montyesther

Couple+2 teen girls from Toronto will be in Paris from Aug 24 to 27. We already booked our room at Crowne Plaza Republique (hope it's the right choice). We need your advice with our itinerary:

Wed - Aug 24
- Arrive at noon from London (Eurostar)
- Transportation to hotel please?
- Eiffel Tower

Thurs - Aug 25
- Notre Dame Towers
- St. Chappelle
- Versailles fountain show at night

Fri - Aug 26
- Montmartre
- Lovre
- Nighttime cruise of the Seine

Sat - Aug 27
- Our flight to Toronto at 2.00 pm
- Anything we can do in the morning?

Appreciate any advices. Anything I miss that my teen girls will like?
This is not our first time in Paris but it's for them so they are so excited.
Many thanks.

denisea

I would grab a cab with 4 people to your hotel.
Not sure if the order you list above is the order for the day, but I would go to The Louvre first thing, for shorter lines and enter through the underground mall on rue de Rivoli.

Same with Notre Dame Towers, go early for a shorter wait time, as the Paris Museum Pass doesn't allow you any shorter line there, as it does in other places. Not going to Ste Chapelle first thing will also probably net you a longer line at security there.

Not sure that there is much time on Saturday for site seeing when you need to be at CDG around 11am for your flight. Relax with a pain au chocolat at a cafe.

greenerpastures

Have you been to Deyrolles the Taxidermy shop? I found it extremely interesting. Its quite central and I'm sure your teenage girls will like it. Just be aware it is shop and not a museum, no photo's allowed and act accordingly. The main display of animals for sale are upstairs. From what I recall you can purchased a polar bear for 36000 euros. It would probably fill in your morning on the last day if it is of interest to you(half hour max to see plus travel)

link below

http://www.pbase.com/al309/paris1

Scootoir

Unfortunately I think the evening fountain shows at Versailles only take place on Saturdays. http://www.chateauversaillesspectacl...acle.php?spe=9

montyesther

greenerpasture - thanks, i will put in in my sat morning schedule. i have to check haw far it is from hotel.
we are still not sure about the transportation to go around the city yet.

scootoir - thank you for the info. unfortunately i won't be able to read the website, it's not in english.

any thing else to do that fit our itinerary?

Michel_Paris

For getting around Paris, get a carnet. This is a book of 10 tickets to use on Metro. Metro is the best way, after walking to get around.


And...you cannot go to Versialles and go to CDG on Saturday.
Your Saturday is going to be breakfast, smidge of time to look around, then off to airport.

While I like the concept of going to Versailles, you have so little time in Paris. But...if you must go, I assume it is for more than just the fountains. Easiest and cheapest way to get there is using RER train.

And...you cannot go to Versialles and go to CDG on Saturday.

I personally might rework things, to add more time walking around Paris..for example, I might think twice about visiting Louvre, or going to Montmartre (do you mean Montmartre...or Sacre Coeur?). Museums are fine, it is just that you have such a short time and you (possibly) are already leaving the city to go to Versailles.

Paris can easily fill all of your time.

Michel_Paris

(Poor editing above )
To get to hotel, from Gare du Nord you could take Metro from there to Republique. Line 5, three stops.

Add Ile St Louis to Notre dame day.

montyesther

michel_paris, thank you.
people said that we can't visit paris without going to Louvre. we are not big fans of musuem either but the girls said they really want to see louver even though not for long hours.

we may tray to see both montmartre and sacre coeur if possible,
but we are planning to go into detail - just grab the main highlight and take picture.

Michel_Paris

The Louvre is MASSIVE. If you are going, plan precisely. What do the kids want to see?

Nearby..the Tuileries Gardens are nice, views from Place de la Concorde with Champs Elysee, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe is worth a picture. Palais Royal is a nice park nearby for a break. Rue de Rivoli is a place to get souvenirs. Also on the Rue is Angelinas for desert and ultra-rich hot chocolate.

The Montmartrobus is a shuttle train that loops around Montmartre. It might be easiest way to get around. Apart from the view at Sacre Coeur, I would not place area near top for first time visit.

http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_28131/montmartrobus/

For Seine cruise (after dark!) consider Vedettes du Pont Neuf, It is an easy walk from Notre Dame, so maybe group them together. Dinner, walk over.

You can get Eiffel tickets on-line

Ryan

I might combine the D'Orsay with the Louvre. For what it's worth, I think most people go to the Louvre for the Mona Lisa and Venus De Milo. However, even with construction and exhibits limited to two levels The D'Orsay has a collection that is more of interest to most. I would walk through the Tuileries and take the footbridge between the two.

A much more scenic walk would be through the Tuileries to the Place de la Concorde to look up the Champs Elysee. Then cross over to the Left Bank near the Assemblee Nationale.


