Two Days in Paris
 

Hi Everybody,

My Europe Trip has been finalised and me & a friend will be travelling to Paris in mid October... :-)

In Paris we have exactly 2.5 days and 2 nights...Arrive in the morning on Day 1..settle down and ready to go around by noon..So that's half a Day & Night, Day 2 - Full Day & Night and Day 3 - Full Day...We leave Paris late evening...Thus making it 2.5 days and 2 nights.

Can you pls suggest me a good itiniery...The lonely planet suggests in two days we should see Key sights like The Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Montmarte, Pigalle, Musee d'orsay, Ste-chapeele & the Conceiergerie, Musee Rodin, River Cruise...

Are we missing something ? and in case we need to civer the above sights, what could be the best way to start and end....

Evenings, we would like some Cheap Bars and Restaurants where we can get Cheap food & Drinks...

Look forward to your suggestions and thanks in advance....

eurocheapo.com Paris great tips for u...

parisvoice.com

virtualtourist.com

Happy Travels,

You've already said that you want to see Moulin Rouge, and Versailles. These plus your list above will take the 2.5 days you've allocated to Paris. You do know that the Moulin Rouge is not cheap.

<< Are we missing something >>

You're missing lots of sights but you can only do so much in 2.5 days.

<< in case we need to civer the above sights >>

I have no idea what "civer" means but I'm guessing you want some sort of geographical order. It would be good to look at maps in advance of your trip since you have very tight times in all the places you're going.

- Versailles is a full day so that stands on its own.
- Eiffel Tower will take most of a half day; you can do the river cruise immediately following the ET.
- Notre Dame, Ste-Chappelle, and Conciergerie are right near each other (as a map will show). You can follow this with:
- Rodin and Orsay museums. Then go to Moulin Rouge that evening.
- Last half day is Montmartre and Pigalle (although I'm not sure why you want to go to the Pigalle area).
- Try to fit in the Arch of Triumph wherever you can. If you see the Eiffel Tower on the way back from Versailles and then take the river cruise you will have time to see the Arch.

Hi Adreienne, Thanks for the reply....Some clarifications :

1) Civer was a typo error...I meant is what is the best way in case we need to see all the sights...what is the best way to start and end..

2) Will i be able to see Versailles in such a short trip?

3) I said Pigalle, because i heard there are cheap restaurants and bars in the area...

Versailles is not necessarily a full day - only 30 min from Paris so give it a half-day.

I topped my old post about this for you....good luck with your planning.

Versailles would chew up the better part of a day. While not far from Paris, the palace and grounds are huge. Yo can get there on the commuter train (RER) directly from central Paris.

On such a short trip. Pigalle and Montmartre would not be on my list, unless you have some specific sights in that area that are must sees.

If you want cheap eats, the area around St Michel (Rue de la Huchette) has a few. the Latin Quarter/St Germain has universities in the area, so some places to cater to that.

Consider doing your Seine crusie at night, that leaves open your day. You could combine Vedettes du Pont Neuf with Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle and Conciergerie, since they are all in same area (as well as the above st Michel area)

Versailles takes most of a day. I suggest skipping it on this very short stay.

What days of the week will you be in Paris? Some museums are closed on specific days and many shops are closed on Sundays. The following list of muesums can be used to check opening days and times. Just click on the name of the museum to get the info. http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-mu...-by-name-5.htm

If you go to Notre Dame, Conciergerie and Sainte Chapelle on a Sunday don't miss the bird market on il de la Cite at Place Louis-Lepine. The rest of the week it is a flower market and still a lovely photo op.

My two must sees are Sainte-Chapelle and Musee D'Orsay. A close third is L'Orangerie. I'm not a fan of Montmartre/Sacre Couer, Place du Tetre area of Paris.

I prefer some of the following experiences instead.
*Jardin du Luxembourg, a lovely, very large park that has been around since Marie de Medici bought the land in the 1600s. Great people watching at the playground, pony rides, puppet shows, boules, toy boats and fountains.
*Marais (shops open on Sundays) to enjoy the shops, people and beautiful and tasty pastries.
*A market street like the rue Cler market and shops (open weekdays and Saturdays all day and on Sunday mornings). There are many others but that one is open daily while some are only open a couple days a week
*Place Madeleine for browsing in shops like Maille (for mustards), Fauchon and Hediard(gourmet foods), Mariage Freres (tea shop)and a nice little flower stand for great photos. Then a peak in the Laduree shop on rue Royal near Madeleine on the way toward Place Vendome via rue Sainte Honore and a walk through the famous Ritz(with maybe a drink at the Hemingway Bar) then on to Palais Royal to see the park and lovely shops frequented by celebs including Thomas Jefferson and Reese Witherspoon.

