trippster

We are staying in the 7th er. This is my plan for 4 days in Paris. We will be arriving mid-morning from Venice and these will be the last four days of our vacation.

Pls comment on it. I want to make it light with lots of time to just feel the "atmosphere"

Day 1 – Champ de Mars, Rue Cler, Hotel des Invalides, Eiffel Tower, Musee Rodin (if possible)

Day 2 – Montmarte, Sacre Coeur, Boat ride in the evening(?), Walk along the bridges

Day 3 - Louvre, Arc du Triomphe, Champs Elysee, Grand Palais, Opera from outside (if possible)

Day 4 – Orsay, Notre Dame, Bastille / Luxemborg, Pantheon (if possible) Picasso Museum (if possible), department store La Samarataine (for the famed view .. which we missed out on in our last visit to Paris), Eiffel again from outside

While we love museums and art, I dont want it to be only that. Hence plan to only visit Louvre and Orsay as definite-dos and leave Rodin and Picasso to if-possibles.

Would love to hear any comments on this.
Trippster

mamc

I reread your itinerary to be sure I hadn't missed something but I notice you do not include Ste. Chapelle. You should try to fit that in for sure. It is the one sight I return to on each visit to Paris. I think you could fit it in on day 2 - it doesn't take long but it is a "must see". I don't think you have left lots of time to just experience Paris.

martas

Be sure to get the museum pass, even if you're only visiting the Louvre and D'Orsay. (I'd do Pompidou if you haven't seen it.) It may not save you money (w/ only 2, it may even cost a little more), but it will save you hours of waiting in line and more time just to savour!

SusanP

Day 4 you are sort of all over the map. And the way you have Bastille/Luxembourg with the slash would indicate to me that you thought they were close together, when they're really not. Although I haven't been to Bastille myself, from what I've read, there's really not much to see.


I might try to go to Orsay first thing in the morning on Day 2 before heading up to Montmartre. Then on Day 4, start with the Samaritaine, then Picasso, then Notre Dame (maybe fit in Ste. Chappelle as well), then the Pantheon & Luxembourg Gardens. It's still a lot to cover, but this route would minimize backtracking. If you must include Bastille, I guess it would go after Picasso and before Notre Dame.
Have a great trip!

brenda_s

This itinerary seems just a bit packed for me. It does not seem "light".

Definatly try to fit in St Chappelle same day as Notre Dame..or try to see an evening (7pm) concert there.

Luxembourg Gardens are a DO NOT MISS...you can spend hours just walking/sitting and relaxing there.
Instead of Bastille I would do Marsais, but gardens and Marsais/Bastille are not that close.

Also...unless you are a huge history buff skip Invalides!

Have fun,
Brenda

AprilinParis

Just got back 2 weeks ago and we are pretty much on the go continously and this sounds pretty ambitious at best. Pick your must do's and see what else you can fit in. Don't miss Ste Chapelle as everyone says. The Orsay also.

Christina

I think it's a very good itinerary, I think you've grouped things well and it's not overly packed. I wondered about the Bastille/Luxembourg thing and thought perhaps that meant one or the other.

This is obviously a matter of opinion, but I sure think the Lux. gardens and Marais and Bastille are close. None of these are probably more than 1/2 mile from the others. I don't know what you meant by Bastille, if it was the opera house (which I do like on the inside and could be of interest to those in performing arts fields or something) or just the general neighborhood area. I think it's just as worth wandering around as many others -- say the area within a few blocks either direction of the place de la Bastille, and perhaps especially the quarter to the NE of the place. It might be of more interest to younger visitors (ie, 20s-30s).

I really like Invalides and wouldn't skip it, but you do have to be interested in history. Not for Napoleon's tomb, which I don't particularly care about, but for the museum there, which is excellent. It makes sense to me as part of that quarter you are visiting on day 1. I think it's more worthwhile than visiting rue Cler, for example, which is just some shops. If you want to visit a market street, I would thing you might just do the rue de Buci in St-Germain instead, as that beneral area is more interesting and one you are probalby going to want to see. YOu could fit that in Day 4 logistically (between the Orsay and ND, etc), but would probably put the Picasso Museum or dept store another time. If you can't fit that in, your day 1 does make sense.

bob_brown

I thought the Picasso Museum to be one of the poorest in Paris. Certainly Ste. Chapelle to me was worth a bundle.

Also, you might want to look at your routing. If you are on Rue Cler, the Rodin Museum and gardens are not far away.

I have yet to figure out why people rave about Rue Cler. Just another Paris street with shops was what I saw.

As for the Louvre, I suggest strongly you know why you are going there. If you do know, the Louvre can consume you. If you don't know why you are there, one of two things can happen

One, you wander around aimlessly, see little of importance, and leave soon after entering wondering what all the hoopla is about.

Two, you just start wandering and end up spending half a day there and still miss the most famous paintings and statues.

About all you see of the Bastille is where it was. I don't know if a single stone remains in its original position, although some of the originals are there. The July Column is very easy to spot and is memorable.

The Opera Bastille is right there, too.

111op

Re Louvre -- I suggest the guided tour (and a little reading before) -- if you've never been and want an overview. It takes 90 minutes.

But I admit that my experiences appear to be better than those of two other regular posters here (I'm thinking yk and elaine -- the three of us did the guided tour within the span of a month, I think).

I blogged about my trip to Paris and the bit about the Louvre tour can be found here:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?J2DA222AA

I also enjoy reading the Telegraph series on museums.

The one on the Louvre is here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...6/etlouvre.xml

According to the Louvre web page, the guided tours are offered at 11, 14, 15:45 (except Tuesdays, Sundays and holidays).

Sundays it looks like there's something at 11:30 (but I don't know if it's in English).

Apparently it looks like there's more detailed info in the summer (June to August) (which I think you can pick up a the welcome desk under the pyramid, as the web page indicates).

Personally I also think that the "Destination Louvre" guide is excellent. It will help you map out a visit to the Louvre.

Have fun in Paris.

trippster

thanks for the comments. mamc, i surely do not plan to miss the chapelle. just forgot to add it in the itnerary. i think i will make it on the day we see notre dame (as suggested by most people here)

we have seen the louvre once before(rambling along in a most haphazard way !) and this time around we are surer of heading to where we want to go
- the paintings and sculptures sections. still plan to look it up properly in a guide book and then choose the wings to visit in louvre.

i am also slightly scared that i have packed too much into the days. so may decide to drop few museums and add more time strolling along the Siene or taking boat cruises.

i was also wondering about whether we would need the museum pass but i think i will go along with what martas has said and take it.

we just got our visas stamped yesterday and we are so excited. now cannot work this last ten days before the vacation

one more question - which are the recommended good / budget vegetarian restuarants in paris? last time we struggled to find vegetarian food in paris. managed 4-5 days only on croissants and crepes and pastries !!! (by the end i was in real danger of outgrowing my clothes!! )

thanks everyone for your comments!

mamc

You will find lots of vegetarian options if you use the search function on this board (enter "vegetarian & Paris" - don't use the quotes). Also, search the Chowhound.com board. One vegetarian restaurant that I am aware of is Le Grenier, located on the left bank across from Notre Dame.

pjsparlor

Maceo on rue des petites champs, has alot of vegetarian choices.Beautiful setting also. Owned by the same people who run Willis wine bar, another cool place.