Suggestions for Paris
 

We will be in Paris Apr.26-May6. The first few days will be at the Concorde Lafayette while my husband presents at a conference.

We will then move to BW Belloy St. Germain on April.30th. We have a Paris Vista for 5 days. (Sat-Wed?) I want to get a museum card for 3 days (Mon-Wed?) I figured the Tues + Wed, of the first week I would do an on/off bus tour. The friday is May 1. which is a national holiday. Could people suggest ideas of an iternary that will incorporate
1. TUes-Fri.(apr.26-30)w/o a Paris Vista or a museum card.
2. Sat. a national holiday
3. Sun(1st.sun. of the month)-Wed. with a paris vista/ and a 3 day museum card.
Thanks for any help.......Might be my one and only trip to Paris...can't wait.

kma, Make a list of places you want to see and then look at a map of Paris so you can group them by arrondissement. We did this and saved a lot time by not having to crisscross the city.

I'm not familiar with a Paris Vista. Perhaps you mean Paris Visite? If so, look at the list of things this covers in addition to transportation. If you're interested in any of those, try to schedule them for the days you will have the pass. As far as having the museum pass Mon-Wed, keep in mind that most Paris museums are closed on either Monday or Tuesday, so make sure that what you want to see is open on the day you plan to go there. I'm not sure about what is closed on a national holiday, but most museums have a website that I would think would give this information.

Hi kma,

May 1 is on Saturday this year. I have checked on what is open.

The Eiffel Tower.

The Batobus people tell me that they will be open. You can take a boat ride on the Seine. See http://www.batobus.com/english/

PS

You can go see the May Day demonstrations at the Bastille.

You will be in Paris for a good period of time, there are a couple of off the beaten path suggestions I have for you that are included on the museum pass. The first is the Basilica at St. Denis, it's on the very edge of Paris but still on the metro line. There's not much else in the area but it is a true hidden gem. The other is Musee Nissim de Camando, a privately owned house that was donated to France and is preserved just as it was in the 1930s. And the Cluny Museum is definitely worth a look for those fabulous unicorn tapestries (the recent subject of a novel).

Notre Dame, St. Chappelle and the Conciergerie are all in the same general area and can be visited in a day. Go to the towers of Notre Dame early as the museum pass doesn't cut the line there. It's a long climb but absolutely worth it for the view and the gargoyles.

There are special entrances at the Louvre and you go to the front of the line at Musee d' Orsay and show your pass.

The pass is also good at Versailles which has a special entrance for pass holders as well. If you get an early start, you can probably do that and something else on the same day.

Another thing you might want to check out is Paris Walks. You can get a more in depth look at a neighborhood in Paris, we took the Montmartre one in December and really enjoyed it

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/

I have to second the Cluny Museum for charming setting and do-ability. Everything is so close-up and personal vs. the other, larger museums. It's still one of my favorites after multiple visits.

The suggestion to look at a map of Paris and group your activities is good and one reason I like the DK Eyewitness Guide to Paris. It is broken up into areas of Paris and the sites/sights within. I imagine your tour package has given you a Paris Visite card. If not, it isn't worth the price.
And don't forget the Musee Marmottan for Monet and the Carnavalet--museum of the city of Paris. The latter is really one of my faves, along with the Cluny. The Unicorn tapestries are fascinating. On Saturday I will bet that the flea market at Vanves will still go on--it is fun for a couple of hours' browsing.

I too love the Eyewitness guide but it is heavy to carry around with you so I'd suggest also picking up a Streetwise Paris map, it's laminated so it's perfect for rainy weather and it has the main attractions highlighted so you can get an idea of what you can combine in one day.

Another tip, try to buy the museum pass at one of the smaller museums or a metro station. We picked ours up at the Cluny and there was no waiting to purchase.

Another recommendation for the Nissim de Camondo museum and the cathedral of St.-Denis. Also, don't miss the Jacquemart André museum, which besides wonderful art has a first-rate café that serves lunch.

Can you tell me where Musee Marmottan is located at? My sister wants to go there in March and I think she is having a hard time finding it.
Thanks,
Kari

If you go to www.google.com and enter "Marmottan museum" you will get

http://www.parisdigest.com/museums/museemarmottan.htm

Everyone has given me great advice and I appreciate this.
Ira, what should we expect on May 1? What goes on during a National Holiday?

thank you ira for the help

There is a saying " There is no May in France" It is almost true I go every year in May. However in Paris there is plenty to do on holidays. May 1 , May day, May 8 VE day, Ascention Sunday etc.
I get one of the metro/bus passes and like to ride the bus whenever possible. I use the metro also but only if I have a very specific destination and am in a hurry. The best times to ride the buses are between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm when the commute is not on. Try to get the front seat with the glass so you can see ahead and to the side.
Some of the routes are great like #72 which drives along the Seine on the right bank from City Hall back to the lower 16th. Ride buses when ever you need a break from walking. Ask for the "carte bus" "J vou dray un carte pour le bus, see vous play" Ask at any metro station. Make sure it has the bus routes on the map. If not say "pardon, la carte de bus" and get one. Notice on all metro and bus maps they are colored and have the end of the line marked. If you think " I want to go in the direction of....." you can figure it out easily. With a pass you can hop on and off. Another bus # 52 goes between the Opera, high fashion area of Right bank, Arch d Triumph and beyond into the wonderful non touristic 16th. Use this bus instead of walking all the way up the Champs Elysee from the Place de la Concord to save time if your time is getting short. Other buses go thru the left bank. Have fun