daun0

Last spring, we hosted, in our Vancouver BC Canada home, a student from Bordeaux who is studying in Angers....(The time we spent with him was SO much fun, far from a typical homestay situation.) At the end of his work experience, he invited us to France & we have been frantically saving $$ to be able to go on April 1st. We will spend the first few days on our own in Paris & then take the TGV to see him in Angers, from where he & his girlfriend will tour us around in his parents motorhome for a week, as we make our way around the Loire to Bordeaus via the Dordogne. Aren't we just the luckiest tourists??!! I am excited to post a trip report here when we're done...

When we are on our own in Paris, we have this, below, as a plan. We are in our 40's, (leaving the kids at home!) and are fairly fit, but plan to take the metro as MUCH as possible to avoid walking BETWEEN neighborhoods, though we will walk alot within the neighborhoods. PLease tell me if I'm doing OK with this plan...We bought 2 day visite passes on ebay for $15. I've tried to include some "OR"'s in the day plans because ..."All firm plans need latitude....Tout plans ferme a besoin de latitude."

Thursday April 2 arrival - about 1900 at hotel (Latin 1/4 rue des ecoles, near Cardinal Lemoines/Jussieu)

Boat cruise on the seine (We will SEE the Eiffel Tower, and if we are really crazy, maybe we'll try to go UP it too if we choose the boat tour that starts there...but we'll be tired)
Dinner

Friday, the 3rd

Notre Dame. Ille de cite, St Chapelle/conciergerie and pont neuf, (about 5km & 4 hours, using Rick Steeves Historic walk audio tour)
Take the metro to
Napoleons Tomb (only, not the musee)allowing 1 hour, after light lunch/picnic (on rue cler?)
Cluny OR Rodin Museum OR up the tower (1-2 hours)
Rest & Dinner (Reserve Le Pre Verre, close to hotel)

Saturday the 4th

Louvre - (rick Steeves tour &/or the guided tour at 1100) light lunch/picnic
Montmartre/Sacre Couer
Dinner (reserve Cheri Bibi, Montmartre)

Sunday the 5th

1100 Bike tour - (Exteriors only of) CHamps Elysees, Arc de trioumphe, The Eiffel Tower, Musée D'Orsay, Tuileries Gardens, ...the Ecole Militaire, Rodin Museum, Les Invalides, Alexander III Bridge, Grand and Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde, UNESCO

http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/tours/paris-day-bike (ends at 1500)

1600 TGV from Montparnesse (5 metro stops from the Bike Tour Office) to Angers!!

taggie

Hi there - fellow Vancouverite here. Lucky you!

You're flying to Paris to arrive April 2? And you plan to do the river cruise and dinner that night? I'm all for getting out and about on arrival in order to adjust to local time but IMO you will be very very tired - that's a loooong flight from Vancouver. I think the boat trip will pass in a total fog. I'd probably just plan on a walk around the Latin Quarter a bit, maybe stroll along the river and have dinner. Then go to bed.

What time do you land - are you sure you've left enough time to estimate your arrival/immigration/hotel transport to check in at 19:00?

daun0

Our flight is a red-eye you're right, and it lands CDG at 1640, if all goes well. The first leg is 9.5 hours, and I will SLEEP on it, with a pill, not a very natural method, especially for a west-coaster ;-) but that combined with a very early start the day previous, should get us to really SLEEP on the flight...my DH can sleep anywhere regardless, so he;ll not get drugged up. I may re-think the Thursday plan though, this is great feedback!

hmmm

You might want to combine Rodin museum w/ Les Invalides and Cluny (Moyen Ages) w/ Notre Dame et al, since those pairings would result in less wasted travel.

My wife's family hosted an exchange student from South Africa many years ago. The [former] exchange student is now in Australia, though they're all still close and exchange visits now.

Enjoy your trip.

Christina

I think your plan looks fine. I personally don't find Napoleon's tomb of any particular interest, although I really like the military museum there a lot, so I would rather spend my time there than going all that way just to view that tomb. But that won't take long at all, not even an hour.

I guess you saved a few euro on buying those passes on Ebay if that $15 was the full price, including any shipping, if they work. Sometimes people sell cancelled passes that have already been used. They only cost 14,4 euro in Paris.

KateIP

I would swap the Cluny/Rodin for the Orsay.
Going up the Eiffel tower can take longer than 1-2 hours. I went to the top last April, and it took 3-4 hours easily, with all the lines and waiting. Of course, you could take the stairs to the first level, and the views are great from there too. Or you could try going up in the evening.
I know you have dinner reservations, but have you considered visiting the Louvre on Friday night? The crowds are less, and they are open until 10pm.
Schedule some downtime to walk the banks of the Seine, or neighborhoods. The Latin Quarter and St Germain des Pres are charming at night.

ira

Hi daun,

Lucky you.

Don't try to plan every second of your short Paris visit.

It will be there when you return.

Plan one morning thing and one afternoon thing. Let the rest of the time be open for serendipity.

You are taking a bike tour that ends at 15:00 and planning to take a train at 16:00?

