ilovelabs2003

We will arrive in Paris on 4/16 and depart on 4/23, staying at Hotel du Champs de Mars in the 7th. Here is a sample itinerary. Please let me know if I have missed anything major. We want to see a lot, but we also want to relax and not pull a "Clark Griswald" tour of the city! Still, I feel like we are not doing enough . . . I can't help it, it's the teacher in me!

Day 1 (Sat) Arrive; eat; sleep; Eiffel Tower

Day 2 (Sun) Day: Rodin and D'Orsay
Night: Bateau Mouche ride

Day 3 (Mon) Day: Notre Dame & Ste Chapelle
Night: Louvre

Day 4 (Tues)Day: Sacre Coeur
Neighborhood exploring
Shopping

Day 5 (Wed) Versailles

Day 6 (Thurs) Neighborhood exploring
Shopping

Day 7 (Fri) Travel day . . . back to reality

I think we have left enough time for exploring the gardins and squares and such. I figure we can go to the Eiffel Tower again if we like since it is close to our hotel.

Any feedback would be most welcome!

jenifer

I think you've scheduled plenty. It's not as if in between activities scheduled you'll sit there and wait for the time to arrive for the next one.

You'll find yourself wanting to enjoy the Champs de Mars when visiting the Eiffel tower, and may also want to cross the river to the Trocadero (best views of the Tower). While you're at the museums on Sunday you'll also explore around a bit, I'm sure.

Same for Monday - explore the islands and neighborhoods near Notre Dame.

When you're done exploring the Monmartre neighborhoods on Tuesday, you can go anywhere else you choose at that time.

You'll likely have time Wednesday evening to enjoy some night time strolling.

Our best times in Paris have been had just walking around everywhere. It's such a great city to do that in, that you don't want to have overscheduled every minute. I promise you will never get bored with the schedule you have!

StCirq

If you want to, you can certainly do more than that. You'll definitely have time to stroll over to Les Invalides and even the Resistance Museum, since it's close by.

I usually stay in a hotel right near the Champs de Mars, and one of my little itineraries is to walk to Les Invalides, spend an hour or so there, then walk to the Rodin Museum, spend about an hour or more there, have lunch in the outdoor café there, then walk to the Musée d'Orsay via the river. A couple of hours in the d'Orsay, then I walk all over St-Germain and take the métro or bus back to the hotel by about 6 pm - still plenty of time for sitting in a café, dinner, and an evening stroll around the neighborhood.

Similarly, on Day 3 you could do a lot more than Notre Dame and Ste-Chapelle if you wanted to. Unless you are going to examine every architectural detail, you probably won't spend more than an hour and a half at both places combined. That leaves you plenty of time to stroll along the big shopping boulevards or examine some other neighborhood, visit the Conciergerie, etc.

All in all, I would say this is not a terribly ambitious itinerary - which is just fine, if that's what you want. But if you are asking can you do more, definitely!

Underhill

I think you can fit in a number of additional sightseeing activities. The Rodin museum won't take an entire half day; you could go over to Les Invalides while you're in the area.

Seeing Nôtre-Dame and Ste-Chapelle are about a half day combined; near the Ste-Chapelle is the Conciergerie, where Marie-Antoinette spent her last days, and you can also just wander around the Ile de la Cité and explore the old neighborhoods while you're there. Ditto for the Ile St.-Louis.

For neighborhood exploring, pick up a copy of one of Thirza Vallois's books--they're wonderful guides to both well known and lesser known regions of Paris.

SAnParis

You may want to look at some schedule changes. You need to be @ the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning to avoid the tourist crush. In addition, certain museums are free @ certain times as well as open late, certain days. The itinerary itself looks good. Wandering in Paris is a wonderful thing. If you can't get it all in, you'll just have to go back...

rex

Re-posting this correction here for you, since you didn't understand that it is pointless to post this as a separate new posting...

Author: ilovelabs2003
Date: 02/03/2004, 02:34 pm

Message: We are arriving in Paris on the 17th, departing from Boston on the 16th. Sorry about that!

