Please Advise on my Itinerary

Old Mar 21st, 2023, 08:18 AM
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"8:10 am Arrival into Paris
Car Service to drop luggage at hotel and then transfer to Versaille
Palace of Versaille will book Reservation for 2:00pm"

OK sorry but this isa 100% insane horrible idea. Can't pussy foot around it. You have no idea how long immigration will take. CDG can be a total zoo in the morning when many wide body/long haul flights arrive so even IF you land on time it will still be probably close to noon before you drop the bags. Then from where you are staying it will be more than an hour's drive to Versailles . . . so let's say 1 or 1:30 . . . and you are jet lagged, have been in transit of one sort or another for maybe 18-24 hours, haven't had lunch, . . . and are still grungy from an over night flight.

Yes - Insane horrible idea
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 08:35 AM
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Ok, So if we switch out Arrival Day for the stuff planned for Sunday... Is it reasonable to do Versaille in the morning and go to the Moulin Rouge show in the evening?
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 08:53 AM
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I, too, would not schedule Versailles for your first day. I would, instead, try to incorporate some of the walks you'd like to take. I see you don't have the Musee de l'Orangerie listed. That is a lovely small museum which you can see quickly and is and a must in my book if you like paintings by Monet. Perhaps you can add that into your first day.

Try to visit Versailles at the beginning of one of your days when it is less crowded as it will be much more enjoyable.
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 09:12 AM
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I await, with some trepidation, a trip report from Luna, assuming her plans change on the fly or should she survive the trip if she keeps to her planned itinerary. Versailles takes a day if she wishes to see the palace, the grounds, the two Trianons, and the Hamlet. I urge substituting Normandy with Versailles and finding something else to do on arrival day. I also recommend having time to eat every day. Paris eating should not be grab and go.

I realize Luna came here for advice, and free advice is only worth what you pay for it if ignored. At least she should have a plan B for each day. After all, it could rain.
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 09:20 AM
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Oh, some time could be saved by doing the Four Minute Louvre:
https://intend2travel.info/2020/11/1...vre-an-update/
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 09:40 AM
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I think on your arrival day, since you are staying in the Marais, I would explore that area and some of your other Sunday list destinations, have a long leisurely outdoor lunch, then maybe an indoor museum to say out of the heat. Return to the hotel, freshen up and put your feet up before dinner.

I think you need to eliminate your trip to Normandy, and go to Versailles first thing Saturday.

I love your enthusiasm, you will have a great trip if you pare it back and have more relaxing, impromptu experiences.
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Old Mar 21st, 2023, 10:56 AM
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Looks like a fun trip you have planned. Just an FYI, though - the French may look at you a bit funny if you make any references to "Bastille Day". Some may not even know what you're talking about. For them, it's "la Fête Nationale". Bon voyage!
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 05:54 AM
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Everyone who replied has been to Paris - probably several times - and they all agree your itinerary is not doable. At least not in a way you can actually see and enjoy anything.

Also you mentioned you cannot go up the Arc; that tells me it is due to age or physical shape (no offense meant). This itenary is maybe possible for a 20 year old who would run through most of it.

You either remove Versaille and Normandy or half of the Paris stuff. Do yourself a favor and time just getting from and to these activities in Paris (~1-2 hours minimum given the number), your breakfast, lunch and dinner breaks (~3-4 hours) and then you will see how much time you actually have to see things. There should be plenty of sites that will provide you estimates of how long it takes for each.

Just a couple simple things for example. Orangerie (imo least of these attractions) is a 20 minute walk to Pantheon (not worth seeing either given your time limitation - per Google which means probably add another 5-10 mins to it). That takes you away from the Seine so probably a 15 minute walk back to it. Another example is Luxumber garden, a large and beautiful garden that people go to spend an hour or two to rest and eat. Your itenary makes it seem like you want to see it for 5 minutes and leave. If that's the goal then it's not worth it. The Musee d'Orsay is a 35 minute walk from Pantheon or 25 mins by transit. All these things add up.

Prioritize what you want to see, calculate distances and how long you want to spend and then add in optional items if you have time.

