Our Paris Itinerary for your feedback
 

Our first trip to Paris is almost here! We leave on June 16th. I would love some input on this itinerary. There is so much to do in and around Paris that we wanted to make sure we at least had this somewhat organized even though in reality things will not go as planned, but we want to start somewhere!

A bit of info - FIrst time trip for two couples. We have saved some of the items like Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower and Louvre for later in the trip as my husband won't be able to hang out with us until the later part of the trip and we want to do that stuff together.

Any suggestions for re-arranging, adding, subtracting, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Sunday (arrival day)
Montmarte/Sacre Coeur
Train Departs @ 13:05 pm
Return 19:05 pm

Monday ???

Tuesday Our friends arrive by plane and we meet up around noon
Hotel des Invalides
Napoleons tomb
Musee Rodin and garden
Champ de Mars
Bateux Mouches
1 Hour boat tour by the Eiffel Tower
Cimetiere de Passy
Cemetary by the Eiffel (Manet)
Palais de Challiot

Wednesday
Morning/Early Afternoon
Versailles
Later Afternoon/Evening ??

Thursday Summer Solstice celebration
Morning Giverny
Afternoon/Evening
Champs-Elysees
Arc de Triomphe
Place de la Concorde
Musee d Orsay open late

Friday
Castles and wine in the Loire Valley
Paris Vision Tour

Saturday
Morning Fontainebleau
Afternoon/Evening ??

Sunday
Switch hotels
Catacombs
????

Monday
Notre Dame
Place Dauphine
Concierge
Sainte Chapelle
Jardin du Luxembourg

Tuesday
Eiffel Tower
Rive Gauche (Left Bank)
St Germain Des Pres
Other couple on Day trip to Normandy

Wednesday
Louvre
Jardin des Tuileries
Carousel de Louvre
Palais V Royal
Champs-Elysees

Thursday
I think we should wait to decide what to do the last day ¡V what did we miss that we wanted to see? If we saw everything we can pick something new!

Friday - Go Home

Your help on this from all who have been there and know the ropes would be greatly appreciated.

Question on Sunday..what train?

Tues That looks like a busy day. They are grouped in same area. I might move the Seine cruise to the evening, Out of curiosity (not having been) tell me about the cemetaries...Are you friends arriving by rail or plane to Paris? Is noon after they clear CDG, check into hotel and Metro to meet you?

This is not a bad itinerary. Due to length of time you are there it's not a bad idea to fit in excursions, 4 may be a bit much, I'd not pre-book but let the trip roll out as you go.

Mandatory...some cafe time every day. Youi have plenty of time...so allow for time "away" from your list. These may end up being the moments you remember and treasure the most

I see you have days that are open...maybe on those days just browse, maybe do a walking tour. Walking tours are a great way to see an area , hear stories, go places that are not in the main guide books..and not expensive.

It is not a bad idea to have days where nothing is planned. You go to Marais, for example, and just wander...lunch at Place des Vosges, maybe Picasso Museum, maybe Carnavalet..

Add in Marais, Place des Vosges, Opera Garnier, Luxembourg Gardens, Ils St Louis, Seine walks (might already be in there.

Thurs...how are you getting to Giverny? Ditto for Fontainbleau.


I might split up Loire and Fontainbleau trips to no consecutive days.

If you are flying from overseas and arriving on Sunday, you'll probably be too zonked to do much (and going up a hill to see Sacre-Cour might push you over the edge). Don't forget that your hotel might not be ready when you arrive and that once you check in, getting settled, cleaned up and back out the door usually takes at least an hour or so. Depending on where your hotel is located, a better plan for your arrival day might be to simply go for a walk past/through one or two of the places on your list that are relatively close to your hotel. Something that includes a park or a garden where you can sit down, relax and marvel at the fact that you're in Paris. Either on arrival or after your walk, take a nap. Then stop at a cafe or a bar for a celebratory kir royale (champagne cocktail) and go out for a late dinner (e.g. 8 pm or later). That will get you onto the right schedule for the rest of the trip.

And, like Michel_Paris, I'm wondering about what kind of train you're talking about.

