Seven Days in Paris - First TIme!
Jun 6th, 2013, 06:34 AM
#21
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Since you're planning to walk the Champs Elysees anyway, consider going inside and to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. There's a small interesting museum on the inside and a nice view from the top.
If the weather's nice, you might want to think about a picnic at Luxembourg Gardens. The tour of the building is worthwhile.
If the weather's nice, you might want to think about a picnic at Luxembourg Gardens. The tour of the building is worthwhile.
Jun 6th, 2013, 08:50 AM
#22
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***Made further adjustments based on all of your feedback***
Hotel on the 8eme
Day 1 (Wed) - Eiffel, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Trip on the Seine (evening)
Day 2 (Thurs) - Ile de la Cite (Notre Dame, St. Chapelle), Ile de St. Louis, Marais
Day 3 (Friday) - Versailles, Louvre (since opens late)
Day 4 (Saturday) - Latin Quarter (Musee National du Moyen Age, Musee de Cluny, St. Severin), walkaround
Day 5 (Sunday) - Montmartre (Sacre-Couer, St. Pierre de Montmartre) / Canal St. Martin
Day 6 (Monday) - St. Germain de Pres (Hotel des Invalides, Jardin du Luxembourg, St. Sulpice),
Day 7 (Tuesday) - 9eme - Palais Garnier (Paris Opera), Pigalle/Moulin Rouge - Souvernirs
******Side items if time permits, Pere Lachaise, Bastille, Les Lilas
...looks better?
Hotel on the 8eme
Day 1 (Wed) - Eiffel, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Trip on the Seine (evening)
Day 2 (Thurs) - Ile de la Cite (Notre Dame, St. Chapelle), Ile de St. Louis, Marais
Day 3 (Friday) - Versailles, Louvre (since opens late)
Day 4 (Saturday) - Latin Quarter (Musee National du Moyen Age, Musee de Cluny, St. Severin), walkaround
Day 5 (Sunday) - Montmartre (Sacre-Couer, St. Pierre de Montmartre) / Canal St. Martin
Day 6 (Monday) - St. Germain de Pres (Hotel des Invalides, Jardin du Luxembourg, St. Sulpice),
Day 7 (Tuesday) - 9eme - Palais Garnier (Paris Opera), Pigalle/Moulin Rouge - Souvernirs
******Side items if time permits, Pere Lachaise, Bastille, Les Lilas
...looks better?
Jun 6th, 2013, 09:39 AM
#24
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Well, you'll have one less museum on Day 4 = the Cluny is the moyen age.
Still no Rodin or Orangerie OR Orsay? the interior of the Musee d'Orsay is simply stunning, as is its exhibits, of course. Moreso than the Louvre.
I suggest you get the Michelin Green Guide and do some more reading.
I also really suggest you leave Versailles for later in the trip and see if you want to invest that amount of time in it--keeping in mind that it is closed on Monday
Still no Rodin or Orangerie OR Orsay? the interior of the Musee d'Orsay is simply stunning, as is its exhibits, of course. Moreso than the Louvre.
I suggest you get the Michelin Green Guide and do some more reading.
I also really suggest you leave Versailles for later in the trip and see if you want to invest that amount of time in it--keeping in mind that it is closed on Monday
Jun 6th, 2013, 09:43 AM
#25
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I would highly recommend visiting the Musee de l'Armee . It has a very impressive exhibit on WW2 and Napoleon's tomb is worth the visit as well.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/museedelarmee.htm
http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/museedelarmee.htm
Jun 6th, 2013, 12:04 PM
#28
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Others have posted some wonderful comments and suggestions. The only thing I would add is to be very flexible to the point you skip a few planned events and leave more time open to simply enjoy Paris and each other.
Need time to;
1. Have you spouse surprise you in bed each morning with a fresh crossiant and expresso each morning. Then....dawdle a bit.
2. Carry a bottle of wine, cheese and bread most everywere and simply stop to snack and snuggle, this is the city of love!!
3. Stroll along the river and avenues
4. Sit at a sidewalk cafe and stare into each others eyes
5. Take time to be amazed with the art, histtory and buildings, do not rush this.
Need time to;
1. Have you spouse surprise you in bed each morning with a fresh crossiant and expresso each morning. Then....dawdle a bit.
2. Carry a bottle of wine, cheese and bread most everywere and simply stop to snack and snuggle, this is the city of love!!
