JackGlasser

Arrive to Paris by train next Saturday early afternoon. Wife wants to do some hop on hop off--ok. But what days/times best for Louvre; Verssailes; Notre Dame and vicinty. Have something for Thursdays AM and early afternoon as well as leaving, Thursday and Friday not part of the calculation. Thank you I bet it does not matter much--crowded all the time!

Bianca_P

Early morning/the moment they open is best in all cases (although you do not say which time of year you are going; if you are going in a less touristy season this may not matter so much).

isabel

Agree that first thing is usually best, but an awful lot of people know that now so it's not as much of an edge as it used to be. For the Louvre use the downstairs entrance which you can get to from the Louvre metro stop or the entrance on Rue du Rivoli. Much shorter line (usually) than from the courtyard out side the pyramid. There is also a stairway on the far corner of the courtyard (near the arch) that goes downstairs.

For Notre Dame it doesn't matter that much unless you want to go up in the tower, there is often a line for that, but not usually for the main part of the church itself.

Rastaguytoday

If you want to go to Versailles, go before they open, and walk the grounds behind the palace. You will have the place almost to yourself. You can walk out to Marie A's fake farm, come back, and peek inside the Petit and Grand Trainons.

Come back to the palace just as it opens. Make sure you book to go down the hall of mirrors.
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If you go early enough, you can go into the Notre Dame. It's free. Then across the street to St. Chappelle.

Take a stroll along the Seine to Musee D'Orsey. If you have an advance ticket, you can just walk in. I always take the elevator to the top and make my way around and down. 90% of the people start at the bottom, so you will be going counter to most traffic. Check out the Van Gogh's and Whistler's Mother, among other great paintings. Scupltures are though out the museum.

annhig

Jack - you already have a thread open dealing with just these questions.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-on-sunday.cfm

really it's not a good idea to have multiple threads about the same things.

I'm still confused about when you are arriving and leaving.

JackGlasser

next weekend arriving. Thank you

Christina

I agree that for most museums, getting there when it opens works best. A lot of people don't seem to get around to going to them until late morning or the afternoon, then it is the peak. And if they are opening in the evening, that is less crowded also (I know Louvre is one day, Wed or Thursday).

Have no particular advice re Notre Dame except there would be masses in the mornings so I wouldn't go then. You can check their mass schedule to see about that.

annhig

louvre opening hours here:

http://www.louvre.fr/en/hours-admission

[closed Tuesdays, late night opening Wednesday and Friday]

musee d'orsay here:

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visit/o...ing-hours.html

[closed mondays, late night opening Thursdays]

places where you should try to arrive early include the major museums [unless you are going to their late nights], St. Chappelle, and Notre Dame.

I don't understand why you can't see st. Germain on a day other than Sunday as you have nothing specific planned for any day other than thursday.

if you want to see the fountains at Versailles [and why wouldn't you?] your only choice is to go there on the Sunday:

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/prepa...ndes-eaux-1-en

I think that i would do something like this:

Sat - arrive. walking tour around Notre Dame and the iles de la cite and st louis - try to be walking along the seine after dark so as to catch the light show on the eiffel tower.

Sun -Versailles - book on line.

Mon - Notre Dame, St Chappelle, the Louvre followed by trip up to Sacre Cour/Monmartre.

Tues - Musee D'Orsay and St. germain, possibly les Invalides and /or musee Rodin.

Wednesday - the opera, the grand boulevards, anything else that takes your fancy; shopping

Thursday - the Marais. leave for Bruges in the pm.

JackGlasser

sounds like a good plan

JackGlasser

On Versailles: I have museum pass but if I go next Sunday: how to I purchase tickets for Gardens show and english language tour with minimizing lines--which sites do I go to minimize the waits on the lines

annhig

jack - look at the link I posted above to the Versailles site.

I'm afraid i can't help with whether you can purchase an add on for the fountains or for joining a tour as opposed to just wandering around by yourself with a guide book which is what we usually do.