3 Days in Paris in Oct - Need help with Itinerary!!
 

Help! My sister and I are taking my parents to Europe for their 40th wedding anniversary. First time in Europe for all of us. We are flying into London and then taking the Eurostar to Paris for three days. We are staying near the Eiffel Tower at the Hotel La Bourdonnais. We want to see the major sights plus experience the real Paris (pretty streets, cafes, markets). Any ideas?

Get a Paris Access Guide and plan to spend all three days in Paris--actually you could add a lot more time to that if this is your first trip. You will be charmed by the city, but take it slowly because it's not easy the first time. Enjoy! <BR>

I think it' safe to assume that a couple celebrating their 40th anniversary would not be thrilled hiking all over Paris in an attempt to "see it all". Here's a couple of places for them to relax, catch their wind and revel in the delights of Paris: Hotel Biron (the Rodin Museum) with its mansion, gardens and garden cafe; Parc du Butte Chaumont in the 19th arrondisement to get away from it all and get a panoramic view of Montmartre; Place des Vosges, a lovely spot in the Marais; Samarataine, the department store with a restaurant offering spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower, Seine and its surrounds.

The Bourdonnais is in a terrific location for a three day visit. Also recommend Musee Rodin which will be in walking distance. Not to be missed is Musee d'Orsay. You may wish to consider three-day museum passes which preclude you from having to wait in line to purchase tickets at each sight. Also fabulous are Sainte-Chappelle, L'Orangerie and Musee Carnavalet. With only three days, you may want to get yourself a map of Paris and highlight the places you most wish to see and then plan your agenda. A fabulous place to start is "Paristoric", a multimedia presentation which is shown on the hour 9-8 daily at 11bis rue Scribe (around the corner from Opera Garnier). Having seen this, you'll know what most appeals to you for seeing up close and what you don't want to miss. Your hotel is just around the corner from the fabulous rue Cler area - full of markets, shops, cafes and wonderful reasonably priced restaurants. From the hotel, take a right up the avenue and go right on rue Saint Dominique - quintessential Paris. The view from La Samaritaine is not to be missed! Go to Magazin II (Store #2), take the elevator to the ninth floor, look to the left for a door with a staircase. At the top of the stairs, you'll be at the rooftop cafe (actually more of a snack bar). There's another stairway that takes you all the way to a top for a panoramic view of Paris. Awesome! You'll also be within walking distance of the Tour Eiffel. Best to ride all the way to the top just before dusk and stay until the lights have been turned on all over. Spectacular! I, personally, would recommend skipping the Montmartre area. We were disappointed with the view and the area is not the best (actually, we couldn't wait to get out of there). Be sure to read up on pickpocket precautions.

<BR>The trick to Paris is to slow down to a French pace. Stay up late and sleep in. Have a glass of wine with lunch. Three days is preciously short. The Rodin museum is a wonderful idea. The Musee d'Orsay is a must and has a wonderful cafe. See the expressionists/impressionists on the top floor in the a.m., eat lunch, then relax across the river in the Tulerie (sp) Garden. Then hit the Louvre for some highlights. I wouldn't necessarily go up in the Eifel if time was a problem. Lots of line time there. Cafe's are ubiquitous -- sit outside. Some great little cafe's have Moules and frittes, mussels and french fries. Have them Belgian-style. <BR>Crepes from a small shop or street-vendor are fun late at night. For goodness' sake shop some. My wife has a great time doing that. Pretend you are French and smile a lot. <BR>

I agree with the recommendations regarding the Rodin and the Musee D'Orsay. But I want to call special attention to one attraction. Take your parents to Sainte Chappelle on a sunny day. Do the lower chapel first and take them up the spiral staircase to the upper chapel. It takes your breath away.

We wore ourselves out on our week long honeymoon in Paris trying to do too much. We went back a year later with a different approach: we would plan one or two things a day then wander for the remainder of the day. I would suggest a museum and one other place a day on your itinerary. A walk down the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre with a stop for lunch at a cafe or in the Tuileries is a must. Walks through the Marais and the Latin Quartier are also good to find the true Parisian spirit tourists are always looking for. We went to Notre Dame both times. The Ile St. Louis (the small island directly behind Ile de la Cite where Notre Dame sits) is charming (one of our hotels was there). We also enjoyed a city tour on the first day of our first trip which helped orient us to the city. A bateaux-mouche ride is another good way to see a lot while relaxing. Find a bakery in the mornings and pick-up some fresh croissants and pain au chocolat for a to die for breakfast and snack later in the day. Montmartre has Sacre Coeur and great views of the city. I wouldn't have missed the Eiffel Tower for anything, but I enjoy standing under it more than riding to the top. No matter what you do, you will fall in love with Paris and want to go back again and again. Bon Voyage!

Thank you for providing the Forum. I have relied on your guidebooks for travel these 25 years - still, hearing from other travellers, who I can recognize as being like myself, means so much!

Thanks for all the super suggestions!