please help me with paris itinerary
 

I plan to be in paris for 3 days and see the following places:
-eiffel tower at night
-louvre
-bercy village
-Conciergerie
-notre dame
-opera garnier
-parc des buttes
-basillica sacre coeur
-arc de triomphe
-pont alexander bridge
I am planning to take metro to get to these places. can someone help me put these in order so that i can take the best metro route and don't waste too much time going back and forth. i already know the stops for them just don't know what order they are in.
Can someone also help me split these in 2 or 3 days?
i am also open on suggestions if you feel i am missing out something good or have something not that great on my list.
i also want to take the air balloon on one day.
thanks in advance.

If you get a 1 or 2 dau Museum Pass then you should group your museums in those two days for economic reasons

I am not planning to see any museums, just louvre from outside.
are these places also walkable? what would be the best route?

reb-

1. Do you have a map of Paris? A Metro map? If you don't, please go and get one (or download it online). It's very easy to figure this out when you can just look on a map. To me, you're just perhaps too lazy to do this and want someone else to do it for you?

I'd suggest you make some effort to come up with an itinerary yourself, THEN come back and post it and ask for input.

2. < i also want to take the air balloon on one day. >

Huh??? What are you talking about? Do you have a company in mind? A link?

3. < i am also open on suggestions if you feel i am missing out something good or have something not that great on my list. >

To me, just seeing the Louvre from the outside and not going inside; and not going to any museums in Paris is a complete waste.

In any case, PLEASE get a map of Paris first!

eiffel tower at night
-bercy villag
-opera garnier
-parc des buttes
-basillica sacre coeur
-arc de triomphe
-pont alexander bridge

Yes very walkable as central paris is not all that huge - may be 4 miles by 4 miles or so - at least where these sites mainly are

Louvre, Conciergerie, Notre Dame are very close to each other

a great walk would go from Notre Dame by the nearby Conciergerie and then thru the Louvre couryard and Tuileries gardens to the Place Concorde and up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe - about 3 miles if that and the Opera Garnier is just a short detour off the route

Bercy is more off the beaten track as is Sacre Coeur so i'd take metro there and Buttes Chaumont as well - do that all one day as they are not that far apart by metro

i did find a map on parisinfo.com.
it seemed to be in french, maybe i need to study it harder.
i am planning to take the Eutelsat Balloon ride and i have already figured out about it. I mentioned it to say that perhaps half of my day would be lost doing that.
but thanks for your input yk.

Here is a link to downloadable (is that a word?!) metro maps.

In case the link doesn't work...google to get to the RATP website. Click the British Flag for English (up in the right corner). Off to the right of the screen, click on "metro maps" under getting around Paris. You see pdf's to download.

http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index...cat=plan-metro


Since you know the metro stops for the places you are going, it should be easy for you to plan out your trip.

Reb77

The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, pont alexander bridge and eiffel tower (the order may be wrong, but they should all in the same area) and yes they are in walking distance of each other - long walk, but walkable.

Sorry, I couldn't be of more help.

You have got to go to Trocadero (directly across from the Eiffel Tower). That is the best way to see the Eiffel in all it's splendor.

Also, of note, visit Sacre Coeur early in the day. The area is seedy (think moulin rouge, sex shops, etc) and I would not venture there at night alone, unless I was with a Parisian (of which I was at the time).

Sorry I couldn't be of more help and sorry if I lead you astray on the location of the sites.

Intersting. I have to Google "Eutelsat Balloon" to see what it's about:

The Eutelsat Balloon is at Parc Andre-Cirtoen, offers 10-minute rides to an altitude of 150 meters, or about 500 feet, for as little as 10 euros.

I have to refrain from giving any more of my opinion to you, reb77. Obviously, different strokes for different folks. I have been to Paris 7 times and have yet heard of the Eutelsat Balloon.

thanks everyone, all great tips.

Just curious, reb77--how did you come up with this list of places, and where are you going to be staying? You say you just want to see the Louvre from the outside. Is this true of the other places you have on your list? If you just want to do walk-bys, you could certainly see a lot more things in three full days. If you would tell us what you're focusing on, people could come up with suggestions.

I'd also look at the Destination Guide here for some ideas and smaple itineraries.

I'd buy one of the multiple choices for maps. I personally have a copy of the Michelin Blue map that I carry with me at all times. Streets, metro/RER stations, sights, parks, etc all there.

I'd also be interested in how you came up with your list. It seems a bit...random.

Having just been in Paris for 4 days, I absolutely recommend the Streetwise Paris map (I bought mine from Amazon). It's laminated and shows all of the major sites and has a metro map as well. It was very useful for planning purposes as well as while walking around the city.

Hi Maryanntex,
>>>>--how did you come up with this list of places?
--I did some reading and made a detailed itinery of some places that would interest me, how to get there, how much it costs, timings etc. would you like to see it?

>>>>where are you going to be staying?
--- i'll perhaps stay at a hostel or some other cheaper options. I'll be making the reservations next week.

>>>You say you just want to see the Louvre from the outside. Is this true of the other places you have on your list?
---no i am going to tour the other places from inside too. I don't want to do any museums on this trip. I want to do that some other time when i have good company.

The map was in French?

Well, blimey!

I can recommend a good hostel if your still looking:

The best hostel I've stayed at in Paris is MIJE Fourcey - they have 3 I believe in the same area. Located in the Marias a hop and skip from the river - this is a clean, quite, architecturally interesting building overlooking a magnificant church. It is also more geared for school aged kids - no partying. Still I liked it a lot - 24hr front desk. Sure beat the Young and Happy Hostel in the Latin Quarter which had plenty of partying, dirt, grime and noise. I should mention I met some lovely 20something roomies at Fourcey so it wasn't ALL school kids. I also had to make reservations as the place was booked solid - so keep that in mind.

Depends on what floats your boat.

You should always do what you want on vacation. If you don't want museums - then don't go to museums. There are a tonne of wonderful things to do in and around Paris besides viewing art. The city itself I would say is a work of art anyway.

Other non-museum things I enjoy: Personally I like the Pantheon (Latin Quarter) and St. Chappelle. St. Chappelle has a joint ticket with the Conciergerie and they are very close to each other.

This next trip to Paris DW and I are planning on really exploring interesting streets in the Quarters - we too want to shy away from too many museums.

I have never been to Bercy Village and would love to hear your thoughts on the area when you get back.

Have Fun,

Naxos

Naxos - what a great post - tres interessant as the French could say

thanks Naxos, thats some great information.

I have stayed in MIJE's Maubisson and Forcey hostels - in a grouping of 4 ancient houses in the Marais and found them clean well run, etc. Not the typical istitutional hostel atmoshpere. smaller rooms too.

Frommer's destination guide has suggested itineraries for 3 days that group some of the places you have listed. It also gives an idea of some neighborhoods to explore on foot
http://www.frommers.com/destinations...062010007.html

I second the suggestion to include a visit to Ste Chapelle--an incredibly beautiful building
Also, since you are interested in views, I recommend climbing the tour at Notre Dame