Assistance with Paris ITINERARY
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:02 AM
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Assistance with Paris ITINERARY
I always make my itineraries too ambitious.
Arrival in Paris CDG (from Warsaw) at 11 am on Wednesday. Flight back Sunday morning.
I planned the following:
1) Wed afternoon - lunch in Rue Cler neighborhood.Champs-Elysees, Eiffel Tower walk, and a Seine cruise in the evening.
2) Thursday morning: Louvre (Mona Lisa and ancient scultpure, etc)- 2hrs+
Then, L.Gardens and Latin Quarter, maybe the Marais
3) Friday
d'Orsday in the morning
then Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle
Evening - Sacre Coeur and Montmartre
4) Saturday morning and afternoon - Versailles (fountains on)
Evening - relaxing anywhere!
Any comments or suggestions? My husband and I do not mind walking a lot.
Agnes
Arrival in Paris CDG (from Warsaw) at 11 am on Wednesday. Flight back Sunday morning.
I planned the following:
1) Wed afternoon - lunch in Rue Cler neighborhood.Champs-Elysees, Eiffel Tower walk, and a Seine cruise in the evening.
2) Thursday morning: Louvre (Mona Lisa and ancient scultpure, etc)- 2hrs+
Then, L.Gardens and Latin Quarter, maybe the Marais
3) Friday
d'Orsday in the morning
then Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle
Evening - Sacre Coeur and Montmartre
4) Saturday morning and afternoon - Versailles (fountains on)
Evening - relaxing anywhere!
Any comments or suggestions? My husband and I do not mind walking a lot.
Agnes
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:25 AM
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Hi Agnes,
Looks good overall - though only 2 hours at the Louvre? You will barely see any of it. Personally, I loved the Louvre and devoted a whole day to it (really, 10 hours), this is not everyones cup of tea I am sure, but if you like art and beautiful architecture the Louvre is wonderful don't rush it. A dinner and stroll through the L. Gardens sounds nice, just check when the gardens close you may have to make this a daytime activity.
Friday sounds a litte ambitious, but can be done if you get an early start. I recommend arriving at D'Orsay very early. I arrived at 9:00am 30min before it opened and still had to wait in line for an hour and bit to get in.
Same goes for Versailles, earlier you arrive the better - its a zoo (but a nice, historically significant zoo).
Walking is great, but maximize your time and enjoyment by taking the metro. You will do plenty of walking around at the given site and in the surrounding neighbourhood. The metro is not intimidating - it is really easy and very efficient.
Enjoy your trip.
Murphy
Looks good overall - though only 2 hours at the Louvre? You will barely see any of it. Personally, I loved the Louvre and devoted a whole day to it (really, 10 hours), this is not everyones cup of tea I am sure, but if you like art and beautiful architecture the Louvre is wonderful don't rush it. A dinner and stroll through the L. Gardens sounds nice, just check when the gardens close you may have to make this a daytime activity.
Friday sounds a litte ambitious, but can be done if you get an early start. I recommend arriving at D'Orsay very early. I arrived at 9:00am 30min before it opened and still had to wait in line for an hour and bit to get in.
Same goes for Versailles, earlier you arrive the better - its a zoo (but a nice, historically significant zoo).
Walking is great, but maximize your time and enjoyment by taking the metro. You will do plenty of walking around at the given site and in the surrounding neighbourhood. The metro is not intimidating - it is really easy and very efficient.
Enjoy your trip.
Murphy
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:33 AM
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Versailles on the weekend is not a good idea. It is crowded most of the time but especially sardine like on a Saturday. Given your limited time in Paris you may want to skip it. I suggest a walking tour of the Quais along the Seine and perhaps a tour of the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette spent her last days.
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:39 AM
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RD has a good point - Versaille is going to be packed on the weekend, but then I was there in the off season on a Wednesday in the rain and still had other tourists crammed in all around me so it depends on how important it is to you...
I personally did not like the Conciergerie as I felt it was way to expensive for what little there was to see. You can get a combined ticket though with St. Chapelle so you may want to do these together if Conciergerie interests you.
I personally did not like the Conciergerie as I felt it was way to expensive for what little there was to see. You can get a combined ticket though with St. Chapelle so you may want to do these together if Conciergerie interests you.