===========================

Best wishes,

Rex

elaine

I think it's a pretty relaxed schedule.
The Orsay museum is likely to be very crowded on a Sunday, so allow for some waiting in line time. If you buy a three day Carte Musee and rearrange Versailles and the Orsay so that they are both part of the three consecutive days of the pass (both are closed on Mondays), you will have free admission and skip possible long line at both Versailles and at the Orsay.

mamc

Sounds like a lovely and very relaxed week in Paris. Your schedule will allow you to wander and enjoy the city. You might want to make a list of some of the other things you would like to do if time permits. Then you can fit them in where you have time. For example, one of my favorite things to do in Paris in the spring, weather permitting, is to walk through Luxembourg Gardens on a Sunday morning to watch all the Parisians enjoying their spring weekend. Have a wonderful trip.

jenifer

If you are actually looking for more to do, have you made a list of all the attractions in Paris that interest you? If not, do some searches here and in some guide books to get ideas. Then, you can prioritize that list and either schedule them into your itinerary or just do them when you have time.

It's definitely nice to have a list of things that you'd like to see that aren't on your definite itinerary. It saves the time sitting there thinking, "Now what?"

But also keep in mind that in 5.5 days you'll never see all that Paris has to offer, so it's good to have some flexibility so that you can be sure to have enough time for the things you really love.

missypie

I bought a detailed Paris map and marked the "Not to Miss" attractions in one color, then marked the "things I'd like to see if there is time" in another color. That way I could get an idea of what was near what ... if I happen to know that I am only two blocks away from an interesting church or square after visiting one of the "main attractions", I am much more likely to get there than if I view every site as an entirely separate event.

SuzieC

Be pretty flexible as to when you go to St. Chapelle. I would suggest you wait for a sunny morning. GREAT light. In other words, if its a mucky morning, do the Louvre.
I enjoyed the display at the Crype under Notre Dame - the history of the city.
Also, on Sunday evenings, there is music at Notre Dame...that's day 3 isn't it?
And, if you can, TacherTearcher. Try to go see the Musee Carnavalet...

kenavo

Please don't forget the Mediaevel Museum which is in walking distance of the centre of Paris. One of the greatest memories I have; also Shakespeare and Friends, if you want to see a bookstore that is just mindblowing. It is on the bank, facing the Cathedral Notre Dame. If going anywhere near Montmartre, walk back down the back way and walk past the studio site of many famous artists, the Montmartre Vineyard and the Agile Lapin nightclub. Not to be missed!

bob_brown

I think it is good that you have some slack time. Paris is ever unfolding and you need to give the city time to show you some of the sights.

For example, we had just left the Musee Rodin and were walking along the street on the opposite side of the Ecole Militaire. Some hotshots on skate boards came roaring along the pavement and banged into a relatively plump middle aged woman. She unleasesd a tongue lashing as on the French can that would curl most people's hair. Then at the end of her tirade, she kicked the skateboard as hard as she dared. The hotshot boarder was lucky this lady did not have the kicking power of Mia Hamm or he might have been swimming in the Seine for his rollers. I did not understand what the woman was saying, but I knew exactly what she meant.

Another time a guy with an accordian eluded the gendarmes and popped onto the Metro and started playing. He was very good, and after I gave him some money, he got even better. I stayed on the train two stops beyond where I wanted to get off just to listen to him. Then he popped off the train before cops got him. I gather he did not have, as Inspector Clouseau said, a proper lye'sance for the purpose of playing a musical instrument in a public place for money. (Return of the Pink Panther)

The point is this: you need to have a little breathing space so that when incidents like those happen you can get a glimpse of Paris life.

I would like to throw in one more suggetion for Sunday.
There is a fabulous farmer's market that sets up on Sunday mornings along Boulevard Raspail, on the d'Orsay side of Rue de Rennes. We got sidetracked there one Sunday on our way to the d'Orsay. We got to the d'Orsay, and enjoyed, but whatever came next on our dance card was dropped unseen.

I also think you need to evaluate your objectives in going to the Louvre. It is a huge art museum full of so much that seeing it well can take more than a day.
After about 2 hours of looking at paintings I tend to blur out; I get the museum staggers where every painting starts to look the same.

There are some rather mediocre works in the Louvre as well as some great masterpieces. Unless you know what you want to see, and about where they are located in the museum, it is easy to start wandering aimlessly in the mazes of galleries.

