LVSue

Going to Paris May 3. I've been there many times, but am going with a friend who has never been, so I�m trying to work in a lot of things and be frugal at the same time. I know each day is overplanned, but it�s much easier for me to chop things out than to decide what to add in if there is time. I plan on a Mobilis card on Sunday, and Carte Orange for the rest of the time, a 3-day museum pass M-T-W. Cluny is free the 1st Sunday of the month. Are there other museums free that day as well? Also there are 15 Ville de Paris museums that are always free, so I�m trying to hit some of them on non-museum card days. Some of these museums are just an excuse to move around and I don�t figure they will take up much time. (We�ll be staying in an apartment in the 14th.)<BR><BR>Sat�arrive about 1:00 from Avignon, get settled, shop; Montparnasse cemetary? <BR>Sun�Cluny, rue Mouffetard (accordionist), Sacre Coeur (Dali?), Eiffel Tower<BR>Mon�Fontainebleau, Louvre (open late on Mon)<BR>Tues�Orsay, Rodin, Invalides; Notre Dame, Ste. Chapelle, Conciergerie<BR>Wed�Versailles; Andre-Jacquemart<BR>Thurs�Giverny or Open-Tour (if rainy); Carnavalet, Marais<BR>Fri�Bourdelle, Museum of Mod Art; Jeu de Paume (Magritte)<BR><BR>What am I missing? Oh, l�Isle des Impressionistes! Oh, well; maybe Friday. I assume I can get the museum card at Fontainebleau. I can�t tell if Andre-Jacquemart is charging extra for their Cailllebotte a Picasso expo (or even if it is on the museum card), so I might move that to Th or Fri. I would do the museum card later in the week, but Thursday the 8th is a public holiday, so I�m assuming crowds at museums. Do you spot any snafus?<BR>

Michael

One word critique: exhausting. Having been to Paris before, do you really think that Fontainebleau and the Louvre on the same day is realistic? And why are you going to all corners of Paris on the first Sunday (Mouffetard, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower)? I think that you are trying to do too much.

LarryJ

Sue,<BR>I see on your iten. the only museum you plan to visit on Monday is the Louvre. Be aware that the Louvre is free the first Sunday of each Month. You may already know this but if you want to visit any other museums on Monday most are closed, including the Orsay, Petit Palace, Rodin, Versailles, Marmottan and many others.<BR><BR>Have a great time in Paris. I'll be there myself May 19-25.<BR><BR>Larry J

StCirq

The Mus�e Jacquemart-Andr� is a private museum and therefore not included on the Museum Pass. It costs 8 euros to get into the De Caillebotte � Picasso exhibit, well worth it in my opinion (saw it last week and loved it), plus another euro for the booklet if you want one.<BR><BR>I agree that your groupings of sites are not entirely ideal and that Fontainebleau and the Louvre on the same day might be a bit much. And I don't see how you will manage to do much of what you have planned for Tuesday - the Conciergerie exhibits alone usually take me a couple of hours. At the same time, on Wednesday all you have planned is the Jacquemart-Andr�, which is a small museum - and the Caillebotte � Picasso exhibit only has about 80 paintings. I'd certainly revamp my plans for Tuesday and Wednesday at least.<BR>

HowardR

You've packed it so tight that you've left little time for the most important part of being in Paris.....that of just being in Paris--walking around, sitting in a cafe, etc.

StCirq

The Mus&eacute;e Jacquemart-Andr&eacute; is a private museum and therefore not included on the Museum Pass. It costs 8 euros to get into the De Caillebotte &agrave; Picasso exhibit, well worth it in my opinion (saw it last week and loved it), plus another euro for the booklet if you want one.<BR><BR>I agree that your groupings of sites are not entirely ideal and that Fontainebleau and the Louvre on the same day might be a bit much. And I don't see how you will manage to do much of what you have planned for Tuesday - the Conciergerie exhibits alone usually take me a couple of hours. At the same time, on Wednesday all you have planned is the Jacquemart-Andr&eacute;, which is a small museum - and the Caillebotte &agrave; Picasso exhibit only has about 80 paintings. I'd certainly revamp my plans for Tuesday and Wednesday at least.<BR>

maitaitom

Wow. I want to show my wife this so she doesn't think I'm such a taskmaster when it comes to seeing a lot of sights. I would definitely not do the Louve and Fontainebleau on the same day. And after seeing your hectic schedule, I have one more comment. When the heck are you going to have time to eat? As you know, part of the charm of Paris is sitting at a sidewalk cafe or just walking a neighborhood. I would bag some of the sights and show your friend some of the ambiance Paris offers without dragging them to every museum. If they love it like you seem to, they can return to visit some of the museums or churches they missed on this trip.

