pjsparlor

This is just a outline and ramblings on what we can do the first day in Paris!

Arrive 9:00

Buy RER ticket and carnet and museum pass at airport

Get cash ATM!!

Take RER B train to Paris, get off at Chatelet metro, get on line 4 to Porte Orleans, get off at St Germain metro stop

Check in Hotel Du Danube

Walk to Notre Dame

Things to do on our walk!!

Visit Musee Delacroix, take left on Rue Jacob to 6 Rue Furstenberg {take left}

Continue to Rue Buci {LOTS of markets and cool shops!}

Take left on Rue St. Andre {remember the fabo meal Betty}

Continue on Rue St. Andre to St. Michel BLVD

Find 37 Rue Bucherie {looking for Shakespeare and Co.}

{St. Severin church is one street behind}

{musee Cluny in neighborhood corner ot st. michel and st. germain blvd}

Proceed to the Island Cite where Notre Dame and St. Chapelle are



Walk to St. Chapelle {right there by the metro}

Walk to Notre Dame, go to the Roman crypts in front of Notre Dame

Walk to the top of the towers of Notre Dame {panoramic view of Paris}

Plus a birds eye view of the gargoyles!

Musee D’Orsay open to 9:45 at Thursday night RER C is right at Musee D’Orsay if we want to go Eiffel tower after the museum

RER C5 or C2 toward Versailles/St Ouentin

cigalechanta

Wow! please leave room for some surprises.

pjsparlor

Always room for surprises!!

mermaid_

This might be what you CAN do the first day of Paris, but I bet you won't, because you've forgotten to allot time for a leisurely stop at a cafe for coffee, and then a good lunch stop, and then a few hours for dinner, too. Part of the pleasure of Paris is stopping and enjoying and savoring Parisian life as seen from a cafe seat.

And don't you want to take a nap on your first day in case you are jet-lagged a little?

shcstrat

First thing I ALWAYS do in Paris (after checking in at hotel).

Take the Metro to CONCORDE. Notice the words fom the French "Declaration of Independence" on the subway walls.

Then go outside and cross to the Obelisk and bask in the GLORY of Paris. ALL of these can be seen from that spot:

-Arc de Triomphe
-Champs Elysses
-Hotel de Crillon
-Madeline Church
-Tuilleries Gardens
-Ferris Wheel
-Louvre
-National Assembly
-Musee d'Orsay
-Eiffel Tower
-and The Obelisk

... JUST BREATHTAKING!!!!

After that, I usually take a boat ride on the Seine. It's quiet, calm, beautiful, and, sometimes, the urge for a quick nap comes over me.

Finally, if truly is your first day in Paris, you WILL Be tired (jet lag!). Don't be in such a rush. No matter how much time you will be in Paris on vacation, you will never see it all. Relax and have a good time.

huddoshols

Get on the open top tour bus and do a couple of circuits to get your bearings.You get a great view from the top. Then walk,walk,walk!Sometimes it is just as pleasant to sit in one of the beautiful gardens and just admire. Better to do a few things, than rush Paris. You can always go back.

janis

pjsparlor: It appears you intend to post a separate thread for every single day of your time in Paris.

You should just post ONE thread with what you hope to see/do for the entire time. then people can give you reasonable advice. This piecemeal posting is VERY inefficient . . . . . . .

francophile03

Sorry, I agree with Janis. I saw your other two daily posts. I'm not sure if we are to respond (are you asking for advice?) to your daily posts or are you just posting journal entries for your record only?

ira

Hi pj,

Even I don't make an itinerary that detailed.

You left out:

Arrive 9:00
Taxi to arrival gate.
Wait for doors to open.
Remove carryon from luggage rack.
Stand and wait.
Enter airport.
Walk to luggage carousel.
Wait for luggage.......

You will probably wish to get cash *before* you buy your RER ticket.

I doubt that you will get out of your hotel before noon.

Relax and enjoy your visit to Paris.

StCirq

I think it's a hopeful, naive approach, not a realistic one. You can't possibly accomplish all this on your first day.

I don't know if you can get a museum pass at the airport.

There's only one rue Buci market that I know of, not "LOTS."

I think you need to take time to smell the roses, particularly on your first day when you will inevitably be tired. What you have outlined here could easily fill two full days.

indytravel

pjsparlor, please, please post what you accomplished when you return. I think it'll be incredibly helpful either way.

1. You managed to do it all so others who travel at lightning speed can be encouraged.

or

2. You didn't get to everything so people will know what slowed you down and why you didn't make it. For example "the line at Notre Dame was 1.5 hours long so we didn't climb the tower."

Thanks!

pjsparlor

Thanks for the responses, hopefully I can buy the museum pass at the airport, robespierrre answered a previous post and suggested to buy it there.
Sorry about the separate postings, not very good at posting!
This is my 10th trip to Paris and I am taking 3 of my friends, so I posted our itiniary for everyone to pick apart.
I guess I was interested if anyone has been to Musee Delacroix, and things like that.
I just took out a map of Paris and looked at where Hotel Danube is located and where Notre Dame is. I looked at all the things on our walk to Notre Dame so alot of the day depends if the stops are interesting or not. We are not going to stand in line for the towers for an hour. We probably will not do everything on the list!
So has anyone bought a museum pass at the airport? Been to Musee DelacroiX?
I will post when we return to tell what we REALLY did!

