Hello, everybody
I know this is a very detailed itinerary, but I do not want to waste time worrying what's next, or how to get from point a to b.

I am HOPING TO KEEP all the points of interest on it, but I would APPRECIATE any suggestions in terms of order/route and also, ANSWERS to questions in italics (best route to Eiffel from Champs Elysees, whether or not to skip the Pompidou, and the best street to walk from Sacre Coeur to Moulin Rouge)
THANK YOU SOOO much!
Agnes
Here it is:
1)Wednesday
After lunch:
Subway from Mabillon to Palais Royal
Walk through Tuileries Gardens to Place de la Concorde
Walk down Champs-Elysees (walk towards Arc de T)
Then take metro (either at Franklin D Roosevelt or Charles de Gaulle stop to Ecole Militaire or Alma Marceau (WHICH is better? Or, is there a better way to get to Eiffel Tower from Ch-E?)
Walk to Eiffel Tower
Seine Cruise
2) Thursday morning: Louvre (selected artworks)
followed by Island Walk
(Pont Neuf, going east along Seine River, across Pont – au - Change, (notice Clock Tower), to Ille de la Cite, down Blvd du Palais, la Ste - Chapelle, rue de Lutece, right at rue de la Cite to Notre Dame, then Square Jean XXIII, to Pont St – Louis (Ile St – Louis), rue St Louis-en-l’Ile, to Pont Marie
Marais Walk
Take Rue St Antoine to Palais de Sully, then to Place des Vosges, (note: Maison de Victor Hugo) Then west along the rue des Francs Bourgeois from the Place des Vosges to the Pompidou
(ORhould I skip the Pompidou?)

3) Friday
D'Orsay in the morning followed by Left Bank Walk
Rue de Bac to St Germain des Pres Blvd
Englise St Germain des Pres
Walk to Blvd St Michel (right) to Place de la Sorbonne
Luxembourg Garden
St Sulpice if time allows
Evening: Subway to M: Abessess (rue de Tuc) to Sacre Coeur (cable car)
Walk to Moulin Rouge (WHICH street is the nicest to take?! - to take an interesting, but maybe not the longest route)
Take subway home (M: Blanche)

4) Saturday morning and afternoon
Versailles
Evening: nothing! or maybe a nice dinner to wrap up the trip

THANK you, everybody!
A

I have never been to the Pompidou Center so I can't say whether to see it or skip it.

I would rethink that walk from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. That is quite a hike!

I would take the Metro from the Arc de Triomphe to Bir Hakiem. That will leave you off near the Seine just a couple of blocks from the Eiffel tower. Or take the Metro to the Trocadero and walk down the hill past the fountains to the Eiffel tower (a much longer walk but very scenic).

I am sure other posters will have better info.

The best way to get from the Champs-Elysses to the Eiffel Tower is the 42 city bus. There is a stop at Place de Concorde, another across from the Grand Palais, another at the Rond Point [near the FDR Metro].

Crossing the Seine from the Louvre I'd recommend the Pont des Arts. Just proceed to the eastern courtyard and go right.

The walk from Place de la Concorde to Arc de Triomphe is really not that long but is slightly uphill. From the Arc to the Place is an easier walk.

Thank you.
Please, offer more suggestions.
THEY ARE much appreciated, and I will be revising my itinerary.
Agnes

Hi Agnes,

Some comments:
Wednesday: consider also going to Palais Royal (right at subway stop). Nice old square. You will also enjoy walking under the arcades on Rue Rivoli. Nearby is Angelina's for famous hot chocolate and desserts. There are also a couple of english book stores and plenty of interesting shops on Rivoli. You can also take a tangent up Avenue de L'Opera to see Opera Garnier -exquisite building, and perhaps off Rivoli up Rue Castaglione to see Place Vendome (Ritz, high end jewellery shops). I have walked from this area to Eiffel, along Montagne (nice upscale area), but this would be from Place de la Concorde. This gets you to Place D'Alma, where you could have a look at the Lady Di memorial. If you were to do this, I would start your day at the Arche and then go down to Tuileries (from Mabilon, Metro to La Motte Piquet, then on to Etoile, or carry on past Place Royal to Etoile). I imagine you want to end the day at Eiffel. Alma is also one location where Seine cruises (Bateaux Mouches) leave from. If you do want to go to Eiffel by Metro from Etoile (Arche) Line 6 to Trocadero. When you come out, go thru middle opening of Palais Chaillot buildings and you will get a great view of Eiffel

Then walk across bridge to Eiffel.

