Paris in 2 1/2 days -- is it possible??
 

I am leaving for Paris in one week. I have put together a tenative itinerary as follows. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.<BR>Arrive from London (Eurostar) Fri am.<BR>Shopping and lunch on Champs Elysees. Check in. Quick view of the Arc de Triumph. Montmatre and Sacre Coeur late afternoon. With dinner to follow. Possibly a caberet?<BR>Sat. check out a street market (any suggestions? I am leaning towards Rue de Levis and a walk through Parc Monceau) D'Orsay mid afternoon (is this crazy???) Then off to the Rodin, and the Eiffel Tower late evening. Sunday run the Louvre (3 hour tour), Notre Dame, Latin Quarter and St CHapelle. Finishing the journey with dinner and a river cruise.<BR>

I guess if you really want to see all that you mention, you can do it. But you got me tired just going through your itinerary! I'd select only a couple of things to do each day and have a relaxing dinner-maybe a dinner cruise the second night instead. What district are you staying in? Explore that area first.

Go for it. It makes sense to have a plan; if you're too tired all you have to do is skip a couple of things.<BR>I assume you know what you want to see. Everyone is different. For me, I would skip the Champs Elyseses and Sacre Coeur. I would spend time in the St. Germaine or Marais area.<BR>By all means, go to the D'Orsay; even if it's to see only the top floor impressionists.<BR>Everything you suggest is doable. Instead of running from one attraction to another, remember that the biggest attraction of Paris is the city itself, so STROLL and take in the city as you work your timetable!!!

Thank you! Our hotel is off the Champs Elysees. We are meeting people at the Arc, so to me it made sense to stick close.<BR>David, I was thinking the same thing about skipping things if we are pressed for time, and will check out St Germaine and Marais. Thank you.<BR>

Two points:<BR><BR>&lt;&lt;Shopping and lunch on Champs Elysees. Check in. Quick view of the Arc de Triumph. Montmatre and Sacre Coeur late afternoon&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>This part is very unrealistic. I'm sorry to be a naysayer but one of three things will happen:<BR><BR>* your "shopping" on the CE will be less than one hour picking up a few postcards or trinkets<BR><BR>* you will seriously rush through/short change time to "experience" Montmartre and Sacre Coeur<BR><BR>or <BR><BR>* your face will fall in your plate at dinner because you have been sprinting from 10 am to 8 pm<BR><BR>Second point:<BR><BR>&lt;&lt;D'Orsay mid afternoon (is this crazy???) Then off to the Rodin&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>You're going to ruin two rushed experiences at these great museums instead of having one decent experience at one of them. I vote for d'Orsay - - 60 minutes before lunch, then a delightful lunch IN the main dining room there, follwoed by another 60 minutes after. Or one 90 minute and one 60 minute period - - either one can be before or after lunch.<BR><BR>All this, of course, is just one person's opinion.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Rex,<BR>I can see being a little rushed the first day, but I was looking at 2 hours in Montmarte and SC with an hour rest at the hotel before. And if we hit the D'Orsay from 11-2, the Rodin at 3 and the Eiffel Tower at 7, where would we be rushing and ruining? I am a little concerned with the lines to get into the D'Orsay pushing the day back. Have you any experience with this?

From our recent experience, the earlier you go to the d'Orsay or Louvre on a weekend, the shorter the lines. So, your best bet is to go and wait in line before it opens and make sure you have already purchased a museum pass. That last bit of advice is valid no matter when you go.

Be sure to get the three day museum card (available at metro stations, the Tourist Office, and participating museums and monuments) and you will not have to wait in lines. <BR><BR>Instead of eating lunch at d'Orsay's cafeteria, eat at the cafe at the Rodin Museum or purchase sandwiches or snacks at one of the bakeries between d'Orsay and the Rodin and picnic on the benches by the fountain on the grounds of the Rodin Museum.<BR><BR>Two and one-half days will be rushed but get up early stay out late and enjoy!

Meghan, your itinerary is similar to mine the first time I was in Paris and only had 2 1/2 days. You'll be fine and if you end up spending more time in a certain area you can always decide to skip or shorten another. <BR><BR>My only thought is that those 3 museums are a lot- I only did the Louvre on my first trip- but go for it! Why not.<BR><BR>My favorite street markets are Rue Moufftard in the Latin Quarter and Rue Cler by the Eiffle Tower.<BR><BR>I would skip the caberet only because you will be tired and might not feel like getting dressed up. Go for a truer restaurant or cafe experience instead. <BR><BR>I HIGHLY recommend the museum passes so that you don't have to wait in lines. They will be HUGE!<BR><BR>Other than that your trip sounds great! Have fun!!

Meghan, I think you are taking on too much but everyone's energy level is different. Since you are taking the train, jet-lag is not a problem. Buy a museum pass before the Arc because it is covered and you won't need to stay in line. Just go to the entrance and don't be shy about it! Be warned that some of the metro stations may be out of 3-day passes--if that's the one you'll be buying--and you'll have to go to another station. The pass is so worth it. It also covers Rodin and Orsay. No lines to worry for the Rodin but Orsay line is unbelievable. Personally, I didn't care for Sacre Coeure the first time I was in Paris and again 2 weeks ago when I visited because my sons wanted to see the area. Enjoy your trip.

