Paris late Oct/Nov
 

I was last in Paris as not quite a teenager and my husband has never been. I would love suggestions for itenary in Paris for about 4 full days. We will be there late October early November. I want to see the highlights in the museums but not spend all day there. I am wondering if the Seine Cruise at night is available that time of year? Is one river cruise better that another?Is there anything I should book ahead of time to avoid lines or can I wait? I am thinking it will be slow that time of year. Also is the Paris discount pass worth it? We are staying near the Palais Garnier, Opera House.

As you can see i have lots of questions. Also I would love suggestions on terrific restaurants.

Merci

Many people here prefer the Vedettes Pont Neuf for a Seine river cruise. Yes, they run all year, but schedules change. You can google them and get a coupon for a discount to print and take with.

The Paris Museum Pass
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

is worth it if you will use it sufficiently to justify the cost. On a first visit, I would say yes. You can hit a lot of museums, and certainly not feel like your wasting your money if you only stay a short while. Also allows you to enter without lines at some busier places.

You could easily plan an itinerary by using the list on the Museum Pass website. Pay attention to opening days.

Definetly read a few Paris trip reports here.

I would do some walking tours to get oriented as to history and area. We just did 5 walking tours with My Hush-Hush Paris earlier this month. They were excellent and gave us a great feel for Paris. Philippe, the guide, also makes great recommendations for restaurants. We also did the Vedettes Point Neufchâtel cruise, and it was great. I would recommend one of the skip the line tours of both the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. We only had 5 days and didn't buy a museum pass.

<<We also did the Vedettes Point Neufchâtel cruise>>

There is no such thing. It's the Vedettes du Pont Neuf, and you can get a discount coupon online at their website, which can be used at any time.

A museum pass is a great thing if you want to visit a bunch of museums, are prepared to go on consecutive days, and want to avoid lines (security lines at some museums will hold you up whether you have the pass or not, though). Do NOT even contemplate the Paris Visite Pass, which is a complete rip-off: if that's the pass you're thinking of, give it a big, wide pass.

Paris will not be "slow" at the end of October. It will still be busy and vibrant.

There are terrific restaurants all over Paris, probably 40,000 of them. Making suggestions for specific ones is kind of a waste of time if we don't know your budget and tastes. Plus, in most Paris neighborhoods, all you have to do is walk out of your hotel, wander around, and look at menus (which are required to be posted), and select something that looks appealing in your price range.

Hmmmm. My iPad changed pont Neuf to pont Neufchâtel. Interesting. I could never have spelled that correctly on my own!

@PMJ: :)

We too are fans of Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Yes they run all year long, no problem with sheltered/heated passage, HOWEVER, be aware that the last trip of the night won't be a "go" if they don't have a minimum number of people (understandable), so I would recommend avoiding that time slot if at all possible so you don't waste precious time. Pre-purchased printed vouchers are great value/can be used anytime of day or night of your choice.

Is Paris EVER slow anymore?! Have a great time.

You can buy the tickets for the Eiffel tower ahead of the time. This is possible online as I remember. You will not totally skip the queue but you will definitely wait less.

You may do better to focus on smaller museums...the large ones it would be hard to just highlights.

Consider Musee Rodin to see The Thinker. L'Orangerie for the huge Monet canvases. I love both of these and they are not as crowded as the Louvre or D'Orsay. Although D'Orsay is my favorite museum.

On the right bank, we love Le Souffle, Citrus Etoile, Goumard (for seafood) and Aux Lyonnaise. Our favorite restaurant is L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (the one in the 6th). We also love Cafe Constant, les Cocottes and Reed in the 7th. Le Comptoir in the 6th is also a favorite of ours...if they have lobster bisque....get it.