Paris itinerary review please!
 

Hi!
My sisters and I (all in mid-late 20's) are leaving for Paris in a week and arriving on Thursday morning, 21st(first time!). We'd appreciate any tips for the review of our itinerary. We're staying in the 17th near the Villiers metro station.
Thurs-
Sacre Couer/Montmarte
Pacr Monceau/Arc/Champs
Seine river cruise

Fri-
Louvre/Musee Galiliera/Musee de la Publicite
shopping around the area
Latin Quarter at night?

Sat-
Musee d'Orsay
St Chappelle/Notre Dame/Ile St-Louis
Pantheon
Montparnasse

Sun-
Versailles
Eiffel Tower

Mon-
Latin Quarter
Luxembourg gardens
Marais

Tues- (shopping)
Opera Garnier area/Galeries Lafayette
St Germain/St Michel
Moulin Rouge show at night (yes have read the reviews on this board, but it's just something we have to do... ;))

Some questions... We're wondering what's the best way to get to our hotel from CDG. Thinking of taking the Air France shuttle to the Arc and then...that's where we're stuck. Take the metro for 3 stops to Villiers or taxi or walk? We'll each have about 2 pieces of luggage each.
Also, is it true we can purchase the museum pass at all participating attractions? Wanted to get a 4 day one at our first site, Sacre Couer if possible.
The three of us like shopping at the little boutiques for clothes, nick nacks, etc. (we're from San Francisco so we like Noe Valley, Haight, Chestnut/Union St kind of areas). So if there are any areas we missed, let us know.
Thanks!!

Hi P,

Much too overplanned, but that's OK.

For such a short visit, I suggest skipping Versailles this time.

For Sunday, I suggest tking the metro to Parc Monceau, having brunch at the Jacquemart-Andre musuem (www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/jandre/), visiting the museum, walking over to the Arc and then down the Champs to the Louvre.

That will give you a very pleasant Sunday.

I think that it would be better to combine Latin Quarter and Luxembourg gardens with St Germain/St Michel.

Enjoy your visit.

((I))

I'd suggest moving the Seine river cruise to other than your day of arrival. It won't get dark til about 8pm and your bed will be calling!

I know the museum pass is available in many of the Metro stops... maybe that will be easier for you?

I spent six days in Paris and went to Versailles, so if the palace is something you're really interested in, I'd say do it!

We would have skipped Sacre Couer, in hindsight. I'd say definitely do Versailles - we grabbed bread, wine, and cheese before boarding the train. Once we got hungry at Versailles, we found a bench by the Grand Trianon and had lunch and drank wine. It was the best day of our trip. I'd find a way to add the Marais and Place du Vosges as well - that was our other big highlight.

don't be discouraged about the moulin rouge reviews. my travel companion and i attended the show a few years ago and had a fantastic time! we drank champagne and hooted and hollered until the wee hours. we had the good fortune to be seated next to the grandmother and greatgrandmother (!!!) of one of the dancers. it was so fun visiting with them and seeing their reactions to the show. you'll have a great time...just remember, it is what it is.

Sundays are a good time to visit the Marais, because a lot of it is open for business and is quite lively, with some very interesting and funky shops (it used to be a Jewish quarter, so its opening hours are different than the rest of the city). Have brunch, and then browse.

Consider planning some shopping time in the Grands Magasins (Printemps, Lafayette, Bon Marche) on their late opening nights. (Bon Marche's is Wed, the others are Thurs.) Unless you're napping before dinner, this is a good use of time between late afternoon and the earliest possible hour at which you could go out for dinner (8 pm).

If you are in your mid-late 20s, you should be spending at least one evening in the Oberkampf District, which is a great place to bar-hop and check out restaurants. We liked the restaurant Chez Justine. There's also a great bar/cafe across the street. (We made a reservation at Chez Justine when we got there - for an hour later - and then went across the street for a drink.)

Your Thursday scheduled looks quite heavy, given that you likely will be quite jet-lagged. The first two items on your list involve hills (the first one) and long stretches of walking (the second). Probably not great for the day of arrival. Expect to need to cut back your activities, and need to reschedule them for later.

Most of the items on your to-do list involve the "top 10" touristy highlights of Paris. You might think of revisiting your list, and considering some more offbeat attractions that appeal to your personal interests (and that are less likely to attract crowds). You also might think of scheduling your days so that you plan a morning's activities plus lunch together, and leave time for each of you to do your own thing for at least a few hours each day before meeting up for dinner.

Some of my favourite Paris places (not on your list) are: (a) the Musee Carnvalet (museum of the history of Paris - love the scale models of what city blocks looked like through the ages); (b) the Musee Marmottan in the 16th (world's best collect of Monets plus the sculpture of Camille Claudel); (c) the Hotel de Ville (mayor's office in Paris) often has interesting exhibits - I think there's one focusing on Paris-focused photography in the next little while; and (d) the covered passageways full of shops that you can find throughout Paris.

Make sure you have time to explore and just wander aimlessly, checking out the architecture, beautiful streetscapes, cafe culture and shops. This is where a lot of the heart of Paris lies - not the Eiffel Tower.