I would like to know what I must see in my five days visit to Paris, with some details that I can't see in a typical guide

Berta: I have been to Paris several times, but my wife had not been there at all. With that in mind, I chose a five day itinerary that included the "must-sees", thinking that when we return sometime, we can get a little more intimate with the city. <BR> <BR>This is what we did: <BR> <BR>We arrived at CDG airport in the early morning and caught the "RER-B" bus over to the train station. We purchased our tickets and took the Metro to within three blocks of our hotel in the 5th arrondissement, the Latin Quarter of Paris. We ate, checked in and rested for a few hours. We showered and headed out on the Metro to the Eiffel Tower and went to the top. We spent the evening at the tower and I think that it is most impressive at night. Be sure to see Trocadero while over there. The next day, we took the Metro again to Bir Hakeim to get some pictures of the tower from the bridge and see the Statue of Liberty right on the river. We hopped on the "RER-C" train to Versailles and took the short walk over to the palace. Now this is quite a place! We took a guided and unguide tour, spending the entire day there. Next, we took the Metro over to Champs Elysees and the Arc De Triomphe and spent quite a bit of time in that area, it's the Broadway of Paris with lots of activity. The next day, we walked over to the cathedral of Notre Dame, which has had it's exterior refinished and is very impressive with it's 18 meter stained glass window, alter, etc. We then headed over to Pigalle on the Metro to take the funicular up to Montremarte and the Sacred Heart church which is beautiful as is the view of Paris down below. Just around the corner is painter's square where we purchased a painting from the artist that now hangs in our living room (barter, as we paid about 2/3 the asking price). Next was the Louvre' museum. Now this is one extraordinary place! You could two weeks there, but we only had a day, but we saw so much. In between all of these trips we strolled around in our neighborhood. <BR> <BR>We had a fantastic time! A little fast paced, maybe, but unforgettable. Take very comfortable walking shoes, travel light, bring an umbrella and by all means, use the Metro, buying a 10 trip pass, as it's so easy to use. <BR> <BR>Have fun, I know you will! <BR>

The previous poster gave you a good start. I would add: Rodin Museum (small, peaceful, and very beautiful), the Musee d'Orsay (less crowded than the Louvre and the best impressionist collection anywhere), Ste. Chapelle (its stained glass windows are extraordinary, and it is just around the corner from Notre-Dame), the Seine at night (take a boat ride or go for a long walk), and Napoleon's tomb. I also don't think you should go to Paris without visiting a park. The Tuileries Gardens are right by the Louvre and are very nice, but my favorite in the city is the Jardins de Luxembourg(go on the weekend if you can). For quiet and very Parisian spots, see the Place des Vosges (which is almost a must see) and take an early morning or evening walk on Ile-St-Louis. Have a great time.

Walking around the city island and along the riverside of the Notredame is a must. Stroll along Champs Elysees to Arc de Triomphe and go up to the top for a beautiful night view. Tour the Eiffel then take a Bateaux-Mouches boat ride around 8 pm (before dusk) to see both day and night view of the city's highlight attractions. Walk on rue Royale from Madeleine to Place de la Concorde. And if you are museum lover, don't miss Museum du Louvre with very impressive art collections. <BR>Don't forget jacket(s) and an umbrella, the weather there is very unpredictable. I believe the weather will be in the 60's in October. <BR> <BR>Take care and enjoy your trip.

Hi, Berta. By your address I can tell you are from Spain, and more than likely from Bilbao. I´m also going to Paris from the 11th to the 16th (with the TGV from Hendaye) and I have asked a friend of mine (also from Bilbao) who lives in Brussels but spends a lot of her time in Paris. Well, there goes her list: <BR>- The Louvre <BR>- Walk through the streets around it <BR>- Opposite the Louvre there is a very nice cafe similar to the "Cafe de Oriente" in Madrid. <BR>- Orsay <BR>- Montmartre, have a stroll <BR>- Arab Institut (go to the top) <BR>- Quartier Latin for dinner <BR>- Have a coffee at the Ritz <BR>- Rue Montagne, with all the posh shops <BR>- Get a Bateau Mouche, but not for dinner (it´s too expensive) <BR>- Petit Palais and Grand Palais <BR>- For shopping, Saint Germain des Pres and Galeries Lafayette. <BR> <BR>I only hope that the weather is better than what we are having right now. Feel free to e-mail me.

Thanks a lot for all for you: Lee, dan, susan and Covadonga. Your informations are useful for me. <BR>. <BR> <BR>TO COVADONGA: <BR>What a concidence! The same days (more or less), the same destination and the same country (very near country because I'm from Pamplona). <BR>Your message was a surprise for me.And very, very useful, thanks again. <BR>I can't e-mail you because I have problems with the e-mail, but I promise you to do soon. <BR>I would like to know all your impressions for the travel, so I expect to talk after our travel to paris. <BR>Only seven days for the travel!!!! I'm very excited. <BR>If you want to e-mail me before friday,it will be perfect. <BR> <BR>Note: sorry for my bad english, I've some problems with it.

Message: My husband and I just got back from 6 days in Paris. I had never been before and he had been twice. FIRST, GET A MUSEUM PASS! They're around $40 and very much worth the time saved. We aren't big museums goers so we didn't use it at nearly all the museums/sites you can but just not having to wait in line is well worth the money. For us, it was worth the $40 not to have the wait in the huge line outside the Louvre the day we went. I don't know how croweded it will be in October but I would get the pass anyhow just to make sure. When you're on a trip like this, time is more important than money. Also, when you have the pass, you'll be able to do quick hop-in-and-outs to places you might otherwise skip if you had to wait in line. <BR> <BR>As far as what to see, you should see the St. Chapelle on the Ile de la Cite near Notre Dame. The stained glass windows which take up most of the wall space all the way around the chapel is beautiful. Go on a sunny day if you can, like someone else on this forum said, it will make you feel like you are standing inside a jewelled box. Also, Versailles is a must. Don't worry if you don't have much time. If you only have a few hours, go anyway. We only spent 2 hours there, walked around the grounds near the palace a little, saw several rooms with various portraits, statuary, and furniture, saw the king's chapel (incredible) and the hall of mirrors (outstanding!) I absolutely plan to go back in the future but wanted to see more things on my first trip to Paris. Highly recommend watching the sunset from the Pont Alexander III one night while there. It's really neat to stand there and watch the lights of the bridge come on and the Eiffel Tower glow into existence against the colors of the sky. <BR> <BR>Some people don't like going to cemetaries but we went to Pere Lachaise, where Jim Morrison is buried, and I was blown away by the beauty of the place. Little cobblestone roads, green trees, and ornate family crypts, many complete with stained glass windows, made for some excellent photo opps. <BR> <BR>Sorry I keep going on and on, one last thing. Don't forget to take some time to just walk around. Good areas for this are Latin Quarter, Montmartre, Champs-Elysee (sp?). Most of all, ENJOY!