What a nice thing to do for people!

Next time, maybe you can do the smaller and less well-known museums like the Guimet, Modern Art, Cernuschi, Jacquemart-Andre, Maillol, Marmottan, Montmartre, Nissim de Camondo, etc. Good excuse for another trip.

@Ackislander: Indeed they are being a centime wise and an euro foolish! And having a separate entrance is a good suggestion, it can't be that difficult..

@nancy1652: I had wanted to visit a couple of museums you mentioned but there was no time. Certainly there is a case for a future trip :)

Suja, thank you so much for posting all of this info. I love museums and am going to Paris in September. I am not going to Versailles (and your description helped me firm up that decision), and I am going to add the Gustave Moreau Museum and the Jacquemart-Andre. I appreciate the insight!

@mogsanova: You are welcome :) If I had had the time, I would have liked to visit Musée Delacroix and Musée Marmottan as well as the Chateau de Vincennes; ideally I would have replaced my day in Versailles with this. Oh well, that's for next time..

Thanks for the detailed write up.

I seem to recall two security lines for Ste Chapelle. The one on the left was a little shorter and we were able to use that one with our Museum Pass. Not sure if that was as intended or not but it helped. Perhaps we inadvertently jumped a queue?

@indy-dad : I think you did jump the queue :) I had a museum pass and went to check out the line on the left. The notice on the wall said that it was for people who worked there (who had some kind of an id I think it said) and for those with disabilities only. Oh well :)

Perhaps; ignorance is bliss. I recall showing my pass and being waived on. Oh well.

Some thoughts:

St Denis -- Thanks for putting in a recommendation for St Denis - it's one of our favorite places to see when in Paris.

Louvre...There is a shorter line -- much shorter at times -- entering the Louvre from the #1 Metro platform.

Transport -- always look into the 7-day pass for loading on a Navigo card. It runs from Mon to Sun (not really any 7-day stretch), but if your schedule fits, it's well worth it. For serious public transport users, buying it as late in the week as Wednesday or Thursday makes sense.

Carnavalet Museum -- another not-so-well-known gem -- is a museum of the history of Paris. We've never experienced crowds and it's free.

SS

Bookmarking

@ssander - I've noted your recommendation for the Carnavalet museum, good to know. Thx.

You visited many of our favs! I loved St Denis!

While we were there in Nov. there were separate lines for entry into the Palais du Justice...one for those with a court date/business and another for Ste Chapelle....totally separate. We went first thing before it got too bad, went through security and then bought tickets.

For the Louvre, the entrance in the Carousel mall area is indoors and the wait is much shorter (if there is one at all). The entrance is on rue du Rivoli, look for the red awning.

Very useful information Suja. Thanks

We went to Paris in Feb and like annhig, Versailles was pretty much ours for the day. As well as the other museums.

There's trade offs. The museums are relatively uncrowded, although people who love art will go to the museums.
In the winter the fountains are not running.

It might be worth mentioning on this thread that the Pompidou has few, if any, mobility issues and is worth the visit. imo.

@Denisea: Thanks for the good tip re Louvre entrance with a covered queue. Useful to people lining up on a hot summer day! And yes, I loved St Denis! It was like a French history lesson!

@LSky: There is always a case for low-season travelling for people who want to spend time inside museums in any case, isn't it? Still it was pleasant for me, after a whole day at the museums, still to have a few evening hours to enjoy ourdoors as there was light until almost 10pm. And thank you for the tip on Pompidou.

If your week in Paris runs from monday to Sunday then a better deal then two carnets( which totals 25.40 euros) is to buy the Navigo card, it costs 5 euros then to load it for a week is 19 euros .. its unlimited travel for that week on buses or metro.

Louvre, I have never waited more then 10 minutes to get through security ever since I learned NOT to use main Pyramid entrance but enter through the Carousel du Louvre Mall entrance.. you can also enter on some days at the Porte Des Lions entrance. This is my experience for last 6 or 7 vsits, all of which were in summer (may through august)

Versailles, you unfortunately went on either a tuesday, Saturday or sunday. On those days the formal gardens nearest the palace are closed off and an extra fee assessed to general admission ,, this is because it is fountain show days. You can however still access all the rest of the grounds for FREE by walking around the wall and going in the sides,, you could have then visited Marie Antionetts Hamlet and the Petit and Grand Trianon, which are included in your pass. Also, if you went on a tuesday it is considered one of the busiest days because the Louvre is closed then so Versailles seems to get more visitors.

Orsay, you have the option if you do not have a Museum Pass and do not want to be stuck in long line of buying your ticket in advance. You will not be able to use it day of purchase but it is good any other day. You purchase it from the box office type window( so you do not have to get in the horrendus lines that people have to that want to purchase admittance for that same day).

The Museum pass is a good option for those who like to pop in and out of multiple places. It is nice to be able to go to Louvre for 3 hours over 2 days then to do 6 hours on one day for example. To make the pass ecomnomical most calculations show you need to visit three museums a day, but if one is Versailles then its actually a good deal because that alone is 18 euros on a normal day, and more on a fountain show day( as op discovered!)

I have only bought a MP once , I was in Paris for two weeks and did not need to rush about ( so one museum a day or so was fine for me, I do enjoy just savoring them ) but I did purchase a two day pass to deal with Versailles, now one can buy tickets online for that too! ( but you have to preselect a day which I don't like ,, what if its rainy , then you wouldn't be able to enjoy gardens)

One observation, to minimize insane crowds at Versailles ( almost impossible in summer) go before it opens,, or I discovered by a fluke that the palace is quieter after 1:30 as most tour buses seem to do mornings there.. ( its still crowded by alot less then arriving at 10 am , huge mistake) I discovered this by sleeping in accidently. I have been to Versailles at least 6 times in last 8 years,, love it!

