I agree with Tia and Donna wholeheartedly. This was a great question to post because you do get some great opinions, but in the end that is just what they are. I strongly advise that you do the research, prioritize what you most want to do and then make your own assessment. Is it worth it to go up in the Eiffel tower? That is a question only you can answer, and you will know when you see it whether you have a burning desire to ride to the top or you have other priorities. Quite frankly, I found the Musee D'Orsay much more to my artistic liking than the Louvre. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the tiny Rodin museum much more than the Louvre also. But would I have gone to Paris without seeing the Louvre? No way. Because at the very least, the experience has allowed me to make my own assessment and now when the discussion arises, I have something intelligent to say. I read an interesting book which said that there is a world of difference between being a tourist and being a traveler. Do the things that interest YOU, and you will profit from the experience either way.

A "waste of time" is subjective. Since Paris seems to be the main topic, I thought the l'Orangerie was a waste of time. Saw the Mona Lisa and Venus d' Milo, big deal. On the other hand, the Conciergerie, the bridges (ponts) the Eiffel Tour, the catacombs (yes, Paris does have catacombs), the climb up the towers of Notre Dame are very special. My wife and I have been to Paris 8 or 9 times and always find it interesting. Rome? You have to wonder how people with such engineering and artistic skills ever lost it. As you can guess, my wife and I have different views of things, I wonder 'how did they build that', my wife 'how beautiful this is'. Can't say much about London, the old crooked streets, great armour museum at the Tower. We recently found Cadogan's City Guides and find them great for walking tours.

The Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo are at the Louvre.

Paris was wonderful, I did have a few unsettling experiences, one of which was at sacre coeur (a sketch artist verbally assaulted me while I was busy looking at the magnificant church, it was an american thang, I really wish I could say that it was all a fallacy). May I suggest if you do go to the Louvre you go in the evening, it's less crowded and has a whole different air to it. I also chose not to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, just seeing it from different points in my long walks was enoug for me. I walked around in Paris for my whole trip, I'd get lost and find the most charming streets, I figured if I got really lost I could always hop in a cab back to my hotel (never happened). For a quickie trip out of Paris, may I suggest the town of Chantre.

I personally have never been to London, but my friend went and she opted for some of the more unconventional tours they offer, one was a tour through haunted pubs in London, and the other was in a haunted castle. She said the group was alot more laid back then the normal tour groups and they bonded alot quicker over ale and tales of ghosts, which resulted in a fun time.

Gigi, You're right, my wording did imply the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo are at the l'Orangerie. I guess I should have said "saw the Water Lilies, then to the Louvre for ....". What's your opinion of Pei's pyramid? Kind of strange, but probably the Obelisk in the Place de la Concorde was strange in it's time.

Just returned from Paris and I must say that the highlight of my trip was the Musee D'orsay and the Rodin. Both absolutely breathtaking. I would skip Versaille if you have limited time, unless you're into extreme excess!! Yes the gardens were very nice, but it was all a little sickening, considering most Parisiennes were living in the streets at the time. Message to Richard, the Mona Lisa and the Venus D'Milo are in the Louvre, not L'Orangerie. I liked this museum as I am a big fan of Monet. As for the Louvre, see the sights and get out. It is too crowded to enjoy anything. Also, there is a beautiful church near the Pantheon, St. Etienne du Mont, don't miss the inside of this church for the latice balcony carved out of marble. As for London, I would also advise skipping the Changing of the Guard. It is nothing but rude foreign tourists jostling for position to see, what, I couldn't tell you. I however enjoyed both Bath and Stratford-Upon-Avon. However, we arrived at Stratford at 5pm and can tell you as we pulled in, the tour buses were pulling out. We literally had the whole town to ourselves that night. It is a very pretty quaint village once the buses are gone. Ate at a wonderful inn called the Roast Inn. The next morning on the advice of the innkeeper of the B & B we were staying in, we walked to Anne Hathaway's cottage, and again, toured it before the bus loads of tourists came in. We left Stratford around 11am as it was just starting to get crowded.

