My wife and I and our 2 teenage sons are arriving in CDG at 6 p.m. on wednesday and flying out at 6 a.m. on friday. We're staying at the airport hilton in the airport. We want to see Notre Dame, a quickie tour of the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Musee Monmartten museum, Eiffel Tower, and I'll take the kids to Touliere gardens while the wife has a good 3 hours shopping. I'm not interested in stop and smell the roses commentary. I want advice about how to do it. Anyone?

See how you like this:

http://tinyurl.com/c2tgo

Hi 1,

You might want to buy one-day hop on/off tickets on the Batobus.

www.batobus.com

The Batobus is not practical for this type of situation.

Eiffel Tout Wed night if you are still standing...re Thursday...RER tpo St Michel..walk through LQ to Notre Dame. either walk or take subway to Louvre (if subway walk up to St Paul Metro). from Louvre- the Tuillerie Gardens..I think both the Orsay and Monmartten are a bit too much...choose one and for this trip I would do the Orsay as so close..evening dinner/ boat ride / walk along Seine as you will have a very early wake up on Friday.. (Your wife as an easy jaunt from the Louvre to Galleries lafayette, Faubourg St Honore ect..)

Not sure what you expect from quickie tour of the Louvre - it is much larger than you are obviously imagining (and I mean square footage not just the volume of treasures housed there). There is a floorplan on the brochure but it is a challenge to interpret and relate to where you are standing once you get into the various multi-level wings. So be prepared for some frustration there, especially if you're tired/jetlagged.

From the Louvre (which is open late on Wednesdays until 9:45pm), you could take a taxi to the Eiffel to save your brain or you could take metro line 1 to Franklin D Roosevelt, change to metro line 9 to Trocadero, hop out and see the Eiffel from the 'postcard' view. Cross the bridge if you plan to ascend the tower.

Thursday, I'd start at Notre Dame, then Musee d'Orsay, then the Tuileries/shopping break. If you still have time and energy, you might go out to Marmottan but it is well west of central Paris.

www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm
On the Louvre's website, they have a tour of the "highpoints". It gives detailed directions as to how to see the top 12 objects of art in the Museum. It suggests that it only takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete.

..re the louvre..I actually never visit more than 1 gallery at a time..otherwise cultural overload..I was there a week and a half ago and spent close to 3 hours at the Ingres Exhibition so I am slow ..BUT don't spoiol the Louvre by trying to do too much!

Hi AnthonyGA
>The Batobus is not practical for this type of situation.<

Would you mind explaining why not?

On our first trip "through" Paris, we didn't have too much more time than you will have. We saw Notre Dame, very quick tour of the Louvre, a couple of hours at D"Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, a bus tour of the main sites - and also went up to Montmartre. We did arrive earlier in the day, so we had an extra afternoon. We loved everything and knew we would return some day for more. (We have returned twice.) The 2nd trip we took the English tour of the Louvre which lasted about 1-1/2 hours and was great for seeing all the best known works of art. You need a reservation for this, but I would recommend this tour because it is so hard to find anything in such a huge place. Also, the tour bus would be a great help. You can cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time. I do think that three museums in one day might be too much! Also, you will have the added time of getting back and forth to the airport hotel on both Wednesday night and Thursday. Good luck and have a wonderful trip!

Thank you all - that was full of great info. My wife and I spent a week in Paris on our honeymoon 16+ years ago, so we can handle a readers digest recap. We love the idea of the 1 1/2 hour Louvre tour b/c we want the kids to see the Mona Lisa and all before they get bored. With the Louvre open late on wednesday, we could get that and the Eiffel tower in on the first night and then casually do the rest on thursday (via bus/foot/rail). Jet lag won't be an issue b/c we'll be in London for the five days prior and the dizzying pace won't be a problem b/c we'll be chilling the next ten days in a chateau in Provence. So, again, thank you Fodors community for your invaluable help.

ScottChris,

Thanks for that Louvre site.. Fantastic - a friend and I are going in April - and you've showed me a wonderful idea of what can be seen at the Louvre besides the Mona Lisa

The Batobus is not useful because it stops at only a few spots on the river. The Métro serves the same spots and many more, from everywhere in the city, not just the river. The Batobus appeals mostly to tourists.

It's possible to do the Louvre in under an hour if all you want is the "greatest hits": Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. Most of that time is spent walking from one place to another. And don't expect to take pictures, now that the Louvre has outlawed them.

Hi blh,

How far in advance and how did you make your reservation for the English 1.5 hr tour at the Louvre?

Thanks,
Dina

Hi A,

>The Batobus appeals mostly to tourists.

Wasn't that the point?