Hello! Could anyone please comment on my itinerary? I am getting into Paris at noon. I plan to go to Notre Dame after I check into my hotel. I understand that closing time is 6:45 pm. After which I plan to see Eiffel Tower then venture into Champs Elysees/Tuilleries Garden/Arc de Triomphe; then dinner. Second day is full day: Plan to visit Sacre Coeur first thing in the morning (open at 6:00 am); Musee de Orsay, Musee de Louvre, Notre Dame then shopping/dinner. I still don%26#39;t have a map of Paris so I have no idea how far are they from each other. To anyone who knows exactly where these museums are located, please give your comment. Is this itinerary doable? Thanks.
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The Louvre and the Orsay in one day is too much... add to that two cathedrals and I think you will be too busy to even see the places you are visiting.
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The Louvre could fill 2 days on it%26#39;s own. If you think you will be back in Paris maybe you should consider D%26#39;Orsay and wait for the Louvre. Get your tickets beforehand so you don%26#39;t waste time queueing if time is so short.
I%26#39;m nt much on churches but I think Notre Dame 2 days running is not worth it unless you have a reason for this. Over the bridge there is a street with some nice restaurants near ND - someone here might recall the name or I will check later.
I would go out and get that map today! It will give you a better idea of what is near what.
I%26#39;ve come to the conclusion, reading these forums, that it is a mistake people make to try and cram too much into a visit of only a few days. You will come away frustrated I think - and exhausted.
Paris will not go away, you will hopefully come back, decide on an area per day and do that well and save the rest for another visit. Plus this gives you the opportunity to walk around rather than rushing on the Metro so you won%26#39;t miss out on the ambience of Paris due to being underground.
Have a wonderful trip!
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Thank you, phread. I plan to see only the big 3%26#39;s at the Louvre (Mona Lisa/Venus de Milo/Winged Victory). Any more comment?
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ebabe69..thanks - your post is enlightening. Paris is the last leg of my trip before I go back to the States. The other is a 12 day mediterranean cruise. A stopover in Paris was thrown in the mix as it is the airline%26#39;s hub from London - without the extra cost.
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It%26#39;s great that you are going to get this taster to whet your appetite for a return trip :o)
There are quite a lot of nice big stores on the rue de Rivoli for a quick hit on the shopping front. When you can return I%26#39;d suggest heading to the Marais area for it%26#39;s great selection of smaller, individual stores.
I%26#39;m not sure when you are in Paris, but it can be a bit rainy at times so one of those little light weight, folding umbrellas that will fit in your purse is always handy.
I%26#39;ve been wracking my brains for the name of the street near Notre Dame with the restaurants. If I remember I%26#39;ll come back and post here.
Enjoy the cruise.
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My experience for seeing the Mona Lisa was this: Go early. Because shortly afterwards everyone and their grandmama will be there swarmed around it.
I personally only spent three hours at the Louvre and felt that was enough. But it totally depends on personal tastes. I think the earlier you get to Musee de Louvre the better off you would be.
:)
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True, the first time I went to Louvre (more years than I care to remember!) the Mona Lisa is a very small canvas with a vaste crowd of onlookers - go early and head straight for it I would imagine!
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Just returned from Paris on Tuesday. My boyfriend and I also had two days there and crammed virtually every landmark into our schedule. We were exhausted, but it was well worth it as it was potentially our only visit to Paris. On our first day, we visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. We had dinner on the Champs Elysees on our walk to the Arc which was very convenient (The view of the Champs Elysees at night and the Tower across the way is beautiful...even if it rained during our visit...got some great pics!). On Day Two, we visited Notre Dame (and, yes, that road across the river does have a ridiculous amount of restaurants and shops from which to choose as well as the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore...by the way, LONG line to enter the Notre Dame%26#39;s tower. We skipped it and moved on.), Saint Chappelle (be prepared to stand on line and go through a security check), Sacre Coeur (going into the church is free, but it%26#39;s 5 Euros to enter the tower and crypt) and Montemarte (get there early, but not too early....Montemarte, the area behind Sacre Coeur, doesn%26#39;t start hoping until around 8 or 9. That%26#39;s when the street artists flood the walkways....It%26#39;s a bit expensive, but having our portraits done by a street artist was a fun experience and the portraits are a personalized keepsake.). We also managed to walk to the Moulin Rouge (great inexpensive shops along the way!) and had lunch at an outdoor cafe right across the street. It was a great place to people-watch as it%26#39;s right at the intersection of a very busy street. As I said, we were exhausted, but there was plenty of time in the day to even squeeze in a nap at our hotel between Metro stops.
