sglw

We are surprising our 11 year old with a 3 day trip to Paris, we are flying into Munich and 2 hours later we are flying to Paris (when I say last minute surprise I mean it.) So, we have 2 full days for Paris and the third day will be Disney. I know we can't see everything, but besides the Eiffel tower, Arch the triumph, The Champs, and maybe rue cler. Anything else we should do to expose her to the amazedness of Paris?
Any suggestions will be welcome.

PS/ After Paris we are going to Munich for 6 days for Christmas market madness, so if y'all have any suggestion they will be so welcome

mjs

Why 6 days in Munich and three in Paris? Much more to do in Paris than in Munich. You planning on spending days at the Christmas market?

Aramis

<Why 6 days in Munich and three in Paris?>

Because they want to.

travelhorizons

Why go to Paris and spend 1/3 of your time on Disney? It's expensive, and it's American culture exported to France. You can do all the same things in Florida or California.

The Champs Elysees is just a wide street with brand-name stores, and the arch is ... an arch. You see it ... you've seen it.

What would she enjoy? Art? History? Museums? The Louvre? Notre Dame? Musee d'Orsay? the Cluny? the Branly? the Pompidou? Napoleon's Tomb? Montmartre? Versailles? Shopping?

There's a "backstage at the Eiffel Tower" attraction that takes you underground and shows you the machinery that operates the elevator. That was fascinating.

I'd do a sightseeing cruise on the Seine the first day - it will show her a lot of things that the city has to offer, and see what she seems to be interested in...

Here's a blog post about a walking tour of Paris you can take your first day: http://tinyurl.com/ck2eolw

nytraveler

I would reverse you number of days - and do 6 in Paris which has hundreds of wonderful sights - and 3 in Munich.

And I fear you have bought into the Rick Steeves Kool Aid.

The Rue Cler is a market - nothing but a market - and not a lot to see/do in winter.

Things you should NOT miss:

Nore Dame
Ste Chapelle
All of the Ile St Louis
Louvre
Musee D;Orsay
Musee de Cluny
Invalides (Napoleans Tomb)
Musee Rodin
Center Pompidou
Batou Mouche cruise on the Seine
Monmartre
Sitting in a cafe at a busy intersection and watching the world go buy (many have outdoor heaters)

Day trip to Versailles

Before heading to Disney I would check out their opening hours and attractions - I have not heard anything good about this place

Before

mamcalice

I absolutely agree that you should reverse your itinerary - six days in Paris and three in Munich.

And, if you spend only 3 days in Paris, skip Eurodisney. There is enough to do in Paris that you will never do and see it all in even 6 days.
NYtraveler has a good list of things to do. Skip Rue Cler, and spend very little time on the Champs - a beautiful boulevard but doesn't take a lot of time to see it.

Have a great trip.

sglw

Thanks!
Disney is sort of our thing, last time we went to Hong Kong we went to HK Disney and we enjoyed seeing how the culture of the country changes the experience. I didn't see kids in Disney Hong Kong eating churros.... they were eating fried fish balls and octopus.
We love Munich a lot and that is where originally we were going to spend all of our vacation, but taking 3 days to see Paris was what we decided to do.
Travelhorizons, I like the idea of the backstage tour at the Eiffel tower, how do we procure tickets? can we do it online?
I don't think my kid (and I know my child) would not me truly excited about museums at least not this time.
nytraveler, thanks for your suggestions, I see a few we will take. (I take advice from a bunch of sources, in my last trip to Hong Kong and Germany most of my itinerary came from people's trips reports from here. Also, I like Rick Steves for the longest time before we were able to travel, his shows filled my hunger for traveling)

IdyllicItaly

She might enjoy climbing the interior steps of Notre Dame to the parapet at the base of the towers http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/spip.php?article477

You are face-to-face with the gargoyles and you have great views of the city. Then, I would recommend visiting the Ile St. Louis for its very attractive pedestrian main street with beautiful food shops and gift shops with very attractive window displays, Berthillon ice cream, restaurants, and cafes: http://www.designdestinations.org/20...ecca-in-paris/

There will be an ice skating rink set up in front of the Hotel de Ville (which is close by), although it may not be open when you are there. It's scheduled to open about a week before Christmas: http://goparis.about.com/od/christma...s-In-Paris.htm They likely will have holiday decorations up, though.

You all might like using the Batobushttp://www.batobus.com/english/index.htm The multiple day passes are very good value and you can use it like a hop-on hop-off bus.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower at night, especially when emerging from the Alma Marceau Metro station and seeing it across the river is a stunning sight, especially when the lights start flashing, as they do every hour.

Have a wonderful time!

Aramis

Wow - you are just not listening to all the great suggestions to take other people's vacations sglw!

Is there anything else anyone can do to make you see the error of your personal desires?

Gretchen

I do sort of have to ask what is going to make the child happy for 6 days in Munich, as opposed to Paris. But the Champs is as described--a big wide avenue with auto dealerships, big name stores on the far sides. It is maybe the most uninteresting part of Paris.
Rue Cler IS a fun market street, Rick Steves aside, and Parisians actually also go there. There are other equally interesting market streets.
I wonder if there are puppet shows, particularly at the holiday season.
As far as museums are concerned, I think parents often sell their children short on what will interest them--or just use it to reflect their own disdain for museums.
I will say that on the Ile St. Louis there is an amazing marionette store that is a treat just to look in the window. It is on the main street about 3-4 blocks from the bridge, on the right. There is also a very nice toy store on the left before you get to the other store.
I would think the boat ride on the Seine in the late afternoon as the lights are beginning to come up, and then the Eiffel Tower lighted would be good for all.
Visiting a street market and seeing all the displays set up--not Rue cler, which is a street of permanent shops.
Just the beauty of the pastry shops.
Where will you be coming from?

mamcalice

Aramis - the OP asked for suggestions. Those of us who have traveled to Paris and Munich gave the OP suggestions. Why do you insist on criticising those who are trying to be helpful simply because you don't agree instead of perhaps making some suggestions of your own?

I really don't care how the OP divides the time and hope the family has a lovely trip - merely making a suggestion.

StCirq

Aramis doesn't come here to offer people suggestions on their trips. S/he simply comes here to criticize the suggestions helpful people make.

sglw, I do think your priorities are skewed. Of the four things you mention wanting to see in Paris, only one - the Tour Eiffel - is probably worthy of a 2-day stay. The Champs Elysées is a big, sterile avenue. The Arc de Triomphe is of historical merit, of course, but otherwise, apart from getting to the top and watching the traffic circling below, not much of a draw. The rue Cler, while of some merit as a shopping venue, isn't any more interesting than any number of markets in Paris, and isn't a market to begin with. Disney is small and doesn't offer anything in the way of Parisian culture.

nytraveler has given you a good list of things that merit visiting while in Paris.

I would at least consider dividing your time up equally between Paris and Munich.