Thursday....
From Louvre walk along top of Seine and visit bouquinistes (bookseller stalls). When you cross au Change, carry on Past Palais de justice on your right and you will see entrance, again on right, for St. Chapelle, which is rightly famous for its stain glass windows. Note that once inside, there are two levels, go upstairs. If classical music interests you, consider buying tickets for an evening concert here. On exit, trun left and go back, then turn right and head off to Notra Dame. There is a cafe here with patio that I have eaten at a few times, nice place to stop and people watch. I really like Ilse St Louis, you will enjoy the main street, the Berthillon ice cream. Around these two islands (on Left Bank) are steps down to the Seine nice to go down to get some views of Notre Dame. Also, just down a bit is the open ari scuplture garden, also on the left bank.

Place des Voges is great, Pompidou is something some love,some don't care for.
As you wander the Marais, try to fit in the Village St Paul which is an area with olrder buildings, narrow cobblestons streets and antique shops. Neat area. In Marais Hotel de Sens (and garden)is nice, Musee Carnavalet, Hotel De Ville. Once you leave Ile St louis, you could go to Sens, Village St Paul, Carnavalet, Places des Voges, on to Pompidou, then loop back to Hotel de Ville.

Friday..

Orsay another highlite. If you need a museum fill, the Rodin Museum is sort of nearby. A good walk or a few metro stops. Nice gardens there too. St Germain is a nice street to walk the lenght of. Chek out St Germain des Pres chrch. On that square is also the famous Cafe de Flore as well as Cafe Bonaparte, nice place for lunch. If you take rue Bonaparte from the Square you will get to St Sulpice, another nice church and square (and yes, a Da Vinci code location), then carry on down to Luxembourg Gardens, another highlite. Retutn to place St Germain des Pres. On your left you will come to Buci street and Cours de Commerce. very nice streets to explore, markets, oldest restaurant in Paris (Procope), covered passgeways,etc.. Further down St Germain, on your right, at St Michel is Musee du Moyen Age (Cluny), the medieval museum famous for its tapestries, and very interesting building since it is built over Roman ruins. From St Michel, you could take Metro Line 4 to Montparnasee, then Line 12 to Abbesses. Bit of a long ride. Fomr Abesses, take Rue Tardieu which gets you to the funiculaire, or steps. Once you see Scare Coeur, pass by (or stop) Place du Tertre for a portrait, then you could continue down Rue Lepic, either right back to Abesses, or take a right to Rue Caulaincourt which brings you to Blanche metro stop. Note that at 15 rue Lepic is Amelie's cafe (Deux Moulins) There is also the Montmartrobus (tourist trolley) that you can catch at Abesses

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...bus&fm=gif

Hope this helps,

Mike

I don't think it's a long walk from place la Concorde up to the Arc -- I've done it a lot, and think it's enjoyable. It's only a little over a mile. It is a slight incline going up, but not really a hill or even that noticeable that it's going "uphill", in my opinion, but I like to walk around cities.

I don't consider any walk between Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge that scenic if it's very direct, nor any walking tour I would care to take. I do like the area around rue Lepic, Junot and over that area, but wouldn't have thought that on the way. It really depends on how much time you have for that walk, and time of day. You mention going to the Moulin Rouge which has shows around 9 and 11 pm, I think. rue Lepic doesn't run into place du Tertre, so not sure if you can follow that idea as Michel presents it. That's sort of the general route I'd do, I guess, although I'd go west from place du Tertre a little farther north and get oneto Ave Junot, which has some lovely houses and is a nice part of Montmartre. Then you could come down to rue Lepic around one of those old moulins at the west end, and come down rue Lepic from there to Blanche. If this is in the dark, I wouldn't necessarily do this, I'm not clear on when you plan this (month or what time of day for that Montmartre thing, you just say "evening&quot.

You should skip the Pompidou if you don't like modern art. I don't like to advise people what museums they should or shouldn't see, I think they have to decide that for themself based on their interests, for the most part. There may be some really crummy museums that aren't worth it, but the Pompidou is a major museum and enjoyable if you like that kind of art.

Wow! Now I am a bit overwhelmed.
I will need to print out all the comments and slowly sort it out.
I do NOT like modern art, so I think I will just look at the Pompidou from the outside. I love the impressionism, though, so I might go to Museum L'Orangerie on Saturday if I am not exhausted.
Also, I wanted to go to Sacre Couer to see the basilica, and for the view, and maybe to get the feel for Montmartre. I do not intend to go to Moulin Rouge for the show (not my cup fo tea), but it was more for picture taking - it is quite famous after all. I would not mind going to the opera, but I would just be too much for 3.5 days in Paris, and maybe a concert at St Sulpice in the evening would be a happy medium, or finding a jazz bar if they do not have anything on the days we are going to be there (July 12-16, arriving Wed at 11 am at CGD, and leaving Sunday morning from CDG)

One more thing - how much time should I allow for the Island Walk, and the Marais walk - would 5-6 hours be enough for both?
On Wednesday - would 4 hours of walking cover the walk from Place Vendome to Tuileries to Place de la Concorde towards Arch de T, to go to Eiffel? I do not mind catching the subway, or reversing order of the walk, starting at the Arch and walking towards Place V, and then commuting to the Eiffel Tower...