TIPS: Take the Metro everywhere! We purchased a three day pass and it was certainly worth it. We never waited more than 3 or 4 minutes for a train and the system is easy to figure out. At times, there can be a bit of walking between lines, but the convenience and quick pace makes it worth it.
As far as the Louvre goes, get there early. It was our first stop and we were there by 9 on our first day. The line was very short to get it and it was easy to buy the tickets at the ticket machines inside. The instructions are in English and attendents are all over the place in case you need assistance. We made it to the Mona Lisa by 9:30 and, yes, there was a crowd of people, but I squeezed by way to the very front and got some great pictures. When we returned to the area on our way out, security had roped off the area and they were not allowing pictures at all. Go early to get pics!
Also, we went back to the Eiffel Tower on our last night. It%26#39;s worth seeing at night if you have the time. I was in awe at how it looks when it%26#39;s lit and even more impressed when it %26#39;sparkles.%26#39; It does so at the top of every hour for 10 minutes. Don%26#39;t miss it! Be sure to approached the Tower from the gardens in front of it. It makes for some great pictures and a breathtaking view. Not sure of the Metro stop%26#39;s name, but I think it%26#39;s %26quot;Ecole Militaire.%26quot; Don%26#39;t get off at the one that says %26quot;Tower%26quot; or %26quot;Tour%26quot; in it unless you want a shorter walk. %26quot;Ecole%26quot; brings you right to the gardens. It%26#39;s quaint and breathtaking. Also, go to the top if you can. They closed the top because of overcrowding so my boyfriend and I bought a ticket to the second floor. We were so disappointed, but when we arrived on the second floor, there was a place to buy tickets to the top! We did and it was very worth it (although you have to wait for a bit for an elevator down).
Bring a folding traveller%26#39;s umbrella like someone else already suggested. They forcasted rain for our entire trip, but it was on and off and the umbrellas we had literally fit in our coat pockets (when it wasn%26#39;t wet, of course). I also carried one of those Nike athletic bags instead of a purse. It was lightweight, convenient, and had enough room to hold all the goodies I purchased along the way. It kept my hands free and was harder to lose.
OH! You MUST get off at the %26quot;Opera%26quot; stop on the Metro. The opera house is literally at the top of the Metro steps and is gorgeous! We visited it at night on our last night (after scampering to see Notre Dame and the Eiffel lit up too!) and it only took at about 10 minutes as there%26#39;s no walking to and from the Metro. We couldn%26#39;t go inside because it had just closed, but the building is so intricate and impressive. One of my favorites!
All in all, your intinerary is very doable. Just be cautious! It will leave you quite exhausted, but I found that the excitement of being in Paris and seeing what we saw kept our energy WAY up! Don%26#39;t worry about how far things are from one another. As I said, the Metro is fast, clean, and very efficient. Enjoy your trip and don%26#39;t forget to bring a comfy pair of walking shoes! Au revoir! :)
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I, too, made a beeline for the Mona Lisa the first time I went to the Louvre. But really, there are SO many better paintings in the Louvre. There are SO many better DaVinci paintings in the Louvre. I think going to the Louvre just to see the %26quot;Big 3%26quot; is a waste. I think too many people do that because they think that%26#39;s what they SHOULD do instead it being what they WANT to do. Go to the top floor of the Orsay instead, and spend time seeing multiple masterpieces.
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Truffaut -
I couldn%26#39;t agree more! I honestly thing going to the Louvre just to %26quot;collect%26quot; the big three is a waste of time and money. There are literally thousands of masterworks in the Louvre. I think the idea of spending more time at the Orsay, which is smaller and more manageable, is a good one.
Or why not research some of the less obvious museums - there are dozens to choose among - and visit one that really %26quot;sings%26quot; to you. My personal favorite is the Cluny, which is small, delightful and rarely crowded and has those wonderful unicorn tapestries.
And I wouldn%26#39;t miss the Sainte Chapelle, either. I%26#39;d pick it over N.-Dame and especially, (but it%26#39;s only a personal opinion) the Sacre Coeur.
Why just follow tens of thousands of tour groups around the %26quot;top 10%26quot;? If you have the luxury of travelling independently, why not create your own unique memories?
Just a thought - but to each their own.
Enjoy Paris wherever you decide to go!
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