2.5 day trip to Paris - Overwhelming

Old Aug 10th, 2014, 02:39 AM
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2.5 day trip to Paris - Overwhelming

Dear Parisians,

I am travelling to Paris with my family (wife and 6 year old) later this week starting Friday. We spend 3 nights in Disneyland and will be in Paris sometime on Monday ( Perhaps 2pm is the best guess).
And then leave from Paris at 5pm on Wednesday. Which gives a little more than 2 days to spend.

While I have tried to browse many sites , I would really be glad if one of you kind & proud Parisians are able to guide me on the best way to utilize my time to see Paris.

I have a viewing of the Eiffel Tower at 1030am on Tuesday , 19th, which I think would take around 2 hours. Leave aside that I need some help with my planning.

I would really love to see the following unless suggested otherwise

1. Louvre,
2. Siene cruise
3. Versailles
4. Eiffer tower ( planned already).

I am living at the Josephine Hotel (67 rue Blanche,75009 Paris) on Monday and tuesday night and plan to check out of the hotel on Wed morning.

Do help me with your suggestions, I will really appreciate it.

Thanks again.
G
gireeshgaonkar is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 02:44 AM
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I'd add the Musee d'Orsay
Versailles is a day out but you could do the Siene trip in the evening, generally the food is not so great on these but the evening cruise is lovely (question 6 year old might be tired..)

You probably need something during the 2.5 days for the kid to enjoy. Ideas? I doubt the Eiffel, Louvre will do it for her.
bilboburgler is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 02:48 AM
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http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/

Luxembourg gardens


I am not sure you have any time for Versailles. Just enjoy paris.. walk the ile de st louis.. la marais neighborhood and take a leisurely boat cruise day or night.

Perhaps a bus tour of the city would be best since ou realy are short on time. tis way you get a great overview.

remember, if the Pyramid entrance to the Louvre is crowded there is another entrance under the arches few people see at Porte des Lions
lincasanova is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 02:57 AM
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Take a day out of Disneyland?
No to Versailles. The Louvre is also a "chateau" so you can get the idea.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 03:27 AM
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You can combine the Eiffel Tower with a trip on the Seine by getting the Batobus [a waterbus that goes up and down the Seine] from the tower to Notre Dame Cathedral [which really should be on your list, if only to see the outside] then walk back along the direction that you have come from [west] to the Louvre.

however, this won't work on a Tuesday as the Louvre is closed then.

i would also urge you to think about whether you want to take your 6 year old round the louvre - it can get very crowded and is not very accessible to one so young.. perhaps a better choice given your limited time is the Musee D'Orsay, [closes mondays] or even better still, the Orangerie [on a joint ticket with the Musee D'Orsay] which has wonderful large-scale paintings of lilies by Monet which your 6 year old might well appreciate more.

if you do go to the Louvre, they have special programmes for children which you might like to follow.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 04:13 AM
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Appreciate your guidance guys. Thanks.

How would this work ?

1. Versailles on Monday afternoon on my way back from Disney.

2. On Tuesday - Eiffel Tower , Siene river (batobus/cruise), Notre dame, Luxemborg Gardens.

3. Wednesday - Louvre and the others ?

Doable guys
gireeshgaonkar is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 04:47 AM
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Don't forget your running shoes.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 04:52 AM
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There are some movement detecting fountains built into the street near the Louvre, can anyone remember where, your kid might love them?
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 05:30 AM
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All that time in Disney is a waste. There simply isn;t that much to see and do - it's not even like CA Disneyland never mind DisneyWorld. You should stay in Paris the whole time and just go for a day at Disney or you will all be bored out of your minds.

There are tons of things for child to do/enjoy in Paris - better than Disney IMHO.

Have a look at any basic guidebook to see what they offer for kids - including a number of parks, puppet shows, boat rides, kids museum, zoo etc - as well as a tone of things that both adults and kids will like.