Scarlett

Hi pj,
We usually stay on rue Jacob (once at the Danube-it is lovely) and I have done that walk..while it is certainly possible, it seems that you will be marching along, unable to really dally here and there. The rue de Buci market is not such a big market, a group of stores selling lovely food. You can admire it as you pass, I love the Furstenburg Sq but have not acually been inside the Delacroix, but it is a small sweet spot in the area.
(Unless I am completely confused, senile and turned around, I think that ...
If you remain on rue St Andre des Arts, you must turn right and go away from the Seine to get to the Cluny. Would that be better saved for another day?
And rue de Bucherie is to the right of the pont ( ST Michel or Petit pont) you will want to cross over to Notre Dame..Shakespeare and Co could also be another day when you can spend lots of time dawdling among the books
When you arrive at Notre Dame, you should allow yourselves time to sit on the benches, walk all around and in and then wander over to the Ille St-Louis.
Is there a time allowed for everyone to collapse from exhaustion?
Your first day there, will most likely require a nap break.

My first day in Paris always finds me walking toward the Seine. I just walk to it, then along it. Stopping at any cafe that appeals to me. I usually cross to the Ille St Louis and walk back along the Seine to the Pont Royal or Pont de la Concorde.
Have a fabulous time! I look forward to your report!

Nike

Since you've been to Paris 10 times I'm not sure what you're looking for other than criticisms of this marathon route

You're not going to get out of your hotel until 11 am at the very earliest, more like noon if you have any consideration for your friends who may not want to toss their bags into the room and run out again
And if you can't get into your rooms, this will still be your friends' first hour in Paris--give them a break and stop for breakfast somewhere

Just take the metro to Notre Dame and Ste Chapelle
then if you are all still energetic, walk back via the Cluny/Bucherie/Buci route, include the Delacroix if you want, or save it

Freshen up, let people take a nap if they want to
then go to the Orsay museum (I couldn't do it justice on my arrival night, but that's up to you)
If the museum is out,(or after) take a Vedettes de Pont Neuf boat ride that leaves on the half hour
It will arrive at the Eiffel Tower on the hour, and in the evenings there is a flashing light display for ten minutes starting on the hour

pjsparlor

Thank you Scarlett, you are right about Cluny, I put it in brackets because it is out of the way. I guess I will definitely have to post when we get back! We are going to burgundy on this trip also~

Scarlett

I am sure you are going to have a fabulous time.
I look forward to hearing all about it!
And Burgundy!! wow.

Michel_Paris

Busy day!
I too would just let you day evolve as you go along. From the hotel I would walk to the suqare in front of St Germain des Pres church. Sit at either Cafe Bonaparte (patio)have a cafe creme and croque monsieur or maybe the Cafe de Flore. One refreshed, time for some walking...Here, my overall plan would be that I would finish by early evening on Ile Notre/Ile St Louis. I would eat there, and take a nightime cruise on the Vedettes du Pont Neuf, which is near the western tip on Ile Nore Dame. From there, could finish night be watching the lights and easy walk back to hotel (other choice for cruise would be Alma, but a bit further away). So...walk down Rue Bonaparte to Seine river, head west, on either bank. A Pont du Carrousel, head into the main square of the Louvre. Then , walk west along Tuileries Garden to Place Concorde. Lots of good views here! Up the Champs Elysee to Arc de Triomphe. Back down, then go up Rue Royale,see Maxim's, maybe check out Madeleine, head down Rue St Honore..t at Place Vendowm, check out Ritz and high end jewelry stores. Get to Palais Toyal, check out the arcades and gardens. Maybe go up Avenue de l'opera to see inspiration for phantom of the opera. Back down to Rue de Rivoli, going east along arcaded walkway. At Bouvevard de Sebastopol, head back to Seine and croos over to Ile Notre Dame on Pont De Change. There is Palais de Justice, Conciergerie, St Chapelle, walk over to Notre Dame Cathedral...and an easy hop to Ile St Louis.By now, start thinking of eating. Some good restaurants on Ile St Louis, or if you cross back over to Left Bank by the bridge intersecting the front entrance of Notre Dame, then head east, some with patios, views of Notre Dame. You will see Shakespeare and Co. also. Once you've eaten, night cruise from Pont Neuf. Night time lights afterwards...then a good night's sleep..it's been a good day.

suze

Well if you've been 10 times, that's 9 times more than me...

That said, I just can't believe (especially moving in a group of 4 people which I guarantee will be slower than 1 person alone) you can do all those things in a single day!! I also have a hard time believe that anyone would truly WANT to do them all that fast, but I realize that is a more philosophical travel style question.

janis

I agree w/ suze. This isn't a crtitcism but just my initial observation -- You may have been to Paris 10 times but your threads sorta sound like they are coming from someone who has been once or twice for very short visits (or not at all). Several of your plans in the 3 threads I've seen are spread over large areas and not grouped by location.

I personally would not try to go to Musee d'Orsay at night after a transatlantic flight. You might be fine - but after flying overnight I wouldn't be up to climbing to the top of Notre dame or for a late night at Orsay. Wandering around the Left bank - a nice lunch, maybe Ste Chapelle and or a river cruise. That would be a good first day for me.

And I also agree - it is difficult to regiment the days like this when you are traveling w/ 4 people. You need time to breathe, relax, enjoy paris.

suze

I have never known myself (or can think of any or my friends who plan that way either) things like public transpo route numbers, exact times, street directions to countless specific places - before taking a trip. It seems so anti to the spirit of travel and adventure to me. If you decide to go somewhere in the morning just ask your hotel front desk clerk how to do it or look at a map and go.

as with janis, I don't mean to be critical, but feel obliged to voice for the "other side" of less structured itineraries so first-timers won't read this post and think this is what you must organize in order to take a trip to Paris.