Babymoon in Paris (this December)- museum itinerary?

Arriving that early, you probably will not be able to check in at your hotel. You may want to contact them to see if they have either early check in or a place to store your luggage. Saint-chapel is a must see. The concerigerie (sp?) is close by. I found it interesting as it was where Marie Antoinette was held.

You might want to look into a metro pass in case you tire of walking.

Good point, Barbara- I forgot to mention. We will be able to drop off our bags early for sure (not sure yet on early check-in, but that's less important). I hadn't heard of the Conciergerie yet, but will look into it. Thank you!

The Louvre, d'Orsay, and l'Orangerie all in one day is far too much! Not only is that lots and lots and lots of art, but also the three museums are not close to each other at all. The Louvre by itself can cover one day. Perhaps see the d'Orsay on the same day as Sainte-Chappelle (take a cab between the two, or the metro). You can pretty well cover 'Orangerie in a couple of hours, and it's near the bottom of the Champs Elysee' so see it when you go to the Arc de Triomphe, perhaps. You may want to lay a paper map of Paris (with metro stops) out on a table and eyeball the locations and transportation methods between the various sites. Also be sure to book your entrance to the Eiffel Tower beforehand to make ascension easier on yourself.

How much walking and standing are you up for? Doing the Louvre, D'Orsay and Orangerie in one day is not realistic. The Louvre is huge, and even if you limit yourself to one wing of it, it is still huge. You will be walking and standing on hard surfaces for a long time, with virtually no place to sit. D'Orsay is smaller, but still a lot of walking involved, if you try to see everything. I have not been to Paris in December. I know it's a popular destination at Christmas, but don't know what crowds are like at the museums (or Versailles) at this time. The main reason to get a museum pass is to avoid waiting in huge ticket lines.

Same with Versailles, touring the palace is a lot of walking, it will probably be quite crowded and again, no place to sit. There are many steps to climb the bell tower of Notre Dame.
Not trying to discourage you from seeing all these great sights, but I encourage you to be realistic about the amount of standing and walking you will be up for doing, and to pace yourself (and plan to travel by bus or cab rather than the metro).
You may not be able to see it all in 6 days.

jmauldinuu- thanks for the idea! I was looking at the map on the Paris museum pass website, so I thought they were close together- I may have been mis-reading.

BG- DH and I are typically pretty active, especially on vacation, and it's not unusual for us to walk 8-10+ miles/day. But you're right to be thinking about that here, especially being further along in my pregnancy. My energy levels are pretty normal now, but I may be more tired/need more breaks at that point.

So perhaps I should prioritize which sights we really want to see, then if we have time for the rest, that's the cherry on top.

Good plan, km. Figure out the most important things you want to see, and if you have time & energy do more. Don't forget to stop in cafes often to rest and people-watch.

The Louvre, d'Orsay and Orangerie are in fact VERY close together. The Louvre is just across the river from the Orsay and the Orangerie is near the footbridge you cross to get to the Orsay. But 3 in a day is too much. Maybe combine the Orsay and Orangerie one day and give the Louvre it's own day. You could go to the Louvre in the morning, then take a lunch break and come back in the afternoon on the same ticket. If you do it on a Weds or Friday the Museum is open late. (Thursday for d'Orsay -- but single entry only I believe)

The Notre Dame tower now has a system where you can get a time slot in the morning for whenever in the day -- so you don't have to stand in a long line all day.

Let me suggest adding Basilica St. Denis
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/confronting-mortality-at-st-denis/
I think it is the most overlooked fascinating spot on the Paris metro.

Climbing to the top of Notre Dame tower -- maybe another trip ?? You can take an elevator almost to the top at Arc de Triomphe (listed for aged and disabled, but enciente should qualify) for good views.
How about a Seine cruise to see the views at night ? Romantic, restful.

There is a weekly Navigo pass that gives you unlimited bus and metro usage. The sticky bit is that the pass runs from Monday through Sunday. If you can get 5 days out of it, it's usually worth it. With 4 days, I'd get it because you're probably close to a break-even point and it is really nice to be able to hop on a bus even for just one or two stops, to save your feet . . . and in winter, perhaps to avoid some really cold or rainy walks. If it fits your plans, come back and ask for details. One (or more) of us will give you all the info you'll need.

December is Christmas season. Plan to enjoy the decorations and the special holiday markets. I wonder if it's worth going to Versailles in December for two reasons, first because of the short December days (sunrise around 8.30, sunset by 5.00) and also because the gardens may not be attractive in winter.

The Louvre is huge. Their website is excellent, so it's a good resource to choose what you most want to see there and then to plan a route through the building to see them. There's a section called "thematic trails" which has several self-guided tours that highlight different parts/aspects of the museum. It's open late on Wednesday and Friday, often much less crowded then. Their audio guide is very good - take a US driver's license with you to leave as security. The worst day to visit the Orsay and the Louvre is the day when the other one is closed, since the open one gets the overflow.

