My husband and I will be going to Paris in October. It%26#39;s our first stop during a 2.5 week trip. We will be in Paris Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (leaving Monday morning via train for Switzerland). Here is my rough itinerary: Please give me feedback...I am new at this!
Friday: Arrive in Paris at CDG 9:40 am
Take RER into Paris
Arrive at hotel- St. Germain area
Eat Lunch at a nearby cafe
Paris Walking tour (on our own with ipod):
Ile de la Cite %26amp; Ile St-Louis, possibly Latin
Quarter (we will stop at Notre Dame,
Saint-Chapelle, etc.)
Walk to the Louvre (It’s open until 21:45)
Eat dinner
Seine River cruise
Saturday: Eiffel Tower
Musee D’Orsay
Napoleon’s Tomb
Spend the afternoon in St. Germain/St.
Sulpice/Luxembourg area- shopping, eating,
exploring.
Evening: Champs-Elysees/Arc de Triomphe
Sunday: Day trip to Versailles? Maybe a bike tour?
Mid to late-afternoon: Marais. How late are
the shops open on Sunday?
What should we do tonight?
Did I cram too much into each day? I%26#39;d also like to see Montparnasse and Montmartre/Sacre-Coeur and maybe have a little bit more time to shop. Can I fit that in anywhere? Any suggestions???
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I don%26#39;t think you can possibly accomplish all that on your first day after an overnight flight, but go for it!
Those two small islands are a LOT larger than they look on the map. And, there are miles and miles of hallways and exhibits on several floors in several huge wings in the Louvre (although only some parts will be open after 5PM).
As for shopping...prices in Paris are quite high, and the exchange rate is dreadful right now, so you may discover that you don%26#39;t want to spend so much time on that.
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Can you stay one more day in Paris or is your travel plans unchangeable? Your first day is really full--possibly too full. Saturday looks fine. I recommend that you don%26#39;t spend the time to climb the Eiffel Tower. The view isn%26#39;t as good as the view from the Arc de Triomphe and it will eat up precious time in your day. The best thing about the Eiffel Tower is looking at it, not out from it. Be sure to see it at night on the hour when it is dark %26#39;cause it will be twinkling gorgeously for 10 minutes. Sunday looks fine if you do Versailles and either the Marais or the bike tour but I doubt if you can fit in both.
Anticipate that you won%26#39;t get all of your %26quot;wish list%26quot; accomplished and then if things take less than you anticipate you will be pleasantly surprised and can add the additional activities to your schedule.
Perhaps on Sunday you can do Versailles, spend a little time in the Marais when you return, and that evening visit Montmartre/Sacre-Coeur. Skip the bike ride this trip--you just don%26#39;t have time.
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Thanks for the help so far. I was actually thinking about doing the Versailles bike tour based on what I have read on this forum.
I was afraid I might have planned too much on the first day....any suggestions on how to rearrange it? I don%26#39;t think that we can stay another day in Paris. I agree about not going up the Eiffel Tower, but right now it%26#39;s something my husband really wants to do.....hopefully I can change his mind.
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kileygirl--don%26#39;t try to change your husband%26#39;s mind about the Eiffel Tower. Just do it with him and make him happy. I bet there is something on this trip that he will end up doing for you. Just get to the Eiffel Tower about 1/2 hour before it opens so you are in the front of the line rather than at the end of the line. Otherwise, go later in the evening when the line is shorter.
What is the Paris walking tour? You will be walking anyway. Where does the tour take you?
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Here is a possible tweak of your itinerary. Just because I put %26quot;skip%26quot; doesn%26#39;t mean it isn%26#39;t a good choice, but you have to cut somewhere. I left some things %26#39;loose%26#39; so you can quit when you get tired and go take a short rest.
===================================================
Friday: Arrive in Paris at CDG 9:40 am
--Take RER into Paris, Arrive at hotel- St. Germain area; Eat Lunch at a nearby cafe
--Paris Walking tour (on our own with ipod): Ile de la Cite %26amp; Ile St-Louis, stop at Notre Dame, Saint-Chapelle
--SKIP: the Louvre (It’s open until 21:45)
Eat dinner, bed earlyish (9-10pm)
Saturday:
--Eiffel Tower (just go look, you%26#39;ll see it again on the boat cruise)
--Musee D’Orsay
--Napoleon’s Tomb (just the tomb, no time in the Invalides museum)
--Spend the afternoon in St. Germain/St. , shopping, eating, exploring
--Dinner, then Seine River cruise
Sunday:
--SKIP: Day trip to Versailles? Maybe a bike tour?
--Morning: Montmartre / Sacre Coeur
--Mid to late-afternoon: Marais. How late are the shops open on Sunday?
--Dinner, then a stroll on the Champs-Elysees, see Arc de Triomphe %26quot;illuminated%26quot;
--SKIP: Montparnasse
NOPE: and maybe have a little bit more time to shop.
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In love with Paris- I agree that if it%26#39;s something he wants to do, we should go for it.
The walking tour is just a podcast that I think includes Ile de la Cite %26amp; Ile St-Louis. I haven%26#39;t downloaded it yet, so I%26#39;m not exactly sure.
I had actually considered skipping Versailles in order to have more time to see Paris. But is it a %26#39;can%26#39;t miss%26#39;?
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As far as I am concerned there are hundreds of can%26#39;t misses in Paris alone. It is just that you don%26#39;t have time to see them all.
I have also read that there is construction happening at Versailles now. Some people say go anyway. I say save it for another trip when you have more time. Instead, how about doing a bike ride or a segway ride through viator.com or Fat Tire Bikes Company?
You are missing something in your itinerary which I think is an absolute must. It is viewing the Opera Garnier (you can do a self-tour or go on an organized tour. I think it is the most beautiful building in Paris. You could do it on Sunday if there isn%26#39;t a matinee going on there that day. (I saw a Sunday matinee when I was there in Sept %26#39;07). Otherwise, you might have to see it on another day.
Perhaps your first day isn%26#39;t overly filled if your walking tour is in fact Ile St. Louis and Ile de la Cite.
I think it is worth going into the Louvre, even if all you see is the Mona Lisa. It is the most famous painting in the world! You have to be able to say you saw it. If you need to know how to get in without standing in line, just ask and we will tell you.
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