Paris in 2 1/2 days
Jun 16th, 2010, 11:40 AM
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Paris in 2 1/2 days
After doing a bit of research I've come up with a tentative itinerary for our trip to Paris in August. Having been there before, there are a few major sites that we don't have to see again. However, since I have a new camera to play with, we will be walking by a few of these places again, albeit briefly, so that I can take a few pics.
I haven't looked into restaurants as of yet. We are not foodies, so a crepe or some bread and cheese or a sandwich does us fine for lunch. Our last trip we only ate at ethnic restaurants as we found them less expensive and we were a family of 4. Any suggestions for restaurants would be most appreciated.
We will be headed to Rome after this stop. I wish we had more time in Paris but we had to split our days up. We could have spent all our time in Rome but we had to see Paris again!
Day 1 After arriving at Gare du Nord from London via Eurostar at 2:15 we will take a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Agora. We will be traveling with another couple so this is cost effective and quicker than taking the metro. We will also be traveling with the couple this first day only.
Check in and visit the Pantheon (open til 6:30)
Walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg and walk the grounds for a bit
Walk by the Sorbonne University (only because our daughter attended there one summer) on our way to Cathedrale Notre Dame. We saw this last trip but want to see it again and walk around the area.
Take a boat cruise- Bateaux les Vedettes- did it before want to do it again
Somewhere in there we will stop for dinner. Any suggestions?
Day 2 Traveling without the other couple. Breakfast somewhere near the hotel. Probably just some coffee and croissants.
Musee D'Orsay in the morning-saw the Louvre last trip. I know we barely scratched the surface before but want to go to this Museum as I understand it has some absolutely breathtaking impressionistic art!
Jardins des Tuilleries
L'Orangerie Musee
Opera Garnier
Eiffel Tower- We saw this before and went to the top so this trip is strictly for photo ops and to take our time enjoying the area.
Lunch and dinner in there...suggestions?
Day 3 Chocolate croissants for breakfast? My mouth is watering as I remember the taste of these fresh from the oven!
This day is a lot of maybees. We want to take it easy and just enjoy. So some things we may or may not do depending on how we are feeling.
Walk to Rue Mouffetard
Visit "Le BonBon au Palais" candy shop. Looks delicious! Hope its open! I couldn't find their hours on their website.
Walk to Le Marais and see Sainte-Chappelle.
Maybe see Mémorial de la Shoah
Walk to Place des Vosges-went last trip but didn't get to enjoy it
Maybe See Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
Rodin Museum
Walk Blvd Saint Germain
Lunch and Dinner....suggestions?
Please tell me if I've overdone it. I've tried to group things together but obviously we will be taking the metro to get to certain areas. Any suggestions, subtractions or additions to this itinerary would be so appreciated!
I haven't looked into restaurants as of yet. We are not foodies, so a crepe or some bread and cheese or a sandwich does us fine for lunch. Our last trip we only ate at ethnic restaurants as we found them less expensive and we were a family of 4. Any suggestions for restaurants would be most appreciated.
We will be headed to Rome after this stop. I wish we had more time in Paris but we had to split our days up. We could have spent all our time in Rome but we had to see Paris again!
Day 1 After arriving at Gare du Nord from London via Eurostar at 2:15 we will take a taxi to our hotel, Hotel Agora. We will be traveling with another couple so this is cost effective and quicker than taking the metro. We will also be traveling with the couple this first day only.
Check in and visit the Pantheon (open til 6:30)
Walk to the Jardin du Luxembourg and walk the grounds for a bit
Walk by the Sorbonne University (only because our daughter attended there one summer) on our way to Cathedrale Notre Dame. We saw this last trip but want to see it again and walk around the area.
Take a boat cruise- Bateaux les Vedettes- did it before want to do it again
Somewhere in there we will stop for dinner. Any suggestions?
Day 2 Traveling without the other couple. Breakfast somewhere near the hotel. Probably just some coffee and croissants.
Musee D'Orsay in the morning-saw the Louvre last trip. I know we barely scratched the surface before but want to go to this Museum as I understand it has some absolutely breathtaking impressionistic art!
Jardins des Tuilleries
L'Orangerie Musee
Opera Garnier
Eiffel Tower- We saw this before and went to the top so this trip is strictly for photo ops and to take our time enjoying the area.
Lunch and dinner in there...suggestions?
Day 3 Chocolate croissants for breakfast? My mouth is watering as I remember the taste of these fresh from the oven!
This day is a lot of maybees. We want to take it easy and just enjoy. So some things we may or may not do depending on how we are feeling.
