I'm planning a 4-day trip to Paris early next year (January to March) and would appreciate your thoughts on the practicality and feasibility of the following itinerary. I've not decided on a place to stay, yet, but would likely limit my search within the 6th to 9th arrondissements.


Day 1
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8:30 AM - Notre-Dame

? - Sainte-Chapelle

Lunch
Au Bougnat/Les Deux Palais

? - Opéra national de Paris

? - Montmartre+Sacré-Cœur Basilica

Dinner
Le Relais Gascon/Le Progrès/La Fourmi


Day 2
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9 AM - Louvre - Open till 9 PM on Wed+Fri

Lunch

? - Champs-Élysées
Arc de Triomphe

Dinner (not many good options near the Champs-Élysées)
Le Comptoir de l'Arc

Day 3
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9:30 AM - Musée d'Orsay - Open till 9 PM on Thu
? - Musée Rodin
? - Rue Cler
? - Napoleon's Tomb

Lunch
Jeusselin Traiteur

Evening - Eiffel Tower

Dinner

Day 4
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Versailles

Your plan has some of the same issues that your original London plan had.

Day 1 is all over the place from Île de la Cité/Notre Dame/Ste Chapelle to the Opera to Sacré-Cœur

And "(not many good options near the Champs-Élysées)" applies the Champs in general - its just a not very attractive street. The Arc id OK as sights go but you are fitting in the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe when there are soooooo many other more (IMO) worthwhile uses of your limited time.

interested is this research for a magazine article? 4 days, just too little and I'm not allowed to say why.

I detect a need for Rick Steves.

The OP is also spending 4 days in London - totally normal. Why are you so suspicious??

moi....

Day 3 -- FWIW: I wanted far more time for the Musee d'Orsay and the Musee Rodin than you seem to be allowing. I found the Eiffel Tower a disappointment. YMMV.

I hadn't realized is that Musée d'Orsay is a significant investment of time. I may skip some of the latter items on the list if it takes more than 3 hours. Or move Eiffel Tower to the next day after returning from Versailles.

Versailles will take a full day. Don't underestimate how huge it is, plus the time it takes to get from Central Paris to/from Versailles. You're easily looking at 6 hours or more for Versailles with transit.

This will put your Eiffel Tower time into the late afternoon or evening. Which is fine, but in January or February, it might already be getting dark.

It seems to me you are not much of a museum goer, between your two threads and are not grasping to tour a museum, it can take many hours to even see the "major" works. Places like the British Museum, Louvre, and d'Orsay are quite large. Even though you are planning on this trip in the "off season," it can still be crowded and busy.

If you want to tour these places, by all means. But if you're going just to go because it's on some "must see" Iist and not really your interest, maybe reconsider. For example, if you want to see Monet's waterlilies and maybe aren't interested in other works, an alternative might be the Orangerie. Much smaller, less crowded.

Do you really want to see Napoleon's tomb? If you're very interested in military history, go for it. But if you're not....then, you can spend that time it would take to tour Les Invalides (which ​​​​can take a lot of time) to tour something else or spend your time somewhere longer.

ETA: when I went with someone who was very into military history and really wanted to see Les Invalides (i didn't when I had seen it on a previous trip), we divided and conquered. I went to Rodin (nearby) after I got him situated with Les Invalides. I leisurely toured Rodin and the gardens. Went back to LI, he was still not out. He was in there for 2.5 hours and could have spent longer. Just for point of reference.

How long it takes will depend on your interests. FWIW, I think I misunderstood your plan: I thought you were trying to see that museum AND the Rodin AND maybe some other sights all before lunch. THAT would be ambitious!

Frankly I've been visiting Paris for 15 years and the tower is hardly worth the time of day, much better places around town. Les Invalides has better views as does the restaurant on the top of the Arab Centre

If you've never been to Paris then I'd say Eiffel is a must. Some, who have likely visited Paris many times may have forgotten their first visit. I've been to Paris multiple times and for 3 of those visits had "first timers" with us. We went to the Eiffel each time and they all were glad they did. I enjoyed it each time as well...mainly as I watched the fun they had. Personally, I can't see going to Paris for a first timer and not going up the tower.

I did not go to the Eiffel Tower on my first or second visit to Paris. I went on my third visit and regretted going -- a waste of time, IMO. To each his/her own!

I’m definitely going to go. I prefer the feeling of “meh, it was alright” than “why did I miss it”.

We all have our own priorities. I've been to Paris 4 times and Eiffel Tower each time. I only regretted it the 4th time in 2013. Too crowded, not enjoyable at all. But enjoyed it immensely the previous trips.

If someone wants to go up it on their trip, no judgement from me. Maybe it is the OPs dream to go up it. However, I see no reason to a)provide realities of what a visit to the Tower is like and b)ask questions of motive. If it is views, then there are alternatives (less crowded, sometimes even cheaper alternatives, for example).

