Hello,

I'm hoping to get a little help with the orginization of this day. I know it's going to be tight, but it's all we've got. We're leaving on Nov 4th, so I want to get it worked out. These are the things we want to do, I just don't know the best order to do them in.
Notre Dame
Musee d'Orsay
The free Guignol puppet theatre
Versailles
Seine Cruise at night

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!

Holy cow, that really is packing it in! I'm curious about the timing...will you be arriving in Paris after an overnight flight? Or will you have a hotel room in the city the night before and after? Even if you have from say 8am to midnight to sightsee and you're well rested, that's really, really tight. How many of you are there? Ages? And exactly where is the Guignol puppet theater?

Versailles is a 30 minute ride from Paris. Given the crowds at Versailles, I recommend starting there and starting very early. However, the palace is closed on Mondays, so if that is when you plan to blitz Paris then you are out of luck with respect to Versailles.

"Tight" is the wrong word to describe your plans. "Impossible" seems more appropriate!
You might (and I emphasize "might&quot be able to do everything but Versailles in one day. Even that will be very tight.
I can't fathom how you could possibly see those Paris sites and also travel back and forth to Versailles in the same day!
Before offering any further advice in scheduling the Paris sites, I need more info on the Guignol pupper theatre: Where is it? How long does the performance run? What time is the performance?

I'd skip Versailles, since it's outside of Paris and would take most of your one day to go there, see it and get back. I'd go to Notre Dame first, since it gets crowded later on in the day. The d'Orsay museum is wonderful and I'm glad to see it made your short list. You may not want to see the entire collection, but spend some time seeing the impressionists and some of the pastels (Toulouse-Lautrec). I'm not familiar with the puppet theatre, so I can't offer suggestions there.

The Seine Cruise is great in the evening, but take warm clothes! I prefer to eat a dinner on land, and then go on a non-dinner cruise where I can spend my time looking at the views instead of eating. I think the Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf are a good choice. They start just a bit north of Notre Dame, at the tip of the Isle and right below the Pont Neuf. They have a live guide, which beats out the ones with taped naration IMO. I say again, wear WARM clothes if you go after sunset!

One place not on your list that I'd consider is Sacre Cour in Montemarte. You can take the Metro and then funucular to the top of the hill and get a great view of Paris. If you don't do this, then I'd consider walking down the Champs Ellise to the Arch de Triomphe and climbing that for a nice view (Sacre Cour is much higher, though).

Hi
do you have a schedule for the Guidnol puppet shows? They are in various parks on Wed, Sat and Sunday, but I don't know if they will be outdoors in November.

You will not have time for Versailles plus everything else.
I'll repeat Jocelyn's question, is your arrival in Paris after an overseas flight? I hope not.

What you could do is get the earliest possible train to Versailles, allow about 4 hours for back and forth plus a couple of hours there. You'll see a little. On the way back, get off the RER C line train at the Orsay stop, you could have a couple of hours at the Orsay museum. You MIGHT have an hour left over for Notre Dame if you hustle.
If you take the Seine cruise, take the Vedettes de Pont Neuf, that boat landing is walkable from Notre Dame. Try to take one that leaves on the half hour, it will pass in front of the Eiffel Tower on the hour, and you'll see the lights flashing. Go to the Vedettes website, they usually have a schedule plus a discount coupon you can print.

Personally, this sounds like a nightmare day, and for me it would become a blur.
For what? Seen it, done it?

As Elaine mentioned, the Guignol shows are typically outdoors in the nice weather.

As for the rest of your plans, I wouldn't schedule such a day, but it probably can be done.

Since Notre Dame opens first, I'd start there, spending an hour at most.

Then, hop on RER C and get to Musee d'Orsay when it opens at 10AM. HIGHLY recommend having a museum pass before going to avoid the very long ticket lines normally encountered (or purchase tickets in advance at any FNAC once in Paris if there is one near your hotel). Once inside, head toward the very back of the building and go all the way to the top floor (where the Impressionists are displayed) and work your way down. There are several nice places within for a great lunch.

You could figure on 2 hours at Musee d'Orsay plus about an hour for lunch, departing on RER C for Versailles no later than 1PM.

Assuming you are inside the gates at Versailles no later than 2PM (skipping the ticket lines with your museum pass or advance tickets), you'd have about three hours to race all about the place.

We arrived in Versaille around 1:30 on our only visit. We saw enough (for us).

I would point out that Versailles is probably more impressive in the nice weather when the sun is shining, there are leaves on the trees and the flowers are in bloom.

If you leave Versailles at closing time (5:30), you'd be back in Paris around 6-6:30 with time to have dinner before hopping on a Seine boat cruise. The bateaux mouches run until 10PM I think. I agree completely that you should dress so as to be able to comfortably enjoy the sights all along the way outdoors (think warm hooded jacket).

Again, I wouldn't plan a day like this, but I do believe in doing as much of and whatever you feel like doing wherever it is you're going.

Thanks to all for the advice. Let me clarify a little. I didn't mean to include the puppet show in my list (I cut and pasted an old list!). We will be in Paris the whold day and night before, but we have other commitments besides sightseeing that day.
We have been to Paris several times and are looking to fill in the gaps of things we missed. At Musee d'Orsay we've done it all besides the top floor, my husband and I have been to Notre Dame in depth as well, but our daughter just finished with The Hunchback, so we want to take her there for a quick visit.
Sorry I wasn't more specific, I'm learning about effective posting as i go!!

So you've been to the Orsay except for the top floor? The biggie? You must go!Yeah this is a really big day. I would....
Start at the opening time of the Orsay and head right to the top floor. Give yourself at least 90 minutee. Then take a panaramic City tour on the Hop On/off bus but perhaps without the hopping on and off. I would then center the rest of my day around the Il de Cite to see the Notre Dame, and perhaps cross over a bridge to walk around the Louvre and Tuileries. Lunch? Perhaps step off the bus after all and have lunch (albeit expensive) on the Champs Elysee. Dinner? How about the Il St. Louis? It is easy to get to from the Il de Cite and will be somewhat of a quiet respite after a heavy day of sightseeing. Then when you're ready, go to the Pont Neuf to catch a Bateau Mouche. They run on the hour and you'll get a great view of the Eiffel Tower at night. Finish off the day by grabbing some pastries or wine or champagne or all of the above and walk over to the Pont des Artes to end your day. This walking bridge gives a great view of the city at night.
Versailles I would leave for another trip!