We will be spending 13 days in Paris and want to purchase the Museum Pass so I have come up with this iterary does this sound ok or does anyone see any problems with it? If you think I should change anything Please let me know. (I know it seems like a lot but that ok with us.)
Tuesday: Les Egouts, Hotel des Invalides, Musee Rodin and Musee du Quai Branly.

Wednesday: Arc de Triomphe, Musee Nationale de la Marine, and Musee National de L'Orangerie.

Thursday: Musee du Moyen-Age, Pantheon, Musee Eugene Delacroix, and Musee D' Orsay

Friday: Versailles and Chateau Ramouillet

Saturday: Louvre, Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Musee de la MOde et du Textile, Centre Pompidou, and Musee Picasso

Sunday: Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and Concierge

Thank you in advance for all your help!

Saturday is completely impossible. Even if you spend only 2 hours in the Louvre (and I;ve never gotten out in under 4) you won;t even get to travel to all the others you have listed.

Thursday is also very crowded, but not so ridiculous.

Sunday you have much more free time, so I would move some things there.

And is the 13 days a misprint? Why stuff all those museums in only a couple of days if youhave 13 days there? Spred them around so you won;t have to run through and wil have time to appreciate the exhibits.

Your entire itinerary is pretty much all museums & buildings. Where is the time to sit in cafes & people watch, enjoy building architecture, walks by the Seine, Ile St Louis?

Don't know how you could accomplish Wednesday's & Saturday's schedule and still enjoy everything. We took pretty much an entire day for Versailles - and we got there as soon as it opened.

Stu Dudley

What are you doing for the other 8 days?

Heck, I love museums, but that itinerary would totally wear me out. I wouldn't be able to remember what I'd seen where!

I think you need to slow down.

>>Don't know how you could accomplish Wednesday's & Saturday's schedule<<

I meant Thurdsay's & Saturday's schedule.

I assume the museum pass is only good for 5 consecutive days??? Your pace would kill me on those 5 days.

Stu Dudley

Thank you so much for the input. Yes, I know it is alot but we have next seven days to relax. So if you think Saturday is too busy what do you think I should miss? Any suggestions?

<<but we have next seven days to relax>>

So, your plan is to race around like Energizer Bunnies for 5 days and then crash for the next 7? Why not spread things out a bit?

Saturday isn't just too busy - it's impossible. I'd do the Louvre and one other museum.

Well, actually I want to have lots of options, I will be travelling with my 3 children and they get bored very quickly so I'd like other cholces for them.

You ask for advice - but then say this mad dash is OK w/ you. It does seem more like you want to tick sites off some master list instead of actually seeing much.

Museum passes are good for from 2 to 6 days. So instead of buying a 6-day one and rushing like a crazy person from place to place. and then nothing for 7 days -- why not get a couple of shorter passes and spread the museums throughout the whole time instead of crammed all together. As it is you won't remember more than a tiny fraction. But that is still too many sites for 6 days (whether all at once, or 6 days spread over 13)

If squeezing as much as possible out of a 6-day pass is your primary goal, knock yourselves out. But if you actually want to see/enjoy anything -- re-think things.

oh sheesh - I didn't se the post re the kids. Your kids will hate you and hate museums for all time if you drag them around like that.

Your kids get bored quickly and THIS is what you've planned for them? With all the kid-friendly things to do in Paris you're going to haul them around to 4-5 museums a day? Even my kids, who enjoyed museums, didn't want to do more than one or two a day.

I think you need to go back to the drawing board. This is not shaping up to be a fun trip for anyone.

Your suggestions are very helpful. Thanks. Looking at it again it does really seem like too many. Any ideas as to which ones to eliminate? Which ones are a must see?

>>Your suggestions are very helpful<<

Depends on your interests.

When we visited the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Sept, I spent about 45 mins there, then went to Cafe Marly for a 2 hr lunch. My wife joined me after lunch - she spent 2 hrs 45 mins at the same museum.

I can't imagine kids staying awake at the Picasso museum (is it open yet?)

I would just do the basics - starting at the most kid friendly:
Notre Dame
St Chapelle
Arc de Triomphe
Versailles
Invalides
Pantheon
Louvre
Orsay
Rodin

Stop there and see what your stamina is like.

Split up like we did - I can't imagine kids enjoying Decorative Arts, Textiles, Delacroix, even Monet & Picasso. Mom takes kids to walk on the Seine & visit the pet shops, while dad does Concierge. Dad takes kids to the Tulleries while Mom does l'Orangerie.

Personally, I would substitute the Carnvalet, Opera Garnier, & Jacquemart-Andre for a few on your current list.

The only thing I disagree with St Cirq about is the Louvre. I was "wasted" after 3/4 of a day there - had to go back to the apt & rest - very intense. No way did I want to hit another museum that day. We don't do more than 1 museum a day anyway. We sometimes do a museum & a building - like Decorative Arts & Notre Dame.

Stu Dudley

Instead of >>Your suggestions are very helpful<<, I should have quoted >>which ones are a must sees<<

Stu Dudley

I think you need to be realistic here. In the overall cost of the trip the savings coming from using this 5 day Museum Pass are minute. Why miss most of what the museums have to offer and run yourselves ragged to save a few dollars? Much better to have a realxed itinerary throughout, do one museum per day and enjoy it, among the many other things Paris had to offer.

(Frankly you couldn't pay me to go to Paris if I had to do those first 5 days.)

Hi PM,

Very good advice above.

I also suggest considering 3 2-day passes.

Also check for the days when museums are free.

How old are the kids? If under 18, they get in free.

Great advise all of them! So here is my new list, yes it is still busy but not too busy (I think)- your advise please.
Tuesday: Hotel des Invalides, Musee Rodin
Wednesday: Musee National de la Marine, Musee National de L'Orangerie, and Arc de Triomphe
Thursday: Musee du Moyen-Age, Pantheon, and Musee d"Orsay
Friday: Versailles and maybe if we have time Chateau de Ramouillet
Saturday: Louvre, Centre Pompidou, and Musee Picasso

Fine (well, not fine, but an improvement), but what ELSE are you going to do? Do the kids have any input in this at all? Have they looked at guidebooks and seen things THEY might want to do, seeing as how they get bored so quickly?

What about the Tour Eiffel?
What about a boat ride on the Seine?
What about the outdoor markets?
What about the Cité de Science?
What about the parks?
What about the gargoyles on Notre Dame?

I could go on and on (but so can a decent guidebook).

It still seems like a herding expedition to me.

Sorry but Sat is nuts. I would not plan any other museums on a day you visit the Louvre. Even if you only go through a few of the galleries -- it is an overwhelming place. Just the sheer size and logistics of getting from one area to another. Plus you have it scheduled on a weekend when it will be even more crowded. I certainly wouldn't combine it w/ the Pompidou and Picasso.

Plus you are still doing back to back to back days of rushing from museum to museum. I'd 100% recommend spreading those sites out over your entire stay, not into a single 5-day museum/monuments pass.

I have to agree with all above - your itinerary is crazy! How old are your children? Perhaps each person can list their favorites - and then spread them out using the 2 or 4 day pass. You won't see everything - but what you do see will be more appreciated by all. And as a result - you will just have to go back one day!