3 Days in Paris

Hi!
Regarding the Marais, points of interest include:

• Place des Vosges
• Musée Carnavalet (History of Paris, free)
• stepping inside the Archives Nationales garden, just off rue des Francs Bourgeois (free)
• Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme
• St Paul church
• Wandering around the streets: rue des Francs Bourgeois, rue Vieille du Temple, rue des Archives, rue Charlot, rue de Poitou to name but a few.

And BTW, Arc de Triomphe to Opera is just one stop on RER A. That's much faster than a taxi, typically.

Marais more:
Musée des Arts et Métiers
Maison de Victor Hugo
Picasso Museum
Others

Google Le Marais museum for more. (If you like museums....)

Some find the Champs-Élysées a disappointment - tourist shops, etc. St Germaine can be a fun area to explore. Obviously not my decision, just a thought.

Things to do/see in Le Marais
- Place des Vosges
- Picasso Museum
- Marché des Enfants Rouges (oldest covered market)
- Maison de Victor Hugo

For Montmarte, you can pass by the Wall of Love. It's the wall with the collection of 'I love you's' in different languages. If you visit in the morning or late at night, there is less crowd. You'll appreciate the wall more with its history.

https://happinessontheway.com/wall-of-love-paris/

Is this your first time to Paris? Enjoy!

You asked for suggestions…I see a lot of unnecessary zigzagging/cabs/metro rides that could be eliminated with smoother logistics for a more streamlined visit. You are there for a short time and if anything, Paris is meant for strolling!

Great idea to start off walking around the Saint Germain des Prés (you can also pop into the church of the Saint Germain des Prés, it’s the oldest church in Paris). FYI Café de Flore is currently overrun with Emily in Paris fans (no offense if you are a fan) so it may be a bit tough to get into, depending on the time, of course. If so, go to Rue de Buci or Rue de Seine where you will find many great cafés to get a light lunch.

(Le Train Bleu is on the other side of town from the Eiffel Tower. Not sure where it would fit into your schedule, do you have your heart set on it?)

Why not do the Champs Elysées/Arc de Triomphe on Monday instead of Ile de la Cité (save for Wednesday) before the Eiffel Tower tour - much closer and not dependent on opening hours (dinner at L'Ami Jean, close to the Eiffel Tower, would be lovely that night)? (I agree with the person who was not a fan of the Champs Elysées, it's a very touristed shopping area but can be exciting if you are not from a big city.)

Lots of suggestions here already for the Marais...if you want a quick lunch I recommend L'as du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers, the line is long but worth it. And it's actually shorter if you want to eat inside.

For Wednesday - if you are an early riser then a visit St Chapelle in the morning is a good idea! They open at 9am and it's quiet and beautiful. And La Conciergerie is right next door and opens early as well. It’s not a terribly far walk then to the Opera, and from there not far at all back to the Louvre - you can definitely find somewhere fantastic for lunch before your tour in between.

As far as Wednesday dinner, not knowing where you are staying (though I gather you are staying near Rue Cler based on your Tuesday morning commute) or where your cruise takes off from - your best bet may be somewhere that offers "service continu" assuming timing between your Louvre tour and the cruise will be tight, it may be ambitious to get back to your hotel in between, and most proper restaurants and bistros start dinner service at 7/7:30pm.

Hope this is helpful and wishing you a fabulous time!

I'm sure Rick has tours outlined in his guide, you should check those.

You'll regret it if you don't spend time in St. Germain and near Notre Dame. As noted, Champs is a long busy shopping street. After a few blocks I think you'll find you've had more than enough.

I would not recommend doing the Eiffel Tower on your arrival day. I'm assuming you're arriving on a flight from the USA? You are going to be tired, and by evening you won't have much left in the tank. The Eiffel Tower involves a lot of waiting in line if you are going up, and that will be hard after a long flight. You wait in line to go up, and then you wait in line to come down. And honestly, when you're that tired you don't remember things as well, and this should be remembered. I think it's best to keep your arrival day light. Walk around, have a meal, head back to the hotel to rest. Then hit the next day running.