame.com
I had never heard of it but I needed a nice, last minute hotel and while I was in Paris I had the opportunity to see a room before I committed. I had a great room with 2 big windows and a view of the Seine and Notre Dame. They are the only hotel to provide a free mobile wifi device which gave me 24/7 access to the Internet!
You can't beat the location, right across from the RER St Michel train.
I had never heard of it but I needed a nice, last minute hotel and while I was in Paris I had the opportunity to see a room before I committed. I had a great room with 2 big windows and a view of the Seine and Notre Dame. They are the only hotel to provide a free mobile wifi device which gave me 24/7 access to the Internet!
You can't beat the location, right across from the RER St Michel train.
Jun 21st, 2016, 04:13 PM
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Well, I love St Germain and really like the area around St Germain des Pres church and also the Odeon metro. If you can see Ste Chapelle on a sunny day that will give you the best way to see the stained glass. Pair Ste Chapelle with Notre Dame for logistics.
If you stop by Gerard Mulot or the covered market on rue Lobineau, you can pick up the makings for a great picnic at Luxembourg Gardens.
In the 6th, you could take a look at Hotel Louis II or Hotel Le Fleurie.
For dining, Allard and Le Comptoir are good options. Also, Cafe Varenne. If you are near Place de Furstemburg and need a sweet treat, Maison du Chou makes creme puffs to order (the naturalle is sooo good).
At the Louvre, have a plan of attack. It is huge and if there are specific things you want to see, know where they are located in the museum to avoid wandering aimlessly.
While I love the Champs Élysées from far away, I find it disappointing to walk around there. Crowded and loaded with tons of stores you would see in any mall...I avoid it but I understand wanting to see it. If you happen to be near the Arc de Triomphe for dinner, take a look at Citrus Etoille.
Enjoy your trip.
If you stop by Gerard Mulot or the covered market on rue Lobineau, you can pick up the makings for a great picnic at Luxembourg Gardens.
In the 6th, you could take a look at Hotel Louis II or Hotel Le Fleurie.
For dining, Allard and Le Comptoir are good options. Also, Cafe Varenne. If you are near Place de Furstemburg and need a sweet treat, Maison du Chou makes creme puffs to order (the naturalle is sooo good).
At the Louvre, have a plan of attack. It is huge and if there are specific things you want to see, know where they are located in the museum to avoid wandering aimlessly.
While I love the Champs Élysées from far away, I find it disappointing to walk around there. Crowded and loaded with tons of stores you would see in any mall...I avoid it but I understand wanting to see it. If you happen to be near the Arc de Triomphe for dinner, take a look at Citrus Etoille.
Enjoy your trip.