One way to avoid the lines at Sainte-Chapelle is to go to an evening concert. Go to the first performance, get there when the doors open and you'll have time to walk around the chapel and take photos. It's well-lit during the concert so choose seats in the middle or farther back to be able to view more of the stained glass while enjoying the music (usually light classical). BTW, the long line is for security, then either a short or no line for tickets. You can get concert tickets in other places than the ticket booth there.

The museum pass may not be worth it if you aren't going to visit a lot of the included sights. There are few that help you avoid lines - Louvre and Orsay for sure, but the long lines at the Louvre are for security, not tickets, and using the Carousel entrance usually means a short line. I think you can pre-buy tickets for the Orsay. Except for Versailles, the only other long line that comes to mind is for the Notre Dame tower - the pass doesn't help there either. While the view from there is iconic, there are other places that have great views, my faves are the Arc de Triomphe around sunset and Tour Montparnasse (not included in the pass) anytime when there's good visibility. On the other hand, even if you don't break even, the pass has the added value of giving you the choice to enter other sights that you might otherwise pass up, and to visit briefly, not feeling "obligated to get your money's worth."

One of my favorite things is a Seine cruise with Les Vedettes du Pont Neuf (by anytime vouchers online from home to save a few euro) just before sunset. Paris Walks are usually very good.

What could be more wonderful, 6 nights in Paris in December, staying near the Luxembourg Gardens, with joyous thoughts of an impending baby. Congratulations.
What day is your arrival in Paris? Museum timings are often dependent on the day of the week.

Excellent tips, everyone, thank you!

We will arrive on Wednesday morning, so the four days we were thinking for the museum pass (if we end up getting it- perhaps it won't be worth it after all) were Thursday-Sunday. We depart on the following Tuesday morning, hopefully stuffed with croissants :)

Perhaps this more manageable, as a pie-in-the-sky itinerary? I think we will both be so delighted just to be in Paris that I don't think we will be particularly sad if we don't make it to everything we plan:

Day 1: relax/nap/walk around Luxembourg Gardens and perhaps Notre Dame/Conciergerie/Sainte Chappelle if we want.
Day 2-5 (I need to figure out still what days/times things may be closed)
a) Orsay, Orangerie
b) Versailles (it seems like this is worth seeing even if the gardens aren't blooming, or am I wrong?)
c) Louvre
d) Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower
Day 6: again, whatever's leftover or whatever we have energy to do (or not do!), maybe a river cruise (if we don't have time another night)

I'll look into the Navigo and the Basilica St. Denis!

i'd get the Navigo Decouverte because at this time of year and pregnant you don't have to worry about using tickets when you hop a bus for a few blocks in the rain or just because you are tired. The Luxembourg Gardens is a great location but it is not precisely central; use the bus when you can. You can buy a bus map booklet at a newsstand for a few Euro and if you want to use the buses a lot, it is helpful to have. The metro is great and it will be the best way for some of what you want to do, but it does involve a lot of steep stairs and so you may want to mostly use buses or stroll. You need a postage size headshot for the pass: 25/30 mm more or less. You can crop and print one on your computer before you arrive; no special paper needed; it doesn't even have to be in color.

The Museum pass gives you access to shorter security lines at most places but in December the lines will not be as long except precisely around Christmas. The Christmas market at Champs Elysees will be up and running and the Grande Roue ferris wheel with gondolas will be up at Concord. This is a really thrilling view at night.

Paris Sights with a 4 Day Paris Museum Pass

Wednesday (Arrival)
•Sacré-Coeur & Montmartre
•Evening Seine Cruise

Thursday
•Sainte-Chapelle (Opens 9am)
•Cluny Museum or Panthéon
•Luxembourg Gardens
•Musee d'Orsay
(Closes late Thu at 9.45pm)

Friday
•Arc de Triomphe (Opens 10am)
•Palais Garnier Opera
•Tuileries Gardens (Orangerie)
•Louvre Museum
(Closes late Wed, Fri at 9.45pm)

Saturday
•Versailles

Sunday
•Notre-Dame de Paris (Towers open 10am)
•Picasso Museum
•Place des Vosges
•Centre Pompidou
(Closes late at 10pm - ex Tue)

Monday
•Eiffel Tower (Opens 9:30am)
•Catacombs or Pere Lachaise

Monday
•Eiffel Tower (Opens 9:30am)
•*Catacombs or Pere Lachaise*

Geez David--do you really want them to finish their visit on a death theme!

How about hot chocolate at an outstanding chocolate shop, or seeing the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny Museum, or a gourmet lunch as a last fling before baby comes along, or all three and forget dance macabre.