What will you do if your bike tour runs late?

StCirq

Looks to me like you're circling back on yourself - going to Napoleon's Tomb, then back two days later to see the museum. Not sure why you wouldn't combine them.

Also, it makes no sense to divert all the way to rue Cler to have lunch or a picnic between Napoleon's tomb and the Musée Rodin or the Cluny. There's nothing so compelling about rue Cler food that you need to go out of your way for it.

Generally speaking, I don't think you've grouped things very well geographically, and you've got way too much going on on Friday and not enough on Saturday. I'd revisit a good map.

zeppole

You need a more flexible plan because April in Paris has quite unpredictable weather.

I'm especially concerned that you would be committed to go to St Chappelle and Notre Dame on a non-sunny day -- because I would think you're going for the stained glass, yes?

I'll just toss it in for what it's worth: I suspect Rick Steves doesn't put St Denis on his list, but it's perhaps the greatest artistic and cultural site in Paris. I'd skip the tourist theater of Montmartre and go two more stops on the Metro to St Denis. Be sure to see the crypt where the who's who of French history are buried, going back to Clovis.

General tip about the Eiffel tower: It's hardly worth the cost or time to go beyond the first level, and it's cold and windy up at the top!

Have a great trip.

maryanntex

Like Ira, I wonder what you will do if the bike tour runs late. We did the nighttime Fat Tire tour last spring, and ran over time by about 30 minutes due to a couple of flat tires and a lot of picture taking at the Louvre. Have you considered taking the night Fat Tire tour? It includes a boat tour of the Seine and we enjoyed it a lot. The day we went on the tour, we had our big meal at lunchtime and just had snacks before and after the tour.

daun0

You might want to combine Rodin museum w/ Les Invalides and Cluny (Moyen Ages) w/ Notre Dame et al

Answer - it's EITHER the Rodin or Cluny, so your geography tip is great! It'll help us decide when the day arrives which to visit first.... Cluny is fairly close to our hotel


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I personally don't find Napoleon's tomb of any particular interest,

ANSWER - I agree, but my DH finds Napoleon fascinating...


I guess you saved a few euro on buying those passes on Ebay if that $15 was the full price, if they work.They only cost 14,4 euro in Paris.

ANSWER - REALLY? Pretty sure the website said 30 Euro for a 2 day pass, and the passes were new in the package...so hopefully we're ok!



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Going up the Eiffel tower can take longer than 1-2 hours. I went to the top last April, and it took 3-4 hours easily, with all the lines and waiting. Of course, you could take the stairs to the first level, and the views are great from there too. Or you could try going up in the evening.


ANSWER - Holy cow, I'm so glad I posted this, I don't want to take that much time to stand in a line....Stairs, and the 1st level only, I guess!

I know you have dinner reservations, but have you considered visiting the Louvre on Friday night? The crowds are less, and they are open until 10pm.

ANSWER - Friday night is actually cheaper, so I assumed that the crowds would be greater...go figure...Does anyone else have an opinion on this?


Schedule some downtime to walk the banks of the Seine, or neighborhoods. The Latin Quarter and St Germain des Pres are charming at night.

Answer - we are staying in this area, so hopefully it'll happen on our way home from dinners ;-)



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Plan one morning thing and one afternoon thing. Let the rest of the time be open for serendipity.

ANSWER - I've tried to make it just as you've sugested, one am thing, one (or two short) pm thing & dinner, with the PM things flexible according to mood/energy.



It will be there when you return.

ANSWER - I love this quote, I'm gonna 'keep' it! Have you met me?????



You are taking a bike tour that ends at 15:00 and planning to take a train at 16:00?

What will you do if your bike tour runs late?

ANSWER - Before booking the TGV, I consulted Fat Tire & that was their recommendation...





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Looks to me like you're circling back on yourself - going to Napoleon's Tomb, then back two days later to see the museum. Not sure why you wouldn't combine them.

ANSWER -The 2nd time is part of the bike tour & just goes on BY it, not IN......

Also, it makes no sense to divert all the way to rue Cler to have lunch or a picnic between Napoleon's tomb and the Musée Rodin or the Cluny. There's nothing so compelling about rue Cler food that you need to go out of your way for it.


ANSWER - duly noted & will NOT go out of the way now!

Generally speaking, I don't think you've grouped things very well geographically, and you've got way too much going on on Friday and not enough on Saturday. I'd revisit a good map.
Answer - I was thinking the same thing, geographically, it would make sense to do CLUNY, Louvre, ND, Rodin, in one day, they're closer together...but I thought we'd get musee'd out....Do you really think Saturday needs more? Any other feedback ANYONE?



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You need a more flexible plan because April in Paris has quite unpredictable weather.

ANSWER - Rain is not a problem to us. We're from Vancouver. ;-) Since we're only there 2 FULL days, we'll have to take a chance that the day we visit is nice...

