should i have a set itinerary for my 1st time in paris?
 

this site is amazing, i am learning so much.
but i am getting nervous. we dont have a set itinerary, my 15 yr old daughter and i are going to be in Paris for 6 days in June, for our 1ST time ever. we are staying by the arc de triumphe(sp)
after reading the posts, i am positvely interested in going on a guided tour of the Louvre, even though we are not huge art fans.
we want to see the obvious landmarks, and soak up the atmosphere, it will be just such a thrill to be in paris..
we start out in Rome, Florence and meeting a friend in Siena, and then paris, and then to London.
i think i have London pretty well mapped out, and Rome is a short stay, but i am unsure about what, where, and when in paris., and you are all such experts, can you suggest a first-timers plan?
thank you
tmc1289

You should have an itinerary and group together things that are located near each other. Include opening days and times. You don't want to waste your time getting some place to find that it's closed on that day.

The basic first time things that many people want to see are the Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Arch of Triumph. I would add Ste-Chappelle to this list.

If you're not huge art fans that intimates that you do like some type of art. There's a museum for everyone in Paris so think about what type of art you would like to see and go see that.

There's a free Notre Dame tour that is excellent (Wed & Thurs at 2:00/Sat at 2:30).

There are plenty of free church concerts if you like music.

If you like furnished period houses there are several in Paris and of those I recommend the Jacquemart-Andre museum or the Nissim de Camondo.

There are many more beautiful churches in Paris other than Notre Dame and you could explore some of those.

Take a boat ride on the Seine, particularly at night when the buildings are lit up and the Eiffel Tower shimmers on the hour.

Walk in one of the many gardens.

Parks Walks gives very good 2-hour walking tours based on particular areas or subjects. They even have a chocolate tour.

On Sunday go to the rue Mouffetard market in the late morning. Leisurely wander down the street looking in shops and at the food vendors. Around noon, at the bottom of the hill, there are accordian players and people singing and dancing in a small circle. One of my favorite experiences. After watching for a while stop and have lunch then walk to the mosque, look around, and have mint tea in the garden behind it. Walk back through the Luxembourg gardens and you'll see men playing boules and children playing in the playgrounds.

The list of things to do in Paris is endless.

You should visit Sacre-Coeur in Montmarte. It's the most beautiful view from up top.

Hi Adrienne, Great advice!! I liked your Sunday program.
Do you think that Versailles on Sunday, jeu d'eau , is crazy?
The matter in fact I think we did it long ago, but we did only the garden, and in this case my grandchildren have to visit also the Chateau , main part only.
Also do you know if it always possible to eat in a rest. in the "garden". Last time again, we walked into town and had lunch in one of the many bistros.
Thank you.

tmc, I think you should definitely consider a Fat Tire Bike Tour. http://www.fattirebiketoursparis.comMy daughter and I really enjoyed the night (6-10 p.m.) tour, and it includes a boat tour on the Seine.

When my daughter and I went to Paris recently, we just had one thing for the morning and one for the afternoon that were on our "must see" list. Otherwise, we kept a list of "hope to sees," got a pretty good idea of where they were, and did what we could without stressing out.

Other things we enjoyed that you might not have considered are Pere Lachaise cemetery, which provides a great history lesson and a very intriguing search, and also the Opera Garnier. We got tickets to a ballet performance and went there in the evening, so didn't take away from daytime sightseeing time.

we just got back..the only thing I would say is to be sure to have an adjustable schedule..It rained and was yucky a few days.. I had my whole schedule set.. didnt plan on it raining,,so had to adjust...rent bikes in Versailles..is the best!

Yes and no. You should definitely do your research and figure out what you absolutely must see, and make sure you plan your way from one place to another in a way that makes geographical sense as well as takes into account what days and times things are open and when there are likely to be big crowds or not.

But you should also leave a good bit of time just to wander and sit at cafes and turn down unexpected alleyways and just soak up the atmosphere.

Hi T,

>should i have a set itinerary for my 1st time in paris?

Yes, absolutely.

Then forget about it. :)

I suggest that you plan one "must see" for each morning and one for each afternoon.

Let the rest of your time be devoted to just enjoying Paris.

There will be various "nice to see" places that might or might not fit in.

>i am positvely interested in going on a guided tour of the Louvre, even though we are not huge art fans.<

Are you absolutely, positively, cross your heart and hope to die interested?

I would save the Louvre for a rainy day.

Enjoy your visit, and don;t worry about not having every minute scheduled.

((I))

My favorite time spent on our recent Paris visit was a spur-of-the-moment stroll across the Pont des Arts, through the Louvre courtyard, and through the Tuileries, on a Friday night. The weather was great, and everybody was just enjoying being outside. It was great people watching.

So...if it's nice out, slow down and just watch the world go by!

PS,

You might find these interesting:

Paris Superthread
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34519236

100 Great Things to Do in Paris
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=1277898

Degas’s Paris Walks
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34712768

Kerouac’s Ethnic Walk
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=35095155

Jacquemart-Andre’ Museum http://tinyurl.com/p9pol

((I))

I am with St Cirq...but I would take it further still...I loathe having a set itinerary.

If you have one or two things carved in stone (like your guided tour of the Louvre) and a good guide book or three and your notes from Fodors, your adventure can begin. Leave lots of room for serendipity.

The first time I went to Paris, I was 21 and my sister was 16-she baulked at any kind of agenda, being 16. I went along with her to keep the peace and learned a valuable life-long lesson. We didn't even see the Eiffel Tower, but we still had a wonderful trip and talk about it to this day. Memories are way more about the funky cafe where the waiter flirted with you and that time you met the monk or saw the horse in a city street than they are about the Musee de ______.

Paris is a city where you can soak it all up so much better without a book or a plan.

There...that is my anti-over-planning rant for the month!

Good advice above. I would add that you should be mindful of things that are day/date specific, such as (1) days that museums and such that are on your hit list are closed, (2) days that museums and such might be open late, and (3) days that a particular street market might be open.

The suggestion about grouping things you want to see is a good one. Spend some time with a map to get familiar with how things you want to see relate to each other--not in place of wandering, but to be sure that you hit your highlights in a reasonably efficient manner, like:

Jardin des Plantes, Mosque tea room, Arenes des Lutece.

Conciergerie, St. Chappelle, Notre Dame, Ille St Louis.

Pompidou Centre, Rue des Rosiers, Place des Vosges.

Louvre, Palais Royal, Tuilleries, Place de la Concorde.

Above are just samples, there are many other possible combinations--for example the Orsay is just across the footbridge from the Tuilleries.

thank you so much this is exactly what i needed,
i have so many ideas now.
thanks a million
tmc1289

Hi tmc1289
I know is sounds daggy but I always do a day tour on the top of one of those get on/get off open buses (weather permitting)in which ever city I am in, it gives you a feel of where things are and the main sights.
Edgie

I agree with Edgie-we always do the on off tour the first day in a new city-first it helps me with jet lag and also orientates me, then I can go back if something catches my fancy.There is a bus that does 3 routes in Paris and gives a great overview of what's to see and do.
St Chapelle is the most beautiful building in Paris!!

Bookmarking

All the Louvre is the traditional and basic museum must-see, the Gare D'Orsay has always been my personal must-see. The space is phenomenal and it is more manageable being smaller. Depends how much you like Impressionist art too.

Oops. I meant to start with Although.