cataz

I'm planning a trip to Paris for 2 days in February, I made this Itinerary:

Arriving saturday night

Day 1(sunday):

Arc de Triomphe (just from the outside)
Climb the Eiffel Tower
Grand Palais and Petit Palais (just from the outside)
Lunch
Louvre ( 2 hours)
Opera Garnier (just from the outside)
Tour of Montmatre starting at 18:00

Day 2(monday):

Notre Dame
Sainte Chapelle
Pantheon ( I don't know if just from the outside)
Lunch
A walk through Jardin du Luxembourg
Seine river cruise
Go back to pick my bag, my train departs at 21:15

What do you think of that? would you change anything?. Also, I'm buying my tickets for the atractions online so I could avoid some queues, even when I have heard that the queues are not so long in February.

denisea

Enter The Louvre from the Carousel mall entrance on rue Rivoli to avoid lines there.

Get to Ste Chapelle early for a shorter security queue. Fir most museums, there will still be a line to get through security...but they aren't usually too bad.

Opera Garnier is gorgeous, but I am not sure its worth going there just to see the outside. Your day is going to be full. Same for the Pantheon. I would climb the towers at Notre Dame, if the line isn't too bad, instead of going to see the outside of the Pantheon. Or I might stroll Isle St louis, instead. Great little places for lunch and I would stop into Berthillon for ice cream (even in Feb)!

adrienne

<< I would climb the towers at Notre Dame, if the line isn't too bad, instead of going to see the outside of the Pantheon >>

The Pantheon is 2 short blocks from a Luxembourg Gardens entrance and viewing it will only take an additional 5 minutes. It will take a lot longer to climb to the top of Notre Dame.

If you go to see the Pantheon you should take a few more minutes to see St-Etienne-du-Mont church with its beautiful rood screen. And then take a few more minutes to stop in Dalloyau to buy pastries (notably lemon tarts) to take into the gardens.

<< I'm buying my tickets for the atractions online so I could avoid some queues >>

Buying tickets ahead for Ste-Chapelle will not allow you to avoid the security line. I've never seen a line for the chapel, only for security.

oliolin

For ste chapelle either arrive early (before opening) to have a shorter line, or visit the adjoining conciergerie as well on a joint ticket - then you can avoid the line with that ticket. I remember being in the security line and getting frustrated at the people who were smarter than me and did that, bypassing us all.
The conciergerie itself is well worth a visit and has great displays about the french revolution and its own use as the main prison during that time.

For ice cream, Amorino (one of their locations is on ile st. louis) beats Berthillon in my opinion, and has much shorter lines - although the latter is probably a smaller problem in February weather.

A bit north of luxembourg gardens you can try some of Paris' best patisseries - Gérard Mulot, Pierre Herme, and Aoki chocolates to name a few outstanding ones.

Make sure to visit the sacre coeur on your montmartre tour

palette5

If you don't have time to see the inside of the Opera, I would omit it, esp since it is not in the same general area of St. Chappelle and Notre Dame. Do you really mean to climb the Eiffel Tower or use the elevator? Keep in mind that the lines will be long there. Are you walking thru the Tuileries to get to the Louvre?

cataz

Thanks for the advice, I love ice cream even in winter, so I'll definitely get one. I think I'll use the elavator at the Eiffel Tower, I'm buying my tickets online so I could avoid the long lines there, and yes I'm thinking walking thru the Tuileries to get to the Louvre.

TPAYT

I'll also put a vote in for Amorino on Ile St. Louis(and other locations) over Berthillon--just my personal choice.

We stay in the area of Notre Dame and have seen the extrememly long lines on a daily basis to climb to the top. Now in Feb. this may not be an issue but I'd get there first thing in the morning (9am or so)

I also agree about the Opera House--absolutely stunning inside, but I'd skip it just to view the outside, it's a very busy part of the city.

I'd do the Seine cruise from the Eiffel Tower then lunch, then the Grand & Petit Palaces, walk thru the Tuilleries to the Louve(if it's not too cold) and skip the Opera house.

The next day I'd see Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Isle St. Louis lunch, skip the Pantheon for just the outside, walk around the pedestrian streets of the left bank along with the Lux. Gardens. If it's too cold I'd go to D'Orsay(personally we like it better than the Louvre.)

Whatever you decide, enjoy your time in Paris.

denisea

I do realize it won't take long to see the outside of the Pantheon, but it's just not that interesting. Yes, it will take longer to climb ND but the view is worth it and the gargoyles up close are also worth it. It's always a matter of preference but I would always recommend actually going somewhere and doing something over just passing by a monument.

I agree with the above post regarding D'Orsay...I definitely prefer it to the Louvre.

Christina

It will take a lot longer than 5 minutes to view the Pantheon if you aren't there and are making a special trip to go there. I don't see the point of that, the outside of the building isn't what makes the Pantheon interesting (at least to me). But if that is really important to you, to see its outside, go ahead. I wouldn't.

However, if you are heading that way anyway to see Luxembourg gardens, then it really doesn't matter and isn't really even an item on an itinerary that much, just passing by a building.

The Opera Garnier is of more interest from the outside, definitely. One usually sees that sometime during a trip to Paris without having to make a special trip, though, but it would make more sense to spend time seeing the outside of that building than the Pantheon.

I think your days are basically fine. I don't understand the order of day 1, it would make more sense to me to start at the Eiffel Tower, then cross the river to the Arc and walk down Champs-Elysees, seeing the two Palais on that walk to the Louvre. You don't have much time and it seems like you are wasting a little by that order.

cataz

Thanks, yes I think you're right I will start at the Eiffel tower,then Arc de Triomphe and walk down Champs- Elysees. I'm only considering Opera because I want to stop in that area for a coffe in my way to Blanche ( where my tour of Montmatre starts) I guess I just forgot to say it.

denisea

The Opera is gorgeous, no question. It is one of the most beautiful bldgs in Paris.