Thank you AGAIN! Please, share more VALUABLE info.

Hi again,
if you like impressionism, you'll love the Musee Marmottan. It's a bit out of the centre of Pais, in the 16th. Great Monets! Metro Muette, then about a 10-15 min walk, nice neighbourhood also, nice to see a less touristy area of Paris.

For your Island walk, apart for a potential wait at St Chapelle, I could see you spending 1-2 hrs on Ile Notre Dame, another 1- 1 1/2 hours seeing Ile St Louis, Seine...then 2-3 hours waling around Marais, so yes, that should be doable. Of course, you may need a little cafe time somewhere in there!

Four hours should may be OK for Tuileries, Arc area, then to Eiffel. If you do a visit/tour of Opera Garnier that could add a bit of time, otherwise it's all 'outdoor' stuff.

If you are interested in organized walking tours, there is always:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/



Mike

Thank you, Michael. Thank you, everybody.
On Wednesday we might take a subway to the Arch, and then walk down Ch-E to Place de la Concorde, through the Tuileries, then to Place Vendome, and then, take a subway to Eiffel Tower, followed by a Seine Cruise.

Friday: We might go to Montmartre around 6 pm...If we are too tired, we might do it on Saturday after we come back from Versaille - is it a good idea? Or, should I keep it as planned?
Does our Friday look too busy?
We do not mind walking a lot, but I do not have the feel for time in this case...
Any suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Agnes

The main problem with detailed itineraries are that they never go as planned.

Walk from Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, then down to the Eiffel Tower; don't bother with the Métro.

The Pompidou Center is modern art; if you don't like modern art (a lot), skip it. The exterior is interesting to see if you are in the area.

The Orsay Museum doesn't have a D' in front of its name, by the way, any more than Independence Day is the Of July. Note that it's real easy to spend a lot more or a lot less time in a museum than you had planned, so beware.

The boulevard right in front of the Moulin Rouge (boulevard Clichy) is the best way to approach it at night. During the day, if you're on the Butte, you can wind down the rue Lepic towards the showclub and look at the stores and houses.

It's possible to see Versailles in half a day, depending on how much you like Versailles and when you start out. Trips outside the city can easily gobble a full day, though, just because of the logistics of getting around.

Another general rule is that just about everything will take longer than you expect. This is especially true for meals, if you're American.

Since you will be in Paris on Bastille Day, there will be a big parade lots of tanks etc on the Champs, street balls (put on my the firemen) fireworks and sometimes concerts. Watch out for random firecrackers in the metro!

..Please listen to Anthony. Your trip is incredibly detailed. I really can't see a reason for it unless travelling with a huge group. Try to be flexible ie switch things around depending on weather, jet lag, ect. That being said, you need to do your homework (which you have done in spades!) so that you are aware of what is open when ect. I am so afraid that you will feel disappointed if you don't follow this list and check off the sites ect. Don't please feel free to wander and wonder-let Paris seduce you!

whoop should read Don't! Please...

Well, you finally used a "we" so this is not a solo trip.

I am very concerned. If there is a city on this planet that would suffer from a "marching plan" it would be Paris. If you are traveling solo, I see SOME benefit in having such a detailed itinerary. But, if you are traveling with someone else, you are creating a problem.

Relax. No city is more "walkable" than Paris. Make a list of what you think you would like to see. Schedule some time to see those things - you won't see them all, even with 2 weeks in the city.

Save the rest of the time to stroll the streets of Paris - and fall in love with the city.

If you are afraid you won't "see everything" buy a hop-on, hop-off tour bus pass and use it to get everywhere on your list. Take the Fat Tire Bike tour - preferably at night - to see most of it again from a different perspective.

See the "Loose Game Plan" post for some great ideas.

Hello Agnes,

when walking on Champs Elysees, watch out for the FNAC store located there. In its basement, you will find a biletterie or ticket store, where you can buy tickets for Le Louvre in advance.

These tickets bought in advance will allow you to cut the waiting line at the pyramid, as you will use an entry for groups aside.

With only 4 days and packed as they are, I would leave Versailles.
I'd trade the Pompidou for an outside table at a cafe to have a glass of wine and people watch.

Hi, We just got back from 8 days in Paris. this was our third time there in 6 years. My advice to you is to walk and walk and chances are you will see everything you plan on seeing. I would skip Versailles (big disappointment in my book and it will take up most of the day). Pick a general area and see all you can that day. For example, we stayed in the 7th. We walked to the Marais and back and saw tons along the way. Paris is such a beautiful and walkable city and I fear you will miss its charms if you keep to your plans. If you are like us, you will return!