It's good that you've planned to go to Versailles relatively early during your trip, because this is a trip that is weather-dependent. And, frankly, right now the weather in Paris is not that great. Note that if it is anything other than bright blue sky in all directions when you get up in the morning, it's probably going to rain at least once during the day (although not necessarily for very long). You've got Versailles scheduled for your day 3, which is good, but keep in mind that you might want to postpone it for better weather.

You seem to have a lot of must-see sights on your list, but I wonder whether you're going to spend so much time running from one to the other you'll miss the real Paris (and instead, simply end up seeing postcard Paris). If you'd really like to see these places, you might want to consider taking the OpenTour hop-on, hop-off bus for 1 or 2 days. That way, you can simply drive by a few of them, and get off to look more closely at others. Once that is accomplished, you can focus the rest of your time on spending more time at a few places/institutions, and more time cafe-hopping and picking up the atmosphere in neighbourhoods. Also, you might want to consider a few of the slightly more off-the-beaten path museums (e.g. Musee Marmottan, Musee Carnavalet, Musee des Arts et Metiers).

One of my favourite little museums is the Musee Carnavalet, the museum of the city of Paris. It's a great place to visit early in a visit because you can look at, among other things, scale models of French neighbourhoods, paintings and other depictions of Paris at various moments in its history. It would be a good first day museum to visit.

I'm not sure it's practicable to take yourself to Giverny for the morning and get back to Paris in time to do much in the afternoon. If you live for gardens then, of course, you must go to Giverny. But you could also cut this trip (after all, you're also planning to see Versailles, Fountainebleau and gardens in Loire chateaux) and substitute a visit to the Musee Marmottan, which has the largest collection of Monets in the world. (Most if not all of the Monets at Giverny are copies.)

If the men in your party are mechanically oriented, they would enjoy a visit to the Musee des Arts et Metiers, which is essentially a museum of french inventions and technology. There is an early model aircraft hanging from the rafters, among other things.

re:
Cimetiere de Passy
Cemetary by the Eiffel (Manet)

- I think these are the same thing - there is a small cemetery just off Place Trocadero. Nothing like that any nearer the Eiffel. Edouard Manet is buried at Passy.

Michel_Paris -

On Sunday it is actually the Metro that I plan on taking at 13:05 pm. We land at 8:30 am at CDG and the hotel we have to stay at the first 6 days is only 5 minutes from there. Plenty of time to check in and head back out (I'll sleep on the plane).

I don't know about the cemetaries - that is my friends pick. I think the the thought was they would be a "walk through". Our friends are flying into CDG arriving 8:30 am and staying at Tryp Francois so I will meet them at the first sight-seeing spot.

The Loire Valley is the only excursion that would need to be booked that all four of us are going on. I am thinking that we should wait until we get there to do that, just in case. The other couple might want to do Normandy which would need booking once they decide. I am thinking that those are the two trips that we may not end up wanting to do once we are actually in Paris.

Michel - I totally agree on the cafe time every day. This is a must from what I have read and heard. That's why I think we might be planning too much on some days and was looking for some input.

I have the list of walking tours from Paris Walks (I did the London Walks last year and they were great). Are there any other walking tour companies to recommend?

Giverny and Fontainbleau we are taking the Metro/Train SNCF. I went and printed out the schedule round trip. The other travel site said Fontainbleau was a 1/2 day - is that reasonable?

Michel - Thanks for your help!

Kate -

Yes, you are probably right about going to Sacre-Coeur. I think I will put that on Monday's list of things to do and take your suggestion for the arrival date. I said train and meant Metro on that day.

Good tip on the weather - that will probably have us changing things around. I'll have to remember to pack my travel umbrella.

I forgot about the hop-on, hop-off bus. I did that in London and it was great. We should do that.

Kate - thanks for your help!

I'm thinking I could learn from you, you seem to be very well organized!

I've been to Fontainebleau, as a drive by on my way to Loire..well, OK, I had gotten lost on way to Loire, and I saw a sign,etc...The chateau and grounds would be easily manageable in 1/2 day. I didn't walk around the town, but I've heard it's nice.

For Giverny, you've read, and I'll confirm, to get there first thing in the morning , ditto on Versailles. Like the idea that you are going on your own, I think you'll enjoy having the flexibility.