LVSue

Now wait, you guys. I don't think this is that unrealistic! And I have tried to group sites by area.<BR><BR>Sunday: Cluny (you have to do something before the accordionist at noon!), afternoon to Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower early/late evening (before/after dinner).<BR><BR>Monday: Fontainebleau (museum card), an hour or two rest and off to the Louvre late afternoon/evening. I'm doing the Louvre as a must-see, but prefer smaller museums.<BR><BR>Tuesday: This is the bad guy, and probably undoable, but I can chop, maybe Rodin/Invalides. Plenty of time to wander with just ND/St. Chap/Conc in the afternoon after Orsay in the AM.<BR><BR>Wednesday: Versailles and ... (I'll put off Andre-jacquemart for another day since it's not museum card); again a rest and maybe Rodin from Tuesday. (Frankly, I'm not too hot for Napoleon's tomb anyway, but I have to remember that it's not just me here.)<BR><BR>Thanks, St.Cirq, for the kudos for the A-J exhibit. I loved the Caillebotte expo in LA! Has anyone been to the Magritte at the Jeu de Paume?<BR><BR>Any errors in strategy?<BR><BR>You've already got me rethinking! I love getting some kind of feedback since I no longer have my DH to talk things over with.<BR><BR>Any thoughts on Chartres? (I just read the Chartres thread!)<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Christina

There are quite a few places that are free the first Sunday, both museums and monuments (those are between Oct and end of May), although of course that means more crowds:<BR><BR>Museums -- the Pompidou Center, the Guimet (which is Asian art), the Delacroix, Louvre, Picasso, Orsay, Cluny, Rodin, and Arts et Traditions Populaires (near Sablons metro towards Neuilly, next to Jardin d'Acclimation--that's a very interesting folk arts and crafts museum, I think)<BR><BR>Monuments -- the Conciergerie, the Arc de Triomphe, Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame towers, the Pantheon, Fontainebleau, St Denis basilica, Chateau de Vincennes<BR><BR>In short, plenty of free stuff that day, and if budget is a real issue, you might go to some other monuments that day or museums instead of Sacre Coeur or the Eiffel Tower. Maybe the Conciergerie or Sainte Chapelle since you want to go there, and that would free up the other day some. You could probably do that plus Notre Dame if you wanted on Sunday as easily as packing it into Tuesday with the Orsay, Rodin and Invalides. It's a lot either way, but all of that is free the first Sunday.

klondike

Agree with what has already been said for the most part. While money is definitely a consideration to be reckoned with, there are other impt. issues:<BR><BR>Might I suggest you and your friend each make a list of the top ten sights/events you each want to see/do. DON'T discuss in advance. Then compare and prioritise based on each others expectations. One person shouldn't be responsible for all the plans (which is what I read into your post), and there is a better chance for a positive end result and less complaints when all is said and done. <BR><BR>Do the &quot;absolutely must dos &quot; early on. Things have a way of interfering in the best laid plans.<BR><BR>There also seemed to be &quot;clumpings&quot; of similar interests...several museums all in the same day, then several churches together. Having done this myself, I found you get &quot;churched-out&quot; and &quot;museumed-out&quot; much sooner. The uniqueness of each gets a little blurred, too, IMO. <BR> <BR>I wouldn't go anywhere where it's &quot;just an excuse to move around ...and they won't take up much time&quot;. Why do it then?<BR><BR>One of our fellow posters (so sorry, I can't remember who you are) actually scheduled in time for &quot;spontaneous time&quot; each day. That's what agrees with me too: some spontaneity and lots of variety each day.<BR><BR>I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time, no matter what you decide. Good luck!

LVSue

Christina, you are an absolute fount of information. I actually wanted to do ND, Ste Chapelle and Conciergerie the first day, but did not know they were free. To me, the money doesn't matter, but my friend is retired on a budget, and I was thinking of her.<BR><BR>Klondike, excellent advice! My friend is definitely a can-do type, but she has deferred to me in all matters (I've booked the airline tickets, the travel insurance, the hotel/apartment, the train tickets). But I think it's time for her to take a little responsibility for her trip! That said, she is probably the most positive person I have ever known, so there will be no recriminations whatever we did. However, I think it's time for her to give me some input and I'll ask her for a list of top 10.<BR><BR>As I said, I've seen all the above sights many times, so I'm doing this for her, and will enjoy her enjoyment. When I go, I usually plan one thing per day, so this is not the norm for me (though I've been on many a student tour that was just as rushed). I'm sure we will find time for wandering....

Gretchen

Three out of Paris trips in 7 days is just too much for one thing. As someone's &quot;tag line&quot; says--&quot;If you see everything you see nothing&quot;. Choose one out of town place--Fontainbleau,Versailles,Giverney and do that one day. Do the l'Opentour bus trip when you first arrive to get an overview for your friend. The Carnavalet museum is now free. You are just trying to do too much--how about letting your friend look at the guide book and choose some stuff. YOu don't mention the Marmottan--certainly worth a look. If you get the Carte Orange be sure to take the bus instead of always the Metro.

