Is this possible?
 

Hello everyone,

I've drafted our three day schedule for sight seeing. We'll be purchasing a three day pass and wanna make most of it. We are both young and VERY energetic. I need your expert advice on the following, can we make it happen:

Day 1 Wednesday(Since Louvre in open till 9:45): Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Conciergerie, Louvre (only the main items - for about 3-4hrs), Picasso and Pompidou.

Day 2 Thursday (since Orsay is open till 9:45): Orsay, Cluny, Rodin, Delacroix, Pantheon, Invalides (Napoleon's tomb and his stuffed horse & dog) and Arc de Triomphe.

Day 3: Versailles - can't decide if I should make this trip on a Tuesday or Friday.

We'll be in Paris from Sunday April 18th till the following Sunday April 25th (flying out on the 25th at 2:30pm). We'll explore the streets, cafe's, markets and the gardens on the other 4 days which will also cover Sacre Cour, Catacombs, Champs Elysess and Musee Carnavalet.

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions/advice and comments.

Hi knaya,

Go for it. However, you will be completely museumed out.

I suggest that you pick your top 5, see those, and let serendipity guide you the rest of the time.

You will return to Paris.

It may be do able but it would be like having a quickie with a beautiful stranger--you will not be satisfied. Also--you may have to wait in line for an hour just to get into the Louvre, Pompidou, etc. You will also find you spend more time looking than you plan--the beautiful stranger effect. I could never get into and out of the Orsay in less than 4 hours even on my 4th or 5th visit, and I am not an art lover. The exhibits will hold you longer than you think. In short, I do not think you will be able to follow your outlined schedule.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/1a306/18308/ Check this web site and if you e-mail Guyon he will provide detailed information. His web site was voted one of the best on the web for Paris.

I admire your energy levels. Yes, it is possible. Part of me says go for it and the other says slow down a bit. However, a young, well organized guy who starts early and ends late could do it.

Perhaps that style would give you a good taste of many things and leave you wanting to return for more.

To stay at a fast pace, but not make it crazy, try this:

Day one: Drop Picasso and Pompidou. Add Arc de Triomphe and walk from it via the Champs Elysess to the Louvre or the other way around.

Day Two Drop Delacroix, and Pantheon

Get to all the early drops later in the trip, if time and mood allows.

The key is to group stops/visits at places relatively close together and not be forced to zigzag all over the city each day.

You might try exploring a different area of the city each day to cut down on transport time. A few months back, I saw where someone had done that via a series of daily walks/explorations. Looked like a smart and fun thing to do.

Do-able, but not advisable. I agree w/ Ira...pick 5 and live with those. For me, the 5 (from those listed) would be:
Louvre
Musee D'Orsay
St. Chapelle
Notre Dame
Les Invalides

But that's just me. The rest of your trip sounds like fun. Consider a quick tour of the Opera Garnier as well.

Enjoy!

Would it seriously take us an hour to get into the museum even though we'll have our museum pass??

You are there for a week. Why not spend another €18 for the 5-day pass and make your visit much more enjoyable? Is $22 that important after spending hundreds on plane tickets and hotels?

..why?? To use a "french" analogy, you can drink a bottle of good bordeau in 30 minutes or sip it over dinner..you have "done" the same thing, but i would put to you the effect is entirely different..savor paris. pick one or 2 visits per day..the first time i was in the orsay for 6 hours..it blew me away..i never see more than one gallery at a time at the louve as i find i get a bit desensitized to the beauty (or maybe just sore feet)..perhaps by doing less you will see more..have a great trip.

I believe that tuesday is a bad day in Versailles as musemums in Paris are closed.You might want to consider visiting later in the day ,3PM as it wouldnt be as crowded.If you take the subway to different areas each day you can cover most everything.

knaya-

If you want to visit all the museums you've listed because you REALLY want to see the art, then I would suggest you get a 5-day museum pass instead and space out your museum visits. Seeing more than 2 museums a day will make everything become a big blur. Worse still, you won't be able to enjoy the art as you will be:
1. in a rush to get to the next museum
2. "museumed-out"

However, if you want to visit all these museums just because you want to get the most out of your 3-day pass, then I would agree with the others: drop a few places.

I also recommend getting the 5 day museum pass, plan what to see by grouping days/areas/hours of operation. If you did that, and gave yourself a little more time with the longer pass, there is no reason why you can not see all of the sites that are on your list.

I highly recommend that you do your visit to St Chappelle on a SUNNY day so that you can see the detail of their incredible windows. Bring your small binoculars on your trip and carry them everywhere you go. Enjoy!

Hi,
I tend to agree with spreading out the museums. You could easily (including lunch) spend a half day at the Louvre and the Orsay. The Cluny is also interesting and a couple of hours can easily be spent there.
What if you combined your 'wandering' days with some of those places. For example, you mention walking the Champs Elysée...since the Arc de Triomphe is at one end, why not take the Métro to there, climb it, then walk down Elysée, Place Concorde, Rivoli, Tuileries...and then myabe the Louvre (or backwards). Similarly, since you will probably go to Eiffel Tower, combine that with Invalides (Napoleon tomb and perhaps Military museum). While walking left bank along rue St. Germain, finish (or start) at the Orsay. And another day could easily be spend on 'the islands': Notre Dame, Conciergerie (maybe), Ile St Louis, walk along banks of Seine (up top to see book sellers, down below to be near water). What are your plans for Versailles. I have done both a guided bus tour and a solo visit. Both have positives, but note that a bus tour will leave mid-morning and get back mid afternoon, so it eats up a chunk of a day. If you can , try to plan aorund being there when they have 'fountain shows'.

Enjoy!
Mike

If I'm not wrong, I believe the fountain shows are on Saturdays....but is it really worth fighting the crowd in the Chateau?

Hi Knaya,

I will be with my wife in Paris from May to June, it is our 2nd trip, the 1st since the honeymoon, we spent a week there then. As for your shedule, I must advise this, do a couple big things, the Lourve or D'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and others, but spend the rest of the days strolling, looking through little shops, buying a baugette, some wine and cheese and picnic on the Champ De Mars or another little locale. You will remember the city and the trip better by the memories you make, not by the sights to see. I hope you enjoy, and of course, eat EVERYTHING!!!

I thought that the fountains "play" on Sundays - - and not every Sunday.

Best wishes,

Rex