But if that motive is the OPs absolute must see, their decision, and may be worth it to them in the end. Hence why I provided reality to their potential schedule should they decide to go on same day as their trip to Versailles - in the winter. There may not be much view other than city lights (which can be nice) depending on time of year.

Until the OP provides said background information, we'd only be speculating as to why they want to see it.

Doesn't seem out of the ordinary to allow for 4 days in Paris. Also, the list itself are all things the average visitor would be up for visiting.

But I'd recommend going in with a lot of flexibility in mind. We spent 5 days last year and had most of those things except Versailles on the list. By the end, we'd given at least half of them a miss. Not due to being tired. The metro is great. But just by each thing being interesting enough not to rush off combined with the next thing having lines that were clearly going to use up the rest of the day. We're not even rabid art fans but even my teen daughter found enough at the d'Orsay to go well past lunch. We didn't go up the Eiffel Tower or go into the Louvre and we still easily filled our days. But we did spend some time at open air markets at Bastille and an unexpected outdoor art showing in Montparnasse, so something better known probably could have replaced those.

Old Timer here.

Most of our trips (20? 25?) to Paris have been in the chilly months, the dark months, and that's precisely when you get to see why Paris is the City of Light. I hate the Champs Elysee at any other time of year or day, but I'm more than willing to walk down it at night in worst night of winter from the L'Arc de Triomphe to the Seine. Hence, do that walk AT NIGHT.

In fact, viewing the bright Eiffel Tower in darkness from every vantage point makes the trip. We've loved viewing it from everywhere--D'Arc de Triomphe, the Pantheon, Notre Dame towers, Sacre Coeur, Invalides, Rue St. Dominique. Our best view was from a rooftop at Sacre Couer in a thunderstorm (child services should have removed my children from me then and there).

That's why your consideration to leave going up it to the very end of your trip makes perfect sense. Our family's perfect ending to any Paris trip is still to eat in the 6/th7th and just walk towards the tower. No going up needed. The glimmer in the distance is enough. But if you need if for your bucket list, do it. And if you don't have time, then it will be the reason for your next trip. You SHALL return.

As far as museums, the d'Orsay will probably be more rewarding than the Louvre. Less chance to get lost; more emotional punch within your short time frame. L'Orangerie is great, but you might want to see more. Up to you. And this is from a person who happily "reported" to the Louvre every morning for one week straight.

Why? Well, the distance between the three museums is minimal, and the walks between all three are wonderful. I'd spend the money on a Museum Card (Carte de Musee) so you could just "check out" when you've had your fill and "check back in" when you want to do more. As my daughters always said, "It's worth it just for the restroom access."

Please remember--and I quote this often--what Anthony Bourdain said about Paris: "Do as little as possible." Walking, sitting at cafes, tasting everything comprise its real experiences.

As to Notre Dame you will have to request timed free tickets two days before your planned visit. Go on their website for details. Therefore, might be the day before you are travelling? Louvre and D'Orsay, reserved times are also he way to go.

No place requires 3 hours, etc., it's totally up to you how much time you want to spend in a place. I don't agree that Day 1 is all over the place, the sites are in a logical order based on location. It's a lot if you want to climb the Arc, etc., but not if you just want to see it. I don't agree that someone should avoid the Champs-Elysees, either, it depends what your goals are. If you think it's going to be amazing shopping, no, but it is an iconic and world-famous avenue that is simply magnificent in terms of vistas and urban planning and history. I can't imagine not going there at all if you've never been to Paris. IN fact, Day 2 is light on time by my terms (afternoon) if you are just strolling along it. Really depends on your plans for that afternoon.

I really love Les Invalides and am a military history buff, I guess that's why, for the museum, not Napoleon's tomb. But if course you see it if you go there, it doesn't take long just to see that thing. Day 3 I"d do the Orsay, then stroll along rue Cler on the way to Les Invalides. I wouldn't go to the Rodin but that's priorities based on my interests.

I"ve been to Paris dozens of times for decades and have never gone up the ET because I personally have zero interest in that kind of thing (going up buildings to look at views of a city from up high). But so many people go up there that obviously lots of people love doing that. It's just a personal thing, that's all, whether you like that stuff. I have gone to the top of the Montparnasse Tower once as I stay in that area and, at least at that time, there was never a line to go up there. Still a view of the city from high up if that is the goal of these kind of expeditions. You really have to have a good day and clear weather for that to be a great idea, anyway.

So I don't think your itinerary is that bad.

I have been to Paris more than seven times and fewer than 12 if that establishes anything, and I agree with Christina. Your itinerary is not bad. I assume it reflects your interests.

One trip my sister and I went to Paris with our mother over Christmas/New Year's. My sister and I went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night after going to Versailles that day--we had so much fun. Would our mother have enjoyed it? Absolutely not, but she had traveled onward to the hotel and was relaxing as we shivered in the wind looking at the lights.