Beth

LVSue: The Magritte exhibit at the<BR>Jeu de Paume was excellent. Lines<BR>were long on a Sunday, and it seemed<BR>to be a Parisian (rather than tourist)<BR>crowd. Even if you encounter long lines on Friday, it is a great location<BR>for quiet people-watching. I enjoyed<BR>watching the hundreds of kids out play-<BR>ing in the park.<BR><BR>I also agree with the previous poster<BR>in recommending the Marmatton, &amp; would<BR>spend an hour at the Rodin, rather than<BR>miss it. If you are doing the open tour anyway, use that day to step off<BR>the bus and see the Rodin.<BR><BR>Have a great trip! <BR>

StCirq

LVSue:<BR><BR>I saw the Magritte exhibit last week, too. I didn't like it as much as the Caillebotte/Picasso exhibit, but that's because some of Magritte's work is just too strange for me. It was a fine exhibit, and it was a treat for me to go inside the Jeu de Paume again - I hadn't been in it since it was the old Impressionist Museum. They've done a lovely job with it.<BR><BR>We went around 5 pm on a Tuesday, and there were only about a dozen people in line ahead of us.

Christina

Sue, if you are still reading this, I just found out something going on that Sunday in Paris which you might want to know about, as it could affect your plans. Sunday, May 4th is a special museum &quot;festival&quot; called Printemps des Musees. This is a France-wide museum promotional event in which many museums will be free entrance (not just the usual first Sunday free ones). There is a &quot;theme&quot; (mystery and discoveries or something this year) and museums may have special exhibits related to that theme. This occurs once a year on a Sunday in Spring.

Because of the promotion, museums are packed even more than usual on that date. I read a museum public newsitems that said last year, the Orsay had about 25% MORE visitors on that day even compared to free Sundays. So, I think you would want to avoid museums on May 4th and that makes the free monuments look even more attractive an option.

If you want to read about this event, here is a summary and description on the Culture Minister's web site:

http://printempsdesmusees.culture.fr...present_uk.pdf

DeborahAnn

Lots of good suggestions coming from this post that will help me plan a visit to Paris with friends who have never had the pleasure, hoping to turn them into true Francophiles so they stop chiding me. My question is whether or not Musee Jacquemart-Andre is included with the carte musees pass, my brochure from 2001 says it is as does the website www.intermusees.com just want to be sure because it is on my &quot;to visit&quot; list for this trip. Also does anyone have a web site to get the listing for the free Paris museums, not the ones free on the 1st Sunday of the month. Thanks for the help, Deborah

verbena

There's currently another free art exhibition at l'Hotel de Ville - de Cezanne a Dubuffet. My daughter and I were there last week and enjoyed it. There was a line; but it moved quickly, so we didn't have to wait long. We combined this exhibit with shopping at BHV and exploring the Marais.

Christina

I think there is some confusion because the Jacquemart-Andre family had a vast collection and there are two different museums with their name. The free one is in Picardie, not Paris, as I read the musem card info. I have one from a couple years ago and is says the one OUTSIDE Paris at the Abbaye royale de Chaalis is free, but doesn't mention the one in Paris. Here is the web site for the free one:
http://www.cr-picardie.fr/uk/page.cf...ne~musees~jacq

The item in the museum card info is in the the secion &quot;museums and monuments in the Paris region&quot; which are not in the city.

As for the free ones owned by the City of Paris, here is complete info from the French Tourism Dept on which those are:

http://www.francetourism.com/paris2.asp

LVSue

Deborah, here is another site that lists the free museums of the City of Paris:

http://www.metropoleparis.com/2001/650/650gift.html

The rest of you, thank you so much for your input! I've curtailed my plans quite a bit. Christina, it sounds as if Sunday is indeed a day to avoid museums! So far, here is my final itinerary:

Sun: Cluny - Mouffetard - Sacre Coeur, dinner at La Coupole
Mon: ND-Ste Chapelle-Conciergerie; Louvre (PM)
Tues: Orsay - Open Tour - Arc de T ; dinner Chez Maitre Paul (I have to try that chicken, or was it children?)
Wed: Versailles - Rodin
Thurs: Jacquemart-A, rue Cler, Eiffel Tower (dinner)
Fri: Bateau Mouche - Jeu de Paume

I'd like to work in the Chagall expo at the Grand Palais or the Marmottan, it all depends, but I do want some time for wandering. Oops! Need to get to the Place des Vosges.... Oh well, it'll all work out fine.

BTW, Klondike, the only thing my friend doesn't want to miss is Orsay.

cyber_traveller

If you go to Musey d'Orsay, I am looking for the artist that painted a blue and white vase filled with white and orange flowers (with lots of foliage)in the background - The painting was hanging there last year - I think it was on the same floor as &quot;Whistler's Mother&quot; Have a great trip!