3. Stroll along the river and avenues
4. Sit at a sidewalk cafe and stare into each others eyes
5. Take time to be amazed with the art, histtory and buildings, do not rush this.
Jul 17th, 2013, 06:47 AM
#29
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Hi all - With 7 days to go, and thanks to all of your feedback, we've decided that while having an itinerary works well as a guide, the idea is to simply enjoy the city and really savor it.
With that said, we'll stroll along and cruise on the Seine the evening of our arrival and hit Versailles on Friday the 26th as the main points. Everything else (the churches, the neighborhoods, the museums, cafes, parks and so on..), will simply fall into place.
One thing that I did find, is that the Paris Jazz Festival is in full swing. And I will certainly check it out that weekend of the 27-28th.
I will come back with a full trip report...and I suspect that I will be booking my next trip to Paris upon my arrival to the States...
I am prepared to be mesmerized.
With that said, we'll stroll along and cruise on the Seine the evening of our arrival and hit Versailles on Friday the 26th as the main points. Everything else (the churches, the neighborhoods, the museums, cafes, parks and so on..), will simply fall into place.
One thing that I did find, is that the Paris Jazz Festival is in full swing. And I will certainly check it out that weekend of the 27-28th.
I will come back with a full trip report...and I suspect that I will be booking my next trip to Paris upon my arrival to the States...
I am prepared to be mesmerized.
Jul 17th, 2013, 08:17 AM
#30
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Personally I wouldn't put Canal St. Martin far up the list. I think it's a good idea to let things come as they will, but do take advantage of doing several things that are close together.
I do think having "target days" that you'll do a museum would help you. the Michelin Green Guide would help you decide what to see in the biggies--like the Louvre and Orsay. YOu don't seem to have the museums listed in any way.
I do think having "target days" that you'll do a museum would help you. the Michelin Green Guide would help you decide what to see in the biggies--like the Louvre and Orsay. YOu don't seem to have the museums listed in any way.
Jul 17th, 2013, 11:12 AM
#31
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We LOVED the Musee d'Orsay--and LOVEd the Museum Pass because of the time it save us at a couple venues (it doesn't let you bypass security like at St. Chapel or the Tower at Notre Dame, but we got to sail pass the long lines at the Orsay and Louvre. So you should investigate getting these--you do then have to use them on consecutive days; you do not have to buy them from a busy museum; we picked ours up at a small museum with no line one evening, then we didn't actually use it until the next day.)
Prepare to be overwhelmed by crushes of people, lines, signs about pickpockets, lines, crowds, lines, vendors and possible scammers/pickpockets lots of places, lines. So prepare to allow a lot more time than you thought, and be hyper-vigilant about your possessions.
Going to the Louvre on a day it is open later is a good idea--although we did not see ANY reduction in crowds really (compared to a mid-week morning the week before or the Friday crowds when we arrived around 4 pm compared to what they were at closing), but it was a wet day so probably extra crowded all day anyway.
If you are going UP the Eiffel Tower and don't have tickets already, I'd suggest arriving before it opens (8:45ish) and doing that the first thing one morning. Many talk about doing it in the evening with lights--check out when exactly it's going to get dark when you are there. It's probably still rather late-ish, in mid-July (we were there the end of June and never saw the dark, as we were in our rooms by 10 or 10:30 pm and it was still light outside).
Prepare to be overwhelmed by crushes of people, lines, signs about pickpockets, lines, crowds, lines, vendors and possible scammers/pickpockets lots of places, lines. So prepare to allow a lot more time than you thought, and be hyper-vigilant about your possessions.
Going to the Louvre on a day it is open later is a good idea--although we did not see ANY reduction in crowds really (compared to a mid-week morning the week before or the Friday crowds when we arrived around 4 pm compared to what they were at closing), but it was a wet day so probably extra crowded all day anyway.
If you are going UP the Eiffel Tower and don't have tickets already, I'd suggest arriving before it opens (8:45ish) and doing that the first thing one morning. Many talk about doing it in the evening with lights--check out when exactly it's going to get dark when you are there. It's probably still rather late-ish, in mid-July (we were there the end of June and never saw the dark, as we were in our rooms by 10 or 10:30 pm and it was still light outside).
Jul 17th, 2013, 12:26 PM
#33
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And then if you have time, walk on to Canal St Martin, which I really like and which is interesting if you're of the BoBo persuasion (aka "hipsters") if only to end up at Hotel du Nord for drinks.