I thoroughly enjoyed your format, it made for a very easy to read format.

I also endorse the navigo pass. We loved it and well and truly used it to its' full value.

St Chapelle is so much easier later in the afternoon. By about 3pm the guided tour groups have left and the queues are quite manageable.

Versaille is worth another visit, but use the same principal as St Chapelle, go and visit the gardens first and then head indoors at about 3pm. There are virtually no queues then. I agree with you Suja, the first time I visited Versaille I hated the crush inside and couldn't wait to get out which is a shame.

I also noticed on my last visit that the lines were really, really short later in the afternoon at St Chapelle.

In fact, we were passing it on the bus (on our way to some other place -- can't remember where) and noticed no line out in the street, so we just hopped off the bus immediately and went in -- as I said, very short line, maybe a 5-10 minute wait.

This is yet another advantage of the week-pass loaded onto a Navigo card -- the ability to just hop on and hop off buses at will without a care.

SS

GREAT GREAT FORMAT FOR SO MANY GOOD HELPFUL INFORMATION !
First time soon in Paris BUT just for a few days...The Louvre we won't cover it all of course but the other couple going with us would like to make a visit, what recommendation do you have on what to see? pass or no pass?
I have also posted my itinerary on another post but I am still working on it, so your comments and advice will also be much appreciated!

HERE IT IS:
Wednesday August 15 = Day 1

• Airport arrival scheduled at 12:30 p.m
• After checking to the hotel hopefully 2 p.m. [I have no idea how we will get to it, any suggestions? Taxi for the 4 of us?]
• 3:30 p.m. we’ll go out visit possibly
• Head first to the Arc de Triomphe for a top great view.
• Walk from the Arc de Triomphe down the grand avenue des Champs-Elysées across Place de la Concorde and to Tuileries Garden and to the Vedettes du Pont Neuf for an evening boat tour of the Seine river.
• Diner : either at a Paris Bistro Chez Andre 12, Rue Marbeuf or at La Casa Alcalde Blvd de Grenelle Spanish cuisine. UNLESS YOU THINK IT IS BEST TO HAVE DINNER ON A BOAT???
• Back to the hotel then….

Thursday August 16 = Day 2
• Montmartre - Sacre Coeur- Place du Tertre - Le Moulin de la Galette- Le Bateau Lavoir [how would you go from Blvd de Grenelle ? metro? RER?Taxi? walk?]
• The louvre [closes at 9:45 p.m.] and those of us who don’t want to spend time too much time with Art may be could go to Galleries Lafayette it closes at 9 p.m on Thursdays & I think it is a short distance from The Louvre or another option to enjoy Jardin des tuileries….
• Diner at L’Ecluse 64, rue François 1er
• Back to the hotel then….


Friday August 17 = Day 3
• destination is Notre Dame Cathedral [it opens at 8 a.m.]
• Cross Pont Neuf to the Ile de la Cité , visit Sainte Chapelle.[it opens at 9:30 am ] .
• Head to the Latin Quarter. For a meal, may be Rue Mouffetard for lively atmosphere and plenty of choice.
Before or after quartier Latin , one could add Orsay museum if we want to see more art – or at The louvre we were not able to cover enough on day 2….and if not interested for more, some of us might just enjoy the Tuileries gardens .
• Walk to Trocadéro [I am not sure what walking route would be the best though?]
• Then to the Eiffel Tower for a ride up if possible [depends of the waiting line-if too long we might do the Tour Montparnasse instead]
• Walk to Boulevard Montparnasse for diner [Chez Bebert]
• If we did not go up Eiffel tower or if we feel like doing both, Tour Montparnasse closes at 23h45 for the view
• Back to the hotel then….

Saturday August 18 = Day 4
• Check out from the hotel Blvd de Grenelle [ we will ask the hotel to store our luggage ]
• Walk through the Marais (the medieval section of town)
• WHAT COULD WE ADD TO IT THAT WOULD NOT MAKE IT TOO LATE FOR US TO GET TO IBIS HOTEL BY THE AIRPORT ??, since it is a Saturday traffic will be heavy probably ! We will call IBIS and ask how late we can check in, hoping we could have dinner downtown Paris....
IN ADVANCE THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES.

Dinner on a boat,, could be fun, I am looking at taking a Calife Cruise, it is well reviewed and a decent price. Look it up .. they have a website in english and french.

@justinparis : You have given so many more helpful tips, as have the other readers before you. Wish I could edit the original post and add all your tips to the appropriate sections....

@cathies : Thank you :) I did go on a Saturday to Versailles, my mistake. I shall try and plan a visit sometime in off-season, but then the gardens won't be so pretty, will they.. oh well.

@ssander: I had considered the Navigo card but i went from mid-week to mid-week, so it didnt work out.

@envoyage: Thank you. For a first trip, that too such a short trip, since you dont seem committed to art, I would not choose to buy the museum pass. I'd choose just one museum, depending on your taste - if like most people you like the impressionist period, I would choose Musée d'Orsay as the one art museum to visit, if you like modern art, choose the Pompidou centre but if it is art from older periods, get to the Louvre. My other observation is that you plan to walk so much, I am not sure whether you realise the distances involved. I would suggest google-mapping the sites, choosing the walk option to calculate distances and times. You'll then be able to plan your days better. When there is precious little time, one has to be rather organised.

Thank you Suja, I'll google indeed , that a great idea!
Justineparis , I just got some comments from another forum that dinner on a boat might not be such a good idea, first it's expensive, and then when you are looking at your food/plate you don't enjoy the view she says, which to me makes sense, any comments from readers on this?
THANK YOU