We will be staying at the Paris Marriott Champs-Elysees. (my wife and I are 26 years old)
DAY ONE:
We will arrive via the Eurostar from London on a Wednesday around 2:15pm local time. Will get checked into the hotel, maybe grab a quick bite to eat. Maybe do a bus tour or Seine boat cruise. Will walk around some and then we will head over to the Louvre since they will be open until 10pm.
We only plan on spending a few hours in the Louvre though...even though I know you could spend days and days. We are not big into viewing art. Sorry.
DAY TWO:
We will walk along the Seine starting around the Louvre area. Will walk south and cross the Pont Neuf bridge. This will bring us to Square du Vert Galant.
Then, we will continue east and will pause at the Place Dauphine square and then will move east along the Quai des Orfevres quay until we come to Sainte-Chapelle. We will stop in for a visit.
Then we will continue east along the quai des Orfevres until we come to the Pont St-Michel bridge and will cross to the left bank.
We will walk through the Place St-Michel square and will eat lunch around this area.
We will then continue along the quai St-Michel until it becomes the quai de Montebello. At the park/square Rene Viviani, we will take a picture of Notre Dame and will then cross the bridge Pont au Double to actually visit Notre Dame.
We will then take the Metro to the Place de la Concorde and will walk the Champs-Elysees (or if we are really tired, we will take the Metro to the F.D. Roosevelt stop and will walk the Champs-Elysees from there).
We will end up at the Arc de Triomphe and will climb to the top.
We will then head over to Tour Eiffel and will go up to the top if we can stand the long line. By this time, it should be getting close to sunset maybe....
DAY THREE:
We will take the Metro to the Pont-Marie stop and will walk around the Ile St-Louis island for a couple of hours.
Will then take the metro to the Musee d’Orsay and will spend a couple hours here.
Time for lunch – will eat at the Restaurant du Musee d’Orsay
Will then take the metro to the Abbesses stop and will wander around the square place du Tertre.
Will then visit the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur and will ascend to the dome for a great view.
Will then take the Metro to the Opera Garnier for a tour.
Will stop by the Galeries Lafayette mall….
DAY FOUR:
Wake up and head to the airport for a 11am departure….
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When would be a good time for us to walk through the les Jardins du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens)?
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Hello, jonmck. It looks like you%26#39;ve done some homework, so kudos to you. Some thoughts:
Don%26#39;t apologize about not being into viewing art! Although we do love art, we%26#39;ve never had a chance to go back to the Louvre since our first visit. There%26#39;s just so much to do in Paris.
There%26#39;s really no reason why you can%26#39;t do both Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis on the same day.
I wouldn%26#39;t climb the Eiffel right after the Arc. The Arc is going to be the better view since you%26#39;ll get to see the Eiffel. IMHO, going to the top of the Eiffel is overrated, but I understand if some people consider it a must-do.
Day 3 sounds great. I wasn%26#39;t aware that you could climb the dome of the Sacre Couer. Would be interested in hearing how that goes.
A Seine cruise on the first day is a great introduction to the cit.
Finally, try a macaron at Laduree on the Champs Elysees or at the original location on Rue Royale.
Have a fabulous time!
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I could be totally mistaken, but this itinerary seems to be copied out of a tour guide, and not one based on your particular interests.
That%26#39;s a LOT of walking for a short visit. While Paris is very walkable, riding will save you time. For example, I%26#39;d recommend taking a bus from Place de la Concorde to Arc de Triomphe. But the time you realize you are tired and decide to take the Metro, you will be dismayed by all the walking, and stairs, into and out of the metro stations.
If you are not that interested in art, why include the two largest museums in Paris on such a short trip? And, it%26#39;s better to head for a large museum first thing, rather that doing all that walking around before - there are miles and miles of hallways and stairways once you%26#39;re inside.
I don%26#39;t think you can possibly get to Opera Garnier by 4:30 for a tour on day three. And, it would be better to save Montmartre for last, so as to wind up the evening there. It%26#39;s really not necessary to climb those stairs - the views over Paris from the steps in front of Sacre Coeur are positively magnificent.
Also, get yourself a one-page map of Paris. Highlight the places you really want to get to (not where the tour guides say you ought to go), then divide it into areas. It would make more sense, for example, to visit Sainte-Chapelle and Notre Dame before heading over to the Left Bank.
If Sainte-Chapelle is a priority, it%26#39;s really best to get there first thing in the morning just before opening time. Lines are usually considerable, and there%26#39;s no separate line for those with the museum pass.
It seems that you do want to take in quite a bit of scenery. If the weather is pleasant during your visit, highly recommend two-day passes on L%26#39;Opentour. The views from seats on the upper air open deck are terrific - and you%26#39;ll see/enjoy much more scenery and many more areas/neighborhoods, a lot more of Paris, than by walking all over and exhausting yourselves.
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i am not really into art either but i loved the musee d%26#39;orsay (there is also some amazing bakeries around the museum with beautiful cakes and pastries)...but that being said, visiting Napoleon%26#39;s apartments at the Louvre would also be great if you guys are not into art so much...or maybe try l%26#39;Orangerie which is s small gallery not far from Louvre, which just has couple of rooms of wall to wall Monet paintings which is really beautiful to admire....that%26#39;s my two bobs worth!
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I agree that Day Three is too full and that you are unlikely to get to Opera Garnier before it closes. Perhaps reverse the order you do things that day because Ile St. Louis can easily be explored in the evening and there are great places there to eat dinner too.
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