Marmottan was a "discovery" for me, it would be nice to go, see some of the 16th, if you like seafood I have a nice restaurant in that area.

For Left Bank wanderings, along Blvd St Germain, I liked Cluny museum, a place you can visit in a short time, but with some interesting items and architecture.

Walking tours, yes, Paris Walks I;ve used 4/5 times. There was an email in the last...10days..with a list of other companies. I've done a few that I found in Pariscope, but these were in French.
Which also leads me to recommend buying Pariscope/Officiel des Spectacles (weekly small magazine) for the english section of events,etc..

On Tues for are "at" the military museum, which may interest some of you group. There are sections that are closed, so you may want to confirm if these would he the ones for you to see.

Not a bad idea to go see market areas, like Mouffetard, rue de Buci, Richard Lenoir,etc.. to see that side of Paris.

Summer solstice, lucky you. What an interesting cultural experience. I have good memories of that night.

I have also done Parisvision and Cityrama tours (of Paris and Versailles). They were fine.

I might extend your day in Versailles. The gardens can use a lot of your time, why not combine with a walk around Versailles proper? Late lunch...then back.

Michel -

You've got a lot of great ideas here. It did look like Versailles deserves more time than a few hours in the morning.

I am so happy to hear that you were at the Summer Solstice - can you tell me what it was like?

I am sure we can take some time to visit one of the market areas. They sound so interesting.

Can I just say that at first 12 days in Paris sounds great - until you see all the things there are to do in and around Paris!

I've been 9/10 times, last time in November. I still have things I want to see, an ever-expanding list of restaurants, and then events..like French Open, football game, Nuit Blanche,...

Speaking of events...I was in the 6th for summer Solstice a few years back, went walking after dinner..and noticed there were musicians all over the place. There was a rock band... complete with drums and amps, there was a one man band with synthesizer ...blues, african, pop...one memory was all of the fans singing along with a pop band...playing songs by Vanessa Paradis (aka Mrs Johnny Depp). Great fun. I imagine there would be "large" venues also hosting music (like Champs de Mars?)...worth looking into.

I'll add Musee Jaquemart-Andre to my list of small museums worth a visit, Pont des Art (pedestrian bridge over Seine), and Square du Vert Galant as a nice park (all from last trip's checklist)

My first question was about that day when the others "arrive by plane."

Are they really going to be up for doing all that you have planned for the rest of that day?

Wait a minute! Do I understand that for the first 6 nights you're staying someplace 5 minutes away from CDG - and that means you'll be traveling into and out of Paris on the RER every day?

If that's the case, why?

oh no :(

Yes you guys are correct! Because of business for my husband he has to stay near CDG the first 6 nights. So it's the metro or cab for me to get to all the good stuff in Paris. That's okay - it just means extra travel time, but I don't mind. Heck the first 6 nights of our trip are paid for by his company, so we can't really complain. Last year in London the same thing happened and it worked out fine so I am used to it.

As far as when the other couple arrives by plane I am sure they will be up for doing stuff after a few hours. They land at 8:30 am, are young and want to see Paris! We might not get to everything, or we will re-arrange the itinerary, maybe go to a market like Michel suggested, but sleep is for the overnight plane ride!

On the Saturday that you go to Fontainebleau, stop off in Melun and visit Vaux le Vicomte. It is to me a good example of what 3 fine experts can do when left alone to work their magic.
Andre Le Notre did the landscaping.
Charles le Brun did the interiors.
Louis le Vau did the engineering.

Given the time at which the chateau was built, how that dome was put into place exceeds my grasp. Those guys did hot have any giant cranes to lift the loads like we do!!

Check out the website for Vaux. It for me was one of the highlights of my visit to Paris.

Crummy, but hey, thank Company for getting you to Paris! The train is quick and often, you can use the 'dreaded' Chatelet station and St Michel as your kick-off points.

I hope you don't mind my saying I don't like this itinerary at all . I would slow it down significantly. No matter how great the planning, you'll find that Paris keeps interrupting (a Good Thing)! You think you'll just pass by some landmark and then---voila!---you discover you LOVE the surrounding neighborhood, shop windows, restaurants, etc. Then there's all the time you'll spend studying the metro map and trying to find the nearest station...it's part of the fun but it does take time.