Walk to Rue Mouffetard
Visit "Le BonBon au Palais" candy shop. Looks delicious! Hope its open! I couldn't find their hours on their website.
Walk to Le Marais and see Sainte-Chappelle.
Maybe see Mémorial de la Shoah
Walk to Place des Vosges-went last trip but didn't get to enjoy it
Maybe See Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
Rodin Museum
Walk Blvd Saint Germain
Lunch and Dinner....suggestions?
Please tell me if I've overdone it. I've tried to group things together but obviously we will be taking the metro to get to certain areas. Any suggestions, subtractions or additions to this itinerary would be so appreciated!
Jun 16th, 2010, 11:52 AM
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Looks like fun! Not sure if you know this, but the Orsay is under renovation and much of the art is not available. I think there are 2 closed floors. It won't take as long to walk through as it normally would. I was there in May and it is one of my favorite museums so it was kind of sad for me not to see some of my favorite works of art. Plus, you can no longer take any photos in the museum - with or without flash. The Orangerie is wonderful, you can probably see is in about an hour, same with the Rodin Museum - love both of them and you could certainly spend more time if you wanted.
Near the St. Germain metro on Rue de Seine is a great restaurant called Fish. You may need a reservation - we got lucky a few weeks ago and got the last table without a rez. Or there are some good restaurants around the Place des Vosges.
You'll want to go to Ste. Chappelle only if it is sunny. The stained glass windows are spectacular! Have fun!
Near the St. Germain metro on Rue de Seine is a great restaurant called Fish. You may need a reservation - we got lucky a few weeks ago and got the last table without a rez. Or there are some good restaurants around the Place des Vosges.
You'll want to go to Ste. Chappelle only if it is sunny. The stained glass windows are spectacular! Have fun!
Jun 16th, 2010, 12:45 PM
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I think you are overdoing it, but it's your trip, and if you don't feel like doing something, you don't have to. I can't imagine visiting both the Orsay and l'Orangerie the same day. I don't like being in museums for that long, for one thing (I spent more than one hour in l'Orangerie) but why do two of the same thing on the same day? They are both Impressionist art. Well, okay, the Orsay has more, but still.
Day 3 is like a death march to me, I can't imagine -- you are visiting THREE museums in the same day. The Shoah museum took me hours and I finally left because I just couldn't do it any more -- for one thing, we have the Holocaust museum where I live in Wash DC and so I have already seen a lot of similar things. Perhaps you aren't aware that this is an extensive museum, not just a memorial as a monument or something.
That candy shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11-7:30. I don't know if it is open in August, though. DO you know it isn't near rue Mouffetard, but closer to your hotel, near rue des Ecoles. Maybe you did, but you will be walking a lot if you walk from your hotel near the Seine to rue Mouffetard and then walk back to visit that candy shop and then to the island to see Ste Chapelle, then across to the Marais. And then you haven't even started on three museums and crisscrossing back across Paris to go to the Rodin and walk in St Germain.
you'll get a lot of good exercise, anyway.
Most shops like that candy shop are open predictable hours -- weekdays and Sat, probably around 10-7 or it might close earlier, but I would certainly expect it to be open in the middle of the day.
Day 3 is like a death march to me, I can't imagine -- you are visiting THREE museums in the same day. The Shoah museum took me hours and I finally left because I just couldn't do it any more -- for one thing, we have the Holocaust museum where I live in Wash DC and so I have already seen a lot of similar things. Perhaps you aren't aware that this is an extensive museum, not just a memorial as a monument or something.
That candy shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 11-7:30. I don't know if it is open in August, though. DO you know it isn't near rue Mouffetard, but closer to your hotel, near rue des Ecoles. Maybe you did, but you will be walking a lot if you walk from your hotel near the Seine to rue Mouffetard and then walk back to visit that candy shop and then to the island to see Ste Chapelle, then across to the Marais. And then you haven't even started on three museums and crisscrossing back across Paris to go to the Rodin and walk in St Germain.
you'll get a lot of good exercise, anyway.
Most shops like that candy shop are open predictable hours -- weekdays and Sat, probably around 10-7 or it might close earlier, but I would certainly expect it to be open in the middle of the day.
Jun 16th, 2010, 01:08 PM
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Thanks Christina for the info. We'll have to move the candy shop to another day then because our last day is a Sunday. We were planning to do that first thing that day but we can change that around to another day. Perhaps day 1 in the afternoon, when we first arrive. We'll need the energy!
As for the Shoah museum...we have been to the one in Washington and Yad Vashem in Israel so if we miss this one it won't matter so much. Those two were "maybees" anyway.
Day 3 can be changed as follows:
Walk to Rue Mouffetard
Walk to Le Marais and see Sainte-Chappelle.