Good luck and just do whatever you will enjoy most.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 08:55 AM
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Thanks again for all the comments both helpful and some not so much, I have come to terms with changing things around and would appreciate your thoughts on this. Again, we are flexible, we have traveled extensively in Israel, Spain and London, I tend to put a lot on the itinerary so that while we are in a certain area I can quickly rearrange or remember what to look for. We are in our mid 50’s and mobility is not an issue. I sometimes have issues with my knee and too many steps can bother u
nless it’s really worth the effort. I haven’t shared the rest of our 18 day trip (Alcase, Annecy, Provence, French Riviera).
I’m afraid it might give some of you a heart attack! LOL! Seriously, thank you so much for your help.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - Paris

8:10 am Arrival into Paris
Hotel Caron
Self Walking tour of LeMarais
Jewish Quarter, Place des VosgesPlace de la Bastille, Marché des Enfants Rouges - Food Market
Lunch in Le Marais
Check into Hotel
Dinner near hote

Thursday, July 13, 2023 - Paris
Train to Versailles

Palace of Versaille
Gardens and grounds
Lunch at Versaille
Sacre Coeur - outside only
Walking tour of Montmartre
Place St. Pierre, Eglise St. Pierre Montmartre
Dinner nearby - suggestions welcome
9:00 pm Moulin Rouge

Friday, July 14, 2023 - Paris - Bastille Day!Explore Right Bank
Louvre - (Book first ticket)
Lunch in Tuileries Gardens
Walk Champs Elyse
Dinner around the area
Fireworks at Eiffel Tower (11:00 pm)


Saturday, July 15, 2023 - Paris
Day trip to Normandy - Best Tours - Lucca

Sunday, July 16, 2023 - Paris
Explore Left Bank
Notre Dame (outside)
Saint Chappelle (Book first tour)
Concergerie (if time)
Lunch and strolling - Ile Saint LouisWalk along the Seine
2 pm - Museum D’Orssey - (book tickets in advance)
Dinner and Walking St Germain
Luxemburg Gardens, Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore, Église Saint-Sulpice, Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Pantheon (if time)
Take Cab to Sightseeing Cruise on the Seine




​​​​​​​
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 08:56 AM
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I concur that Versailles on day one is not a great idea. Arriving at 8:10 means, at best, you'll reach your hotel via taxi/car around 11:00ish. Assuming you are coming in to Paris on an overnight flight, your best bet is to do the outdoor, free stuff on day one with the goal to stay in the sunlight as long as possible and to stay up as long as possible. Not being able to check in until 6 pm helps with the no sleep. A river cruise first thing will do several things: Keep you in the sunlight; begin to give you an understanding of how big Paris really is; and, let you get an outdoor view of many of the landmarks first. The entire time should be about 90 minutes and getting on and situated is as no-fuss, simple as you can get. I'd buy my tickets online ahead of time for a small discount and you can avoid the queue for tickets. We've always used Vedettes du Pont Neuf. After the cruise returns to Pont Neuf, you can easily walk to Notre Dame to see it from the outside since it is still closed, and it will also let you get a better idea of the queuing location for Sainte Chappelle for a later time. Walking along the Seine is usually interesting, and as you move back towards your hotel in the Marais you can easily find a place to eat, the menu boards are easily viewable.

As for the remainder of your itinerary, I'd recommend that you identify the two most important places for each day and your itinerary can fill time between each. I would prepare to only be able to see two places each day, unless of course it is a park or outdoor site with no queue to worry about. This caveat is also important because during your time, Paris will absolutely be packed with people, so queues will be even longer. As for the Louvre, the extended hours are great, but they will be packed as a result. I'd try the Louvre on a day following the extended hours, prepurchase your tickets, and enter through the Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre metro station, it is quicker than entering through the pyramid area. And enter the museum at the earliest opening time with your ticket in hand. You will be able to move quickly to the Mona Lisa and view it before it is absolutely packed. Thereafter, you can simply mill along with the massive crowd to see the remaining sites inside that you're interested in as you won't be able to see all of the Louvre in one week, much less than one day.

Good luck and enjoy!
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 09:20 AM
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A bold itinerary indeed. It still has the appearance of a kid-in-the-candy-store's list, but trying to do the impossible is self-correcting. We wonder what will be in your trip report, including the rest of your trip, should you wish to make a report.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 09:34 AM
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Originally Posted by AJPeabody
A bold itinerary indeed. It still has the appearance of a kid-in-the-candy-store's list, but trying to do the impossible is self-correcting. We wonder what will be in your trip report, including the rest of your trip, should you wish to make a report.
The itinerary is not a legal document. Just a guideline, we will rearrange as many times as necessary.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 09:36 AM
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""but trying to do the impossible is self-correcting."

