We are a family of 5 adults headed to France and Switzerland in a few weeks (July 2019)! We have 11 nights there. I have a few specific France questions, mostly related to transit and the need to pre-book activities, but I also wanted people's general thoughts on which activities we are planning to do which day. Would you change anything about this itinerary or which day we are doing what? (We plan to avoid the Arc de Triomphe/Champs Elysees area on Saturday due to the yellow vests.) Any favorite restaurants near the sights that I mention or in the 6th? We hope this itinerary allows plenty of time for sitting in cafes and people watching, which is our favorite pastime in Europe.
5 nights in Paris (staying in 6th arrondissement):
Day 1 (Friday) - arrive 10 am from U.S. Taxi to hotel. Nothing booked on this day. Possibly visit the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees in early evening. Is there a chance we'll be able to ascend the Arc de Triomphe without pre-purchasing tickets or are lines always long? My father (age 65) is very fit but has some mobility/balance issues with his feet and uses a walking pole for assistance. How likely is it that we can use the elevator if we ask?
Day 2 (Sat) - Small group tour of the Louvre at 9:30 am. Lunch somewhere on the way to Place Vendome, explore there and see Ritz Hotel. Afternoon/evening: Possibly Luxembourg Gardens and then a Seine river cruise leaving from Pont Neuf. Ok not to pre book the river cruise as we'd like to be flexible on time?
Day 3 (Sun) - Sainte Chapelle at 9 am (will buy tickets ahead online). Is combo ticket with Conciergerie worth it? I'm leaning against it. Eiffel tower visit booked - 3:30 p.m. Mass in French at St. Germain de pres (7 pm).
Day 4 (Mon) - private full day D-Day tour to Normandy, booked.
Day 5 (Tues) - explore Sacre Couer and Montmartre area in a.m. (Is Tuesday a good day to go to this area?) I'd like the option of going to the Dali Museum there but don't want to book ahead with specific time - how are the lines? Lunch in Montmartre. Afternoon/evening: free. Enjoy last night in Paris!
Day 6 (Wed) - Train to Colmar (2 nights)
-We have tickets for the 7:20 am direct train to Colmar from Gare de l'Est. I will ask our hotel too, but what is the best way to prebook a taxi for 6:30 am to get from our hotel in the 6th to the station? G7? Uber? Possible to book the night before? Is 6:30 early enough?
Explore old town of Colmar for the day. Hope to see Unterlinden Museum, little venice, possibly take the tourist train, just relax and people watch.
Day 7 (Thurs) - Full day small group tour of 4 Alsatian wine villages already booked (9 am - 5 pm). Dinner in Colmar.
Day 8 (Friday) - Train from Colmar to Lucerne via Basel. For the Colmar to Basel regional train, I am planning to wait and buy those tickets when we are in Colmar, either on Loco2 app or at the station. Is that a good plan? It looks like we'd buy a ticket for a specific time but would it be good for later trains as well or must we stick to the ticket's exact time? We will have our luggage - how crowded is this train route? Any tips on best time to leave on a Friday? Will we likely get seats?
Days 8-11 (4 nights in Lucerne). I'll post a few questions on Switzerland forum.
Day 12 - Direct train Lucerne to Zurich airport for 11:45 am flight to U.S.
I would appreciate any expert advice. Merci!