Given you're looking for something to do on the morning of your last day, perhaps that would be a good time to visit the D'Orsay. If you prebuy tickets you can avoid the longer line. With the construction and viewing limited to two levels, it will probably take less than two hours if you don't require the self-guided tour.

BTW, one of the longest lines we saw consistently in Paris last month was at the Abercrombie & Fitch store on the Champs Elysee, near The Grand Palais. As you're with two teens, perhaps that is of interest to them.

montyesther

Thank you for all the input. Do you mind to group them together for us by the dates that we are in Paris. Hope I don't ask you too much. I gave my original itinerary on my first note but it may not work now as per your suggestions. I welcome to your suggestion. You are right, the girls want to see Mona Lisa, Venus De Milo and just few other thing that are most famous there.

Appreciate if you could give us an idea, which place that we need to purchase the ticket in advance? Louvre, Seine crusie, or Notre Dame may be? We are not thinking to go up to Eiffel as we have been there before and the girls are not interested.

We are interested to find must-eat food in Paris. So any tips are welcome. Many thanks.

Ryan

I would suggest that you purchase tickets ahead of time for any of the museums.

The queue for the Louvre just to get in and purchase tickets looked to be at least 30 minutes on our recent visit. We had tickets in hand and were on our way into the exhibit within 10 minutes of arrival.

Michel_Paris

Go to Louvre fist thing in morning. It is also open late on Wednesays and Friday...that might work better for you.

It seem that if you enter via the Metro entrance, the lines are less busy (versus the pyramid). The outside of the building and area is nice, so that will be good. But once inside, it can get confusing. Have a good map, there are also guides like "60 minutes in the Louvre" that would be of use,

You can buy online: Louvre tickets, a discount stub for Vedettes, tickets for Eiffel.

Have a look at a guide for Paris, to see a map of what tourist sites are located where, to help to see the "geography" of your days.

the Louvre and area could fill a day, Notre Dame and area another. then you have one evening, and one (short) morning.

Around your hotel there is not a lot to see. for eating, around the Eiffel tower there are some good choices. I liked Bistrot du 7ieme, and Chez Francis is one with a nice view of tower. For Notre Dame area, there are some nice restaurants on Ile St Louis (Brasserie de L'ile for lunch, Tastevin, Ilot Vache for dinner. There is a good selection of restaurants on the main street of the island...and don;t forget Barthillon ice cream shop. Also, if you go to the Left Bank, just across from Notre Dame and start walking east (awway from Eiffel tower direction) there are quite a few restaurants on the street along the Seine. Montebello is one I tried, and I enjoyed chicken and garlic mash at Rotisserie du Beaujolais.

Food will not be an issue.

Ryan

They are certainly touristy, but both Cafe Des Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore are Paris institutions. Filled with tourists but also plenty of locals still patronize these two Blvd St. Germain locations.

Michel_Paris

Cafe Bonaparte is a couple of buildings away from Cafe de Flore and is another alternative.

That area has quite a few restaurants

A walk on Rue de L'Ancienne Comedie and Rue Buci area would be a nice idea also.

Christina

FYI the Versailles website does have an English section, as does that above link. All you have to do is click on English at the bottom of the page, left.

cheryllj

"people said that we can't visit paris without going to Louvre"

You most certainly CAN visit Paris without going to the Louvre. I just spent six days in Paris without stepping foot into the Louvre, so it certainly can be done.

The Louvre is huge, and takes time. You only have two full days, and considering that you are not museum fans, I would skip it on this trip. There are many smaller museums that might interest you more. Or - gasp! - you might not visit any museum at all. Paris has lots of other things to see.

greenerpastures

Just be aware Deyrolles is not open till 10:00am on a saturday, as per the website

Cette année Deyrolle restera ouvert tout le mois d’août ! Du lundi au samedi de 10h à 13h et de 14h à 19H.

Deyrolle this year will remain open throughout the month of August! Monday to Saturday from 10h to 13h and from 14h to 19h.

link

http://www.deyrolle.com/magazine/

Either way, you can easily fit it in on another day I'm sure!

I agree with cheryllj, the louvre is huge and unless you have a set plan you can wander around aimlessly to an extent, and there are so many other things to do/see while in Paris.
My first visit to Paris was for 5 days and I skipped the louvre for that very reason.

Scootoir

montyesther, I read very little French and speak even less. Google will translate webpages so is very handy for trip planning.

Since you won't be jetlagged the Louvre on your first night might be a good idea. You can see the Pyramid, grab a snack and see the works you are most interested in.

Don't mean to be rude but when I was a teenage girl I would have been horrified viewing taxidermy. Perhaps wandering around a lovely Paris street and stopping in a cafe or shopping would appeal to teen girls a little more.

greenerpastures

Horrified by viewing stuffed animals on show, the same as the ones you see when you take your kids to the museum??? or are you thinking of something else?