I just posted my itinerary, and it seems it could use a bit of help. For anyone who has the time or the desire, I thought it might be interesting to see how YOU would design it? Some facts to note- we arrive on Sunday Dec. 28 in the morning and leave Sunday Jan. 4, which means Thursday is New Year's Day, and few things are open! Okay, here are the things we want to see, in order of must see's and wish to see.
Must sees: Notre Dame, Louvre, d'Orsay, Sacre Couer, Versailles, Arc d'Triomphe, Catacombes, Eiffel Tower, go shopping!
Wish to see: Pantheon, Hotel des Invalides, Musee Cluny, Ste. Chapelle, Musee Rodin, St. Sulpice, Princess Di Memorial, Pere-Lachaise, Place de la Bastille.
How would YOU do it? Any thoughts?

Why are you posting again when you got some good responses the first time?

Most people thought my itinerary could be better arranged, so I thought people who had been there before could organize it better than I could, since I don't know how long it takes in between museums, churches, etc. Just because it looks nice on paper doesn't mean it would be in practice. I thought it might be easier to build your own ideal itinerary than to completely redo mine. If you don't think so, then don't do it.

Hi, here are my thoughts for restructuring your itinerary:

Sun 12/28 - Arrive, check in at hotel, your room probably won't be ready so head out to St-Sulpice and catch the 10:30 Mass. It's very moving and they have a world-famous organ. The choir is great. After the 10:30 Mass you'll have some time to look around the church - I think the next Mass is at 12:00. Have lunch in the area and just relax the remainder of the day.

Monday 12/29
Bastille
Pere Lachaise
Sacre Coeur

Tuesday 12/30
Arch of Triumph
Invalides
Rodin Museum
Shop
Catacombs (I think they're open 2:00 - 4:00)

Wednesday 12/31
Pantheon
Notre Dame (free guided tour at 12:00)
Ste-Chappelle
Louvre (go late around 5:00; according to their web site they're open late but check closer to the day)

Thursday 1/1
New Year's Day - Paris Walks may have tours, they were operating on May Day when most other things were shut.

Friday 1/2
Versailles
Eiffel Tower
Diana Memorial

Saturday 1/3
Cluny Museum - 1.5 hour guided tour at 11:30
Orsay (go late)

adrienne

eahayden - that still doesn't answer HowardR's question. This post could have just as easily been tacked on the end of you other thread. The way it is now people will post all kinds of suggestions not knowing that many of them have already been discussed there.

Thank you, Adrienne! It's so nice to get someone else's opinion when I don't know anything but what I see on the map! Thanks a lot!

I am new here, janis, and wasn't aware that there was such strict protocol. I didn't want my old thread with my itinerary on it to sway people- I wanted to see everything mixed up the way someone who had been to Paris would do it. And as I said before, I thought it would be easier to just grab from the sites listed than to completely mix and match what I had posted before. So, for your information, I did it this way so I could get the results I was looking for- which would be a whole new take on my itinerary, since I seem to be stuck in a rut with what I have. I don't understand what the problem is with me wanting to get specific opinions, but when you Posting Location Nazis are done, I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone. I wasn't aware that I couldn't make new postings if I wanted a completely different result from my old ones.

eahayden

I'm wondering about your must sees.

When you say "arc de triomphe", do you want to go to the top or just see it?

Would you like to walk the Champs Elysee from the Arc to the Place Concorde and through the Tuileries to the Louvre, and then on to Notre Dame, or are you in a hurry and prefer to take the Metro?

How much time are you budgeting for the Louvre and the d'Orsay?

With only a week, and one day is a holiday, is Versailles a real "must" for this trip?

Wouldn't you like to spend a little time near the corner of Boul St Mich and Boul St Germaine?

Are the Catacombs really more important than St Chapelle, St Germain des Pres or St Sulpice?

Have you looked at the Fodor's mini guide on this site?

We are trying to help you.

Hi eahayden,

Don't take people's comments to be negative. It is frustrating when you've taken the time to give feedback and they appear to be asking the same question all over again. That's what I thought when I first read this second post and I was momentarily annoyed. Then I remembered what my first 2 trips to Europe were like (many years ago) without the benefit of the internet and all the guidebook resources that are available today and I remembered how much I floundered. I re-read your post and realized that you're floundering also and want to make the most of your week in Paris.

The following is not criticism but an attempt to get you thinking about your itinerary. Think about why you want to see the sights you've mentioned. For instance, why the Catacombs? Take a virtual tour and see if you really want to do that. Here's the URL for the virtual tour:
http://triggur.org/cata/

Why the Pantheon? Unless you?re interested in the Pendulum. Although it's not far from St-Sulpice and Cluny.

Others have commented on the Bastille and the Diana Memorial and I echo their opinions.

Here's some further thoughts:

You don't like to spend a lot of time in museums. So, instead of the Orsay, which is huge, go to the Marmatton. It's in the 16th, where you're staying and has wonderful Impressionist art, which is what's in the Orsay. The Marmatton is a small museum and you won't become overwhelmed but will see the same type of art that is in the Orsay, including the painting from which Impressionism got its name (Impression of a Rising Sun).

At the Rodin only go to the garden. There's plenty of sculpture in the garden and it's less expensive than getting a ticket for the museum. The Thinker, Burghers of Calais, and Gates of Hell are in the garden. Also many more sculptures.

Go to the library and get a book called "The Louvre." In the back is a section called "The Louvre for People in a Hurry." This shows what the "famous" works of art are and where they're located. Make a copy and take it with you.

At Pere Lachaise be sure to buy a map, otherwise you'll just wander around aimlessly. I think there's about 100,000 graves there and over 100 acres and perhaps you don?t know that it's so large. You could spend several hours there.

People on this board have given you lots of good suggestions and things to think about. A couple of people mentioned the Jacquesmart-Andre Museum. I didn't do this until my 6th trip to Paris and can't believe I missed this museum. It's so worth while. It's small and beautiful and you get to see how the rich 19th century people lived. They give you a free audio guide with the admission price so you can hear all about the house and art.

The Seine boat trip is also wonderful.

To get a bit more organized, buy a laminated map and some transparent Post-it flags and mark the location of each thing you want to do. Planning a trip takes lots of time and patience.

adrienne

You really are getting some great advice, eahayden. Planning a good trip does take some work beforehand. I have a slightly disenting opinion regarding the Catacombs and the Pantheon, however. These are two of my favorite sights in Paris!
The Catacombs are so strange and eerie. Plus, they provide a facinating window into the past. They were created because graves were so full that bodies were overflowing and "pooping" through into people's cellars! Yuck!
I also enjoy the Pantheon because I greatly admire some of the intellectual/literary giants whorest there. The crypt is so creepy and atmospheric.
Good luck with your trip and have a great time.

Eek!
I meant popping into cellars, NOT pooping!
I meant giants who rest there, NOT whore there, or whatever I wrote.

I'm going back to bed now.

I think one of the most important things is to schedule things that are close together on the same day so you don't waste a lot of time backtracking and crisscrossing the city. Sometimes I read posts where people are riding the Metro 6 or 8 times a day. IMHO, they must not have set up their schedule very well! Adrienne has done a good job with that, except I might switch Cluny and the Louvre, since Cluny is right on the way from the Pantheon to Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur. Also, although the Louvre might usually be open Wed night, I would wonder if it will be on New Year's Eve. If you decide to go there Wed night, check ahead of time. I realize this puts the Louvre and D'Orsay on the same day, but you could go early to the Louvre and have a little time for shopping before and/or after lunch, then the D'Orsay.