I believe the d'Orsay lunch recommended would be in the old train station dining room which is glorious with either a menu or a buffet available. I did not see a cafeteria, but can't swear there isn't one.

If you are meeting at the Arc, you can buy your museum pass at the Paris Tourist Office which is just yards away on the Champs (and they speak English there)rather than at a metro station.

Beth is correct about the dining room in the d'Orsay. That's what Rex was referring to. And, it is a glorious experience to dine...and the price is not bad at all.<BR>Beth, there is a cafeteria/snack bar also. I believe you can access is from the 3rd floor.

The great flea market is Sunday, forget the name. You may want to juggle schedule around to attend that. Regarding other shopping, almost everything is so global nowadays, I don't think it's worth shopping away from home. We were just in Italy and bought some ceramics, but no clothes or anything because we have all the same things in Chicago. Have fun.

For a fun market do Vannves instead of Rue de levis2xx.com

The problem is that you plan to "see", not "savor".<BR>No b.s., Paris is best savored, rather than checked-off a checklist of must-see sights.<BR>I understand the pressure as you may not be back any time soon, but, even so, I would be sure to take time to soak up the atmosphere, take some beautiful walks, drench yourself with the atmosphere, etc. Focus on the outdoor stuff more so than the indoor stuff.

Thank all of you for the wonderful advice!<BR><BR>I will definately be investing in the Museum card! One question though, why doesn't everyone get the pass if you don't have to wait in line? Or can you only buy it for an extended time like 3 days? <BR><BR>As for "savoring" Paris -- this is certainly a priority!! <BR><BR>Can anyone recommend a good restaraunt in the Montmatre, Eiffel Tower and Latin Quarter. <BR><BR>We are also debating on a daytime river cruise vs. a night time. Is one better than the other? <BR><BR>I have yet to read anything positive about Sacre Coeur, can anyone comment on why this might be? Would time be better spent walking Montmatre and seeing the Dali museum and the vineyard, etc. or somewhere else all together?

Montmartre, particularly around Sacre Coeur, is usually jammed with people. You will feel like a tourist with a neon sign on your forehead and back that says "HEY! I DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER"<BR>Sorry. Just my opinion. Maybe if you were there mid week it would be easier, but forget about it on the weekend. I'd suggest, if you want some fun shopping, and some real atmosphere, that you go to the Marais. Metro stoe Ville de la Cite or Bastille, and use a good map. Wander the streets around the Place des Vosges. Buy discount fashion (it's there and not hard to find). Or just enjoy the heck out of window shopping and people watching. Look for a restaurant where people seem to be having fun and eat there. If you hit the D'Orsay in the morning (and really do be sure to buy a museum pass...they are available at any museum's gift shop or entrance desk -- and at the D'Orsay you can enter the gift shop without standing in the tremendous line you might see. With that pass you can enter the museum through the gift shop. That tip alone could save you two hours of standing in line. Anyway, you could "do" the Impressionists on the top floor of the D'Orsay, visit the gift shop, even have lunch at that lovely little restaurant (where you can look out the window and see Sacre Coeur across the river on it's hilltop) then do your shopping in the Marais in the afternoon. We did it on a Sunday in April and it worked out very well. Expect that you will return to Paris someday to see some of the things you missed this trip. You will probably be back. :-)

Meghan, you can buy a museum pass for 1 or 3 or 5 days. They'll stamp the date on it at the first museum/monument you visit and in case of 3 or 5 day pass, it is valid for 3/5 days starting from the day it was first used. As for entering Orsay via the gift shop, I know of other people who have done it too but I felt more comfortable buying my pass ahead of time.

The reason why some people don't buy the pass is that some just don't know about it, but it isn't really cost effective unless you go to at least two museums a day, or even three (the cost is about the cost of two museum admissions on the 1-day card). So, if you weren't going at a busy time or are not going to the very top tourist-frequented museums, or only going to one a day, someone might not want to buy a pass. However, a tourist who wants to go to a lot of museums in a short time period, especially the two big ones, should get one for convenience. I'm pretty sure the last time I was at the Musee d'Orsay (last summer) you could not buy the pass in their gift shop -- maybe it was just that day or they ran out, but I do remember that, so it's best to get it ahead of going there.<BR><BR>I like Sacre Coeur and think it is worth seeing, as well as the surrounding area, as one of the major "attractions" in Paris. You don't have to spend that much time in the church itself, if you don't want to. I don't care for Dali myself and that small vineyard is nothing special IMO. I did just go to the Montmartre Museum for the first time last year and liked it quite a bit. It's not far from that vineyard and lets you see something of the surrounding area away from the tourist mobs around the church. I suppose I wouldn't put it at the top of my must-see list in a couple-day trip, however, if you are running short of time.