May 2009 itinerary

Arrive around noon May 5, Tuesday staying at a B%26amp;B in southwestern greater Paris area

Seine cruise

Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe

May 6 - Wednesday

Versailles - all day

May 7 - Museums - Louvre, d%26#39;Orsay, Picasso

Jardin des Tulleries

May 8 - Notre Dame

St. Chapelle

? Sacre Coeur

? other sights

May 9 - Off to Amsterdam on a Thalys train booked 90 days in advance. Baltic Cruise that pm and return on May 21

May 23 - Back to Paris on Thalys train near noon

Hotel Invalides

Rodin Museum

? other ideas

May 24 - OPEN

?Museums - L%26#39;Orangerie, Marmottan-Monet

REST and kick back

May 25 - USA in a.m.

Would the Museum Pass be a good idea? I need to add up all the entrance fees and check it out.

Thanks so much for tweeks and ideas!

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Couple of quick(ish) comments:

** It might be a bit too much to do the Tour Eiffel and the Arc de Tripmohe on the one day. You%26#39;ll be jetlagged, too. The Seine Cruise would be a nice way to orient yourselves – and then maybe visit the Tour Eiffel. Recommend you walk up – it’s cheaper, there are no queues and you get right up close to the structure and to take in the views of Paris through the wrought iron %26quot;lace work.%26quot; There are 2 viewing platforms accessible by the stairs.

** Lots of people love Versailles. We were underwhelmed (maybe because there was serious renovation/construction work going on). But if you want to make the trip, I agree you need to give it most of a day.

In the late afternoon/evening, maybe visit Sacre Couer to watch the sun go down over Paris and explore Montmartre.

** Day 7 is a bit overloaded with museums. Try mixing the museums and monuments up a bit.

Maybe start the day with a visit the Cathedral, then do a tour of the bell towers (up close and personal with the gargoyles). The Cathedral (free) opens really early and the tour of the Tours starts round 10.00am. You need to get there well before opening to beat the queues.

After that, visit Saint-Chapelle (near Notre Dame) and spend some time exploring the Ile de la Cite and the Ile Saint Louis.

Late afternoon, head for the Musee d%26#39;Orsay (which is open late on Thursdays).

** On the 8th, start the day in the Louvre, then stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries to l%26#39;Orangerie, then head through the Place de la Concorde and up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-Elysees is tired and marred by big, ugly cinema complexes and the like - but walking up from the Jardin towards the Arc is magic.

Watch the sunset over Paris from the top.

** On the 23rd, an afternoon checking out the Musee Rodin and the Musee de l%26#39;Armee seems reasonable. Don%26#39;t miss the asonishingly ornate Tombeau du Napoleon (under the gold dome you will see from the Musee Rodin%26#39;s sculpture garden.

After that, don%26#39;t miss the also astonishingly ornate Pont Alexandre III which crosses the Seine below the Hotel Invalides.

Maybe a picnic dinner in the Pac du Champs de Mars and watch to Tour Eiffel light up?

** That gives you the 24th to visit:

-- the Saint-Germain-des-Pres area in the 6th (eg: the Eglise Saint-Sulpice – referred to in that Dan Brown novel which was turned into a film – and maybe check out a produce market like the Rue Raspail organic market, which takes place on Sunday mornings)

-- the Latin Quarter in the 5th (eg: the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Musee du Moyen Age which has the ancient Lady and Unicorn tapestry series and the Pantheon)

-- the Marais (across the Seine in the 4th) for the Place des Vosges and the Musee Picasso.

Paris Museum Passes may or may not be worth it. You would need two, two day passes because they operate over consecutive days from the date you first use them.

The PMP covers entry to all the places on your list (though not all of Versailles) – except the Tour Eiffel and the Marmottan-Monet museum.

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Thanks so much, EllaDexter, those are the tweeks I was looking for! I%26#39;ll put them all on paper in calendar form and see how they look.

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The D%26#39;Orsay, for me, offers the most impressive art collection. I find the the Louvre overwhelming. When we visited, we targeted certain selections of art to see. We did use a Museum pass that was applicable for the Arc de Triomphe.

Save some time just to savor the taste, cafes and Arondissements of Paris. Try not to program all your time and enjoy alot of what Paris is about. I so think it is enjoyable to walk the Champs Elyees, visit the food court of Au Bon Marche, and enjoy one of the delicious Bistro%26#39;s.

Just enjoy where you are and save some time to enjoy just being where you are.

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