DJ_Pulse

I am beyond excited to announce that I will finally be travelling to Paris mid July and staying for 7 days! We will be celebrating 13 years of wedded bliss (ahem..), staying at a hotel in the 8th arrondisement and hoping to see as much as possible. Would like to gather your thoughts on a makeshift itinerary I've put together..(sans kids)...Thanks in advance guys! Please point out if there's anything glaring/amiss..did not want to list every single attrraction.

Day 1 (Wed) - Eiffel, Musee D'Orsay, Champs Elysees, Pigalle

Day 2 (Thurs) - Canal St. Martin, Bastille, Marais

Day 3 (Friday) - Ile de la Cite, Latin Quarter

Day 4 (Saturday) - St. Germain de Pres, Trip on the Seine (evening)

**Versailles Day Trip either Sat or Sun

Day 5 (Sunday) - Louvre (highlights), Les Halles, Montmartre

Day 6 (Monday) - Belleville and the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Marais

Day 7 (Tuesday) - Latin Quarter

DJ

mamcalice

Nothing at all amiss but I think you could organize your sights more efficiently. You are missing highlights such as Notre Dame and Ste. Chapelle unless those are planned for Friday when you visit Ile de la Cite.

I note that you have the Marais and the Latin Quarter twice and, while both are well worth a visit, I would only visit once. A visit to the Musee Rodin and nearby Luxembourg Gardens would be on my short list, perhaps for Tuesday.

The Louvre is very crowded on Sunday, perhaps you could switch it with your Thursday. Sunday is a good day to visit the Marais, too.

Paris is wonderful - have a super time.

Scootoir

Mamcalice gives some good advice to organize the sights more efficiently. End of day one you could certainly drop visiting Pigalle if the day becomes too long for you. I would choose a more relaxing itinerary for day one due to jet lag. Les Halles is something I would switch out as well.

To fit in a day trip to Versailles you could drop the visits planned for Monday.

daniella82

I would definitely visit Versailles with the amount of time you have. I agree with mamcalice on switching your Louvre day. I also really enjoy visiting the Opera to see the exterior/interior (theater ceiling painted by Chagall), it's a really beautiful building and a quick stop. The side rooms upstairs are particularly nice, and there are balconies with views of the area.

bilboburgler

give yourself an easier first day

Southam

Yes, your first day is a little heavy if you are recovering from a long plane flight. Versailles needs most of a day without planning other activites. Otherwise your schedule appears to concentrate on neighbourhood walkabouts. None you mention will demand more than a few hours. That's fine; take your time to explore whatever you discover, and at a leisurely pace

RonZ

Belleville, Les Halles and Pigalle I would put at the bottom of the list.

DJ_Pulse

Thanks for the advice all, let me fix and re-post the plan.

Gretchen

I would add Canal St. Martin to the bottom of the list.
First day is impossible.
Seine River cruise. I know many don't like it on the first evening, but we do.
Your groupings are sort of all over the map of Paris rather than grouped by geography.
Have fun.

DJ_Pulse

I've made the required adjustments. One thing. I'm looking to hit the highlights of the Louvre versus spending hours and hours. Unsure where to slot it. And yes, what we really want to do is walk and walk some more, "drink" in the neighborhoods...

Day 1 (Wed) - Eiffel, Musee D'Orsay, Champs Elysees,

Day 2 (Thurs) - Canal St. Martin, Bastille, Montmartre (Sacre-Couer, Saint Pierre du Montmartre)

Day 3 (Friday) - Ile de la Cite (Notre Dame, St. Chapelle), Latin Quarter (Musee National du Moyen Age, St. Severin)

Day 4 (Saturday) - St. Germain de Pres (Hotel des Invalides, Jardin du Luxembourg, St. Sulpice), Trip on the Seine (evening)

Day 5 (Sunday) - Marais

Day 6 (Monday) - Versailles

Day 7 (Tuesday) - 9eme - Paris Opera, Pigalle/Moulin Rouge

...I really want to hit Le Musee de Vampires in the Les Lilas district...appointment only, so it will be slotted accordingly.

Anything else? I'm open to all feedback!

DJ

HappyTrvlr

Why Pigalle?
In addition to Musee Rodin ( the garden) I would add Musee l'Orangerie where Monet's large waterlilies are on display. It's small and easy to see as is Rodin.
First day has too much to do. I second the Seine River boat ride on your first day / arrival day.

