Hi,
My husband and I will be in Paris from September 20 -September 27th. YEAH!!
I%26#39;ve been reading my Rick Steve%26#39;s travel guide and lurking on this forum for quite some time now. Tonight hubby and I sat down to create our itinerary and I think we have come up with something that is do-able although it does feel like there are a few gaps. Please review and provide your expertise. Merci beaucoup!
Sunday
10AM: Arrival at CDG, purchase Paris Museum pass
Drop bags off at hotel and explore neighborhood (6th)
Luxembourg Garden
St. Sulpice
Isle de la cite for dinner and Seine River Cruise
Monday
Louvre
Picnic Jardin des Tuileries
Place de la Concorde
Orangerie Museum
Arc de Triomphe
Champs Elysees
Eiffel Tower at night
Tuesday
Orsay Museum
Des Invalides
Picnic near Eiffel Tower
Rodin Museum
Wednesday
Versailles
Thursday
Pantheon
Notre Dame
Deportation Museum
Sainte Chapelle
Ile Saint Louis
Centre Pompidou, dinner at Georges
Friday
Palais Garnier
Shopping at Galleries Lafayette
Montmartre
Saturday
Maison Europeenne de la photographie
Pere-Lachaise Cemetery
Sunday
Check out of hotel 10AM
Montparnasse Tower
Train to Rome 6:52
Monday to Thursday is jam packed in order to maximize the 4 day museum pass. The rest of the days seem quite relaxed which I think is a good thing!
Questions:
is it a good plan to stick around Montmartre into the evening on the Saturday? Is the Moulin Rouge overrated?
Is there anything else worth checking out around the Pere-Lachaise cemetery?
Thanks in advance!
|||
I think you%26#39;ve got a very manageable itinerary.
You could consider switching the Opera Garnier to the weekend and take the guided tour at 11:30. It%26#39;s an extra 3 euros and I think well worth it.
Assuming you can see the auditorium (it%26#39;s closed when rehearsals are in progress), the guided tours actually go into the auditorium and the guide takes some time to explain the beautiful Marc Chagall ceiling. The self-guided tours only see the auditorium from one of the boxes.
Guided tours in English are at 11:30 and 2:30 on Wed, Sat and Sun. I asked my tour guide about how to increase your odds of seeing the ceiling, and he said the morning tours are better.
You may want to find a guidebook in addition to Rick Steves. I think his book is good for giving a basic overview. Other books go into a bit more depth about some of the lesser-known things to look for in a neighborhood.
Enjoy your trip!
|||
You%26#39;ve done a spectacular job of organizing an itinerary for a first-time visitor.
Forget bothering with other tour guides. Rick Steves is plenty comprehensive for a first visit. Reading additional guides will just overwhelm you. Do be sure to follow his advise to start at Gambetta when going to Pere LaChaise, so you%26#39;re exploring downhill and not UP.
You may have time to spare each day, and might want to think about Galeries Lafayette Thursday, when it%26#39;s open late.
It%26#39;s great to be in Montmartre around dusk to watch the sun set over Paris. And, %26quot;touristy%26quot; though it may be, there%26#39;s actually very good food at moderate prices around Place du Tertre with some terrific traditional music.
You may want to include one of the fabulous roving outdoor markets, such as the one on Avenue President Wilson on Saturdays (best to get there ahead of 1PM). There is a good outdoor market near Pere LaChaise, Boulevard de Menilmontant, between rue des Panoyaux and rue des Cendriers, Tuesday, Friday, 7 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Metro : Menilmontant
|||
Although I think you have organized your itinerary quite well. I really think you have perhaps have planned to do too much..? far too much. ex you will arrive tired..a nice walk around the 6th would be great and dinner but a night cruise (? snooze). Tuesday, 2 museums max but you have 3..(I spent a whole day at the Orsay) Thursday is far more doable..I think you can use this plan as an outline, but please dont be a slave to it. Feel free to change the days around (assuming it isnt one of the days that a museum is closed) if the weather would be better for indoor activities..above all enjoy!
|||
Your plan looks pretty good. If you feel too tired on the first day just skip the dinner cruise (you can slot it in later if you want).
I would highly recommend you opt for the 6 day museum pass.
I can all but guarantee you will come across a museum in the final two days that you want to see (or return to a second time). The extra 16 Euros is well worth the flexibility. The larger museums are ideal for breaking into multiple trips – with the night hours at the Louvre (Wednesday %26amp; Friday) and the Orsay (Thursday) are perfect for repeat/followup visits.
|||
We always do a night cruise on the Seine on our first night. I LOVE it! You may be tired, but if this is your first time in Paris, it%26#39;s a great way to get an idea where things are in the city and it really is so exciting! If you are having dinner on the isle... I would take the vendettes du pont neuf boats... right on the tip of the island. We always take these... they run frequently and they even have an online coupon you can print out. Just google them.
Moulin Rouge... way overrated in my opinion.
Love the Pantheon in Paris.
I may be one of the only ones that feel this way but... if there is a long line, I think Sainte Chapelle is very much overrated. We waited for 2 hours (even with museum pass you have to wait here). Not worth the wait in my opinion. I adore Notre Dame.
The more I travel the more I like Rick Steves%26#39; I can%26#39;t stand to watch the man on TV, but his books give you the info you need. I used to want photos in travel books, now I want info. You will get a lot out of his Paris book. Like he states in the first chapter... read through the whole book and then decide what appeals.
Have a blast! I am at 10 months and counting...
|||
Sorry... misspelled. Check out the boats here...
http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/
|||
We%26#39;ve actually already booked our tickets for the Vedettes cruise, based on advice I read on here and the fact that if you book online you save 5 euros!
I agree that a cruise on our first night is a great way to see Paris for the first time.
I will consider a 6 day Museum pass if the cost isn%26#39;t too great. A 6 day pass will allow us to spread our days out a bit better. Just looking at the itinerary makes me tired!
We are staying in a fabulous area from what I can see so I know we are going to want to spend more time in it than I have given ourselves.
Thank you all for your tips!
|||
My wife and I just returned from our first trip to Paris earlier this month. Prior to leaving I had a similar, yet not quite as ambitious schedule planned for us as well.
My opinion, for what it%26#39;s worth:
Our schedule was nearly identical, arriving on Sunday and leaving the following Sunday. Although we were able to do and see nearly everything we had planned, as I look back in retrospect, I personally feel we tried to do too much because it was our first time in Paris.
Regardless of how much you are able to see in 7+ days, you%26#39;ll leave knowing that you%26#39;re just scratched the surface of the city. Instead of really absorbing and understanding and truly appreciating each location, we (I) was consumed with remaining on schedule and trying to see as much as we could.
Just my .02
Either way, you%26#39;ll love it
|||
this is a balanced itinerary but if it were me I would do a couple fewer museums and some more Paris
the Pompidou is really worth a miss (unless as with any museum there is something there you particularly want to see) -- I%26#39;d bag that and the Pantheon and use the time freed up to do a self guided walking tour in a less central neighborhood of Paris -- guide books include many walking tours -- and I would do some more strolling in parks and sitting cafes -- or if you really like visiting specific sites rather than walking in neighborhoods and seeing Paris -- I%26#39;d substitute St. Denis for things like the Pantheon and Pompidou and St. Sulpice
but you can%26#39;t do everything and if your list is what you want to do go for it
|||
we will be in Paris of the Feast of St. Denis. I am wondering why you would choose this over St. Sulplice and the Pantheon. I was considering going over there from the 6th but wasn%26#39;t sure it was worth the time. Thanks
No comments:
Post a Comment