DH and I will be in Paris early Dec. for 6 nights. I need a little help with our itinerary. We've been to Paris twice(one trip was one day only with children so almost doesn't count). 2nd trip was with another couple and saw a few of the main sites(Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Louvre) but mostly enjoyed walking and sitting in parks and cafes. We are staying at Le Bristol in the 8th arr. We enjoy art, culture, beautiful architecture, good food, and walking streets)

We'll arrive Tuesday.
The rough plan is:
Tuesday: arrive CDG, cab to hotel, drop luggage. Stroll the Jardin Tuileries , walk through Christmas Market, possibly the Orangerie?
Or walk to Saint Chapelle? Cab back to hotel. Rest. Dinner at hotel.

Wednesday; open

Thursday: Paris by Mouth food tour of Marais 10:00am- 1:00
3:00 I have an appointment at a shop in the Latin Quarter to look at pottery, dish ware.

Friday: open
Birthday dinner at Le Bristol at 7:30

Saturday: open

Sunday: open

Here are some of the things we'd like to fit in:
Day trip to Versailles(would hire private driver/ guide for this) I found one that would return to Paris by 3:00pm
Night tour in Citroen of Paris(3 hours)
3hr tour of the Louvre(DH hasn't been)
Musee d'Orsay
One or two of the Passages
Time for Christmas shopping

Obviously, we probably can't fit everything(and want to leave time to relax and wander a bit) but what would make sense in terms of logistics and time?
Also, that time of year would it work to NOT buy timed entrances to Saint Chapelle, Musee D'Orsay , Orangerie to give us some flexibility?
We are happy to take cabs/uber to speed up time between sites.

Thank you in advance for help and advice. Fodorites have helped us tremendously in the past and have made our trips special!!

Versailles is easily reached from Paris by train. On our last trip my husband and I pre-purchased tickets for the Kings' Apartment Private Tour which is a 1 1/2 hour guided tour of areas not generally open to the public. At the conclusion of which you're inside the Palace and free to continue on your own.

Go to Versailles on Saturday or Sunday. They turn on the fountains on the weekend.
Wednesday: Musee d'Orsay in the morning, Citroen Evening Tour at night
Friday: Louvre Tour in the morning, leisurely cafe for lunch, shopping in the afternoon
Saturday or Sunday: The Passages (I don't know what that is.... but do it on the day you don't go to Versailles), and time for shopping, strolling, sitting in a cafe, etc

I think with a little planning, and good arrangements you can do all the things on your list, and not feel too rushed.

Thanks Kiddo, I'll definitely check out the Kings Apartments at Versailles!

Halfapair, this is really helpful, I needed some direction, thank you.

Do y'all think it is necessary to pre purchase tickets this time of year for the Orangerie and Musee D' Orsay?

If you haven't been to the Rodin museum garden, it's worth a visit.

Have a great trip!

Of the Passages -- Galerie Vivienne and Galerie Colbert are quite near the Louvre (about half a mile) so easy to combine.

The Vivienne Passage was beautiful. It is featured in Marin Montagut book about exquisite stops in Paris. And his fabulous little shop is on west side of Lux Jardins, worth a stop for sure. Another great and free Musee is the Carnavalet in the 4th/9th. It is the history of Paris, located in a beautiful mansion. Very interesting with all kinds of things, ironwork signage, furniture, rooms, you name it. Need only 1 1/2 hr max. Cafe des Musees around the corner for great lunch.

""Another great and free Musee is the Carnavalet in the 4th/9th. It is the history of Paris, located in a beautiful mansion.""

When we were in Paris for Christmas 2021, we purchased advanced tickets for Carnavalet - and glad we did.

Stu Dudley

Agree that it is easy to take the train to Versailles, you might want to time it by weather. We have found the Christmas markets in Paris to be forgettable. Go for the Department stores instead

Unlike other months of the year, department stores are open on Sundays. At least Bon Marche was
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Stu Dudley

Ahh, my list is growing! But all wonderful ideas and information.