Ha! In David's defense, I did mention being interested in both of those :) Thank you, David, for the SUPER helpful itinerary suggestion!

And Bets, I'm definitely into the hot chocolate idea- any chocolate shops in particular you'd recommend?

Dalloyau across the street from the Jardin du Luxembourg where the Blvd. Saint-Michel meets rue Sufflot and rue des Médicis. À branche of Angelina,written about in the tour guides but not as good IMO, is at the Luxembourg Museum, so you can compare the two.

I have been to Paris in December and am planning to go again this Christmas. If it is not to cold Versailles is nice inside, less crowded. Also there is branch of Angelina there. It makes a nice break after seeing Versailles. The hot chocolate is sold in both bottles and a mix. Be sure to get some to take home. There is also a shop on Rue de Bac, but no food offered. It is seriously wonderful.

Also make sure to look in some bakery windows to drool over the seasonal goodies and visit a Christmas market.

Haha Bets. I was just filling in the OP's wish list. The catacombs would not be my personal choice, but they do lend a kind of 'circle of life' theme to the babymoon occasion.

Aaah, Angelina's chocolat a l'ancienne . . . yummy.

Did someone say "chocolate?" In St. Germain des Pres: (from Fodors) "Within less than a single square mile can be found no fewer than 15 world-class chocolatiers, each with its own signature style and specialties. In a single afternoon, chocolate lovers can sample the world's creamiest ganaches, scented truffles, liqueur-filled bonbons, pralines, caramels and any other chocolaty confection under the sun. Shops not to miss: Henri Leroux, Jean-Paul Hevin, Patrick Roger, Jean-Charles Rochoux, La Maison du Chocolat, Christian Constant, and Pierre Marcolini (Belgian chocolates)." There are terrific boutique chocolatiers on the Right Bank too, but I wanted to explore the Rive Gauche so I made a note of these. Some have branches in several parts of the city. By the way, Paris specializes in dark chocolate. The milk chocolates are good but the darks are exquisite. If you want pralines, go to Marcolini - Belgians make the best pralines.

The Marcolini chocolates were quite good, but their macarons were absolutely the best, and a little less expensive than the other shops. The fruity ones are so good, but the salty caramel are to die for.

Okay, after some more research, and inspired by helpful suggestions, here's another draft itinerary:

day 1 (Weds): arrive 7AM, drop off bags, breakfast/explore near hotel: Luxembourg Gardens, Pantheon. Check into hotel 2PM, afternoon at Sacre-Coeur if we feel up to it.

day 2 (Thurs): Sainte-Chappelle, Conciergerie, Notre Dame, d'Orsay, Seine cruise

day 3 (Fri): Hemingway Paris walk, Tuileries Gardens, Orangerie, Louvre

day 4 (Sat): Versailles

day 5 (Sun): Rodin Museum, Marais Paris Walk, Picasso Museum, Jewish Art Museum, and maybe Pere Lachaise

day 6 (Mon): Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, Eiffel Tower, maybe fitting in anything we (were sad to) miss the previous days

day 7 (Tues): depart 11:55am

Thoughts?

This itinerary looks like a reasonable plan to try to achieve, but you may not be able to (or want to) do all these things each day.
This is true of my planning in Paris also, sometimes I do all I planned for, sometimes not - whatever happens is OK. You're in Paris!
I am not sure how wonderful a Seine cruise or Pere Lachaise will be in December, particularly late in the day. I went to Lachaise in December once and though beautiful and un-crowded, it was cold and damp.

We just returned from Paris last week, and it looks to me like you have some very viable suggestions regarding itinerary.

I would make one additional suggestion, which I think was only mentioned once above, and that would be to find a way to add Musee Cluny to the list. It's absolutely charming, and can be "done" in an hour. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are an absolute masterwork, and the medieval feel of the place is magnificent. I'll also concur with adding the Conciergerie. Also can be done in about an hour or so, and the entrance hall alone is worth stepping in to. It's right near St. Chappelle anyway, so you'll be right there.

We did make a stop at l'Orangerie, but only to view Water Lilies. It was on a Thursday, so we combined that with the late opening of d'Orsay, which was magnificent. We focused primarily on the impressionist collection on the fifth floor near the clock.

The Louvre, as has been stated, is massive beyond belief. So big, in fact, that it would be practically impossible to see even a significant portion of it in one visit. We used Rick's walking tour of the Denon Wing and loved every second of it. Then, we all went our separate ways, spending another few hours. Much more than four or five hours (less for some), and the Louvre can become a massive and overwhelming place-and considerably less enjoyable.

Whatever you do, just take your time, and focus on the most important thing: just taking in wherever you are at any given moment!