Walk to Place des Vosges-went last trip but didn't get to enjoy it
Rodin Museum
Walk Blvd Saint Germain
This would leave us room to do some leisurely strolling.
As for day 2, since the D'Orsay has closed portions of the museum, perhaps as cls2paris says, it won't take as long to see.
We fully expect to walk alot while in Paris! I know we walked for miles last trip and I'm sure we'll do the same this trip, though perhaps not as rushed.
As for the Shoah museum...we have been to the one in Washington and Yad Vashem in Israel so if we miss this one it won't matter so much. Those two were "maybees" anyway.
Day 3 can be changed as follows:
Walk to Rue Mouffetard
Walk to Le Marais and see Sainte-Chappelle.
Walk to Place des Vosges-went last trip but didn't get to enjoy it
Rodin Museum
Walk Blvd Saint Germain
This would leave us room to do some leisurely strolling.
As for day 2, since the D'Orsay has closed portions of the museum, perhaps as cls2paris says, it won't take as long to see.
We fully expect to walk alot while in Paris! I know we walked for miles last trip and I'm sure we'll do the same this trip, though perhaps not as rushed.
Jun 16th, 2010, 01:45 PM
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I would go to Ste Chappelle regardless of the weather. Obviously, sunny day would be optimum, but I would go even if it were cloudy.
Fish is an excellent choice; I also like Le Temps Perdu which is right across the street.
Fish is an excellent choice; I also like Le Temps Perdu which is right across the street.
Jun 16th, 2010, 01:46 PM
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Just checking that you are aware - Ste. Chappelle is not in the Marais but on Ile de Cite. Not sure if you planned to walk there first and then to Marais. It is quite a long walk from rue Mouffatard to the Marais. You might consider taking the metro from Censier-Daubenton to Sully-Mohrland or Pont Marie then walk to the Marais. I enjoy walking also, when I was there 3 weeks ago, we were averaging almost 8 miles each day, but it does take more time than you think it should to get from one place to another.
You also might consider buying tickets for the museums ahead of time. You can do that at the FNAC store near your hotel or at a store in the Louvre Carousel shops (the sign says "museum tickets"). Then you can skip waiting in line. (At Orangerie, go to the front of the line and there is a special line for ticket holders).
I agree that you could spend more than an hour in Orangerie, but you can see a lot of it in an hour.
You have a lot on your list of things to do, so I hope you leave time for sitting and enjoying Paris; and not just running from one place to another so you can check things off your list.
You also might consider buying tickets for the museums ahead of time. You can do that at the FNAC store near your hotel or at a store in the Louvre Carousel shops (the sign says "museum tickets"). Then you can skip waiting in line. (At Orangerie, go to the front of the line and there is a special line for ticket holders).
I agree that you could spend more than an hour in Orangerie, but you can see a lot of it in an hour.
You have a lot on your list of things to do, so I hope you leave time for sitting and enjoying Paris; and not just running from one place to another so you can check things off your list.
Jun 16th, 2010, 07:05 PM
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I saw the Rodin museum mentioned in one of the earlier posts, As I looked up its opening hours and entrance fees last week I found that the Rodin museum is partially closed for maintenance right now. According to their website:
http://www.musee-rodin.fr/welcome.htm
Warning : due to maintenance works, the Musée Rodin - Meudon is partially closed.
Full rate is 2 € during maintenance period.
Full reopening from July (full rate : 4€) (subject to completion).
http://www.musee-rodin.fr/welcome.htm
Warning : due to maintenance works, the Musée Rodin - Meudon is partially closed.
Full rate is 2 € during maintenance period.
Full reopening from July (full rate : 4€) (subject to completion).
Jun 16th, 2010, 07:54 PM
#10
As you have been there before, you know the lay of the land. Rue Mouffetard did nothing for us, just a street market, and seedy at best.
Ile St. Louis is our favorite place to just "be". If you are in the Marais,the Carnavalet Museum is a joy.
Other than that, you kind of have a plan. Whatever you do, enjoy!
Hey, what about the Tango lessons on the banks of the Seine? Looks fabulous from the boats.
Ile St. Louis is our favorite place to just "be". If you are in the Marais,the Carnavalet Museum is a joy.
Other than that, you kind of have a plan. Whatever you do, enjoy!
Hey, what about the Tango lessons on the banks of the Seine? Looks fabulous from the boats.
Jun 17th, 2010, 03:56 AM
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Tango lessons? LOL! That sounds like fun but my DH has two left feet and would end up falling into the river! HA! If we had the time I would definitely take a photography course there!