I AGREE WITH MANY OTHERS. SKIP STRATFORD ON AVON. PERSONALLY, I THOUGHT THE SEINE CRUISE IN PARIS WAS A WASTE OF TIME. IT WISH I HAD SPENT THE TIME WALKING ALONG THE BANKS OF THE SEINE INSTEAD. MAYBE THE CRUISE IS BETTER AT NIGHT. I LIKED THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD BECAUSE I HAD A CLOSE-UP VIEW (COURTESY OF A TOUR BUS). I ALSO LIKED THE TRIP TO THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER IN PARIS. WALKING THE STREETS OF PARIS IS AN ENCHANTING EXPERIENCE. IN ENGLAND I AGREE WITH SOME OTHERS ABOUT BATH AND YORK. BOTH ARE WONDERFUL. STONEHENGE CAN BE WONDERFUL IF YOU HAVE DONE YOUR READING BEFOREHAND. USE YOUR IMAGINATION. ROME WAS WONDERFUL AND SOME OF THE TOURISTY THINGS ARE VERY ENJOYABLE: THE TREVI FOUNTAIN, THE PIAZZA NAVONA, THE PIAZZA DEL POPOLO AND THE SPANISH STEPS. DON'T MISS THE SISTINE CHAPEL. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE IF YOU DO SOME READING BEFORE YOU GO. I ALSO SUGGEST BUYING GOOD MAPS OF LONDON, PARIS, AND ROME AND FAMILIARIZING YOURSELF WITH THE CITIES IN ADVANCE. HAVE FUN. IT RAINED THE LAST TIME I WAS IN LONDON AND I STILL HAD FUN.

What a fabulous spirited discussion! We, too, thought Montmartre was a waste of time - and be especially careful of pickpockets on the metro going there and while out and about. We found nothing charming whatsoever about this area. We were hugely disappointed with the view from there - the rooftop cafe at La Samaritaine had a much more spectacular, and panoramic (and you can see Sacre Coeur from there) view of all of Paris. We loved Musee d'Orsay and Rodin. But, we too would not have missed the Louvre, which we appreciated for the vast and varied collection and the building itself, inside and out. L'Orangerie s a must see for any affectionado of Monet. The lower lever is oval-shaped covered with HUGE panels of Monet's water lilies painted especially for this room toward the end of his life. Totally mesmerizing. If there's time, Versailles is worth the trip, not only for the gardens and statuary, but to understand the excesses of the monarchy which led to its destruction (not to mention all those rolling heads). We went to the Conciergerie a few days later, and I was so astonished by the contrast between Marie Antoinnette's boudoir at Versailles and her tiny cell and "garden" at the Conciergerie (where, as I recall she spent ten months after her husband's execution and with no knowledge of the fate of her children and awaiting her own), that I totally forgot to snap a photo! Big thumbs up for the Cadogan guides!

I've enjoyed everyone's posting here! I loved Paris!!! There is so much to see and do. I'm the type that takes in everything always remembering that I'm in anther country with different ideas, tastes, sights, etc. Nothing disappointed me! I loved the museums, esp. Musee d'Orsay, which was more interesting than the Louvre (maybe because some of the rooms were closed at the Louvre). I enjoyed Montmarte and all of the artists, though I didn't enjoy always being asked if I wanted my portrait sketched. I'm drawn to these sights because of my Mother who is an artist. Never did take a cruise on the Seine and decided not to because we walked many times along the Seine. Saint Chapelle is one of the most beautiful Churches I've been to!! Notre Dame was a great sight too. One interesting place we went to was the famous cemetary Cemetiere du Pere-Lachaise; saw many famous headstones including Jim Morrison, Chopin, Bizet, Sarah Bernhart, Oscar Wild, George Sand, etc. What was most interesting is the cemetary itself with the hugh Even saw a black cat wandering around. Eerie. We stayed on the Left bank in the Latin Quarter and enjoyed wandering the streets in this area (as well as other areas). We also went on day trips including Versailles, Claude Monet's home and gardens, and Chartres, a beautiful town with a fabulous cathedral. I could go on, but Italy is on my mind now as I have finalized plans for my trip in May with my husband. Going to Rome, Naples, Capri, Amalfi coast and towns, Venice, and Milan. Would love to hear positive/negatives on these locations, esp. Naples and Milan. Keep writing!!!!

