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As sort of a diametrical opposite to a freewheeling exploration of the city, the AAA Spiral Guide lays out 5 entire days' worth of sightseeing in an hour-by-hour format, <i>e.g.</i>
"Eiffel Tower to St.-Germain in a Day" 9:00 AM Eiffel Tower 10:00 AM Les Invalides 12:00 Noon Musée d'Orsay etc. For some, its <i>certainty</i> in the midst of infinite choices undoubtedly has a certain appeal. |
Heather, as a vote of support... I never plan an itinerary. That would make me crazy. And especially in Paris it's kind of obvious the things you want to see and do. I didn't even get a map until I arrived (a free one from the hotel front desk) and just set out on foot each morning heading in a different direction with a couple things picked out that I wanted to see.
I think people/posters who travel with itineraries cannot understand, or maybe I should say appreciate, this approach. I made sure I saw the Eiffel Tower, outside of Notre Dame and the Louvre, and I loved all the public gardens. Besides that drinking wine at sidewalk cafes was big on my To Do list! |
It is DEFINITELY not a mistake.
Do enough research to have an idea of what you want to see. I created a chart that listed my "things to do" and it included notes such as days certain museums were closed, times, etc. I did put on the chart my advance reservation for lunch at Jules Verne and confirmation #, etc. So, when I got out of the cab, dropped by bags off at the hotel and started walking toward the Seine, Paris unfolded before me and I could pick and choose and enjoy discovering the unexpected. So much more delightful than keeping to a strict battle plan. Do consider the off and on buses the first the first afternoon or second day. It will be a great way to get your bearings and I used it as transportation to the Tour Eiffel every time - as well as Sacre Couer. The Fat Tire Bike Tour is great. I especially enjoyed the evening tour as it ended with a boat trip down the Seine. No advance reservations are needed - just show up as directed at the Eiffel Tower. The best meals were the ones at sidewalk cafes we stopped at when we were hungry and/or tired. I only ate at one "famous" restaurant and the food was fine but the service was not. Paris is one of the most walkable cities in the world. Just enjoy the strolls. Don't fret about the things you don't get to see or do. There will be things, but those are excuses/ reasons to return. |
Sorry - but a basic itinerary is definitely a good plan. My husband and I learned that after our first trip to Europe together. There is nothing worse than when you are jet lagged tired after a week of travel then staring at each other going "what do you want to do?" - "I don't know, what do you want to do?" That doesn't mean the itinerary is inflexible but it doesn't hurt to have general days mapped out by area. With our trip to Paris after 9/11 we started adding in restaurant reservations for the areas we planned to be in on certain days which was a great timesaver and made the day seem a little more relaxing. While we were there all the museums were closed (- a strike, of course), but we had plenty on list of other things we'd like to do, so there was no down time. We are hoping the museums will be open this time but if not we still have lots of things to see or see again.
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To add to my prior comment, we do have a couple of things we always have to do in Paris, but the WHEN is never set in stone, other than the boat to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day and the parade in the morning. Last summer, while the family went back to the hotel to chill, I headed off for a stroll on my own and ended up in front of the Musee D'Orsay which was, surprisingly, open on this holiday. I figured, why not, just me and Caillebotte for a change, face to face, without having to run interference or spend half the time looking for a lost kid or stray husband. Ahhhh, best afternoon alone experience in my life. And this was just a spontaneous fluke.
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