Five days in May - how is this Paris itinerary?
 

Actually we have 5 and a half days. We arrive on Sunday morning around 10 and I figure by the time we drop off our luggage and eat lunch we'll be ready to start touring around 1 pm. I've done a lot of research and here's what I have so far. We are staying in the 5th and this is our first time to Paris. Your comments are appreciated. Thanks!

Sunday:
Notre Dame
Musee Cluny
Saint-Chapelle and Conciergie
Eiffel Tower

Monday:
Louvre
Orangerie
walk Champs-Elysees starting with Place De La Concorde and ending at Arc De Triomphe

Tuesday:
Rodin Museum
Napoleon's Tomb/Army Museum
sewer tour
Sacre Couer/Montmarte

Wednesday:
Versailles
Seine river cruise (evening)

Thursday:
Musee D'Orsay
Musee Carnavalet
Pompidou Center

Friday:
Rue Mouffetard (street market)
Catacombs
Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Saturday:
early departure for Normandy

Sunday looks a little too intense for jetlag day... Tuesday might be one site too many, otherwise I think it looks good. I might have to steal your itinerary! :)

I'd like to hear about your Normandy plans!

Wow, I wouldn't have the energy to do all that...

Make sure you leave time just to sit at a café and soak in the Parisian atmosphere.

I think Monday and Thursday are too museum heavy. I love museums but unless it's a very quick highlights tour of the Louvre, you won't fully appreciate the Orangerie (don't forget the paintings downstairs there) because you'll be burnt out. And Thursday is too crazy, particularly if you intend to see the modern art collection at the Pompidou. The Orsay will fill your morning before lunch easily, leaving after lunch for the Carnavalet and Pompidou? Yikes. I also think Tuesday has just too much unless you're much faster than the average tourist when seeing "Sacre Coeur/Montmarte"...that was about 5 hours for us, and it was my second time there!

I would change Sunday & Monday around a bit.

Sunday:
Stroll Champs Elysees starting at the Arc de Triomph and going downhill towards Place de La Concorde, Tuileries, Orangie.

Monday:
Refreshed after a good nights sleep, take in Notre Dame.
Don't know about the Cluny being open on a Monday.

Other than that I think your plans aren't too extentsive at all. Some days you should find time for an extra little stroll so have some places you would like to see but have put on the back-burner.

I think you have too much on the day you arrive - you're likely to be jet lagged and it may take longer to get to your hotel, relax a little, shower, change, have lunch and get on your way. I think I would move something to Friday.

ps. I meant to mention - your plan re: leaving the Eiffel Tower for last on your arrival day is a great idea. Approaching it at night is the best way to see it for your first time. My favorite story about that is when I was in Paris with two friends for their first trip to Paris. I told them to follow me, and as soon as we got off at the Trocadero stop (after dark) I grabbed their hands and told them to cover their eyes and only look at the ground until I said it was OK to look. Once we rounded the corner and were standing in the square, I told them to open their eyes... ooooh, ahhh! As a bonus, it was a Friday night in late summer which is the weekly "open skate" night and after we left the Tower and walked back we were passed by hundreds of skaters.

I'd also mention that unless you're a big modern art fan, I'd probably give the Centre Pompidou a miss - and definitely keep it in third place of the three on that day.

When in May are you going? May's a pretty holiday-heavy month, and that could affect your plans.

Thanks everyone. I think Sunday might be a little too much, we'll have to see how we feel and maybe move some of it to later in the week.

Flygirl, here is our Normandy plan:
Saturday we plan to spend the day in Rouen and then drive to Honfleur to spend the night. Sunday we'll spend some time in Honfleur and then head to Bayeux. Depending on what time we leave Honfleur, we may stop in Caen and visit the Memorial Museum there. However I suspect that we'll not have time for that on Sunday. Sunday night, Monday night, and Tuesday night we'll stay in Bayeux. I have reserved a full day Battlebus tour for Monday. While in Bayeux we also plan to see the cathedral, the tapestry, and maybe the lace conservatory. If we didn't stop in Caen on the way we'll also go see the Memorial Museum. Wednesday we'll head for Mont St Michel, and arrive in the evening to stay the night. We'll tour on Thursday morning before the crowds arrive and then head out to the Loire Valley to spend 2 nights in Tours. We plan to see Chambord, Chenonceau, and maybe Cheverny while there. Saturday night we stay at CDG and flight back home is on Sunday.

We are going the last 2 weeks in May so we should avoid the holidays.

Hi Pat-

I guess it all depends on how much (or little) you like museums. Right now, you have 8 museums scheduled in 5.5 days. If you want to visit them "just because everyone does", then I think it's okay to run in, spend an hour/take a docent-guided "highlights tour".

If you are a big museum fan and like to look at everything in detail, read the placards, I think you'll be exhausted after your first museum on each day.

These museums will be there for a long time, so I suggest you narrow down the list and only pick 4 to visit (one for each day).