I'll just toss it in for what it's worth: I suspect Rick Steves doesn't put St Denis on his list, but it's perhaps the greatest artistic and cultural site in Paris. I'd skip the tourist theater of Montmartre and go two more stops on the Metro to St Denis. Be sure to see the crypt where the who's who of French history are buried, going back to Clovis.

ANSWER - StCirq suggests that I haven't got enough goin on on Saturday....this is a good tip to consider if we feel the need to add to Saturday a bit, which was going to include Montmartre....I wonder if it's like Gas town in Vancouver, just a tourist trap, but kind of fun to visit anyways....

General tip about the Eiffel tower: It's hardly worth the cost or time to go beyond the first level, and it's cold and windy up at the top!

ANSWER - Exactly the feedback i need....this will answer KateIP post above in reagards to going UP the tower....




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Like Ira, I wonder what you will do if the bike tour runs late. Have you considered taking the night Fat Tire tour?

ANSWER - Agreed. DH is nervous about riding in the city in the first place, let alone at night, and can't be persuaded otherwise. I like my DH & want to keep him, so the day tour it is....You have made cross my fingers though about the TGV.....

Sally30

I didn't find the Louvre very crowded on Friday night. It was great to go there when it wasn't crowded.

RobertaL

Dauno0, good advice from posters so far. I have never been tired the first day (I don't know if it's because of the same pill you mentioned or the refreshed excitement after landing but we always go, go, go that first day).

I have been to Paris 3 times and have yet to go up the the Eiffel Tower. Instead, we grab some food & wine and relax on the grass below it, just gazing at it for an hour or so. Much better than facing those lines...Besides, you will have a beautiful view from Sacre Couer.

-Roberta

zeppole

I don't think Gas Town is fun, so it's hard for me to advise but while in France, I'd take an authentic and staggeringly beautiful work of medieval architecture, over Gas Town any day.

ira

Hi d0,

>What will you do if your bike tour runs late?

ANSWER - Before booking the TGV, I consulted Fat Tire & that was their recommendation...<

That won't help you when you have 0:30 hr to get from the tour office onto the train (not just to the station) with your luggage.

You can check schedules for the Metro at www.ratp.fr. Enter the address and < ,Paris>. Your destination is "Station" <Gare Montparnasse>.

hmmm

Paris Visite 2 day passes, zones 1-3 are 14.40 euros each at ratp.fr. So, $15 for 2 is a good deal, if genuine and unused.

Weather may be a little brisk for a picnic, though you will find many sites around Les Invalides or Rodin museum which may be fitting settings, without ambling over to rue Cler.

Sacre Coeur is well worth the visit, both for the architecture and the city views back south.

And, if you want an elevated view, sans wait, you might try the Arc de Triomphe, a nice stroll from Pont Alexander III, and sitting atop a metro station. You'll also get a nice view at Notre Dame, if you climb the tower there.

I'm with Ira on your scheduling of train so close to end of your bike tour.

Have a great trip. Perhaps we'll see you there. We arrive April 4.

maryanntex

I agree with hmmm about the view from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Friends told us to go there for the view rather than the Eiffel Tower--the climb takes less time, it's less crowded, and you can see the Eiffel Tower--and Sacre Coeur--and everything else--from there.

Also, the Fat Tire Tour (I'm still thinking you should convince your husband to take the nighttime tour!) leaves from the Eiffel Tower, so you'll get a great close-up view then, too.

daun0

I don't think Gas Town is fun, so it's hard for me to advise but while in France, I'd take an authentic and staggeringly beautiful work of medieval architecture, over Gas Town any day.

Answer - Yep, Agreed, I meant the idea that the neighborhood is supposed to be nice to walk through & get a "feel" for....Sacre Couer is certainly not the Steam Clock is it?

As for the vIsite pass, I used the wrong terminology...I bought the MUSEUM pass....not the metro one.

Thanks for the RATP schedule tip...it takes 13 minutes, station to station, but as indicated, the station at montparnesse is huge, so perhaps a taxi is better, it'll take us closer to the TGV area there, (I think) & it's a short ride so not too $$

Am going to re think this & tweak my plan with your suggestions in mind!

cathies

If your main reason for going to the top of the Eiffel Tour is to see the view, then you can have almost the same view at the top of the Arc du Triomphe (?) without waiting in queues. You just head up the stairs and, voila, a magnificent view!! If you look at a map you will see that it's not far from the Eiffel Tour, so you could enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tour from Trocadero and the Camp du Mars and then catch a cab (less than 5 mins) to the top of the Champs Elysee somewhere and then explore the Arc.

Hope you have a lovely time!

cathies

Forgot to say....... on a first visit unless, you have a particular interest, I would skip both Cluny and Napoleon's tomb + military museum and head to Musee D'orsay instead. But it's just my opinion, obviously it all depends on your interests. As well as the collections, I absolutely loved the architecture of the former train station that is Musee D'orsay.

I didn't mind Napoleon's tomb, but found most of the military museum REALLY boring. Cluny was ok but FOR ME, not too much wow factor. As another poster said, and it's a common and true phrase on Fodor's, they will still be there when you return.