Finally, you can knock your Eiffel Tower visit out more quickly if you go 15 minutes or more before opening. That will reduce your wait time for tickets then elevators. You can buy your tickets online (be sure to buy from the official site to avoid upcharges) but you will need to be sure of your date and time.
Ann Marie

Rodin, Orsay and Eiffel coould be another combo, since they are geographically related. I might consider starting at Trocadero, which is across the river from Eiffel, on Right bank. If you take the metro to here, and walk between the two large buildings (Palais Chaillot), you will get a great panoramic view, then cross over bridge to tower. I might consider going first thing in the morning, having pre-purchased tickets on-line. Afterwards walk along Seine to Rodin, then Orsay. Then could head down Blvd St Germain into St Germain district for dinner and entertainment.

I second the suggestion of the Latin Quarter for cheap eats rather than Pigalle. The area around Place de la Contrascarpe on rue Mouffetard has lots of cheap food including good crepe stands (savory as well as sweet crepes) and sandwich shops. The rue Moffetard is one of the oldest market streets in Paris, very narrow and bustling night and day.
Ann Marie

Forget Versailles.

Forget Pigalle and Montmartre.

Get to the Tour Eiffel early so it won't eat up half a day.

Do the Musée Rodin, then the Musée d'Orsay, and continue on to the Latin Quarter for a cheap lunch.

Group Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and the Conciergerie, as they are close together.

Of course, everything depends on the days of the week you'll be in Paris, as certain things are closed on certain days.

Get a map of the city and a map of the métro and study them ahead of time so you know where you are, how to get from one place to another, and aren't standing around on street corners looking bewildered.

Please understand you can never see it all...even after multiple trips to Paris.

Agree with those who have encouraged you to skip Versailles this time...you have a lot to see on your list and I think the sites in central Paris will be plenty on one trip. My opinion, I am not a fan of running myself to death to see everything...no time to enjoy it.

Book the ET tickets online and try to get a time at the opening. You could definitely see D'Orsay and Rodin afterwards.

Also agree with grouping Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle and the Conciergerie (although the Conciergerie is one that looking back on, I was disappointed in...not much there). Consider lunch on Ile St Louis.

I wouldn't do Pigalle...you might consider Montmarte at night. You might also consider a Seine cruise at night to see the monuments all lit up.

I can't emphasize enough that Paris is to be savored...don't rush through it! I know it is tempting to try to see it all, but you can't (I have said it before, I know). It is such a pleasure to stroll through neighborhoods and along the Seine (all free).

We always end our night with a glass of champagne...it's tradition we are so glad we started. I do hope that you enjoy your trip.

You can find inexpensive food all over Paris. I would not go out of my way to find cheap eats. Take out food is always less expensive than eating in a restaurant. There are tons of parks and benches in Paris where you can eat your take away food. Supermarkets have sandwiches to take out and there are always crepe stands which offer filling food quite cheaply.

You want to avoid buying soft drinks or mixed drinks as they are often expensive. House wine or beer are usually cheaper. Supermarkets and convenience stores sell wine and beer which may be consumed in your hotel room or in parks if you are very discrete about drinking.

If you say where you're staying perhaps people can offer restaurant suggestions in that area.

Dear All, Thanks to all of you for your responses and suggestions....Thanks Again!
I need two more clarifications -
1) We have a friend staying in Le Mans. Can we stay at their place and tour paris as suggested by you all? We will save on accomodation!
2) are there early morning and late night trains from Le Mans to Paris and Vice Versa and what is the approx travel time?
3) since we are buying the eurail pass...can we use them on this train?

Pls advice...Thanks again!

You really need to look at a map. Le Mans is 200 km from Paris.

Please get a map. Or at least get on the internet and check out what's where in France.

But no, you can't tour Paris from Le Mans.