Well, I'm starting to plan the Paris portion of our trip and comments here are very helpful.

In peoples' opinions, if every day will involve quite a bit of walking, does the order of "doing this on this day" matter a lot? Or just group places in the same area to reduce criss-crossing? Aside, of course, from places being closed on certain days.

What we want is similar to what we did in DC/NYC--have our list of "must sees/do's" and just wander the rest of the time. Though I am reading for advice on when to go to certain places first thing in the day.

Group your must sees to avoid unnecessary backtracking. But just as important - make sure the places you want to see on a given day are open that day.

I think we are going to be in the same places at the same times!

We are doing Paris Walks Montmarte on 9/20, and the Marais walk on Thursday 9/26.

We also have tickets for the guided tour of the Opera on Saturday 9/21!

Looking forward to seeing you!!

Another vote for the Carnavalet Museum...a good, very interesting look at the history of the city.

Give some thought to a 1-week transport pass (zones 1-2) loaded onto a Navigo Card...but since a "week" on that pass is not a 7-day stretch (like in London) but a Mon-Sun week, it might not be a good deal...depends on how much you plan to use the Metro and buses beginning on Monday. For us, four days was the fewest it worked, but my wife and I use public transport a lot. It might not for you.

SS

ChicagoCouple2-who are you using for your walking tour in Paris and what Seine boat tour did you choose?

I will be following right behind you in early October.

Re: Seine Cruises

Nice thing about Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf is that you can buy your tickets online at a discount (8€ or 9€ instead of 13€ at the pier) without having to commit to a specific date or time. Just show up at the ticket booth and trade in your e-receipt for a boarding ticket. I believe they are the only cruise providers that let you do that. This is a major advantage, since the weather is unpredictable, and you'll want to do your cruise on a nice day/night/both.

We've always used them.

http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/

They're on the western tip of Ile de la Cite where the bridges meet it. Walk across either bridge (from right or left bank) to the Ile and down the stairs. You can't miss it.

SS

Monday is a bad day for the Louvre, because the d'Orsay is closed.

Regarding the mansion that is the Jaquement Andre, the architect came in second in the competition to build the Opera. It is said that his Winer Garden, with it's unusual double staircase, was an attempt to outdo his rival Garnier.