On our very first trip to Europe (1977) - Amsterdam. Arrive at 9PM. Dinner. Next day see Amsterdam, next day train to Cologne, arrive around noon, see Cologne, rent car. Next day set out driving with 1 night stays at each destination. Mom & sis bailed out after 1 week. Wife would not go on another vacation with me.

I remembered very little about this trip - so 2 years later we repeated the exact same itinerary - but cut our 2/3 of the destinations we had on the first trip and stayed in Amsterdam 3 full days instead of 1 1/8th.

Less is more.

Stu Dudley
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 10:37 AM
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The new plan is better -- still pretty rushed -- only 4 usable days in Paris (That doesn't count your arrival day which will mainly be airport logistics, transit/checking in, walking around and recovering from jet lag.) Four days and two of them are day trips out of town so very very little time IN Paris itself. Being anywhere near the Champs-Élysées / Arc de Triomphe on the 14th will be a zoo with heavy security and likely demonstrations of one sort or another. I'd avoid the whole area - including near the Eiffel Tower. You can see the fireworks from a distance.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 04:19 PM
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"First time trip to France." Ergo, first time to Paris. Yikes. So much of this feels like a drive-by...

The Louvre has free entry on Bastille Day, so I'm not sure there is any advance ticketing/booking for that day.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 04:53 PM
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I would not go anywhere that has free admission when you normally have to pay a large ticket price. It may take hours to get inside, and once you get in - there will be no room to move. This was the case in early October in Versailles on a weekend with full price. Can't imagine what July 14 would be like. You would probably be standing for 4-6 hours. What would that do to your knee? Walk the Seine that day - there are benches to sit on.

BTW, last time we were in Paris in July 2019 (for my wife's birthday - July 6), the temps were over 95 F. We were just there for the afternoon & night after returning by train from a month in Brittany. We spent the entire time in our air-conditioned hotel room until it was time for dinner at 8PM.

Stu Dudley
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 05:35 PM
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Originally Posted by StuDudley
I would not go anywhere that has free admission when you normally have to pay a large ticket price. It may take hours to get inside, and once you get in - there will be no room to move. This was the case in early October in Versailles on a weekend with full price. Can't imagine what July 14 would be like. You would probably be standing for 4-6 hours. What would that do to your knee? Walk the Seine that day - there are benches to sit on.

BTW, last time we were in Paris in July 2019 (for my wife's birthday - July 6), the temps were over 95 F. We were just there for the afternoon & night after returning by train from a month in Brittany. We spent the entire time in our air-conditioned hotel room until it was time for dinner at 8PM.

Stu Dudley
Thanks Stu, I was just looking at the online tickets for the Louvre and realized that, so I think we will do the Louvre on our arrival day, since we switched Versailles to our first full day.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by luna2018
Thanks Stu, I was just looking at the online tickets for the Louvre and realized that, so I think we will do the Louvre on our arrival day, since we switched Versailles to our first full day.
Not a good idea Likely one or both of you will be jet lagged. Fighting the crowds and trying to find your way around the Louvre when you've been up and traveling overnight - just dreadfully exhausting. Any heavy indoor sightseeing is generally a bad idea on arrival day. Your latest plan of walking around the Marais, Place des Vosges etc is a much better idea.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 06:06 PM
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Originally Posted by janisj
Not a good idea Likely one or both of you will be jet lagged. Fighting the crowds and trying to find your way around the Louvre when you've been up and traveling overnight - just dreadfully exhausting. Any heavy indoor sightseeing is generally a bad idea on arrival day. Your latest plan of walking around the Marais, Place des Vosges etc is a much better idea.
Thanks, we’ve done a bit of traveling and we have always been able to rally on arrival day. We are only coming from the East Coast of America, and I think we will be fine. Just trying to figure out the timing,.. Thinking it would be reasonable to do a 3:00 entry time. That would give us time to do the Le Marais, have lunch and then get to the Louvre. We will have an early night and be good to go.
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Old Mar 22nd, 2023, 06:15 PM
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I went to the Louvre on a free day. Despite hellacious lines, the entrance at Porte des Lions was as easy as pie. Few people seem to know about it.
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