Almost everybody goes to see Venus, Mona, and the Winged Victory. Venus is usually surrounded by a mob. Mona draws a crowd every day that is thick. The last time I was there, I did not bother. My wife got a glimpse of her by standing on her tiptoes and looking over the heads of a group of Japanese tourists. Fortunately she is nearly 6 feet tall with heels, and could peer over them.

The Winged Victory is a little easier to see because it is on the landing of the staircase and you can view it going up, then on the stairways that flank either side of the landing. And you can peer over the balustrade at the top, if I recall right.

I have an unkept promise to return to the Louvre. The last time I was in Paris I had it on my agenda, and got bogged down with some other places to visit, such as the Andre-Jacquemart Museum on Blvd. Hausmann and a couple of the smaller jewels of museums in Paris. I ended up with about 3 hours for the Louvre, which is not enough, and I simply said "See you later." Perhaps a mistake, because I may never return. But postponed is not abandoned, even though other destinations other than Europe are starting to call.

SalB

It looks like a wonderful itinerary. You will do things on the spur of the moment that you haven't planned and that's the fun of it. If you plan every second, you will feel so pressured you won't enjoy yourselves.

Be sure to check either the museum/church web sites to make sure of their hours and the days they are closed or you may be disappointed to land on the wrong day. I suspect most major guide books also have this information.

Every Sunday at 4:30 PM there is a free organ recital at Notre Dame. Get there very early as it is crowded. They get wonderful guest organists from all over the world and you can't imagine what a thrill it is to sit right under the organ looking up into the magical Gothic cathedral with the very stones about you shaking with the thunder of sound.

Do take the time to wander through the Tuileries and the Luxembourg Gardens. That is very "Parisian" and very relaxing.

You've obviously done some excellent planning and will have a wonderful trip.

Congratulations and bonne chance!

tinarose

missypie is very smart. Do your research before you go and you can fill in the "spare" time depending on your energy. Next to Ste Chappelle try to have enough time to see La Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was held. I found it very moving and have gone back to see it again.

tinarose

And also in the Louvre look for the Cour Marly. It holds a wonderful collection of sculpture and is displayed in a large beautiful room. It is calming and has not been crowded during my trips.

ilovelabs2003

I want to thank everyone for the feedback! I will definitely take your suggestions for other places to visit, if time permits! Thanks again!

ira

Hi love,

Look up Degas. He has planned come very good walking tours of various parts of Paris that might give you some ideas.

Gretchen

A good guide book to plan your Louvre tour is the Michelin Green Guide. See which wings you think you will enjoy the most. Also be aware that not all are open every day. I also like the DK Eyewitness Guide because it is broken down into areas of Paris so you can maximize your visit to one part and be aware of the major attractions in that area. The area of your hotel has WONderful restaurants soyou will be able to walk to and from them.

clevelandbrown

Assuming you will fly overnight and arrive early in the morning, I would suggest that you stay up that day, have dinner, then go to bed. When we have done that, we have had no problems with jet lag.

One favorite site of ours is the Marmottan museum, which has a very good display of impresionist works (the Monet's usually in Lorangerie are in the Marmottan temporarily. I think you could fit both the Marmottan and the Arc de Triompe into your first day very easily.

Get a museum pass to avoid long lines. On your second day, get to D'orsay in time to eat in one of their cafes, and plan to spend a lot of time there; they have so much to see you won't believe it. The Louvre, too, is a place you could spend a week. I suggest you visit their web site and take the virtual tour to find out just what you want to see and where it is. When we were there, the hall leading to the Mona Lisa was a zoo, while Venus and Mickelangelo's slaves were not at all crowded.

If you can, I would hold Notre Dame, Ste. Chapelle, the Conciergerie, and the flower/bird market (it varies with the day) between them in reserve for a sunny day. I would add to that a walk down the main street on Ile St. Louis, as all of it is in the same area.

Both my wife and I put Versailles pretty low on our list after having been there. It is certainly opulent, but we would rather spend our day trip on either Chartres or Monet's garden in Giverny. But that is our choice, and you must make your own based on your own interests.

The Pompideau center is a very interesting building and has an impressive modern art museum, if that is your thing. We also enjoyed the tour of the Garnier Opera House; impressive on the outside and overwhelming on the inside.

Whatever you choose, I'm certain you will enjoy it, and regret that you didn't have more time.