Pls Critique My Itinerary in Paris
 

Hi all. It's my first trip to Paris on coming December. Pls comment and advise.

1/12, TUE (HALF-DAY ONLY)
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Arrive Paris in afternoon. Stay in 3rd Arr.
The Louvre
Eiffel Tower - catch the night view

2/12, WEDNESDAY
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Notre Dame Cathedral *
Saint Chappelle *
Rue de la Huchette
Pantheon
The Jardin du Luxembourg
Musee d’Orsay (not enter)
* choose one to enter

3/12, THURSDAY
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Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur)
Moulin Rouge
Arc de Triomphe


23/12, WEDNESDAY (NIGHT ONLY)
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Arrival from London. Stay in 8th Arr.
Champs Elysées Xmas Market

24/12, THURDAY
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Disneyland

25/12, FRIDAY
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Morning walk to Trocadéro and catch the view of Eiffel
LEAVING TO AIRPORT

2/12 -

I'd go into BOTH St. chapelle AND Notre Dam.

It's hard to comment without knowing anything of your interests, but FWIW:

Like DebitNM, I think you might want to consider visiting both St. Chapelle and Notre Dame -- both are glorious, and they are so different that the contrast is interesting.

I prefer the views OF the Eiffel Tower to the views FROM it.

With only a few hours for the Louvre, think through your priorities in advance.

No time to visit the Musee d'Orsay? Its my favorite museum in the world, and I've seen some fine ones! To each his/her own.

Is the Moulin Rouge open during the day? (I honestly don't know.) Do you already have a reservation?

Enjoy!

The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. It has late opening (enter up until 21:30) on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
http://www.louvre.fr/horaires-et-tarifs/horaires

I wish i can do both for St. Chapelle and Notre Dame but worry not enough time.

Frankly, i'm not those kinda "art" minded person. So, will choose either Louvre or Musee d’Orsay.

Oh no! Have to swap my plan for Tue & Wed as Louvre is closed on Tuesday.

How about the pairings? Is it doable?

Neither St. Chapelle (30 minutes inside) nor Notre Dame (1hour maximum and that's a large amount of time, IMHO) take that much time. Move one to Tuesday afternoon if need be or Thursday.

I also don't think you can just "see" Moulin Rouge (except the outside) during the day. Show at night is expensive and not worth it, again IMHO.

Why on earth do you want to visit the rue de la Huchette? Do you have a thing for squalid Greek restaurants with plastic food displays?

Do both Ste-Chapelle and Notre Dame, but if you must choose, do Ste-Chapelle.

You cannot compare the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay. They are completely different. If museums and art are not your thing, at least go inside the Musée d'Orsay to see the building. It's a manageable size. The Louvre, if you don't wish to visit it, can be seen and appreciated from outside as the incredible château that it was.

<i>Why on earth do you want to visit the rue de la Huchette?</i>

I´ll admit that I have never heard of anyone putting rue de la Huchette (or rue de la Harpe) on an itinerary other than to make a conscience attempt to avoid it completely.

Your first day in Paris, I for one would not want to be inside a museum, I would be walking, looking, smelling, eating, drinking and just taking in the city. Hard to explain but there is so much beauty and all the Christmas displays will be up.

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...mas-paris-2014

These are some pictures our Kerouac took last year so you will get a feel of what I am talking about.

By all means, if you can visit the inside of only one, make it Ste. Chapelle, The stained glass is marvelous. Don't rush to see Rue de la Huchette or the Moulin Rouge - neither is a top sight in Paris. Even is you are not a fan of museums, try to spend some time in the Musee D'Orsay. It is both a beautiful building and a great museum. I love the Louvre but it is a bit overwhelming. See the outside. By all means, take an evening cruise on the Seine. You will see many of the sights of Paris from a different perspective. Enjoy your trip.

Do you have a guide book?
Where are you going to be in the intervening days?
I find your listings on the "itinerary" to be somewhat odd--we'll just see everything from the outside. Luxembourg Gardens are interesting--it IS December--not so great for gardens.
As mentioned, the interior of the Orsay is one of the greatest views in Paris--as is the outside of the Louvre. Are is optional for the OP.
How long can it take to go IN Notre Dame and Ste Chapelle, as opposed to the Pantheon and rue Huchette? I do believe there is more to be seen on Wednesday.

