Paris in May - Help with Itinerary
 

Hi all...I am new to this board and am hoping for your input. My husband & I will be in Paris in May to celebrate our 20th Anniversary. Are we planning too much in one day? too little? missing anything important? We're not big museum people. We love to eat at great restaurants. Love to shop. Love to meet people, stroll & just enjoy the atmosphere wherever we go. I have been to Paris several times, but this is my hubbie's first trip. Am hoping to "share the magic" I have felt each time I've visited. Any suggestions? Here is what we have planned so far:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7TH
Leave DC around 10:15PM

THURSDAY, MAY 8TH
Flight arrives CDG 11:30AM
Take Taxi Parisien to hotel (we'll be tired so the sooner the better)
Check in. Walk around St Germain (buy flowers for room, get lunch, buy 5 day Paris Visite ticket)
Take a nap
Metro to Eiffel Tower
Walk to Place de lyAlma
Bateaux Mouches
Return to hotel. Get ready for dinner
Dinner at Rotisserie denface
Fall into bed!

FRIDAY, MAY 9TH
See Paris Story
Sacre Coeur
Explore Montmartre (shops, back streets, maybe get a picture done)
Get picnic food near Jardin de Luxembourg & picnic for lunch (or sit in a cafy & watch the world go by)
St Catherine Laboure (rue de Bac)
St Sulpice (if we have time)
Musee dyOrsay (Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, Romantics, Photography)
Return to hotel y get ready for dinner
Dinner at Guy Savoy or Les Ambassadeurs or Taillevent

SATURDAY, MAY 10TH
Notre Dame (towers open at 10AM)
Ancient Cloitre Quartier
Sainte-Chappelle (go late AM)
Explore Ile St-Louis
Ice Cream @ Berthillon
Musee de la Curiosite et de la Magie
Explore & shop the Marais (see Place des Vosges)
Nap
Mass?
Les Bookinistes for dinner
LArbuci (for jazz )

SUNDAY, MAY 11TH
Versailles? (see fountain show)
Nap
Mass (if we didn't go Sat night)
Dinner Le Relais dyEntrecote

MONDAY, MAY 12TH
Louvre (French paintings, Italian paintings yMona Lisa, Dutch paintings, Objets dyArt y crown jewels)
Champs Elysees
Angelina for hot chocolate
Arc de Triomphe
Walk/shop Faubourg St Honore
Shop: Au Printemps, Galeries Lafayette, BHV

TUESDAY, MAY 13TH
Pick up rental car/check out of hotel
Check into Les Crayeres
Tour Reims (cathedral, etc...)
What can we see on the way there?

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14TH
Pommery Champagne Tour
Dinner at Les Crayeres

THURSDAY, MAY 15TH
Check out
What shall we do during the day
Return rental car to CDG
Fly home - 4:15PM

Hi Smyling,
Can I come with you?

Lovely trip.

Friday is a bit too busy, but you can always stop when you get tired.

Where will you be staying in Paris?

You might get a disagreement from some, but I would skip the nap the first day. A nap seems to throw off a lot of people on the time change. I would try to stay up until at least ten, and then you'll be on their time and should have no problems. The rest sounds great. have fun.

We're staying at the Artus Hotel (formerly Buci Latin) in the 6eme.

But you didn't budget time to go to the bathroom!

-Skip first day nap, have coffee. It will ruin you. Stay awake. Don't sleep til its time at night. Get a good nights sleep.

- I think Eiffel tower is best first thing in the morning or late at night. The line can be horrid in the middle of the day.

-Montmarte is yukky and touristy. Spend as little time there as possible.

-The Marais can be a day in itself. Eat at Ma Bourgogneen at 19, pl des Vosges tel 014 2784464 , perfect french experience. Make a reservation once you get to Paris. Also stop by the Museum of the City of Paris and Picasso Museum in the Marais, both are small and can be seen in an hour.

-What about a walk around the Centre Georges Pomipdou?

-Limit your time on Champs Elysees and Arch de Tri, the Champs is a bit Americanized with fast food and bad restaurants. Spend more time at Galleries Lafayette, Printemps and see the Opera building. You can also hot the Champs late at night as this avenue is hopping all night long.

Hi
I agree with the above advice, including richardab's comments.
the nap on the first day is up to you, but skip it if you can.
Keep moving; the walks you mention are a good idea. Have an early casual dinner, and go to bed early. You should be fine in the morning.

With some of the top restaurants you mention, have you already booked reservations? If not, ask your hotel to do that now--some like Taillevent could already be fully booked.

Friday might be overambitious.
I prefer large museums early in the day when I'm fresher. You might consider doing the Orsay first thing.
I have used the Paris Museum pass, but not the Visite Pass which is mostly transport oriented, isn't it?
If it doesn't allow you to skip the longest entrance lines at the Louvre and Orsay, then get a museum pass and
just buy a Carte Orange or just carnets
(bunches of tickets) for the metro.
I do so much walking when I travel that I usually find I wouldn't get my money's worth out of transport passes, but you'll have to do the calculations.

I don't care much for Montmartre either, except for the slightly off-the-tourist-track area such as around Paris's vineyard.

Les Crayeres is a dream. I hope you enjoy it.