StCirq

Not a geographically logical itinerary. I think you need to look at a map when organizing this.

First day just won't work. And it's never a good idea to do any museum on Day 1. You need Vitamin D - sunshine. Stay outside, take it easy, don't try to absorb much of anything, drink plenty of water.

I absolutely love Belleville, but I'm not sure I'd ever consider Pigalle a Paris venue.

vanne

Since you have Latin Quarter twice, I would suggest following your time in Ile de la Cite with taking in Ile St. Louis.

I would also highly recommend taking in L'Orangerie if you enjoy the Impressionist painters -- wonderful collection, including many Renoirs, Cezannes, and, of course, Monet's water lily murals.

When in the Marais, you might enjoy the Musee Carnavalet, which presents the history of Paris. Admission is free. Even if you are museumed out and decide not to go in, be sure to take in the beautiful courtyard garden. It's lovely and a good spot to sit on a bench and rest a bit after a lot of walking.

daniella82

You can do the Louvre and Marais on the same day (although that's still Sunday) Also, Versailles is closed on Mondays...you can switch Friday and Monday, that would work.

claudette_s

DJ Pulse, am on the fifth day of a two week trip to Paris. I was sad to see you removed Pere Lachaise from your visit. My 18 year old and I loved it (although I love old cemetaries in general). We visited Sacre Cour and could not find the funicular but the walk wasn't horrible. We had already had days of walking so climbing the 300 steps to get to the dome, up a narrow winding staircase was not so difficult. The crypt is not worth the extra money to explore. Mostly empty and dark. Today we went to the Louvre and kept the visit limited to the Egyptian wing, the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory. Plenty to do in half a day with Paris Museum Pass we did not wait in line. Make sure you have a plan in case you are separated. The Louvre is huge crowded around the main attractions. Tomorrow we are going to the Cathedral St. Denis to see the effigies of all but four(I believe) of the rulers of France. Even with the Museum Pass you have to wait in line at St. Chapelle and Notre Dame and the lines are long. If you get a pass make sure you get into the right line. St. Chapelle has no different line for passes but Notre Dame has a museum pass line to the left of the front of the building as you are facing the building. Enjoy your trip, drink lots of water (tap water is safe to drink and costs nothing).

daniella82

Try to see Napolean's apartments at the Louvre too

leuk2

I wouldn't have an itinerary. I'd have a list of places I would like to see, walk around. If you see a museum you'd like to see, go in. But do walk around and enjoy the "street scape". I would however plan to go to Versaille, but you can do it at a moments notice, just hop on the RER and you are there. I'd plan 1/2 -1 day, depending what you like to see.

centraleurope

First, have a wonderful trip... And congratulations!

I too would add the Rodin and Orangerie... But I like museums.

Day 1 could be impossible, or not... Many of us are pretty old (and dare i say irritable). It could work for you.

You have a list of things you want to see... That 's great. If you don't get to everything in day 1,
you can slot something to a later day... You have options there.

On one of our first trips to Paris, I bought a museum pass and picked less common things to do from the pass. We had a blast discovering. Enjoy.

jan47ete

Some FYI: sounds anal but I keep little stickies with open/closed info this way if something goes wrong (rain) then I have the info at a quick glance.

Lourve is also open late Wed and Friday nights so you might be able to take advantage of that.

I plot trips out on maps and color code the sights to see how best arrange my day. If you do that try to stop into one the wonderful Passages (18-19th "shopping malls" of iron and glass roofs with antique stores and restaurants.

Our hotel was in Marais and although lovely, don't believe the area warrants a whole day.

One major surprise although I had checked it out before we left was sunrise and sunset. Seemed it was light out about 530am and did not get dark until at least 10pm. You might need to take that into acount to see Paris at night.

see my post on free concerts.

Went to Galleries Lafayette: most incredible store I've ever seen beginning when I exited the metro into the store's shoe dept and thenwent upstairs! WOW!

Enjoy.

Gretchen

Please don't plan a museum for day 1. OR if you "must" make it a smallish one like the Rodin.
Montmartre and Sacre Coeur are a morning at most. Maybe in the interest of the good advice to stay outside, move it to day 1. IF IF you "do" the Champs, just take the bus that runs up and down from the Arc to Pl. Concorde. You will see all you need to from the window.