Greetings!
Planning a trip to maximize the time may seem like a piece of cake to many Fodorites but it's been a while and I would really appreciate your input.
~ Eight days in Paris with a side trip to Giverny in May. My BF and I arrive on Thursday, May 15 and depart on Friday, May 23. It has been her lifelong dream to go there and I was born and raised there until my teens.
~ Research so far has resulted in 6 Art museums: Marmottant, Orsay, Orangerie, Petit Palais, Louvre and Pompidou.
~ Trying to maximize the 4-day museum pass without it becoming overwhelming. I would have liked to avoid the weekend in the museums but that won't work with the 4 consecutive days. Figuring out the best for the ones opened on Modays and Tuesdays is probably the most complicated, despite having developed a table with all of the pertinent info for each.
~ The Conciergerie and Sainte Chapelle are also on the list.
~ Upon our arrival and once we have checked into our apt.(off rue de Rivoli bordering Marais), we will go (if nice weather via Batobus) and walk around the Eiffel Tower, lunch in Notre Dame area with dessert at Berthillion. Neither of us are interested in going up the tower. I would like to add a stop at the Salle Pleyel (Trocadéro) just for the vista of the tower with the fountains.
~ If I can figure how to get to Montmartre without climbing stairs, the that might be added to the list. My knees+stairs=incapacitated which reminds me is there a elevator to the top of the Arc de Triomphe?
~ Nightlife: one evening is planned seeing the Ballet at Opéra Garnier and another at Limonaire ( http://limonaire.free.fr )
I look forward to your replies!
Many thanks,
B_V

Your first day is 'way 'way too much even if you are young!!
There is the little train thingy to Montmartre
Your museum list is prodigious. Do you like modern (Pompidou). You obviously love Monet so Orangerie and Marmottan are in. The orsay would have to be (for me). The Louvre I can take about 2 hours--but plan carefully. Haven't done the Petit Palais. There are others--Cluny and Carnavalet. The latter is free. And the Rodin. The Michelin Green Guide to Paris is good for museum planning--wings and such.

It is easy to get to Montmartre without climbing stairs. Take the Montmartrebus. I got on around Abbesses metro last time I took it, here's the plan http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orie...rtrobus&fm=gif

I don't understand your remark about the Salle Pleyel -- that's a concert hall in the 8th arr on rue du fbg St Honore, near Ternes metro stop. Do you want to see the Eiffel Tower from place du Trocadero? sounds good to me, there are a couple nice museums nearby, I really like the Marine museum.

Otherwise, your plans seem fine to me. The Marmottan is a bit out of the way (could be combined with Trocadero, but you are doing that the first day) and with the other ones you plan to see, I wouldn't make it a must see. I don't think Monet's best works are in it.

There's a funicular for Montmartre so you can avoid the stairs. It uses 1 metro ticket each way.

There is an elevator at the Arch of Triumph.

I would take a night Seine cruise (1 hour) to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour.

I don't see that you're asking for any other advice but if you have more questions then bring them on.

There's a funicular for Montmartre so you can avoid the stairs. It uses 1 metro ticket each way.

There is an elevator at the Arch of Triumph.

I would take a night Seine cruise (1 hour) to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour.

I don't see that you're asking for any other advice but if you have more questions then bring them on.

As Gretchen suggested, there is the little tourist train in Montmartre - http://www.promotrain.fr/gbaccueil.htm .

Another way to reach the Place du Tertre without climbing steps is to take the Montmartrobus, a regular city bus that is small and winds through the small streets up the hill from the Place Pigalle. More info here - http://www69.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_22259/montmartrobus/

Oops, should have refreshed before posting. Sorry.

Gretchen - thank you for your reply. If you consider 40 or 50 as old then put us out to pasture because we will be celebrating our 60th this year, lol! My husband, daughter and I did that first day itinerary in 2006. We even managed a few essentials at the local grocery store for the apt. before crashing for a good sleep. Seven years might make a big difference but like everything else on this trip, many things could become optional. We just don't want to be the type who wake up and wonder what to do. You're correct about the Louvre. I remember my mother telling friends that in all the years we lived there she didn't get to see it all. Carnavelet is a good suggestion but it falls at the bottom of our list. Seeing that we have the good fortune to live within a 10 mn walk to the Rodin Museum here in Philly, we will skip the one in Paris. I know, quelle horreur! As if that isn't bad enough, right next door is the Barnes Foundation that has more works of art from Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse than anywhere else in the world. But I digress...

Christina - thank you for your reply. We will be situated within a stone's throw of the Rivoli métro stop so I will look into your suggestion. Thanks also for the link. As for the Salle Pleyel, I meant the Palais de Chaillot. Pleyel was where I had dance recitals as a kid. I'll also take into consideration about Marmottan by doing further research.

Adrienne - thank you for your reply. I'm so glad to know there is an elevator at the Arc de Tiromphe and the night cruise on the Seine might be a nice way to unwind from the day.

MaineGG - thank you for your reply. I really appreciate the link for the Monmartrobus..

I just remembered that the elevator (at the Arch) only goes to the museum and then there's a short flight of stairs to the top where you can go outside for the views.

Well, until I have new knees it looks like seeing the étoile from the top of the Arc de Triomphe is not an option: "To access the top, you can climb 284 steps, or take an elevator to the mid-level and climb 64 stairs to the top."

Sorry about that. I didn't remember that it was that many stairs but I was younger and it didn't matter. If it's any consolation, the view is not that great and there are so many great things to do in Paris you will soon forget about this.

Can you walk up slopes? The top of Montmartre is accessible via the roads without stairs. But some of it is steep.

You can also take taxis from point to point and save your knees and legs and have more energy for sightseeing.