Hi, in July I will be spending 5 days in Aix en provence, 3 days in Lyon and 6 days in Paris.
And this is my 1st time in France so need travel gurus to plan itinerary; >. Pls give me a list of Must See or Must Visit. Merci!

You will get a better response if you post your question as "Need help for France itinerary". Your topic now too broad. I opened out of curiosity and have no input for this topic.

Thanks Bob1 for yr advice : >

Good Mornsing, or Good Afternoon MinMin.
Paris is one of those cities that presents so many different facets for visiting that I am not sure where to begin. Anyone who says this is a "must" is of course giving their personal agenda, which is definitely what I am doing here.

I have been to Paris a total of 4 times and I have not yet completed my list of sites to visit. There are less well known gems all over the place.
For example, I learned about the Musee Jacquemart Andre about 2 years ago and was fortunate enough to visit it last year.

My recommendation is this: For Paris obtain a copy of the green Michelin guide to Paris. After a few hours with it, you should have a list of places to go that will keep you occupied for days.

If you throw in out of town trips, such as to Versailles, Giverny, and Fontainebleau, 6 days will evaporate in a flash.

I have my own list of favorite places to visit. These include the Musee d'Orsay, Musee Jacquemart Andre, Musee Rodin, Ste. Chapelle and its incredible stained glass windows, the Arc of Triumph, and of course the Louvre.

Of this list the one that presents the most challenge is the louvre because of its huge size. After about 4 hours, with a break in the middle, I am saturated. I think many of us who have gone there will understand when I say that I made the mistake of keeping going into the 6th hours, but by that time all the painting looked alike and I was just wandering aimlessly around the galleries. I cannot now tell you what I saw; in fact, I am not sure which wing I was in.

Musee d'Orsay is a fun place to visit.
My most successful visit there was about 5 hours long. We went in the morning, looked around for 2 hours, had a long lunch in that wonderful dining room, and then looked around for about another hour before going to the museum shop for about 30 minutes and then a revisit to a couple of paintings before leaving.

The Musee Rodin allows you to see the gardens and the sculptures. That way you are not just staring at his works of art but also enjoying a pretty green setting.

A visit to Musee Marmottan is great if you like Monet. The task of getting there is also rewarding because there is a nice park between the museum and the Metro stop. That area of Paris is decidedly upscale and it is interesting just to wander around there.

Versailles is the ultimate challenge in many respects because of the crowds.
I thought I could beat the crowds by being there when the doors opened. Wrong, the mob caught us at the king's bed chamber. Within an hour, the number of people in the Hall of Mirrors was so great that it was almost impossible not to move along with the flow. You might try going inside a couple of hours before closing. Perhaps the tour bus groups will be elsewhere by then and you can have a better chance of going through without being shoved along.

Another suggestion I have is to schedule attractions lightly. There is always something in Paris that you find that is unexpected. So give it time.
That is one reason I dislike "canned" tours. They remove the whimsical excursions and the spontaneous detours to impromptu interests.

Another tactic of mine is to ride the bus when I can. That way you see some of the city that you cannot see from the Metro.

But get a couple of good guides to Paris, and have the satisfaction of compiling your own list. We don't always see the world through the same set of eyes.

Hi, Bob. Are u Bob1 too? Thank you very much for your valuable information and tips. I hv reposted my question under another title "Need help for France itinerary". Will gather all info and start doing my homeworks. Cheers : >