I wouldn't waste a day in Paris at Disneyland. In fact, you may not even be able to go there as December weather is cold and can have rain, ice or snow. Also, remember the days are very short of daylight. I don't know the exact length of the trip, but I think it takes over an hour each way to even get to Disneyland. You might want to rethink.

Where are you flying from? The Louvre might be quite overwhelming if you are trying to deal with jet lag on your first day. On the other hand, if you don't need to acclimate, it could make a nice afternoon.

I would go inside both Notre Dame and Ste. Chappelle, if possible.

The Pantheon is OK but I would only go if you have a special interest. I am not sure why Rue de la Huchette is on your list.

I would try to add the Orangerie if you like Monet's paintings. It is a small museum but well worth seeing.

I would also skip Disneyland, but this is your trip.

Thanks for all the feedback. Definitely will visit St Chapelle & Notre Dame.

Pls advise whether these 3 places doable in ONE day.
Versailles
Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre (Sacre-Coeur)
Arc de Triomphe

Theoretically, yes, if you don't mind a long day. Because the Arc de Triomphe is closes late and Sacré-Cœur is open early/closes late, you can really pack a lot into one day.

If you took the train to Versailles and got there first thing in the morning, you could spend however much time you'd like there, take the train back, and then make evening visits to the Arc de Triomphe (open 10am-10:30pm) and then make your way up to Sacré-Cœur (open from 6am-10:30pm).

Or
Sacré-Cœur first in the early am
Versailles
Arc de Triomphe

I'm used to long days like this because that's my style so it's certainly possible and would make the most of your limited time.

Versailles will take at least 8 hours, if you want to see all of the palace and most of the gardens. Most of the statues there will be covered to protect them from the frost, and if it's really cold, the fountains will not be turned on. I don't find the gardens are interesting in the winter, not much color there. I would skip it.

You can certainly see both the Arc de Triomphe and Sacre Coeur in one day. You can get from one to the other in about 30 mins plus a short walk, if going by Metro. Depending on how many photos you take, you only need to spend an hour or so at each place. Moulin Rouge is not far from Sacre Coeur, so if you want to take a photo of the outside, you can do that, too.

I would forget the Louvre, since it doesn't sound as if you're interested in art, and will be tired, anyway. The place is much bigger than you think it is, and the "must-see's" are spread out all over the place. Just take photos of the glass pyramids in the courtyard and the exterior. Wouldn't bother walking by the Musee d'Orsay, but would recommend going inside to look at the interior for about an hour or so. You'll need to purchase advance tickets, if you want to make a quick visit.

The line to get into Notre Dame moves fast - maybe 20 minute wait. It only takes about 15 mins to walk through the interior, it isn't that big. The line at Sainte-Chapelle can be horrendous - I've waited over an hour to get in. The line closes at lunchtime for about an hour. If it's a sunny day, it is totally worth seeing - if it's dark and raining, you won't get the full benefit of the stained glass, which is the whole point of the place.

I like the Pantheon - if you like lots of statues and are interested in seeing where famous people are buried, you would like it, too.

Since you're going to the Christmas Market on the Champs-Elysees - which will only take about an hour or so, depending on if you want to eat and drink there - you should follow up with a nighttime cruise on the river. Walk along the river towards the Eiffel Tower to board near Pont d'Alma. It's a beautiful experience on a winter evening. Bundle up well, though.

Fountains are closed for season at Versaille.

SAINTE Chapelle and Notre Dame are really two different things, so choose based on which interests you for the reasons you want to see each. Yes, they are both Medieval, but Sainte Chapelle is just a smaller private chapel/church built as a reliquary, basically, as part of the royal palace. Notre Dame is a major cathedral. Both have pretty stained glass windows, but if that is the main reason you are going, I would give the nod to Ste Chapelle.

Rue de la Huchette is fine to browse, it's right on your way, anyway. It is a very old part of Paris and you might want to pick up a snack or something. Makes as much sense as walking another direction.

As so often happens, some great examples here of differences between travelers -- and so the need for YOU to decide how to spend your time. As just one example, after barely an hour at Versailles, I was so fed up with the overwhelming and ostentatious displays, in a style I don't even like, that I fled the palace for the gardens and grounds, which were open when I was there. To each his/her own!