Skip the Pompidou Center unless your really into modern art.

For travelers to Vienna, skip the Spanish Riding School training sessions for a peek at the Lippanzer Stallions. No tricks at all performed; save your time and money and spend it on the show instead of a training session. Just awful.

Haven't been to msot of the cities discussed above, but the absolute corker I'd like to mention is the Mannequin Pis in Brussels. What a joke! The statue itself is so tiny we nearly missed it, and the street leading to the statue is lined with the cheapest and nastiest souvenier shops with all kinds of bizarre replicas of the Mannequin. As for London, I was very keen to see Kew Gardens, but made the mistake of going in wintertime. It's such a long trip out from the city and was a dissappointment to see everything looking grey and dead. I agree that London Tower and Westminster Abbey were worth a look, and I think anyone who lived through the World Wars would have been fascinated by the underground War Museum (although personally I could have happily been in and out in an hour).
Does anyone have any highlights/lowlights of Austria or Turkey to mention?

Kirrily - I agree with you that the Mannekin-Pis is the tackiest sight in all of Europe... but that's why I love it! It is the most magnificent disappointment the first time you finally find it (it took us an hour, trudging through the streets with our backpacks on and my husband getting grumpier and grumpier). Then we too couldn't believe how small it is! I have now made 4 yearly pilgrimmages to view it. I've seen him dressed up twice, but I definitely prefer him nekked. I have bought so many of those tacky souvenirs, but the piece de resistance was the little Mannekin-Pis WC placque that I bought the last time and that I now have screwed to the guest bathroom door in my house.(grin)

I have only a couple to things to add to this great thread - I personally REALLY enjoyed Stratford-upon-Avon! I thought it was quaint, charming, had great shops, and I enjoyed seeing the Royal Shakepeare Company perform. Although there aren't many "tour" spots, I suppose, I love it there. If I were to recommend a place to skip, pass on Pisa and its leaning tower. Boring! Definitely not worth going out of your way.

One of the disturbing aspects of growing old is to visit once again places one saw in one's youth. Most of the places cited above have deteriorated greatly over the past 50 years, become over-run with crowds, or allowed to sink into tacky commercialism.
However, the Sainte Chappelle remains grand, the Louvre is incomparably cleaner, and the Changing of the Guard never ceases to amaze for its drawing power as a "thing one must do." Strange that nobody mentioned the leisurely boat ride from Westminster Pier up the Thames to Hampton Court. You approach Henry VIII's palace the way he did, by water. Madame Tussaud's remains a mystery to me; why would anyone want to see such mock stuff? On the other hand, the glories of Istanbul never cease to amaze and intrigue -- the Blue Mosque at sunset, the great underground cistern nearby, the cruise up and back on the Bosporus with its ceaseless traffic.
Why one would ever go to Berlin and miss the one-and-only Pergamon Museum or the short tour out to Potsdam to see Sans Souci, Frederick the Great's palace -- instead so many waste their time walking up and down Ku-Damm -- Omaha is better. Paris is best at dawn, when they clean the streets and few are about. Munich at night -- now there's fun...but not at the Hofbrauhaus, one of Europe's biggest tourist traps. Instead, walk from the railway station, across Stachus, and down Marienplatz to the Isar Bridge. Too many miss the little Asamkirche, a gift to the city by two wealthy brothers in the 1600s, the most ornate little jewel box of a baroque church in the city. Skip the Olympic Village; it's run down and seedy. Instead, take a day trip south to see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Don't miss Linderhof. Oktoberfest? Forget it. I have bored you enough, a garrolous old man who remembers many days in the sun, the springtime of a long and happy life.

Kirrely, the only place that I have been in Turkey was Ephesus, but it is magnificent. It is especially intriguing if you are of the Christian faith. Our guide in Ephesus was a Moslem, but she explained everything wonderfully from the Christian perspective. The library is two storied and the guide told us that the men in Ephesus would go to the library and then go through an underground tunnel to the brothel so their wives wouln't know about it. There are still stones in Ephesus with carved footprints leading to the brothel. Also very interesting was the community toilet used by men only. There are long benches with several holes and the men would go there to socialize. I highly recommend Ephesus.