Don't miss

Musee de Cluny - middle ages including the famous/charming Unicorn tapestry

Rodin Museum and sculpture garden

Louvre - go to the websites to see which sections you daughter might be interested in (crown jewels might be on area)
nytraveler is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 05:43 AM
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3 nights in Disney is only two days.. I can understand spending two days there for the 6 yr old. I hope you have a great time with your family and can visit the main places you want to, however, tired family makes for grumpy travels. Slow down and enjoy where you are.. moving around too much can be very tiring and irritating .
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 06:23 AM
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There are a number of threads here about trips to Paris with kids. Also some guide books have special sections. i honestly can't understand wanting to traipse round the Louvre with a 6 year old - misery for you and her.

as for Versailles on the way back from Disney, I'm pretty sure that Versailles is in the opposite direction from Disney - you would have to get the RER A into Paris and then correspond at Notre-dame St Michel to RER C Versailles "rive gauche". not sure if there are left luggage facilities at Versailles but it sounds like a long day for a 6 year old and her parents.

Better just to get into Paris [you haven't said in which district you are staying], check into your hotel, and then do some orientation. That would be the time to find a local park or playground, or to go up to the Luxembourg Gardens [and by up I mean up - it's up quite a long hill, or alternatively one stop on the RER B] . THe Musee de Cluny could be visited on the way down - it's not far away from the Boulevard St. Michel.

I like Tuesday, but if you've already seen the L'bourg gardens, you could seek out the Jardins des plantes [also on the Batobus] which also has a menagerie

http://www.jardindesplantes.net/un-j...rdin-botanique,

alternatively, there is the Zoo in the 15th, not far away from the Eiffel Tower:

http://www.parczoologiquedeparis.fr/fr
annhig is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 06:27 AM
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>

You'd better plan on 3 hours, especially if you go to the 3rd level.

>

There are a couple of things wrong with this plan:
1. The chateau is closed on Mondays.
2. If the chateau was open, what would you do with your luggage?

How about the doll museum?
adrienne is offline  
Old Aug 10th, 2014, 10:32 AM
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You know your daughter best, and all kids are different. We took our daughter to Paris for the first time as she was 8, and had just completed 2nd grade. She came to me about a month before the trip and said : I want to go to the Louvre, I want to see the Mona Lisa, the lady with no arms, and the lady with wings. (I about fell over, and thought: what a school she's blessed with!) And frankly she truly enjoyed that whole trip.
Does your daughter know the Madeleine books? somewhere I had a copy of walking tours that followed routes of books and movies, and that was one of the tours. A google search might find it.
Glad you've got the Eiffel booked - minimizing the wait time, and even kids know the Eiffel!
Walking and being outdoors with the right mix of museums (who doesn't love the Orsay?) and bedtimes that are reasonable always made for a great trip for us.
A bus tour around the city might give you all an overview, and provide enough distractions for your daughter (or time to cuddle and nap), so I'd recommend that.
Also, the bateaux-bus rides are just great.
Find foods that she likes - we always found that keeping to our daughter's likes and schedules made for the best trips for us. A tired child is a cranky child!
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 10:46 AM
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Sorry - Disney and Versailles are on the opposite sides of Paris - so you can;t get from Disney to Paris via Versailles - unless you make a giant circle that will take you a couple of hours.

And frankly I don't think Versailles is going to be interesting for a child that age (versus a lot of places in Paris) huge waste of time, energy and money.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 03:23 PM
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I would try to make a quick stop into Notre Dame, particularly if you haven't been to many cathedrals as it is quite impressive. You likely don't have time for Sainte-Chapelle but it is one of my favorite places in Paris.

If possible, can you limit your time in Disneyland to one day and have more time for Paris?
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Old Aug 12th, 2014, 09:38 AM
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Versailles will take a full day and, as indicated, is closed on Mondays. I'd do Notre Dame Cathedral (and the archaeological site near it), Ste Chapelle, and the Conciergerie. Those are all central and within easy walking distance and at least some of this might be of interest to a six year old, particularly if you tell her about Marie Antoinette before the trip.
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