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Paris Itinerary Help
Here is what we have planned out for our trip next week. Does it look decent? Any suggestions?
(we don't usually suffer from jet-lag due to our weird work schedules so we usually hit the ground running!) Monday: Arrive Notre Dame Cathedral & Towers Sainte Chapelle & Conciergerie Lunch in Luxembourg gardens Explore Latin Quarter & Walk Seine Tuesday: Opera Garnier Orsay Museum Arc de Triomphe Walk Champs Elysees Rodin Museum Trocadero Square to watch Eiffel light up Wednesday: Versailles or Reims Thursday: Louve Eiffel Tower Pantheon **spend time just wandering around** Friday: Louve again! Montparnasse Tower Catacombs **wander around and enjoy Paris** Sat: Leave for Rome! We have also budgeted €150 per day for both of us to eat and enjoy the city (this is after hotel and we have a museum pass!) Have we budgeted enough?? |
You will really have to hit the ground running on your first day--that's quite a lot to cover.
About day two--you could easily spend half a day just in the Orsay; give yourselves a little breathing time! I see that ou are planning part of two days for the Louvre: good idea. But I'd be inclined to forget the Monrparnasse Tower and the catacombs in favor of moving the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysée walk to that day. |
Sounds pretty reasonable to me, though the first day is a bit packed.
Unless you are an acrophile, not sure Montparnasse tower is all that big a deal. If you have not previously visited Sacre Couer/Montmartre I'd substitute that. Your daily budget should be just fine - not lush, but certainly adequate. If you are in the Pantheon area around dinner time, one of my favorite Paris restos is right there - Le Cosi on rue Cujas. |
I think that in the first two days (in special Tuesday) you try to see too much. Maybe you will visit Opera in another day. Seamus gave you a good idea, to see Sacre Couer/Montmartre instead of Montparnasse Tower and Catacombs.
Enjoy Paris! |
In the 5th maybe the same day you visit Pantheon, you might consider including the Musee Cluny, a very nice presentation of medieval art and architecture, it gives you more of an "up close" version of what you see in cathedrals and it has a nice medieval garden. And maybe that day you were going to do the Louvre again and Monparnasse tower consider the Marais area instead with the Musee Carnavalet, Place de Voges (sp?) and Musee Picasso (if you like Rodin Museum I think you would also like Musee Picasso). And that first day, rather than do both churches before lunch, consider ND, walk Latin Quarter and lunch and then the Sainte Chappelle.
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just some quick comments
Location-wise, the Pantheon fits much better w/ your Monday sites Tuesday is a forced march IMHO - too much over too wide a distance Since you are in Paris such a short time and have soooooo many things you want to see/do -- I'd skip the day trip on Wed and stay in Paris. Then maybe you can build in some breathing room on other days. I disagree that you should skip the Montparnasse Tower. The views are <u>amazing</u>. In fact I prefer the views from up there to from the top of the Eiffel Tower (from the ET you see the ugly MT, but from the MT you see the beautiful ET :) ) |
You might want to think about visiting the Louvre on Wednesday and Friday evenings, when it is open until 10pm. It is less crowded and it opens up more time during the days.
I would tend to agree with janisj about skipping the daytrip. I would put Notre Dame, St Chapelle, the Pantheon and walking around the Latin Quarter on the same day. I agree with adding the Cluny, if you have a museum pass there's nothing to lose as you can always leave after a minute or two. I like the Catacombs, and the Montparnasse area in general. You could do something like the Orsay in the morning, then take the metro to Montparnasse. See the catcombs, go to the tower, and wander around a bit and have dinner. Rodin and the Eiffel Tower would be good to pair together. Maybe the eiffel tower could be timed to both climb it and see it lit up on the same visit. Or skip the lights this night and do the Louvre instead. Then the Opera, Champs, and Arc on another day, with the Louvre again in the evening. If you skipped the daytrip you'd still have one free day to see things you missed, or discovered along the way. I've found it's always a good idea when visiting major cities to set aside one free day for that, usually my last. I wouldn't plan on trying to see your most important sights on your day. You never know how you'll feel, or if your plane gets delayed or screwed up somehow. Your budget of 150/day is quite generous, I don't think you'll have any problems there. |
Good comments so far.
I might tweak Day 1 (assuming jet lag is NOT a problem)...Conciergerie is OK, bu not sure if it is a must see. After sight on Ile de la Cite, I'd have lunch on Ile St Louis, just a short walk over bridge behind Notre Dame. And, Brasserie de l'Ile St Louis is right there. From there I'd walk above and below street level along the Seine up to Pont Neuf, then take in Square du vert Galant iwth its nice views of river and Left/Right Bank. From there walk along left bank, maybe go on Pont des Arts. From there I'd go down to Blvd St Remain, maybe along Rue de Seine. Then wander along blvd heading west. You will be near Pantheon, Luxembourg, Cluny. Depending on time can take in these. Lots of good restaurants around here, so could finish day in this area. Maybe finish with late night Seine cruise from Vedettes du Pont Neuf (you could buy tickets when go to Sq Vert Galant) Tuesday...Busy day. I might flip it aroind and do only one museum, Orsay, since it is the same general vicinity. After msueum, lunch, cross over to see Tuileries, and a little backtrack to see Rivoli arcade, then Palais Royal gardens. Carry on along Rivoli, up to Opera (maybe stop at Laduree for a macaron), back to Rivoli via Rue de la Paix to see Place Vendome. Place de la Concorde, then walk up Elysee to Arc. This should get you to late afternoon. Could wander the area around Avenue Montaigne. There is a recommended restaurant (Chez Francois) along here that has outdoor views of Eiffel, also could wander along Seine. I also like Place trocadero for night time views of Eiffel. Wednesday..as others stated, might reconsider since have so little time in Paris. A nice area you could visit this day is the Marais. Old mansions, Places des Vosges, etc..Consider a walking tour (morning) as a way to get out of the guidebooks and into the hands of a "local". Lunch in the area, then add on leftovers from Left Bank tour on Monday. Louvre is open to 10 tonite! Maybe switch from Thurs? Thursday... Assuming Louvre last night Eiffel first thing, then Rodin. Pantheon, I've been, it's OK. I suppose you could include it in a wander of the Left Bank, adding in St Sulpice, Arenes de Lutece (roman arena), Mouffetard street market, Jardin des Plantes, Musee de Sculpture (open air sculptures along Seine) etc...Good places to eat along the Left Bank of Seine, between here and Notre dame (e.g. Rotisserie du Beaujolais for their chicken). Friday...you are Louvre addicts, I see! Catacombs, good. If you have gone up Eiffel, maybe Montparnasse might be doubling up. I'd take afternoon and finish day in Montmartre, or maybe leave the touristed areas and go see the Monets at the Marmottan in the 16th, eat dinner out there also (perhaps Rotonde de la Muette for seafood?). Could walk back to Seine and see it lit up. I staye int he 16th last time I was there. OK< so this ia a busy schedule I know there is a tendancy to want to fill days because there is so much to see. But trying to do this can also lead to frsutration and stress.."we;ve got to go, the Rodin closes in 2hrs..." That's why I think the idea of wandering time every day, be it by choice, or even by taking a walking tour is important. I like to say you want to "be" in Paris, not just see it. And that may mean sitting at a cafe for an hour doing nothing but having a cafe creme and watching the world go by. Bon voyage! Mike |
Hi W,
You are very overplanned, which is all right if you realize that you will not be able to fit all of this in and still enjoy Paris. What draws you to the tour Montparnasse? ((I)) |
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