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:43 AM
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If you want to have more time to visit and not lost time in waiting...the first day, go to a FNAC store(one on Champs Elysees, one in the forum des halles and one rue de Rennes not far from Gare Montparnasse) and you buy :
1°) an all day pass for the Ingres exposition at the Louvre : direct entry by the Hall Richelieu and allows entry to both Ingres exposition and museum...
2°) an entry to the Cezanne/Pissaro exposition to D'Orsay, with an exact schedule : direct entry on the right when you are in front of the museum.
Allows also entry to the expostion and to the museum...So, no queue...
The ticketing booth in FNAC stores are generally at the entry of the store.
It's OK if you are in Paris before the 15th. of June because those expositions will not run after...I don't know the others expositions in those museums which allow such entry...
Erik
1°) an all day pass for the Ingres exposition at the Louvre : direct entry by the Hall Richelieu and allows entry to both Ingres exposition and museum...
2°) an entry to the Cezanne/Pissaro exposition to D'Orsay, with an exact schedule : direct entry on the right when you are in front of the museum.
Allows also entry to the expostion and to the museum...So, no queue...
The ticketing booth in FNAC stores are generally at the entry of the store.
It's OK if you are in Paris before the 15th. of June because those expositions will not run after...I don't know the others expositions in those museums which allow such entry...
Erik
Apr 27th, 2006, 08:43 AM
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If you want to have more time to visit and not lost time in waiting...the first day, go to a FNAC store(one on Champs Elysees, one in the forum des halles and one rue de Rennes not far from Gare Montparnasse) and you buy :
1°) an all day pass for the Ingres exposition at the Louvre : direct entry by the Hall Richelieu and allows entry to both Ingres exposition and museum...
2°) an entry to the Cezanne/Pissaro exposition to D'Orsay, with an exact schedule : direct entry on the right when you are in front of the museum.
Allows also entry to the expostion and to the museum...So, no queue...
The ticketing booth in FNAC stores are generally at the entry of the store.
It's OK if you are in Paris before the 15th. of June because those expositions will not run after...I don't know the others expositions in those museums which allow such entry...
Erik
1°) an all day pass for the Ingres exposition at the Louvre : direct entry by the Hall Richelieu and allows entry to both Ingres exposition and museum...
2°) an entry to the Cezanne/Pissaro exposition to D'Orsay, with an exact schedule : direct entry on the right when you are in front of the museum.
Allows also entry to the expostion and to the museum...So, no queue...
The ticketing booth in FNAC stores are generally at the entry of the store.
It's OK if you are in Paris before the 15th. of June because those expositions will not run after...I don't know the others expositions in those museums which allow such entry...
Erik
Apr 27th, 2006, 06:22 PM
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Thank you, everybody. I do intend to review my itinerary. Anyway, I was advised to buy a three day pass for Paris museums to AVOID standing in lines, and supposedly it is also good for Versailles. As to Versailles, Saturday is the only day when garden fountains are supposed to be shooting up, so I am told (???)My husband loves formal gardens, and there is no way I would skip it.
As to Murphy's comment, you are right and making me feel a bit guilty
I would not mind spending a few days just for Louvre. But, after long and hectic days in Rome where we spent lots of time in The Vatican Museums as well as Gardens (a wonderful tour, by the way), I promised NOT to overdo it.
Hence, I am being very selective.
Thank you all.
Any more suggestions are more than welcome.
Agens
As to Murphy's comment, you are right and making me feel a bit guilty
I would not mind spending a few days just for Louvre. But, after long and hectic days in Rome where we spent lots of time in The Vatican Museums as well as Gardens (a wonderful tour, by the way), I promised NOT to overdo it.
Hence, I am being very selective.
Thank you all.
Any more suggestions are more than welcome.
Agens
Apr 27th, 2006, 09:21 PM
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This may not be helpful as it is not a direct comment on your itinerary,
but I absolutely adored the Rodin museum (outside, very relaxing) and the Pompidou Center. I'm so sad those aren't in your itinerary. They were literally 2 of my fav things in Paris, along with Pere Lachaise cemetary.
but I absolutely adored the Rodin museum (outside, very relaxing) and the Pompidou Center. I'm so sad those aren't in your itinerary. They were literally 2 of my fav things in Paris, along with Pere Lachaise cemetary.