If I'm counting correctly, you've only allocated 6 out of 12 days to Paris. Even those are in an odd order because you have to wait for DH to hit all the "big" spots. Add to that you'll be staying at CDG! Besides the trip in/out every day, it may take you longer to get your bearings since you're not staying in the city. In short, I think it's way overly ambitious.

Just my 2 cents. I went through the "kitchen sink" syndrome on my first trip. I've since learned to resist it...too much ambience to be soaked up.

I tend to agree with JeanneB, especially since you're staying near CDG.

But my guess is you'll end up doing what a lot of people do - tossing the itinerary out the window once you get there and realize you want to spend much of your time just soaking up the atmosphere.

It's good to have a plan, though. Equally good to know when to abandon it.

You are planning alot! Dont cheat yourselves on your visit to Giverny, dont think a morning will cover the trip and visit. You do not want to go there on a rainy day however; we have now been to Paris 4 times, but it was only this last trip that we really covered those things we missed on prior trips: Walk thru the 7th arr. and do not miss Rue Dragon and Rue Cherche Midi if you like shopping! Also the area around St. Sulplice and St. Germain; stop for cafe at one of the big cafes-- Deux Magots, Flore, etc. Stop at Shakespeare & Co. right near Notre Dame picking up a paperback which is stamped w/ their name-- a true Paris landmark. Be sure and have lunch and chocolat l'africain at Cafe Angelina on Rue Rivioli-- on the same day you're at the Louvre or roaming around the 1st arr. The Orangerie is a beauty of a museum with the gorgeous huge Monet waterlily panels, all the more impressive after your visit to Giverny. It's in the end of the Tuileries near Place de la Concorde. Best place to capture a great photo of Eiffel Tower is from Place Trocadero. If the weather is rainy, then more time to spend indoors in museums, if lovely, then stroll Ile St. Louis from the rear of Notre Dame, from there exit left toward the Marais district. Go to rooftop of La Samaritaine dept. store on right bank of Seine for great views. So much to see and never enough time!! Find a great boulangerie and fromagerie and you have lunch! We treated ourselves to a Michelin 3-star lunch at Le Grand Vefour-- what a fantastic experience we shall repeat on all future trips. The French view food as an art to be enjoyed, and they do it like no one else in this world!! Also recommend Savoy's bistro, Les Bouquinistes, along left bank of Seine in 6th; outstanding food and quite reasonable considering the quality and quantity. Let me know when you get back what you got to do! Bon appetit and au revoir- A

The first 6 nights are at hotel near CDG, but thankfully the last 5 nights we will be staying in Paris at the Sofitel Baltimore, so I only have to do longer trekking in the beginning of the trip. Then we will be a few minutes from the other couple (they are lucky enough to be staying in their timeshare).

Last year in London I was stuck at a hotel at Heathrow and since it was so far out of London I left the hotel early in the morning and came back 12 - 14 hours later. It took an hour or more to get to anything on the metro from there, so once I was gone I was not going to waste any time going back. So I am ready to do it again for the first part of the trip in Paris. The 2nd half of the London trip we were by Speakers Corner and that was much easier to navigate. Again, first hotel paid for by company, so I don't look gift horse in the mouth and go with the flow and just enjoy!

I appreciate all the advice and will have to let you all know what we end up doing.

It's funny, I was thinking about the things that are farther out of Paris and thought maybe we should skip Loire Valley. Then my husband comes home from a business trip yesterday and one of his associates says that was the thing he liked the best when he went to Paris! Decisions! Decisions!

You said you're staying 6 nights at CDG---Sun thru Friday(?). That would put you moving into Paris on Saturday, not Sunday, right?

I presume you'll have to train into Paris for your other destinations: Giverny, Loire, Fountainbleau, catacombs, etc. Why not do all those during your stay at CDG...leaving Paris days for Paris only?

I think we need more info to understand why you scheduled the way you did. Are any of the outlying trips arranged specifically so that DH or other couple can join you? For instance, does DH have a longing to see the catacombs? Are there things in Paris YOU would enjoy that might not appeal as much to DH? Museums, shopping, tour bus, etc? You could schedule those on the days he is working.

If you'll give us more input perhaps we can come up with an itinerary that works better.