What a fascinating topic! Old Al, just above here, may be the first person ever to use the word "garrolous" on the Internet, and I applaud both his views and his vocabulary. But on to the topic at hand... In London, I would skip Madame Tussards but would definitely take the cruise down the Thames to Greenwich and the Old Observatory (if you've read "Longitude," it makes the book come alive). Unless you like cutesy shopping arcades, Covent Garden is now just a sanitized ghost of what it once was. In Paris, the most over-rated tourist stop is Sacre Coeur, and I wouldn't go near Place Pigalle or Moulin Rouge on a bet, yet the tour buses go in droves. The Centre Pompidou is depressingly ugly as is the Les Halles district next to it (now just basically an underground shopping center). Skip Au Printemps department store and concentrate on Galeries Lafayette. I never knew Ste. Chapelle had so many fans, and I agree with every one of them. Be sure to take time to go through the flower market across the street and buy a bouquet for your room. Spend your time along the Seine, the Left Bank, and the museum. If you like Monet, devote a morning to the Marmatton. It's in a beautiful area of Paris and seeing "Impression Sunrise" is worth a trip to France.

To Neal Sanders: my apologies...my spelling is not what it once was. I meant to say "garrulous" -- thanks for catching me; I will be more careful. One of the really great hikes: Krimml waterfall in Austria. You start at its base, climb up a series of switchbacks alongside the cataract until you reach the great gushing summit, covered in spray and rainbows. Then alongside the rushing stream across meadowlands and glacial rock heads until you reach...what else?...a bierstube, filled with laughing Austrians who were smart enough to take a taxi all the way up from the village. To the west one comes to Eiriesenwelt (the Giant's Ice Cave), high up on the side of a mountain, reached by two aerial trams and a stiff climb. Huge caverns of ice, where even your bones feel as if they were about to crack from the altitude and the chill.
But, for the all time, "waste of time" prize: Hollywood, California, and its "Sidewalk of Stars."
What a memorial to the trivial, the self-promoting, and the tawdry. It makes you wonder what people in America value most. It worships the cult of celebrity amid blobs of dried chewing gum.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. I know this was a subjective post, which is why I asked for your "opinions". My college age daughter and I leave in a couple days and will be sure to enjoy ourselves.It appears most of us travelers prepare with much research before a trip. I read as much as I can and study maps so much that I think I could find my way around without a map. I live on a farm in the midwest, (closest town, population 700) where all the streets form a checkerboard, not a curved street in town. All the country roads exactly a mile apart and all run north-south, east-west.The tallest building is the grain storage facility (150 ft.) I love to go to the top to look at the countryside. That's why I choose to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, for the contrast, even though I really don't like heights. I never get tired of cathedrals or cemetaries. We named our four children by touring cemetaries (you get a good feel for a name when you see it carved in stone). Old Al, I loved your reply.
I too went to the ice cave on a rainy day 29 years ago when I was 15. I had forgotten that miserable day but thanks to you I can at least get a good laugh for the memory of my waste of time. My travel motto could be summed up by my enjoyment of experiencing what is most important to people. Faith , family, food and fun. Thanks, and keep adding replies so I can read them when I get home. David

Wait! David, we were convinced you had already left! Here are a few more thoughts on London that aren't reflected in the above thread... 1) If 15+29 still equals 44, you may be tempted to visit (and drag your poor college age daughter to see) a few shrines of the '60s in London. Don't bother. Carnaby St. today features The Gap and all the same stores as you'll find at the Mall of Iowa, or wherever. Abbey Road is, well, just a street with a plaque. What was on the Beatle's album cover is there no longer. Everyone says not to bother going to the National Portrait Gallery, and Everyone is right. And, unfortunately, the Courtauld Collection (home of, among other things, Manet's "Bar at the Folies Bergerie") is currently closed for renovation. Otherwise, it is one of London's most under-rated attractions. Two "gotta gos": Wembley's toy store on Bond St. is the world's best, period. And, nearby, the Liberty department store is a delight to walk through. Much of the store looks as though it was plucked from an Elizabethan set. Have a great trip and thanks for posing the question; it brought out the best in everyone.