The Rodin may need to be added as well as the Carnevalet. I had read about it but nice to hear about it first hand.

And so excited about the Passages! In researching they really piqued my interest but intrigued to visit now!

We are staying near Galeries Lafayette so may spend more time there than Christmas market.

Things are taking shape! Thank you all!

I would definitely pre-purchase tickets for the Orangerie and the Orsay museums to avoid being disappointed, as we were, with not being able to get them spontaneously during two recent short stays (one in May, one in October) in Paris.

I love the town of Versailles, especially the open air and indoor food markets. So, try to plan a walk in the town, not just a visit to the Chateau. We stayed in Versailles once in Summer and it was so lovely to walk in the gardens and shop in what seemed to me very authentic, local markets. Out of a week in the Paris area, our day, lunch, dinner and overnight in Versailles is my favorite, memory. Take the train, easy and go at your own pace.
https://www.parisperfect.com/blog/20...ailles-market/

Thanks for this , now that I have a more concrete plan I feel better about going ahead and pre purchasing tickets for Orangerie and Musee D'Orsay.

I've scheduled our Context tour of the Louvre and booked our night time Citroen tour.

And we'll make sure we have time to stroll around town of Versailles too. I didn't realize there was a town to explore as well.
You all are the best!

Can you walk to the market in Versailles from the estate? Just read thru the info linked for the passages and the outdoor market. Sounds wonderful!

Le Bon Marche is my #1 department store, not too far from where you are staying, but over on Rue de Sevres in the 7th. Then stop in next door at Le Bon Epicerie, a feast for eyes as well as stomach. But you'll be walking lots of calories.

From a touristic point of view, nothing at Bon Marche compares to the Art Nouveau Dome inside Galleries Lafayette. One of the splendors of Paris.

If you want to go shopping or just looking, then Les Puces de St Ouen is my favorite place to go. It is the historic flea market, made up of a dozen markets, with Marché Vernaison being the most alluring. Some of the shops are an eye-popping mashup with artisitic displays of vintage objects and curiosities. Definitely the place to buy that horse-drawn carriage you've always wanted! Go on a Saturday when it's at its most lively.

Wow! What a fabulous trip! Happy Birthday!
We were in Paris in October and on our list of new experiences was visiting some of the Passages. It was great! Wonderful to wander through the unique and captivating shops, and an especially good destination if you have a bad weather day.

The first night we were there, we went to Passage du Commerce St. Andre, in the 6th, which was near our hotel. We were hoping to get a reservation at La Jacobine, which only takes reservations in person. Only late night was available so we just continued exploring the Passage and stopped for a drink. In the Passage is Le Procope, the oldest cafe in Paris, dating to 1686. I really enjoyed this one.

The next day, we started at the Tuileries, walked through the Palais Royal Garden, which was gorgeous and so serene. Then we were right at Galleria Vivienne, which many have mentioned, is beautiful. We continued on to Passage Jouffroy which was my favorite. The shops were so interesting, including the shop of a Japanese fashion designer, whose clothes were like a work of art. We stopped at Valentin Tea Room, and had a scrumptious quiche and salad, and the dessert selection was unbelievable! We went through Passage des Panoramas which was more of an international Food Hall, so we didn't stay long there.

You mentioned looking at pottery, I loved Astier de Villatte, there is one in the 1st and one in the 5th.
What about seeing Palais Garnier? So breathtaking! Enjoy!

It has been several years since we stayed, but as I recall, it seemed as if the chateau was almost just at the edge of the town center. We stayed in a hotel on a street practically beside the chateau and only four or five blocks to the center with shops, etc. all along, so yes, easy walking to the market from the chateau. Check times and days market is open.

thought this might be useful.
https://www.paristoversailles.com/pa...-by-train-rer/

Thank you for the in depth info on the Passages and the department stores. We should be able to fit that in after the Louvre tour.

Looking forward to seeing Galleries Lafayette and the dome. Its very near our hotel so will be nice to stop in to look and maybe shop a little.
Planning our day in Versailles now!

Thanks again to you all!!