My First Trip w/ my Grandmother 04/20-04/29

I%26#39;m taking my grandmother to Paris - our first trip there for each of us - leaving on Wed 04/20 and coming back on 04/29, which gives us eight nights there.

She%26#39;s 75, and overall in very good health. However, she probably won%26#39;t be able to walk EVERYWHERE due to some minor arthritis issues (mainly in her hands, but her feet get tired too), so I%26#39;m planning on getting metro passes for the both of us.

I%26#39;m trying to determine what the best path is for buying passes, and what kind to buy. We%26#39;ll be arriving on a Thursday morning, so a 5 day Visite probably won%26#39;t be enough. Should I buy a carnet to get us by until Monday, and then get the 5 day, or should I just buy a 3 day and a 5 day? Or a carnet and then a Carte Orange on Monday?

I%26#39;m planning on taking her to Versailles for the day (most likely on Sunday). Will the fountains and the music be going during that time?

I also want to take her to the Louvre, and possible a few more museums, but I definitely want to go to the modern museum.. isn%26#39;t that Pompidou?

We actually have some friends from Texas that live in Paris, I believe in the 17th. So, it%26#39;ll be fun to have them show us around a bit too. I want to take her on a River cruise. Would you recommend the dinner for that?

Thanks! Any and all feedback is appreciated!

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The metro is very convenient for people who are mobile, but difficult for others because of the long passageways and stairs. You might consider one of the bus tours to get a general feel of the city. You can get on and off when you wish.

Which pass to buy really depends on how much you%26#39;ll be using it. Nobody can answer that but you.

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Take taxis. They are not expensive and considering the expense you%26#39;ve already gone to to get to Paris, the total taxi cost by comparison is low. Best place to get a taxi is at a taxi stand. People queue up and we never waited more than five minutes, and that was on a Saturday night near the Louvre.

My parents are 80 and in pretty good health, but this is what I would do, especially in consideration of jet lag, time difference, etc.

The D%26#39;Orsay is a great museum and user-friendly. There are multiple restaurants/cafeterias, and places to sit down in the viewing rooms. Get the Museum Pass for this one; there always seem to be lines. There is a wonderful neo-impressionist exhibit at the D%26#39;Orsay through June. You need a time-entry pass to this, which also gives you entry to the rest of the museum. It%26#39;s worth the extra euro or two.